Summer Reading
Grades 5-8
Summer is here! School is over! Now is your chance to explore some extraordinary and diverse books that you may have missed out on.
The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
Grades: 5-6
Life on Lake Superior in 1847 is beautiful and difficult for the Ojibwa Indians. Follow Omakayas, an Ojibwa girl, through the seasons and experiences of early 19th century American Indian life.
Photo: http://www.amazon.com/The-Birchbark-House-Louise-Erdrich/dp/0786814543Catch You Later, Traitor by Avi
Grades: 5-6
In 1951 Brooklyn tensions are high as the Cold War rages on. Pete Collison finds himself in a tricky situation when he investigates the mysterious happenings in the Collison household.
Photo: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22859570-catch-you-later-traitorAbsolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
Grades: 5-6
Albie Schaffhauser is 10 years old and loves to read Captain Underpants, no matter what his mom thinks about it. Albie can't quite seem to get things right, but he learns something new around every corner and learns from those almost successes.
Photo: http://www.lisagraff.com/absolutely-almost.htmlHidden by Loic Dauvillier, Marc Lizano, and Greg Salsedo
Grades: 5-6
Elsa can't sleep and finds her grandmother still awake, a nightmare keeping her from sleeping. Elsa asks her to share her dream with her to help her overcome her fear. The story that follows recalls a young, Jewish girl's story of life in France during WWII.
Photo: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17934457-hiddenBrown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Grades: 7-8
A fresh take on a memoir, Jacqueline Woodson tells the story of her life during the 1960's through prose.
Explore a little further, try reading Freedom Summer: The 1964 Struggle for Civil Rights in Missippi by Susan Goldman Rubin.Photo: http://www.nationalbook.org/nba2014_ypl_woodson.html#.VTlD1CFViko
Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald
Grades: 7-8
Theodora Tenpenny loves her grandfather and the old family home they live in with her mother and their chickens. Life takes an unexpected turn and it is up to Theo to solve a mystery and keep her family in the home they love so much.
Photo: http://www.bklynlibrary.org/calendar/book-discussion-under-egg-carroll-gardens-library-110814Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord
Grades: 7-8
Lucy sees life through a camera lens. When her family moves to a lake she captures new experiences and emotions that she never thought possible and gains a whole new perspective on life.
Photo: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18222557-half-a-chanceAngel Island: Gateway to Gold Mountain by Russell Freedman
Grades: 7-8
Angel Island, the Ellis Island of the West, is where many Asian immigrants were granted or denied access to the United States. Discover what life was like for those who were forced to spend time on this island, many never to leave.
Photo: http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Island-Gateway-Gold-Mountain/dp/0547903782Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Grades: 7-8
Esperanza Ortega grew up as the daughter of a wealthy rancher owner in Mexico. A series of tragic events forces Esperanza and her family and friends to flee Mexico and seek better opportunities in the United States.
Photo: http://childrensbookalmanac.com/2011/05/esperanza-rising/FInding Bigfoot: Everything You Need to Know by Martha Brockenbrough
Based on the Animal Planet show of the same name, this book provides scientific evidence proving the existence of Bigfoot. It also offers readers with tools and tips to go on their own search for Sasquatch. Ask your parents before you set out on any adventures!
Photo: http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Brockenbrough/e/B001ITPL4M