Colegio Nueva Granada Summer Reading List

Students entering 6th

, 7th

& 8th

Grades

Middle School 2014

Favorites Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

Chew on This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food by Charles Wilson & Eric Schlosser

El secreto de las perlas. de Jordi Sierra i Fabra.

Dear Middle School Students & Parents,

Summer vacation is almost here! We hope that you make it a time to REST, RELAX, READ, but above all ENJOY!

Top 10 Reasons for Teens to Read:

10. Books don’t get caught in braces. 9. Reading won’t cause pimples. 8. Graphic novels look good with whatever you’re wearing. 7. Magazines don’t crash. 6. You can drown out your parent’s music listening to an audio-book. 5. It’s fun. 4. Unlike exercise, you don’t have to shower afterwards.

3. You’ll learn words even your teachers don’t know.

2. It’ll confuse your parents. 1. It’ll make you a more interesting person-introducing you to new people, places and ideas.

STUDENTS ENTERING ENGLISH PRE AP COURSES ARE REQUIRED TO READ AT LEAST ONE OF THE TITLES ON THIS LIST.

STUDENTS ENTERING PRE AP LITERATURA ARE REQUIRED TO READ THE TITLE POSTED BELOW IN THE SPANISH SECTION.

IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT STUDENTS IN REGULAR ENGLISH & SPANISH COURSES READ AT LEAST ONE BOOK IN SPANISH AND ONE IN ENGLISH.

Best wishes for a safe, happy, reading fun-filled summer from the CNG Librarians & Literacy Coaches! Maria del Rosario Uribe – Primary Library Lina Barrera – Elementary Library Lisa Habegger– Elisa Vargas Library Becky Mc Kay – Primary School Literacy Coach Joy Verbon – Elementary School Literacy Coach Stephanie Steckerl – Middle School Literary Coach Allison Lee – High School Literacy Coach

FICTION - 6th GRADE

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely

packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. If that weren’t strange enough, the puppet is uncannily wise and prescient. Double Identity by Margaret Peterson

Thirteen year old Bethany is frightened and bewildered. Her parents have dropped her off at her aunt’s house, with no explanation, no promise of return,

and no way to contact them. She never even knew she had an aunt. Now she is finding out that there is a lot about her family and her past that her parent’s had kept secret from her. As Bethany seeks to unravel the mystery of what has happened, the truth changes her perception of her parents, her past, and her very identity.

The Wig in the Window by Kristen Kittscher

Best friends and seventh graders Sophie Young and Grace Yang have made a game out of spying on their neighbors. On one of their midnight stakeouts, they witness

a terrifying, bloody scene at the home of their bizarre middle-school counselor Dr. Charlotte Agford (also known as Dr. Awkward). At least, they think they do. The truth is that Dr. Agford was only making her famous pickled beets. But when Dr. Agford begins acting even weirder than usual, Sophie and Grace become convinced that she’s hiding something—and they’re determined to find out what it is.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life

she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother's room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.

Swindle by Gordon Korman

After a mean collector named Swindle cons him out of his most valuable baseball card, Griffin Bing must put together a band of misfits to break into Swindle's compound and recapture the card. There are many things standing in their way -- a menacing guard dog, a high-tech security system, a very secret hiding place, and their general inability to drive -- but Griffin and his team are going to get back what's rightfully his . . . even if hijinks ensue. Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson, Laura Park and Chris Tebbetts

It's Rafe Khatchadorian's first day at Hills Village Middle School, and it's shaping up to be the

worst year ever. He has enough problems at home without throwing his first year of middle school into the mix, but luckily he's got an ace plan for the best year ever--if only he can pull it off. With his best friend Leonardo the Silent awarding him points, Rafe tries to break every rule in his school's oppressive Code of Conduct. Chewing gum in class--5,000 points! Running in the hallway--10,000 points! Pulling the fire alarm--50,000 points!

FICTION - 6th GRADE

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. WONDER, now a #1 New York Times bestseller and included on the Texas Bluebonnet Award master list, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance.

Tripping Over the Lunch Lady : and Other School Stories by Various and Nancy Mercado

Do you remember middle school? Are you trying to forget, thank you very much? Well, these ten short stories will certainly remind young readers of the trials and tribulations of their everyday existence . . . and make them laugh out loud at the same time.

From Angela Johnson's funny story about a klutzy girl who thinks that square dancing will save her from the evil trampoline in gym, to Jim Proimos's zany comic book story about always missing the bus, to Avi's imaginative story about an atrocious speller who manages to survive a robbery attempt and earn an A in English at the same time . . . each of these fictional stories humorously reflects those magical and not-so-magical school moments that we've all experienced.

FICTION - 7th GRADE

Page by Paiges by Laura Lee Gulledge Paige Turner has just moved to New York with her family, and she's having some trouble adjusting to the big city. In the pages of her sketchbook, she tries to make sense of her new life, including trying out her secret identity: artist. As she makes friends and starts to explore the city, she slowly brings her secret identity out into the open, a process that is equal parts terrifying and rewarding.

First French kiss : and other traumas by Adam Bagdasrian This collection of finely crafted stories from the acclaimed author of Forgotten Fire zeros in on the moments of comic confusion and tender transformation that make up one boy's wild ride through childhood and adolescence. Whether it's struggling up a godforsaken mountain with other miserable campers, tossing aside all scruples to scramble to the top of the school social heap, searching for the true path to romantic love, or trying to meet the expectations of a father whose high standards seem impossible to live up to - these funny and affecting tales of triumph, humiliation, love, loss, competitive kissing, and laxatives will touch readers and have them laughing out loud as Will, a boy with an overactive imagination, grapples with "what it takes to be a man" and "what kind of man will I become?"

FICTION - 7th GRADE

Drums,Girls & Dangerous pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school, and is constantly

annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey. But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. He is forced to deal with his brother's illness and his parents' attempts to keep the family in one piece. Salted with humor and peppered with devastating realities, DRUMS,

GIRLS, AND DANGEROUS PIE is a heartwarming journey through a year in the life of a family in crisis.

The Testing Series by Joelle Charbonneau It’s graduation day for sixteen-year-

old Malencia Vale, and the entire Five Lakes Colony (the former Great Lakes) is celebrating. All Cia can think about—hope for—is whether she’ll be chosen for The Testing, a United

Commonwealth program that selects the best and brightest new graduates to become possible leaders of the slowly revitalizing post-war civilization. When Cia is chosen, her father finally tells her about his own nightmarish half- memories of The Testing. Armed with his dire warnings (”Cia, trust no one”), she bravely heads off to Tosu City, far away from friends and family, perhaps forever. Danger, romance—and sheer terror—await.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door

Ranger’s Apprentice Series by John A. Flanagan

They have always scared him in the past—the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger's

apprentice. What he doesn't yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied. . . .

Matched by Ally Condie

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky

Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

FICTION - 8th GRADE

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian

Reservation. Determined to take

his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live. Graceling (Graceling Realm #1) by Kristin Cashore In a world where people born with

an extreme skill—called a Grace—are feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of the skill even she despises: the Grace of killing. She lives

under the command of her uncle Randa, King of the Middluns, and is expected to execute his dirty work, punishing and torturing anyone who displeases him.

Copper Sun by Sharon Draper

Karina has plenty to worry about on the last day of seventh grade: finding three Ds and a C on her report card again, getting laughed at by everyone again, being

sent to the principal—again. But she’s too busy dodging the fists of her stepfather and looking out for her sisters to deal with school. This is the story of a young girl coming of age amidst the violent waters that run just beneath the surface of suburbia—a story that has the courage to ask: How far will you go to protect the ones you love? American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

As alienated kids go, Jin Wang is fairly run-of-the-mill: he eats lunch by himself in a corner of the schoolyard, gets picked on by bullies and jocks and develops a

sweat-inducing crush on a pretty classmate. And, oh, yes, his parents are from Taiwan. This much-anticipated, affecting story about growing up different is more than just the story of a Chinese-American childhood; it's a fable for every kid born into a body and a life they wished they could escape.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds

of her enemies. Other kids in the Children's League call Ruby "Leader", but she knows what she really is: a monster. Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys Fifteen-year-old Lina is a Lithuanian girl living an ordinary life--until Soviet officers invade her home and tear her family apart. Separated from her father and forced onto a crowded train, Lina, her mother, and her young brother make their way to a Siberian work camp, where they are forced to fight for their lives.

FICTION EXTRAS

Doll Bones by Holly Black and Eliza Wheeler

Zach, Poppy, and Alice have been friends forever. And for almost as long, they’ve been playing one continuous, ever-changing game of pirates and

thieves, mermaids and warriors. Ruling over all is the Great Queen, a bone-china doll cursing those who displease her. But they are in middle school now. Zach’s father pushes him to give up make-believe, and Zach quits the game. Their friendship might be over, until Poppy declares she’s been having dreams about the Queen—and the ghost of a girl who will not rest until the bone-china doll is buried in her empty

grave. Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on

one girl. . . . Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks Maggie McKay hardly knows what to do with herself. After an idyllic childhood of homeschooling with her mother and rough-housing with her older brothers, it’s time for Maggie to face the outside world, all on her own. But that means facing high school first.

Flora and Ulysses : the illuminated adventures by DiCamillo, Kate It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. Grimm Legacy by Shulman, Polly

Elizabeth has just started working as a page at the New York Circulating Material Repository - a lending library of objects, contemporary and historical, common and obscure. And

secret, too - for in the repository's basement lies the Grimm Collection, a room of magical items straight from the Grimm Brother's fairy tales. But the magic mirrors and seven-league boots and other items are starting to disappear. And before she knows it, she and her fellow pages - handsome Marc, perfect Anjali, and brooding Aaron - are suddenly caught up in an exciting, and dangerous, magical adventure.

Never Let You Go by by Sabrina Devonshire For ten years, Sydney and her husband, Craig, tried to have a baby without success. Sydney is devastated when Craig tells her he’s met someone else. Desperate to escape, she books a flight to the Bocas del Toro Islands in Panama.

The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

When Billy Miller has a mishap at the statue of the Jolly Green Giant at the end of summer vacation, he ends up

with a big lump on his head. What a way to start second grade, with a lump on your head! As the year goes by, though, Billy figures out how to navigate elementary school, how to appreciate his little sister, and how to be a more grown up and responsible member of the family and a help to his busy working mom and stay-at-home dad.

Life as we know it : A Father, a Family, and an Exceptional Child by Michael Berube

When Jamie Bérubé was born with Down syndrome in 1991, he was immediately subject to the medical procedures, insurance guidelines,

policies, and representations that surround every child our society designates as disabled. In this wrenching yet ultimately inspiring book, Jamie's father, literary scholar Michael Bérubé, describes not only the challenges of raising his son but the challenge of seeing him as a person rather than as a medical, genetic, or social problem.

NON FICTION - 6th GRADE

How to Speak Dog: A Guide to Decoding Dog Language

by Aline Alexander Newman and

Gary Weitzman Do you speak dog? How to Speak Dog is a fun, informative, and photographically driven book that helps kids understand what their dog is

trying to tell them through body language and behavior. Super-engaging dog photography, along with National Geographic Kids' signature bold and bouncy design, helps illustrate the key canine concepts. Quick-hit tip boxes, fun facts about mankind's best friends, and informative sidebars from the experts enliven the text.

Chew on This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food by Charles Wilson & Eric Schlosser

Kids love fast food. And the fast food industry definitely loves kids. It couldn’t survive without them. Not only has fast food reached into the toy industry, it’s moving into our schools. One out of every five public schools in the United States now serves brand name fast food. But do kids know what they’re eating? Where do fast food hamburgers come from? And what makes those fries taste so good?

How They Croaked : The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg and Kevin O'Malley

Over the course of history men and women have lived and died. In fact, getting sick and dying can be a big, ugly mess-especially

before the modern medical care that we all enjoy today. How They Croaked relays all the gory details of how nineteen world figures gave up the ghost. Readers will be fascinated well past the final curtain, and feel lucky to live in a world with painkillers, X-rays, soap, and 911.

NON FICTION - 7th GRADE

Code Talkers by Joseph Bruhac After being taught in a boarding school run by whites and told that Navajo is a useless language, Ned Begay and other Navajo men are recruited by the Marines to become Code Talkers, sending messages during World War II in their native tongue.

The President has been Shot by James L. Swanson

In his new young-adult book on the

Kennedy assassination,

James Swanson will transport readers back to one of the most shocking, sad, and terrifying events

in American history. As he did in his bestselling Scholastic YA book, CHASING LINCOLN'S KILLER, Swanson will deploy his signature "you are there" style -- a riveting, ticking-clock pace, with an unprecedented eye for dramatic details and impeccable historical accuracy -- to tell the story of the JFK assassination as it has never been told before.

The Other Side of the Sky by Farah Ahmedi

Farah Ahmedi's "poignant tale of survival" (Chicago Tribune) chronicles her journey from war to peace. Equal parts tragedy and

hope, determination and daring, Ahmedi's memoir delivers a remarkably vivid portrait of her girlhood in Kabul, where the sound of gunfire and the sight of falling bombs shaped her life and stole her family. She herself narrowly escapes death when she steps on a land mine. Eventually the war forces her to flee, first over the mountains to refugee camps across the border, and finally to America.

NON FICTION - 8th GRADE

The Nazi Hunters : How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World's Most Notorious Nazi by Neal Bascomb

THE NAZI HUNTERS is the thrilling and fascinating story of what happened between these two events. Survivor Simon Wiesenthal

opened Eichmann's case; a blind Argentinean and his teenage daughter provided crucial information. Finally, the Israeli spies -- many of whom lost family in the Holocaust -- embarked on their daring mission, recounted here in full. First Stick Knife Gun : A Personal History of Violence by Geoffrey Canada and Jamar Nicholas Long before President Barack Obama praised his work as “an all-encompassing, all-hands-on-deck anti-poverty effort that is literally saving a generation of children,” and First Lady Michelle Obama called him “one of my heroes,” Geoffrey Canada was a small and scared boy growing up in the South Bronx. His childhood world was one where “sidewalk boys” learned the codes of the block and were ranked through the rituals of fist, stick, knife, and, finally, gun. In a stunning pairing, acclaimed comics creator Jamar Nicholas presents Canada’s raw and riveting account, one of the most authentic and important true stories of urban violence ever told.

Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick This National Book Award nominee from two-time finalist Patricia McCormick is the unforgettable story of Arn Chorn-Pond, who defied the odds to survive the Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979 and the labor camps of the Khmer Rouge. Based on the true story of Cambodian advocate Arn Chorn-Pond, and authentically told from his point of view as a young boy, this is an achingly raw and powerful historical novel about a child of war who becomes a man of peace. It includes an author's note and acknowledgments from Arn Chorn-Pond himself. When soldiers arrive in his hometown, Arn is just a normal little boy. But after the soldiers march the entire population into the countryside, his life is changed forever. Arn is separated from his family and assigned to a labor camp: working in the rice paddies under a blazing sun, he sees the other children dying before his eyes. One day, the soldiers ask if any of the kids can play an instrument. Arn's never played a note in his life, but he volunteers. This decision will save his life, but it will pull him into the very center of what we know today as the Killing Fields. And just as the country is about to be liberated, Arn is handed a gun and forced to become a soldier.

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson

Greg Mortenson, a

homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan’s treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance

encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools—especially for girls—that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin

This is the story of the plotting, the risk-taking, the deceit, and genius that created the world's most formidable weapon.

This is the story of the atomic bomb. Bomb is a 2012 National Book Awards finalist for Young People’s Literature. Bomb is a 2012 Washington Post Best Kids Books of the Year title. Bomb is a 2013 Newbery Honor book.

LIBROS EN ESPAÑOL

ALUMNOS ENTRANDO A GRADO 6

Lectura recomendada

El secreto de las perlas de Jordi Fabra y Maria Fernanda Mantilla

Un pueblo de pescadores con un mar en donde ya no hay peces que pescar, un hombre que encuentra una cueva submarina repleta de valiosas perlas, un destino

se cruza entre la necesidad de todos y el egoísmo de uno solo. El secreto de las perlas es un canto a la vida, a la solidaridad y a la ecología; una historia Épica, con tintes de leyenda, sobre la relación del ser humano y la naturaleza.

PRE-AP Lectura obligatoria

El dragón de vapor. de Andrés Alberto Montañés Lleras

ALUMNOS ENTRANDO A GRADO 7

Lecturas recomendada

Aventuras de la mano negra. de Hans Jürgen Press

PRE-AP Lectura obligatoria

Soldados en la lluvia. de Toño Malpica.

ALUMNOS ENTRANDO A

GRADO 8

Lectura recomendada

Detectives del ADN. de Angela Posada-Swafford.

PRE AP Lectura obligatoria

Terror en el cosmos de Angela Posada-Swafford

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!