The Ancona School: Summer Reading 2015 Prepared by Marsha Stewart, Ancona Librarian

Picture Books for Early Readers (Stories to read together)

1. Flashlight by Lizi Boyd Silvery­gray gouache illustrations on black pages capture a boy’s nighttime nature walk. He trains his flashlight on various items, illuminating full­color details. In a gently fantastical turn, the animals he’s been observing use the flashlight to guide him safely back to his tent.

2. Last Stop on Market Street by Matthew de la Pena Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don't own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn’t he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty—and fun—in their routine and the world around them. This energetic

ride through a bustling city highlights the wonderful perspective only grandparent and grandchild can share. 3. Look by Jeff Mack Everyone needs a little attention from time to time. Just ask our gorilla who will stop at nothing to be noticed by the boy with his eyes glued to the TV set. But for the gorilla, it’s going to take more than a quiet nudge to steal away the boy’s attention. When his usual antics fail to catch the boy’s eye—LOOK OUT! The gorilla has some other tricks up his

sleeve. Using only two words—LOOK and OUT—Jeff Mack relates an adorably hilarious story about an attention­loving gorilla, a television­loving boy, and a friendship that develops over books.

4. Where are my books by Debbie Ridpath Ohi A boy investigates a squirrelly situation to track down his missing stories in this charming ode to book lovers of all kinds.

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

Spencer loves to read. He reads a book every night. But one morning his favorite book goes missing, and in its place is a tulip. Spencer searches high and low, but he can’t find his book. The next morning another book is missing, a nut in its place. And the morning after that, another book is missing. What is happening to Spencer’s books? When he finds out, Spencer devises a surprising solution that will delight readers (and librarians) everywhere.

5. The Hula­Hoopin’ Queen by Thelma Lynne Godin Kameeka is determined to win the title of “Hula­Hoopin’ Queen of 139th Street.” But on the day of the contest, she’s supposed to help prepare a birthday party for her elderly neighbor, Miz Adeline. A funny, satisfying resolution reveals Miz Adeline’s own unsuspected talent. 6. Going Places by Peter Reynolds It’s time for this year’s Going Places contest! Finally. Time to build a go­cart, race it—and win. Each kid grabs an identical kit, and scrambles to build. Everyone but Maya. She sure doesn’t seem to be in a hurry...and that sure doesn’t look like anybody else’s go­cart! But who said it had to be a go­cart? And who said there’s only one way to cross the finish line? 7. If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson Kadir Nelson, author of Baby Bear, presents a resonant, gently humorous story about the power of even the smallest acts and the rewards of compassion and generosity.

With spare text and breathtaking oil paintings, If You Plant a Seed demonstrates not only the process of planting and growing for young children but also how a seed of

kindness can bear sweet fruit. 8. The Book With No Pictures by BJ Novak You might think a book with no pictures seems boring and serious. Except . . . here’s how books work. Everything written on the page has to be said by the person reading it aloud. Even if the words say . . .BLORK. Or BLUURF. Cleverly irreverent and irresistibly silly, The Book with No Pictures is one that kids will beg to hear again and again. (And parents will be happy to oblige.)

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

9. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce

Morris Lessmore loved words. He loved stories. He loved books.

But every story has its upsets. Everything in Morris Lessmore’s life, including his own

story, is scattered to the winds. But the power of story will save the day.

Check out the companion iPad app. 10. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak Where The Wild Things Are tells the story of a boy named Max, who is making mischief throughout his house. Max is seen throughout the book wearing a wolf suit, a king's crown, and a mischievous grin. After chasing the family dog around the house with a fork, Max is sent to his room without any

supper by his mother. He then begins a magical journey, in which his room transforms into a new world, with creatures named the Wild Things, where he is soon made king. Max is in control of his life in the land of the Wild Things, but soon finds himself homesick and yearning to go back home.

11. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch A young woman holds her newborn son and looks at him lovingly. Softly she sings to him:

"I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living, My baby you'll be."

So begins the story that has touched the hearts of millions worldwide. 12. How to Read a Story by Kate Messner and Mark Siegel Step One: Find a story. (A good one.) Step Two: Find a reading buddy. (Someone nice.) Step Three: Find a reading spot. (Couches are cozy.)

Now: Begin. Accomplished storytellers Kate Messner and Mark Siegel chronicle the process of becoming a reader: from pulling a book off the shelf and finding someone with whom to share a story, to reading aloud, predicting what will happen, and—finally—coming to The End. This picture book playfully and movingly illustrates the idea that the reader who discovers the love of reading finds, at the end, the beginning.

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

13. My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay by Cari Best Zulay and her three best friends are all in the same first grade class and study the same things, even though Zulay is blind. When their teacher asks her students what activity they want to do on Field Day, Zulay surprises everyone when she says she wants to run a race. With the help of a special aide and the support of her friends, Zulay does just that.

14. Chalk by Bill Thomson Three children walk through a playground and discover a bag of magical chalk. Whatever they draw comes to life. The kids can't resist experimenting, but regret it when a giant dinosaur chases them. How will they escape?

15. Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner In this exuberant and lyrical follow­up to the award­winning Over and Under the Snow, discover the wonders that lie hidden between stalks, under the shade of leaves . . . and down in the dirt. Explore the hidden world and many lives of a garden through the course of a year! Up in the garden, the world is full of green—leaves and sprouts, growing vegetables, ripening fruit. But down in the dirt exists a busy world—earthworms dig, snakes hunt, skunks burrow—populated by all the animals that make a garden their home. 16. Water Rolls, Water Rises / El agua rueda, el agua sube by Pat Mora Fourteen three­line verses, in English and Spanish, celebrate water in its many forms. Each verse is accompanied by a majestic painting depicting a place in the world, from Arizona to Zambia. In either language, the poems, read aloud, are as attention­grabbing as the illustrations. 17. Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle

Girls cannot be drummers. Long ago on an island filled with music, no one questioned that rule—until the drum dream girl. In her city of drumbeats, she dreamed of pounding tall congas and tapping small bongós. She had to keep quiet. She had to practice in secret. But when at last her dream­bright music was heard, everyone sang and danced and decided that both girls and boys should be free to drum and dream.

Inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese­African­Cuban girl who broke Cuba's traditional taboo against female drummers, Drum Dream Girl tells an inspiring true story for dreamers everywhere.

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

18. Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson

Born in Ghana, West Africa, with one deformed leg, he was dismissed by most people—but not by his mother, who taught him to reach for his dreams. As a boy, Emmanuel hopped to school more than two miles each way, learned to play soccer, left home at age thirteen to provide for his family, and, eventually, became a cyclist. He rode an astonishing four hundred miles across Ghana in 2001, spreading his powerful message: disability is not inability. Today,

Emmanuel continues to work on behalf of the disabled.

19. Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos by Stephanie Roth Sisson Young Carl Sagan’s general curiosity settles into a yearning to know more about stars and the solar systems. Shifting perspectives in the mixed­media illustrations capture his intellectual journey: for example, a vertical foldout depicts Carl studying, and as the

page opens — and Carl’s knowledge increases — the universe above him expands. 20. Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla by Katherine Applegate Captured as a baby, Ivan was brought to a Tacoma, Washington, mall to attract shoppers.

Gradually, public pressure built until a better way of life for Ivan was found at Zoo Atlanta. From the Congo to America, and from a local business attraction to a national symbol of animal welfare, Ivan the Shopping Mall Gorilla traveled an astonishing distance in miles and in impact. This is his true story and includes photographs of Ivan in the back matter.

21. Feathers: Not Just for Flying by Melissa Stewart and Sarah S. Brannen Young naturalists meet sixteen birds in this elegant introduction to the many uses of feathers. A concise main text highlights how feathers are not just for flying. More curious readers are invited to explore informative sidebars, which underscore specific ways each

bird uses its feathers for a variety of practical purposes. A scrapbook design showcases life­size feather illustrations.

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

Grades 1­3

1. I Will Take a Nap by Mo Willems In I Will Take a Nap! Gerald is tired and cranky. Will Piggie be in his dreams? Or will she keep Gerald from dreaming at all?

2. Amelia Bedelia Cleans Up (Amelia Bedelia Chapter Book #6) by Herman Parish

In the sixth book in the New York Times–bestselling chapter book series about the childhood of America's favorite housekeeper, Amelia Bedelia and her friends clean up a vacant lot in their neighborhood and build a clubhouse for explorers. Short, fast­paced chapters, tons of friends and funny situations, and black­and­white illustrations on every page make the Amelia Bedelia chapter books an ideal choice for readers of the Ivy + Bean, Magic Tree House, and

Judy Moody books. Includes a guide to idioms used in the book. 3. Just Grace and the Super Sleepover (The Just Grace Series) by Charise Mericle Harper

Put on your pajamas and bring your sleeping bag—it’s time for Just Grace to go to a super sleepover! Birthdays and sleepovers are always super fun, but there’s just one thing that keeps Just Grace from getting super excited about this sleepover. 4. Leroy Ninker Saddles Up by Kate DiCamillo Yippie­i­oh! Saddle up for the first in a spin­off series starring favorite characters from Kate DiCamillo’s Mercy Watson books. Leroy Ninker has a hat, a lasso, and boots. What he doesn’t have is a horse — until he meets Maybelline, that is, and then it’s love at first sight. Maybelline loves spaghetti and sweet

nothings, and she loves Leroy, too. But when Leroy forgets the third and final rule of caring for Maybelline, disaster ensues. Can Leroy wrestle fate to the ground, rescue the horse of his heart, and lasso loneliness for good? Join Leroy, Maybelline, and a cast of familiar characters — Stella, Frank, Mrs. Watson, and everyone’s favorite porcine wonder, Mercy — for some hilarious and heartfelt horsing around on Deckawoo Drive.

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

5. The Case of the Weird Blue Chicken: The Next Misadventure[Chicken Squad series] by Doreen Cronin When featherbrained chicks Dirt, Sugar, Poppy, and Sweetie (The Chicken Squad) post a flyer advertising their services — finding lost things, fixing broken things, getting clients out of trouble, or bringing trouble to them — a number of mysteries collide. 6. Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny by John Himmelman Thirteen generously illustrated chapters relate the adventures of rabbit Isabel, known as Bunjitsu Bunny for her skills in martial arts class. Each tale wraps a zen­like lesson — about avoiding fights, outsmarting bullies, dealing with nightmares 7. Ling & Ting: Twice as Silly by Grace Lin In the twins’ third easy reader, six stories each conclude on a goofy note perfectly attuned to early readers’ developing sense of wordplay (e.g., when Ling finds messy Ting covered with paint: “I said ‘Paint everything’! I did not say ‘Paint everyTING’!”) 8. Lulu's Mysterious Mission (Lulu #3) by Judith Viorst

This irresistible third illustrated chapter book starring Judith Viorst's Lulu is full of hilarious hijinks, delightful twists, and a top­secret mission!

Eeny meeny miney mo,

That babysitter's got to go.

Lulu has put her tantrum­throwing days behind her. That is, until her parents announce that they are going on vacation WITHOUT LULU. Not only that, but they are leaving her with the formidable Ms. Sonia Sofia Solinsky, who says hello by bellowing, The Eagle has landed, and smiles at you with the kind of smile that an alligator might give you before eating you for dinner. The second her parents are out of the house, Lulu tries out several elaborate schemes to bring them straight back. But just when she seems to finally be making some headway, her babysitter reveals an astonishing secret one that has Lulu crossing her fingers that her parents will go on vacation all the time without her!

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

9. Marty McGuire Has Too Many Pets! (Marty McGuire #3) by Kate Messner

Another adventure starring irrepressible third­grader Marty McGuire.

After visiting a sanctuary for retired lab chimpanzees, Marty wants to follow in the footsteps of her idol Jane Goodall and help with their care. But "adopting a chimp" is expensive, so Marty and her third­grade pals hatch a plan to raise money by holding a talent show at school and opening a pet­sitting business in Marty's basement. It turns out that each pet has a personality of its own, and wrangling them is much harder than Marty expected. How will Marty keep her

latest great idea from going to the dogs?

10. Completely Clementine by Sara Pennypacker In this series­ender, third grade is almost over, but Clementine isn’t ready to say goodbye. Meanwhile, she’s not speaking to her father, her new baby sibling is due any day, and her friend Margaret’s mother is getting married. A warm, bittersweet sendoff for a beloved literary friend.

11. Princess in Black by Shannon Hale Who says princesses don’t wear black? When trouble raises its blue monster head, Princess Magnolia ditches her flouncy dresses and becomes the Princess in Black!

Princess Magnolia is having hot chocolate and scones with Duchess Wigtower when . . . Brring! Brring! The monster alarm! A big blue monster is threatening the goats! Stopping monsters is no job for dainty Princess Magnolia. But luckily Princess Magnolia has a secret —she’s also the Princess in Black, and stopping monsters is the perfect job for her! Can the princess sneak away, transform into her alter ego, and defeat the monster before the nosy duchess discovers her secret? From award­winning writing team of Shannon and Dean Hale and illustrator LeUyen Pham, here is the first in a humorous and action­packed chapter book series for young readers who like their princesses not only prim and perfect, but also dressed in black.

12. Like Carrot Juice on a Cupcake by Julie Sternberg In the third installment from the team who created Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie and Like Bug Juice on a Burger, Eleanor’s relationship with her best friend, Pearl, experiences its first growing pains. When a glamorous new student transfers to school, at first Eleanor’s excited about the possibility of a new friend. But when Pearl is assigned to be the new girl’s buddy, Eleanor fears

she can’t compete. To make matters worse, Eleanor’s been chosen for the lead role in the springtime musical, which means she has to sing a solo in front of the entire school! From overcoming stage fright to having a secret crush, young readers will relate to Eleanor as she navigates the bittersweet waters of growing up.

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

13. Rich: A Dyamonde Daniel Book by Nikki Grimes Dyamonde Daniel is excited about the local library?s poetry contest, and so is her friend Free. The prize is one hundred dollars?just think what they could buy with that much money! But when they find out that Damaris, one of their classmates, has been living in a homeless shelter, their ideas about what it means to be rich or poor start to change. And when they get to know

Damaris, they realize the one who could use the prize money the most also happens to be the best poet in class.

14. The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng In Chinese, peng you means friend. But in any language, all Anna knows for certain is that friendship is complicated. When Anna needs company, she turns to her books. Whether traveling through A Wrinkle in Time, or peering over My Side of the Mountain, books provide what real life cannot—constant companionship and insight into her changing world. Books, however, can’t tell

Anna how to find a true friend. She’ll have to discover that on her own.

15. The 39­Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths Andy and Terry are once again inviting readers to come hang out with them in their astonishing 39­story treehouse (it used to be 13 stories, then 26 stories, but they keep expanding). And this year they will have even more time to jump on the world's highest trampoline, toast marshmallows in an active volcano, swim in the chocolate waterfall, pet baby dinosaurs, and go head­to­trunk with the Trunkinator, since Terry has created the greatest invention that he­­or

anyone else­­has ever invented . . . a Once­upon­a­time machine that will write and illustrate their entire book for them! What are you waiting for? Come on up! The third book in the Treehouse series.

16. Frank Einstein and the Electro­Finger by Jon Scieszka

In this second book in the series, Frank Einstein (kid­genius scientist and inventor) and his best friend, Watson, along with Klink (a self­assembled artificial­intelligence entity) and Klank (a mostly self­assembled artificialalmost intelligence entity), once again find themselves in competition with T. Edison, their classmate and archrival—this time in the quest to unlock the power behind the

science of energy. Frank is working on a revamped version of one of Nikola Tesla’s inventions, the “Electro­Finger,” a device that can tap into energy anywhere and allow all of Midville to live off the grid, with free wireless and solar energy. But this puts Frank in direct conflict with Edison’s quest to control all the power and light in Midville, monopolize its energy resources, and get “rich rich rich.” Time is running out, and only Frank, Watson, Klink, and Klank can stop Edison and his sentient ape, Mr. Chimp!

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

17. Petlandia by Peter Hannan A family of pets has kicked their snoring, sniveling humans to the curb, and declared the house an independent nation. But who will lead the new country of Petlandia? Tricky feline (and dictator­wannabe) Mrs. Wigglesworth is expecting to be waited on like a queen. It's all foot rubs and ice cream sundaes from here on out! But doofy dog Grub and his lovesick sidekick

Honeybaked Hamster want equal representation, and they have the masses on their side. It's a dog­eat­dog world, and soon Petlandia has descended into all­out civil war!

18. Long Shot (Comeback Kids) by Mike Lupica Pedro Morales loves playing basketball, but he's more of a team guy than a star ­ that would be Ned Hancock, the best player in their entire town. The two boys get along well, but their friendship is threatened when Pedro decides to run against Ned for class president. The election

starts to affect their team, and Pedro learns who his real friends are and the best way to work together on and off the court.

19. Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California’s Farallon Islands by Katherine Roy A dramatic main narrative describes a great white shark swimming and hunting off the Northern California coast; information­rich sections tell more about shark biology and about the scientists who study them. Roy’s kid­pleasingly­gory (but not gratuitously so) illustrations masterfully

employ color and perspective.

20. Gravity by Jason Chin What keeps objects from floating out of your hand? What if your feet drifted away from the ground? What stops everything from floating into space? Gravity.

21. Digging a Hole to Heaven: Coal Miner Boys by S. D. Nelson At 12 years old, Conall has already worked in the coal mines of West Virginia for two years. He spends his days deep underground with his faithful mule, Angel, carting loads of coal back and forth between the coal seams and the main shaft, where elevators take the coal up to the surface. One day a tunnel collapses, and his brother is trapped with others on the

wrong side! How can Conall and Angel help to save them?

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

22. The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage by Selina Alko This is the story of one brave family: Mildred Loving, Richard Perry Loving, and their three children. It is the story of how Mildred and Richard fell in love, and got married in Washington, D.C. But when they moved back to their hometown in Virginia, they were arrested (in dramatic fashion) for violating that state's laws against interracial marriage. The

Lovings refused to allow their children to get the message that their parents' love was wrong and so they fought the unfair law, taking their case all the way to the Supreme Court.

23. Malala, a Brave Girl from Pakistan/Iqbal, a Brave Boy from Pakistan: Two Stories of Bravery by Jeanette Winter One country: Pakistan. Two children: Iqbal Masih and Malala Yousafzai. Each was unafraid to speak out. He, against inhumane child slavery in the carpet trade. She, for the right of girls to attend school. Both were shot by those who disagreed with

them—he in 1995, she in 2012. Iqbal was killed instantly; Malala miraculously survived and continues to speak out around the world. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her work.

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

Grades 4­6

1. Pieces and Players by Blue Balliett THE PIECES Thirteen extremely valuable pieces of art have been stolen from one of the most secretive museums in the world. A Vermeer has vanished. A Manet is missing. And nobody has any idea where they and the other eleven artworks might be . . . or who might have stolen them.

THE PLAYERS Calder, Petra, and Tommy are no strangers to heists and puzzles. Now they've been matched with two new sleuths ­­ Zoomy, a very small boy with very thick glasses, and Early, a girl who treasures words . . . and has a word or two to say about the missing treasure. The kids have been drawn in by the very mysterious Mrs. Sharpe, who may be playing her own kind of game with the clues. And it's not just Mrs. Sharpe who's acting suspiciously ­­ there's a ghost who mingles with the guards in the museum, a cat who acts like a spy, and bystanders in black jackets who keep popping up. With pieces and players, you have all the ingredients for a fantastic mystery from the amazing Blue Balliett.

2. The Sweetest Heist in History (Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective) by Octavia Spencer Randi Rhodes and her fellow ninja detectives, DC and Pudge, were flying high after solving the Case of the Time­Capsule Bandit. But life in sleepy Deer Creek has begun to feel…a bit boring. There are no crimes to investigate! But a trip to New York City to visit Randi’s aunt changes that!

While the ninja detective trio explores Randi’s old neighborhood in Brooklyn, they uncover an art heist. Except no one will believe them. So they’ll just have to catch the criminals in the act...

3. Ms. Rapscott's Girls by Elise Primavera Nestled inside a lighthouse, Great Rapscott School for the Daughters of Busy Parents takes its motto from Amelia Earhart: Adventure is worthwhile in itself. Headmistress Ms. Rapscott couldn’t agree more, but her students, who are shipped to the school in boxes, could use a little convincing. Still, despite their initial reluctance, the students are soon soaring through the sky

and getting lost on purpose. In addition to learning what birthday cakes are and how best to approach a bumbershoot tree, the students also manage to learn a little something about strength and bravery.

4. Nuts to You by Lynne Rae Perkins Jed the squirrel escapes a hawk (using an “ancient squirrel defensive martial art”). Meanwhile, Chai and TsTs set off to find him. The friends make it home only to face their biggest

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

challenge: convincing their community to relocate before humans destroy their homes. Very silly; also thought­provoking.

5. House of Robots by James Patterson An extraordinary robot signs up for an ordinary fifth grade class... and elementary school will never be the same! It was never easy for Sammy Hayes­Rodriguez to fit in, so he's dreading the day when his genius mom insists he bring her newest invention to school: a walking, talking robot he

calls E­­for "Error". Sammy's no stranger to robots­­his house is full of a colorful cast of them. But this one not only thinks it's Sammy's brother... it's actually even nerdier than Sammy. Will E be Sammy's one­way ticket to Loserville? Or will he prove to the world that it's cool to be square? It's a roller­coaster ride for Sammy to discover the amazing secret E holds that could change family forever... if all goes well on the trial run!

6. The Island of Dr. Libris by Chris Grabenstein

What if your favorite characters came to life? Billy’s spending the summer in a lakeside cabin that belongs to the mysterious Dr. Libris. But something strange is going on. Besides the security cameras everywhere, there’s Dr. Libris’s private bookcase. Whenever Billy opens the books inside, he can hear sounds coming from the island in the middle of the lake. The clash of swords.

The twang of arrows. Sometimes he can even feel the ground shaking. It’s almost as if the stories he’s reading are coming to life! But that’s impossible . . . isn’t it?

7. Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

A hidden book. A found cipher. A game begins . . . .

Twelve­year­old Emily is on the move again. Her family is relocating to San Francisco, home of her literary idol: Garrison Griswold, creator of the online sensation Book Scavenger, a game where books are hidden all over the country and clues to find them are revealed through puzzles. But Emily soon learns that Griswold has been attacked and is in a coma, and no one knows

anything about the epic new game he had been poised to launch. Then Emily and her new friend James discover an odd book, which they come to believe is from Griswold and leads to a valuable prize. But there are others on the hunt for this book, and Emily and James must race to solve the puzzles Griswold left behind before Griswold's attackers make them their next target.

8. All the Answers by Kate Messner

What if your pencil had all the answers? Would you ace every test? Would you know what your teachers were thinking? When Ava Anderson finds a scratched up pencil she doodles like she would with any other pencil. But when she writes a question in the margin of her math quiz, she hears a clear answer in a voice no one else seems to hear.

With the help of her friend Sophie, Ava figures out that the pencil will answer factual questions only – those with definite right or wrong answers – but won’t predict the future. Ava and Sophie discover all kinds of uses for the pencil, and Ava's confidence grows with each answer. But it's getting shorter with every

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

sharpening, and when the pencil reveals a scary truth about Ava's family, she realizes that sometimes the bravest people are the ones who live without all the answers...

9. Captain Tomahawk and the Sky­Lion by Marty S. Dalton

When young, famous jungle adventurer, Captain Anna Tomahawk, gets shot down over a desert, she finds herself trapped in a country of steampunk animals and at the start of a dangerous human­animal rebellion.

But when neither side of the conflict believe her wild stories of life beyond the desert’s edge, Captain Anna must decide where to place her allegiance—a tricky thing to do for a heroine whose big personality is only matched by her heart.

Now, from the middle of a desert where hope has dried up, the exuberant and self­proclaimed “greatest pilot there ever was” must find a way to fix her airship, save her new friends, and prove that even a little hope can overcome the longest of odds.

10. Just Jake by Jake Marcionette JUST JAKE introduces readers to sixth­grader Jake, whose life is turned upside down when his family moves from Florida to Maryland, where Jake must adapt to a new school. Jake has always ranked the kids at school in his hand­made, humorous Kid Cards,” and when he arrives at his new school, Jake starts building a new collection, befriending as many people as he can while staying under the radar from the school bully. But what happens when the school bully

decides Jake's next in line for annihilation and his Kid Cards get into the wrong hands?!! 11. The Adventures of Beanboy by Lisa Harkrader

Never underestimate the power of the bean. Tucker MacBean has been drawing comic books almost as long as he’s been reading them. When his favorite comic has a contest for kids, he hopes he has finally found a way to fix his family—all he has to do is create the winning superhero sidekick . . . Introducing “Beanboy”—the first comic book character to truly harness the power of the bean for good. He is strong, he is relentless, he can double in size overnight (if given enough water).

With thoughtful characterizations and copious comic book illustrations, this laugh­out­loud novel will have readers rooting for a superhero with true heart.

12. Words with Wings by Nikki Grimes A novel in verse. Gabby’s world is filled with daydreams. However, what began as an escape from her parents’ arguments has now taken over her life. But with the help of a new teacher, Gabby the dreamer might just become Gabby the writer, and words that carried her away might allow her to soar. Written in vivid, accessible poems, this remarkable verse novel is a celebration of imagination, of friendship, of one girl’s indomitable spirit, and of a teacher’s

ability to reach out and change a life.

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

13. War & Watermelon by Rich Wallace It's the summer of 1969. We've just landed on the moon, the Vietnam War is heating up, the Mets are beginning their famous World Series run, and Woodstock is rocking upstate New York. Down in New Jersey, twelve­year­old Brody is mostly concerned with the top ten hits on the radio and how much playing time he'll get on the football team. But when he goes along for the ride to Woodstock with his older brother and sees the mass of humanity there, he starts to

wake up to the world around him­a world that could take away the brother he loves. 14. Indigo Blue by Cathy Cassidy Indigo's mum has had it with her boyfriend, and has moved her girls out of their cozy home and into "the flat from hell." Indie is not about to show anyone how it really feels, especially not her best friend, Jo. But the truth is, the neighborhood is bad, the heat's useless, and there's little to eat. It's hard for Indie to ignore such a drastic change—but with a little sister who's too small to understand and a mum who's feeling desperate, Indie is the one who's got to take charge.

15. Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

For fans of Raina Telgemeier’s Smile, a heartwarming graphic novel about friendship and surviving junior high through the power of roller derby.

Twelve­year­old Astrid has always done everything with her best friend Nicole. So when Astrid signs up for roller derby camp, she assumes Nicole will too. But Nicole signs up for dance camp

with a new friends instead, and so begins the toughest summer of Astrid's life. There are bumps and bruises as Astrid learns who she is without Nicole...and what it takes to be a strong, tough roller girl.

16. El Deafo by Cece Bell

Starting at a new school is scary, even more so with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece's class was deaf. Here she is different. She is sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends.

Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom, but anywhere her teacher is in school­­in the hallway...in the teacher's lounge...in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to

becoming El Deafo, Listener for All. But the funny thing about being a superhero is that it's just another way of feeling different... and lonely. Can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend?

This funny perceptive graphic novel memoir about growing up hearing impaired is also an unforgettable book about growing up, and all the super and super embarrassing moments along the way.

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

17. Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan Music, magic, and a real­life miracle meld in this genre­defying masterpiece from storytelling maestro Pam Muñoz Ryan. Lost and alone in a forbidden forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and suddenly finds

himself entwined in a puzzling quest involving a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica.Decades later, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California each, in turn, become interwoven when the very same harmonica lands in their lives. All the children face daunting challenges: rescuing a father, protecting a brother, holding a family together. And ultimately, pulled by the invisible thread of destiny, their suspenseful solo stories converge in an orchestral crescendo. Richly imagined and masterfully crafted, ECHO pushes the boundaries of genre and form, and shows us what is possible in how we tell stories. The result is an impassioned, uplifting, and virtuosic tour de force that will resound in your heart long after the last note has been struck.

18. Gone Crazy in Alabama

by Rita Williams­Garcia

Vivacious sisters Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern visit their grandmother, Big Ma, and great­grandmother, Ma Charles, in Alabama. Delphine learns about her twisting family tree from those two spry old ladies, and from Ma Charles’s half­sister Miss Trotter. When a tornado strikes, the entire Gaither family comes together. Powerful and humorous, this companion to the award­winning One Crazy Summer and P.S. Be Eleven will be enjoyed by fans of the first two books as well as by readers meeting these memorable sisters for the first time.

19. The Penderwicks in Spring

by Jeanne Birdsall

The fourth installment of the Penderwicks series.

Springtime is finally arriving on Gardam Street, and there are surprises in store for each member of the family. Some surprises are just wonderful, like neighbor Nick Geiger coming home from war. And some are ridiculous, like Batty’s new dog­walking business. Batty is saving up her dog­walking money for an extra­special surprise for her family, which she plans

to present on her upcoming birthday. But when some unwelcome surprises make themselves known, the best­laid plans fall apart.

Filled with all the heart, hilarity, and charm that has come to define this beloved clan, The Penderwicks in Spring is about fun and family and friends (and dogs), and what happens when you bring what's hidden into the bright light of the spring sun.

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

20. The Madman of Piney Woods

by Christopher Paul Curtis

Benji and Red couldn't be more different. They aren't friends. They don't even live in the same town. But their fates are entwined. A chance meeting leads the boys to discover that they have more in common than meets the eye. Both of them have encountered a strange presence in the forest, watching them, tracking them. Could the Madman of Piney Woods be real?

In a tale brimming with intrigue and adventure, Christopher Paul Curtis returns to the vibrant world he brought to life in Elijah of Buxton.

21. The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson In this Ocean’s Eleven–style romp, teen con­man Jackson Greene assembles a crack team of accomplices to help his friend Gaby de la Cruz run for student council president against spoiled, cocky Keith Sinclair. The lively (and racially diverse) cast of characters and intricate plot make this a story to read again. 22. The Only Game by Mike Lupica Can a young baseball star maintain his love of the game after the loss of his brother? Find out in this start to the Home Team series about a small town with high hopes, from New York Times bestselling author and sportswriting legend Mike Lupica.

23. When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop by Laban Carrick Hill

Before there was hip hop, there was DJ Kool Herc.

On a hot day at the end of summer in 1973 Cindy Campbell threw a back­to­school party at a park in the South Bronx. Her brother, Clive Campbell, spun the records. He had a new way of playing the music to make the breaks­the musical interludes between verses­longer for dancing. He called himself DJ Kool Herc and this is When the Beat

Was Born. From his childhood in Jamaica to his youth in the Bronx, Laban Carrick Hill's book tells how Kool Herc came to be a DJ, how kids in gangs stopped fighting in order to breakdance, and how the music he invented went on to define a culture and transform the world.

24. Ashley Bryan's Puppets: Making Something from Everything by Ashley Bryan Beloved storyteller and creator Ashley Bryan reveals the vibrant spirit of found objects in this magnificent treasury of poetry and puppets. His two­foot­tall hand puppets swell with personality and beauty, and in this majestic collection they make their literary debut, each with

a poem that tells of their creation and further enlivens their spirit.

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

25. Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women

by Catherine Thimmesh

In kitchens and living rooms, in garages and labs and basements, even in converted chicken coops, women and girls have invented ingenious innovations that have made our lives simpler and better. Their creations are some of the most enduring (the windshield wiper) and best loved (the chocolate chip cookie). What inspired these women, and just how did they turn their ideas into realities? Features women inventors Ruth Wakefield, Mary Anderson, Stephanie Kwolek, Bette Nesmith Graham, Patsy O.

Sherman, Ann Moore, Grace Murray Hopper, Margaret E. Knight, Jeanne Lee Crews, and Valerie L. Thomas, as well as young inventors ten­year­old Becky Schroeder and eleven­year­old Alexia Abernathy.

26. Chew On This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food

by Charles Wilson and Eric Schlosser Kids love fast food. And the fast food industry definitely loves kids. It couldn’t survive without them. Did you know that the biggest toy company in the world is McDonald’s? It’s true. In fact, one out of every three toys given to a child in the United States each year is from a fast food restaurant. 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? In Chew On This, the authors share with kids the fascinating and sometimes frightening truth about what lurks between those sesame seed buns, what a chicken ‘nugget’ really is, and how the fast food industry has been feeding off children for generations.

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

Grades 7­9

1. Lost Boy by Tim Green It's always been just Ryder and his mom. But on the way home from Ryder's baseball practice, everything comes to a halt. An accident sends his mom to the hospital, and now she is fighting for her life. So Ryder goes on a search to find his father, determined to help pay for the expensive operation to save his mother's life. But with only a signed baseball and a letter as his

clues, and the help of his next­door neighbor and a New York City firefighter, will everything fall into place in time, or will Ryder become a lost boy forever?

2. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander "With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . .The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. Cuz tonight I'm delivering," announces dread­locked, 12­year old Josh Bell. He and his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood, he's got mad beats, too, that tell his family's story in verse, in this fast and furious middle grade novel of family and brotherhood.

Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story's heart­stopping climax proves a game­changer for the entire family.

3. X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon Cowritten by Malcolm X’s daughter, this riveting and revealing novel follows the formative years of the man whose words and actions shook the world. Malcolm Little’s parents have always told him that he can achieve anything, but from what he can

tell, that’s a pack of lies—after all, his father’s been murdered, his mother’s been taken away, and his dreams of becoming a lawyer have gotten him laughed out of school. There’s no point in trying, he figures, and lured by the nightlife of Boston and New York, he escapes into a world of fancy suits, jazz, girls, and reefer. But Malcolm’s efforts to leave the past behind lead him into increasingly dangerous territory. Deep down, he knows that the freedom he’s found is only an illusion—and that he can’t run forever.

4. The Walk On (The Triple Threat #1) by John Feinstein

Bestselling sportswriter John Feinstein kicks off a new series for middle grade featuring Alex Myers, a student athlete who tries to take on the sports establishment in his new town.

Alex Myers is a triple­threat athlete—great at football, basketball, and baseball. But he’ll have to fight for a spot on the varsity team.

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

5. Rhyme Schemer by K.A. Holt Kevin has a bad attitude. He's the one who laughs when you trip and fall. In fact, he may have been the one who tripped you in the first place. He has a real knack for rubbing people the wrong way—and he's even figured out a secret way to do it with poems. But what happens when the tables are turned and he is the one getting picked on? Rhyme Schemer is a touching and

hilarious middle­grade novel in verse about one seventh grader's journey from bully­er to bully­ee, as he learns about friendship, family, and the influence that words can have on people's lives.

6. The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare From authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare comes a riveting new series that defies what you think you know about the world of magic. Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial. Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail.

All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him. So he tries his best to do his worst ­ and fails at failing. Now the Magisterium awaits him. It's a place that's both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future. The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come . . .

7. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s

eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.

8. The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier The Night Gardener follows two abandoned Irish siblings who travel to work as servants at a creepy, crumbling English manor house. But the house and its family are not quite what they seem. Soon the children are confronted by a mysterious spectre and an ancient curse that threatens their very lives. More than just a spooky tale, it’s also a moral fable about human greed and the power of storytelling. The Night Gardener is a mesmerizing read and a classic in the making.

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

9. Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead

Bridge is an accident survivor who's wondering why she's still alive. Emily has new curves and an almost­boyfriend who wants a certain kind of picture. Tabitha sees through everybody's games­­or so she tells the world. The three girls are best friends with one rule: No fighting. Can it get them through seventh grade?

This year everything is different for Sherm Russo as he gets to know Bridge Barsamian. What does it mean to fall for a girl­­as a friend? On Valentine's Day, an unnamed high school girl struggles with a betrayal. How long can she hide in plain sight?

10. Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt “Everybody is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing it is stupid.” Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher

Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there’s a lot more to her—and to everyone—than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike.

11. Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff

Everyone says that middle school is awful, but Trent knows nothing could be worse than the year he had in fifth grade, when a freak accident on Cedar Lake left one kid dead, and Trent with a brain full of terrible thoughts he can't get rid of. Trent’s pretty positive the entire disaster was his fault, so for him middle school feels like a fresh start, a chance to prove to everyone that he's not the horrible screw­up they seem to think he is. If only Trent could make that fresh start happen.

It isn’t until Trent gets caught up in the whirlwind that is Fallon Little—the girl with the mysterious scar across her face—that things begin to change. Because fresh starts aren’t always easy. Even in baseball, when a fly ball gets lost in the sun, you have to remember to shift your position to find it.

12. Revolution by Deborah Wiles It's 1964, and Sunny's town is being invaded. Or at least that's what the adults of Greenwood, Mississippi, are saying. All Sunny knows is that people from up north are coming to help people register to vote. They're calling it Freedom Summer.

Meanwhile, Sunny can't help but feel like her house is being invaded, too. She has a new stepmother, a new brother, and a new sister crowding her life, giving her little room to breathe. And things get even trickier when

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

Sunny and her brother are caught sneaking into the local swimming pool ­­ where they bump into a mystery boy whose life is going to become tangled up in theirs.

13. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki Every summer, Rose goes with her mom and dad to a lake house in Awago Beach. It's their getaway, their refuge. Rosie's friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had. But this summer is different. Rose's mom and dad won't stop fighting, and when Rose and Windy seek a distraction from the drama, they find themselves with a whole new set of problems. One of the local teens ­ just a couple of years older than Rose and Windy ­ is caught up in something bad... Something life threatening.

This One Summer is a tremendously exciting new teen graphic novel. Cousins, Mariko and Jillian Tamaki, the team behind Skim, have collaborated on this gorgeous, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful story about a girl on the cusp of childhood ­ a story of renewal and revelation.

14. If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth Lewis "Shoe" Blake is used to the joys and difficulties of life on the Tuscarora Indian reservation in 1975: the joking, the Fireball games, the snow blowing through his roof. What he's not used to is white people being nice to him ­­ people like George Haddonfield, whose family recently moved to town with the Air Force. As the boys connect through their mutual passion for music, especially the Beatles, Lewis has to lie more and more to hide the reality of his family's poverty from George. He also has to deal with the vicious Evan Reininger, who

makes Lewis the special target of his wrath. But when everyone else is on Evan's side, how can he be defeated? And if George finds out the truth about Lewis's home ­­ will he still be his friend?

15. The Truth About Twinkie Pie by Kat Yeh Take two sisters making it on their own: brainy twelve­year­old GiGi (short for Galileo Galilei, a name she never says out loud) and junior­high­dropout­turned­hairstylist DiDi (short for Delta Dawn). Add a million dollars in prize money from a national cooking contest and a move from the trailer parks of South Carolina to the Gold Coast of New York. Mix in a fancy new school, new friends and enemies, a first crush, and a generous sprinkling of family secrets. 16. Cinder by Marissa Meyer Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second­class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

17. Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America by Tonya Bolden Sarah Rector was once famously hailed as “the richest black girl in America.” Set against the backdrop of American history, her tale encompasses the creation of Indian Territory, the making of Oklahoma, and the establishment of black towns and oil­rich boomtowns.

Rector acquired her fortune at the age of eleven. This is both her story and that of children just like her: one filled with ups and downs amid bizarre goings­on and crimes perpetrated by greedy and corrupt adults. From a trove of primary documents, including court and census records and interviews with family members, author Tonya Bolden painstakingly pieces together the events of Sarah’s life and the lives of those around her. The book includes a glossary, a bibliography, and an index.

18. Harlem Hellfighters by J. Patrick Lewis They went by many names, but the world came to know them best as the Harlem Hellfighters. Two thousand strong, these black Americans from New York picked up brass instruments—under the leadership of famed bandleader and lieutenant James Reese Europe—to take the musical sound of Harlem into the heart of war. From the creators of the 2012 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award Honor Book, And the Soldiers Sang, this remarkable

narrative nonfiction rendering of WWI ­­ and American ­­ history uses free­verse poetry and captivating art to tell century­old story of hellish combat, racist times, rare courage, and inspired music.

19. Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri Eleven­year­old Roger is trying to make sense of his classmate Robert "Yummy" Sandifer's death, but first he has to make sense of Yummy's life. Yummy could be as tough as a pit bull sometimes. Other times he was as sweet as the sugary treats he loved to eat. Was Yummy some sort of monster, or just another kid?

20. The Teen Money Manual: A Guide to Cash, Credit, Spending, Saving, Work, Wealth, and More by Kara McGuire Wouldn't it be great if money grew on trees? Since it doesn't, everyone has to learn how to earn and manage money in order to live­ and it's never too early to start. This book offers today's teens

the best and most up­to­date tips on how to make money, how to spend it, how to invest and save it, and how to protect it. Learn how to land that first job, to figure out your paycheck, and to negotiate a raise. Discover how to stretch your money to cover all of your needs and (at least some of) your wants. Learn to be a savvy saver to vastly improve your life. Really! Once you've started to accumulate property and money, you're not done managing your financial life. Far from it! Find out what it takes and how much it will cost.

Ancona Summer Reading 2015

21. The League of Regrettable Superheroes: Half­Baked Heroes from Comic Book History by Jon Morris You know about Batman, Superman, and Spiderman, but have you heard of Doll Man, Doctor Hormone, or Spider Queen? In The League of Regrettable Superheroes, you’ll meet one hundred of the strangest superheroes ever to see print, complete with backstories, vintage art,

and colorful commentary. So prepare yourself for such not­ready­for­prime­time heroes as Bee Man (Batman, but with bees), the Clown (circus­themed crimebuster), the Eye (a giant, floating eyeball; just accept it), and many other oddballs and oddities. Drawing on the entire history of the medium, The League of Regrettable Superheroes will appeal to die­hard comics fans, casual comics readers, and anyone who enjoys peering into the stranger corners of pop culture.

Ancona Summer Reading 2015