ASM Summer Reading: Summer 2015 Reading List

THE SCHOOL STORY (R)

Clements, Andrew

In this enjoyable and original novel by the author of Frindle, a 12-year-old girl writes a book, and then she and her friend pretend to be adults in order to get it published.

THE KID WHO RAN FOR PRESIDENT (T)

Gutman, Dan

With his friend as campaign manager and his former babysitter as running mate, twelve-year-old Judson Moon sets out to become president of the United States.

THE WEDNESDAY WARS (W)

Schmidt, Gary

During the 1967 school year, on Wednesday afternoons when all his classmates go to either Catechism or Hebrew school, seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood stays in Mrs. Baker's classroom where they read the plays of William Shakespeare and Holling learns much of value about the world he lives in.

OPTIONAL CHOICES

DARTH PAPER STRIKES BACK(V)

Angleberger, Tom

(Fiction) Harvey is upset when his Darth Paper finger puppet brings humiliation and gets Dwight suspended.

Origami Yoda asks Tommy and Kellan, now in seventh grade, to make a new casefile to persuade the School Board to reinstate Dwight.

STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI

YODA (V)

Angleberger, Tom

(Fiction) Sixth-grader Tommy and his friends describe their interactions with a paper finger puppet of Yoda, worn by their weird classmate Dwight. They try to figure out whether or not the puppet can really predict the future.

THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN (N)

Applegate, Katherine

(Fiction) Ivan is a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall. When he meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.

THE HUNDRED YEAR OLD SECRET

Barrett, Tracy

(Mystery) An American brother and sister living in London, discover that Sherlock Holmes was their great-great-great grandfather. They are inducted into the Society for the Preservation of Famous Detectives and given his unsolved casebook. They attempt to solve the

case of a famous missing painting.

SUMMER BEFORE BOYS (Q)

Baskin, Nora Raleigh

(Fiction) Julia and Eliza are lifelong friends who have shared everything until one develops her first real crush. The girls find themselves drifting apart until Eliza does something drastic to win Julia back.

ALMOST HOME

Bauer, Joan

(Fiction) Sixth-grader Sugar and her mother lose their beloved house and experience the harsh world of homelessness.

THE PUZZLING WORLD OF WINSTON

BREEN: THE POTATO CHIP PUZZLES (P)

Berlin, Eric

(Fiction) Puzzle -crazy, twelve-year-old Winston and his ten-year-old sister Katie find themselves involved in a dangerous mystery involving a hidden ring.

THE JOURNEY THAT SAVED CURIOUS GEORGE: THE TRUE WARTIME ESCAPE OF MARGARET AND H.A. REY (X)

Borden, Louise

(Nonfiction) This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of the Reys and their escape from Paris during World War II.

DOLL BONES

Black, Holly

 (Fiction) Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friends for ever. They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical world of adventure and heroism. Just when it looks like the three might be growing up and leaving the game behind, Poppy reveals she is being haunted. Reality and make-believe begin to blend, and the three head out on an adventure they will never forget.

BECAUSE OF MR. TERUPT

Buyea, Rob

(Fiction) Seven fifth-graders at Snow Hill School in Connecticut relate how their lives are changed for the better by "rookie teacher" Mr. Terupt.

SOCCERLAND (Q)

Choat, Beth

(Fiction) Flora is such a good soccer player that she has been invited to the International Sports Academy to compete for a chance on the U. S. Girls’ Soccer team. It’s her first time away from home, and she works hard to make new friends as well as trying to become the best soccer player that she can be.

ABOUT AVERAGE (U)

Clements, Andrew

(Fiction) As the end of sixth grade nears, Jordan Johnson, unhappy that she is only average in appearance, intelligence, and athletic ability, reveals her special skills when disaster strikes her central Illinois elementary school.

TROUBLE-MAKER

Clements, Andrew

(Fiction) When his older brother gets in serious trouble, sixth- grader Clay decides to change his own mischief- making ways, but he cannot seem to shake his reputation as a troublemaker.

POWERLESS (V)

Cody, Matthew

(Fiction) A group of young people set out to discover why their very special powers disappear before their 13th birthday.

WAITING FOR NORMAL (N)

Connor, Leslie

 (Fiction) Waiting for a “normal” life, Addie is forced to make it on her own when her mother neglects to live up to her responsibilities.

THE GREAT UNEXPECTED (U)

Creech, Sharon

(Fiction) Humorous and heartfelt, this is a story of pairs—of young Naomi and Lizzie, both orphans in present-day Blackbird Tree, USA, and of Sybil and Nula, grown-up sisters from faraway Rook's Orchard, Ireland, who have become estranged.

THE TROUBLE WITH CHICKENS (N)

Cronin, Doreen

(Fiction) J.J. Tully is a former search-and-rescue dog who is trying to enjoy his retirement after years of performing daring missions saving lives. So he’s not terribly impressed when two chicks named Dirt and Sugar and their chicken mom show up demanding his help to find their missing siblings. Driven by the promise of a cheeseburger, J.J. begins to track down clues. Is Vince the Funnel hiding something? Are there dark forces at work?

THE MIGHTY MISS

MALONE (U)

Curtis, Christopher Paul

(Fiction) With love and determination

befitting the "world's greatest family," Deza Malone, her brother Jimmie, and their parents endure tough times in

Indiana and later Michigan, during the Great Depression.

THE MAGICIAN’S ELEPHANT(Q)

DiCamillo, Kate

(Fiction) When ten-year-old orphan Peter Augustus Duchene encounters a fortune teller in the marketplace, she tells him that his sister, who was presumed dead, is alive. He goes on a series of adventures to find her.

OUT OF MY MIND (T)

Draper, Sharon

(Fiction) Considered by many to be mentally retarded, a brilliant, impatient fifth-grader with cerebral palsy discovers a technological device that will allow her to speak for the first time.

MOCKINGBIRD (O)

Erskine, Katherine

(Fiction) Ten-year-old Caitlin, who has Asperger's Syndrome, struggles to understand emotions, show empathy, and make friends at school, while at home she seeks closure by working on a project with her father.

BETTER NATE THAN EVER

Federle, Tim

(Fiction) Nate Foster has big dreams. His whole life, he’s wanted to star in a Broadway show. But how is Nate supposed to make his dreams come true when he’s stuck in Jankburg, Pennsylvania, where no one (except his best pal Libby) appreciates a good show tune? With Libby’s help, Nate plans a daring overnight escape to New York.

AMELIA LOST (U)

Fleming, Candace

(Biography) This book tells the story of Amelia Earhart's life - as a child, a woman, and a pilot - and describes the search for her missing plane.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND

FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Freedman, Russell

(Nonfiction) Freedman tells the story of a friendship between two men who shared many characteristics. Lincoln and Douglass were both self-educated, born into poverty, and through relentless effort and hard work, reached great success.

FREEDOM WALKERS (Z)

Freedman, Russell

(Nonfiction) The author breathes life into the key personalities and events that contributed to the yearlong civil rights struggle. The struggle became known as the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

THE BOSTON TEA PARTY (W)

Freedman, Russell

(Nonfiction) More than any other event, the Boston Tea Party of 1773 has come to stand for the determination of American colonists to control their own destinies. From the arrival of the ships full of tea in Boston Harbor, through the protest meetings at the Old South Church, to the act of dumping 226 chests of tea into the harbor, Freedman captures this exciting story.

PRINCESS ACADEMY: PALACE OF

STONE (V)

Hale, Shannon

(Fiction) Miri returns to Asland and calls upon all of her knowledge of rhetoric and other useful lessons learned at the Princess Academy when she and the other girls face strong opposition while working for a new, fair charter. This is the sequel to Princess Academy.

CHOMP (W)

Hiaasen, Carl

(Fiction) When filming an episode of the reality television show "Expedition

Survival" in the Florida Everglades, the difficult star disappears. Wahoo and classmate, Tuna Gordon, set out to solve the mystery.

ANNIE AND HELEN

Hopkinson, Deborah

(Biography) This book describes the relationship between Helen Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan, and includes excerpts from letters written by Annie about her work with Helen.

TITANIC: VOICES FROM

DISASTER

Hopkinson, Deborah

(Nonfiction) Photographs, telegrams, letters, and first-person accounts from passengers, witnesses, and crew members provide multiple perspectives on the sinking of the Titanic.

DYING TO MEET YOU: 43 OLD

CEMETERY ROAD (U)

Klise, Kate

(Fiction) In this story told mostly through letters, children's book author, I.B. Grumply, gets more than he bargained for when he rents a quiet place to write for the summer.

SCHOOLED (R)

Korman, Gordon

(Fiction) Capricorn Cap Anderson has been homeschooled by his hippie grandmother, Rain. When Rain is injured in a fall, Cap is forced to attend the local middle school. Although he knows a lot about Zen Buddhism, nothing has prepared him for public school.

UNGIFTED (V)

Korman, Gordon

(Fiction) After pulling a major prank in school and due to an administrative mix-up, troublemaker Donovan Curtis is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction.

STEVE JOBS: THINKING

DIFFERENTLY

Lakin, Patricia

(Biography) Everyone knows that

Steve Jobs was an entrepreneur and a visionary. This book discusses Jobs’ triumphs, but it also lets us see his human side. Readers are reminded that people who dare to dream can change the world.

TOUCH BLUE (R)

Lord, Cynthia

(Fiction) The state of Maine plans to shut down her island's schoolhouse, which would force her family to move to the mainland--and Tess to leave the only home she has ever known. Fortunately, the islanders have a plan too: increase the numbers of students by having several families take in foster children. So now Tess and her family are taking a chance on Aaron, who has been bounced from home to home.

THE POLAR BEAR SCIENTISTS

Lourie, Peter

(Nonfiction) Young readers can follow scientists as they scan the Alaskan wilderness for these magnificent creatures. Full color

DOG DAYS (Q)

Lubar, David

(Fiction) Larry has to work hard to try to earn money to buy food to feed three stray dogs. Now his brother has taken him to an alley where another dog is staying. How can he afford to take care of another dog?

11 BIRTHDAYS (P)

Mass, Wendy

(Fiction) After celebrating their first nine same-day birthdays together, Amanda and Leo had a falling out on their tenth birthday and have not spoken since. Since not speaking to each other for the last year, they prepare to celebrate their eleventh birthday separately. Soon peculiar things begin to happen as the day of their birthday begins to repeat itself over and over again.

13 GIFTS (X)

Mass, Wendy

Shortly before her thirteenth birthday, shy and withdrawn Tara is sent to stay with her aunt, uncle, and cousin in her parents' hometown of Willow Falls. She makes new friends and becomes involved with an elderly buyer and seller of collectibles,

who seems to be trying to give Tara some kind of mysterious message

HOW OLIVER OLSON CHANGED THE

WORLD

Mills, Claudia

(Realistic Fiction) Oliver has a problem…his parents are way too protective and to top it off, they won’t even let him do school projects by himself. When his teacher proclaims that anyone can change the world with a good idea, Oliver is skeptical but hopeful that it is true.

AN ELEPHANT IN THE GARDEN (U)

Morpurgo, Michael

(Fiction) Devastated to learn that an orphan elephant in the Dresden zoo, where their mother works, is to be euthanized in anticipation of an upcoming bombing, Lizzie and Karl persuade the zoo director to let them keep the elephant in their garden.

BLACK RADISHES (S)

Myer, Susan Lynn

(Fiction) A young boy and family are forced to move out of their home when the Germans invade France. The boy finds himself helping to smuggle people into the free part of France for the French Underground.

THE FALSE PRINCE (X)

Nielsen, Jennifer

(Fiction) In the country of Carthya, a devious nobleman engages four orphans in a competition to be selected to impersonate the king's long-missing son.

THE FANTASTIC SECRET OF

OWEN JESTER (S)

O’Conner, Barbara

(Fiction) Owen Jester wishes his family hadn’t moved to his grandfather’s house after his dad lost his job. Late one night, Owen hears a curious noise when the train passes by his grandfather’s house. Something mysterious and wonderful has fallen off the train. When Owen finally discovers what it is, he realizes he just might need a know-it-all after all.

WONDER (U)

Palacio, R. J.

(Fiction) Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan. There he endures the taunting and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.

TIMMY FAILURE: NOW LOOK

WHAT YOU’VE DONE

Pastis, Stephan

(Fiction) Timmy Failure is the founder, president, and CEO of the greatest detective agency in town. And he’s about to crack the biggest case of his generation: a school competition to find a stolen globe. It’s his ticket to bringing home a $500 prize, but shenanigans are afoot and must be stopped.

I FUNNY (T)

Patterson, James and Chris Grabenstein

(Fiction) Wheelchair-bound Jamie Grimm resolves to become the world's greatest stand-up comedian despite less-than-funny challenges in his life. He endures bullying from his mean-spirited cousin and hopes he will be fairly judged when he enters a local comedy contest.

Ellie Ever

Patterson, Nancy Ruth

Fiction) After losing her father and all their possessions in a hurricane, nine-year-old Ellie and her mother move to a small apartment on a horse farm in Virginia. There her new classmates think that she lives in a mansion and is a princess.

THE SECRETS AT SEA

Peck, Richard

(Fiction) In 1887, the social-climbing Cranston family is secretly accompanied on their voyage from New York to London by Helena and her mouse siblings. The journey is both terrifying and wondrous as the mice meet an array of titled humans despite their best efforts at remaining hidden.

HAND IN HAND: TEN BLACK

MEN WHO CHANGED AMERICA

Pinkney, Andrea Davis

(Biography) This biography profiles the lives of 10 brave men from different eras of American History. Readers discover that each man left an indelible legacy and that courage and determination can turn ordinary citizens into heroes.

CAPTAIN NOBODY

Pitchford, Dean

(Realistic Fiction) Newt Newman has always been in his big brother’s shadow. When a football injury sends his brother into a coma, Newt is noticed even less by his too-busy parents. Along with some quirky friends, Newt creates a Halloween costume that creates an alter ego for him – Captain Nobody – the defender of the little guy.

THE IMPOSSIBLE RESCUE: THE

TRUE STORY OF AN AMAZING ARCTIC

ADVENTURE

Sandler, Martin

(Nonfiction) In the dead of an Arctic winter, whaling ships full of men are stranded in ice.

 Follow three rescuers in a race against time in this heart- pounding true adventure.

GLORY BE (V)

Scatterwood, Agusta

(Fiction) Gloria Hemple celebrates her Fourth of July birthday at the community pool, but 1964 brings changes that she had not anticipated. Her hometown of Hanging Moss, Mississippi, is in turmoil, and Gloria must navigate her way through changing relationships with family and friends.

OKAY FOR NOW (Y)

Schmidt, Gary D.

(Fiction) As a fourteen-year-old who just moved to a new town, Doug Swieteck has no friends, an abusive father, and a louse for an older brother. He finds an ally in Lil Spicer--a fiery young lady. Together, they find a safe haven in the local library, inspiration in learning about the plates of John James Audubon's birds, and a hilarious adventure on a Broadway stage.

WONDERSTRUCK (S)

Selznick, Brian

(Fiction) Having lost his mother and his hearing in a short time, twelve-year- old Ben leaves his Minnesota home in 1977 to seek the father he never knew in New York City. There he

 meets Rose, who is also longing for something missing

 from her life. Ben's story is told in words; Rose's in

 pictures.

SHOOTING KABUL (V)

Senzai, N. H.

(Fiction) Escaping from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, eleven-year-old Fadi and his family immigrate to the San Francisco Bay

Area, where Fadi schemes to return to the Pakistani refugee camp where his little sister was accidentally left behind.

GUYS READ: FUNNY BUSINESS (U)

Scieszka, Jon

Ten stories guaranteed to delight and amuse, from the following writers: Mac Barnett, Christopher Paul Curtis, Kate DiCamillo and Jon Scieszka, Paul Feig, Jack

Gantos, Jeff Kinney, David Lubar, Adam Rex, and David Yoo are included.

GUYS READ: THRILLER  (U)

Scieszka, Jon

This is a series of short stories that are full of mystery, intrigue, and nefarious activity. Featuring some of the best writers around, it is a pulse-pounding collection of brand-new short stories, each one guaranteed to keep you riveted until the final page.

BURIED ALIVE

Scott, Elaine

(Nonfiction) This book describes the 2010 mining accident in San José, Chile, in which thirty-three men became trapped underground for over sixty days and details the rescue efforts and the worldwide media coverage of the event.

LINCOLN’S GRAVE ROBBERS

Sheinkin, Steve

(Nonfiction) A group of counterfeiters scheme to steal Abraham Lincoln’s body from his tomb and ransom his remains for money to free a master counterfeiter from jail. Secret Service agents learn of the plot, recruit an undercover agent to infiltrate the gang, and try to catch the criminals before they can rob Lincoln’s grave.

EVERYTHING ON IT

Silverstein, She

(Poetry) This poetry collection, published since Silverstein’s death,

 includes more than one hundred and thirty never-before-seen poems and drawings completed by the cherished

American artist.

SEYMOUR SIMON’S EXTREME

OCEANS

Simon, Seymour

(Nonfiction) Seymour Simon investigates the most extreme environments, animals, plants, and weather in the ocean. Imagine exploring the most extreme parts of our amazing oceans— the tallest waves, the darkest depths, and the largest and most dangerous sea creatures on Earth. Interesting facts and stunning photographs make for an exciting underwater expedition!

WHEN YOU REACH ME (R)

Stead, Rebecca

(Fiction) By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it's safe to go, and they know who to avoid. But things start to unravel. A mysterious note arrives, scrawled on a tiny slip of paper. The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows things that haven’t yet happened.

THE EMERALD ATLAS

Stephens, John

(Fiction) Kate, Michael, and Emma have passed from one orphanage to another in the ten years since their parents disappeared to protect them. Now they learn that they have special powers, a quest to find a magical book, and a fearsome enemy.

THE ROMEO AND JULIET CODE

Stone, Phoebe

(Historical Fiction) During World War II, eleven-year-old Felicity is sent from London to Bottlebay, Maine, to live with her grandmother, aunt, uncle, and a reclusive boy. He helps her decode mysterious letters that contain the truth about her missing parents.

DRAMA (L)

Telgemeier, Raina

(Fiction—Graphic Novel). Callie rides an emotional roller coaster while serving on the stage crew for a middle school production of Moon over Mississippi as various relationships start and end, and others never quite get going.

SMILE

Telgemeier, Raina

(Fiction—Graphic Novel). Raina trips and severely injures her two front teeth. She copes with a variety of dental problems that affect her appearance and how she feels about herself.

GIRLS

THINK OF EVERYTHING: STORIES OF INGENIOUS

INVENTIONS BY WOMEN

Thimmesh, Catherine and Melissa Sweet

(Biography) This book tells how women throughout the ages have responded to situations confronting them in daily life by inventing such items as correction fluid, space helmets, and disposable diapers.

DARK LORD: THE EARLY

YEARS (V)

Thompson, Jamie

(Fiction) The Dark Lord is confounded when he awakens in the middle of a small town on a planet he’s never seen before. What is this strange place, why do they keep calling him Dirk Lloyd, and why is he powerless against these earthlings who insist on finding his parents?

THREE TIMES LUCKY (N)

Turnage, Shelia

(Fiction) Mo LoBeau was washed ashore as a baby in tiny Tupelo Landing, North Carolina. Now eleven, Mo and her best friend turn detective when the co-owner of a café and his cook appear to be implicated in a murder.

BROTHERS AT BAT: THE TRUE

STORY OF AN AMAZING ALL-BROTHER BASEBALL

TEAM (N)

Vernick, Audrey

(Nonfiction) The Accerra family had 16 children, including 12 baseball-playing brothers. In the 1930s, the boys formed their own semiprofessional team and became the longest playing all-brother baseball team in history.

PIE (Q)

Weeks, Sarah

(Fiction) Polly Portman’s award- winning pies put the town of Ipswitch, Pennsylvania, on the map. After Polly’s death, her devoted niece Alice and Alice's friend investigate who is going to extremes to find Aunt Polly's secret pie crust recipe. Fourteen pie recipes are included.

ONE CRAZY SUMMER (T)

Williams-Garcia, Rita

(Fiction) In the summer of 1968, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters travel from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know. They arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.