Grade 4 - The Study

 Summer Reading Suggestions Students Entering Grade 4, September 2015 April 30, 2015 Dear Parents, During the summer holidays, we recommend that students read regularly in French and English. Below you will find some suggestions categorized by level of difficulty. Level of difficulty is determined either by literary features (vocabulary, figurative language, etc.) or maturity of themes. While reading, please ask your daughter some of the questions (see below); this will promote inferencing skills and understanding. In addition, it will allow them to share their reactions with you and will be more likely to appreciate the novel. After the holidays we will continue the discussion in class. No summary or report shall be required at the beginning of the year. For those who would like to read more than one book, you can choose among the titles listed below or any other book that you consider interesting. One of the pleasures of reading is that it can be done anywhere! Happy summer reading! Why Read? The Benefits of Daily Reading: Studies show that “the more students read, the better readers they become” (Mraz, 2007). Reading over the summer allows students to maintain or further develop their reading skills. Reading brings the world to your child on many levels, allowing students to develop their imaginations and vocabulary, learn about other people and places. Reading as a family, on a daily basis, gives families different opportunities to discuss ideas, share opinions and enjoy quality time together. Source: Mraz, 2007, Summer Reading Loss, Issues and Trends in Literacy Suggested Questions for parents/Suggestions de questions pour les parents 1. Where is the setting of the story? Use adjectives to describe where the story took place. Où l’histoire se déroule-­‐t-­‐elle? Utilise des adjectifs afin de décrire l’un des lieux principaux de l’histoire. 2. Who are the characters in the story? Name them and describe their personality traits. Use examples to support your answer. Qui sont les principaux personnages du récit? Nomme-­‐les et décris quelques-­‐unes de leurs caractériques physiques et morales. Utilise des exemples du texte. 3. What is one of the themes or one of the lessons learned in the story? Explain how you know. Selon toi, quel est l’un des thèmes de l’histoire ou l’une des leçons? Donne un exemple qui le démontre. 4. What is the solution to the problem in the story? Can you think of another ending to the story? What would you do differently if you were in the story? Quelle solution vient régler ce problème dans le récit? Quelle autre solution pourrais-­‐tu proposer? Que ferais-­‐tu si tu te retrouvais dans l’histoire? 5. How does the main character change from the beginning to the end of the story? Be specific. Comment le personnage principal a-­‐t-­‐il évolué ou changé du début à la fin de l’histoire? Nomme ces différences et explique-­‐les. (Le personnage est devenu…) 6. Find a passage in the story and relate it to your personal experiences or to another novel. Trouve un passage de l’histoire qui te rappelle tes propres expériences (à l’école, dans ta famille, en vacances, etc.) ou une autre histoire? 7. How did the author capture your interest (e.g. dialogue, humour, interesting vocabulary, etc.)? Be specific and give examples. Quelles sont les qualités du travail de l’auteur qui te font apprécier l’histoire? Donne des exemples. (dialogues, vocabulaire, humour, etc.) 8. Why do you think the author wrote the book? How do you know? Quelle était l’intention de l’auteur en écrivant ce livre? Pourquoi, selon toi, a-­‐t-­‐il écrit ce livre? Suggested Titles Level of Difficulty: Easy Author Patrick Skene Catling Title Genre The Chocolate Touch Fantasy In a laugh-­‐out-­‐loud hilarious twist on the legend of King Midas, a boy acquires a magical gift that turns everything his lips touch into chocolate. Can you ever have too much of your favorite food? John Midas is about to find out…. Jacqueline Davies Lemonade Wars Humour Fourth-­‐grader Evan Treski is people-­‐smart. He’s good at talking with people, even grownups. His younger sister, Jessie, on the other hand, is math-­‐smart, but not especially good with people. So when the siblings’ lemonade stand war begins, there really is no telling who will win—or even if their fight will ever end. Brimming with savvy marketing tips for making money at any business, definitions of business terms, charts, diagrams, and even math problems, this fresh, funny, emotionally charged novel subtly explores how arguments can escalate beyond anyone’s intent. Celeste Davidson Mannis Who Was William Shakespeare? Non-­‐ Fiction The beloved plays of Shakespeare are still produced everywhere, yet the life of the world's most famous playwright remains largely a mystery. Young Will left the town of Stratford to pursue theater in London, where his work eventually thrived and made him a famous and wealthy man. With black-­‐and-­‐white illustrations that include a diagram of the famous Globe theater, Celeste Davidson Mannis puts together the pieces of Shakespeare's life and work for young readers. Sara Pennypacker The Talented Clementine Fiction Winner or washout? When it comes to tackling third grade, Clementine is at the top of her game — okay, so maybe not all the time. After her teacher announces that the third and fourth graders will be putting on a talent show, Clementine panics. She doesn't sing or dance or play an instrument. She can't even hop with finesse. And as if she didn't feel bad enough, her perfect best friend, Margaret, has so many talents, she has to alphebetize them to keep them straight. As the night of the big "Talent-­‐palooza" draws closer, Clementine is desperate for an act, any act. But the unexpected talent she demonstrates at the show surprises everyone — most of all herself. Level of Difficulty: Average Author Kate DiCamillo Title Genre The Miraculous Journey of Edward Fiction Tulane Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good reason: he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who adored him completely. And then, one day, he was lost. . . . Michael Buckley The Sister’s Grimm The Fairy-­‐Tale Mystery/Fantasy Detectives Eleven-­‐year-­‐old Keladry of Mindelan is the only female page in training at the royal palace. In In book one of this bestselling series, sisters Sabrina and Daphne are sent to live with their mysterious grandmother, Relda Grimm. The sisters learn they are descendants of the Brothers Grimm, whose famous book of fairy tales is actually a collection of case files. The girls are the latest in a long line of fairy-­‐tale detectives, and their new hometown is filled with Everafters (as magical folks like to be called)—some good and some very, very bad. When a mysterious Everafter sets a giant loose on the town, it’s up to the Sisters Grimm to save the day. Andrew Clements Frindle Fiction He really just likes to liven things up at school -­‐-­‐ and he's always had plenty of great ideas. When Nick learns some interesting information about how words are created, suddenly he's got the inspiration for his best plan ever...the frindle. Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle? Things begin innocently enough as Nick gets his friends to use the new word. Then other people in town start saying frindle. Soon the school is in an uproar, and Nick has become a local hero. His teacher wants Nick to put an end to all this nonsense, but the funny thing is frindle doesn't belong to Nick anymore. The new word is spreading across the country, and there's nothing Nick can do to stop it. The Thief Lord – Cornelia Funke Cornelia Funke Mystery/Fantasy Mystery/Fantasy Two orphaned brothers, Prosper and Bo, have run away to Venice, where crumbling canals and misty alleyways shelter a secret community of street urchins. Leader of this motley crew of lost children is a clever, charming boy with a dark history of his own. He calls himself the Thief Lord. Prosper and Bo relish their new "family" and life of petty crime. But their cruel aunt and a bumbling detective are on their trail. And posing an even greater threat to the boys' freedom is something from a forgotten past: a beautiful, magical treasure, with the power to spin time itself. Level of Difficulty: Advanced Title Author Lauren St. John The White Giraffe Genre Adventure/Myth The night Martine Allen turns eleven years old is the night her life changes completely. Martine’s parents are killed in a fire, so she must leave her home to live on an African wildlife reserve with a grandmother she never knew she had. When Martine arrives, she hears tales of a mythical animal living there – a white giraffe. They say no one has ever seen the animal, but it does leave footprints behind. Her grandmother insists that the white giraffe is just a legend, but then, one stormy night, Martine looks out her bedroom window straight into the eyes of the tall silvery animal. Could it be just Martine’s imagination, or is the white giraffe real? As if so, why is everyone keeping its existence a secret? Elise Broach Shakespeare’s Secret Mystery Suspense Starting sixth grade at a new school is never easy, especially when your name is Hero. Named after a character in a Shakespeare play, Hero isn’t at all interested in this literary connection. But when she’s told by an eccentric neighbor that there might be a million dollar diamond hidden in her new house and that it could reveal something about Shakespeare’s true identity, Hero is determined to live up to her name and uncover the mystery. Linda Buckley Archer The Time Travelers Fantasy Gideon Seymour, thief and gentleman, hides from the villainous Tar Man. Suddenly the sky peels away like fabric and from the gaping hole fall two curious-­‐looking children. Peter Schock and Kate Dyer have fallen straight from the twenty-­‐first century, thanks to an experiment with an antigravity machine. Before Gideon and the children have a chance to gather their wits, the Tar Man takes off with the machine -­‐-­‐ and Peter and Kate's only chance of getting home. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's J.K. Rowling Stone Fiction Harry Potter has no idea how famous he is. That's because he's being raised by his miserable aunt and uncle who are terrified Harry will learn that he's really a wizard, just as his parents were. But everything changes when Harry is summoned to attend an infamous school for wizards, and he begins to discover some clues about his illustrious birthright. From the surprising way he is greeted by a lovable giant, to the unique curriculum and colorful faculty at his unusual school, Harry finds himself drawn deep inside a mystical world he never knew existed and closer to his own noble destiny.