THE EPISCOPAL ACADEMY
Newtown Square, PA
FOR STUDENTS ENTERING 4th Grade
SUMMER READING 2008
Summer is a time to continue developing a life-long
enjoyment of reading.
When selecting summer reading material, remember to explore books that will
expand your world!
The books that you read do not necessarily need to be from this list.
Consult your local public library for additional suggestions. Enjoy your vacation
and keep reading.
Scroll Down for the Entire List
Click here for Circle
of Books Instructions & Activities
FICTION
Anderson, M.T. Whales On
Stilts!
Lily's father works
for an evil genius that wants to take over the world. It is up to her and her
famous adventurer friends to come up with a plan to stop him.
Atwater,
Richard Mr. Popper's Penguins
The
unexpected delivery of a large crate containing an Antarctic penguin changes
the life and fortunes of Mr. Popper, a house painter obsesses by dreams of the
Polar regions.
Avi Poppy
Poppy, the deer mouse,
urges her family to move next to a field of corn big enough to feed them all
forever, but Mr. Ocax, a terrifying owl, has other ideas.
Avi The
True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle, the only passenger
aboard a transatlantic vessel from England to America in 1832, becomes caught
up in a feud between the murderous captain and his mutinous crew.
Briggs, Raymond Ug
- Boy Genius of the Stone Age and his Search for Soft Trousers
To the dismay of his parents and friends, a prehistoric
boy continually thinks of making things softer, warmer, and nicer, rather than
being content in a world of stone.
Brittain, Bill Shape-Changer
Two friends help a shape-changing policeman from the planet Rodinam as he tries
to recapture an alien master criminal who can also change form.
Buck,
Pearl S. The Big Wave
A Japanese boy learns the joys of living
after surviving a tragic sunami that destroys his family and village.
Buckley,
Michael The
Sisters Grimm (series)
Sabrina and Daphne Grimm are sent to live with their
mysterious grandmother in a town where humans live side-by-side with fairy tale
characters. The sisters soon find themselves unraveling a mystery that includes
includes giants, pixies, fairies, and witches.
Butterworth, Oliver The
Enormous Egg
Problems develop when Nate's
hen lays an egg that hatches into a dinosaur!
Byars, Betsy Herculeah
Jones (series)
The intrepid Herculeah
Jones and her friend Meat help her mother, a private investigator, solve puzzling
and sometimes frightening cases.
Christopher, Matt Penalty
Shot (and others)
Realistic stories of kids' experiences in sports.
Cleary, Beverly Ramona's
World (series)
The latest book in
the series has a fourth grader Ramona adjusting to being the big sister to baby
Roberta and learning what it means to be a best friend. Read the series to follow
the exasperating and funny tribulations of the sisters Beezus, Ramona, and Roberta.
Cleary, Beverly
Henry Huggins (series)
Humorous adventures of Ramona's older brother Henry and his dog Ribsy who have
the knack for getting themselves into hilarious situations.
Clements, Andrew Frindle
Upon learning from
a dictionary- loving teacher that words and definitions are introduced by people,
one student decides to try this out and a school- wide learning experiment begins.
Conrad, Pam Staying
Nine
Nine-year-old Heather doesn't want to turn ten until wacky Rosa
Rita shows her that growing up isn't so bad.
Coville, Bruce
Skull of Truth ("Magic Shop" series)
A spell takes over, once again, from the magic shop.
Creech, Sharon Love
That Dog
A young student, who comes to love poetry through a personal
understanding of what different famous poems mean to him, surprises himself
by writing his own inspired poem.
Dahl, Roald The BFG
Kidsnatched from her orphanage by a BFG (Big Friendly
Giant) who spends his life blowing happy dreams to children, Sophie concocts
a plan with him to save the world from nine other man-gobbling cannybull giants.
Dahl, Roald Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory
Each of five children lucky enough to discover an entry
ticket into Mr. Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory takes advantage of
the situation in his own way.
Dahl, Roald
The Witches
A young boy and his Norwegian grandmother, who is an
expert on witches, together foil a witches' plot to destroy the world's children
by turning them into mice.
DeFelice, Cynthia Weasel
Alone in the frontier wilderness in the winter of 1839
while his father is recovering from an injury, eleven-year-old Nathan runs afoul
of the renegade known as Weasel and makes a surprising discovery about the concept
of revenge.
DiCamillo, Kate
The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse,
a Princess, Some Soup, and a
Spool of Thread
(2004 Newbery Medal Winner)- A tiny mouse
risks all to save the princess he loves from the clutches of some devious characters.
DiCamillo, Kate
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
Edward Tulane
is a proud toy rabbit who only loves himself, until he gets seperated from the
little girl who loves him and he must travel across the country meeting new
owners and learning about their hopes and dreams.
DiTerlizzi, Tony
& Holly Black The
Spiderwick Chronicles (series)
Children staying with their Great
Aunt discove a field guide to fairies and other creatures and begin to have
some unusual experiences.
Eager, Edward Half Magic
(and others)
Four children spend a fantastic summer by double-wishing on an ancient coin.
Estes, Eleanor Ginger
Pye (Newbery Honor Book)
The disappearance of a new puppy named Ginger and the appearance
of a mysterious man in a mustard yellow hat bring excitement into the lives
of the Pye children.
Fleischman, Sid The Whipping
Boy
A bratty prince and
his whipping boy have many adventures when they inadvertently trade places and
become involved with dangerous outlaws.
Fleischman, Sid The White
Elephant
A young elephant trainer Run-Run and his old charge,
Walking Mountain, must deal with the curse of a sacred white elephant.
Franklin, Kristine Nerd
No More
Wiggie Carter gets himself into real trouble because
he tries desperately to be a cool kid instead of a nerd with a mom who hosts
a TV science show.
Funke, Cornelia Dragon
Rider
After learning that humans are headed toward his hidden
home, Firedrake, a silver dragon, is joined by a bronie and an orphan boy in
a quest fo find a legendary valley, meeting friendly and unfriendly creatures
along the way, while trying to avoid an old enemy.
Giles, Gail Breath of the
Dragon
Being raised by her
grandmother in Thailand gives Malila a chance to draw pictures to accompany
her grand-mother's stories about Thai festivals, traditions, and the customs
which help her survive the prejudice of being an outcast.
Gutman, Dan Jackie and
Me: A Baseball Card Adventure
With his ability to
travel through time by using baseball cards, Joe goes back to 1947 to meet Jackie
Robinson, turning into a black boy in the process!
Hale,
Bruce Farewell, My Lunchbag (Chet
Gecko Mystery series)
When fourth-grade private eye Chet Gecko is called
to catch someone who is stealing food from the school cafeteria, he finds himself
framed for the crime.
Hannigan,
Katherine Ida
B... and Her Plans to Maximize Fund, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the
World
Fourth-grader Ida B spends
happy hours being home-schooled and playing in her family's apple orchard, until
her mother begins treatment for breast cancer and her parents must sell part
of the orchard and send her to public school.
Harvey, Brett My Prairie
Year
Based on the diary
of nine year old Elenore Plaisted who describes her experience living in Dakota
Territory in the late 1800's.
Henry, Marguerite Misty
of Chincoteague (and others)
Two youngsters are determined to own a Chincoteague Island pony from the yearly
round-up.
Hess,
Karen Letters from Rifka
In letters to her cousin in Russia, Rifka tells
of her journey in 1919 to America , from the dangerous escape over the border
to the journey across Europe and the Atlantic.
Horvath, Betty Sir Galahad,
Mr. Longfellow, and Me
Emily discovers the
bond of friendship, family, school, books and poetry in Missouri in 1938.
Horvath, Polly
The Trolls
The Anderson children are enchanted by tales their
Aunt tells them about her childhood. All of Aunt Sally's stories lead up to
a crucial story about trolls and how they had the power to change Aunt Sally's
life forever.
Howe, James Howliday Inn
and Return
to Howliday Inn (series)
Chester and Harold, a cat and dog, are being boarded at Chateau Bow-Wow
where they worry about the strange behavior of the other animals and one's sudden
disappearance.
Ibbotson, Eva The
Secret of Platform 13
Odge Gribble, a young hag, accompanies an old wizard,
a gentle fey, and a giant ogre on their mission through a magical tunnel from
their Island to London to rescue their King and Queen's son who had been stolen
as an infant.
Jacques,
Brian The Great Redwall Feast
Relates in rhyme the riotous preparations for and celebration
of the animals' surprise feast in honor of the abbot of the abbey of Redwall.
Johns, Linda Hannah
West (series)
Hannah West, preteen
sleuth, investigates mysteries ranging from dognapping to art theft in Seattle,
Washington.
Juster, Norton Phantom Tollbooth
A little boy can see
nothing of interest in the world until one day he is magically transported to
the Land of Expectations and other exciting places.
Konigsburg, E.L. Jennifer,
Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley & Me, Elizabeth
Elizabeth is very lonely until she meets Jennifer, who
says she is a witch and who teaches Elizabeth to become a witch herself.
Kurzweil, Allen
Leon and the Spitting Image
(series)
Leon, a fourth grader at The Ethical School, tries to outwit the school bully
and learn to sew for fanatical teacher Miss Cronheim, with unexpected help from
his final project-- a doll with magical powers.
Le
Guin, Ursala Catwings (series)
Four young cats with wings leave the city slums in search of
a safe place to live, finally meeting two children with kind hands.
Levine,
Gail Carson Ella Enchanted Newbery
Honor Book
At birth, Ella received the foolish fairy's gift of obedience - no matter what.
Ella must obey any order she is given -even if it means hopping on one foot
for a day and a half, or chopping off her own head!
Lewis, C. S. Chronicles of
Narnia (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe et
al.)
Four children travel to
a world in which they are far more than mere children and everything is far
more than it seems.
Lovelace, Maud Betsy-Tacy
(series)
Betsy and Tacy live across the street from each other and are inseparable friends
in an old favorite series.
MacDonald, Betty Mrs.
Piggle-Wiggle (series)
From her upside-down house, the eccentric Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle issues to parents
her marvelous cures for such common children's diseases as Won't-Put-Away-Toys-itis,
Answerbackism, and Fighter-Quarrelitis.
Maguire,
Gregory Leaping
Beauty
Retells eight beloved fairy tales, giving them animal
protagonists; includes such stories as "Cinder-Elephant," "Hamster
and Gerbil," and "Leaping Beauty."
Manes,
Stephen Be
a Perfect Person in Just Three Days
In search of perfection, Milo tries to follow
the loony instructions he finds in a library book and learns that there are
more important things in life.
Mayerson, Evelyn The Cat
Who Escaped from Steerage
Chanah, who is immigrating
to America, tries to keep her cat a secret while on the voyage.
Moore, Robin The Cherry
Tree Buck
Tall tale adventures
of a boy and his grandfather in rural Pennsylvania.
Napoli,
Donna Jo Prince of the Pond: Otherwise Known as De
Fawg Pin
Having been
turned into a frog by a hag, a frog-prince makes the best of his new life, as
he mates, raises a family, and instills a new kind of thinking into his frog
family.
Naylor, Phyllis R. Shiloh
(series)
In this Newbery Medal- winner, Marty tries to hide a lost beagle he finds in
the hills behind his West Virginia home.
Nimmo,
Jenny Midnight for Charlie Bone (series)
Charlie Bone's life with his widowed mother and two grandmothers undergoes a
dramatic change when he discovers that he can hear people in photographs talking!
O'Dell,
Scott Island of the Blue Dolphins
An Indian
girl, who lived alone for eighteen years on an isolated island off the California
coast when her tribe emigrated and she was left behind, survives by courage.
Paulsen, Gary Hatchet
After a plane crash,
thriteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to
survive initially with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and
learning also to survive his parents' divorce.
Polacco, Patricia Pink
and Say
Say Curtis describes
his meeting with Pinkus Aylee, a black soldier, during the Civil War, and their
capture by Southern troops.
Porter, Connie Addy Learns
a Lesson ("American Girl" series)
After escaping from a plantation in North Carolina, Addy and her mother arrive
in Philadelphia, where Addy goes to school and learns a lesson in true friendship.
Rodgers, Mary Freaky Friday
A thirteen-year-old girl gains a much more sympathetic
understanding of her relationship with her mother when she has to spend a day
in her mother's body.
Sachar, Louis Sideways
Stories from Wayside School (and others)
Humorous episodes from the classroom on the thirtieth floor of Wayside School,
which was accidentally built sideways with one classroom on each floor.
Scieszka, Jon Summer Reading
is Killing Me (and others in the Time Warp Trio
series)
The Time Warp Trio is trapped in a world where the "bad" book characters
are eliminating the "good" book characters so that they can take over
the stories. It is the boys' job to prevent children's literature from being
destroyed!
Selden, George The Cricket
in Times Square (series)
An animal adventure
story set in the city.
Selznick, Brian The Houdini
Box
Harry Houdini leaves
a boy in possession of a mysterious box- one that might hold the secret to the
greatest magic trick ever performed.
Snicket, Lemony A
Series of Unfortunate Events (series)
After the sudden death of their parents, the three Baudelaire
children must depend on each other and their wits when it turns out that the
distant relative who is appointed their guardian is determined to use any means
necessary to get their fortune.
Snyder, Zilpha Keatley Gib
Rides Home
Despite the harsh treatment
he has endured at Lovell House Orphanage, ten- year old Gib Whitaker manages
to maintain his hopeful outlook when he is "farmed out" to help with
the horses of a wealthy banker in 1908.
Spinelli, Jerry Crash
"Crash" was
comfortable with his own tough, aggressive behavior, until his relationship
with an unusual Quaker boy and his grandfather's stroke make him consider the
meaning of friendship and the importance of family.
Steig, William Abel's Island
Castaway on an uninhabited
island, a very civilized mouse finds he is tested to his limit in his struggles
to survive and return to his home.
Taylor, Mildred The Friendship
Four children witness
a confrontation between an elderly black man and a white storekeeper in rural
Mississippi in the 1930's. Winner of the Coretta Scott King Award.
Taylor, Mildred The Gold
Cadillac
Two black girls are
proud of their family's new car until they visit the south and first encounter
racial prejudice.
Van de Velde, Vivian Smart
Dog
Sherlock, a talking
dog, who runs away from a university laboratory, helps Amy solve problems in
her social life.
White, E.B. Stuart Little
How terribly surprised
the Little family must have been when their second child turned
out to be a small mouse!
Wilder, Laura Ingalls Little
House in the Big Woods (series)
Depicts the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family living on the frontier
in1872.
Winthrop, Elizabeth Castle
in the Attic
A gift of a toy castle
with a silver knight introduces William to an adventure involving magic and
a personal quest.
Wisler, G. Clifton Caleb's
Choice
Living in Texas in
1858, Caleb must decide whether or not to help fugitive slaves in their run
for freedom in this suspenseful adventure story.
Wright, Betty Ren The Ghost
in Room 11
When his family moves to a small town near Milwaukee,
Matt's efforts to fit into his new fourth-grade class are complicated by his
spelling ability and his meeting with the ghost of one of the school's former
teachers.
Yep, Lawrence Later, Gator
Teddy finds that his
imagination has gotten him into trouble once more, when he buys his younger
brother Bobby an alligator for his birthday.
NON-FICTION
Buittner, Dan Africatrek
Journey by bicycle across Africa.
Cherry, Lynn A River Runs Wild
A beautifully illustrated
environmental history of the Nashua River, from its discovery by Indians through
the polluting years of the Industrial Revolution to the ambitious clean-up.
Couper, Heather How the Universe Works
Recreation with science
and astronomy.
Cummings,
Pat, ed. Talking With Artists
Fourteen distinguished picture book artists talk about their
early art experiences, answer questions most frequently asked by children, and
offer encouragement to those who would like to become artists.
Curlee,
Lynn Capital
Provides an illustrated history of Washington, D.C., focusing on the National
Mall, its monuments and surrounding buildings.
Hughes, Dean Baseball Tips
Lewin, Ted and Betsy Gorilla Walk
Describes an expedition
into the field in Southern Uganda to observe mountain gorillas in their native
habitat.
Maynard, Christopher The
History News
(Documents the great historical events in newspaper format)
Micucci, Charles The Life and Times of the
Peanut
Examines the history and statistics of peanuts, their agriculture and influence.
Nilsen, Anna Art
Auction Mystery: Find the Fakes, Save the Sale!
Invites the reader to find out which art dealer
is responsible for forged paintings which are about to be sold
O'Brien,
Patrick Duel of the Ironclads: the Monitor
versus the Virginia
An illustrated description of the construction,
battles, and historical impact of the Civil War battleships, the Monitor and
the Virginia, known to Union forces as the Monitor and the Merrimack, which
focuses on the Battle of Hampton Roads.
Pfeffer, Susan Beth Who Were They Really?;
The True Stories Behind Famous Characters
(eg. Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Laura Ingalls Wilder)
Pringle, Lawrence Animal Monsters
The truth about scary creatures.
Ruurs, Margriet My
Librarian is a Camel
How Books are Brought to Children Around the World
Siy, Alexandra
Mosquito Bite
Presents an overview of the process of a mosquito bite, describing the different
parts of a mosquito, and includes a combination of black-and-white photographs
of children playing hide-and-seek and up-close, microscopic photos of actual
mosquitos.
Smith, Roland In
the Forest With the Elephants
(Mr. Smith is a former zookeeper.)
Wildsmith, Brian Exodus
A retelling of the biblical story in words and pictures
POETRY
Adoff, Arnold Sports Pages
Bolin, Frances Emily Dickinson - Poetry for Young People
Burleigh, Robert Hoops
Ciardi, John Doodle Soup
Daniel, Mark A Child's Treasury of Poems
Franco, Betsy Mathematickles!
Hughes, Langston Dream Keeper and Other Poems
Janeczko, Paul, selector A Kick in
the Head ...
Kuskin, Karla Moon, Have You Met
My Mother
Nye, Naomi, selector Salting the Ocean: 100 Poems
Poems by Young Poets
Prelutsky, Jack It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles
Sidman, Joyce Song of the Waterboatmen and Other
Pond Poems
Silverstein, Shel Where The Sidewalk Ends
BIOGRAPHY
Boyd, Aaron Tiger Woods
Bulla, Clyde Robert A Grain of Wheat (autobiography)
Camp, Carole Sally Ride: First Woman in Space
Carle, Eric Flora and Tiger
Chin-Lee, Cynthia Amelia to Zora: Twenty-Six
Women Who Changed the World
Chin-Lee, Cynthia Akira to Zoltan: Twenty-Six
men Who Changes the World
Ferris, Jeri Walking the Road to Freedom (Sojourner Truth)
Fritz, Jean You Want to Vote, Lizzie
Stanton?
Giblin, James The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin
Giblin, James Thomas Jefferson
Henry, Joanne Elizabeth Blackwell (first woman doctor)
Kroll, Steven William Penn, Founder of Pennsylvania
Krull, Kathleen Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad
Times...And What The Neighbors Thought
McElroy, Lisa Tucker Meet My Grandmother: She's a Supreme
Court Justice (Sandra
Day O'Connor)
Shippen, Katherine Mr. Bell Invents the Telephone
Tan, Sherri Seiji Ozawa (Grammy Award- winning conductor)
White, Anne Terry George Washington Carver (African American scientist)
FOLK LITERATURE
Aardema, Verna,
reteller Misoso - Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa
Adler, Naomi Play Me a Story: Nine Tales About
Musical Instruments
Each
culture features a different musical instrument
Evetts-Secker, Josephine Barefoot
Book of Father and Son Tales
Evetts-Secker, Josephine Barefoot
Book of Mother and Son Tales
Hamilton, Virginia A Ring of Tricksters:
Animal Tales from America, the West Indies, and Africa
Mayo, Margaret, reteller Magical Tales
from Many Lands
McCaughrean, Geraldine The Golden Hoard;
Myths and Legends of the World
Everything
from Anansi to Robin Hood
Norman, Howard The Girl Who Dreamed Only
of Geese and Other Tales
Normandin, Christine, ed. Echoes
of the Elders: the Stories and Paintings of Chief Lelooska
Perrault, Charles Cinderella, Puss
in Boots and other Favorite Tales as Told by Charles Perrault
Phillip, Neil, reteller Fairy Tales of the Brothers
Grimm
SanSouci, Robert Cendrillon A
Carribean Cinderella
Wisniewski, David Golem
Yep, Laurence Tongues of Jade
Zeman, Ludmila Sinbad
Zhang, Song Nan, reteller The Ballad of
Mulan
Books
to Read Aloud Together
Barron, T.A. The Hero’s Trail: a Guide for a Heroic Life
Cooper, Susan The Boggart
Cummings, Pat & Linda ,comps. Talking With Adventurers
Farmer, Nancy Do You Know Me?
Gerstein, Mordicai The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
Ibbotson, Eva Journey to the River Sea
Pearce, Philippa Tom’s Midnight Garden
Park, Linda Sue A Single Shard
Pilling, Ann Creation: Read Aloud Stories From Many Lands
Rappaport, Doreen No More
Selznick, Brian The Invention of Hugo Cabret : a Novel
in Words and Pictures
Spires, Elizabeth I am Arachne
Yep, Laurence Dragonwings
The
Episcopal Academy web page offers this list
and hyperlinks to other lists of recommended books.
EA
Summer Reading 2008