S u m m e r R e a d i n g L i s t *
Dragon Pearl by
Yoon Ha Lee
Min, a thirteen-year-old girl
with fox-magic, stows away
on a battle cruiser and
impersonates a cadet in order
to solve the mystery of what
happened to her older brother
in the Thousand World Space
Forces. | Lexile: 780
Love, Ish by Karen
Rivers
Twelve year old Mischa
"Ish" Love's longtime dream
has been to someday live on
Mars, but when she collapses on the first day of seventh
grade, Ish receives a diagnosis which threatens her future
plans. | ILA | Lexile: 640
We're Not From Here by Geoff Rodkey
The award-winning author of the Chronicles of Egg series
finds the narrator, a Mars colonist, relocating in the aftermath
of Earth's mysterious demise to the planet Choom, where the
mosquito-like inhabitants dislike human singing, jokes and
emotions so much that they are outlawed. | Lexile: 740
A Problematic Paradox by Eliot
Sappingfield
Thirteen-year-old Nikola's world is turned upside down
when her father is abducted by aliens and she is transported
to a boarding school for geniuses, but things get stranger
when she realizes she has certain abilities that put her
school in danger. | Lexile: 850
The Truth About Martians by Melissa
Savage
When a flying saucer crash-lands next to Mylo's Roswell,
New Mexico, ranch in 1947, he and his friends Dibs and
Gracie set out to find and help the Martians. | Lexile: 650
The Countdown Conspiracy by Katie
Slivensky
Miranda, one of six elite kids training for the world's first-
ever mission to Mars, begins receiving death threats from
hatemongers who do not consider her worthy, until a terror
attack on the training base places the team and mission in
Miranda's hands. | Lexile: 700
FICTION
Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Super-sized twelve-year-old Liam makes a giant leap for
boy-kind by competing with a group of adults for the chance
to go into space. | Lexile: 670
Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark
Dowell
When her brother is sent to fight in Vietnam, twelve-year-
old Jamie begins to reconsider the army world that she has
grown up in. | Lexile: 890
The Jamie Drake Equation by Christopher
Edge
Jamie has a close encounter with an alien who tells him his
father, an astronaut on a mission
at the International Space
Station, is in trouble and needs
Jamie's help. | Lexile: 960
Last Day on Mars by
Kevin Emerson
While waiting to leave Mars
before it burns up just like the
Earth before it, Liam and his
friend Phoebe discover some
facts about time and space and
realize that the human race is
just one of the races trying to
survive in space.
Full Cicada Moon by
Marilyn Hilton
In 1969 twelve-year-old Mimi and her family move to an all
-white town in Vermont, where Mimi's mixed-race
background and interest in "boyish" topics like astronomy
make her feel like an outsider. | ALA, NCSS, Nutmeg
2018 | Lexile: 790
Unidentified Suburban Object by Mike
Jung
Chloe Cho is a Korean American seventh-grader who would
like to get in touch with many of the aspects of her heritage,
but her parents are unwilling to talk about it—then when a
class assignment forces Chloe to confront them directly,
they finally tell her the truth about her family, which may
just be too much for one girl to handle. | Lexile: 830
April 2019
A Universe of Stories! ~ Grades 5-6
Suggested space-themed summer reading
compiled for the Connecticut State Department of Education
by Linda Williams, Connecticut State Library
*Many of the listed books were selected as exemplary books by one or more of the following organizations: the American
Library Association (ALA), the International Literacy Association (ILA), the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), the
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), the National Sci-
ence Teachers Association (NSTA), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) or the United States
Board on Books for Young People (USBBY). Other awards as noted.
S u m m e r R e a d i n g L i s t *
GRAPHIC NOVELS
Sanity & Tallulah by Molly Brooks
Sanity and Tallulah live in a space station at the end of the
galaxy. When Sanity's illegally created three-headed kitten
escapes, the girls have to turn their home upside down to
find her in this graphic novel. | Lexile: 530
Rocket to the Moon! by Don Brown
Presents a history of rocket technology, from ancient
Chinese rockets, the "bombs bursting in air" during the War
of 1812, and Russia's Sputnik program.
One Trick Pony by Nathan Hale
In a future where alien beings consume technology as a few
humans try to preserve it, Strata, her brother, and a friend
are separated from their caravan and, with a wonderful
robotic horse, must fight their way back. | ALA | Lexile: 260
Cleopatra in Space #1: Target Practice by
Mike Maihack
When a young Cleopatra finds a mysterious tablet that zaps
her to the far, REALLY far future, she learns of an ancient
prophecy that says she is destined to save the galaxy from
the tyrannical rule of the evil Xaius Octavian. | ALA, ILA |
Lexile: 430
Red's Planet by Eddie Pittman
The story of headstrong 10-year-old foster child Red, who
stows away on an alien spaceship and is marooned on a
deserted planet with a menagerie of misfit aliens. | ILA |
Lexile: 350
A Black Hole is Not
a Hole by Carolyn
Cinami DeCristofano
Introduces black holes,
describing their physical
features, how they were
discovered, what causes
them, and where they exist in
space. | ALA, NCTE | Lexile:
900
When Planet Earth
Was New by James
Gladstone
Describes the formation of planet Earth, from its beginnings
as molten rock and poison gas, to the formation of oceans,
to the evolution of life. | NSTA | Lexile: 530
Our Moon: New Discoveries About Earth's
Closest Companion by Elaine Scott
Discusses the most up-to-date information known about the
moon, including the newest theories on how it formed, the
recent discovery of water on its surface, and the possibility
of future moon colonies. | NSTA | Lexile: 1280
To Pluto & Beyond: The Amazing Voyage of
New Horizons by Elaine Scott
The newest book from science writer, Elaine Scott,
introduces young readers to New Horizons, the space ship
that NASA built to explore Pluto and the fringes of our solar
system. | NSTA | Lexile: 1090
Welcome to Mars: Making a Home on the
Red Planet by Buzz Aldrin
The Apollo 11 astronaut invites curious youngsters to
evaluate Mars as a potential planet for human colonization,
describing what Mars residents might experience while
traveling to and living on the Red Planet. | NSTA | Lexile:
900
Seven Wonders of the
Solar System by David A
Aguilar
Explores seven extraordinary
celestial wonders, from our close
neighbor Mars to mysterious
Planet 9. | NSTA | Lexile: 1070
American Moonshot
(Young Readers' Edition)
by Douglas Brinkley
A young readers' edition of the
award-winning historian's 50th
anniversary account of America's race to the moon shares
behind-the-scenes insights into the heroic achievements of
the Apollo 11 team and why the mission was so important.
Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to
Dream by Tanya Lee Stone
Presents the story of the thirteen women connected with
NASA's Mercury 13 space mission, who braved prejudice
and jealousy to make their mark and open the door for the
female pilots and space commanders that would soon
follow. | ALA, NCTE, NSTA | Lexile: 980
BIOGRAPHY
NONFICTION
kidnapped and put to work in a plastic mine, while three
mutant detectives use their special powers to search for them. |
ALA | Lexile: 660
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Eleven-year-old Harriet, who is a spy and plans to be an author
keeps a secret notebook filled with thoughts and notes on her
schoolmates and people she observes on her afterschool spy
route, but when some of her classmates read the notebook, they
seek revenge. | Lexile: 760
Roller Girl* by Victoria Jamieson
A graphic novel adventure about a girl who discovers roller
derby right as she and her best friend are growing apart. | ALA,
Nutmeg 2017 | Lexile: 440
The Lion, the Witch, and the
Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
Four English schoolchildren find their way
through the back of a wardrobe into the magic
land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the golden lion, to
triumph over the White Witch, who has cursed the
land with eternal winter. | Lexile: 940
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
In 1943, during the German occupation of
Denmark, ten-year-old Annemarie learns how to be
brave and courageous when she helps shelter her
Jewish friend from the Nazis. | ALA | Lexile: 670
Merci Surez Changes Gears* by Meg Medina
Merci Surez begins the sixth grade and knows things will
change, but she did not count on her grandfather acting
strangely, not fitting in at her private school, and dealing with
Edna Santos' jealousy. | ALA | Lexile: 700
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live
with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince
Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible
impression on everyone around her. | Lexile: 850
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
Tree-ear, a thirteen-year-old orphan in medieval Korea, lives
under a bridge in a potters' village, and longs to learn how to
throw the delicate celadon ceramics himself. | Lexile: 920
S u m m e r R e a d i n g
Favorites & Classics
For Grades 5-6
April 2018
Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster* by
Jonathan Auxier
In nineteenth-century England, after her father's disappearance
Nan Sparrow, ten, works as a "climbing boy," aiding chimney
sweeps, but when her most treasured possessions end up in a
fireplace, she unwittingly creates a golem. | Lexile: 630
The Girl Who Drank the Moon* by Kelly
Barnhill
Luna, whose magical abilities are emerging, was raised in the
forest by a witch, a swamp monster, and a dragon, but when a
young man from the Protectorate is determined to kill the
witch, Luna must use her magic to protect her family. | ALA |
Lexile: 640
The Secret Garden by Frances
Hodgson Burnett
A ten-year-old orphan comes to live in a lonely
house on the Yorkshire moors where she
discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of
a locked garden. | Lexile: 970
The Madman of Piney Woods* by
Christopher Paul Curtis
Even though it is now 1901, the people of Buxton,
Canada (originally a settlement of runaway slaves)
and Chatham, Canada are still haunted by two
events of half a century before--the American Civil
War, and the Irish potato famine, and the lasting damage those
events caused to the survivors. | Lexile: 870
The City of Ember by 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. | ALA | Lexile: 680
The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
Omakayas, a seven-year-old Native American girl of the Ojibwa
tribe, lives through the joys of summer and the perils of winter
on an island in Lake Superior in 1847. | ALA | Lexile: 970
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy
Farmer
In 2194 in Zimbabwe, General Matsika's three children are
READ NUTMEG AWARD NOMINEES!
Find the Intermediate Nutmeg list at: http://nutmegaw ard.org
FAVORITES & CLASSICS
*New to the list in 2019
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine
Paterson
The life of a ten-year-old boy in rural Virginia
expands when he becomes friends with a
newcomer who subsequently meets an untimely
death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia,
during a storm. | Lexile: 810
Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa
Pearce
While staying with his aunt and uncle, Tom
discovers a beautiful garden that is visible only at
night and meets a little girl from the Victorian era
with whom he travels back in time. | Lexile: 860
Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes
In New Orleans' Ninth Ward, twelve-year-old Lanesha, who
can see spirits, and her adopted grandmother have no choice
but to stay and weather the storm as Hurricane Katrina bears
down upon them. | ALA | Lexile: 470
Esperanza Rising by Pam Muoz Ryan
Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their life of
wealth and privilege in Mexico to go work in the labor camps
of Southern California, where they must adapt to the harsh
circumstances facing Mexican farm workers on the eve of the
Great Depression. | ALA | Lexile: 750
Amal Unbound* by Aisha Saeed
In Pakistan, Amal holds onto her dream of being a teacher even
after becoming an indentured servant to pay off her family's
debt to the wealthy and corrupt Khan family. | ALA | Lexile:
600
The Marvels* by Brian Selznick
In 1766, a boy, Billy Marvel, is shipwrecked, rescued, and goes
SERIES
on to found a brilliant family of actors that
flourishes in London until 1900--and nearly a
century later, Joseph Jervis, runs away from
home, seeking refuge with his uncle in London,
and is captivated by the Marvel house, with its
portraits and ghostly presences. | ALA, NCTE |
Lexile: 770
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams
-Garcia
In the summer of 1968, after travelling from
Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month
with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old
Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a
cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a
dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the
intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black
Panther summer camp. | ALA, NBA | Lexile: 750
Beyond the Bright Sea* by Lauren Wolk
Twelve-year-old orphan Crow embarks on a journey to
discover who her parents were and why they abandoned her as
an infant. | ALA | Lexile: 770
Brown Girl Dreaming* by Jacqueline Woodson
In vivid poems that reflect the joy of finding her voice through
writing stories, an award-winning author shares what it was
like to grow up in the 1960s and 1970s in both the North and
the South. | ALA, NBA, NCTE | Lexile: 990
Front Desk* by Kelly Yang
After emigrating from China, ten-year-old Mia Tang's parents
take a job managing a rundown motel, despite the nasty owner,
Mr. Yao, who exploits them, while she works the front desk
and tries to cope with fitting in at her school. | ALA | Lexile:
640
The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
Crispin trilogy by Avi
Poppy by Avi
John Bellairs Mysteries by John Bellairs
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
The Unicorn Chronicles by Bruce Coville
The Moffats by Eleanor Estes
Joey Pigza by Jack Gantos
Shadow Children by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Regarding the.... by Kate Klise
Dog Friday trilogy by Hilary McKay
Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan
Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
Septimus Heap by Angie Sage
Enola Holmes Mysteries by Nancy Springer
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee
Stewart
Sammy Keyes by Wendelin Van Draanen
Adam Canfield by Michael Winrip
Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede
Dear America by various authors
S u m m e r R e a d i n g
Favorites & Classics
For Grades 5-6
