Library & Resources
	Sixth Grade Summer Reading List 2007

Dear Soon-To-Be-Sixth Graders,

Since we're all on a quest of some sort (and we'll spend a fair amount of time talking about quests as we explore the Middle Ages next year), the theme for this year's summer reading is, not surprisingly, QUESTS. A quest can be a search for an ideal, for an object or person, or for a personal goal.

1) Choose one book to read from the list provided below.   (Feel free to read more!)
2) After reading, choose and complete one of the following writing activities:

•  Be a diarist.   Create a diary for a character (5-7 entries) based on a meaningful part of your novel.
•  Be a news reporter. Write a news report based on a highpoint of your novel.
•  Be a playwright.   Write a scene with stage directions based on an exciting part of your novel.

3) Keep in mind ...The following questions must be addressed in your writing:

•  What was the quest?
•  What were the obstacles?
•  How were the obstacles overcome?

We are looking forward to sharing this work during the first week of school.   Have a great summer!

                                          Happy reading and writing,

                                          The Sixth Grade Teachers

2007 Sixth Grade Summer Reading List: Quest

Alexander, Lloyd. The Book of Three
Recounts valorous and humorous tales of Taran, Assistant pig Keeper, who determines to save the kingdom of Prydain from evil.

Almond, David. Skellig
Unhappy about his sister's illness and the chaos of moving into a new house, Michael retreats to the garage where he finds a mysterious stranger who is something like a bird and something like an angel.

Banks, Lynne Reid. I, Houdini
A boastful hamster with an exceptional talent as an escape artist recounts his experiences chewing, wriggling, or squeezing his way out of tight places in his quest for the great Outside.

Clement-Davies, David . Fire Bringer
The young deer buck Rannoch is born with an oak-leaf shaped mark on his head that means he will be the savior of his herd. Now he must make a dangerous journey to meet that destiny head-on.

Cooper, Susan. The Dark is Rising
On his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers that he is the last of the Old Ones, destined to seek the six magical signs that will enable the Old Ones to triumph over the evil forces of the Dark.

Creech, Sharon. The Wanderer
13 year old Sophie and her cousin Cody record their trans-Atlantic crossing aboard the Wanderer, a forty five foot sailboat, which along with uncles and another cousin, is en route to visit her grandfather in England.

Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963
The ordinary interactions and everyday activities of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they visit Grandma in Alabama during the summer of 1963.

Hesse, Karen. Stowaway
A fictionalized journal relates the experiences of a young stowaway from 1768 to 1771 aboard the ship Endeavor which sailed around the world under Captain James Cook.                 

Lowry, Lois. Gathering Blue
Lame and suddenly orphaned, Kira is mysteriously moved from her squalid village to live in the palatial Council Edifice, where she is expected to use her gifts as a weaver to do the bidding of the all-powerful Guardians.

Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars
In 1943, during the German occupation of Denmark, 10 year old Annemarie learns how to be brave and courageous when she helps shleter her Jewish friend from the Nazis.

Nix, Garth. Sabriel
Sabriel, daughter of the necromancer Abhorsen, must journey into the mysterious and magical Old Kingdom to rescue her father from the Land of the Dead.

Paterson, Katherine. Sign of the Chrysanthemum
Centuries ago, a teen comes to know himself through contacts with social ills and political unrest while searching for his father in Japan's capital.

Paulsen, Gary. Dogsong
A fourteen-year-old Inuit boy who feels assailed by the modernity of his life takes a 1400-mile journey by dog sled across ice, tundra and mountains, seeking the "song" of himself.

Peck, Richard. A Long Way from Chicago
A boy recounts his annual summer trips to rural Illinois with his sister during the Great Depression to visit their larger-than-life grandmother.

Pullman, Philip. The Golden Compass
Accompanied by her daemon, Lyra sets out to protect her best friend and other kidnapped children from becoming the subject of gruesome experiments in the far North.

Ryan, Pam Munoz. Esperanza Rising
Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their life of wealth and privilege in Mexico to go to work in the labor camps of Southern California.

Spinelli, Jerry. Maniac Magee
After his parents die, Jeffery Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit
The adventures of the well-to-do hobbit Bilbo Baggins, who lived happily in his comfortable home until a wandering wizard granted his wish.

Turner, Megan Whalen. The Thief
Gen flaunts his ingenuity as a thief and relishes the adventure which takes him to a remote temple of the gods where he will attempt to steal a precious stone.

Voight, Cynthia. Homecoming
Abandoned by their mother, Dicey and her younger siblings begin a cross-country search for a home and family.

White, Ruth. Belle Prater's Boy
When Woodrow's mother suddenly disappears, he moves to his grandparent's home in a small Virginia town where he befriends his cousin and together they find the strength to face the terrible losses and fears in their lives.