Elementary Supplementary Summer Reading List
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Dear Parents,
Wantagh elementary schools encourage all of our students to read this summer, for both leisure andlearning. We hope that you and yourchild pick books that are fun and interesting to read-so interesting that yourchildren build their reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension withoutrealizing they have accomplished these valuable goals. In order to help you, we've shared a listreflecting a wide range of interests and inviting a high level of enjoyment!
Although all the suggested books aredevelopmentally appropriate, we recognize that each child has specific readingneeds and that each family has its own values and beliefs. As such, we ask youto preview the books you select to ensure a "good fit" for your son ordaughter.
HappyReading,
TheWantagh Elementary Library and Reading Departments
Entering Kindergarten
Read Aloud Books
All children can benefit from listening to a book read aloud tothem. Children love to hear adults read to them! Sharing a book creates aspecial time between adult and child. Please read fairy tales and folk tales toyour children whenever possible. They are not only a rich and beneficial partof our literary heritage; they also enhance your child's preparation for theCommon Core curriculum. The books listed below are only suggestions; your childmay be able to read part (or all) of the book to you. Please let your child's interests guide yourchoices. It only takes 20 minutes a day!
Alphabatics by Suse MacDonald
Theletters of the alphabet are transformed and incorporated into twenty-sixillustrations, so that the hole in "b" becomes a balloon and"y" turns into the head of a yak.
BrownBear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? byBill Martin Jr.
Childrensee a variety of animals, each one a different color, and a teacher looking atthem.
Catin the Hat by Dr. Seuss
Twochildren sitting at home on a rainy day are visited by the Cat in the Hat, whoshows them some tricks and games.
ChickaChicka Boom Boom by Bill MartinJr.
Analphabet rhyme/chant that relates what happens when the whole alphabet tries toclimb a coconut tree.
ColorZoo by Lois Ehlert
Introducescolors and shapes with illustrations of shapes on die-cut pages that formanimal faces when placed on top of one another.
FroggyLearns to Swim by JonathanLondon
Froggyis afraid of the water until his mother, along with his flippers, snorkel, andmask, help him learn to swim.
HaveYou Seen My Duckling? by Nancy Tafari
Amother duck leads her brood around the pond as she searches for one missingduckling.
Hopon Pop by Dr. Seuss
Presentsa Dr. Seuss classic that shows how some one-syllable words with a variety of vowelsounds go together.
LittleEngine That Could by Watty Piper
Althoughshe is not very big, the Little Blue Engine agrees to try to pull a strandedtrain full of toys over the mountain.
MouseCount by Ellen Walsh
Tenmice outsmart a hungry snake.
Peter'sChair by Ezra JackKeats
WhenPeter discovers his blue furniture is being painted pink for a new baby sister,he rescues the last unpainted item, a chair, and runs away.
ThreeLittle Pigs by Paul Galdone
Retellsthe unfortunate episodes in the lives of two foolish pigs and how the third pigmanaged to avoid the same.
TomieDePaola's Mother Goose by Tomie DePaola
Anillustrated collection of well-known and less familiar Mother Goose nurseryrhymes
VeryBusy Spider by Eric Carle
Thefarm animals try to divert a busy little spider from spinning her web, but shepersists and produces a thing of both beauty and usefulness.
Wherethe Wild Things Are by MauriceSendak
Afterhe is sent to bed without supper for behaving like a wild thing, Max dreams ofa voyage to the island where the wild things are.
Entering Grade 1
Read Aloud Books
Althoughyour child may be reading independently already, all children can benefit from listening to a book read aloud tothem. Children love to hear adults read to them! Sharing a book creates aspecial time between adult and child. Please read fairy tales and folk tales toyour children whenever possible-especially if they are based in anothercountry. They are not only a rich and beneficial part of our literary heritage;they also enhance your child's preparation for the Common Core curriculum.
As apart of the first grade curriculum, the children will cover such topics ascommunity helpers, families, life long ago, motion-moving objects, solids/liquids/gases,plant and animal life, weather, and social relationships. You may wish toencourage your child to read any nonfiction books in these areas. The bookslisted below are only suggestions; your child may be able to read part (or all)of the book to you. Please let yourchild's interests guide your choices. It only takes 20 minutes a day!
ColorFarm by Lois Ehler
Therooster, dog, sheep, cow, pig, and other animals on a farm are made up ofcolorful shapes such as square, circle, rectangle, and triangle.
CuriousGeorge Goes to School by H.A. Rey
CuriousGeorge makes a mistake in the art room of his school but finds a missingpainting in time for an open house for parents of the students.
Diaryof a Fly by Doreen Cronin
Ayoung fly discovers, day by day, that there is a lot to learn about being aninsect, including the dangers of flyswatters, and that heroes come in allshapes and sizes.
Eatingthe Alphabet by Lois Ehlert
Analphabetical tour of the world of fruits and vegetables, from apricot andartichoke to yam and zucchini
GingerbreadGirl by Lisa CampbellErnst
Aftertheir first gingerbread disaster, the lonely old couple decides to bake againand create a gingerbread girl who proves herself to be one smart cookie.
IfYou Give a Mouse a Cookie by LauraNumeroff
Sequel:If you give a moose a muffin. A young boy, having given a cookie to a bossymouse, is run ragged by the energetic rodent's subsequent requests.
Jessica by Kevin Henkes
Ruthiedoes everything with her imaginary friend Jessica; and then on her first day atkindergarten, she meets a real new friend with the same name.
MousePaint by Ellen StollWalsh
Threewhite mice discover jars of red, blue, and yellow paint and explore the worldof color.
MyMany Colored Days by Dr. Seuss
Thisrhyming story describes each day in terms of a particular color which in turnis associated with specific emotions.
NappingHouse by Audrey Wood
Inthis cumulative tale, a wakeful flea atop a number of sleeping creatures causesa commotion, with just one bite.
RainbowFish(series) by MarcusPfister
Themost beautiful fish in the entire ocean discovers the real value of personalbeauty and friendship.
Rosie'sWalk by Pat Hutchins
Althoughunaware that a fox is after her as she takes a walk around the farmyard, Rosiethe hen still manages to lead him into one accident after another.
TimothyGoes to School by Rosemary Wells
Timothylearns about being accepted and making friends during the first week of hisfirst year at school.
VeryHungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Followsthe progress of a hungry little caterpillar as he eats his way through a variedand very large quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon aroundhimself and goes to sleep.
Zoo by Gail Gibbons
Providesa behind-the-scenes look at a working day at the zoo, from the moment theworkers arrive until the night guard locks the gate.
Entering Grade 2
As apart of the first grade curriculum, the children have covered such topics ascommunity helpers, families, life long ago, motion-moving objects,solids/liquids/gases, plant and animal life needs, weather, and socialrelationships. You may wish to encourage your child to read any nonfictionbooks in these areas.
Looking ahead to the second grade, you may select books about communities,landforms, states, space, and weather. Other topics include the rights andresponsibilities of citizenship, how communities are affected by geographicfactors and magnets, and poetry (e.g., AChild's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Independent Reading
Just like music or sports, readingtakes practice to improve. Students needto read each day to become more fluent-and to enjoy reading more. If your child finds an author he or shelikes, please check with the Wantagh Public Library for other suggestions.
Alexander and the Horrible, No Good VeryBad Dayby Judith Viorst
Ona day when everything goes wrong for him, Alexander is consoled by the thoughtthat other people have bad days too.
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
Aliteral-minded housekeeper causes a ruckus in the household when she attemptsto make sense of some instructions.
Arthur's Eyes by Marc Brown
Friendstease Arthur when he has to get glasses, but he soon learns to wear them withpride.
Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
Inorder to ensure her popularity, Camilla Cream always does what is expected,until the day arrives when she no longer recognizes herself.
Clean Your Room, Harvey Moon! byPat Cummings
Harveytackles a big job: cleaning his room.
Crickwing by JannellCannon
Alonely cockroach named Crickwing has a creative idea that saves the day for theleaf-cutter ants when their fierce forest enemies attack them.
Flat Stanley (series) by JeffBrown
Aftera bulletin board falls on Stanley while he is sleeping, he finds that beingflat has its advantages.
Frog and Toad (series) by Arnold Lobel
Frogand Toad spend their days together, but find sometimes it's nice to be alone.
Henry and Mudge (series) byCynthia Rylant
Henryworries about what will happen to his big dog Mudge.
Little House by VirginiaBurton
Acountry house is unhappy when the city, with all its buildings and traffic,grows up around her
Miss Nelson Is Missing by Harry Allard
Thekids in Room 207 take advantage of their teacher's good nature until shedisappears and they are faced with a vile substitute.
Mouse Soup by Arnold Lobel
Amouse convinces a weasel he needs the ingredients from several stories to makea tasty mouse soup.
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Ona winter's night under a full moon, a father and daughter trek into the woodsto see the Great Horned Owl.
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
Aftershe falls headfirst into a bird's nest, a baby bat is raised like a bird untilshe is reunited with her mother.
Today Was a Terrible Day by Patricia Giff
Followsthe humorous mishaps of a second grader who is learning to read
Entering Grade 3
As apart of the second grade curriculum, children study Native Americans, life longago, the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, and how communities areaffected by geographic factors, magnets, and poetry (e.g., A CHILD'S GARDEN OFVERSES by Robert Louis Stevenson.). You may wish to encourage your child toread a nonfiction book in these areas as well to reinforce what they havelearned.
Thethird grade teachers suggest that incoming students read about explorers, China,geography, government, biographies of famous world leaders, phases of the moon,life cycles, plants and pollination, metamorphosis, forces that shape the land(erosion, earthquakes, and volcanoes) and the water cycle.
Independent Reading
Just like music or sports, readingtakes practice to improve. Students needto read each day to become more fluent-and to enjoy reading more. If your child finds an author he or she likes,please check with the Wantagh Public Library for other suggestions.
BusybodyNora by JohannaHurwitz
Relatesthe adventures of an inquisitive little girl who lives in a large apartmentbuilding in New York with her parents and little brother, Teddy--including her attemptto throw a party for all two hundred of her neighbors
CamJansen and the Chocolate Fudge Mystery byDavid A. Adler
WhenCam Jansen and her friend Eric uncover a mystery while selling fudgedoor-to-door to raise money for the local library, Cam uses her photographicmemory to foil a crime.
CampOut Mystery by GertrudeWarner
Whileon a camping trip with their grandfather, the Alden children try to find outabout the loud music and missing food that threatens to scare away othercampers.
ACase for Jenny Archer by Ellen Conford
Afterreading three mysteries in a row, Jenny becomes convinced that the neighborsacross the street are up to no good and decides to investigate.
FantasticMr. Fox by Roald Dahl
Threefarmers, each one meaner than the other, try all-out warfare to get rid of thefox and his family.
Fudge (series) by Judy Blume
Theadventures of Fudge, Peter, and Sheila as they navigate the ups and downs ofchildhood
GeronimoStilton (series) byGeronimo Stilton
Followthe adventures of Geronimo Stilton, a best-selling author and editor-in-chiefof "The Rodent's Gazette" in New Mouse City.
HerbieJones and the Class Gift by Suzy Kline
Disasterstrikes when Annabelle trusts Herbie Jones and Raymond with the job of pickingup the class's gift to their teacher.
JigsawJones (series) byJames Preller
Puzzle-crazyJigsaw Jones searches for clues and pieces them together to solve the mystery.Line-art brings additional humor and warmth to these chapter-books.
Julian,Secret Agent by Ann Cameron
WhenJulian, his little brother Huey, and their friend Gloria decide to be"crime busters," they find themselves in one adventure after another.
MartinBridge: Ready for Takeoff by Kerrin Jessica Scott
Riddles-- Faster blaster -- Smithereens. Contains three stories in which a boy's plansfor a rocket, a bus driver, and an old hamster go wrong.
MercyWatson to the Rescue by KateDiCamillo
AfterMercy the pig spends the night in the Watson's bed, all three awaken with thebed teetering on the edge of a big hole in the floor and it is up to Mercy tosave them.
Ramonathe Brave by BeverlyCleary
Six-year-oldRamona Quimby must cope with a scary new bedroom, a job that steals away hermother's attention, and an unsympathetic first grade teacher.
Something Big Has Been Here (poetry) by JackPrelutsky
Anillustrated collection of humorous poems on a variety of topics, written bychildren's author Jack Prelutsky
UglyDuckling by Jerry Pinkney
Anugly duckling spends an unhappy year ostracized by the other animals before hegrows into a beautiful swan.
Entering Grade 4
Incomingfourth graders are also invited to read about the following topics in order toreinforce 3rd grade concepts and to prepare for 4th gradetopics:
- biographies of George Washington, Patrick Henry and other famous people in American history
- books on the 13 colonies and life in the colonial times
- Native Americans
- books on New York
- electricity
- plant parts
- animal adaptations and habitats
- food chains and webs
- simple machines
Independent Reading
Justlike music or sports, the only way we get better at reading is practice. Please be sure that your children have aregular time to read over the summer. Here is a list of books that yourchildren may be interested in reading. If they find a particular genre orauthor they like, check with the Wantagh Public library to get further bookrecommendations!
AmberBrown (series) byPaula Danziger
Amber'sstories deal with real life problems and challenges, along with a good deal ofhumor.
Aliensfor Breakfast by Jonathan Etra
Findingan intergalactic special agent in his cereal box, Richard joins theextraterrestrial in a fight to save Earth from the Dranes, one of whom ismasquerading as a student in Richard's class.
Babe:the Gallant Pig by DickKing-Smith
Apiglet comes to Farmer Hogget's farm, where he is adopted by an old sheepdogand accomplishes amazing things.
Bunnicula (series) by James and Deborah Howe
Thoughscoffed at by Harold the dog, Chester the cat tries to warn his human familythat their foundling baby bunny must be a vampire.
Castlein the Attic by ElizabethWinthrop
Agift of a toy castle, complete with silver knight, introduces William to anadventure involving magic and a personal quest.
DearAmerica(series), Various Authors
Writtenin a diary format, each historical novel is extensively researched from actualletters and diaries, allowing readers to experience the daily lives of girlsfrom different times in American history. A companion series--My Name Is America--follows theadventures of boys from America's past.
DearMr. Henshawby Beverly Cleary
Newbery,1984 In his letters to his favorite author, ten-year-old Leigh reveals hisproblems in coping with his parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, andgenerally finding his own place in the world.
FourthGrade Ratsby Jerry Spinelli
Sudslearns that his best friend is wrong. You don't have to be a tough guy, a"rat," to be a grown up fourth grader.
IfYou're Not Here Raise Your Hand (poetry)by Kalli Dakos
Anillustrated collection of poems about a variety of elementary schoolexperiences
LunchMoneyby Andrew Clements
Twelve-year-oldGreg, who has always been good at moneymaking projects, is surprised to findhimself teaming up with his lifelong rival, Maura, to create a series of comicbooks to sell at school.
Millions by FrankCottrell Boyce
TheCunningham brothers literally have money drop in their laps when a bag of cashfalls from the sky; however, the crooks who initially stole the loot are hot onthe trail to retrieve it.
Minty:Story of a Young Harriet Tubman byAlan Schroeder
YoungHarriet Tubman, whose childhood name was Minty, dreams of escaping slavery onthe Brodas plantation in the late 1820s.
Mysteriesof Harris Burdickby Chris Van Allsburg
Presentsa series of loosely related drawings each accompanied by a title and a captionwhich the reader may use to make up his or her own story.
Skinnybones by BarbaraPark
Alex'sactive sense of humor helps him get along with the school braggart, make themost of his athletic talents, and simply get by in a hectic world.
Talesof a Fourth Grade Nothing byJudy Blume
Peterfinds his demanding two-year-old brother an ever-increasing problem.
Entering Grade 5
Incomingfifth graders are also invited to read about the following topics in order toreinforce 4th grade concepts and to prepare for 5th gradetopics:
- biographies of famous Americans such as Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dolly Madison, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, etc.
- books on the history of the United States (historical fiction and non-fiction)
- books about other countries/continents such as Canada, Central America, South America
- ancient cultures such as the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans
- books on the branches of government, and documents such as the Declaration of Independence and Constitution
- folk tales of other cultures
- classifications (vertebrate/non-vertebrates)
- ocean communities
- rocks and earth structures such as volcanos, etc.
- body systems such as the nervous, circulatory, and skeletal systems
Independent Reading
Justlike music or sports, the only way we get better at reading is practice. Please be sure that your children have aregular time to read over the summer. Here is a list of books that yourchildren may be interested in reading. If they find a particular genre orauthor they like, check with the Wantagh Public library to get further bookrecommendations!
A Year Down Yonderby Richard Peck
Duringthe recession of 1937, fifteen-year-old Mary Alice is sent to live with herfeisty, larger-than-life grandmother in rural Illinois and comes to a betterunderstanding of this fearsome woman. Sequel to: A Long Way from Chicago.
BaseballCard Adventure(series) by Dan Gutman
Funnyand well-paced, perfect for fans of time-travel, fantasy, and baseball! Full ofsports trivia and actual historical documents Joe Stoshack travels back in timeto meet baseball greats!!
EllaEnchantedby Gail Levine
Inthis novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against thechildhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her.
Hatchet by GaryPaulsen
Aftera plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the Canadianwilderness, learning to survive with only the aid of a hatchet given him by hismother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce.
HelenKeller: The Story of My Life byHelen Keller
Anautobiography of Helen Keller, written while she was a young woman, in whichshe tells of her early life, her relationship with her teacher Anne Sullivan,and her struggles to triumph over blindness and deafness.
Holes by Louis Sachar
StanleyYelnats begins a journey of self-discovery when he is sent to a juveniledetention center in Texas and suspects the motives of a warden who forces himand the other boys to dig five-foot-deep holes as punishment. (Also a film)
Indianin the Cupboardby Lynne Reid Banks
Anine-year-old boy receives a plastic Indian, a cupboard, and a little key forhis birthday and finds himself involved in adventure when the Indian comes tolife in the cupboard and befriends him.
Lightin the Attic(poetry) by Shel Silverstein
Acollection of poems and drawings by American poet and humorist, ShelSilverstein
MiraculousJourney of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
EdwardTulane, a cold-hearted and proud toy rabbit, loves only himself until he isseparated from the little girl who adores him and travels across the country,acquiring new owners and listening to their hopes, dreams, and histories.
MysteriousBenedict Societyby Trenton Lee Stewart
Afterpassing a series of mind-bending tests, four children are selected for a secretmission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Institute for theVery Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.
Returnof the Indianby Lynne Reid Banks
Ayear after he sends his Indian friend, Little Bear, back into the magiccupboard, Omri decides to bring him back only to find that he is close to deathand in need of help. Sequel to: TheIndian in the Cupboard
RosaParks, My Story byRosa Parks
RosaPark's life story reveals the deliberate choices she made that earned her thetitle "Mother to a Movement."
Secretof the Indianby Lynne Reid Banks
Omriand his friend Patrick must risk grownups' discovering their secret when theyfind themselves in need of a friend's toy doctors to save wounded people fromthe dangerous world of the Old West.
Wrinklein Timeby Madeleine L'Engle
MegMurry, her brother Charles, and their friend Calvin, embark on a journeythrough space and time, assisted by three otherworldly women, when they set outto find Meg's father, a physicist who disappeared while experimenting with timetravel.
Looking for some fun and free interactive literacy gamesthis summer? Try these!
Scholastic Parent Help: http://www.scholastic.com/parents/
PBSKids: http://pbskids.org/
FreeLiteracy Games/Activities: http://www.rif.org/kids/readingplanet.htm
ScholasticSummer Challenge: http://www.scholastic.com/ups/campaigns/src-2013
Parents'Guide to Helping Your Child Become a Great Reader:
http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/parents/
EarobicsGame Goo: http://www.earobics.com/gamegoo/gooey.html