Covert Avenue 2011 Summer Reading List

Grades K & 1

Arnold, Tedd. Fly Guy Meets Fly Girl (Early Chapter Books)
When Fly Guy meets Fly Girl, he is amazed and smitten.

Cook, Michelle. Our Children Can Soar  (No-Fiction)
Illustrations and brief text introduce early readers to the achievements of prominent African-Americans throughout history, and features George Washington Carver, Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, Barack Obama, and others.

Coffelt, Nancy. Big, Bigger, Biggest (Non-Fiction)
Simple text and colorful illustrations of animals introduce the language of comparisons, synonyms, and antonyms.

Henkes, Kevin. My Garden (Picture Book)
After helping her mother weed, water, and chase the rabbits from their garden, a young girl imagines her dream garden complete with jellybean bushes, chocolate rabbits, and tomatoes the size of beach balls.

Henkes, Kevin.  Little White Rabbit  (Picture Book)
As he hops along a little rabbit wonders what it would be like to be green as grass, tall as fir trees, hard as rocks, and flutter like butterflies

Jenkins, Emily. Skunkdog (Picture Book)
Dumpling, a lonely dog with no sense of smell, moves with his family to the country and makes a new friend who takes some getting used to.

Johnston, Tony. My Abuelita (Picture Book)
With great gusto, a child's grandmother performs deep knee bends, consumes a breakfast of "huevos estrellados," and practices vocal exercises before going to work as a storyteller.

Lynch, Jay. Otto’s Orange Day : A Toon Book (Graphic Novel)
Otto meets a magical genie who grants his wish to make the whole world orange, but Otto soon realizes orange isn't the best color for everything, especially spinach.

Mora, Pat. Gracias Thanks (Picture Book)
Text in English and Spanish. A young multiracial boy celebrates family, friendship, and fun by telling about some of the everyday things for which he is thankful.

Mora, Pat. Book Fiesta! (Picture Book)
Text in English and Spanish. Colorful illustrations and text describe people of various ethnicities and languages enjoying reading.

Rosenstiehl, Agnes. Silly Lilly and the Four Seasons (Graphic Novel)
Presents five short adventures in which a spunky young girl named Lilly enjoys spring, summer, fall, winter, and spring again.

Rotner, Shelley. Sense in the City (Non-Fiction)
Photographs and simple text introduce young readers to the sights, sounds, and smells of the city.

Scotton, Rob. Splat the Cat (Picture Book)
Splat the Cat is nervous about his first day at cat school, but once he arrives he realizes he had nothing to worry about.

Stead, Philip Christian. A Sick Day for Amos McGee (Picture Book)
Zookeeper Amos McGee, who is adored by all the animals, gets some unexpected guests while home sick one day.

Stein, David Ezra. Interrupting Chicken   (Picture Book)
Little Red Chicken wants Papa to read her a bedtime story, but interrupts him almost as soon as he begins each tale.

Thomas, Jan. Rhyming Dust Bunnies (Picture Book)
As three dust bunnies, Ed, Ned, and Ted, are demonstrating how much they love to rhyme, a fourth, Bob, is trying to warn them of approaching danger.

Tonatiuh, Duncan.  Dear Primo : A Letter to My Cousin (Picture Book)
Two cousins, one in Mexico and one in New York City, write to each other and learn that even though their daily lives differ, the boys are very similar at heart.

Willems, Mo. Don’t let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (Picture Book)
A pigeon that longs to drive a bus sees a chance to make its dream come true when the bus driver takes a short break.

Willems, Mo. Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed (Picture Book)
Wilbur is the only naked mole rat in his colony who enjoys wearing clothes, and when Grandpah, the oldest and most naked naked mole rat, discovers his secret, Wilbur fears he will be ostracized from the colony.

Grades 2 & 3

Blume, Judy. Freckle Juice (Humorous/Chapter Book)
Andrew wants freckles so badly that he buys Sharon's freckle recipe for fifty cents.

Chin, Jason. Redwoods (Picture Book/Non-Fiction)
While reading a book about redwood trees on the subway, a young boy travels as he learns, all the way to the forests of California.

Deedy, Carmen Agra. 14 Cows for America  (Non-Fiction)
Presents an illustrated tale of a gift of fourteen cows given by the Maasai people of Kenya to the U.S. as a gesture of comfort and friendship in the wake of the attacks of September 11, 2001.

DiCamillo, Kate. Bink & Gollie  (Humorous/Comic Book Style)
Two roller-skating best friends--one tiny, one tall--share three comical adventures involving outrageously bright socks, an impromptu trek to the Andes, and a most unlikely marvelous companion.

Kibuishi, Kazu. Amulet  (Graphic Novel)
After moving to their ancestral home, Emily and Navin's mother is kidnapped by a tentacled creature in the basement that leads the children on a deadly chase into the magical world below their home.

Kuenzler, Lou. Don't Kiss the Frog!: Princess Stories With Attitude (Short Stories)
A collection of six stories about princesses who are anything but ordinary princesses.

McDonald, Megan. The Hinky Pink : An Old Tale  (Fairytale)
Anabel, a talented seamstress, is delighted to be summoned to the Great Castle of Firenze to create a special dress for Princess Isabella Caramella Gorgonzola, but becomes discouraged when her efforts are continually subverted by an unseen sprite.

McDonald, Megan.  Judy Moody (Series)  (Chapter Books)
The spirited text and wry illustrations will delight any child who's known a bad mood or a bad day--and managed to laugh anyway!

Montgomery, Lewis B. Milo and Jazz Mysteries (Series)  (Mystery)
These mysteries will keep readers on the edge of their seats with fun, suspenseful stories, while helping them learn essential problem solving skills such as observing, inferring, and finding patterns.

O'Brien, Patrick. You Are the First Kid on Mars (Non-Fiction)
An illustrated introduction to what it might be like to live on Mars, covering a boy's journey into orbit, across the solar system, and into an inhabitable station on the red planet; and includes facts about Mars.

Peirce, Lincoln. Big Nate (Series)  (Chapter Books)
Meet Nate Wright--6th grader, class clown, self-described genius, and the all-time record holder for school detentions! With black-and-white illustrations, comics, and doodles throughout, Big Nate blazes an unforgettable trail through middle school.

Pilkey, Dav. The Adventures of Ook and Gluk  (Cartoons/Humorous)
Silly cave boys Ook and Gluk travel to the future where they meet a martial artist who teaches them kung fu so they can return to their prehistoric time and fight an evil corporation that is endangering the past.

Pilkey, Dav. Super Diaper Baby 2 (Cartoons/Humorous)
After Principal Krupp forbids George and Harold from continuing to create comics about feces, the boys begin a story about Rip Van Tinkle, a man who transforms into a puddle of urine and begins to destroy all of the toilets in town.

Salley, Coleen. Epossumondas Saves the Day  (Picture Book)
In this variation on the folktale, Sody Salyraytus, each of Epossumondas's birthday guests disappears until it is finally up to him to rescue them all and bring home the "sody" for his birthday biscuits

Schachner, Judith Byron. Skippyjon Jones (Picture Book)
Text mainly in English with some Spanish. Skippyjon Jones, a little kitten with a big imagination, is sent to his room to contemplate what it means to be a cat, but instead embarks on an imaginary adventure in which his Zorro-like alter ego, El Skippito, rescues a group of chihuahuas from a bean-eating bumblebee.

Schwartz, David M. Where in the Wild (Non-Fiction)
Poems with clues prompt readers to guess the identities of ten camouflaged animals, revealed in gatefolds, and fact pages present information on each species, discussing their camouflage and life cycles.

Stone, Tanya. Elizabeth Leads the Way: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Right to Vote (Non-Fiction)
A brief biography of the life and achievements of nineteenth-century women's rights activist, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who fought for a woman's right to vote.         

Sturm, James. There's a Wolf at the Door  (Fables/Comic Book Style)
As his plans are spoiled over and over again, the wolf keeps trying to find his dinner, in this retelling of five well-known stories and fables.

Grades 4 & 5

Atwater, Richard. Mr. Popper’s Penguins (Humorous/ Newbery Winner)
The unexpected delivery of a large crate containing an Antarctic penguin changes the life and fortunes of Mr. Popper, a house painter obsessed by dreams of the Polar regions.

Beil, Michael D. The Red Blazer Girls: The Ring of Rocamadour (Mystery)
Catholic-schooled seventh-graders Sophie, Margaret, Rebecca, and Leigh Ann help an elderly neighbor solve a puzzle her father left for her estranged daughter twenty years ago.

Doeden, Matt. The Civil War: An Interactive History Adventure (Series) (Non-Fiction)
These interactive history books put the reader in the driver's seat! Everything in these books happened to real people. And the reader chooses the path to take and what to do next. Readers will explore multiple perspectives and learn for themselves the value of seeing history from many points of view.

Flanagan, John. The Ranger’s Apprentice (Series) (Fantasy)
When Will is rejected by battleschool, he becomes the reluctant apprentice to the mysterious Ranger Halt, and winds up protecting the kingdom from danger.

Horowitz, Anthony. Gatekeepers (Series) (Supernatural Fiction)
Sent to live in a foster home in a remote Yorkshire village, Matt, a troubled fourteen-year-old English boy, uncovers an evil plot involving witchcraft and the site of an ancient stone circle.

Jennings, Patrick. We Can’t All be Rattlesnakes (Humorous)
When Crusher the snake is captured, her only thought is to escape but as time goes by and she befriends the other inmates of the "zoo," she realizes that freedom also means leaving companions behind.

Jonell, Lynne. The Secret of Zoom (Adventure)
Ten-year-old Christina lives a sheltered life until she discovers a secret tunnel, an evil plot to enslave orphans, and a mysterious source of energy known as zoom.

Kelly, Katy. Melonhead (Humorous)
During the summer between fourth and fifth grade, Adam "Melonhead" Melon, who lives in the Washington, D.C., neighborhood of Capitol Hill, tries to stay out of trouble to earn a trip to New York City to see the giant "stink flower."

Klise, Kate. 43 Old Cemetery Road: Dying to Meet You (Series)  (Ghosts/Humorous)
In this story told mostly through letters, children's book author, I. B. Grumply, gets more than he bargained for when he rents a quiet place to write for the summer.

Lee, Tony. Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood: A Graphic Novel (Graphic Novel)
A graphic novel retelling of the legend of Robin Hood; revealing why he decided to become an outlaw in Crusades-era England; fighting for justice rather than personal gain.

Lupica, Mike. The Batboy (Sports Fiction)
Even though his mother feels baseball ruined her marriage to his father, she allows fourteen-year-old Brian to become a bat boy for the Detroit Tigers, who have just drafted his favorite player back onto the team.

Martin, Ann M. Everything for a Dog  (Dogs/ Family Life Fiction)
In parallel stories, Bone, an orphaned dog, finds and loses a series of homes, Molly, a family pet, helps Charlie through the grief and other after-effects of his brother's death, and lonely Henry pleads for a dog of his own.

Martin, Russell. The Mysteries of Beethoven's Hair  (Non-Fiction)
Examines the true story of a lock of hair clipped from Beethoven's head at the time of his death in 1827, its transport to a safe house in Denmark in 1943, auction in 1994, and scientist's ability to finally determine the cause of the composer's death.

Mowll, Joshua. Guild of Specialists  (Advenure)
The posthumous papers of Rebecca MacKenzie document her adventures, along with her brother Doug, in 1920s China as the teenaged siblings are sent to live aboard their uncle's ship where they become involved in the dangerous activities of a mysterious secret society called the Honourable Guild of Specialists.

Mull, Brandon. Fablehaven (Series)  (Fantasy/Magic)
When Kendra and Seth go to stay at their grandparents' estate, they discover that it is a sanctuary for magical creatures and that a battle between good and evil is looming.

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds.  Faith, Hope, and Ivy June  (Friendship/Fiction)
During a student exchange program, seventh-graders Ivy June and Catherine share their lives, homes, and communities, and find that although their lifestyles are total opposites they have a lot in common.

Paulsen, Gary. Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day  (Humorous Fiction)
When supremely organized seventh-grader, Molly McGinty, loses the notebook she relies on to keep her life in order she spends the day in chaos.

Riordan, Rick. Kane Chronicles: The Throne of Fire (Series) (Mythology/Adenture)
Brilliant Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane accidentally unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes the doctor to oblivion and forces his two children to embark on a dangerous journey, bringing them closer to the truth about their family and its links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

Riordan, Rick. Heroes of Olympus: The Lose Hero (Series)(Mythology/Adventure)
Jason, Piper, and Leo, three students from a school for "bad kids," find themselves at Camp Half-Blood, where they learn that they are demigods and begin a quest to free Hera, who has been imprisoned by Mother Earth herself.

Sage, Angie.  Septimus Heap (Series) (Fantasy)
Jenna learns that she is a princess found as a baby and now she and Septimus, who was taken at birth by the midwife, are being threatened by the evil wizard, DomDaniel, who intends to finish off the entire royal line.

Schanzer, Rosalyn. John Smith Escapes Again  (Non-Fiction)
Describes daring escapes by seventeenth-century English explorer John Smith from such dangers as pirates, slave drivers, angry mobs, and attacks by Native Americans, which Smith relates in his own books.

Scholastic. The 39 Clues (Series)  (Advenure/Action)
Amy and Dan, members of the powerful Cahill family, try to uncover the thirty-nine clues which will reveal the secrets of their lineage.

Selznick, Brian. The Invention of Hugo Cabret  (Adventure/Caldecott Winner)
When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized.

Stroud, Jonathan. Bartimaeus Trilogy   (Fantasy/Magic)
Nathaniel, a young magician's apprentice, becomes caught in a web of magical espionage, murder, and rebellion, after he summons the djinni Bartimaeus and instructs him to steal the Amulet of Samarkand from the powerful magician Simon Loveland.

Teague, Mark. The Doom Machine (Science Fiction/Humorous)
When a spaceship lands in the small town of Vern Hollow in 1956, juvenile delinquent Jack Creedle and prim, studious Isadora Shumway form an unexpected alliance as they try to keep a group of extraterrestrials from stealing eccentric Uncle Bud's space travel machine.

Wilson, Nathan. 100 Cupboards (Series)  (Magic)
Twelve-year-old Henry York and his cousin Henrietta discover 100 hidden portals to other worlds in the bedroom wall of his aunt and uncle's house.