Students are required to have a bound notebook or journal for chapter summaries.   A simple composition or spiral bound notebook will do. 

YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO PURCHASE ALL OF THE NOVELS

The list of novels with summaries are listed below.  Review the list with your child allowing them to choose 1-2 books that sound interesting.  Since the novel study is guided, students will be able to read books slightly above their independent reading level with the teacher support. 

*The First Day of School Forever by RL Stine:  
Artie's family just moved and it is the first day at his new school, but it quickly becomes the worst day of school, and worse yet is that it keeps repeating!  This story is full of humor and jaw dropping antics with a major plot twist at the end. 

*You'll Like it Here, Everybody Does by Ruth White:  
Meggie and David Blue are from another planet but they are a lot like Earth kids, except that they are aliens.  Their family has to make a quick escape from Earth and wind up on a planet similar to Earth except the society is oppressive and hostile to individual freedom.  Individuality and uniqueness are forbidden.  People are kept submissive through drugs and brainwashing.  The Blues plan their escape and hope to rescue a few others in the process. 

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen: 
Brian's parents recently divorced.  He is the only passenger on a small prop plane to visit his father in Canada when the pilot suffers a heart attack. Brian is forced to crash-land the plane in a lake in the remote Canadian wilderness.  He has to survive with only his clothing and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present.  

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George (part of a trilogy that could be continued): 
Sam Gribley wasn't happy in his normal life and family and dreamed of running away from home and living by himself. One day he did it.  He ran all the way to the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, and embarked on a journey of learning to live off the land. 

Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen: 
Cole Matthews is a rage filled kid who has been stealing and fighting for years.  After brutally assaulting another boy, a judge offers him a choice between prison or the Native American Circle Justice.  Not wanting to go to prison, he chooses the latter and is soon banished to remote Alaskan island where he gets mauled by the Spirit Bear, a mysterious white bear of Native American legend. To survive, he must stop blaming others and take responsibility for his life. 

The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John: 
Martine’s home and parents are lost in a house fire in England and now she must live on a wildlife preserve  in South Africa with a grandmother she had never known. After arriving she hears stories about a mythical white giraffe living in the preserve. One stormy night,  she looks out her window and sees it and soon discovers she has a special healing power that made seeing the white giraffe no coincidence at all. 

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis (part of the Narnia series which could be continued): 
Four siblings discover the magical land of Narnia through a secret passage beyond the wardrobe door.  Narnia is under the evil control of the White Witch.  They join the lion, Aslan, in the battle to save Narnia before it is too late!

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies: 
Fourth-grader Evan Treski is good with people and communication. His younger sister, Jessie, really good at math, but not very good with people. They both decide to open lemonade stands and soon their disagreements escalate into an all out war. . .a lemonade war!

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell: 
An Indian girl named Karana was left behind on an island in the Pacific ocean where she lived alone for years, waiting for rescue.  While she waited, she had to keep herself alive and safe from the wild dogs.  Other animals are there too, including the blue dolphins. 

The Lord of the Flies by William Golding: 
As a new world war begins, a group of schoolboys get stranded on an uncharted island when their plane crashes. At first, no longer having adults telling them what to do seems like something to celebrate. They can do anything they want!  As the first problems arise, they decide that some rules are good and try to create their own society.  Agreement among the boys seems impossible and soon things spiral into chaos.  Before too long, the boys discover that power can corrupt, and the hearts of humans can turn bad. 

The Humming Room by Ellen Potter: 
Roo Fanshaw is a poor girl living with abuse in an unstable family.  Her parents die and she is sent to live with an unknown wealthy eccentric uncle on an island with a dark past. This story is full of mystery and odd characters. 

While the novel options are grade level appropriate and books that are commonly read by students in this grade level, parents are advised to research and/or ask questions about the novel content PRIOR to class.