Ruppel Academy for Advanced Studies
Incoming Sixth Grade Summer Reading List 2018
Students should read a total of three books from the list below. One must be Fiction and one Non-fiction. The third novel is‘Student’s Choice’ either Fiction or Non-fiction.Students must complete a summary sheet for each book. The summary sheet must be returned to the student’s ELA teacher by the SECOND Friday of the school year.
Non-fiction:
Almost Astronaunts - Tanya Lee Stone
Have you ever heard of the “Mercury 13” women? Did you know that nearly twenty years before the first women were let into NASA’s astronaut program, there were others who tried? Here is the tale of thirteen women who proved not only that they were as tough as any man but also that they were brave enough to challenge the government. Their passage to space was blocked by prejudice, jealousy, and a note scrawled by one of the most powerful men in Washington. But in the end, their inspiring example empowered young women to take their rightful place in the sky, piloting jets and commanding space capsules.
Flesh and Blood So Cheap - Albert Marrin Provides a detailed account of the disastrous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City, which claimed the lives of 146 garment workers in 1911, and examines the impact of this event on the nation's working conditions and labor.
Go - Chip Kidd Graphic designer Chip Kidd describes the elements of graphic design, including form, function, color, and typography.
Red Scarf Girl - Ji-li Jiang The author's frightening first hand account of how her family and life changed during China's cultural revolution 1966-1969.
The Boys in the Boat - Daniel James Brown Describes the American rowing team's triumphant and unlikely win during the 1936 Olympics.
The Port Chicago 50 - Steve Sheinkin Describes the fifty black sailors who refused to work in unsafe and unfair conditions after an explosion in Port Chicago killed 320 servicemen, and how the incident influenced civil rights.
Black Potatoes- Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Presents an overview of the Irish potato famine of 1845-50, describing the blight on this vital food source, and including information on the political and personal impact it had on Ireland and its people.
Drowned City- Don Brown
The riveting tale of this historic storm and the drowning of an American city is one of selflessness, heroism, and courage -- and also of incompetence, racism, and criminality. Don Brown's kinetic art and as-it-happens narrative capture both the tragedy and triumph of one of the worst natural disasters in American history. A portion of the proceeds from this book has been donated to Habitat for Humanity New Orleans.
George Washinton, Spymaster- Thomas B. Allen The concise narrative traces Washington's use of spies and makes a convincing case for the pivotal role that espionage played in defeating the British. Laced with details about invisible ink, codes, and double agents, the discussion often draws parallels between eighteenth-century deceptions and the methods and vocabulary of modern espionage. See our founding father in a new light!
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The Family Romanov- Candace FlemingDetails the history of Russia's last royal family, the Romanovs.
Fiction:
A Tale Dark and Grimm - Adam Gidwitz
Follows Hansel and Gretel as they walk out of their own story and into eight more tales, encountering such wicked creatures as witches, along with kindly strangers and other helpful folk.
Adam Canfield of the Slash - Michael Winerip
While serving as co-editors of their school newspaper, middle-schoolers Adam and Jennifer uncover fraud and corruption in their school and in the city's government.
Case of the Missing Marquess- Enola Holmes Nancy Springer
Enola Holmes, much younger sister of detective Sherlock Holmes, must travel to London in disguise to unravel the disappearance of her missing mother.
City of Ember - Jeanne DuPrau
In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions.
Counting By 7s - Holly Goldberg Sloan
Twelve-year-old genius and outsider Willow Chance must figure out how to connect with other people and find a surrogate family for herself after her parents are killed in a car accident.
Dragon and Thief - Timothy Zahn
Jack Morgan's efforts to be cleared of a theft he didn't make are complicated when he allows Draycos, a symbiotic dragon, to take up residence on his back in the form of a moving tattoo.
Foiled - Jane Yolen and Mike Cavallaro
Aliera Carstairs, having always felt like an outcast at school but special in her fencing class, falls for Avery Castle, until a fencing foil with a large ruby on the hilt that her mother found at a sale reveals to her that both Avery and the world around her are not what they seem.
Mistakes Were Made - Stephan Pastis (Illustrator)
Meet Timmy Failure, the founder, president, and CEO of the best detective agency in town, probably the nation and his lazy sidekick, Total, a 1,500-pound polar bear.
Museum of Thieves - Lian Tanner
Goldie, an impulsive and bold twelve-year-old, escapes the oppressive city of Jewel, where children are required to wear guardchains for their protection, and finds refuge in the extraordinary Museum of Dunt, an ever-shifting world where she discovers a useful talent for thievery and mysterious secrets that threaten her city and everyone she loves.
Rain Reign - Ann M. Martin
Struggling with Asperger's, Rose shares a bond with her beloved dog, but when the dog goes missing during a storm, Rose is forced to confront the limits of her comfort levels, even if it means leaving her routines in order to search for her pet.
The Penderwicks - Jeanne Birdsall
While vacationing with their widowed father in the Berkshire Mountains, four lovable sisters, ages four through twelve, share adventures with a local boy, much to the dismay of his snobbish mother. A National Book Award winne
Wolf Hollow - Lauren Wolk
Twelve-year-old Annabelle must learn to stand up for what's right in the face of a manipulative and violent new bully who targets people Annabelle cares about, including a homeless World War I veteran.