Middle School Summer Reading 2009
Dorchester School District Two
Mr. Joseph Pye, Superintendent
Lisa Cuthbert
Literacy Interventionist Grades 6-8
lcuthbert@dorchester2.k12.sc.us
Dear Parents and Students,
One key to students’ reading success is making their reading experiences entertaining, relaxing, and enjoyable. Allowing children to choose their own reading materials based on their reading interests is one way to ensure academic success.
Dorchester School District Two feels it is imperative that we provide our students with as many opportunities as possible to grow academically. Reading for understanding and appreciation is a skill that translates effectively into every academic area. The purpose of the summer reading program is to provide students with the opportunity to select works which are of literary merit from lists developed by their language arts teachers at the middle school level. The language arts department has made every effort to choose titles that are both enjoyable and worthwhile. We hope to encourage reading for pleasure as well as reading for enlightenment, and we want to emphasize that the following summer reading list should be thought of as a starting point for conscientious students as they prepare to enter school in the fall. Lexiles are provided to assist in book selection (www.lexile.com).
Although participation is not required, it is strongly recommended that rising sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students take part in the Summer Reading Program for Dorchester School District Two.
Suggested Titles by Grade
Rising Sixth Grade 850L-1050L
Amos Fortune Elizabeth Yates 1090L
Anne of Green Gables L.M. Montgomery 990L
The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker Cynthia C. DeFelice 830L
Ella Enchanted Gail Carson Levine 670L
Fever 1793 Laurie Halse Anderson 580L
Finding Buck McHenry Alfred Slote 500L
Incredible Journey Shelia Burnford 1320L
The Land Mildred Taylor 760L
The Life and Death of Crazy Horse Russell Freedman 1100L
Mick Harte was Here Barbara Park 730L
Mossflower Brian Jacques 600L
Odysseus in the Serpent Maze Jane Yolen 630L
A Photobiography of Abraham Lincoln Russell Freedman Not Lexiled
Rascal Sterling North 1140L
The Kid in the Red Jacket Barbara Park 640L
The Secret of Gumbo Grove Eleanora Tate 740L
Switchers Kate Thompson 860L
Walk Two Moons Sharon Creech 770L
White Fang Jack London 970L
The Yearling Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings 750L
Rising Seventh Grade 950L – 1075L
Because of Winn-Dixie Kate di Camillo 610L
Dovey Coe Frances O’Roark Dowell 980L
Let the Circle be Unbroken Mildred Taylor 850L
Long Way from Chicago Richard Peck 750L
Nightjohn Gary Paulsen 770L
My Side of the Mountain Jean Craighead George 810L
Rules of the Road Joan Bauer 850L
Stargirl Jerry Spinelli 590L
Tangerine Edward Bloor 680L
Wreckers Iain Lawrence 640L
A Year Down Yonder Richard Peck 610L
Among the Hidden Margaret Haddix 800L
All American Girl Meg Cabot 880L
Rising Eighth Grade 1000L-1100L
Ashes of Roses Mary Jane Auch 670L
Before We Were Free Julia Alvarez 890L
Belle Prater’s Boy Ruth White 760L
Breaking Through Francisco Jimenez 750L
Bronx Masquerade Nikki Grimes 670L
Call of the Wild Jack London 1120L
Crash Jerry Spinelli 560L
Cut Patricia McCormick 660L
Driver’s Ed Caroline B. Cooney 670L
Dunk David Lubar 520L
Girl in Blue Ann Rinaldi 680L
The Gospel According to Larry Janet Tashjian 800L
Home of the Braves David Klass 870L
Hoot Carl Hiaasen 760L
Jacob Have I Loved Katherine Paterson 880L
Just Ella Margaret Haddix 850L
Midnight Fox Betsy Byars 970L
The Pigman’s Legacy Paul Zindel 1010L
Running Out of Time Margaret Haddix 730L
Shattering Glass Gail Giles 590L
Soldier Boys Dean Hughes 790L
Son of the Mob Gordon Korman 690L
Speak Laurie Halse Anderson 690L
This Lullaby Sarah Dessen 820L
Things Not Seen Andrew Clements 690L
Turnabout Margaret Haddix 690L
We are Witnesses Jacob Bous 970L
What Happened to Lani Garver Carol Plum-Ucci 720L
Witness Karen Hesse NP