What's on your child's summer reading list? (Insp. by always quiet)

[Pin Wizard]

DS is headed into 6th grade in the fall. During the summer they need to choose two books to read from the following list:

Revenge of the Whale
Treasure Island
The Secret Garden
Tuck Everlasting
Anne of Green Gables
Fever, 1793

DS chose to read Tuck Everlasting and Treasure Island.

During the next school year they'll also be reading the following books:

Johnny Tremaine
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
The Hobbit
Farenheit 451

Wow! Four books during the school year!! I don't read that many in a year!

 

[shortbun]

Gosh, I usually read about four books a month-in the summer,
it's more like 8. I think that's pretty normal for 6th grade and a
nice selection of material as well. Why don't you read some of
them? DS, age 8-thrid grade, is reading about a hour and 1/2
each day this summer. I told him 1/2 hour minimum and I have
to stop him to do his chores/go to bed/go to the pool.
He's got math projects to do/has one done and chess tactics
to pile through(6 a day) as well as a daily journal entry.
If he was only reading 1/2 daily, it would all take about 1 and 1/4
hours daily but the reading puts him into over 2 hours a day of
fun school stuff. I make it as fun as I can. The math project he
finished was counting and graphing all the change in the change
jar as well as writing a summary of the contents. The he gets to
use the money as spending money.
Have a great summer

 

[buddy&wooz]

My son, also heading into 6th grade, only has to read one book this summer. He can choose any book in the Accelerated Reader program (except a few they will read over the next 3 years in school) and take and AR test.

In years past they've had to read three books, take an AR test on one, and do a project on one of the others. Not sure why they have less this summer, and I'm not happy about it, but I told each of my kids they need to always have a book "going" this summer, even when required reading is done.

My youngest going into first grade actually has to read three, but most of the recommended are picture books that take 10 minutes to read. Luckily we don't have to stick to that list, my son is capable of reading starter chapter books so we'll be doing those instead.

Pin Wizard, those are pretty advanced books for sixth grade on the school year list you posted. I'm happy to see that the kids are being challenged!

 

[Twigs]

DS's going into 7th grade have to pick one of these books to read and do a short report on:

My Brother Sam is Dead
Face on the Milk Carton
Esperanza Rising

 

[Pin Wizard]

shortbun...That sounds great! I'm all for keeping ds busy! I've actually gotten a few books to read myself. Neither one of us is an avid reader. So I'm thinking if we read our books together, it might inspire him a bit more to do it. He's reading Tuck Everlasting first...since it's much shorter than Treasure Island.

We just moved from FL to VA in March. It's been difficult for him moving so late in the school year. And does he notice the differences in the two schools! I have to say a major one is in the math being taught. He had flying colors in FL. Now here his school is teaching Saxon, and he's having a bit of a struggle with it. And he doesn't want help! It doesn't help to have the teachers tell them that they should completely do their own work and learn through mistakes. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!! I'm all for learning from mistakes, but I also believe in helping him discover the right way to do something...or find the pattern in a series of numbers, etc.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by buddy&wooz
My son, also heading into 6th grade, only has to read one book this summer. He can choose any book in the Accelerated Reader program (except a few they will read over the next 3 years in school) and take and AR test.

Pin Wizard, those are pretty advanced books for sixth grade on the school year list you posted. I'm happy to see that the kids are being challenged!

DS's former school had an AR program, but not at his new school.

I also thought some were advanced for 6th grade. In particular, a friend who teaches 6th and 7th grade Englsh said that Farenheit 451 might be something for them! I was thinking The Hobbit myself. I know some high schoolers with that on their reading list.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by Twigs
DS's going into 7th grade have to pick one of these books to read and do a short report on:

My Brother Sam is Dead
Face on the Milk Carton
Esperanza Rising

My Brother Sam is Dead. I was just looking at that in the bookstore today. Seems kind of a heavy topic for kids this age! Don't you think? Whatever happened to reading an enjoyable book during the summer months?

 

[NMAmy]

I've been known to read 4 books in a week if I can get away with it and DD as well.

Tuck Everlasting was one of my favorites when I was a kid--DD liked it a lot, too. I read Treasure Island to DD when she was around 6 and she was terrified of the black spot (it's a piece of paper--I never figured out what the big deal was, but she had nightmares about it.)

DD doesn't have a summer reading list but we keep her pretty well loaded up from the library and the bookstore. I've always read for fun and since she saw me doing it, she just kind of picked it up along the way. Now she's 13 and when she reads a book she really enjoys, she sets it out for me to read so she can talk to me about it. I've read a lot of great newer children's literature in the last couple of years.

 

[Pin Wizard]

I envy those of you that do a lot of reading. The main reason I don't read much is because it puts me to sleep! Someone had mentioned to me that if I'm falling asleep, it must not be a book I'm very interested in. Well, the last book I read from cover to cover was Coast Road by Barbara Delinsky I'd say about 3 years ago on vacation. No matter what else I've read, I sleep! I'm about to start reading The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford. I truly hope I stay awake through this!!

 

[CRB#33]

My DD (10th grade private prep school) has to read:

The Secret Life of Bees
Boys Life
and from the Bible: The books of Genesis, Exodus, and Matthew.

She's already done Boys Life, which looks good. I've got it packed and ready for cruise reading!

I have to force DS to read in the summer, but I'll be getting the Reading Olympics list and he'll read many from that.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

My DS, who will be going into 11th grade, has to read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell for his AP English class.

 

[Cindy B]

You know how to touch my buttons on this one.

My son's going into 4th grade. He has been reading excellently since pre kindergarten.. this is the type of kid that started reading Harry Potter and the Socerer's stone at the beginning of first grade...


So needless to say, he is about 4 grades ahead for reading. The 4th grade list is embarassing to say the least.

of the four books, the library does not have three of them, and one is on a tracer.. the libraryis closing in about a month, so I doubt I will get it.

Two of the books on the list my daughter did at the end of her first grade year...


I've left two messages with the principal regarding this.

SO far, and vacation has only been a few days. .

He's finished another Harry Potter, two Goosebumps, and did a portion of Tangerine.. (a 7th grade reading list book)


Summer reading is a bone of contention with me. For my 6th graders, none of the language arts/special ed teachers were given any input on the summer reading selection for our students. The administrators/superintendents just selected books that they thought they would like.. and honestly, most of my students won't /can't read the selections.

 

[Twigs]

My Brother Sam is Dead. I was just looking at that in the bookstore today. Seems kind of a heavy topic for kids this age! Don't you think?

I do agree it is somewhat heavy, and it is the one that DS has to read. It is a story about the revolutionary war where one brother is fighting on the opposite side of his brother and father. The end is somewhat grusome, but I do know that he can handle the book. He wanted to pick a different book, but he went home sick the day they picked the books and there weren't any copies left of the one he wanted( the school supplies the books to the students.)

 

[Pin Wizard]

Wow, Cindy! And I thought DS was doing great reading at a 7th grade level at the beginning of the school year when they had standardized testing! Your DS is something!

DS has about 1/2 hour every day at camp that they use for reading time. But I really need to add in time in the evenings.

CRB...Reading Olympics list? That's one I haven't heard of yet.

Carol...Huck Finn! That would take me forever. LOL! P.S. LOVE your Mickey in your siggie!

NMAmy...Tuck Everlasting. I know it was a movie recently, one I haven't seen. I'm afraid it's going to be geared more towards girls than boys. I hope DS likes it!!

 

[tar heel]

I think summer reading books SHOULD stretch kids a bit. That being said, one of my three would have had difficulty with a couple on Pin Wizard's son's list. The other two, on the other hand, could read anything. My youngest read The Hobbit this year in fourth grade as one of his free choice books and he breezed through all the Harry Potter books.

Pin Wizard, if your son isn't into reading, I would try to get him interested in the Harry Potter books. He's a good age for them and they might just be the ticket for getting him excited about reading. The first one is also a very easy read, so you get hooked on the series before the books get longer and more complex. Although my youngest has always read several years above grade level, he routinely chose easy books for himself until he read HP.

 

[AirForceRocks]

DD is going into 5th grade next year, and they have a book report due on the first day of school. The list was broken down into 3 parts:

Basic:

Number the Stars
The Cay
Because of Winn Dixie
The Blue Heron
Walking to the Bus Rider Blues
Frindle

Challenging:

Johnny Tremain
The Golden Goblet
A Door in the Wall
The Phantom Tollbooth
Bud, Not Buddy
Esperanza Rising
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
Prince Caspian

Advanced:

Gathering Blue
The Hobbitt
My Brother Sam is Dead
The Amazing Adventures of Prince Jen

We told her she could pick any book except one from the basic list, and she chose The Hobbitt.

 

[Pin Wizard]

tar heel...DS is in a private school, so his list may be a little more challenging than the public schools. Can't say for sure since I don't have their list, but I breezed over the table that has their summer reading books in B&N. Looked like lighter reading that what DS has to choose from.

Funny you mention HP. I was just thinking about that. DS has shown NO interest in it. When the first movie came out, we went to see it. He didn't care too much for it, hasn't seen the second movie and expressed absolutely NO interest in it. I've suggested an HP book to him and let him look them over. No go. Now, he loves what I consider garbage reading...Dragonball Z...and has read 7 of those books in the last 2 weeks. He needs some REAL reading in my book.

 

[Cindy B]

Originally posted by Pin Wizard
Wow, Cindy! And I thought DS was doing great reading at a 7th grade level at the beginning of the school year when they had standardized testing! Your DS is something!

Thanks! I do help teach reading to students, so I guess its in the genes.

Reading is one of my passions.. I have been known to finish a book in one day (HP 4 done in one day!) I read fast as well.. so that helps in school. --gets me through chemistry chapter.

But the reading list still gets under my skin. I hate to buy a book for him that is way beyond his skill. I know there are still some not quite proficient readers in his group, but there should have been other selections. (At least a chapter book, not a childrens book!)

 

[Cindy B]

Originally posted by Pin Wizard
Funny you mention HP. I was just thinking about that. DS has shown NO interest in it. When the first movie came out, we went to see it. He didn't care too much for it, hasn't seen the second movie and expressed absolutely NO interest in it. I've suggested an HP book to him and let him look them over. No go. Now, he loves what I consider garbage reading...Dragonball Z...and has read 7 of those books in the last 2 weeks. He needs some REAL reading in my book.

So, he is going into 6th?

Dragonball Z -- and those types of books is still reading. I'm not crazy about Goosebumps either (my son likes them), but he can finish them in one day, so I can' tcomplain.

6th graders have such varied tastes... I've seen some read Da Vinci Code, and some read Captain Underpants.

Jerry Spinnelli has some good "boy" books. My DS just read Maniac Magee, and liked it. (My students read that this year)

I've also seen Double Fudge.. the brother in the book is in 7th grade.. so thats funny.

Would he do LOTR? I'm not certain how my son would do on LOTR.. so I haven't steered it there yet.

Tangerine is a cool book. Its about a kid (boy) who lives in this mysterious town in Florida. I liked Tangerine

Holes or really anything by Louis Sachar is pretty good. Wayside School is Falling Down is very good. (silly fun, but good). Holes is a "boy" book as well.

As the school year ended, my students were reading the Secret of NIMH.. they liked it. Another one on the 6th read list was Music of the Dolphins or something like that. (The cover is blue, and its got a girl on it).

Matt Christopher is a sports oriented writer for older kids. His books are good as well, as well as accurate.

Flowers for Algernon is a 7th grade book.

Who Killed Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan is an 8th grade book list.

Th

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by AirForceRocks
We told her she could pick any book except one from the basic list, and she chose The Hobbitt.

Wow! Good for her! Some of the books I recognize from DS's summer reading club in 4th grade. I think the store was Zany Brainy at the time.

I stopped by the library today and signed him up for their summer reading program. The paperwork they gave me said the kids must read books they get at the library! I'll have to check and see if they have a list posted there because there wasn't a list included with the papers they gave me. Hmmm...physically one of their books? I'm hoping books on their list!!