SAINT LEO THE GREAT SCHOOL

550 Newman Springs Road · Lincroft, NJ 07738-1698

Telephone: (732) 741-3133 Fax: (732) 741-2241

2020 – 2021 Summer Reading List

Please note that the Reading Lists and Assignments below are listed according to the grade
students will be entering into for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Kindergarten

Books and Authors are suggestions. We encourage you to read with your child every day.

Some favorites:
Moondance by Frank Asch
Corduroy by Don Freeman
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Can I Keep Him? by Stephen Kellogg
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood
First Day Jitters by Julie Dannerberg
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
Tarra and Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends by Carol Buckley

Some of our favorite authors:

Ted Arnold Eric Carle David Martin
Byron Barton Doreen Cronin Laura Numeroff
Norman Birdwell James Dean Jon Sciesca
Jan Brett Lois Ehlert Rosemary Wells
Kathy Caple Kevin Henkes Audrey Wood
Alyssa Capucilli Arthur Lobel Mo Willems

Informational Selections:
Books by Aliki
Books by Tish Rabe
Fly Guy Series by Ted Arnold
National Geographic Reader Series
Let’s Read and Find Out Science Series (Harper Collins)
Read and Wonder Series (Penguin Random House)
 Grade 1

Here are some suggestions of fun books you will enjoy reading with your child every
day. In first grade reading is key. Let’s get a head start!
Fun Books to Share:
One Fish Two Fish by Dr. Seuss
Narwhal by Ben Clanton
Oh! The Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss
Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty
Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty
Awesome Jokes That Every 6-Year-Old Should Know by Mat Waugh
Silly Milly (Level 1) by Wendy Cheyette Lewison
And I Mean It, Stanley by Crosby Bonsall
Little Kids First Big Book of Why by Amy Shields
A Bad Case of the Stripes by David Shannon
Dinosaur Time by Peggy Parish
The Eye Book by Theo LeSieg
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
Hi! Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold
How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long
Morris the Moose by Bernard Wiseman
Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
We don’t eat our CLASSMATES by Ryan T. Higgins

Learning to Read Series:

Elephant & Piggie Series by Mo Willems
Hello Reader!
I Can Read Books
Puffin Easy-to-Read
Fly Guy Phonics by Ted Arnold
Hello Kitty sight words
Step Into Reading Levels 1–4

Alphabet Books:
Animalia by Graeme Baese
The Icky Bug Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta
Z Was Zapped by Chris Van Allsburg
 Grade 2

Required Reading Selection:

• Miss Daisy is Crazy by Dan Gutman

or
• Mr. Klutz is Nuts! By Dan Gutman

Suggested list of titles and authors:

Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne
Rainbow Magic Series by Daisy Meadow
Cam Jansen Series by David Adler
Poppleton Series by Cynthia Rylant
A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy
Judy Moody Series by Megan McDaniels
Fancy Nancy: Nancy Clancy Series by Jane O’Connor
My Weird School Series by Dan Gutman
Mercy Watson Series by Kate DiCamillo
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown

Non-Fiction books about history, science, and nature are also exciting reads. Consider
sharing these stories with your children:

Magic Tree House Fact Checker Series

Magic School Bus series by Joanna Cole
Let’s Read and Find Out Series
How to Talk to Your Dog by Jean Craighead George
American, Patriotic Primer by Lynne Cheney
Who Was Series
I Am Series by Brad Meltzer
 Grade 3

Required Reading Selection (both books MUST be read):

• Choose any book from the Who Was/Who Is series.

Complete 3rd Grade Biography Report Worksheet - due the first day of school.

• Third Grade Angels by Jerry Spinelli

Be prepared for classroom assignments.

Suggested Reading:
Fiction:
Weird School Series by Dan Gutman
Geronimo Stilton Series
Key Hunters (Mystery)
39 Clues (Mystery)
Jeff Corwin (Junior Explorer Series)
Beverly Cleary Books
Boxcar Children Mysteries
Matt Christopher Books
American Girl Series

Non-Fiction:
Who Was/ Who Is/Where Is Series
Blast Back! Series
National Geographic Kids Chapters:
Tiger in Trouble!
Dog Finds Lost Dolphin!
Ape Escape!

Poetry:
Shel Silverstein
Jack Prelutsky

Realistic Fiction:
Totally True Adventures: Titanic Sinks
Totally True Adventures: Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse
I Survived Series by Lauren Tarshis
 Grade 4

Required Reading Selection:

Students will read two of the following:

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

• Gladiator School – Book 1 – Blood Oath by Dan Scott
• Tuesdays in the Castle by Jessica Day George
• Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

For each of the two books read, students are required to complete a Doodle page. There
are three choices for the Doodle page. Students can do the same Doodle page for both
books or choose two different Doodle pages. They are due on the first day of school.

Suggested Reading:

The following graphic novels are sure to engage readers:

Smile or anything else by Raina Tegemeier

Oog and Gluck: Cavemen series by Dev Pikey
Lunch Lady series by Jarret J. Krosoczka
CatStronauts series by Drew Brockington
Narwhal and Jellyfish series by Ben Clanton
The Bad Guys series by Aaron Blabey
El Deafo by Cece Bell

Students should read at least 20 minutes a day during summer break in order to hit the
ground running in September.
 Grade 5

Required Reading Selections (two books must be read):

• Students entering 5th grade are required to read Class Dismissed by Andrew
Woodrow. Students are also required to complete a Literature Response Activity to
be submitted on the first day of school. A test will be given within the first couple
weeks of school.

• Incoming fifth graders are also required to read a biography and complete a
Biography Report Form which will be handed in on the first day of school. The
“Who Was…?” series is a terrific choice for biography readings, but not the only
choice.

For those looking for MORE books to read this summer (and beyond), below is a reference
list of suggestions.

Choice Author Suggestion List:

The following are suggested authors. There are plenty of other great authors too!

Dan Gutman Gordon Korman

Jerry Spinelli E.L. Konigsburg
Andrew Clements Roald Dahl
Matt Christopher Paula Danzinger
Rick Riordan J. K. Rowling
Meg Cabot Louis Sachar
Mike Lupica Beverly Cleary
Judy Blume Madeleine L’Engle
C.S. Lewis Michael Buckley
Ann M. Martin Kate DiCamillo

Be sure to use the “Five Finger” rule to determine if a book is a “good fit” for you. Enjoy
your reading adventures!
Suggested Science Reading

Hurricane Force: In the Path of America’s Deadliest Storms

by: Joseph B. Treaster - (Kingfisher, 2007) 128 pages.

The author of this book, longtime New York Times reporter Joseph Treaster, was in the
New Orleans city hall when Hurricane Katrina hit the city in 2005. He draws on his
experiences covering Katrina and its aftermath to provide younger readers with a first-
hand look at the deadly storms we call hurricanes. Along with his eyewitness accounts,
there is information about what scientists currently know about how and why hurricanes
form, how they are tracked, and how they impact coastal areas. Precautions and planning
for future storms are also discussed. Dramatic color photos enhance the solid information
presented in this book.

Perfect for: Kids who like science and nature.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

by: Jacqueline Kelly - (Henry Holt and Co., 2009) 352 pages.

A prize-winning book that explores the unconventional life of a brash young naturalist.
She is a turn-of-the-century Texas girl, but 11-year-old Calpurnia Tate is more interested
in becoming a scientist than in knitting or cooking. With the help of her grandfather, an
amateur naturalist, and Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species, she starts doing fieldwork. The
Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is the critically acclaimed story of an outsider who has to
forge her own way in the world as she discovers her unique identity.

Perfect for: Kids who like historical fiction.

 Grade 6

Required Reading Selection (all three books MUST be read):

Students are required to read the following books and complete the following
assignments.

• The Giver by Lois Lowry

A test will be given the first week of school in September on The Giver. Please be
prepared!

• Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by

Candace Fleming

Students are required to complete a Biography Review Sheet for the biography
above. This Biography Review Sheet needs to be turned in to your Language Arts
teacher on the first day of school.

● The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

This reading is part of the Social Studies curriculum. Students will take a test on this
novel in Social Studies class the first week of school. Please be prepared!
 Grade 7

Required Reading Selection (all three books MUST be read):

Students are required to read the following books and complete the following
assignments.

• Fever by Laurie Hals Anderson

There will be a multiple-choice test on Fever when students return to school in

September.

• Spooked! How a Radio Broadcast and The War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938
Invasion of America by Gail Jarrow

Students are to complete the War of the Worlds WebQuest. It is due the first day of
school.

• Blood on the River by Elisa Carbone

This reading is part of the Social Studies curriculum. Students will take a test on this
novel in Social Studies class the first week of school. Please be prepared!
 Grade 8

Required Reading Selection (all three books MUST be read):

Students are required to read the following books and complete the following
assignments.

• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

There will be a test the first week of school on Of Mice and Men that consists of
multiple-choice questions, matching, and an essay. Please be prepared!

A screencast for all incoming 8th graders will be available on Mrs. Brock’s 8th-
grade LA News Page. This screencast will provide students with significant plot
summary, characterization, and literary elements. It will also build background on
the historical context of this powerful read.

• Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals

Write a reaction paper explaining in detail how you were affected by this memoir.
1. The paper must be approximately between 400-500 words.
2. The paper must be 12 pt. font Times New Roman and double-spaced.
3. The paper must have a proper heading.

The paper must include an introduction, body, and conclusion. A tutorial screencast
on how to piece this paper together for all incoming 8th graders will be available on
Mrs. Brock’s 8th-grade LA News Page.

● Boys in the Boat (Must Use the Young Readers’ Edition) by Daniel James Brown

This is part of the Social Studies Curriculum. There will be a test the first week of
school on Boys in the Boat. Please be prepared!