Summer Reading
List for our Audubon Roadrunners and Their Siblings
Each year books are chosen by California's
Young Readers. If you are interested in finding great books for your
student to read over the summer, click
here to go to
the official homepage of the California Young Reader Medal website.
Another resource for finding good summer reading books is
below:
Here you will find a list of
books that cover a wide range of readers. Each book will have the targeted
grade range for the reader and one, two, three, or four frogs to show my opinion
of the book being reviewed. Have a great summer and happy reading!!!!!
=Fabulous
=
Great
=
Okay
=
Bad
Historical
fiction
WARRIOR GIRL: A Novel of Joan of Arc
Pauline Chandler
Grades 9 – 12
=
Great
Mariane became
mute after witnessing her mother's murder at the hands of English raiders. Left
voiceless and devastated, Mariane is sent away from her home because it is too
dangerous for her to stay. While staying with her aunt, uncle, and cousin
Jehanne, Mariane begins to feel a close bond with her cousin, but has noticed
that sometimes she acts strange and appears to be talking to herself. She then
discovers that Jehanne wants to travel to the Dauphin and convince him to rally
the French to chase away the English. Jehanne claims that God has spoken to her
through the saints and has asked her to become his "warrior" and "his
archangel."
She doesn't know what to make of her cousin's claim, but insists that
Jehanne take her along. As time passes, Mariane realizes truths far more
upsetting than her mother’s murder and begins to unravel family secrets.
This retelling of Joan of Arc might enlighten young female readers about
the heroics of some brave young girls. The only downfall is that the author
does not always clarify between the history and the made up fiction.
Journey
to the Bottomless Pit: The Story of Stephen Bishop &
Mammoth
Cave
Elizabeth Mitchell (2004)
Grades 7 - 12
=
Great
The Mammoth Cave of Kentucky is the
site for this historical fictionalized account of Steven Bishop's life as a cave
guide. In 1838, at the age of seventeen, a young slave named Stephen Bishop was
given the opportunity to act as a guide for tourists through the caves his
master had purchased. It was his job to lead the group through what seemed like
endless tunnels by candlelight. Stephen enjoyed his job and even discovered new
passages and rivers that ran through the miles and miles of the cave. Stephen
was the first to discover the eyeless fish. His enthusiasm to learn all about
the cave gives him the drive to learn to read. In 1842, Stephen was asked to
draw and map the passages of the entire cave system. Stephen became the leading
expert on the Mammoth Cave.
Realistic
fiction
The
Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs
Betty G. Birney (2005)
Grades 4 - 8
=
Great
In the year 1923, eleven-year-old Eben McAllister
wanted to travel and see things outside of Sassafras Springs, Missouri. After
reading a book about the Seven Wonders of the World and sharing it with his
father, his desire for traveling grew. Eben's father challenged him to find
seven wonders in Sassafras Springs in seven days. If he could, he would earn a
train ticket to the Colorado Mountains. When many people in Sassafras Springs
wanted to share their own wonders with Eben, he began to realize that it was
going to be a much harder job than he first thought. Will Eben ever make it to
the Colorado Mountains?
Classic
fiction
Of Mice and Men
by
John Steinbeck
Grades 9 -12
=
Great
Originally
published in 1937, Of Mice and Men is a timeless story of George Milton
and Lennie Small, ranch hands who drift from job to job, always one step ahead
of the law and a few dollars from the poorhouse. George, who is small and has a
sharp tongue, acts as a father figure to Lennie, who is extremely large, but a
little slow.
When they find work on a
ranch in California's Salinas Valley, the dream of owning their own farm finally
seems within reach. However, in a tragic twist, Lennie commits murder
accidentally and George is left trying to make it right. Will it work out in
the end, or will their dreams of owning a small farm go up in smoke?
Adventures
of Tom Sawyer
by
Mark Twain
Grades 4 - 6
=Fabulous
First published in 1876, Mark Twain tells a story of a mischievous boy growing
up in a small town on the Mississippi River. He relives part of his own
childhood as he tells of a boy who gets out all of his worldly possessions and
examines them. Bits of toys, marble, and trash could buy an exchange of work,
but there was not enough to buy even a half an hour of freedom.
Tom Sawyer immediately catches the attention of the reader with his bad
behavior and incredible adventures. Whether he is throwing dirt balls at his
brother, faking Gangrene, or simply trying to convince the world that he is
dead, Tom's energy and great since of humor shine through.
Multicultural
literature
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
by
Victor Hugo
Grades 6 - 12
=Fabulous
Before Disney created
a movie about a hunchback that rang a bell in a tower, Victor Hugo wrote The
Hunchback of Notre Dame. It has thrilled generations of readers with
its highly emotional story of Quasimodo, the deformed hunchback who lives in a
bell tower of one of Paris’s most famous cathedrals after being abandoned by his
mother.
Feared and hated by all, Quasimodo is looked after by Dom Claude Frollo, a
stern, cold priest who ignores the hunchback even when plagued by public
torture. Someone finally steps forward to help, a beautiful gypsy named
Esmeralda, whose single act of kindness fills Quasimodo with love. Frollo
becomes enraged with jealousy, first at Esmeralda’s love for Phoebus and then by
her growing friendship with Quasimodo. Can the hunchback save the lovely gypsy
from Frollo’s evil plan to have her hung at the gallows, or will it be the end
of Esmeralda and Quasimodo?
Samurai Shortstop
by
Alan M. Gratz
Grade 7 - 11
=
Great
Filled with mixed emotions, Toyo joins the other
new students at his boarding school. He is happy to be far away from his family
since his Uncle Koji committed suicide. Suicide was Koji's way of defying the
disbanding of the samurai. Toyo is relieved to be far away from the memories of
Koji's death. Like every school, there are rumors about what is in store for the
new students at Ichiko Academy by the
upperclassmen. To make matters worse, at first Toyo is not permitted to play on
the baseball team even though he has great talent. Eventually, Toyo proves
himself worthy of a place on the team, where his training in bushido (Samurai
Warrior training) will help both Toyo and his teammates become better players
and better men. Toyo applies the rules of bushido to help his teammates function
as a team. During his journey, he still has to deal with hazing from older
students, and his father’s disapproval of his passion for baseball.
Adventure
Alex
Ryan, Stop That!
Claudia Mills (2003)
Grades 5 - 8
=
Great
As Alex Ryan’s seventh-grade year comes to an end he continues to pull
pranks and tell jokes. He enjoys attracting people with his humor, but one
prank leads Marcia, one of his estranged friends, to injury. Seventh-grade camp
is approaching fast and Alex’s dad has volunteered to chaperone which makes Alex
uncomfortable. His dad is also a jokester who likes to use his son for a punch
line.
Will Alex be able to build a better relationship with his father and after
Marcia’s injury, will he learn from his pranks and give up his jester ways?
Eragon
Christopher Paolini (2003)
Grades 6 - 12
=
Great
When Eragon finds a beautiful blue stone
he has no idea that he has discovered a dragon’s egg! When the egg hatches,
Eragon’s quest begins. It is a journey that will lead Eragon into a world of
closely guarded secrets in search of a way to right the wrongs in Alagaesia.
Joining Eragon and his dragon on their quest is Brom, a storyteller, whose own
story may turn out to be more interesting than any he could ever tell. Will
Eragon and Brom join the Varden - a secret society set up against the evil King
Galbatorix? And if so, will they survive?
Mystery
From
the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Konigsburg, E.L. (1968)
Grades 3 – 6
=Fabulous
As the oldest of
four children, Claudia Kincaid felt that she was being taken advantage of. To
her, leaving home was the best way to make her family appreciate her. She
decided to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, NY.
Claudia knew that this
would be a difficult task and quickly realized that she would need another
person to go with her on this adventure. Claudia chose Jamie, one of her three
siblings. Jamie was a great choice because of his ability to save money and spend wisely.
With clothes-filled
instrument cases in hand, the two set off on a journey that would not only lead
to self discovery, but turn into a quest to find the creator of a mysterious
marble statue named Angel that was on display at the museum. Neither Claudia nor Jamie realized that their lives were about to
change forever.
Awards:
1968 -
The Newbery Medal
1968 - Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
1970 - William Allen White Children's
Book Award
This book was also made into a movie in 1973 and
re-released as a made-for-TV movie in 1995:
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E.
Frankweiler
(1995)
(TV)
Director:
Marcus Cole
Writers
(WGA):
E.L. Konigsburg (novel)
Betty Goldberg (teleplay)
Release Date:3
June 1995 (USA)
more
Genre:Comedy
/
Drama /
Family
more
Plot Outline:
Two runaway kids hide in a museum. Once they are locked inside overnight, they try to solve a mystery
about a statue supposedly carved by Michelangelo, known as "The Angel." Will
they solve the mystery in time?
Encyclopedia
Brown and the Case of the Jumping Frogs
Donald Sobol (2003)
Grades 2 - 5
=
Great
Jumping frogs and lawn mower races are only a few of the types of cases that
Encyclopedia Brown tackles in this book. In the main case, Buddy Mayfair (Ribbet)
hops into the Brown Detective Agency and invites Sally Kimball and Encyclopedia
to be part of a frog-hunting event. Everything is going fine until someone
discovers that Ribbet’s camera has been stolen. As this mystery unfolds, can you
find the thief along with the detectives?
Supernatural-fantasy-science fiction-utopias
Alphabet
Mystery
Audrey Wood (2003)
Grades Pre-K - 1
=Fabulous
Charlie realizes
that his little x is missing. Little x has run away because he feels like the
most unused letter in the alphabet. When the other letters set out to find him,
they discover him in a castle happily dancing on a xylophone. The letters
convince him that he is needed back home for birthday surprise for Charlie's
mom. Will little x return with Charlie and his letter friends or will he stay at
his new found castle?
ANANSI
BOYS
Neil Gaiman
William Morrow
Grades 9 - 12
=
Great
Mr. Nancy is Fat Charlie's dad and the
African trickster god, Anansi. When Mr. Nancy dies, Charlie flies to
Florida to pay his respects,
having never known that his father was more than just an annoying man with the
ability to make his life miserable. As things begin to go wrong, Charlie learned
of his father's powers, and that he has a brother. The only way he can meet him
is to summon him, and to do so he must ask a spider to bring him by the house.
Lacking sincere faith, Charlie speaks to a spider and requests his brother to
come by.
Imagine Charlie's surprise when his brother, Spider, stops by, bringing with him
a series of downward spirals that hurl Charlie headlong into disaster. With the
world on the precipice of doom, Charlie seeks help to enter the spirit world and
set right all that has begun to go wrong.
Another book that the reader may like is AMERICAN GODS.
Non-fiction
I
Am America
Charles R. Smith, Jr. (2003)
Grades Pre-K - 1
=Fabulous
Who or what is America? America is made up of
lots of different people. They like different kinds of music, practice different
religions and belong to different cultures. All the kids in this book are
different, yet they are still Americans. As you see the children’s bright,
colorful photos and read about them in, you just might see yourself. Have you
figured out why the book is called, “I Am America,” I think I have?
The
Magic School Bus Explores the Senses
Joanna Cole (1999)
Grades 2 – 5
=Fabulous
What’s yellow and can shrink so small that it can
travel through your brain? The Magic School Bus, of course! But where is Ms.
Frizzle? The new assistant principal, Mr. Wilde, is driving the bus and the
class is scared! Join them as they go in and out of a policeman’s eye, a dog’s
nose, a little boy’s ear, different brains, and much more. Can you handle the
ride?
The
Green Book:
The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a
Time by
Elizabeth Rogers,
William McDonough,
Thomas M. Kostigen,
Cameron Diaz,
Thomas
M. Kostigen
Grades 9 - 12
=Fabulous
Ellen DeGeneres,
Robert Redford, Will Ferrell, Jennifer Aniston, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Martha
Stewart, Tyra Banks, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Tiki Barber, Owen Wilson, and Justin
Timberlake give us some great ideas on how to save our environment! This book
is packed full of ways to save our Earth. As you read, try not to get
overwhelmed though! The book is not saying that you have to do everything you
read about, it is just giving you some simple, and some not so simple, ways to
help out everyday!
Sespe
Wild:
Southern
California's Last Free River
by
Bradley John Monsma
Grades 9 -12
=
Great
Sespe Creek, the last
un-dammed river in Southern California, flows through some of the wildest
territory in the state to its mouth less than fifty miles northwest of downtown
Los Angeles. Monsma’s attention ranges from the physical to geological
attributes that shaped it. The Sespe is also home to the nearly-extinct condors,
grizzlies, mountain sheep, steelhead trout, and red-legged frogs. Monsma
connects the tensions between preservation and management of wildlife and
wilderness, the ecology of fire, the connections between species, and the
incredible way that the Sespe has escaped the fate of other Southern California
streams that have been dammed or carved up into canals by land development.
Biography
Lou
Gehrig: The Luckiest Man
David Adler (1997)
Grades 3 - 6
=Fabulous
This is a touching
story about a great New York Yankee’s baseball player. Lou Gehrig was born to
German immigrant parents on June 19, 1903, in a poor section of New York City
called Yorkville. His incredible career began while he attended high school.
Despite illnesses and obstacles, Lou Gehrig was always tried his best. His
dedication to the game even earned him the nickname "Iron Horse." Not only was
he dedicated to the game of baseball, he was dedicated to the fans as well.
Rosa
Nikki Giovanni (2005)
Grades
4 – 6
=Fabulous
Rosa Parks was a quiet woman who had no
idea that she was about to change history. She was hard-working and was an
accomplished seamstress. She took care of all the small details of a garment
until it was as close to perfect as it could be. She was a happy, but tired
woman, who got on the bus one afternoon after a hard day's work. Too tired to
walk to the back of the bus where African-Americans were supposed to sit, she
began a revolution that would change her life and other’s forever.
Coach:
Lessons
on the Game of Life
by
Michael Lewis
Grades 9 - 12
=
Great
Taught early in life by his coach,
Coach Fitz, Lewis learned to
fight through hard times and resist the
temptation to take the easy way out. Coach Fitz
was strict, but he made such an impression on his students, that
25 years later, alumni at the New Orleans
Private School, want to name a new gym after him.
Unfortunately, the parent’s of
today’s students aren't as wowed by Coach Fitz's
tough love. They complain that Coach Fitz
is too mean to their children. A desire to
set these new parents straight may be the underlying reason for Lewis's
slight book.
Inspirational
literature
BECKHAM: Both Feet on the Ground - An Autobiography
David Beckham and Tom Watt
Grades 3 – 7
=
Great
Beginning with
Beckham’s childhood this book reveals his love for soccer. He had enormous
talent at a young age, which was fostered by his family and friends. As Beckham
grows from a shy, soft individual to the man he is today, he takes us through
some of the most important moments in his life. One of his childhood dreams was
to sign up with Manchester United, a soccer team. Later he met and married the
woman of his dreams, became a father, and, of course, continued playing soccer.
This book is very motivational and is sure to inspire even the youngest of
readers!
Chicken
Soup for the Preteen Soul:
101
Stories of Changes, Choices and Growing up for Kids
by
Jack Canfield,
Mark Victor
Hansen,
Patty Hansen,
Irene Dunlap,
Mark Victor
Hansen
Grades 4 - 7
=
Great
This book is written by
and for preteens. What a great way for pre-teens to relate, than by having a
book that is written from their own point of view? This book includes an
inspiring collection of stories that touch on the emotions and situations they
experience every day: making and losing friends, fitting in while keeping their
personal identity, discovering the opposite sex, dealing with pressures at
school, including violence, and coping with family issues such as divorce. Many
children this age are hesitant to approach their parents on these tough issues,
so why not give them a great resource and let them have the piece of mind that
they are not alone.
Another great book is Seven
Habits of Highly-Effective Teens.
Poetry
Wham!
It's a Poetry Jam: Discovering Poetry Performance
Sara Holbrook (2002)
Grades K – 2
=Fabulous
Teachers, parents, and kids can bring poetry
alive with this unique collection of poems designed to be acted out. Express
yourself as an individual as you learn to
use attitude, voice, movement,
and rhythm to present poetry. Team up with partners or venture out on your own.
With seventeen incredible chapters of poems and tips, this book is a great tool
for budding actors, poets or anyone who enjoys having fun with words.
Eric
Carle's Animals Animals
Eric Carle (1989)
Grades K – 2
=Fabulous
Eric Carle has
selected a variety of animal poems and rhythmical sayings and illustrated them
with his well-known artwork. Many of the pictures take up two pages and the
rainbow of colors that he uses are breathtaking. The book includes poems about
birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, insects, and other living creatures. Readers
will enjoy reading the poems because they are all amusing and
interesting. Many will even make you laugh out loud.
The
Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou
by
Maya Angelou
Grades 9 - 12
=
Great
With poetry spanning from 1971 to 1993, Angelou's work never fails
to grip the imagination. In this collection, she talks about love, traveling,
and aging. Through her poetry, she speaks
the truth; real, raw, and uncut she tells it like it is. She speaks about a lot
of historical and cultural realities, such as, slavery, segregation, torture,
and discrimination. Some of these things continue in today’s society, but
through education and understanding, maybe we can finally put an end to it.
Solid
Ground
by
Writerscorps
Grades 9 - 12
=
Great
This book of poems
has taken the works of young writers who talk about their individual experience,
and about the world we share. They describe the stresses that impact their lives
and the strength and compassion born from their efforts to succeed in a
turbulent world. Since 1994, WritersCorps teachers have met with thousands of
youth in public schools, detention centers, halfway houses, and after-school
programs. A lot of pressures are put on our youth today. In order to fully
understand what they have to say, to themselves, to each other, and to parents,
teachers, police and presidents, we must first open our ears and listen. This
collection provides the perfect opportunity.
Drama
James
and the Giant Peach
by
Roald Dahl
Grades 4 – 6
=
Okay
James Henry Trotter, a poor orphan, ends up being raised by two
horribly-mean aunts. James finds magic crystals that transform him, a small
peach and several bugs that happen to get sprinkled as well. Soon he is off on
a great adventure on a giant peach with new friends who are, to say the least,
unique. Sharks, seagulls, and angry cloud people add interest along the way.
Join in and find out what happens to James and his giant peach!
James and the Giant Peach
(1996)
Director:
Henry Selick
Writers
(WGA):
Roald Dahl (book)
Karey Kirkpatrick (screenplay) ...
more
Release Date:
12 April 1996 (USA)
more
view trailer
Genre:
Animation /
Adventure /
Drama /
Family /
Fantasy /
Musical
more
Tagline:
If you really don't go to the movies, you won't see...
more
Plot Outline:
An orphan with terrible aunts for guardians, befriends human like bugs who live
inside a giant peach, who take the boy on a journey to New York City.
more
Wizard
of Oz
Grades 3 – 6
=Fabulous
Dorothy falls asleep
and has a crazy dream, so she thought. When she wakes up, Dorothy realizes that
a tornado has transported her and her little dog, Toto, to the land of OZ. Dorothy must seek out the
great wizard in order to return to her home in Kansas. Along the way, Dorothy
encounters an evil witch, a good which, some unlikely friends, and a magical
pair of shoes but will she, and her dog, ever make it home?
Teen-pop
culture
The
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
by
Ann Brashares
Grades 7 – 9
=
Great
How can one pair of
jeans that are worn, dirty, and speckled with bleach look so wonderful on four
different girls with dramatically different figures? Is it magic? Who knows,
but "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" is born when the girls, who are
getting ready to say their goodbyes for the summer decide to send the jeans to
each other no matter where they might be. They promise to rotate the jeans among
them and, write their favorite adventures on the pant legs. Will the girls
reunite at the end of the summer, or will the pants be lost forever?
The
Princess Diaries (Princess Diaries Series #1)
by
Meg Cabot
Grades 7 – 12
=
Great
Raised in a Greenwich Village loft in New York City by her flaky-but-loving
artist mother, ninth grader Mia Thermopolis is shocked to learn from her father
that she is the heir to Genovia, the tiny European kingdom he rules. Her
grandmother, the Queen, further disrupts Mia's life when she comes to town to
mold the girl into a princess. Mia goes from a frizzy haired teenager who wears
glasses and mismatched clothes to a proper and well-mannered princess in
training. Mia, with her miraculous make over, gains the attention of a
previously unattainable boy, but he isn't all he appears to be and Mia’s true
friend, whom she takes for granted, turns out to be Mr. Right. This story may
not be exactly like the movie, but it is well worth reading!
The Princess Diaries
(2001)
Director:
Garry Marshall
Writers
(WGA):
Meg
Cabot (novel)
Gina Wendkos (screenplay)
Release Date:
3
August 2001 (USA)
more
view trailer
Genre:
Family /
Comedy
more
Tagline:
She rocks. She rules. She reigns.
Plot Summary:
A
socially awkward but very bright 15-year-old girl who is being raised by a
single mom discovers that she...
