BLAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL - RISING SIXTH GRADE

SUMMER READING PROGRAM 2012

REQUIRED READING – Book One: Our whole school will be reading Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer Bauer, Joan – HOPE WAS HERE

When Hope and her aunt move to small-town Wisconsin to take over the local diner, Hope's not sure what to expect. But what

they find is that the owner, G.T., isn't quite ready to give up yet--in fact, he's decided to run for mayor against a corrupt

candidate. And as Hope starts to make her place at the diner, she also finds herself caught up in G.T.'s campaign--particularly

his visions for the future. After all, as G.T. points out, everyone can use a little hope to help get through the tough times . . .

even Hope herself.

REQUIRED READING – READ ONE OF TWO

Mikaelson, Ben – STRANDED

Koby wishes a lot of things were different: her dad would spend more time at home, mom would stop babying her,

and that the kids at school would be friendly. Ever since she lost her foot in that bicycle accident, everyone treats her

differently; she doesn't feel like she belongs anywhere now. Her place of refuge is aboard the Titmouse, her dinghy,

riding the ocean's waves. But the evening she encounters an injured pilot whale, her life takes a spin. Will the whales

live? Will they be set free? Will her parents quit arguing? Will they lose everything in the hurricane?

.

Taylor, Theodore - THE CAY

All his life, Phillip had looked down upon black-skinned people. Now, suddenly, he’s a refugee from a fatal shipwreck

and dependent on an extraordinary black man named Timothy.

CHOOSE A MINIMUM OF ONE OTHER BOOK FROM THE FOLLOWING LIST:

(Thus a minimum of three books read over the summer).

THE SUMMER READING AWARDS PROGRAM – See Summer Reading Link on BMS web page!

Almond, David – SKELLIG

Michael was looking forward to his new house and neighborhood, until his infant sister became very ill. Now his

parents are constantly frantic, the scary doctor is always coming around, and Michael feels helpless. When he goes

out into the old rickety garage, he comes across a mysterious being living beneath spider webs and eating flies for

dinner. This creature calls himself Skellig, and over the weeks Michael and his new friend Mina bring Skellig out

in to the light, and their worlds change forever.

Auch, M.J. – ONE-HANDED CATCH What would it be like to go through life with only one hand? That’s exactly what eleven-year-old Norm finds out when

he loses his left hand in an accident at his family’s store. It’s July 4, 1946. World War II has ended, and life is getting

back to normal. But for Norm, the pressing question now is whether he will ever be able to play baseball again.

Baggett, Julianna – THE PRINCE OF FENWAY PARK Twelve-year-old Oscar Egg believes he is cursed, just like the Red Sox. His real parents didn't want him, and now

his adopted mom has dumped him off to live with his strange, sickly dad. But there's something Oscar doesn't

know. The Boston Red Sox really are cursed, and not just because they sold Babe Ruth in 1919. Someone

deliberately jinxed the team, and the secret to breaking the Curse lies deep below Fenway Park, with Oscar's dad

and the Cursed Creatures, a group that has been doomed to live out their miserable lives below Fenway until the c

Curse is broken.

Barrows, Ann – THE MAGIC HALF

Miri is the non-twin child in a family with two sets of them--older brothers and younger sisters. The family has just moved

to an old farmhouse in a new town, where the only good thing seems to be Miri's ten-sided attic bedroom. But when Miri gets

sent to her room after accidentally bashing her big brother on the head with a shovel, she finds herself in the same room only

not quite – she’s suddenly finds herself in 1935!

Bosch, Pseudonymous – THE NAME OF THIS BOOK IS SECRET #1, IF YOU’RE READING THIS, IT’S

TOO LATE #2, THIS BOOK IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU #3, THIS ISN’T WHAT IT LOOKS

LIKE #4, YOU HAVE TO STOP THIS #5. Read any of the books in this series.

Broach, Elise – MASTERPIECE Eleven-year-old James Terik isn't particularly appreciated in the Pompaday household. Marvin, a beetle who lives

happily with his "smothering, overinvolved relatives" behind the Pompadays' kitchen sink, has observed James

closely and knows he's something special even if the boy's mother and stepfather don't. Insect and human worlds

collide when Marvin uses his front legs to draw a magnificent pen-and-ink miniature for James's birthday. James is

thrilled with his tiny new friend, but is horrified when his mother sees the beetle's drawing and instantly wants to

exploit her suddenly special son's newfound talents.

Choldenko, Gennifer – NO PASSENGERS BEYOND THIS POINT Siblings India, Finn, and Mouse are stunned when their mom tells them they are flying that night—without her—to

their Uncle Red's home in Colorado. But things take an even more dramatic turn when their plane lands in a very

unusual place. A mysterious driver meets them at the airport; when he drops them off at their "destination," each kid

suddenly has a clock with a different amount of time left. If the time runs out, they have to become permanent

citizens in a place they don't recognize or understand. Only if they work together can they call the driver back to help

get them where they really belong – will they make it back?

Clements, Andrew – EXTRA CREDIT It isn't that Abby Carson can't do her schoolwork, it's just that she doesn't like doing it. And that means she's pretty

much failing sixth grade. When a warning letter is sent home, Abby realizes that all her slacking off could cause her to

be held back -- for real! Unless she wants to repeat the sixth grade, she'll have to meet some specific conditions,

including taking on an extra-credit project: find a pen pal in a foreign country. Simple enough (even for a girl who

hates homework).

Down, Siobhan – THE LONDON EYE MYSTERY

When Ted and Kat watched their cousin Salim get on board the London Eye, he turned and waved before getting on.

But after half an hour it landed and everyone trooped off - but no Salim. Where could he have gone? Did he

spontaneously combust? (Ted's theory.) Has he been kidnapped? (Aunt Gloria's theory.) Is he even still alive? (The

family's unspoken fear.) Even the police are baffled. Ted and Kat follow a trail of clues across London in a desperate

bid to find their cousin, while time ticks dangerously by

Draper, Sharon – OUT OF MY MIND Melody is extremely smart. She remembers everything she sees and hears and understands much more than her fellow

classmates; however, no one knows it because she has cerebral palsy and cannot speak.. When the chance to compete in

the Whiz Kids Bowl comes up, Melody has to decide whether it is worth the risk to try to prove herself or to hide back

in the resource room.

Edwards, Julie Andrews – THE LAST OF THE REALLY GREAT WHANGDOODLES The Whangdoodle was once the wisest, the kindest, and the most extraordinary creature in the world .Then he

disappeared and created a wonderful land for himself and all the other remarkable animals. Professor Savant believed

in the Whangdoodle and when he told the three Potter children of his search for the spectacular creature, Lindy, Tom,

and Ben were eager to reach Whangdoodleland. With the Professor's help, they discovered the secret way. But

waiting for them was the scheming Prock, who would use almost any means to keep them away from his beloved

king.

Fendler, Donn – LOST ON A MOUNTAIN IN MAINE

Twelve-year-old Donn becomes separated from his father and brothers while hiking in Maine. He wanders alone in

deep wilderness for two weeks while rescue crews desperately search as his worried family and the whole Nation pray

for his safe return. A true story!

Gantos, Jack – HEADS OR TAILS Jack’s life is a crazy roller-coaster ride. At his fifth school in six years, he has a crackpot teacher who won’t give him

a break about his lousy handwriting and a secret crush who wants to be a policewoman. At home, he has a pesky little

brother with a knack for getting hurt whenever Jack’s supposed to be looking after him, a terror for an older sister, all

sorts of weird neighbors, and, last but not least, ferocious alligators in the canal behind his house.

Gutman, Dan – RAY AND ME

When Stosh gets hit in the head with a baseball, he's lucky to survive. Then he learns about another player who wasn't

so lucky—Ray Chapman, the only player in major league history to get hit by a ball and die. If only they had batting

helmets back then …

Korman, Gordon – POP When Marcus moves to a new town he doesn't know a soul. While practicing football for impending tryouts, he

strikes up an unlikely friendship with an older man. Charlie is a charismatic prankster—and the best football player

Marcus has ever seen. He can't believe his good luck when he finds out that Charlie is actually Charlie Popovich, or

"the King of Pop," as he had been nicknamed during his career as an NFL linebacker. But that's not all. There is a

secret about Charlie that his own family is desperate to hide.

Lowry, Lois – THE BIRTHDAY BALL Princess Patricia Priscilla is bored with her royal life and the excitement surrounding her sixteenth birthday ball.

Doomed to endure courtship by three grotesquely unappealing noblemen, she escapes her fate—for a week. Disguised

as a peasant, she attends the village school as the smart new girl, "Pat,” and attracts friends and the attention of the

handsome schoolmaster. Disgusting suitors, lovable peasants, and the clueless king and queen collide at the ball, where

Princess Patricia Priscilla calls the shots. What began as a cure for boredom becomes a chance for Princess Patricia

Priscilla to break the rules and marry the man she loves.

Lupica, Mike – HERO Zach didn't quite know why his father took so many trips, but he had a feeling his dad was saving the world one bad

place at a time. One time Zach had asked him what it was like, working for the president, and his dad had said in a

quiet voice, 'I work for the good guys.' And then one day, he didn't come home and fourteen-year-old Zach Harriman

had to make his own great leap into the unknown

Malone, Marianne – THE SIXTY-EIGHT ROOMS On a field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago, sixth-graders Jack and Ruthie discover a magical key that allows them to

explore the Thorne Rooms, 68 intricate model rooms in the children's galleries. When Ruthie holds the key, she and

anything she is touching, including Jack, shrink to the scale of the models. They discover other shrunken children

inside as well – will they ever escape?

Mass, Wendy – 11 BIRTHDAYS After celebrating their first nine same-day birthdays together, Amanda and Leo, having fallen out on their tenth and

not speaking to each other for the last year, prepare to celebrate their eleventh birthday separately but peculiar things

begin to happen as the day of their birthday begins to repeat itself over and over again.

Messner, Kate – SUGAR AND ICE For Claire Boucher, life is all about skating on the frozen cow pond and working at her family's maple farm. But

when a professional skating coach offers Claire a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to train with the elite skaters in Lake

Placid, she's tossed into a competitive world of mean girls on ice. Can Claire find the strength to stand up to those who

want her to fail?

Morpurgo, Michael – WAR HORSE In 1914, Joey, a beautiful bay-red foal with a distinctive cross on his nose, is sold to the army and thrust into the

midst of the war on the Western Front. With his officer, he charges toward the enemy, witnessing the horror of the

battles in France. But even in the desolation of the trenches, Joey's courage touches the soldiers around him and he is

able to find warmth and hope. But his heart aches for Albert, the farmer's son he left behind. Will he ever see his true

master again?

Myron, Vicki – DEWEY THE LIBRARY CAT In the tradition of Marley: A Dog Like No Other, this is the story of a cat who was more than a pet, and the amazing

effect he had on the people around him.

Norton, Mary – THE BORROWERS

This is the classic story—read and loved by children all over the world—of Pod, Homily, and their daughter, Arrietty,

who live under the kitchen floor in a quiet, half-empty house and get their livelihood by borrowing from the “human

beans.”

Patneaude, David – HAUNTING AT HOME PLATE Nelson’s baseball team loses not only their coach but their best player. The playoffs are coming, they’re falling apart

when strange coaching messages begin to appear written in the dirt by home plate. Where are they coming from?

Could it be … a ghost!!!???

Paulsen, Gary – LAWN BOY

“One day I was 12 years old and broke. Then Grandma gave me Grandpa's old riding lawnmower. I set out to mow

some lawns. More people wanted me to mow their lawns. And more and more. One client was Arnold the

stockbroker, who offered to teach me about "the beauty of capitalism. Supply and demand. Diversify labor.

Distribute the wealth." "Wealth?" I said. "It's groovy, man," said Arnold. If I'd known what was coming, I might

have climbed on my mower and putted all the way home to hide in my room. But the lawn business grew and grew.

So did my profits, which Arnold invested in many things. And one of them was Joey Pow the prizefighter. That's

when my 12th summer got really interesting”.

Philbrick, Rodman – THE YOUNG MAN AND THE SEA Twelve-year-old Skiff Beaman's mom just died, and his fisherman dad is too depressed to drag himself off the

couch and go to work. So these days Skiff has to take care of everything himself. But when his dad's boat sinks, Skiff

discovers it will cost thousands to buy a new engine. Skiff's lobster traps won't earn him enough, but there are bigger

fish in the sea -- Bluefin tuna. If he can catch one of those monster fish, Skiff just might save the boat -- and his family

Riordan, Rick – THE LAST HERO – HEROES OF OLYMPUS SERIES #1

Jason wakes up on a bus filled with problem kids from the Wilderness School who are headed to the Grand Canyon.

He has no memory of his previous life, but seems to be with his girlfriend, Piper, and his best friend, Leo. Storm

spirits attack them and capture their coach, who turns out to be a Satyr. Searching for Percy, who is missing,

Annabeth arrives and takes the three to Camp Half-Blood, where they learn that they are demigods. Their parents are

gods in their Roman rather than Greek personae. By sunset of the solstice in three days, the teens must rescue Hera,

Queen of the gods, or Porphyrion, the giant king created to destroy Zeus and unseat the gods of Olympus, will rise.

Russell, Christine & Christopher – THE WARRIOR SHEEP SERIES: THE QUEST OF THE WARRIOR

SHEEP (#1), THE WARRIOR SHEEP GO WEST (#2), THE WARRIOR SHEEP DOWN

UNDER (#3).

Schroeder, Lisa – IT’S RAINING CUPCAKES Twelve-year-old Isabel is dying to get out of Oregon. She spends her free time in the library, reading and dreaming

about faraway places. When her mom decides to open a cupcake shop in their little town of Willow, Isabel feels just

like butter cream frosting to a cupcake-stuck. It seems as if it will be another disappointing summer, until Isabel

learns of a baking contest. If she can come up with a winning recipe, she might have a chance of competing in the

bake-off in New York City!

Taylor, Theodore – ICE DRIFT Alika and his younger brother, Sulu, are hunting for seals on an ice floe attached to their island in the Arctic. Suddenly the ice

starts to shake, and they hear a loud crack--the terrible sound of the floe breaking free from land. The boys watch with horror as

the dark expanse of water between the ice and the shore rapidly widens, and they start drifting south--away from their home, their

family, and everything they've ever known.

Urban, Linda - A CROOKED KIND OF PERFECT Ten-year-old Zoe Elias dreams of playing a baby grand piano at Carnegie Hall. But when Dad ventures to the

music store and ends up with a wheezy organ instead of a piano, Zoe's dreams hit a sour note. Learning the organ

versions of old TV theme songs just isn't the same as mastering Beethoven on the piano.. Yet when Zoe enters the

annual Perform-O-Rama organ competition, she finds that life is full of surprises—and that perfection may be even

better when it's just a little off center

Zillner, Amanda – STEVE JOBS Steve Jobs revolutionized the way we work, listen to music, watch movies, and communicate. By pushing boundaries and always

thinking one step ahead, Jobs became an icon, equally as famous for his advanced ideas and design aesthetic as his sleek black

turtlenecks. What inspired him? How did he do his job? What made him the man he was?