South's award-winning lunchtime reading group, The Reading Tigers, is based on the idea that reading and discussing literature with friends over a meal is an enjoyable and motivating way to stimulate a love of reading.

The program is open to every 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade student at South.  Students who join will be placed in a small group with a parent leader who will facilitate the group's discussion of the assigned book.  Groups will meet five times a year. Click here to learn more about the program.

Parents of second graders may contact Mrs. James or Mrs. Soja to sign up their student or complete an online interest form during August or early September. Third through fifth graders will sign up themselves--signing a Commitment and Pledge.  In this document, they agree to read before each meeting. Third, fourth, and fifth grade members also agree to withdraw from Reading Tigers if they have not read for two consecutive meetings. 

Any second through fifth grader may sign up--being a strong reader is not an essential element of Reading Tigers. However, finishing every book prior to the meetings is essential, whether someone reads the book to the student, the student listens to the story, or the student reads the book independently.

Second and third grade will meet on Wednesdays and fourth and fifth grade will meet on Thursdays. 

Second and Third Grade Meeting Dates: October 9, November 13, January 29, February 26, April 17.

Fourth and Fifth Grade Meeting Dates: October 10, November 14, January 30, February 27, April 18.

The titles for 2023-2024 are as follows. Please note, the first four books for fourth and fifth grade are Battle of the Books titles.

Second Grade: Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth (Book 1) by Judd Winick; Mac B, Kid Spy (Book 1) by Mac Barnett, Batpig: When Pigs Fly (Book 1) by Rob by Harrell; Three Good Deeds by Vivian Vande Velde; James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Third Grade: Who Was Steve Irwin? (the 100th book in the Who Was? series) by Dina Anastasio; The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick; The Lemonade Crime by Jacqueline Davies; Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead

Fourth Grade: Panda-monium by Stuart Gibbs, The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick, The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan; Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly; The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

Fifth Grade: Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt; The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day, Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson, Lia Park and the Missing Jewel by Jenna Yoon; Heat by Mike Lupica

DJ doesn’t have the talents of his other amazing siblings, but he does understand loyalty and helping your friends.  Before his best friend   Gina moved away, he was good at one thing—being her friend.  The three years following her absence have been lonely for DJ, but then, in one week, Gina moves back to town, and he discovers a “boy” in silver underwear in the middle of a smoking crater.  The “boy” turns out to be a fast-talking, super-cheerful robot with superpowers but no memory of his past, and DJ finds that his quiet life has become surprising, exciting, and dangerous practically overnight.  Together DJ, Gina, and Hilo start piecing together fragments of Hilo’s life as other strange robots crash into Earth.  They must work to protect each other and Earth from Razorwork. Winick’s art is bold, and the story combines humor with the deeper issues of facing responsibility and being true to yourself and loyal to your friends.  

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Steve Irwin grew up on a wildlife park in Australia run by his parents, and throughout his brief life his passion for understanding and protecting wild animals never wavered. Eventually, he became a famous TV personality with his worldwide hit, "The Crocodile Hunter." When he died in 2006 due to a stingray's venom stopping his heart, the world mourned his death. This nonfiction book, the 100th book in the "Who Was" series, introduces readers to his childhood passions as well as the range of his adult interests.  For example, for his sixth birthday he received a python for his present and was wrestling crocodiles with his father by nine. He met his wife Terri at his parent's park, and instead of a honeymoon, they filmed a wildlife documentary. His amazing life reminds students to follow their passions.  

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Fourth Grade Selection October 10, 2024

Materials Coming Soon

Fifth Grade Selection for October 10, 2024

Materials coming soon

Told from the first person, this hilarious, silly, and fully-illustrated novel is told from the first person of author Mac Barnett as a young boy when he is called upon by Queen Elizabeth II to find a precious missing item. Young Mac B leaves the east Bay and travels across the Atlantic Ocean in his search for the stolen treasure, having a variety of silly and intriguing adventures along the way!  

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Hugo is a 12-year old orphan who works hard to keep the clocks in a massive train station in Paris (circa 1931) in good working condition.  Survival is the motivation for his constant surveillance.  Hugo has been alone since his uncle, the official maintenance man, disappeared.  Hugo is afraid if his uncle’s absence is discovered, he will be evicted from the small room he lives in at the station.  Through a series of suspenseful circumstances, young Hugo becomes acquainted with a girl and her toyshop-owning guardian.  Just as it appears that Hugo will lose the few things he holds dear, and possibly even his freedom, a major mystery is resolved and all ends well. 

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Materials coming soon

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This hilarious new graphic novel is about an ordinary middle school pig named Gary who loves to read comics, play video games and cards, and eat sandwiches. When Gary receives an accidental bite from his friend Brooklyn (who happens to be a bat), he becomes a superhero.  Brooklyn and Gary decide not to tell their other best friend–Carl the fish–of Gary’s new superpowers and alter ego because Carl just can’t keep a secret. Unfortunately, this leads to the unleashing of a new supervillain who is a giant lizard, Repto-Man.  Learning to be a superhero is not easy, and in addition to battling the giant lizard, Gary must contend with a deranged butcher and try to get along with his friends and very annoying little cousin, all while balancing his feelings of duty and loyalty–to his city and to his friends.

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The Lemonade Crime is the sequel to the enormously popular The Lemonade War.  In The Lemonade War, Evan learns that his super smart younger sister Jesse is skipping a grade and will be in the fourth grade with him in the fall.  Rather than admitting he is scared, Evan bets his sister that he can be the first one to sell $100 at his lemonade stand.  Jessie and Evan each set out to use their talents—math and organizational ability versus communication skills and streets smarts--in order to win the bet.  Soon, however, the siblings find themselves engaging in rather despicable behavior.  It takes a disaster at the end of the book for the siblings to realize that when you compete against someone you love, no one wins.  At the end of The Lemonade War, Evan has $208 mysteriously stolen.  When Scott Spencer announces that he has bought the latest Xbox system at the beginning of The Lemonade Crime, Jesse is convinced that he is the thief.  She decides to hold a playground trial, but the trial doesn’t quite work out as she planned, so it is up to Evan to find another path to justice.  

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Percy Jackson is not your normal 12 year old.  He suffers from ADHD and has been expelled from several schools.  When the story begins, he is attending Yancy Academy for troubled kids.  Percy’s life takes a startling turn when his substitute math teacher attacks him on a school field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and he responds by vaporizing her with a pen that magically becomes a sword.  His expulsion from school is just the beginning of his troubles.  When he and his mother take a trip to the beach, they are pursued by a mythical monster from ancient Greece.  Percy’s mom finally reveals that the Olympic gods from ancient Greece are alive and well.  In fact, Percy is the son of Poseidon, and he possesses special abilities.  Percy seeks refuge at Camp Half Blood.  Soon, Percy discovers that Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen, and he is the prime suspect!  Percy and his friends, Annabeth and Grover, have 10 days to find and return Zeus’s stolen property and prevent a war from erupting between two of the most powerful Olympic gods.

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Materials coming soon

Howard is a fairly typical boy in the small town of Dumphrey’s Mill, creating adventure in his backyard by concocting a cave from freshly laundered sheets and by stealing goose eggs from a nearby nest.  Like many boys, he thought and acted like his group of friends.  If his friends were teasing others, he would join in.  He wasn’t the boy to step up to protect the unusual or the different.  You could say that he rarely thought about the consequences of his actions or doing the right thing.  Unfortunately for Howard, the goose eggs he decides to steal are under the protection of an old woman who turns out to be a witch.  When he blames her for breaking the goose eggs, she decides Howard needs to be taught a lesson.  She turns him into a goose, and the enchantment can only be broken when Howard has done three good deeds.  Like every child who sees life from his or her perspective, Howard struggles to understand how to be a goose (his friends are trying to eat him for supper!) and to perform a good deed (only geese and the witch can understand him).

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Materials Coming Soon

Materials coming soon

James and the Giant Peach was published in 1961 and is the first of Dahl’s very successful children’s stories.  In the novel, James Henry Trotter had a happy life until he was about four-years-old when his parents were eaten up by an enormous rhinoceros! His house by the sea was sold, and James went to live with horrible Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. They lived in a ramshackle house on a hill. With the help of an old man with some magic crystals, a giant peach grew in the aunts’s garden. James found a secret path into the heart of the peach where he met a grasshopper, a spider, a ladybug, an earthworm, a centipede, a glowworm, and a silkworm. Together they began a great adventure which eventually ends on the top of the Empire State Building in New York City.  

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It’s been five years since Livy and her family have visited Livy’s grandmother in Australia. Now that she’s back, Livy has the feeling she’s forgotten something really, really important about Gran’s house. It turns out she’s right. Bob, a short, greenish creature dressed in a chicken suit, didn’t forget Livy, or her promise. He’s been waiting five years for her to come back, hiding in a closet like she told him to. He can’t remember who—or what—he is, where he came from, or if he even has a family. But five years ago Livy promised she would help him find his way back home. Now it’s time to keep that promise. Clue by clue, Livy and Bob will unravel the mystery of where Bob comes from, and discover the kind of magic that lasts forever. (From Wendy Mass’s website) 

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When a hurricane causes a cargo ship to sink, five shipping crates, each containing one robot, manage to float to the shore of an island; however, only one robot survives.  The surviving robot is activated by a sea otter, and this robot (Roz as she prefers to be called) is programmed to adapt to her environment and “learn to be a better robot.”  Over the course of the novel, Roz learns how to survive in a harsh environment, how to be a member of a community, and how to be a mother to an orphaned gosling.  Unfortunately, her past catches up with her at the end of the book. 

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 Michael Arroyo has a pitching arm that throws serious heat along with aspirations of leading his team all the way to the Little League World Series. But his firepower is nothing compared to the heat Michael faces in his day-to-day life. Newly orphaned after his father led the family’s escape from Cuba, Michael’s only family is his seventeen-year old brother Carlos. If Social Services hears of their situation, they will be separated in the foster-care system—or worse, sent back to Cuba. Together, the boys carry on alone, dodging bills and anyone who asks too many questions. But then someone wonders how a twelve-year-old boy could possibly throw with as much power as Michael Arroyo throws. With no way to prove his age, no birth certificate, and no parent to fight for his cause, Michael’s secret world is blown wide open, and he discovers that family can come from the most unexpected sources. (From Teacher’s Pet Publications) Click here for leader activities.

See below for summary of books and activities.

This incredibly famous book follows the life of Harry Potter who lives with his aunt, uncle, and cousin (the Dursleys) since his parents were killed when he was an infant.  When he is 11 years old, he discovers that he is actually a wizard, even though he lives in the world of Muggles (nonwizards). Harry is invited to become a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Scotland, and there he meets the two people who will become his closest friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.  The first book chronicles his challenges and successes in his first year at Hogwarts and sets up what will be the central clash of his young life--his struggle against Lord Voldemort (or “He Who Must Not Be Named”).

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Kyle Keeley is the class clown, popular with most kids, (if not the teachers), and an ardent fan of all games: board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative game maker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the building of the new town library. Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of the first 12 kids in the library for an overnight of fun, food, and lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors remain locked. Kyle and the other winners must solve every clue and every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route. And the stakes are very high.  

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A Rover’s Story is the story of a Mars rover sent to survey the planet, find another out-of-service rover, and help determine whether Mars is suited to human living. The story is told from several perspectives, including that of the rover (whose name is Res, short for Resilience) and Sophie, the daughter of one of the programmers who’s building the rover. After months of testing and tinkering in the lab, Res discovers that he’s experiencing human emotions. His twin rover, Journey, repeatedly tells him that robots should be logical, not emotional, so Res tries unsuccessfully to restrain his emotions. Finally, Res is sent to Mars with a friendly drone he calls Fly. But can he accomplish his mission? Or will his emotions get in the way? (From Reading Middle Grade Books for Kids and Adults)

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Told from the perspective of Odder, the reader is immediately drawn into the dangerous and beautiful world of the Monterey Bay, with the threat of juvenile great white sharks and unpredictable humans. Odder is playful, loyal, and resourceful, but soon she falls into danger and must be rehabilitated–twice–by the humans at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. During her second stay, it is unclear if she will be able to be released again to the wild. Can she find a purpose and live the rest of her life at the Aquarium? Based loosely on stories of real otters that were rescued by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Katherine Applegate’s story, and the facts about sea otters that she includes at the back of the book, will inspire readers to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium to see these unique and appealing creatures and to learn more about southern sea otters and the efforts of the Aquarium to help them. 

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The List of Things That Will Not Change is a tender and compelling story about divorce and remarriage told in retrospect by a 12-year-old girl. 12-year-old Bea looks back over the last few years of her life, starting when she is 8 and her parents are getting a divorce.  They give her a notebook with the beginnings of “A List of Things That Will Not Change”, which starts with her parents’s love for her.  But, after she hears of her parents's plans for divorce, Bea begins to worry more and has big feelings, which play a role in her behavior, and her behavior starts to get unpredictable. She gets very angry at anyone who calls her names having to do with her parents being divorced, and she gets furious when anyone makes comments about her dad being gay. 

Two years later, her father and his boyfriend Jesse announce their engagement.  She’s thrilled, especially when she learns that Jesse’s daughter, Sonia, is also 10.  Bea will be getting the sister she’s always wanted, even if Sonia spends most of her time in California.  But the road to the wedding proves to be a bumpy one, as Bea has to deal with the fact that Sonia doesn’t seem quite as happy about being sisters; that Jesse has a brother who can’t accept him and has stopped speaking to him; and most of all, that she is carrying a terrible secret from the previous summer that she worries is about to come back to haunt her.  As the wedding day draws near, Bea must learn to trust her friends and family enough to tell them what is going on so that she can embrace the changes happening in her family. (Portions from Common Sense Media and A Kid’s Book a Day)

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Imagine sleeping in a luxurious four poster bed from another era or bathing in a fountain. Claudia (11 years old) and Jamie Kincaid (9 years old) outsmart their parents and their friends when they decide to run away from home and live inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In between dodging the guards and visiting school groups, Claudia and Jamie become fascinated by a new statue at the museum. Their quest to discover the sculptor leads them to an eccentric art collector. Along the way, they learn a little something about travel and themselves. This story received the Newbery Medal in 1968 and has been loved by children ever since.

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When quiet Amy Anne Ollinger, who keeps her head down at home and at school, discovers that her favorite book, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, has been banned from her school library, she decides to read the other banned books, including titles by Dav Pilkey, Susan Patron, and Judy Blume.  Before she knows it, with the help of two friends, she has created a little library of banned books in her school locker,  Once the books in her locker are discovered, she is suspended from school and the school librarian fired.  However, Amy Anne has finally decided to speak up, and together with her friends, she creates a plan to restore the books to the library shelves and teach the adults a thing or two about the right to read.  A book lover’s book!

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Mia Tang thought life would be awesome once her family moved from China to the United States: Disneyland, hamburgers, and a house! But actually, life in the United States isn’t that great. However hard her parents work, they struggle to find and keep jobs. They can’t afford hamburgers every day. But their luck seems to change when Mr. Yao hires them to work at the Calivista Motel. And the job even comes with a place to live. But it turns out life at the Calivista isn’t easy.  Mr. Yao is mean, greedy, and racist, the work is hard, and Mia is ashamed that her family doesn’t live in a house. But on the bright side, Mia loves working the front desk and gets along well with the long-term motel residents. She also makes a new friend, Lupe. And when Mr. Yao announces his plan to sell the Calivista, Mia, her parents, and all the people they’ve befriended work together to figure out how to keep their home and newfound family together. (From Scholastic Book Guide). 

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This tale is a delight from start to finish, with many laugh out loud parts for adults as well as children. Badger is largely a recluse, living in Aunt Lula’s brownstone and spending his days on Important Rock Work. His solitude is interrupted by Skunk--another creature whom Aunt Lula wants to help.  Badger finds himself alternately charmed and incensed by Skunk’s actions. His cooking skills are marvelous, but when he invites dozens of chickens for story time and a sleepover--and accidentally sprays Badger--Badger cannot control the hurtful words coming from his mouth. When Skunk decamps, Badger is able to look deep inside and realize Skunk made his life better. A beautiful and hilarious story of unlikely friends that reminds all of us that change can be possible. Klassen’s illustrations perfectly capture the essence of each character. Click here for leader activities.

Bell has spent his whole life--all eleven years of it--on Mars. But he's still just a regular kid--he loves cats and any kind of cake. His days are taken up with assigned chores such as collecting the extremely fine Mars dust from all the vents in the underground compound, school lessons, helping the community’s gardener with the algae and vegetable farm, and taking care of Leo, the only cat. The Americans on Mars are not alone – there are also French, Chinese, Norwegian, and Russian communities, but because of wars and disagreements on Earth, they have been told not to communicate with the others. The children of the U.S. colony have only heard that the others are dangerous and not to be trusted. Bell is curious about why they can’t have contact with the other colonies and why they are so isolated. When all the American adults come down with a mysterious illness, Bell becomes an unlikely hero and manages to reach the French colony and enlist their help.

(Summary from Penguin Random House, publisher of The Lion of Mars and Notes from Wonderland).

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Fourth Grade Selection

Leaving Brooklyn behind, Black math-whiz and puzzle lover Bree starts a new life in Florida, where she’ll be tossed into the deep end in more ways than one. Keeping her head above water may be the trickiest puzzle yet.

While her dad is busy working and training in IT, Bree struggles at first to settle into Enith Brigitha Middle School, largely due to the school’s preoccupation with swimming—from the accomplishments of its namesake, a Black Olympian from Curaçao, to its near victory at the state swimming championships. But Bree can’t swim. To illustrate her anxiety around this fact, the graphic novel’s bright colors give way to gray thought bubbles with thick, darkened outlines expressing Bree’s deepest fears and doubts. This poignant visual crowds some panels just as anxious feelings can crowd the thoughts of otherwise star students like Bree. Ultimately, learning to swim turns out to be easy enough with the help of a kind older neighbor—a Black woman with a competitive swimming past of her own as well as a rich and bittersweet understanding of Black Americans’ relationship with swimming—who explains to Bree how racist obstacles of the past can become collective anxiety in the present. To her surprise, Bree, with her newfound water skills, eventually finds herself on the school’s swim team, navigating competition, her anxiety, and new, meaningful relationships.

Problem-solving through perseverance and friendship is the real win in this deeply smart and inspiring story. (Published by Kirkus Reviews, 2022)

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Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good. So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton—if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real. Now she must compete for a spot against kids who’ve known about magic their whole lives. No matter how hard she tries, Amari can’t seem to escape their intense doubt and scrutiny—especially once her supernaturally enhanced talent is deemed “illegal.” With an evil magician threatening the supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she’s an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t stick it out and pass the tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton. As Amari doubles down on finding her brother, she makes shocking discoveries, faces trials, and realizes her own ability to overcome. (From the publisher)

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“When Alice's Aunt Polly, the Pie Queen of Ipswitch, passes away, she takes with her the secret to her world-famous pie-crust recipe. Or does she? In her will, Polly leaves the recipe to her extraordinarily fat, remarkably disagreeable cat, Lardo . . . and then leaves Lardo in the care of Alice. Suddenly, the whole town is wondering how you leave a recipe to a cat. Everyone wants to be the next big pie-contest winner, and it's making them pie-crazy. It's up to Alice and her friend Charlie to put the pieces together and discover the not-so-secret recipe for happiness: Friendship. Family. And the pleasure of doing something for the right reason.” (From Sarah Weeks’s website). Click here for leader activities.

There’s no such thing as too much reading…until it gets you in trouble. Sixth-grader Alec loves to read. For the past five years he has been sent to principal Mrs. Vance’s office multiple times for reading instead of paying attention in class. As sixth grade starts, Mrs. Vance gives the preteen an ultimatum: stop reading when he should be listening or end up in summer school (which will destroy the annual family trip to New Hampshire). Worse than that, his parents will be spending longer hours at work, so he and his brother have to stay three extra hours in the Extended Day Program (EDP) at school. According to EDP rules, you either do homework in the library or you join a club. Happily, Alec learns he can actually start his own club, which he calls the Losers Club in order to scare kids away and ensure quiet reading time. Former best friend and now popular kid Kent delights in tormenting Alec, especially when the boys realize they both like new girl Nina (co-founder of the Losers Club). Can Alec navigate the rough waters of sixth grade, keep his grades up, and, most importantly, read? (From Kirkus Reviews)

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Alvin Ho is a second grader who lives in Concord Massachusetts with his close-knit Chinese Family.  He is afraid of pretty much everything.  He’s afraid of trains, bridges, substitute teachers, girls, school--you name it!  He’s so afraid of school that he can’t talk once he arrives.  This makes school pretty tough, particularly when he has a substitute teacher.  Even though Alvin has a lot of fears, he has friends and family to help him survive—and have fun—each day.  This is the first book in a six book series.  

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Thirteen-year-old Victoria (Tory) escapes the stuffy life and her stuffier aunt in Providence, Rhode Island, by stowing away on the ship that's taking her jobless father and younger brother Jacob to the goldfields of California. Seeking to emulate both the independence and resourcefulness of her heroine, Jane Eyre, Tory winds up being the quickest to adapt to life in the muddy, dangerous streets of San Francisco. Her father soon leaves her and Jacob alone in a tent in the wild city of San Francisco (which is full of gamblers, drunks, and criminals) while he goes searching for gold. Although initially feeling abandoned, Tory is not afraid of hard work or wearing boy’s clothing, and she is soon supporting herself and Jacob. Then Jacob disappears, and she learns that he's very likely been kidnapped by the owner of a gambling house, who drugs his victims and sells them to departing sea captains as enslaved crew. Along with two friends–Thad and Sam–Tory searches the abandoned ships of Rotting Row and eventually (miraculously!) rescues her brother. An exciting historical fiction tale in which a spunky heroine must balance her desire for freedom with her responsibilities and love for her family. (Portions taken from Common Sense Media) 

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Kate wasn’t expecting much when she wrote to her wealthy estranged uncle to ask for a birthday present. Certainly, she wasn’t expecting a colossal steam train called the Silver Arrow to arrive on her doorstep. Despite parental misgivings, curiosity overwhelms Kate and her brother Tom and they climb aboard, only for the train’s engine to roar into life. Soon they reach a train station where an assortment of strange and beautiful creatures are waiting with tickets in their mouths, and Kate and Tom begin to understand that their job will be to see them safely home – if they can. Lev Grossman’s first children’s book is a journey you’ll never forget: a rip-roaring adventure from desert plains to snow-covered mountains and everything in between. Packed with exciting creatures from the indignant porcupine to the lost polar bear and the adorable baby pangolin, The Silver Arrow is a classic story about saving our endangered animals and the places they live. (From Better Reading)

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Wonder celebrates the power of kindness and the beauty of the human spirit. Even though his face makes others do “that look-away thing,” ten-year old Auggie feels ordinary inside. Like other kids, he loves playing with his Xbox, eating ice cream, and attending birthday parties. He’s funny, kind, and smart. But he has one extraordinary face. Auggie has been homeschooled by his mom because of all his facial surgeries (27 in all!); however, at the start of fifth grade, his parents convince Auggie that he is ready to begin fifth grade at Beecher Prep. Wonder follows Auggie through his eventful first year of middle school, complete with scornful bullies, surprising Halloween costumes, competitive friendship wars, a frightening overnight school field trip, and some strong new friendships. Auggie’s story is told from a variety of perspectives. RJ Palacio successfully brings us into the mind and feelings of not only Auggie, but also his protective older sister Via, his sister’s sensitive boyfriend Justin, his first friends Summer and Jack, and Via’s childhood friend Miranda. With each shifting narrator, the reader gains a deeper understanding of Auggie and his family and friends. It is a remarkable, but still believable, group of people that surrounds Auggie. From his supportive parents, who still possess humor and perspective, to his inspiring English teacher, RJ Palacio shows how each of us—through a smile or another simple act of encouragement—can make the life of someone else so much better.

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Mama has trained up her baby possums in the ways of their breed, and now it’s time for all of them–even little Appleblossom to make their way in the world. Appleblossom knows the rules: she must never be seen during the day, and she must avoid cars, humans, and the dreaded hairies (sometimes known as dogs). Even so, Appleblossom decides to spy on a human family and accidentally falls down their chimney! The curious Appleblossom, her faithful brothers who launch a hilarious rescue mission and even the little girl in the house have no idea how fascinating the big world can be. But they’re about to find out! With dynamic illustrations, a tight-knit family, and a glimpse at the world from a charming little marsupial’s point of view, this cozy animal story is a perfect read-aloud and classic in the making. (Summary from Holly Goldberg Sloan's website). Click here for Appleblossom scripts.

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser is a charming, funny, and heart-warming book about the five Vanderbeeker kids—Isa, Jessie, Oliver, Hyacinth, and Laney—and the plans they concoct to stay in their beloved Harlem home after their grumpy landlord decides not to renew their family's lease. (Summary from MG Book Village).

Ravi has just arrived from Bangalore where he has been one of the popular, extremely bright students; however, on his first day at his new U.S. school, he finds himself sitting alone in the cafeteria, flustered but still planning how he will impress the cool kids and join their table. Awkward Joe just hopes to escape notice of the cool kids and their daily taunts. Joe has always lived in New Jersey, but due to an auditory processing disorder, he doesn’t feel very good about school.  Although the boys may be from different places, they are both stuck in middle school and feeling like outsiders.  However, before long, they find out that they have a common enemy.  Soon, they also have a common mission. Told alternately by Joe and Ravi, this is a hilarious and heartwarming tale of friendship and family. Click here for leader activities.

When a hurricane causes a cargo ship to sink, five shipping crates, each containing one robot, manage to float to the shore of an island; however, only one robot survives.  The surviving robot is activated by a sea otter, and this robot (Roz as she prefers to be called) is programmed to adapt to her environment and “learn to be a better robot.”  Over the course of the novel, Roz learns how to survive in a harsh environment, how to be a member of a community, and how to be a mother to an orphaned gosling.  Unfortunately, her past catches up with her at the end of the book.  Click here for leader activities.

In order to unify the unstable medieval kingdom of Carthya where the royal family has recently been murdered, Conner, a nobleman, devises a plan to find an imposter to impersonate the king’s long lost son, Jaron, and install him as a puppet prince. Three orphans are recruited and trained, but only one orphan will be chosen for this dangerous impersonation plan. It is believed that Prince Jaron was killed by pirates, but his body was never found. Conner has two weeks to train the orphan boys and choose one of them to impersonate the prince. When he appears before the royal court, he will claim to have found the missing prince. The story centers on 15-year-old Sage, a feisty and defiant orphan, who becomes a beguiling anti-hero.

The False Prince is the first book in the Ascendance trilogy. The second book, The Runaway King, continues the story, and the third book, The Shadow Throne, was released in early 2014. Due to the success of the story, books four and five were just written: Captive Kingdom (2020), The Shattered Castle (2021). Click here for leader activities.

Bud, Not Buddy is about a young boy, Bud Caldwell, who has had bad experiences in foster homes as well as in “the home” where he is sent back to between placements.  At the beginning of the story, he runs away from a particularly mean foster family and sets out on his own.  His idea is to search for the man he thinks just might be his father, the band leader Herman E. Calloway.  Like a large number of kids during the Great Depression, Bud ends up surviving on his own, like “dust in the wind.”  Bud has many adventures, but when he does finally find a family, it is not quite the one he expected. Click here for leader activities.

WE DREAM OF SPACE follows the Thomas kids -- 13-year-old Cash and 12-year-old twins Fitch and Bird -- during the weeks leading up to the Challenger space shuttle launch in January 1986. Cash loves basketball but is on the brink of failing seventh grade again. Fitch loves video games and has trouble controlling his temper. Bird dreams of becoming NASA's first female shuttle commander, but her mom only talks to her about dieting. Their parents are always fighting, and Bird often feels responsible for keeping her family together. The Thomas siblings have always faced their problems alone, but when the Challenger disaster occurs, they'll have to come together and learn how to support one another. (Summary from Common Sense Media)

Lights shine in the city of Ember—but at the city limits the light ends, and darkness takes over. Out there in the Unknown Regions, the darkness goes on forever in all directions. Ember—so its people believe—is the only light in the dark world. And now the lights are going out.  Is there a way to save the people of Ember? No one knows. But Lina Mayfleet has found a puzzling document, and Doon Harrow has made discoveries down in the Pipeworks. With these clues, they start their search. Click here for leader activities.

Fifth Grade Selection

When siblings Ted and Kat watched their cousin Salim get on board the London Eye, he turned and waved before getting on. After half an hour it landed and everyone trooped off --but no Salim. Where could he have gone? How on earth could he have disappeared into thin air? Since the police are having no luck finding him, Ted and Kat become sleuthing partners. Despite their prickly relationship, they overcome their differences to follow a trail of clues across London in a desperate bid to find their cousin.  (Excerpt by Angel Corella, from Reading Guide and Activities). 

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