Summer Reading
Carden Academy has established a mandatory Summer Reading Program. Each grade level will be assigned a list of books that must be read before the opening day of school. Your child should read books selected from the grade level they will be entering in the Fall.
These are required assignments. If these are not turned in by the late submission date, the student will be required to meet with an administrator to make arrangements to fulfill the assignments.
- Students entering Kindergarten do not require book reports. The books you read may be those of your choice. We recommend that you read to your child on a regular basis.
- Students entering grade level 1- 8 are required to write 2 book reports.
- Students entering grades 6-8 will choose which book report will be graded and averaged in with other grades pertaining to the first trimester. All book reports must be turned in to the Literature teacher.
Summer Reading List
Kindergarten Suggestions
Madeline Series - Ludwig Bemelmans
Make Way for Ducklings - Robert McCloskey
Blueberries for Sal - Robert McCloskey
Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble - William Steig
A Child’s Garden of Verses - Robert Louis Stevenson
Entering 1st Grade - choose 2
The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners - Stan and Jan Berenstain
Fireflies! by Julie Brinckloe
Spaghetti and Meatballs for All! - Marilyn Burns
Patrick’s Dinosaurs - Carol Carick
Sammy the Seal - Syd Hoff
Fancy Nancy - Jane O'Connor
May I Bring a Friend? - Beatrice Schenk De Regniers
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs - Mo Willems
Entering 2nd Grade - choose 2
Cam Jansen and the First Day of School Mystery- David A. Adler
Ivy and Bean- Annie Barrows
Arthur Makes the Team - Marc Brown
Horrible Harry’s Secret - Suzy Kline
Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth - Jane O’Connor
Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia - Peggy Parish
A to Z Mysteries: The Talking T. Rex - Ron Roy
Nate the Great - Marjorie Sharmat
Entering 3rd Grade - choose 2
These are series and any title may be chosen:
The Buddy Flies Series – Dori Hillestad Butler
Ivy and Bean Series – Annie Barrows
Nancy Drew Notebooks – Carolyn Keene
Matt Christopher Sports Series – Matt Christopher
The Zack Files Series – Dan Greenburg
Alvin Ho Series – Lenore Look
Clementine Series – Sara Pennypacker
Geronimo Stilton Series – Geronimo Stilton
Amber Brown Series – Peggy Parish
Encyclopedia Brown Series – Donald J. Sobol
Bunnicula – James Howe
Beverly Cleary Books – Beverly Cleary
Magic Tree House – Mary Pope Osborne
Individual Book Choices:
How to Eat Fried Worms – Thomas Rockwell
Please Write in This Book – Mary Amato
Waiting For the Magic – Patricia MacLachian
Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie – Julie Sternberg
Stuart Little – E.B. White
Mr. Popper’s Penguins – Richard and Florence Atwater
Entering 4th Grade - choose 2
The Secrets of Droon (Series) – Tony Abbott
Go Long – Ronde and Tiki Barber
The Magical Ms. Plum – Bonny Becker
Lunch Money – Andrew Clements
Danny, Champion of the World – Roald Dahl
The Lemonade War – Jacqueline Davies
Because of Winn-Dixie – Kate DiCamillo
By the Great Horn Spoon – Sid Fleischman
Stone Fox – John Reynolds Gardiner
Sophie Hartley, On Strike – Stephanie Greene
Flight of the Phoenix – R.L. Le Fevers
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh – Robert C. O’Brien
Island of the Blue Dolphin – Scott O’Dell
Chase Against Time – Steve Reifman
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective – Donald J. Sobol
Entering 5th Grade - choose 2
The Penderwicks – Jeanne Birdsall
Adam of the Road – Elizabeth Janet Gray
Ida B – Katherine Hannigan
Hoot – Carl Hiaasan
A Wrinkle in Time – Madeleine L’Engle
Esperanza Rising – Pam Munoz Ryan
Holes – Louis Sachar
Maniac Magee – Jerry Spinelli
The Egypt Game – Zilpha K. Snyder
The Mysterious Benedict Society – Trenton Stewart
Entering 6th Grade - choose 2
Peter and the Starcatchers – Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
The Teacher’s Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts – Richard Peck
A Long Way From Chicago – Richard Peck
The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien
The Land I Lost: Adventures of a Boy in Vietnam – Quang Nhuong Huynh
The Kite Rider – Geraldine McCaughrean
Where the Red Fern Grows – Wilson Rawls
Entering 7th Grade - choose 2
The Outsiders – S.E. Hinton
The War Within: A Novel of the Civil War – Carol Matas
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town – Kimberly Willis Holt
Small Steps – Louis Sachar
The Seer of Shadows – Avi
A Year Down Yonder – Richard Peck
Entering 8th Grade- choose 2
The Properties of Water – Hannah Roberts McKinnon
To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
Daniel’s Story – Carol Matas
Sherlock Holmes Series – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel) – Michael Scott
Book Report Forms (PDF)
1st Grade
Standard Book Report
Happy Hang-ups Book Report
Ice Cream Cone Book Report
2nd - 4th Grades
Standard Book Report
Poster Power Book Report
Story Map Poster Book Report
5th - 8th Grades
Standard Book Report
Carden Academy has established a mandatory Summer Reading Program. Each grade level will be assigned a list of books that must be read before the opening day of school. Your child should read books selected from the grade level they will be entering in the Fall.
These are required assignments. If these are not turned in by the late submission date, the student will be required to meet with an administrator to make arrangements to fulfill the assignments.
- Students entering Kindergarten do not require book reports. The books you read may be those of your choice. We recommend that you read to your child on a regular basis.
- Students entering grade level 1- 8 are required to write 2 book reports.
- Students entering grades 6-8 will choose which book report will be graded and averaged in with other grades pertaining to the first trimester. All book reports must be turned in to the Literature teacher.
Summer Reading List
Kindergarten Suggestions
Madeline Series - Ludwig Bemelmans
Make Way for Ducklings - Robert McCloskey
Blueberries for Sal - Robert McCloskey
Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble - William Steig
A Child’s Garden of Verses - Robert Louis Stevenson
Entering 1st Grade - choose 2
The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners - Stan and Jan Berenstain
Fireflies! by Julie Brinckloe
Spaghetti and Meatballs for All! - Marilyn Burns
Patrick’s Dinosaurs - Carol Carick
Sammy the Seal - Syd Hoff
Fancy Nancy - Jane O'Connor
May I Bring a Friend? - Beatrice Schenk De Regniers
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs - Mo Willems
Entering 2nd Grade - choose 2
Cam Jansen and the First Day of School Mystery- David A. Adler
Ivy and Bean- Annie Barrows
Arthur Makes the Team - Marc Brown
Horrible Harry’s Secret - Suzy Kline
Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth - Jane O’Connor
Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia - Peggy Parish
A to Z Mysteries: The Talking T. Rex - Ron Roy
Nate the Great - Marjorie Sharmat
Entering 3rd Grade - choose 2
These are series and any title may be chosen:
The Buddy Flies Series – Dori Hillestad Butler
Ivy and Bean Series – Annie Barrows
Nancy Drew Notebooks – Carolyn Keene
Matt Christopher Sports Series – Matt Christopher
The Zack Files Series – Dan Greenburg
Alvin Ho Series – Lenore Look
Clementine Series – Sara Pennypacker
Geronimo Stilton Series – Geronimo Stilton
Amber Brown Series – Peggy Parish
Encyclopedia Brown Series – Donald J. Sobol
Bunnicula – James Howe
Beverly Cleary Books – Beverly Cleary
Magic Tree House – Mary Pope Osborne
Individual Book Choices:
How to Eat Fried Worms – Thomas Rockwell
Please Write in This Book – Mary Amato
Waiting For the Magic – Patricia MacLachian
Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie – Julie Sternberg
Stuart Little – E.B. White
Mr. Popper’s Penguins – Richard and Florence Atwater
Entering 4th Grade - choose 2
The Secrets of Droon (Series) – Tony Abbott
Go Long – Ronde and Tiki Barber
The Magical Ms. Plum – Bonny Becker
Lunch Money – Andrew Clements
Danny, Champion of the World – Roald Dahl
The Lemonade War – Jacqueline Davies
Because of Winn-Dixie – Kate DiCamillo
By the Great Horn Spoon – Sid Fleischman
Stone Fox – John Reynolds Gardiner
Sophie Hartley, On Strike – Stephanie Greene
Flight of the Phoenix – R.L. Le Fevers
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh – Robert C. O’Brien
Island of the Blue Dolphin – Scott O’Dell
Chase Against Time – Steve Reifman
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective – Donald J. Sobol
Entering 5th Grade - choose 2
The Penderwicks – Jeanne Birdsall
Adam of the Road – Elizabeth Janet Gray
Ida B – Katherine Hannigan
Hoot – Carl Hiaasan
A Wrinkle in Time – Madeleine L’Engle
Esperanza Rising – Pam Munoz Ryan
Holes – Louis Sachar
Maniac Magee – Jerry Spinelli
The Egypt Game – Zilpha K. Snyder
The Mysterious Benedict Society – Trenton Stewart
Entering 6th Grade - choose 2
Peter and the Starcatchers – Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
The Teacher’s Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts – Richard Peck
A Long Way From Chicago – Richard Peck
The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien
The Land I Lost: Adventures of a Boy in Vietnam – Quang Nhuong Huynh
The Kite Rider – Geraldine McCaughrean
Where the Red Fern Grows – Wilson Rawls
Entering 7th Grade - choose 2
The Outsiders – S.E. Hinton
The War Within: A Novel of the Civil War – Carol Matas
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town – Kimberly Willis Holt
Small Steps – Louis Sachar
The Seer of Shadows – Avi
A Year Down Yonder – Richard Peck
Entering 8th Grade- choose 2
The Properties of Water – Hannah Roberts McKinnon
To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
Daniel’s Story – Carol Matas
Sherlock Holmes Series – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel) – Michael Scott
Book Report Forms (PDF)
1st Grade
Standard Book Report
Happy Hang-ups Book Report
Ice Cream Cone Book Report
2nd - 4th Grades
Standard Book Report
Poster Power Book Report
Story Map Poster Book Report
5th - 8th Grades
Standard Book Report