Dear Students, This summer you must read two books one must be from the list of suggested books. The second book should be a personal choice. Please consider a non-fiction book about something that interest you. Then get ready to make personal connections! As you read, mark your book with post-it-notes when you make a connection to your own life, another book, or to a world event or community happening. You will need to complete the attached Making Connections activity sheets - text-to-text, text-to-self and text-to world for one of the books you read from the suggested reading list. In the left-hand column, simply record the name of the book you have read, along with the chapter or page that made you think about a connection. Record the idea, event, or quote from the book that created the connection. Then in the right-hand column, start connecting! Write complete sentences about your connections. Don t forget, you can connect to other summer reading books or even to novels you have read in class. We suggest writing a rough draft first and then doing a final copy. Please bring this assignment with you on the first day of school in September to give to your new teacher. Have a happy and healthy summer! Remember to read! In addition to the reading requirements, we have included a Summer Literacy Calendar for July and August with suggested activities for you and your family to enjoy. Sincerely, Middletown Township Summer Reading Committee Summer Reading Update As a result of feedback we received last summer, we have revised our reading lists and assignments. There are many more choices and only one required writing activity. The Middletown Public Library has a variety books from our suggested list and has collaborated with us to also offer similar books as alternatives to the specific books on the list. We thank them for their support! We hope all of our students will enjoy reading books that are engaging, informative, and aligned with their interests.
Third-into-Fourth Grade Summer Reading List The following novels are the summer reading choices for Middletown students entering the Fourth Grade. Students must select at least one book from the list below. Your second book can be a personal choice - please consider a non-fiction book! Reading Level Guide: E Books for student emerging toward their grade level. O Books for students on grade level. A Books for students above grade level. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume (E) Two is a crowd when Peter and his four-year-old brother, Fudge, are in the same room. Grown-ups think Fudge is absolutely adorable, but Peter and his pet turtle, Dribble, know the truth. Fudge is actually a tiny terror in disguise, causing mischief everywhere he goes. The School Story by Andrew Clements (O) Natalie s best friend, Zoe, is sure that the novel Natalie s written is good enough to be published. But how can a twelve-year-old girl publish a book? Natalie s mother is an editor for a big children s publisher, but Natalie doesn t want to ask for any favors. Then Zoe has a brilliant idea: Natalie can submit her manuscript under a pen name, with Joe acting as her literary agent. But it s not easy for two sixth graders to put themselves over as grown-ups, even with some help from a couple of real grown-ups who are supportive but skeptical. The next bestselling school story may be in their hands-but can Natalie and Zoe pull off their masquerade? About Average by Andrew Clements (A) Jordan Johnston is average. Not short, not tall. Not plump, not slim. Not blond, not brunette. Not gifted, not flunking out. Even her shoe size is average. She s ordinary for her school, for her town, for even the whole wide world, it seems. But what about everyone else? They re remarkable. She sees evidence everywhere on TV, in magazines, and even in her classroom. They are tremendously talented, stunningly beautiful, and wildly gifted. And some of them are practically her age! Jordan feels doomed to a life of wallowing in the vast, soggy middle. So she makes a goal: By the end of the year, she will discover her great talent. By the end of the year, she will no longer be average. She will find a way to become extraordinary, and everyone will know about it! Jake Drake Series by Andrew Clements (E) Sample book from the series: Jake Drake: Teacher s Pet - Mrs. Snavin looked right past all those waving hands. She looked right at me and she smiled and said, "I think I'll have Jake take it." Then Mrs. Snavin said, "but be sure to hurry right back, Jake, because we're going to work on our number-line project, and you have to be my special computer helper, okay?" And I could feel every kid in the class looking at me. They weren't saying anything. They weren't even whispering. But right then, I heard what they were thinking anyway. They were thinking, teacher's pet. Choose a sports story by Matt Christopher (O) Soccer, skateboarding, baseball, you name it Matt Christopher covers them all! Channel your inner sport star this summer as you hit a homerun with this championship series from a champion writer!
The Weird School Series by Dan Gutman (O) Sample book from the series: Mr. Sunny is Funny - A.J.'s family rented a beach house for the summer, and you'll never guess in a million hundred years who rented the house next door. Well, you have to read the book to find out. The Magic Treehouse Series by Mary Pope Osborne (Fiction/Nonfiction Companion Reading) (E) Sample companion books: When Jack and Annie got back from their adventure in Magic Tree House #23: Twister on Tuesday, they had lots of questions. How do tornadoes form? What kinds of tools can help predict bad storms? Where did the biggest snowfall on record happen? How fast are hurricane winds? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Jack and Annie track the facts. Filled with up-to-date information, photos, illustrations, and fun tidbits from Jack and Annie, the Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #8 Twisters and Other Terrible Storms are the perfect way for kids to find out more about the topics they discovered in their favorite Magic Tree House adventures. Additional fiction/nonfiction companion books listed below: o Tonight on the Titanic (F-Book #17) Titanic (NF Companion Book #7) o Abe Lincoln At Last (F-Book #47) Abraham Lincoln (NF Companion Book #47) o Dolphins At Daybreak (F-Book #9) Dolphins and Sharks (NF Companion Book #9) o Midnight on the Moon (F-Book #8) Space (NF Companion Book #6) Time Warp Trio: Summer Reading is Killing Me by John Scieszka (O) Sam, Fred, and Joe--the Time Warp Trio--find themselves face-to-beak with a giant, 266-pound chicken... who, unfortunately, looks hungry. As the chicken begins to chase them, the boys realize with horror that they are smack-dab in the middle of Daniel Pinkwater's, The Hoboken Chicken Emergency! How did they get there? Fred accidentally stuck the school's summer reading list between the pages of "The Book" a time-warping, green-mist-expelling book that triggers time travel in all of Jon Scieszka's well-loved Time Warp Trio action-adventures. Will the Time Warp Trio complete their summer reading homework or will summer reading ACTUALLY kill them? Enjoy this selection from the Time Warp Trio books to find out. Time Warp Trio: Marco Polo by John Scieszka (O) What would happen if someone had a time-warping book he got from his uncle who was a magician, and he took it to the local YMCA pool while he played Marco? Polo! with his best friends? In the sixteenth adventure of the Time Warp Trio, it happens to Joe (and Fred and Sam). And what happens is sandstorms, desert bandits, a smelly camel, strange horoscopes, the emperor of all China, and one very famous explorer. If the explorer is Marco Polo, this must be thirteenth century China! Nonfiction A Picture Book of Anne Frank (E) A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman (E) A Picture Book of Jesse Owens (E) A Picture Book of John F. Kennedy (O) A Picture Book of George Washington (O) A Picture Book of Robert E. Lee (O)
Who Was? Series) (O-A) Sample book from the series: Who Was Dr. Seuss? by Janet Pascal Ted Geisel loved to doodle from the time he was a kid. He had an offbeat, fun-loving personality. He often threw dinner parties where guests wore outrageous hats! And he donned quirky hats when thinking up ideas for books-like his classic The Cat in the Hat. This biography, with black-andwhite illustrations throughout, brings an amazingly gifted author/illustrator to life. Some additional books in the series include: o o o Who Was Walt Disney? by Whitney Stewart Who Was Neil Armstrong? by Roberta Edwards Who Was Helen Keller? by Gare Thompson National Geographic Cats Vs. Dogs Ever since the first youngster in history had pet, cats versus dogs has been a hotly debated issue on playgrounds and at lunch tables worldwide. Before kids can choose which animal they prefer, though, they'll need to get the facts! This advanced reader presents information in an accessible, appealing way, with plenty of adorable photos and a helpful glossary. So which one's better, a border collie that can understand hundreds of words or a cat that can tell when an earthquake is coming? Which one's smarter? More loyal? It's up to readers to decide, and this book can help them do that. National Geographic Everything Dogs Dogs are man's best friend! They are intelligent, inquisitive, compassionate, and funny! Their friendliness combined with their ability to connect to humans make dogs one of the most loved animals in the world. Everything Dogs explores the world of these extraordinary animals! Kids will learn all about the characteristics that define dogs, their daily lives, the different breeds, and much, much more! Packed with fun facts and amazing photographs, features "Expert's Corners" that provide exciting, real-life experiences with dogs from a National Geographic explorer, and cool and interactive activities, kids will get an in-depth look at these curious, furry, and lovable creatures. National Geographic Everything Sharks Satisfy the shark-fact feeding frenzy! These torpedo-shaped swimmers are an obsession for many kids. In Everything Sharks, exciting photos depict great whites, hammerheads, and more. Scientists tell hair-raising tales about encounters. With its awesome facts and action-packed images, this book brings kids close to the mysterious lives of sharks. National Geographic Sharks He s quick. He s silent. He has five rows of deadly teeth. Chomp! Meet the shark the fish who ruled the deep before dinosaurs roamed the Earth! This fish has soft cartilage so he can glide, twist, and turn before his prey can say "gulp!" He can smell a single drop of blood in 25 million drops of ocean. He can feel electricity given off by his prey. He will lose and replace more than 10,000 teeth in his lifetime. Cool photos bring kids into the shark s world. Fun facts go deep into the shark s scary science. All reviews taken from Amazon.com
Name: Connections: Text-to-Text (Connecting this book to another book I have read) This is the part of the book I am reading Title: Chapter # This part of the book reminded me of the following book that I read. (Be sure to include support or excerpts from the novel to support your connection.)
Connections: Text-to-Self (Connecting a book to something personal about me) This is the part of the book I am reading Title: Chapter # This part of the book reminded me of this about my life. (Be sure to include support or excerpts from the novel to support your connection.
Connections: Text-to-World (Connecting a book to something that is happening in the world) This is the part of the book I am reading Title: Chapter # This part of the book reminded me of this event/item that I heard on the news. (Be sure to include support or excerpts from the novel to support your connection.)