Carden Academy of Santa Clara, a Silicon Valley Private Elementary School Serving Santa Clara, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Fremont, Campbell, Cupertino, Mountain View, Los Altos since 1973
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Summer Reading

What is the importance of reading to a child?

By Christina Wilson

Reading to your child from infancy on has an influencing affect on all the variables of development whether the evidence of it is directly visible or not. According to the AAP (American Association of Pediatrics), reading is a significant aid in brain development and encourages a solidifying, emotional bond between parent and child. The AAP recommends initiating a daily routine of reading for infants as well as older children. However, their records reveal that only 50% of parents read to their children every day.

(for complete article see http://co.essortment.com/childreadingim_rhqw.htm)

Therefore, Carden School of Santa Clara 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 he/she will be entering in the fall. Students entering grade levels 1 - 5 will choose 3 books from their grade level list. Students entering grades 6-8 are required to read three specific books (see list). A grade-level appropriate Carden book report form can be obtained from the school website: www.cardenacademyofsantaclara.com, the school office and will be sent out in the end-of-year packets.* In grades 6-8, the student will choose which one will be graded and averaged in with other grades pertaining to the first trimester.

Certainly additional books may be read and enjoyed from the Carden reading list over the summer. Please see the enclosed form for the list of book titles assigned for each grade level.

*The three book reports are due by Friday, August 29th. These are required assignments. If these are not turned in by Friday, September 12th, student will be required to meet with an administrator to make arrangements to fulfill the assignment.

Summer Reading List Book Titles

Preschool & Kindergarten
We recommend that you read to your child on a regular basis. The books you read may be those of your choice. No reports are required at these grade levels.
Some suggestions:
Madeline series - Ludwig Bemelmans
Make Way for the 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

Grade 1
Choose 3 from which to write book reports:
Patrick's Dinosaurs - Carol Carick (Book Report)
May I Bring a Friend? - Beatrice Schenk De Regniers (Book Report)
Drummer Hoff - Barbara Emberley (Book Report)
Oliver - Syd Hoff (Book Report)
The Case of the Scaredy Cats: (I Can Read Book Series: Level 2) - Crosby Bonsall (Book Report)
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble - William Steig (Book Report)

Grade 2
Choose 3 from which to write book reports:
A to Z Mysteries - The Talking T. Rex - Ron Roy (Book Report)
Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia - Peggy Parish (Book Report)
Nate the Great - Marjorie Sharmat (Book Report)
Horrible Harry's Secret - Suzy Kline (Book Report)
Arthur and the Cootie-Catcher - Marc Brown (Book Report)
Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Circus Clown - David A. Adler (Book Report)

Grade 3
Write 3 book reports. Try to choose one from each group:
Group 1 Choose one:

Group 2 Choose one:
Group 3 Choose one:

Grade 4
Write 3 book reports, one from each group:
Group 1 Choose one:

Group 2 Choose one:
  • The Journal of Wong Ming-Chung, A Chinese Miner - Laurence Yep (Book Report)
  • Seeds of Hope: The Gold Rush Diary of Susanna Fairchild - Kristina Gregory (Book Report)
  • Patty Reed's Doll: The Story of the Donner Party - Rachel Laurgaard (Book Report)
  • Valley of the Moon: The Diary of Maria Rosalia de Milagros - Sherry Garland (Book Report)
Group 3 Choose one:

Grade 5
Choose 3 from which to write book reports: Hoot - Carl Hiaasen (Book Report)
Gay-Neck, The Story of a Pigeon - by Dhan Gopal Mukerji (Book Report)
Esperanza Rising - Pam Munoz Ryan (Book Report)
Adam of the Road - Elizabeth Janet Gray (Book Report)
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle (Book Report)
Ida B - Katherine Hannigan (Book Report)

Grade 6
The Witch of Blackbird Pond - Elizabeth George Speare (Book Report)
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry - Mildred D. Taylor (Book Report)
Where the Red Fern Grows - Wilson Rawls (Book Report)

Grade 7
Crispin - Avi (Book Report)
Johnny Tremain - Esther Forbes (Book Report)
The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton (Book Report)

Grade 8
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (Book Report)
Daniel's Story - Carol Matas (Book Report)
The Fighting Ground - Avi (Book Report)
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