Reading Road Trip 2014-2015 Themes and Destinations

Abracadabra: Fantastic Reading Magic

Dorko the Magnificent by Andrea Beaty

The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

Who Was Harry Houdini? by Tui Sutherland

The Real Boy by Anne Ursu

Extreme Reading: Adventure and Survival Stories

A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements

Escaping the Giant Wave by Peg Kehret

Dive, Everest, Island, and Titanic series by Gordon Korman

Hatchet and the Brian Books by Gary Paulsen

I Survived… series by Lauren Tarshis

Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, and Fables

The Fabled Fifth Graders of Aesop Elementary School by Candace Fleming

The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School by Candace Fleming

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff

Poetry on Parade: Novels in Verse

Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate

Little Dog, Lost by Marion Duane Bauer

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech

Hidden by Helen Frost

Sharing Your Story: Memorable Memoirs

Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl

26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie DePaola

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret

Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Mostly True Stories about Growing Up Scieszka by Jon Scieszka

Do We Dewey?  Adventures in the Library

Who Stole the Wizard of Oz? by Avi

The Legend of Spud Murphy by Eoin Colfer

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein

Punished by David Lubar

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson

Solid Gold: Newbery and Caldecott Winners

The One and Only Ivan by Kate Applegate

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Holes by Louis Sachar

The Invention of Hugo Cabret: A Novel in Words and Pictures by Brian Selznick

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Into the Wild: Reading Outdoor Survival Stories

Lafayette students are on the trail to reading adventure, exploring a Kids Versus Nature theme. 
Reading Road Trippers are completing projects, earning points for their Homeroom Teams, and sharing book recommendations with friends.

Page-turning adventure: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.  After a traumatic plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days alone in the wilderness, learning to survive with courage, determination, and the aid of a hatchet given to him by his mother.  With no time for self-pity or despair, Brian's experience teaches him how to deal with his parents' recent divorce.  Take a look at a book commercial for this 1988 Newbery Honor winner, featuring Owen as Brian, Isabella as Brian's Mom, and Patrick as the Pilot:

Life-Changing Escape to the Forest: My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George.  In this 1960 Newbery Honor classic, Sam Gribley, unhappy living in New York City with his family, runs away to the Catskill Mountains to live alone in the woods.  Carrying only a penknife, a ball of cord, flint and steel, and forty dollars, he intends to survive on his own.  During his year in the wilderness, Sam learns about survival, self-reliance, dependence on nature (including friendship with a peregrine falcon named Frightful) and comes to understand that he needs human companionship.

Survival and a New Way of Seeing: The Cay by Theodore Taylor.  Twelve-year-old Philip Enright is excited when the Germans invade his small island home of Curacao.  World War II has always seemed a distant game to him, and he is eager to witness it firsthand—until a torpedo strikes the United States-bound freighter he and his safety-concerned mother have boarded.  When Philip regains consciousness, he is floating on a raft in the middle of the sea, his only companions a cat and a compassionate, elderly West Indian named Timothy. Philip remembers his mother’s warning about black people: They are different and they live differently.  By the time the castaways wash ashore on a small sandy island, however, Philip’s head injury has made him blind and dependent on Timothy for survival.  Over time, Philip learns a new way of seeing and important lessons about courage, friendship, and overcoming prejudice.

Lafayette Fiction Favorite: Escaping the Giant Wave by Peg Kehret.  The Pacific Coast adventure begins while thirteen-year-old Kyle is babysitting his sister during a family vacation at an Oregon resort. An earthquake creates a tsunami, and Kyle must try to save himself, his sister, and a boy who has bullied him for years. Reading Road Trippers Alexandra D. and Mary Kate W. plunge right into Giant Wave action. Alexandra gives the survival story high marks: “It’s like you are in the book… It is so descriptive.” Camryn D. would definitely read other books by Peg Kehret, sharing that Escaping the Giant Wave is “thrilling, scary, and intense.” Sage S. recommends the book to “people who like excitement and adventure.” And while Teresa G. portrays the action as “exhilarating,” she cautions friends who are scared of the water or anxious about earthquakes and tsunamis to think twice before choosing this book.

Poster by Brooke, Kylie, Carly, and C.C.

Escaping the Giant Wave includes an author’s note with facts and information about tsunamis. We can learn more about the science of giant waves, experimenting with a Savage Seas Wave Machine. Click on the red-highlighted words to get started!

Reading Road Trip 2013 Themes and Destinations

Against the Odds: Stories about Courage and Character

Kehret, Peg.  Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio.

Konigsburg, E.L. The View from Saturday.

Palacio, R.J.  Wonder.

All Creatures Great and Small: Stories with Animals

Applegate, Kate.  The One and Only Ivan.

DiCamillo, Kate.  The Tale of Despereaux.

Martin, Ann M.  A Dog’s Life.

Ryan, Pam Munoz.  Riding Freedom.

Good Sports: Books about Sports and Sportsmanship

Avi.  S.O.R. Losers.

Gutman, Dan.  Shoeless Joe and Me: A Baseball Card Adventure.

Gutman, Dan.  The Shortstop Who Knew Too Much.

Herman, Gail.  Who Was Jackie Robinson?

Into the Wild: Kids Versus Nature

George, Jean Craighead.  My Side of the Mountain.

Kehret, Peg.  Escaping the Giant Wave.

Taylor, Theodore.  The Cay.

It Happened in the Garden State: Stories about New Jersey

Gutman, Dan.  Qwerty Stevens, Back in Time: The Edison Mystery.

Tarshis, Lauren.  I Survived… The Shark Attacks of 1916.

Willever, Lisa Funari.  Nicky Fifth’s Garden State Adventure.

Willever, Lisa Funari.  Nicky Fifth on 32 Dandelion Court.

Picture This: The World of Brian Selznick

Kerley, Barbara (ill. Brian Selznick).The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins.

Selznick, The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

Selznick, Brian.  Wonderstruck.

Selznick, Brian.  The Boy of a Thousand Faces.

Selznick, Brian.  The Houdini Box.

There’s Music in the Air: Music and Musicians

Curtis, Christopher Paul.  Bud, Not Buddy.

Edgers, Geoff.  Who Were the Beatles?

McDonough, Yona Zeldis.  Who Was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?

Urban, Linda.  A Crooked Kind of Perfect.

Thrillers and Whodunits: Mystery and Detective Stories

Avi.  Who Stole the Wizard of Oz?

Hale, Bruce.  Farewell, My Lunchbag.

Marsh, Carole.  Carole Marsh Mysteries.

Various Authors.  The 39 Clues series.

A Visit with Gordon Korman

Korman, Gordon.  The 6^th Grade Nickname Game.

Korman, Gordon.  No More Dead Dogs.

Korman, Gordon.  Dive Book One: The Discovery.

Korman, Gordon.  Dive Book Two: The Deep.

Korman, Gordon.  Dive Book Three: The Danger.

Korman, Gordon.  Everest Book One: The Contest.

Korman, Gordon.  Everest Book Two: The Climb.

Korman, Gordon.  Everest Book Three: The Summit.

Korman, Gordon.  Island Book One: Shipwreck.

Korman, Gordon.  Island Book Two: Survival.

Korman, Gordon.  Island Book Three: Escape.

Korman, Gordon.  Titanic Book One: Unsinkable.

Korman, Gordon.  Titanic Book Two: Collision Course.

Korman, Gordon.  Titanic Book Three: S.O.S.

Wizards and Wonders: Stories with Magic

Colfer, Eoin.   Artemis Fowl.                                         

Oliver, Lauren.  Liesl & Po.

Rowling, J.K.  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Rowling, J.K.  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.