Fifth
Grade 2008-09
Dear Upcoming
Fifth Grade Students,
As summer approaches (Yippee!), you should
begin thinking about all those novels you have longed to have
the time to read. Whether you will be lounging by the pool,
lolling in the grass, or just crashed on the couch, you need
a few good books!
Sometimes it is hard to find those great
reads. I think the Newbery Award books are always excellent.
You can also ask friends, teachers, librarians, and the folks
at the bookstore; you can research the Internet, and if all
else fails, return to the tried and true Accelerated Reader
list. I have included a list of wonderful
authors. "The Battle of the Books" list is below.
You can choose from this list as well.
As far as school goes, you
will be required to read four novels this summer for
language arts class.
One of those MUST
be The Artsy Smartsy
Club by Daniel Pinkwater. Read this one at the
end of the summer to be ready to discuss when school begins.
»The Artsy Smartsy Club project
The others could
be any books, but I would strongly suggest you read
at least two books from the “Battle of the Books”
list.
» View "Battle of the Books"
list
» Download "Battle of
the Books" 
As returning students, you know what to expect from Battle
Why not get started now?
Though none of these titles are on the Battle
list, I would like to discourage you from reading Maniac
Magee, A Wrinkle in Time, and My
Brother Sam is Dead as I plan to read these together.
Hatchet is on the
list, but please save this one as well. We will divide into
literature groups and some of you will read this one.
The work you need to do before you return
is as follows:
- Write a book REVIEW on one of the books you read other
than The Artsy Smartsy
Club. See the back of this page for directions
for this one
- Write a short summary and review for the other books
you read. (a single paragraph for each would be fine)
- Instant L.A.X. (language arts extra credit) will be given
for any extra reading you do, any “passing”
A.C. reader tests you take, any creative writing you do,
and any artistic projects you complete that reflect your
reading.
Bring your work with you the first
day of school in one of your green folders. It will
be here before you know it! Have a wonderful summer! I look
forward to working with each of you.
»The Artsy Smartsy Club
»"Battle of the Books"
» Authors of Merit
» Extra Credit Book Review
| The Artsy Smartsy
Club |
In The Artsy Smartsy
Club, you will find a group of friends bored with
summer. In their quest for something to do, they encounter
the works of a screever. This leads to a summer activity
which none of them expected, least of all Henrietta,
the chicken in the group. It’s a fast and fun
read – both important to fifth graders.
When you have finished chapter thirteen, email me
at debby_scherer@loucol.com and let me know:
- What you think of the book so far.
- What you found most unusual (besides Henrietta)
- What you think about the characters’ names.
I promise to check email twice a week or more and will
respond to you right away. Be sure to check your email
for my response. In addition, choose a project from
the list below. The final can be emailed to me or you
can snail mail it to me at 2427 Glenmary Avenue, Louisville,
KY 40204. You can also bring it with you on the first
day of school.
- Pretend you're interviewing one of the main characters.
Write your interview in question and answer format.
- You're the reporter. Write a front page news story
from the First Annual Hoboken Street Art Festival
and Competition.
- Imagine you are one of the main characters. Write
a diary as she or he would have done describing the
events in the story and his/her reactions.
- Design a comic strip describing/retelling part
of the story. This may be expanded to tell the whole
story of the novel as a comic book.
- Design your own project. Email me a description
first to get approval.
In addition, please visit http://thelibrary.org/kids/homework/music.cfm
On this page, you will go to “INSIDE ART”
and read/answer the questions regarding the work of
Vincent Van Gogh. It will be fun, and I know you will
learn from the experience. |
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| Extra Credit Book
Review |
In order to write a crackerjack
book review, you need to go through each stage of the
writing process. You should prewrite, draft, revise,
and edit and proof.
1. 5 to 10 paragraphs, each with a topic sentence
and smooth transitions
2. Typed or very neatly handwritten
3. Very few conventional errors (spelling, punctuation,
etc.)
4. Cover page with book title and your name
The below outline is just a suggestion for how
you could structure your review.
I. Introduction
 A.
Title
B.
Author
C.
Genre
D.
Brief opinion of the book
II. Character Description
A.
Main character(s)
1.
physical description
2.
nonphysical characteristics
B.
How the main character gets involved in the plot
III. Plot
A.
Main events (without telling the ending)
B.
Main conflict
1.
how the main character attempts to solve conflict
IV. Your favorite scene
V. Evaluation of the novel
A.
Difficulty of the reading level
B.
Interest level
C.
How well you could relate to/believe the characters
or plot
D.
Overall recommendation
|
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| Battle
of the Books List 2008-09 |
Whales on
Stilts
|
M.T. Anderson |
| Tuck Everlasting
|
Natalie Babbit |
| Summerland |
Michael Chabon |
| The White Mountains
|
John Chrisopher |
Ice Magic
|
Matt Christopher |
| Artemis Fowl |
Eoin Colfer |
| The Big House |
Carolyn Coman |
| The Watsons Go to
Birmingham |
Christopher Paul Curtis |
| Danny, The Champion
of the World |
Roald Dahl |
| The Conch Bearer |
Chitra Divakaruni |
| By the Great Horn
Spoon! |
Sid Fleischman |
| What’s the
Big Idea, Ben Franklin? |
Jean Fritz |
| Among the Hidden |
Margaret Haddix |
| Prince Caspian |
C.S. Lewis |
| A Dog’s Life |
Ann Martin |
| The Mozart Question
|
Michael Morpurgo |
| The Emperor’s
Silent Army |
Jane O’Conner |
| Project Mulberry |
Linda Sue Park |
| Lyddie |
Katherine Patterson |
| Hatchet |
Gary Paulsen |
| The Teacher’s
Funeral |
Richard Peck |
| Clementine |
Sara Pennypacker |
| The Boy Who Saved
Baseball |
John Ritter |
| Harry Potter and
the Sorcerer’s Stone |
J.K. Rowling |
| Esperanza Rising |
Pam Munoz Ryan |
| Fergus Crane |
Paul Stewart & Chris
Riddell |
| Peak |
Roland Smith |
| Love, Ruby Lavender |
Deborah Wiles |
Christopher Mouse
|
William Wise |
| The Gadget |
Paul Zindel |
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| Authors
of Merit |
| Any books written
by the following authors are acceptable choices for summer
reading. |
Avi
Natalie Babbit
Lynn Reid Banks
Marion Bauer
Judy Blume
Michael Buckley
Beverly Cleary
Andrew Clements
Eoin Colfer
Susan Cooper
Bruce Coville
Sharon Creech
Christopher Paul Curtis
Roald Dahl
Kate diCamillo
Paul Fleischman
Sid Fleischman
Jean Fritz
Cornelia Funke
Jean Craighead George
Patricia Reilly Giff
Margaret Peterson Haddix
|
James Howe
E.L. Konigsburg
Gordon Korman
Madeline L’Engle
C.S. Lewis
Lois Lowry
Mike Lupica
Ann Martin
Scott O’Dell
Mary Pope Osborne
Katherine Patterson
Gary Paulson
Richard Peck
Robert Newton Peck
J.K. Rowling
Louis Sachar
Lemony Snicket
Donald Sobol
Jerry Spinelli
Mildred Taylor
E.B. White
Deborah Wiles |
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|
