Fairfax County Public Library
Grade 3-6 Summer Reading List for 2005

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Fiction

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel. JFIC OPP
Matt is a cabin boy on the airship Aurora. As the Aurora is shipwrecked by the pirates’ attack, will Matt and his friend Kate find the mysterious flying animals and save the passengers?

Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan. JFIC RYA
When Naomi’s absent mother returns to claim her, Naomi runs away to Mexico with her great-grandmother and younger brother in search of her father.

The Cats in Krasinski Square by Karen Hesse. JFIC HES
Sisters plan to smuggle food to her imprisoned friends, turning to the cats for help.

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett. JMYS BAL
Can a pair of young investigators decipher a code and solve a crime which even has the FBI stumped?

Exiled: Memoirs of a Camel by Kathleen Karr. JFIC KAR
Shipped from his native Egypt in 1856, Ali has been drafted into the short lived United States Camel Corps. One adventure leads to another in the deserts of the Old West, but will he survive the perils of this new land?

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. JFIC COL
When Gregor and his two year-old sister fall into a strange world beneath their apartment building, they become involved in a war between the strange humans who live there and giant rats.

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell. JFIC COW
Hiccup has caught a baby dragon—but can he train it before he is burned by its fire?

House on the Gulf by Margaret Peterson Haddix. JFIC HAD
House sitting in Florida for the summer seems like the perfect job. But Brett is beginning to think this perfect situation is just too good to be true.

I, Jack by Patricia Finney. JFIC FIN
Jack, a Labrador Retriever, tells about his daily life of food, walks, and the “apedogs” (people) and “funny-looking dogs” (cats) in his pack, as well as how everything changes when a pretty girl dog moves into the neighborhood.

Ida B:…and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan. JFIC HAN
Ida B. believes there’s never enough time for fun. Now she has to face her mother’s illness and going back to public school. But she has a plan to get back to the fun.

Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee. JFIC YEE
In a series of journal entries, eleven-year-old child prodigy Millicent Min records her struggles to fit in.

Monkey Business by Wallace Edwards. JP EDW
Ever see a “real can of worms” or felt “as snug as a bug in a rug?” Tons of idioms are brought to life with great art and lots of laughs.

Never Mind!: A Twin Novel by Avi. JFIC AVI
Twins Meg and Edward have nothing in common, so they are just as shocked as everyone when their mischievous schemes collide.

The Pepins and Their Problems by Polly Horvath. JFIC HOR
What would you do if your cow gave lemonade instead of milk? Meet the Pepin family and find out!

The School at Crooked Creek by Laurie Lawlor. JFIC LAW
Following Beansie to school at Crooked Creek will not be difficult, but getting home again is another story!

Science Verse by Jon Scieszka. JFIC SCI
This may be the funniest book you read all summer. Many of these short poems can be sung to popular tunes. Give it a try and you'll laugh till you cry.

The SOS File by Betsy Cromer Byars. JFIC BYA
When Mr. Magro asks his class to write about their biggest emergencies he receives 12 stories and all but one receives the extra credit he offered.

Toad Rage by Morris Gleitzman. JFIC GLE
Australians will go out of their way to run over a cane toad – they’re everywhere.
Limpy, a young toad, does his best to show the toads’ more positive features in this hilarious tale.

The Unseen by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. JFIC SNY
Imagine finding a key to an unseen world where getting in is difficult and getting out alive is nearly impossible.

The World According to Humphrey by Betty G Birney. JFIC BIR
You can learn a lot about yourself by taking care of someone else, but what if that someone else is a pet hamster?

Non-Fiction

Albino Animals by Kelly Milner Halls. J 572.59 H
Why are some animals all-white? Does white fur make them special?

Buildings in Disguise: Architecture that Looks Like Animals, Food, and Other Things by Joan Marie Arbogast. J 720 A
Seeing is believing in this fascinating look at American architecture.

Diamond Life: Baseball Sights, Sounds and Swings by Charles R Smith. J 811 S
Energetic, playful language; bright colors and bold print—come celebrate baseball, America’s favorite pastime.

The Tarantula Scientist by Sy Montgomery. J 595.44 M
Until Sam Marshall started studying the rainforest’s spiders, nobody knew about the largest tarantulas in the world.

Wackiest White House Pets by Gibbs Davis. J 923 D
White House pets have come in every size, shape, and species. From alligators to grizzly bears, find out what animals have belonged to the world’s most powerful leaders and their families!

Wonderful Words: Poems about Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening by Lee Bennett Hopkins. J 808.81 W
This brightly illustrated collection of 15 poems, celebrates the beauty of words.