THESE ARE INSTRUCTOR MAGAZINES’ BEST BOOK PICKS FOR THE SUMMER…CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT THE CITY OF EMBER IS ON THIS LIST! AWESOME!
The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman By Darcy Pattison
Tameka’s uncle sends Oliver, a man of wood, on a spectacular cross-country journey, from South Carolina to California.
Mia’s Story: A Sketchbook of Hopes and Dreams By Michael Foreman
Join Mia, who lives with her Papa in the Chilean Andes, as she searches for her lost puppy and discovers the beauty of her land.
Judy Moody: Around the World in 8½ Days By Megan McDonald
Judy, her new friend Amy Namey, and her third-grade classmates begin an assignment that will take them around the world in eight days.
Goin’ Someplace Special By Patricia C. McKissack
The segregation of 1950s Nashville is seen through the eyes of ‘Tricia Ann, whose favorite spot is the integrated public library.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane By Kate DiCamillo
During Edward’s long and difficult transatlantic journey, he is transformed from an arrogant, cold-hearted china rabbit to one who learns how to truly love.
Reading Levels Grades 3 to 5
Jack Plank Tells Tales By Natalie Babbitt
Jack, an unemployed pirate, regales the occupants of a Caribbean boarding house with tales of his unsuccessful attempts to find a job.
Cicada Summer By Andrea Beatty
Nancy Drew books, a sly new girl, and a real-life mystery make this Illinois summer memorable for Lily.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret By Brian Selznick
Orphaned Hugo takes readers on an adventure in a Paris train station.
Escape from the Carnivale By Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
In Neverland, Little Scallop disobeys her father, going to play with her friends. Disaster strikes when they leave the lagoon in search of pearls.
The Titan’s Curse By Rick Riordan
Percy and his friends travel between the real world and a mythological world as they cross the country in an attempt to rescue the goddess Artemis.
Reading Levels Grades 5 and up
Jackie’s Wild Seattle By Will Hobbs
Jackie and her brother Cody spend the summer with Uncle Ned and work at a wildlife center in Washington State where it seems that people are healed along with animals.
Honey Bea By Kim Siegelson
Heir to strange powers that run in her bloodline, Beatrice fights the confines of slavery on a Louisiana plantation.
The Lighthouse Land By Adrian McKinty
When Jamie and his mother inherit the ancestral home in Scotland, they are given an opportunity for a new life as well as a chance to travel outside of this universe.
Camel Rider By Prue Mason
Spitting sand and desperate for food and water, Adam and Walid try to elude their captors and survive in the Middle Eastern desert.
A Week in the Woods By Andrew Clements
When Mark moves from New York City to rural New Hampshire, he never expects to find himself lost in the woods during the fifth-grade class trip.
The Sight By David Clement-Davies
In Transylvania, Larka grows from a wolf pup to a young adult. In the process, she develops her unusual powers that help defeat evil.
Peak By Roland Smith
Peak reorders his priorities as he battles nature, his manipulative father, and Chinese authorities in an attempt to summit Mount Everest.
The City of Ember By Jeanne DuPrau
The City of Ember is dying, and Lina and Doon must follow nearly indecipherable directions in order to survive. THIS ONE COMES OUT IN THEATERS OCTOBER 8…THIS WAS ONE OF OUR LITERATURE CIRCLE BOOKS!
Hattie Big Sky By Kirby Larson
Hattie displays amazing determination and courage when she takes over her late uncle’s Montana homestead.
