Writing Ideas: Researching how their favorite authors get their ideas for their stories or doing a report on the author
Having them try to mimic the authors they are reading; they have their google drive accounts and encouraging them to type up stories/poems/etc or to keep working on the free writes they did throughout the school year. They are always welcome to share their stories with me over the summer for feedback and encouragement!
Research papers on topics of their choice
Poetry
Math Ideas: Keep up their math facts Redbird/Kahn Academy/Sumdog 2x2 multiplication (in 5th they will learn how to do 3x2 digit multiplication and how to multiply with decimals) Long Division (in 5th they will add decimals and two digit divisors) Fractions (simplifying them, going from mixed to improper and improper to mixed; in 5th they will add dividing and adding unlike fractions) Finding all the factors of numbers up to 100 (seeing factors fluently is a HUGE help in many upper math skills)
Summer Reading Lists
Sequels to our Read-aloud books: Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing: Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, Superfudge, Fudge-a-mania, Double Fudge The World According to Humphrey: there are many sequels in this series Among the Hidden: Shadow Children Series (there are 6 more books); a similar series is called “Found” by the same author (it is about children adopted from history so it is a mix of science and historical fiction). Peppermints in the Parlor: there is a second book "The Peril of Peppermints" The Cay: Timothy of the Cay (prequel/sequel) The False Prince (we didn't get to this one this year, but here is a link to me reading it aloud online): Runaway King, Shadow Throne, a new one is set to come up in 2021; she has another series that takes place in ancient Rome called The Mark of the Thief The Book of Three (we didn't get to this one this year): Prydain series (there are 4 more books, two of which are Newbery honors; Disney bought the rights to the series years ago and made The Black Cauldron cartoon but they announced they are making a live action adaptation of the whole series in the next few years). Lloyd Alexander also has some other great books; The Westmark series, The First Two Lives of Lukas Kasha, The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen, The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian, and The Iron Ring. Follow ups to our Book Club books: The Secret Garden: Little Lord Fauntleroy and The Little Princess Great Brain: there are 8 books in the series Ms. Green Suggestions for Light-hearted/Easy/Fun Summer Reading: Dealing with Dragons: this is a book about a princess who is sent to live with dragons by her parents so a knight can “rescue” her and marry her. It is witty and satirical and has 5 books in the series. Mrs. Pigglewiggle: this is quite below grade level reading, but the series has fun ways at looking at solving the problems children face and has some valuable pieces of advice! Inkheart Series: this also has a Disney movie adaptation. The series is about a man who has the ability to read characters in and out of books. The Magic Faraway Tree: not necessarily on grade level either, just a really fun series about siblings who find a tree that has a different magical land at the top that changes every day. The Golden Goblet: a mystery/adventure that takes place in ancient Egypt. Ella Enchanted: a fun twist on the Cinderella classic. The same author (Gail Carson Levine) does several retellings of the fairy tale classics that are good as well. Goose Girl: retelling of the Goose Girl fairy tale with several sequels; Shannon Hale has several great books/series. The Clockwork Three: a fun adventure story; the same author wrote another great book about Nordic folklore called "Icefall". The Mysterious Benedict Society: a group of gifted children who are gathered to help solve mysteries/undergo missions. Rump: fun retelling of Rumpelstiltskin The Thief: super fun adventure story with a twist! Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library: a group of kids are invited to play “escape the library” for a grand prize. They must utilize their problem solving and reading skills to win the game. The Unwanteds: series about a society that kicks out all “creative” people; but they don’t know that those kicked out live in a secret magical kingdom and hone their magi skills. The Phantom Tollbooth: a little like Alice and Wonderland; odd and humorous but very well written. Dinotopia: a semi-picture book series that tells of a hidden world where humans and dinosaurs coexist. Amazing illustrations and just a magical/fun read. Brixen Witch: retelling of the Pied Piper The Moorchild: about a girl who is a changeling (Irish/European folklore) Whittington: a cat who lives in a barn tells the story of his ancestor who lived in Medieval times (it is more interesting than it sounds) and helps some children who are having a hard time in the process of his story-telling. My Side of the Mountain: just be careful you child doesn’t try to run away to the mountains after reading! The Ranger Series: an orphan is sent to train as a Ranger (essentially spies for the king) and helps save the kingdom from a plot by a traitor. How to Train Your Dragon Series: very different then the movies; hilarious and has an awesome moral; Hiccup is a great role model! The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Shannon Hale (author of Goose Girl) teams up with Marvel for this super-hero retelling. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon: Chinese folk tale/adventure story Gregor the Overlander Series: same author as the Hunger Games but more kid appropriate. About a kid who “falls” into the underground world with an uneasy peace between rats, humans, bats, and cockroaches. The Land of Elyon: classic fantasy/adventure series The Magic Thief: series that tells the story of a street thief who accidentally steals a magician’s magic talisman and consequently becomes his apprentice. Mostly Magic: another quick/easy read, but fun nonetheless Redwall Series: personifies animals and each type has a different “culture”. It does have some mild language in some of the books, but not all of them. East: a girl is born in a society where the direction you mother faces when you are born determines your destiny. Long, but worth it, and she just wrote a sequel (West). Artemis Fowl: a large series about a young genius anti-hero that goes up against the underground fairy race. A movie adaptation of the book comes out this year!