Framed! A T.O.A.S.T. Mystery by James Ponti Mystery Florian is 12 and has just moved to Washington D.C. He’s perfecting TOAST, the Theory of All Small Things, a technique he invented to solve life’s little mysteries such as: where to sit on the on the first day of school, or which Chinese restaurant has the best eggrolls. He teaches it to his new friend Margaret and they uncover a mystery that involves the FBI, and a notorious crime syndicate known as EEL. Lexile 680/Grade 5 - 6 The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill Fantasy and Magic Every year, the people leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope to keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch, Xan, is kind and rescues the children delivering them to families on the other side of the forest, feeding the babies with starlight on the journey. When Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead, she fills the child with magic. Xan decides she must raise this girl as her own. As Luna’s thirteenth birthday approaches, her magic begins to dangerously emerge. Lexile 640/Gr 5 – 6 Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar Mystery Fifth grader Tamaya and seventh grader Marshall have been walking to and from Woodridge Academy together since elementary school. But their routine is disrupted when bully Chad challenges Marshall to a fight. To avoid the conflict, Marshall takes a shortcut home through the off-limits woods. Tamaya reluctantly follows. They soon get lost. And then they find trouble. Bigger trouble than anyone could ever have imagined. Lexile 700/Gr 5-6 The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary by Laura Shovan Realistic Fiction/Poetry The graduating fifth grade class of Emerson Elementary joins together to try to save their school from being torn down to make way for a supermarket. Gr. 4 and up
The Oldest Soul: Animus by Tiffany Fitzhenry
Fantasy/Dystopian
Eve has no idea she's the oldest soul on earth, with a connection to every other soul on the planet and that the boy she's mysteriously drawn to, name Roman, has been her soul mate, of nearly 300 lifetimes, until he tells her. Roman doesn't mention the new genetic test called Animus that will soon expose what she is to the whole world and that the future of humanity rests in her. Gr 7-8 Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
Realistic Fiction
Willy, lives with his grandfather in Wyoming. Grandfather falls ill, and is in danger of losing the farm, but Willy is determined to win the National Dogsled Race and save the farm. But he isn't the only one who desperately wants to win. Willy must face off against experienced racers, including Stone Fox, who has never lost a race. Lexile 550/Gr 5 The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall Realistic Fiction Arthur hurled a brick at the Junk Man hitting in the arm, not the head. Arthur had his reasons. But the judge is ready to send Arthur to juvie. Amazingly, it’s the Junk Man himself who offers a choice: 120 hours of community service, working for him. It isn’t long before Arthur realizes there’s more to the Junk Man than meets the eye, and the “trash” he’s collecting is being transformed into something unbelievable Lexile 760/Gr 6 and up Niagra Falls, Or Does It Henry Winkler Realistic Fiction/Humor It's science fair time and this is good news and bad news for Hank. Hank loves science, but he hates the report part. He decides to take apart the cable box to try to and rebuild it. But he wasn't counting on was his sister's pet iguana laying eighteen eggs in the disassembled box. How is Hank going to get out of this one? Lexile 610/Gr 5 - 6
Summer Reading 2017
Grades 5-8
Chichester Central School
Students need to choose a title from this list to read for their summer reading project. Specific Grade Level projects and rubrics will be released through Google Classroom on Friday, June 23. Grade 5 & 6 Google Classroom Code: vq3yo7y Grade 7 & 8 Google Classroom Code: nr0m38r The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin Realistic Fiction Everyone says that it was an accident... that sometimes things "just happen". But Suzy won't believe it. Ever. After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced that the true cause of the tragedy was a rare jellyfish sting. Retreating into a silent world of imagination, she crafts a plan to prove her theory--even if it means traveling the globe, alone. Suzy's achingly heartfelt journey explores life, death, the astonishing wonder of the universe...and the potential for love and hope right next door. Lexile 740/ Gr 6-8 Took: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn Ghosts/Mysteries Thirteen-year-old Daniel doesn’t believe Brody’s crazy stories about the ghost witch who lives up on Brewster’s Hill with her man-eating razorback hog. He figures Brody’s probably just trying to scare him since he’s the new kid. But Daniel’s seven-year-old sister Erica has become more and more withdrawn, talking to her lookalike doll. When she disappears into the woods one day, he knows something is terribly wrong. Has Erica been “took”? Lexile 690/Gr 5 - 6
The Finisher David Balducci Science Fiction/Dystopian Vega Jane was always told no one could leave the town of Wormwood. She was told there was nothing outside but a forest filled with danger and death. And she always believed it, until the night she saw Quentin Herms run away. Vega knows Quentin didn't just leave, he was chased. And he left behind a trail of clues that point to a dark conspiracy at the heart of Wormwood. If Vega wants to stay safe, she just needs to keep her head down and her mouth shut. There's only one problem, Vega Jane never walks away from a fight. Lexile710/Gr 6-8 Nightbird by Alice Hoffman Magical Realism Twig lives in Sidwell, where people whisper that fairy tales are real. After all, her town is rumored to hide a monster. And two hundred years ago, a witch placed a curse on Twig’s family that was meant to last forever. But this summer, everything will change --it’s time to break the spell. Gr. 5 and up Ms. Bixby’s Last Day by John David Anderson Realistic Fiction Three boys are dismayed when their teacher falls ill and leaves for the rest of the year, a situation that compels them to cut class and journey across town together to give Ms. Bixby the last day she deserves. Lexile 800/Gr 6-8 Sabriel by Garth Nix Fantasy Since childhood, Sabriel has lived outside the walls of the Old Kingdom, away from the power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who refuse to stay dead. But now her father, is missing, and Sabriel must cross into that world to find him. With his companions Mogget, and Touchstone, Sabriel travels deep into the Old Kingdom. There she confronts an evil that threatens much more than her life and comes face-to-face with her own hidden destiny. Gr 6 and up
A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen Historical Fiction Gerta, her mother, and her brother Fritz are trapped on the eastern side of the Berlin Wall, where they were living when it went up. Her father, and her other brother Dominic are in the West. Four years later, now 12, Gerta sees her father on a viewing platform on the western side and realizes he wants her to risk her life trying to tunnel to freedom Lexile 810/Gr 6- 8 Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick Realistic Fiction/Humor Max, whose father is in prison for murdering his mother, is large, awkward, and learning-disabled. Kevin is crippled and undersized. Both are bullied by their peers. The boys start a friendship; Kevin defends them with his brains, while Max is his friend's "legs," allowing him to participate in the world. When Kevin's illness progresses Max is left with the insight to think positively about himself and his future. Lexile 1000/Gr 5 and up The Fourteenth Goldfish By Jennifer R. Holm Science Fiction/Humor Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. He’s bossy. He’s cranky. And weirdly enough, he looks a lot like Ellie’s grandfather, a scientist who’s always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Has Grandpa Melvin finally found the secret to eternal youth? Lexile 550/Gr 5-6 Regarding the Bees by Kate Klise Realistic Fiction/Humor The seventh graders at Geyser Creek Middle School are beeyond stressed. They are preparing for a spelling bee and a horrible standardized test called the Basic Education Evaluation. Meanwhile the students are all busy looking for their own ‘honeys.” It's a good thing they have one fabulous teacher named Florence Waters. Lexile 830/ Gr 5 – 6
Ghost by Jason Reynolds Realistic Fiction/Sports “Ghost” is a naturally talented runner but he’s had no formal training and, up until now, he’s been running for all the wrong reasons and worrying his single mom. Then he is recruited for an elite middle school track team by a coach who is determined to keep him from blowing his shot at life. Lexile 730/Gr 5 - 8 Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart Adventure Jonathan Grisby is the newest arrival at the Slabhenge Reformatory School for Troubled Boys--a fortress of gray stone rising up from the ocean. On his first day however, a freak accident leaves the troubled boys of Slabhenge without any adult supervision. Suddenly the kids are free, with an entire island to themselves. But freedom brings unexpected danger. Gr 6 and up Alex & Eliza: A Love Story by Melissa se la Cruz Historic Fiction: Romance 1777. Albany, New York. Battle cries of the American Revolution echo in the distance when Eliza, third daughter of a distinguished and wealthy family meets the mysterious, rakish, young colonel, Alexander Hamilton. Told from Eliza’s point of view, the fateful meeting of Alex and Eliza begins an epic love story that would forever change the course of American history. Gr 7 and 8 Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman Biography The deep and enduring friendship between Vincent and Theo Van Gogh shaped both brothers' lives. Theo supported Vincent as he struggled to find his path in life as an arrtisit. They shared everything, swapping stories of lovers and friends, successes and disappointments, dreams and ambitions. Lexile 800/Gr 5 - 8