Cyrus Peirce Middle School 2007 Summer Reading Packet and ...

Summer Reading Assignments for Incoming 6 th GradersAssignment #1: Book NotesChoose one book from the combined middle school list. Read and enjoy the book. Afteryou finish the book, identify the title, author, main characters, setting, and write a shortsummary of the novel. The form below will help you organize this information. Please bringthis with you on the first day of school. It can be on a separate piece of paper.Title:Author:Genre-book type :___________________(example: mystery, historical fiction, fantasyetc...)Who (main characters):When (time period of the story):Where (setting of the story):______What (short summary of the story):______Assignment 2: Friendly LetterChoose another book from the combined middle school list and write a friendly letter toMs. Perkins. Your friendly letter will be three paragraphs long and contain the following:In paragraph 1, tell us about you. What’s your name? Who was your teacher last year?Include a few facts about yourself and the date you completed this book.In paragraph 2, tell us about the book you read. What was the title and who was theauthor? Include the main characters, the setting of the story, and tell what the book wasmostly about.

In paragraph 3, rate the book on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the highest recommendation.Then, conclude by writing one sentence that explains why you would or would notrecommend this book to your friends.Summer Reading Assignments for Incoming 7th GradersWelcome, new Seventh Grader!You are expected to read at least two books from the enclosed list over the summervacation. For assignment #1 , you are invited to submit a project during the first week ofschool in September. The project may be:Assignment #1: ProjectA posterA board gameA puppet, or two or threeA scene written as a playA series of five well-executed illustrations, with appropriate captionsA sculptureA dioramaA musical compositionA danceA website, to promote your bookA book reviewA newspaper, magazine, etc.A travel brochureYour own idea???You may choose your first book from the collection at the Atheneum. When you finish yourfirst book, return it to the library, and choose your second one.For assignment #2, you will need to pick up a standard composition journal from thelocal bookstore or pharmacy. In this journal, you will keep track of the things listed belowfor each chapter of your book. This journal will need to be brought to the first day ofschool and will be discussed in literature circles. Be prepared to talk about both yoursummer reading choices when you return to school in September.Assignment #2: Book LogFor each chapter:1.) List and describe the characters involved.2.) Describe the setting. (time and place)3.) Describe the conflict (problem), if any. If the conflict is resolved (solved), explainhow.4.) List in bullet form the main events of the chapter.Enjoy!

subtle play of light and texture, have come to define the Dutch golden age. His portrait of theanonymous Girl with a Pearl Earring has exerted a particular fascination for centuries--and it is thismagnetic painting that lies at the heart of Tracy Chevalier's second novel of the same title.Girl in Hyacinth Blue by: Susan VreelandThere are only 35 known Vermeers extant in the world today. In Girl in Hyacinth Blue, SusanVreeland posits the existence of a 36th. The story begins at a private boys' academy inPennsylvania where, in the wake of a faculty member's unexpected death, math teacherCornelius Engelbrecht makes a surprising revelation to one of his colleagues. He has, he claims,an authentic Vermeer painting, "a most extraordinary painting in which a young girl wearing ashort blue smock over a rust-colored skirt sat in profile at a table by an open window." Hiscolleague, an art teacher, is skeptical and though the technique and subject matter arepersuasively Vermeer-like, Engelbrecht can offer no hard evidence--no appraisal, no papers--tosupport his claim. He says only that his father, "who always had a quick eye for fine art, picked itup, let us say, at an advantageous moment."Girls in Pants: by Ann BrasharesBest buds Tibby, Carmen, Lena and Bridget are back with their magical pair of shared jeans inGirls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood. Each summer brings new and difficult challenges,as the perennially separated friends discover afresh this last season before college. Tibbystruggles with the idea of close friend Brian becoming her boyfriend, and their fragilerelationship is soon tested by a tragedy in her immediate family. Carmen doesn’t know how toreact when she finds out that her middle-aged mom is pregnant, and Bridget is unpleasantlysurprised to be reunited with the boy who broke her heart two summers ago. Finally, Lena, stillcoming to terms with the loss of her first love, tries to convince her strict father that art schoolis a better career path than Greek restaurant management. But through every crisis, each girl isassured of the love and support of the created sisterhood when she pulls on the denim armorof the cherished, and by now, a bit fragrant ("Rule # 1. You must never wash the Pants.")Traveling Pants.Godless by: Pete HautmanJason is a smart 15-year-old, an agnostic-leaning-toward-atheism, who resists following in thefootsteps of his devoutly Catholic father. Getting clocked under the water tower by the nastyand unpredictable Henry leads Jason and his friend Shin to combine their talents to posit a newreligion. "Chutengodianism" sanctifies water, the source of all life, as manifested by the Ten-Legged God, aka that same million-gallon water tower. Creating the creed on the fly, Jason soongathers a handful of acolytes, including his former nemesis.Heat by: Mike LupicaMichael Arroyo has a dream: to pitch in the Little League World Series. His fast ball has "heat"that could get him and his team, the Clippers, there. Michael also has a secret that could keephim from even playing baseball. "Heat" is a novel for everyone who's ever had a dream, forbaseball fans and players, and for those who just love a good story with a likeable main characterand interesting, quirky supporting characters.Homecoming by: Cynthia Voigt"IT'S STILL TRUE." That's the first thing James Tillerman says to his sister Dicey every morning.It's still true that their mother has abandoned the four Tillerman children somewhere in themiddle of Connecticut. It's still true they have to find their way, somehow, to Great-aunt Cilla'shouse in Bridgeport, which may be their only hope of staying together as a family.But when they get to Bridgeport, they learn that Great-aunt Cilla has died, and the home theyfind with her daughter, Eunice, isn't the permanent haven they've been searching for. So theirjourney continues to its unexpected conclusion -- and some surprising discoveries about theirhistory, and their future.

Hoops by: Walter Dean MyersA teenage basketball player from Harlem is befriended by a former professional player who,after being forced to quit because of a point shaving scandal, hopes to prevent other youngathletes from repeating his mistake.Hoot by: Carl HiaasenUnfortunately, Roy's first acquaintance in Florida is Dana Matherson, a well-known bully. Thenagain, if Dana hadn't been sinking his thumbs into Roy's temples and mashing his face againstthe school-bus window, Roy might never have spotted the running boy. And the running boy isintriguing: he was running away from the school bus, carried no books and -- here's the odd part-- wore no shoes. Sensing a mystery, Roy sets himself on the boy's trail. The chase introduceshim to potty-trained alligators, a fake-fart champion, some burrowing owls, a renegade ecoavenger,and several extremely poisonous snakes with unnaturally sparkling tails. Roy has mostdefinitely arrived in Carl Hiaasen's Florida.Indigo by: Alice Hoffman13 year-old Martha Glimmer is convinced this is the worst time of her life. Her mother died,she grew 7 inches, and she has to put up with a woman who plys Martha's lonely father withfood and opinions about how 13 year-old girls should behave. Martha longs to leave Oak Groveand travel. Martha's best friend Trevor and his brother Eli also want to leave Oak Grove.Nicknamed Trout and Eel because of the thin webbing between their fingers and toes, theylong to see the ocean. Together, Martha, Trout, and Eel are going to find the true meaning ofhome -- in very unexpected places.Kidnapped by: Robert Louis StevensonAfter being kidnapped by his villainous uncle, sixteen-year-old David Balfour escapes andbecomes involved in the struggle of the Scottish highlanders against English rule.King of Shadows by: Susan CooperOrphan Nat Field is chosen as part of an American theater group to perform at the new GlobeTheatre in London. Nat's big role will be Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream. However, hisdebut is pushed 400 years into the past when he is put to bed with a high fever and wakes up inElizabethan England. Forced to adapt or be discovered, Nat figures out his situation quicklywith judicious questions that result in naturally occurring explanations of the times, the plays,and the theater.Loch by: Paul ZindelFifteen year old Loch (nicknamed that because he claimed to see the Loch Ness monster duringa family trip in Scotland when he was a toddler), his little sister, Zaidee, and his girlfriend, Sarah,join their dads on an expedition to search for a monster in a Vermont lake. While exploring, thethree discover a baby monster that appears to be a creature left from prehistoric times. Nowthey must convince Sarah's father and his crew that the creatures will be harmless if left alone.But the stubborn adults won't listen, and the kids have to save the creatures - and the humans.M.C. Higgins the Great by: Virginia HamiltonIn a 25th anniversary edition, landmark Newbery Award-winning novel, "M.C. Higgins, TheGreat,” is reborn in a new package. As a slag heap, the result of strip mining, creeps closer to hishouse in the Ohio hills, 15-year-old M.C. is torn between trying to get his family away andfighting for the home they love.Moonfleet by: John Meade FalknerMoonfleet (1898) begins as a mystery and an adventure story, a tale of smuggling set among thecliffs, caves, and downs of Dorset. What will be the outcome of the conflict between smugglers

and revenue men? How can the hero, John Trenchard, discover the secret of Colonel JohnMohune's treasure?My Side of the Mountain by: J.C. GeorgeSam Gribley is terribly unhappy living in his family's crowded New York City apartment. So,armed with just the bare necessities -- a penknife, a ball of cord, some flint and steel, and theclothes on his back -- he runs away to the mountains.On the Far Side of the Mountain by: J.C. GeorgeFans of My Side of the Mountain will be delighted to find that Sam Gribley still lives in a hollowtree with Frightful, his faithful falcon. Sam has neighbors now: his sister Alice lives in a nearbytree house and his old friend Bando has bought a nearby cabin. Sam's summer plans aredisrupted when a conservation officer accuses him of harboring an endangered species andconfiscates Frightful.Pigman's Legacy by: Paul ZindelThe sequel to The Pigman- The Pigman has been dead for four months when John and Lorrainevisit his empty house and discover a down-and-out old man on the run from the tax collector.Convinced he's a sign from beyond the grave, John and Lorraine decide they've been given achance to make up for what happened to the Pigman. Suddenly they're deep in another zanyadventure with a surprising old man. What they learn along the way is the Pigman's Legacy.Raptor by: Paul ZindelZack joins his father on a dinosaur dig in Utah. His father was injured by a mysterious,unknown creature. Zack makes a new friend, a Native American girl named Ute. As theyinvestigate the nearby mountains, they come to a horrifying conclusion: Sheltered in themountains, a band of raptors may have escaped extinction. And they're about to be revealed.Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by: Mildred D. TaylorHer Newbery Medal-winning Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry tells the story of one African Americanfamily, fighting to stay together and strong in the face of brutal racist attacks, illness, poverty, andbetrayal in the Deep South of the 1930s.Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man by: Wendelin Van DraanenOn Halloween night, seventh grader Sammy stumbles onto a mystery involving a twenty-yearoldfamily feud and some heirlooms stolen by a man in a skeleton costume.So B. It by: Sarah WeeksHeidi knows that she's approximately 12 years old, but she doesn't know her last name, herbirthday, or, for that matter, the identity of her father. With a vocabulary of only two dozenwords, her mentally disabled mother can't help Heidi fill the gaps in her history, but simpledespair will not stop this little trooper. When she finds a camera full of old photographs, shebegins a quest that will take her into the past and new beginnings. A mature, gripping story.Stormbreaker by: Anthony HorowitzThey told him his uncle died in a car accident. Fourteen-year-old Alex knows that's a lie, and thebullet holes in his uncle's windshield confirm his suspicions. But nothing prepares him for thenews that the uncle he always thought he knew was really a spy for MI6—Britain's top secretintelligence agency. Recruited to find his uncle's killers and complete his final mission, Alexsuddenly finds himself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Summer Ball by: Mike LupicaThe story is of a 13 year old boy who goes to a basketball summer camp. He has the stigma ofbeing short, however it seems to have gone away by when he mentors a younger camper. Lupicacaptures the nerves of leaving home and the desire to be the best.The Bad Beginning by: Lemony SnicketA Series of Unfortunate Events, a wonderfully different and disastrous children's story starringthree highly unlucky siblings. In this first book, readers are introduced to the unfortunateBaudelaire children -- 14-year-old Violet, 12-year-old Klaus, and their infant sister, Sunny -- whenthey learn they've just been orphaned by a terrible house fire.The Cay by: Theodore TaylorThis award-winning novel remains a powerful classic of prejudice, love, and survival. In 1942,11-year-old Phillip Enright lives with his parents on the Dutch island of Curaçao, but when thewar moves too close for comfort, his mother decides to travel with him back to the safety ofVirginia. When their boat is torpedoed, however, Phillip is blinded and finds himself adrift on alife raft with an old black man and a cat. They eventually land on a deserted island. Phillip issuspicious of "the large Negro," but soon grows to trust--and ultimately love--the patient andgenerous Timothy. Dedicated to "Dr. King's Dream," The Cay has a clear message that friendshipis colorblind; it is also a terrific adventure story of a young, newly blinded man learning tosurvive on an uninhabited island.The Iceberg Hermit by: Arthur RothShipwrecked in 1757 on an iceberg in the Arctic seas with only an orphaned polar cub forcompanionship, seventeen-year-old Allan begins a seemingly hopeless struggle for survival.The Illyrian Adventure by: Lloyd AlexanderOn a visit to a remote European kingdom in 1872, a fearless sixteen-year-old orphan and herguardian research an ancient legend and become enmeshed in a dangerous rebellion.The Invention of Hugo Cabret by: Brian SelznickThe Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick, is a novel like no other. There are pages ofexciting events and then suddenly, wait! A picture with tiny details, then a big picture that takesup the whole page, and the next page, and the next page, and the next! The pictures are actuallytelling the story. It’s like a book and a movie all in one.The Last Dog on Earth by: Daniel EhrenhaftIn this boy-and-his-dog tale with a twist, Logan Moore, 14, doesn't measure up to theexpectations of his mom and stepdad, and is friendless at school. His one interest, inventingelectronic gadgets, only gives vent to mischievous impulses. The teen lacks direction and selfesteemuntil he adopts Jack, a wild and mangy mutt. Initially, Logan is a reluctant caregiver, butreal affection and trust soon blossom between the two as he proves himself to be a loving andeffective trainer.The Pigman by: Paul Zindel“Now, I don’t like school, which you might say is one of the factors that got us involved withthis old guy we nicknamed the Pigman.” The Pigman is a memoir of Paul Zindel’s teenage days.Zindel is a humorous writer who understands young adults and life as a teenager.The Scorpion by: Stephen D. SullivanThe Serene Prophet foresaw its downfall -- tides of demons flooding out of the Shadowlands.One man seeks to avert the catastrophe -- the leader of the Scorpion Clan. He will pay any price,perpetrate any deception, to save the empire. If he must, he will become evil to fight evil. He

and the emperor's champion will battle each other to the death for that which they both holddear: Rokugan.The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by: Ann BrasharesWith a bit of last summer’s sand in the pockets, the Traveling Pants and the Sisterhood thatwears them embark on their 16th summer.Bridget: Impulsively sets off for Alabama, wanting toboth confront her demons about her family and avoid them all at once.Lena: Spends a blissful week with Kostos, making the unexplainable silence that follows his visiteven more painful. Carmen: Is concerned that her mother is making a fool of herself over aman. When she discovers that her mother borrowed the Pants to wear on a date, she’s certain ofit.Tibby: Not about to spend another summer working at Wallman’s, she takes a film course onlyto find it’s what happens off-camera that teaches her the most.The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by: Ann BrasharesCarmen got the jeans at a thrift shop. They didn’t look all that great; they were worn, dirty, andspeckled with bleach. On the night before she and her friends part for the summer, Carmendecides to toss them. But Tibby says they’re great. She’d love to have them. Lena and Bridget alsothink they’re fabulous. Lena decides they should all try them on. Whoever they fit best will getthem. Nobody knows why, but the pants fit everyone perfectly. Even Carmen (who never thinksshe looks good in anything), thinks she looks good in the pants. Over a few bags of cheese puffsthey decide to form a sisterhood, and take the vow of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants . . .the next morning, they say good-bye. And now the journey of the pants–and the mostmemorable summer of their lives–begins.The Talking Earth by: J.C. GeorgeBillie Wind ventures out alone into the Florida Everglades to test the legends of her Indianancestors and learns the importance of listening to the earth's vital messages.The Thief Lord by: Cornelia FunkeEscaping the aunt who wants to adopt only one of them, two orphaned brothers run away fromHamburg to Venice, finding shelter with a gang of street children and their leader, the thirteenyear-old"Thief Lord," while also eluding the detective hired to return them to Germany.The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by: AviCharlotte Doyle is just such a girl and she swears to tell the truth in all its detail. It happenedduring the summer of 1832 aboard a ship called the Seahawk. The only passenger on the longAtlantic Ocean crossing, Charlotte found herself caught between the madness of a ruthlesscaptain and the rage of a mutinous crew. This is her terrifying account of that fateful voyage.The Wright Three by: Blue BalliettWith her distinct style, Balliett returns to Chicago and the detective work of Calder and Petra,sixth graders at the University School. This time they are joined by Tommy, Calder's formerbest friend who had moved away for a year. In this architectural mystery, destruction threatensFrank Lloyd Wright's Robie House, and the Wright 3, as the protagonists call themselves, piecetogether the puzzle that will lead to the building's rescue. While friction initially mars the threesidedfriendship, Petra, Calder, and Tommy soon appreciate their individual roles in solving themystery. Egged on by their unconventional teacher, the Wright 3 utilize Calder's geometricbrain, Petra's writing and observing skills, and Tommy's uncanny findings to research andinvestigate the cryptic messages that Robie House seems to send in its own defense. Balliettelegantly wraps factual information on the building into a dreamy, Debussy sort of mystery inwhich seemingly random connections in everyday life uncover the hidden enigmas of RobieHouse and Wright himself. Balliett's atmospheric writing encourages readers to make their own

journeys of discovery into art and architecture, creating a mystery subgenre that is as unique as itis compelling.Windcatcher by: AviTony has just learned to sail, and suddenly finds himself confused and lost. A mysteriouscouple in a high-powered boat ignore him as they search beneath the water. Tony ends up on adaring hunt for a 200 year old shipwreck and in a confrontation with the treasure hunters.Fantasy FictionArtemis Fowl by: Eoin ColferCriminal mastermind Artemis Fowl is back...and so is his brilliant and dangerous enemy, OpalKoboi. At the start of the 4th adventure in the series, Artemis has no memory of the fairypeople and has returned to his unlawful ways. He is preparing to steal a famous painting from aGerman bank, having no idea that his old rival, Opal, has escaped from prison and is exactingher revenge on all those who put here there, including Artemis.Beast by: Donna Jo NapoliIn a narrative as glittering and richly detailed as a Persian miniature, Donna Jo Napoli interpretsand amplifies the tale of Beauty and the Beast with startling originality.City of the Beasts by: Isabelle AllendeFifteen-year-old Alexander Cold has the chance to take the trip of a lifetime. Parting from hisfamily and ill mother, Alexander joins his fearless grandmother, a magazine reporter forInternational Geographic, on an expedition to the dangerous, remote world of the Amazon. Theirmission, along with the others on their team -- including a celebrated anthropologist, a localguide and his young daughter Nadia, and a doctor -- is to document the legendary Yeti of theAmazon known as the Beast. Under the dense canopy of the jungle, Alexander is amazed todiscover much more than he could have imagined about the hidden worlds of the rain forest.Drawing on the strength of the jaguar, the totemic animal Alexander finds within himself, andthe eagle, Nadia's spirit guide, both young people are led by the invisible People of the Mist ona thrilling and unforgettable journey to the ultimate discovery....Dragon’s Boy by: Jane YolenThirteen-year-old Artos is not as good as swordsplay, romance, or any other knightlyaccomplishment as his foster brothers Cai, Bedvere, and Lancot. An orphan raised by the kindlySir Ector, he doesn't even know the identity for his parents. But one day, Artos stumbles intothe cave of an old and lonely dragon who offers to teach him the game of wisdom. Artosaccepts, and becomes the Pendragon--the son of the dragon, the dragon's boy.Dragon Keeper by: Carole WilkinsonAn action-packed adventure set in China in 141 B.C. In a remote western palace, Ping, a slave girlof unknown origin, serves the emperor's Dragon Keeper, an incompetent drunkard whoneglects the two last-known dragons in his charge. When one of them dies and an evil hunterthreatens to kill the other for his magical body parts, the old dragon, Danzi, escapes with the girl.He entrusts Ping with his precious and beautiful purple stone, which he is determined to taketo the ocean. As they make their long journey east, Ping develops plausibly from a terrified,abused child into a confident young woman who truly deserves the official title of DragonKeeper.Dragon War by: Lawrence YepThe dragon princess Shimmer and her companions fight a war against the evil Boneless King inorder to rescue their friend Thorn and restore the dragons' underwater home.

Ella Enchanted by: Gail Carson LevineIn this incredible debut novel comes the richly entertaining story of Ella of Frell, who at birthwas given the gift of obedience by a fairy. Ella soon realizes that this gift is little better than acurse, for how can she truly be herself if at anytime anyone can order her to hop on one foot,or cut off her hand, or betray her kingdom and she'll have to obey? Against a bold tapestry ofprinces, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella's quest to break the curseonce and for all and discover who she really is as sharply funny as Catherine, Called Birdy and asrichly poignant as Beauty, and has all the marks of a classic in the making.Forest of the Pygmies by: Isabelle AllendeIn the final installment of a trilogy that began with City of the Beasts (2002) and Kingdom of the GoldenDragon (2004), 18-year-old Alexander Cold, his globe-trotting journalist grandmother, and their15-year-old friend, Nadia, travel to Kenya to take an elephant safari. Soon, the party takes a detourto the jungle to find some missing missionaries, and, in the process becomes embroiled in amessy bit of business. It involves a military man who has taken over a village and terrorized andenslaved the local Bantu and Pygmy tribes.Harry Potter Series by: J.K. RowlingRead any one or more of the Harry Potter series: The Sorcerer’s Stone, The Chamber of Secrets,The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire, The Order of Phoenix, The Half Blood Prince,or the newest installment….The Deathly Hallows!!!Inkheart by: Cornelia FunkeOne cruel night, Meggie's father reads aloud from a book called Inkheart - and an evil rulerescapes the boundaries of fiction and lands in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie is smack inthe middle of the kind of adventure she has only read about in books. Meggie must learn toharness the magic that has conjured this nightmare. For only she can change the course of thestory that has changed her life forever. This is Inkheart - a timeless tale about books, aboutimagination, about life.Inkspell by: Cornelia FunkeMeggie can't stop thinking about Inkheart, the book whose characters came to life. Neither canDustfinger, the fire-eater who was written into being. Dustfinger finds an unscrupulousstoryteller to transport him back into the book - with devastating results. When Farid, hisapprentice, and Meggie follow, the story threatens to unfold in ways they could scarcelyimagine.Narnian Chronicles by: C.S. Lewis. (You may read any one of the five books- Magician'sNephew; Silver Chair; Horse & His Boy; Prince Caspian; Voyage of the Dawn Treader.)Clive Staples Lewis, was born in Belfast, Ireland, in 1898. As a child, he was fascinated by thefairy tales, myths, and ancient legends recounted to him by his Irish nurse. The image of a fauncarrying parcels and an umbrella in a snowy wood came to him when he was sixteen. Manyyears later, the faun was joined by an evil queen and a magnificent lion. Their story became TheLion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe. Six further Chronicles of Narnia followed, and the final title, TheLast Battle, was awarded the United Kingdom's prestigious Carnegie Award.Prydain Chronicles by: Lloyd Alexander. ( You may read any one of the five books-BlackCauldron; Book of Three; Castle of Llyr; High King; Taran Wanderer)Enter the world of Prydain for a journey into enchantment. Meet Dallben the enchanter as afoundling, and follow him through his youth. Learn the sad history of the sword of Dyrnwyn,and rejoice at the romance of Princess Angharad at the Castle of Llyr. Discover the secret of

Doli of the Fair Folk and his magic stone. Take a step into the land of Prydain—a place you willnever forget.The Amber Spyglass by: Philip PullmanThe third installment of the wonderfully successful trilogy from Phillip Pullman will notdisappoint. Starting with the return of Lyra, readers know they are in for a great ride. Will's holdon the magical blade that can cut between both worlds is staunch, the introduction of newworlds produces questions and answers, and the war with the Kingdom of Heaven swellsforward. The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife offered readers fantastic tales of a mysterious andbizarre word. In this finale, Pullman ties up loose ends and also provides nail-biting revelations,as Dr. Mary Malone and Mrs. Coulter look to a future no one could have predicted. And thesecret of Dust will astonish many readers. Prepare to be blown away with the conclusion to thismodern classic.The Golden Compass by: Philip PullmanThe action follows 11-year-old protagonist Lyra Belacqua, accompanied by her daemon, fromher home at Oxford University to the frozen wastes of the North, on a quest to save kidnappedchildren from the evil 'Gobblers,' who are using them as part of a sinister experiment. Lyra alsomust rescue her father from the Panserbjorne, a race of talking, armored, mercenary polar bearsholding him captive. Joining Lyra are a vagabond troop of gyptians (gypsies), witches, an outcastbear, and a Texan in a hot air balloon.The Great God Pan by: Donna Jo NapoliMeet Pan: half-god/half-goat, full of life, frolicking in the woods with maenads, playing hispipes, and creating pan-ic. In Napoli's version of the story, he meets Iphigenia by chance andfalls in love with her. Innocence disappears, and the curse placed upon him at birth-that he willnever be loved-seems destined to come true, for his life revolves around finding her again. Andhe does find her, just as she is about to be sacrificed by her own father. Pan devises a trick tosave Iphigenia's life at the expense of his own, his love for the woman outweighing his lust forlife. Napoli has written a fine story-it is fast paced, the characters and setting are well realized,and it even has intrigue and randy scenes of woodland romps tailored for teens.The Lost Years of Merlin by: T.A. BarronThis engrossing presentation of T.A. Barron's fascinating contribution to Arthurian lore(Philomel, 1996), is the first in a trilogy about Merlin's boyhood and coming of age. From themoment young Merlin is washed ashore on a beach in ancient Wales to his exciting journey tothe enchanted land of Fincayra, the action never wavers.The Kingdom of the Golden Dragon: by Isabelle AllendeBuddhist monk Tensing and his disciple, Prince Dil Bahadur, are journeying through theHimalayan peaks in search of healing plants when they come face to face with a tribe of oncefierceYetis. These legendary half-human, half-ape monsters inhabit a lush valley heated bythermal pools and hot springs and are unaware that it's the toxic minerals in the water that hasweakened them and slowed their rate of reproduction. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Alexander Cold;his intrepid writer/explorer grandmother, Kate; and his soul mate, Nadia Santos, daughter of theguide who led Kate and Alex on their previous expedition into the South American rain forest,described in City of the Beasts, are off on a new International Geographic expedition. They areheaded for the Kingdom of the Golden Dragon, a small, isolated sovereignty in the Himalayas.This is a must-read for fans of the first book, but it stands completely on its own.The Lord of the Rings (Trilogy) by: J.R.R. Tolkien (you may read just one, two or all threebooks-Fellowship of the Ring; Two Towers; Return of the King) An almost believable fantasy

adventure that will make you not want to put the book down. If you have an imagination thisbook will make you feel as if you are on the journey with them. The characters, events andplaces are so vividly described for the imagination that you can almost picture them and whatthey might actually look like. You will wish you yourself were really a part of Middle Earth afterreading this epic adventure tale.The Subtle Knife by: Philip PullmanPart two of His Dark Materials takes up where The Golden Compass left off, offering up fascinatingcross-world quests and some creative ideas and plot elements that do much to make up for therather basic characterization of all but the two main protagonists. The only real frustration is thatthe cliffhanger ending is even less satisfying than the conclusion of the first book.The Tale of Desperaux by: Kate DiCamilloWinner of the 2004 Newbery Medal, this superbly suspenseful tale of a little mouse with bigaspirations comes from Kate DiCamillo, author of another Newbery Honor book, Because ofWinn-Dixie. In lilting storytelling language reminiscent of fairy tales of old, DiCamillo spins theyarn of Despereaux Tilling, a literate mouse who lives by a different code and happens to fall inlove with a real princess. Despereaux is anxious to profess his love, but when he tells hiscommunity of his dreams, he gets banished into the dark dungeon where mice never leave.Adjacent to Despereaux's dilemma is the story of a rat named Chiaroscuro, ruthless inpersonality and in love with making his way toward light. When these two characters eventuallycollide -- along with Miggery Sow, a down-and-out servant who aims to become a princess ofher own -- the result is a heroic, surprising heartwarmer that brings families together, gives hopeto underdogs everywhere, and teems with justice.Science FictionGathering Blue by: Lois LowryKira, an orphan with a twisted leg, lives in a world where the weak are cast aside. She fears forher future until she is spared by the all-powerful Council of Guardians. Kira is a gifted weaverand is given a task that no other community member can do. While her talent keeps her aliveand brings certain privileges, Kira soon realizes she is surrounded by many mysteries andsecrets. No one must know of her plans to uncover the truth about her world and see whatplaces exist beyond.Gossamer by: Lois LowryReaders first meet the dream-givers as they creep around a dark house in the middle of thenight where an old woman and a dog named Toby are sleeping. Littlest was very small, new tothe work, energetic and curious. Fastidious was tired, impatient, and had a headache. Littlest issoon paired with a new partner, Thin Elderly, who is a much better guide and teacher thanFastidious was. They are benevolent beings who visit humans (and pets, too) at night. Theyhandle objects, gather memories, and give them back in the form of happy dreams that comfortand help those they're assigned to. The dream-givers' counterparts are the strong and wickedSinisteeds, who inflict nightmares and sometimes travel in frightening Hordes. And the humansthat Littlest and Thin Elderly care for do need help and protection from bad dreams. The oldwoman is lonely and has taken in a foster child named John, who's living apart from an abusivefather and the fragile mother who desperately wants him back. Lowry's prose is simple andclear. This carefully plotted fantasy has inner logic and conviction.Jurassic Park by: Michael CrichtonAn astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered.Creatures once extinct now roam Jurassic Park, soon-to-be opened as a theme park. Untilsomething goes wrong...and science proves a dangerous toy....

Messenger by: Lois LowryMatty, who has lived in Village with the blind Seer since running away from an abusivechildhood, is looking forward to receiving his true name, which he hopes will be Messenger.But he is deeply unsettled by what is going on. He has discovered his own power to heal othersand learned of disturbing changes within his community. Under the gentle guidance of Leader,who arrived in Village on a red sled as a young boy and who has the power of Seeing Beyond,the citizens have always welcomed newcomers, especially those who are disabled. But a sinisterforce is at work, which has prompted them to close admission to outsiders. Also, it seems thatMatty's beloved Mentor has been trading away parts of his inner self in order to become moreattractive to Stocktender's widow. When the date for the close of the border is decided, Mattymust make one more trip through the increasingly sinister Forest to bring back Seer's daughter,the gifted weaver Kira. On the return journey, Matty must decide if he should use his healingbut self-destructive power to reverse the inexorable decline of Forest, Village, and its people.The Ear, The Eye and The Arm by: Nancy FarmerIn Zimbabwe in the year 2194, the military ruler's 13-year-old son and his younger brother andsister leave their technologically overcontrolled home and find themselves on a series ofperilous adventures. Tendai and his siblings encounter mile-high buildings and other miraclesof scientific advance; they also find fetid slums and toxic waste dumps. As they're kidnapped bygangsters, forced to slave in a plastic mine, and accused of witchcraft, they're pursued by mutantdetectives, who are both bumbling and sensitive and who always seem to be just one stepbehind rescuing the children. In the best section, the siblings find themselves in a traditionalShona village that at first seems idyllic but turns out to also encompass fierce sexism, ignorance,and disease. Throughout the story, it's the thrilling adventure that will grab readers, who willalso like the comic, tender characterizations, not only of the brave, defiant trio and the absurddetectives, but also of nearly every one the kids meet, from street gangsters and spiritual healersto the English tribespeople with their weird customs.The House of The Scorpion by: Nancy FarmerThis is the empire of Matteo Alacran, a feudal drug lord in the country of Opium, which liesbetween the United States and Aztlan, formerly Mexico. Field work, or any menial tasks, aredone by "eejits," humans in whose brains computer chips have been installed to insure docility.Historical FictionBreadwinner by: Deborah EllisBecause the Taliban rulers of Kabul, Afghanistan, impose strict limitations on women's freedomand behavior, eleven-year-old Parvana must disguise herself as a boy so that her family cansurvive after her father's arrest.Fever, 1793 by: Laurie Halse AndersonIt's the late summer of 1793 in Philadelphia, and fourteen-year-old Mattie Cook helps herwidowed mother and her grandfather run a coffehouse. Mattie resents her strict mother anddreams of expanding the coffeehouse and becoming wealthy. But her mother seemsdetermined to find a wealthy young man to marry Mattie off to. But all of Mattie's concernssoon seem petty when an epidemic of yellow fever begins to spread throughout the city.Mattie's own mother falls ill and sends Mattie and her grandfather to stay on a farm in thecountryside, where she hopes they will be safe. But they are turned away and forced to returnto Philadelphia when a doctor mistakes her grandfather's cough for yellow fever. Mattie comesdown with the fever and nearly dies, but is nursed back to health in a temporary hospital. Butshe and her grandfather return to the coffeehouse to find that Mattie's mother has vanished.

They try to settle back into a normal routine, but a sudden tragedy soon leaves Mattie on herown. Now, in a world turned upside down, in a ghost city a shadow of its former self, Mattiemust keep herself alive and care for a little girl orphaned by the epidemic. This was an excellenthistorical novel that brought to life the epidemic.I am David by: Anne HolmDavid's entire twelve-year life has been spent in a grisly prison camp in Eastern Europe. Heknows nothing of the outside world. But when he is given the chance to escape, he seizes it.With his vengeful enemies hot on his heels, David struggles to cope in this strange new world,where his only resources are a compass, a few crusts of bread, his two aching feet, and somevague advice to seek refuge in Denmark. Is that enough to survive?David's extraordinary odyssey is dramatically chronicled in Anne Holm's classic about themeaning of freedom and the power of hope.Journey to the River Sea by: Eva IbbotsonSent in 1910 to live with distant relatives who own a rubber plantation along the Amazon River,English orphan Maia is excited. She believes she is in for brightly colored macaws, enormousbutterflies, and "curtains of sweetly scented orchids trailing from the trees." Her Britishclassmates warn her of man-eating alligators and wild, murderous Indians. Unfortunately, no onecautions Maia about her nasty, xenophobic cousins, who douse the house in bug spray andforbid her from venturing beyond their coiffed compound. Maia, however, is resourcefulenough to find herself smack in the middle of more excitement than she ever imagined, from amysterious "Indian" with an inheritance, to an itinerant actor dreading his impendingadolescence, to a remarkable journey down the Amazon in search of the legendary giant sloth.Jump Ship to Freedom by: Collier and CollierThe second book in the Arabus family saga finds young Daniel trying to retrieve the notes thatensure his and his mother's freedom, until he is forced aboard a boat and headed for certainslavery in the West Indies.Streams to the River, River to the Sea by: Scott O’DellA young Indian woman, accompanied by her infant and cruel husband, experiences joy andheartbreak when she joins the Lewis and Clark Expedition seeking a way to the Pacific.The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963 by: Christopher Paul CurtisThe year is 1963, and self-important Byron Watson is the bane of his younger brother Kenny'sexistence. Constantly in trouble for one thing or another, from straightening his hair into a"conk" to lighting fires to freezing his lips to the mirror of the new family car, Byron finallypushes his family too far. Before this "official juvenile delinquent" can cut school or stealchange one more time, Momma and Dad finally make good on their threat to send him to thedeep south to spend the summer with his tiny, strict grandmother. Soon the whole family ispacked up, ready to make the drive from Flint, Michigan, straight into one of the most chillingmoments in America's history: the burning of the Sixteenth Avenue Baptist Church with fourlittle girls inside.Trouble Don’t Last by: Shelley PearshallFirst time novelist Shelley Pearsall has woven a remarkable tale about a pair of runaway slavesand their flight to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Slavery is the only reality that elevenyear-oldSamuel has ever known. His mother was sold away from his Kentucky homestead whenSamuel was just a toddler. Since then, it has just been Samuel and his elderly guardians, Harrisonand Lily. When Harrison steals him away in the middle of the night, Samuel is sure that troublewill come from it. Through spine tingling close calls and hair-raising adventures, old Harrisonand Samuel creep closer to elusive Freedom. Along the way, they are aided by colorful

characters, most of them based on real life figures. Thoroughly researched, packed with action,suspense, humor and great plot twists, this is one you'll remember for a long time.Troy by: Adelle GerasAdele Geras, best known for her trilogy based on Sleeping Beauty, takes on the seeminglyimpertinent task of retelling the siege of Troy as a young adult novel, but manages to carry it offwithout trivializing the original. The great battles of the bronze-clad warriors and the clashesbetween Achilles and Hector and Odysseus are seen at a distance from the walls of the city,where the Trojan townsfolk gather to sit each day and cheer the action like spectators at somearchaic football game.True to Form by: Elizabeth BergIt is 1961, and 13-year-old Katie is living in the chasm of the generation gap. Accepting herfather's corny suggestions, she becomes a babysitter and a Girl Scout. For Katie, adolescencewithout her birth mother is tense and stressful; and, as she matures, Katie realizes that she iscapable of sacrificing even her best friend for popularity. Things that should make her happydon't, but she does find solace in odd places. This powerful novel tracks Katie in the yearsbetween Durable Goods and Joy School.Waiting for the Rain by: Sheila GordonThis novel about life in South Africa is sure to give readers a better understanding of what liesbehind the newspaper headlines and TV stories. Tengo is the 10-year-old son of workers onOom Koos's large farm in the Transvaal. He longs to go to school like his friend Frikkie, whovisits his uncle's farm on holidays. But Tengo's family is too poor to pay for the education thatcomes free to whites. He finally gets his wish at age 14. Tengo goes to live with his cousin in asqualid township outside Johannesburg and studies furiously. After three years, he is almostready for college, but a year-long school boycott ruins his chances and he is drawn into thefight against apartheid. When he and Frikkie meet in a violent confrontation, Tengo realizes thathe will carry on the struggle for freedom as a scholar, not a soldier.Non-FictionBad Boy by: Walter Dean MyersHighly popular YA writer Walter Dean Myers takes a slightly different tack than usual bypenning memories of his oft-troubled childhood in the aptly titled Bad Boy. Growing up in the1940s in Harlem proved to be a mixed bag for Myers, one filled with both opportunities andobstacles. From gang warfare and racism to the dark secret his father kept for years, Myers's taleis a testament to the power of love, hope, and perseverance.Free the Children by: Graig Keilburger & Kevin MajorCraig Kielburger is an activist prodigy who, at 12, was talking to national leaders, lecturing inpublic forums, and following the burning passion that would not allow him to overlook cruelinjustices thrust upon children around the world. Inspired by a newspaper article about a youngboy's murder at the hands of his boss in Pakistan, Kielburger set forth on an internationalcrusade against child sweatshops, virtual slave labor, and the abhorrent working conditions towhich many children worldwide are subjected. An inspiring book about the power youngpeople can wield to change the world; Free the Children is a must-read from a remarkable youngman.Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil RightsMovement By: Ann BausumThe incredible courage and determination of young people, black, white, male and female, whorisked great personal danger and even death as they participated in the freedom rides during the

Civil Rights Movement are the focus of this remarkable book. History is told through theexperiences of two young men of disparate backgrounds, one black John Lewis, the other whiteJim Zwerg. A foreword by each man precedes chapters that compare and contrast their families,childhoods, and teenage years, and the events leading up to, and their participation in, thehistoric rides of the early 1960s. Dramatic black-and-white photographs, accompanied by clear,engaging captions, support the text. Each of the seven chapters is preceded by a full-pagephotograph. Bausum's narrative style, fresh, engrossing, and at times heart-stopping, brings thestory of the turbulent and often violent dismantling of segregated travel alive in vivid detail.Genius: A Photobiography of Albert Einstein by: Marfe FergusonWhile the myriad photographs are fascinating, the bigger draw here is the wonderfully simpleexplanations of some of Einstein's theories. For example, in clarifying the physicist's quantumtheory of light, Delano says, "Simply put, Einstein showed that photons in the light beam knockthe electrons out of metal." And, to make the concept of spacetime easier to understand, sheasks readers to contemplate spacetime as a trampoline with a bowling ball resting on it. Thisvisual perception helps to make the theory understandable for all students. The black-and-whiteand sepia photographs follow Einstein from boyhood to old age and show him in a variety ofsettings: at the blackboard, delivering a speech, taking the oath of U.S. citizenship, in hisPrinceton home with children who survived the Holocaust, and so on. Many have appearedelsewhere. Cartoon illustrations add to the clarity of the very readable text. Personal thoughtsand feelings abound. To make Einstein human to the audience, his mistakes are mentioned, aswell as his celebrity. Complete quote sources are appended. An introduction by EvelynEinstein, the scientist's granddaughter, is included. This entertaining effort displays clarity andintelligence. It has plenty of information for reports and is also a good choice for browsing.Hope for the People by: Cesar ChavezThe son of poor Mexican Americans, Cesar Chavez grew up in grinding poverty. In 1962, he setout to do what many before him had tried and failed to do -- organize a trade union for farmworkers. With courage and determination, he transformed the plight of the workers into aninternational cause.Into Thin Air by: Jon KrakauerInto Thin Air is a riveting first-hand account of a catastrophic expedition up Mount Everest. InMarch 1996, Outside magazine sent veteran journalist and seasoned climber Jon Krakauer on anexpedition led by celebrated Everest guide Rob Hall. Despite the expertise of Hall and the otherleaders, by the end of summit day eight people were dead. Krakauer's book is at once the storyof the ill-fated adventure and an analysis of the factors leading up to its tragic end. Writtenwithin months of the events it chronicles, Into Thin Air clearly evokes the majestic Everestlandscape. As the journey up the mountain progresses, Krakauer puts it in context by recallingthe triumphs and perils of other Everest trips throughout history. The author's own anguishover what happened on the mountain is palpable as he leads readers to ponder timelessquestions.Life is so Good: by George DawsonA 101-year-old retired laborer who enrolled in a literacy class near his Dallas, Tex., home at theage of 98, George Dawson now reads and writes on a third-grade level. From Dawson's eloquentwords, co-writer Glaubman, a Seattle elementary school teacher, has fashioned two engrossingstories. First is the inspiring saga of how someone who was the grandson of a slave managed tonavigate the brutally segregated small Texas town of Marshall, where Dawson was born, withoutlosing his integrity or enjoyment of life. Although he worked from an early age and was neverable to attend school, Dawson credits his strong family, especially his father, for giving him theskills to survive. His father told him to work hard, to do no wrong and always to avoid troublewith white people--advice that was brutally underscored the day he and his father witnessed awhite mob lynching a black neighbor. The other theme running through these recollections is

the institutionalized racism of the American South. Hardened to the entrenched discriminationthat excluded him from good jobs and "white" restaurants and rest rooms, Dawson protestedjust once, when a woman for whom he was doing yard work expected him to eat with her dogs.Despite the harsh conditions of his life, he considers himself fortunate to have enjoyed food,housing, friends and family (he has outlived four wives and fathered seven children). This is anastonishing and unforgettable memoir.Pipe Dreams: A Surfer's Journey by: Kelly SlaterCocoa Beach, Florida, isn't exactly a breeding ground for surfing world champions -- the wavesare tiny. So when Kelly Slater was growing up, the furthest thing from his mind was becoming aworld champion. He was a Florida grommet whose biggest goal was to one day make it out farenough to catch the two-foot waves his dad and brother were riding -- anything more was adream.In Pipe Dreams, Slater takes you inside a churning Pipeline tube and lets you experience the rushof adrenaline and danger. He pays tribute to close friends who lost their lives surfing big wavesand tells what life on the World Tour is really like, from schmoozing with celebrities torunning from stalker fans to the insane competition and off-the-wall antics of the world's mostfamous surfers -- including Tom Curren, Tom Car-roll, Gary Elkerton, Mark Occhilupo, RobMachado, and Shane Dorian. Slater also explains his various career moves, such as his stint as aregular on Baywatch, and the ups and downs of his love life -- from his on-again, off-againromance with Pamela Anderson to Bree, his first love, and their broken engagement.Pipe Dreams offers unprecedented access to the globetrotting lifestyle and the rarely seen privatelife of the man who destroyed every record in a sport long dominated by people who thoughtworld champions didn't grow up in Florida, himself included. Slater holds nothing back,because after six world titles, there is nothing left to prove -- not to himself or to anyone else.Rosa Parks: My Story by: Rosa Parks"The only tired I was, was tired of giving in." These are the simple yet eloquent words of RosaParks, who on December 1, 1955, refused to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated bus,sparking the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott. Written in her own straightforward andmoving language, this is her compelling story.The Freedom Writers Diary : How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to ChangeThemselves and the World Around Them by: Erin Gruwell and The Freedom WritersWhen Gruwell was a first-year high school teacher in Long Beach, CA, teaching the"unteachables" (kids that no other teacher wanted to deal with), she discovered that most of herstudents had not heard of the Holocaust. Shocked, she introduced them to books abouttoleranceAfirst-person accounts by the likes of Anne Frank and Zlata Filopvic, who chronicledher life in war-torn Sarajevo. The students were inspired to start keeping diaries of their livesthat showed the violence, homelessness, racism, illness, and abuse that surrounded them.Tuesdays With Morrie by: Mitch AlbomThis true story about the love between a spiritual mentor and his pupil has soared to thebestseller list for many reasons. For starters: it reminds us of the affection and gratitude thatmany of us still feel for the significant mentors of our past. It also plays out a fantasy many of ushave entertained: what would it be like to look those people up again, tell them how much theymeant to us, maybe even resume the mentorship? Plus, we meet Morrie Schwartz--a one of akind professor, whom the author describes as looking like a cross between a biblical prophetand Christmas elf. And finally we are privy to intimate moments of Morrie's final days as he liesdying from a terminal illness. Even on his deathbed, this twinkling-eyed man manages to teachus all about living robustly and fully. Kudos to author and acclaimed sports columnist MitchAlbom for telling this universally touching story with such grace and humility.

PoetryHeartbeat by: Sharon CreechTwelve-year-old Annie ponders the many rhythms of life the year that her mother becomespregnant, her grandfather begins faltering, and her best friend (and running partner) becomesdistant.I am Phoenix: Poems for Two Voices by: Paul FleischmanDuring a short career, Fleischman has received rave reviews and awards for his distinctivestories, radically different from each other. Here the author gives way to the poet, his alter ego,composing works that are arranged as duets but can also be relished by one alone, reading orreciting the lines as paeans to birds of various feathers.Love That Dog by: Sharon CreechJack hates poetry. Only girls write it and every time he tries to, his brain feels empty. But histeacher, Ms. Stretchberry, won't stop giving her class poetry assignments—and Jack can't avoidthem. But then something amazing happens. The more he writes, the more he learns he doeshave something to say.Out of the Dust by: Karen HesseIn a series of poems, fifteen-year-old Billie Jo relates the hardships of living on her family'swheat farm in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years of the Depression.Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by: Paul FleischmanWinner of the 1989 Newbery Award, Joyful Noise is a children's book of poetry about insectsthat was designed for two readers to enjoy together. On each page are two columns of verse forchildren to alternate reading aloud about the lives of six-legged creatures ranging from fireflieswriting in the sky to a love affair between two lice, crickets eating pie crumbs and the single dayin the life of a mayfly.Witness by: Karen HesseA series of poems express the views of various people in a small Vermont town, including ayoung black girl and a young Jewish girl, during the early 1920s when the Ku Klux Klan is tryingto infiltrate the town.