Summer Reading

Throughout the summer, all students are asked to read at least two books in preparation for the next school year! One of these books must relate to the topic, theme, or author that their family selected. If you have any questions about what you should be reading, please email your family teacher for confirmation!

Miss Baumgart's family's topic for this summer is war. Below are a few book recommendations that deal with the topic of war, just in case you are having trouble selecting something!

Nonfiction
  • I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai - The autobiography of Malala, who at age 15 was attacked by the Taliban while riding the bus home from school.
  • The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank - Anne Frank was only 13 when her family was forced to flee from German soldiers during World War II. Her diary details the struggles her family went through as they fought for survival.
  • Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman - A graphic novel that tells the story of a Jewish survivor of Hitler's Europe, as told by his cartoonist son.
Fantasy
  • Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling - This famous series tells the story of a young orphan boy named Harry Potter, and how his life changes when he realizes that magic is real and he is a wizard.
  • The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien - Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who would rather be eating than go on adventures, but that doesn't mean adventure won't find him anyway! Bilbo is unwillingly drawn into a quest to save the Dwarf Kingdom from the dragon Smaug, and is forced to leave his homeland behind.
  • The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis - Siblings Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy discover a wardrobe in their home that hides a secret world. As World War II rages on, the siblings enter Narnia and begin a battle against the evil White Witch.
  • Everland by Wendy Spinale - After a terrible bombing and the spread of disease, the only survivors left in London are children. In his desperation to find a cure, Captain Hook discovers that a child in London secretly harbors the cure to the disease destroying the city. When he kidnaps Joanna, Gwen, Pete, Bella, and the Lost Boys all vow that they will stop at nothing to bring Joanna home.
  • Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - A novel paired with a series of interesting photographs, Miss Peregrine's Home tells the story of an abandoned orphanage on a mysterious island. After tragedy strikes Jacob, he decides to head to Miss Peregrine's, where his grandfather once lived. Once there, Jacob begins to realize that the children living there were more than just peculiar, and all of the fanciful stories his grandfather once told him may have more truth to them than he believed. 

Historical Fiction
  • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Set in Germany during World War II, Liesel Meminger is a foster girl who survives by stealing. When Liesel steals a book and learns to read, her life begins to forever change.
  • Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli - Featuring a main character with no true name, Milkweed tells the story of a young boy trying to survive on the streets of Warsaw during World War II.
  • Number the Stars by Louis Lowry - Annemarie is only ten, but she and her best friend Ellen still often think of how their life was before the war. Set in 1943. Number the Stars tells the story of two young girl's living in a Copenhagen filled with Nazi soldiers.
  • I Survived The Bombing of Pearl Harbor by Lauren Tarshis - Danny Crane is only 11 when Pearl Harbor is bombed and America officially enters World War II.
  • Dog Tags: Semper Fido by C. Alexander London - Gus Dempsey loves dogs more than he loves people, a skill that he is sure will come in handy when he joins the US Marine Corps as a dog handler. Set during the War in Afghanistan, Gus has to learn to deal with his assigned dog Loki, who is nothing like what a bomb-sniffing Marine dog should be.
  • Thin Wood Walls by David Patneaude - Joe Hanada is 11 and loves basketball, Christmas, and writing. However, when Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, he finds his life forever changed. His father is taken away by the FBI, his friends and neighbors stop talking to him, and Joe is sent to live in the Tule Lake War Relocation Camp. Told in story and haiku, Thin Wood Walls tells the story of a boy forced to unexpectedly restart his life.