The purpose of the PWCS Summer Reading Program is to encourage students to enjoy quality literature and to continue developing their independent reading skills. Student participation in the program is voluntary. Students who choose to participate in the program are required to complete a minimum of three books.

 

Students in Fifth Grade who participate will complete a list of books read. The documentation is to include the name of the author, the title of the book, an explanation of the general topic or plot of the book, and a parent or guardian statement that the student has completed the reading.

 

Fifth Grade students who participate in Prince William County Public Library's Summer Reading Program, the Public Library documentation will apply. Students will receive an extra “A” (100) for each book completed, for a total of three. The summer reading documentation will be submitted by the student by the end of the first week of school.

 

 

To help in choosing books that can promote reading growth, this year each child’s 2013 English SOL score will include a Lexile Level. The Lexile Level is based on a student’s SOL score on the English portion of the SOL and approximates his/her reading level. This means a child should be able to read and understand books in a Lexile range of approximately 100 points below to 50 points above the designated score.

 

Knowing a child’s Lexile range can help to locate books that he/she might enjoy reading. Student interest and motivation for reading books that are age appropriate are critical factors to consider as book choices are made. Remember that nothing replaces conversation with the student, his teachers, and librarians in making great choices.

 

It is important to note that the Lexile measure does not address the content or quality of the book. Many other factors affect the relationship between a reader and a book, including its content, the age and interests of the reader, and the design of the actual book. The Lexile measure is a good starting point in the book-selection process, but parents should always consider these other factors when making a decision about which book to choose.

Suggested Reading

Author	Title	Lexile Score	Annotation
Winerip, Michael	Adam Canfield of the Slash	830	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.
Creech, Sharon	The Castle Corona	880	Two orphaned peasant children discover a mysterious pouch, the contents of which lead them to the majestic Castle Corona, where their lives may be transformed forever.
Baillett, Blue	Chasing Vermeer	770	When seemingly unrelated and strange events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.
Paratore, Colleen	The Wedding Planner’s Daughter	780	Willa, a romantic girl who wants a father, tries to find a husband for her mother, Cape Cod’s most popular wedding planner
Paulsen, Gary	The Time Hackers	780	When someone uses futuristic technology to play pranks on twelve-year-old Dorso Clayman, he and his best friend set off on a supposedly impossible journey through space and time trying to stop the gamesters who are endangering the universe.
Bauer, Joan	Sticks	750	With the help of his grandmother, his dead father’s best friend, and his own best friend, a math genius, ten-year-old Mickey prepares to compete in the most important pool championship of his life, despite his mother’s reservations.
Pullman, Philip	The Scarecrow and His Servant	850	A scarecrow and his boy servant, Jack, set off on a dangerous adventure as they try to outwit the crooked Buffaloni family and stake their claim to a valuable Spring Valley.
Funke, Cornelia	Igraine the Brave	900	The daughter of two magicians, twelve-year-old Igraine wants nothing more than to be a knight; and when their castle is attacked by a treacherous neighbor bent on stealing their singing magic books, Igraine has an opportunity to demonstrate her bravery
Gutman, Dan	The Homework Machine	630	Four fifth-grade students—a geek, a class clown, a teacher’s pet, and a slacker—as wellas their teacher and mothers, each relate events surrounding a computer programmed to complete homework assignments.
Curtis, Christopher Paul	Elijah of Buxton	1070	Eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman, the first free-born child in Buxton, Canada—a haven for slaves fleeing the American South in 1859—uses his wits and skills to try to bring to justice the lying preacher who has stolen money that was to be used to buy a family’s freedom.
Brensdorff, Bodil	Children of Crow Cove	810	Grandmother, a young orphaned girl leaves her house by the cove and begins a journey which leads her to people and experiences that exemplify the wisdom her grandmother with her.
Clements, Andrew	The Report by Andrew Clements	700	Fifth-grader Nora Rowley has always hidden the fact that she is a genius from everyone because all she wants is to be normal, but when she comes up with a plan to prove that grade are not important, things begin to get out of control.
Clements, Andrew	Room One: A Mystery or Two	840	Ted Hammond, the only sixth grader in his small Nebraska town’s one-room schoolhouse , searches for clues to the disappearance of a homeless family.
Clements, Andrew	Lunch Money	840	Twelve-year-old Greg, who has always been good at money making projects, is surprised to find himself teaming up with his life long rival, Maura, to create a series of comic books to sell at school.
Sage, Angie	Magyk	640	Jenna learns that she is a princess fund as a baby by the man she believed was her father 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.
Babbitt, Natalie	Jack Plank Tells Tales by Natalie Babbitt	860	Because he is too nice to be a pirate, Jack Plank looks for a new career, but each night he tells tales of why the one job he looked into that day is wrong.
Selznick, Brian	The Invention of Hugo Cabret: A Novel in Words and Pictures	820	When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toy seller and his goddaughter, his biggest secret are jeopardized.
Cleary, Beverly	Strider	840	In a series of diary entries, Leigh tells how he comes to terms with his parents’ divorce, acquires joint custody of an abandoned dog, and joins the track team at school.
Gantos, Jack	Joey Pigza Loses Control	800	Joey, who is still taking medication to keep him from getting too wired, goes to spend the summer with the hard-drinking father he has never known and tries to help the baseball team he coaches win the championship.
Park, Linda Sue	Project Mulberry	690	Julia, a Korea-American, and her friend Patrick learn about tolerance, friendship, and patience while working together on a project about silkworms.
Park, Linda Sue	A Single Shard	920	Tree-ear, a thirteen-year –old orphan in medieval