• Andrew Clements. We the Children; Fear Itself; Whites of Their Eyes. (Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers of the School) (only one from this series can

count) Sixth-grader Benjamin Pratt is thrown into this mystery after the school janitor gives him a tarnished coin with some old engravings and then dies,

passing on the responsibility to save Oaks School from developers. • Gennifer Choldenko. Al Capone Does My Shirts; Al Capone Shines My Shoes. (only one from this series can count) Moose Flanagan, who lives on Alcatraz along with his family and the families of the other prison guards, is frightened when he discovers that noted

gangster Al Capone, a prisoner there, wants a favor in return for the help that he secretly gave Moose. • Jeanne Birdsall. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (National Book Award for Young People's

Literature) ; The Penderwicks on Gardam Street; The Penderwicks at Point Mouette. (only one can count) This summer the Penderwicks are spending the summer at the beautiful estate called Arundel where they discover the summertime magic of its

sprawling gardens, treasure-filled attic, tame rabbits, and the cook who makes the best gingerbread in Massachusetts. But the best discovery of all is Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundel’s owner, who quickly proves to be the perfect companion for their adventures.

• Lois Lowry. Number the Stars. (core novel) In 1943, during the German occupation of Denmark, ten-year-old Annemarie learns how to be brave and courageous when she helps shelter her

Jewish friend from the Nazis. Newbery Medal Winner.

• Clements: Lunch Money c1994 school, humor Hart is a popular boy who sometimes "goofs off". When he hits the music teacher with a rubber band, he is put in charge of the holiday concert. Both Hart and his teacher learn lessons.

• Hurwitz: Fourth Grade Fuss c2004 school story Julio and his friends enjoy their fourth grade activities - the yard sale, ice skating, and a surprise party; but the students get serious when they have to study for end-of-the-year statewide tests.

• Various authors: 39 Clues series mystery Follow Amy Cahill and her brother, Dan, as they travel the world to hunt for the 39 Clues.

• Various authors: Dear America series historical fiction • Sachar: Holes c1998 realistic fiction

Stanley is falsely accused of a crime and ends up in a juvenile detention center where he is forced to dig holes every day. It is supposed to build his character, but he suspects there are ulterior motives.

• Kathleen Karr. The Great Turkey Walk. Simon Green can't pass third grade (he's tried four times), but he's a canny businessman who's

going to drive a thousand head of turkeys from Missouri to Denver to sell at a profit. Set in the 1860's.

• Jack London. White Fang. Follows the adventures of a dog that is part wolf as he eventually makes his peace with man in the

wilderness of northern Canada. • Jerry Spinelli. Maniac Magee. Young Jeffrey "Maniac" Magee appears in Two Mills, apparently out of nowhere, and takes the

town by storm in a cross between a tall tale and a twentieth-century morality play told with exaggeration, humor, and melodrama. Newbery Medal Winner

• Gordon Korman. The 6th Grade Nickname Game. Eleven-year-old best friends Jeff and Wiley, who like to give nicknames to their classmates, try to

find the right one for the new girl Cassandra, while adjusting to the football coach who has become their new teacher.

• Gitty Daneshvari. School of Fear; Class is NOT Dismissed; Final Exam. (only one from this series can count)

Four children are sent to a remote Massachusetts school to overcome their phobias, but tragedy strikes and the four must work together – with no adult assistance – to face their fears.

• Gennifer Choldenko. Al Capone Does My Shirts; Al Capone Shines My Shoes. (only one from this series can count) Moose Flanagan, who lives on Alcatraz along with his family and the families of the other prison guards, is frightened when

he discovers that noted gangster Al Capone, a prisoner there, wants a favor in return for the help that he secretly gave Moose.

• Nation by Terry Pratchett After a devastating tsunami destroys all that they have ever known, Mau, an island boy, and Daphne, an aristocratic English girl, together with a small band of refugees, set about rebuilding their community and all the things that are important in their lives.

• Mare’s War by Tanita S. Davis Teens Octavia and Tali learn about strength, independence, and courage when they are forced to take a car trip with their grandmother, who tells about growing up Black in 1940s Alabama and serving in Europe during World War II as a member of the Women’s Army Corps Lupica: Million Dollar Throw c2009 realistic fiction Eighth-grade star quarterback Nate Brodie's family is feeling the stress of the troubled economy, and Nate is frantic because his best friend Abby is going blind, so when he gets a chance to win a million dollars if he can complete a pass during the halftime of a New England Patriot's game, he is nearly overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed

• Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith During World War II, a light-skinned African American girl “passes” for white in order to join the Women Airforce Service Pilots.

• Bodies from the Ash by James M. Deem Describes the archaeological excavations that began on the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum which had been buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79. (BWI)

• Twelve Rounds to Glory by Charles R. Smith, Jr. A brief biography in verse of boxer Muhammad Ali.

• Written in Bone by Sally M. Walker Reports on the work of forensic scientists who are excavating grave sites in James Fort, in Jamestown, Virginia, to understand who lived in the Chesapeake Bay area in the 1600s and 1700s; and uncovers the lives of a teenage boy, a ship’s captain, a colonial officer, an African slave girl, and others. (BWI) Smith: Peak c2007 realistic fiction, adventure A fourteen-year-old boy attempts to be the youngest person to reach the top of Mount Everest.

• Claudette Colvin by Phillip Hoose Presents an account of fifteen-ye ar-old Claudette Colvin, an African-American girl who refused to give up her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, nine months before Rosa Parks, and covers her role in a crucial civil rights case. (BWI) Collins: The Hunger Games c2008 science fiction [series: Hunger Games trilogy] In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss's skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister's place.

• Green: Football Genius c2007 realistic fiction Troy, a sixth-grader with an unusual gift for predicting football plays before they occur, attempts to use his ability to help his favorite team, the Atlanta Falcons, but he must first prove himself to the coach and players.

• Riordan: The Lost Hero c2010 fantasy, adventure [series: Heroes of Olympus] Jason, Piper and Leo, three students from a school for "bad kids," find themselves at Camp Half-Blood, where they learn that they are demigods and begin a quest to free Hera, who has been imprisoned by Mother Earth herself.

• Fleming: The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum c2009 biography Biography of P.T. Barnum, showman and founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Readers can visit Barnum's American Museum; meet Tom Thumb, the miniature man (39 in. tall) and his tinier bride (32 in.); experience the thrill Barnum must have felt, at age 60, he joined the circus.

• Read two books from the list that your teacher gives to you.

• Choose one of the books to create a poster display for the book. Bring poster with you to Open House. This assignment is for grades 4-8 only. Gr. K-3 will complete a different project.

• Book Information

• Characters:

• Setting:

• Plot:

• Main Events:

• Summary:

• Title of Book: should be neatly typed or handwritten with creative lettering.

• Illustrator of Book: should be neatly typed or handwritten with creative lettering.

• Publishing Information: Include publisher, city of publication, and copyright date of book neatly typed or handwritten. (This may be smaller in size than the other book information.)

• Characters:

Hand drawn or computer images of characters in the book. Each character should be labeled for the poster viewer.

• Setting: This is where the story takes place. Be creative with your representation of the setting in the book. Some books have multiple settings, include up to three settings if necessary.

• Plot: This is what the story is basically about in one or two sentences. It is often the problem and solution of the story.

• Main Events:

These are the situations that move the story from beginning to end. Include 6-8 Main Events that are very important to the story. Do not include information that is not important.

• Summary: Write a one page summary of the story giving a good description of the beginning, middle, and end of the story.

• Grades 6-8 should type their summary.

• Grades 4-6 may use cursive handwriting or type their summary.

• Using Shapes can tell the viewer the subject of the book on sight.

• Using construction paper to back your information will make your report look clean and crisp.

• Use Colored paper, colored pencils, markers, computer images, and anything else to make your project shine.

All Examples shown were completed by 4th Grade Students.

• All students attending Open House and bringing their completed poster will receive

– A Free Dress Pass for the day of your choice.

– A coupon for Ice Cream on the day of your choice.

– A great start to the new school year!