Summer Reading Suggestions

Transcription

1 Summer Reading Suggestions Cal Young Middle School Library June 2010 For more ideas, follow these links: Printed copies of these lists are available in the CY Library. Battle of the Books ~ New! ORCA 2011 Nominees ~ YRCA 2011 Nominees ~ Teen Summer Reading at the Eugene Public Library ~ Make Waves! Summer Reading from the National Endowment for the Arts This list includes lots of great classics. Most of them are available in our library. The CY Book Blog ~ Classics Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women Chronicles the joys and sorrows of the four March sisters as they grow into young ladies in nineteenth-century New England. Barron, T.A. The Lost Years of Merlin A young boy who has no identity nor memory of his past washes ashore on the coast of Wales and finds his true name after a series of fantastic adventures. Sequels: The Seven Songs of Merlin, The Fires of Merlin, The Mirror of Merlin, The Wings of Merlin Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit Guy Montag, a fire-fighter and book-burner for the State, discovers that in order to remain human he must preserve the books that attest to his humanity in this classic science fiction novel. Brontë, Emily. Wuthering Heights When Mr. Lockwood has an encounter with the spirit of Catherine Linton at the home of the unsociable Heathcliff, he hears the story of the tempestuous love affair between Catherine and Heathcliff. Card, Orson Scott. Ender s Game Child-hero Ender Wiggin must fight a desperate battle against a deadly alien race if mankind is to survive. (Followed by companion novel Ender s Shadow and others.)

2 Cooper, Susan. The Dark is Rising *** 1974 Newbery Honor Book *** On his eleventh birthday Will Stanton discovers that he is the last of the Old Ones, destined to seek the six magical Signs that will enable the Old Ones to triumph over the evil forces of the Dark. Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations A classic story of growing up. An enchanting story of Pip, a gentle orphan, discovering life and love in an indifferent adult world. L Engle, Madeline. A Wrinkle in Time *** Newberry Medal 1963 *** Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government. Companion novels: A Wind in the Door and A Swiftly Tilting Planet. Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars *** Newberry Medal 1990 *** 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. Newer books by favorite authors and books by new authors Avi. The Seer of Shadows In New York City in 1872, fourteen-year-old Horace, a photographer's apprentice, becomes entangled in a plot to create fraudulent spirit photographs, but when Horace accidentally frees the real ghost of a dead girl bent on revenge, his life takes a frightening turn. Boyne, John. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Bored and lonely after his family moves from Berlin to a place called "Out-With" in 1942, Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer, befriends a boy in striped pajamas who lives behind a wire fence. Bray, Libba. Going Bovine (for mature readers) *** 2010 Printz Award Winner *** Cameron Smith, a disaffected sixteen year-old who, after being diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob (aka mad cow) disease, sets off on a road trip with a death-obsessed video gaming dwarf he meets in the hospital in an attempt to find a cure. Carman, Patrick. Skeleton Creek *** OBOB 2011 *** Although housebound following an eerie accident, teenaged Ryan continues to investigate the strange occurrences in his hometown of Skeleton Creek, recording his findings in a journal and viewing video clips sent by fellow detective Sarah. The reader may view Sarah's videos on a website by using links and passwords found in the text. Sequel: The Ghost in the Machine Clare, Cassandra. City of Glass *** For Mature Readers *** Still pursuing a cure for her mother's enchantment, Clary uses all her powers and ingenuity to get into Idris, the forbidden country of the secretive Shadowhunters, and to its capital, the City of Glass, where with the help of a newfound friend, Sebastian, she uncovers important truths about her family's past that will not only help save her mother but all those that she holds most dear. (Follows City of Bones and City of Ashes).

3 Collins, Suzanne. Catching Fire By winning the annual Hunger Games, District 12 tributes Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have secured a life of safety and plenty for themselves and their families, but because they won by defying the rules, they unwittingly become the faces of an impending rebellion. Sequel of The Hunger Games; Mockingjay, 3 rd in the trilogy, will be released on August 24, Constable, Kate. The Singer of All Songs Calwyn, a young priestess of ice magic, or "chantment," joins with other chanters who have different magical skills to fight a sorcerer who wants to claim all powers for his own. De la Cruz, Melissa. The Van Alen Legacy: A Blue Blood Novel Once left to live the glamorous life in New York City, the Blue Bloods--an ancient group of vampires--now find themselves in an epic battle for survival following the stunning revelation of a young socialite's true identity and the growing threat of the sinister Silver Bloods. Follows Blue Bloods, Masquerade, and Revelations. D Lacey, Chris. Dark Fire Bestselling author David Rain returns to help Lucy and the Pennykettle dragons try to find and destroy a drop of dark fire before it is discovered and used to birth a darkling, while in the Arctic, enshrouded in mist, hide dragons that have at last returned to Earth. Dragons, Book 5 Start with The Fire Within, Icefire, Fire Star, and The Fire Eternal. Flanagan, John. The Kings of Clonmel: Ranger s Apprentice Book Halt, Will, and Horace set out for Hibernia, where a quasi-religious group, the Outsiders, is sowing confusion and sedition, and they find that secrets from Halt's past may hold the key to restoring order before the last kingdom is undermined. Follows The Ranger s Apprentice, The Burning Bridge, The Icebound Land, The Battle for Skandia, The Sorcerer of the North, The Siege of Macindaw, and Erak s Ransom. Green, Tim. Baseball Great All twelve-year-old Josh wants to do is play baseball but when his father, a minor league pitcher, signs him up for a youth championship team, Josh finds himself embroiled in a situation with potentially illegal consequences. Also try Football Champ, Football Genius and Football Hero. Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Found When thirteen-year-olds Jonah and Chip, who are both adopted, learn they were discovered on a plane that appeared out of nowhere, full of babies with no adults on board, they realize that they have uncovered a mystery involving time travel and two opposing forces, each trying to repair the fabric of time. Sequel: Sent (2009) Hale, Shannon. Book of a Thousand Days Fifteen-year-old Dashti, sworn to obey her sixteen-year-old mistress, the Lady Saren, shares Saren's years of punishment locked in a tower, then brings her safely to the lands of her true love, where both must hide who they are as they work as kitchen maids. Herlong, M. H. The Great Wide Sea ** An ALA Top Ten for 2010 ** Still mourning the death of their mother, three brothers go with their father on an extended sailing trip off the Florida Keys and have a harrowing adventure at sea.

4 Horowitz, Anthony. Necropolis To stop the evil corporation Nightrise from unleashing its devastating power around the globe, fifteen-year-old Matt and three other Gatekeepers travel to Hong Kong to find Scarlet, the final Gatekeeper, whose fate is inextricably joined to their own. Follows Raven's Gate, Evil Star, and Nightrise. Jinks, Catherine. The Reformed Vampire Support Group * An ALA Top Ten for 2010 * Fifteen-year-old vampire Nina has been stuck for fifty-one years in a boring support group for vampires, and nothing exciting has ever happened to them -- until one of them is murdered and the others must try to solve the crime. Kelly, Jacqueline. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate *** 2010 Newberry Honor Book *** On the eve of the 20th century, 11-year-old Calpurnia awakens to new possibilities, and through her evolving relationship with her naturalist grandfather, learns to think like a scientist. Kelly s rich, evocative language captures Callie s distinctive voice and lively observations of the natural world. Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days In the latest diary of middle-schooler Greg Heffley, he records his attempts to spend his summer vacation sensibly indoors playing video games and watching television, despite his mother's other ideas. Follows Greg Heffley s Journal (2007) *** 2010 YRCA Winner, Junior Division ***, Rodrick Rules (2008), and The Last Straw (2009). Korman, Gordon. Pop Lonely after a midsummer move to a new town, sixteen-year-old high-school quarterback Marcus Jordan becomes friends with a retired professional linebacker who is great at training him, but whose childish behavior keeps Marcus in hot water. Korman, Gordon. Schooled *** 2010 YRCA Winner, Intermediate Division*** After his hippie grandmother ends up in the hospital, Cap Anderson is forced to leave the commune where he is homeschooled and attend Claverage Middle School, where his odd looks and behavior make him the target of bullies. Lupica, Mike. Million-Dollar Throw 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. Marr, Melissa. Wicked Lovely ** For Mature Readers * 2010 YRCA Winner, Senior ** Seventeen-year-old Aislinn, who has the rare ability to see faeries, is drawn against her will into a centuries-old battle between the Summer King and the Winter Queen, and the survival of her life, her love, and summer all hang in the balance. Sequels: Ink Exchange and Fragile Eternity. Mull, Brandon. Keys to the Demon Prison; Fablehaven Since ancient times, the great demon prison Zzyzx has protected the world from the most dangerous servants of darkness, including Gorgrog, the Demon King. After centuries of plotting, the Sphinx is on the verge of recovering the five artifacts necessary to open the legendary prison.

5 To thwart the Sphinx's designs and find a safe home for the five artifacts, Kendra, Seth, and the Knights of the Dawn must venture far beyond the walls of Fablehaven in a desperate struggle to control the keys to the demon prison. Follows Fablehaven, Rise of the Evening Star, Grip of the Shadow Plague, and Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary. Philbrick, Rodney. The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg. * 2010 Newberry Honor * This rollicking yarn, presented through the voice of 12-year-old Homer, uses humor and pluck to mitigate the horrors of the Civil War. Pierce, Tamora. Protector of the Small series: First Test, Page, Squire, Lady Knight First Test: Ten-year-old Keladry of Mindalen, daughter of nobles, serves as a page but must prove herself to the males around her if she is ever to fulfill her dream of becoming a knight. Lady Knight : When she became a knight, eighteen-year-old Kel hoped to be given a combat post, but instead she finds herself named commander of an outpost of refugees, where she must face the unnatural forces of the evil Balyce. Riordan, Rick. The Red Pyramid After their father's research experiment at the British Museum unleashes the Egyptian god Set, Carter and Sadie Kane embark on a dangerous journey across the globe -- a quest which brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs. Book 1 of The Kane Chronicles. Scott, Michael. Necromancer; Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Back in London, fifteen-year-old twins Sophie and Josh Newman must determine whom they can and cannot trust as they search for both Scatty and an immortal who can teach Josh the magic of fire, while Doctor Dee and Machiavelli continue to seek power. Follows, The Alchemyst, The Magician, and The Sorceress. Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me *** 2010 Newberry Winner *** Twelve-year-old Miranda encounters shifting friendships, a sudden punch, a strange homeless man and mysterious notes that hint at knowledge of the future. These and other seemingly random events converge in a brilliantly constructed plot. Stroud, Jonathan. The Bartimaeus Trilogy: The Amulet of Samarkand (2003), The Golem s Eye (2004), Ptolemy s Gate (2006) The Amulet of Samarkand: Nathaniel, a magician's apprentice, summons up the djinni Bartimaeus and instructs him to steal the Amulet of Samarkand from the powerful magician Simon Lovelace. Westerfeld, Scott. Leviathan In an alternate 1914 Europe, fifteen-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts. Zuzak, Marcus. The Book Thief Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel -- a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.

6 For more ideas, follow these links: Printed copies of these lists are available in the CY Library. Battle of the Books ~ New! ORCA 2011 Nominees ~ YRCA 2011 Nominees ~ Teen Summer Reading at the Eugene Public Library ~ Make Waves! Summer Reading from the National Endowment for the Arts This list includes lots of great classics. Most of them are available in our library. The CY Book Blog ~ Thanks to Cal Young Book Club members for their suggestions for this Summer Reading list! Sam Arnold-Boyd arnold@4j.lane.edu