Summer reading list

 easy

intermediate

 advanced

 

FICTION

 

Picture books

 

• Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French

Wombats are cuddly-looking, slow-moving Australian animals. Their favourite activities are eating, sleeping, and digging holes. This book is the story of a busy week; eating, sleeping, digging holes ...and training its new neighbours, a family of humans, to produce treats on demand. 

 

• Diary of a Baby Wombat by Jackie French

Diary of a Wombat is back–with a baby! This time, it's the baby who tells the story.

 

• Queen Victoria’s Underpants by Jackie French

A very funny story about the most famous underwear in the British Empire.

 

• The Shaggy Gully Times by Jackie French

The funniest newspaper you'll ever read. 

 

• How it Was With Dooms: A True Story from Africa by Xan Hopcraft

Twelve-year-old Xan Hopcraft grew up with a pet cheetah at his home in Nairobi, Kenya.

 

Novels

 

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Robin Hill School) by Margaret McNamara

Mrs. Connor takes students at Robin Hill School to a museum to learn about Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and the children share dreams of their own.

 

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney  (series of 16 books)

Boys don’t keep diaries―or do they?

 

• Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look (Alvin Ho series, 6 books) 

Alvin, an Asian American second grader, is afraid of everything-elevators, tunnels, girls, and, most of all, school. He's so afraid of school that, while he's there, he never, ever, says a word. But at home he's a very loud superhero named Firecracker Man, a brother to Calvin and Anibelly, and a gentleman-in-training, so he can be just like his dad.

 

• Esio Trot by Roald Dahl

Mr. Hoppy is in love with his neighbour, Mrs. Silver; but she is in love with someone else—Alfie, her pet tortoise!

 

• Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl

Someone's been stealing from the three meanest farmers around, and they know the identity of the thief—it's Fantastic Mr. Fox! Can he save his family and himself from fat Boggis, squat Bunce, and skinny Bean? 

 

• The BFG by Roald Dahl

The BFG is the story of a little girl called Sophie who one night is snatched by a Giant – luckily that Giant is the Big Friendly Giant!

 

• George’s Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl

George's nasty old grandma needs teaching a lesson. George decides the best remedy is a special home-made medicine!

 

• The Twits by Roald Dahl

Mr Twit hates his wife. Mrs Twit detests her husband. They love playing wicked tricks on one another. Sooner or later, things are going to go too far...

 

• The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events) by Lemony Snicket (series of 13 books + a TV series on Netflix)

Let’s follow the adventures of three siblings called the Baudelaire orphans. 

 

• The Girl Who Saved Christmas by Matt Haig

It is Christmas Eve and all is not well. Amelia Wishart is trapped in Mr Creeper's workhouse and Christmas is in jeopardy. Magic is fading.

 

• The Mozart Question by Sir Michael Morpurgo

When Lesley is sent to Venice to interview world-renowned violinist Paulo Levi on his fiftieth birthday, she cannot believe her luck. She is told that she can ask him anything at all – except the Mozart question.

 

• The Butterfly Lion by Sir Michael Morpurgo

Bertie rescues an orphaned white lion cub from the African veld. They are inseparable until Bertie is sent to boarding school far away in England and the lion is sold to a circus.

 

• Kensuke’s Kingdom by Sir Michael Morpurgo

Washed up on an island in the Pacific, Michael struggles to survive on his own. With no food and no water, he curls up to die. When he wakes, there is a plate beside him of fish, of fruit, and a bowl of fresh water. He is not alone...

 

• The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips by Sir Michael Morpurgo

It's 1943, and Lily Tregenze lives on a farm in Slapton, England. Apart from her father being away, and the 'townie' evacuees at school, her life is not really touched by the war. Until one day, Lily and her family, along with 3000 other villagers, are told to move out of their homes 

 

• Home to Mother by Doris Pilkington Garimara

Based on the true story of three young Aboriginal girls who, under Western Australia's removal policy of the 1930s, were taken from their families at Jigalong, and transported halfway across the state. Molly, the eldest of the three, led her two sisters on an extraordinary 1,600 kilometre walk home, barefoot - without provisions or maps, escaping from the settlement's repressive conditions and brutal treatment.

 

• Journey to Jo’Burg by Beverley Naidoo

Scared that their baby sister Dineo will die, thirteen-year-old Naledi and her younger brother Tiro run away from their grandmother to Johannesburg to find their mother, who works there as a maid. Their journey illustrates at every turn the grim realities of apartheid in South Africa.

 

• My Mum the Pirate by Jackie French

(Wacky Family, 8 independent books: My Dad the Dragon, My Gran the Gorilla, My Uncle Wal the Werewolf, etc.)

Cecil's mum wears long black boots and an even longer sword, and she makes her enemies walk the plank. Putrid Percival serves sea monster soup for dinner when Cecil would rather eat pizza. 

 

• The Dog Who Loved a Queen by Jackie French

Mary Queen of Scots is loved by her dog, Folly who is busy chasing mice behind the tapestries and enjoying turkey legs with quinces for supper. Until the day comes when they try to take his Queen away...

 

• Going Straight by Michael Coleman

Luke knows that a life of crime does pay. Then he meets Jodi through the young offenders scheme, and discovers the choices he can make in his life and the meaning of truth, justice, as well as real friendship. 

 

 

 

• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

This is a murder mystery novel like no other! The detective, and narrator, is Christopher Boone. Christopher is fifteen and has Asperger's Syndrome. He knows a lot about maths and very little about human beings. He loves lists, patterns and the truth. He hates the colours yellow and brown and being touched. He has never gone further than the end of the road on his own, but when he finds a neighbour's dog murdered he sets out on a terrifying journey.

 

• Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Esperanza is a young, rich girl living a fairy-tale life in the 1930s with her wealthy parents, grandmother and servants, on a vineyard and ranch in Mexico, El Rancho de Ias Rosas.  But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers.

 

• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Jess Aarons wants to be the fastest boy in the class, but when Leslie Burke moves into the neighbouring farm his life changes forever. Even though she runs faster than him, Jess begins to think Leslie might be okay - she's clever, funny and not a bit soppy. And it is Leslie who invents Terabithia, the secret country on an island across the creek where he can escape his troublesome family.

 

 

Poems

 

• Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl

Nursery rhymes are boring! No way, Jose! Not with Roald Dahl...

 

• The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

When Sally and her brother are left alone, they think they're in for a dull day – until the Cat in the Hat steps in on the mat, bringing with him madness!

 

• Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

Sam-I-am persists in annoying a grumpy grouch to eat a plate of green eggs and ham!

 

• Wacky Wednesday by Dr. Seuss

How crazy can a Wednesday get? With shoes on the wall, tortoises in trees, pigs without legs and teachers on roller skates, well...it can!

 

• Oh, the places you’ll go by Dr. Seuss

Read this book, look at your future and take new risks!

 

• The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

The Lorax is the original eco warrior and his message is still true today in this fable about the dangers of destroying our forests.

 

• How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

With a heart two sizes too small, the Grinch is the meanest creature you’ll ever meet. He hates Christmas and the whole festive season.

 

 

Comic strips

 

• Star Wars-Jedi Academy by Jeffrey Brown  (series of 3 books)

Roan's dream is to leave home and attend Pilot Academy like his older brother, father and grandfather. But just as Roan is mysteriously denied entrance to Pilot School, he is invited to attend Jedi Academy!

 

 

• Star Wars-Jedi Academy: A New Class by Jarrett J. Krosoczka  (series of 3 books)

A boy named Victor Starspeeder is quite naughty and he often ends up in detention, supervised by Yoda.

 

• Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz

Let’s meet Charlie Brown, his friend Lucy, Snoopy and many other characters!

 

• Garfield by Jim Davis

"Eat early and often"- that's the credo of the furry cat, Garfield.

 

• Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson  (series of 18 albums)

Let’s enter the world of a very imaginative boy and his real-only-to-him tiger.

 

 

NON FICTION

 

• The Fascinating History of Your Lunch by Jackie French

Who invented cheese? Or bread and margarine? Where did lettuce and tomato plants originally come from? Here are some answers.

 

• How to Guzzle Your Garden by Jackie French

Start a garden, and eat things from it!

 

• How High Can a Kangaroo Hop? by Jackie French

Take a closer look at Australia's best-known marsupials.

 

• The Secret World of Wombats by Jackie French

This explores details about wombats - from their zoological history to habitation and habitats. 

 

• Collection of Who Is/ Was ...?  

Who is Barack Obama? Who is JK Rowling? Who was Nelson Mandela? Who was Martin Luther King Jr.? Who was Harriet Tubman? Who was Queen Elizabeth? Who was Gandhi? Who was Steve Jobs? Who was Winston Churchill? Who was Michael Jackson? Who was Charles Darwin? Who was Sacagawea? Who was Neil Armstrong? Who was Walt Disney? Who was Amelia Earhart? AND MANY MORE...

 

• Collection of What Is/ Was ...?  

What is the Statue of Liberty? What is the Declaration of Independence? What was Pearl Harbor? What was D-Day? What was the Age of the Dinosaurs? What were the Twin Towers? AND MANY MORE...

 

• Collection of Where is ...?  

Where is the White House? Where is the Grand Canyon? Where is the Empire State Building? Where is Stonehenge? Where is the Great Barrier Reef?

 

• Collection of Horrible Histories  

Smashing Saxons, Cut-throat Celts, Terrible Tudors, Slimy Stuarts, Villainous Victorians, Scotland, Wales, The USA, Edinburgh, London, Witches, Pirates, AND SO MANY MORE...