For their final book of the year Edinger House 4th graders selected from a large assortment of new and forthcoming books. After reading them each wrote a summer reading post on their individual blogs featuring reviews of these books and some other recommendations as well. Since those blogs are not available to the public we’ve reposted them here with the hope that they will give many some great ideas for summer reading. Enjoy!

Student 1

It’s summer now and that doesn’t mean you have to stop reading! Remember – this is summer and you get to choose what books you want to read!

Signed By Zelda is a great book for children around age 8 or 9. By award-winning author Kate Feiffer, this is a can’t put it down book. This book is written all in entries by two different people (and a pigeon!) which is definitely interesting. It starts out with a girl named Lucy moves from Savannah, Georgia to New York with her mother and father. She moves into the same apartment as a boy named Nicky who – unlike Lucy, has a brother, and a father – but a mother who moved to India two years ago. Lucy and Nicky must help each other – to find Nicky’s grandmother – Zelda who had gone missing a few days before. A pigeon who is both of their friends, must help on their quest. In this book, Signed By Zelda, there is no stop to the mystery and to the handwriting! This is a great book if you are a child who likes to have some mystery in the books that you read!

Here are some other books I would recommend:

Savvy and Scumble which are companion books both by Ingrid Law.

The Sisters Grimm : book 1 and 2 by Michael Buckley

Clover Twig And The Magical Cottage by Kaye Umansky

Let the summer reading begin!

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Student 2

It is now the end of school and the beginning of the 2012 summer! It is a very happy time for many people but there are a few cons. One of them is that many students put reading on hold and that is not good. People should always be reading. I would like to make a few recommendation for some readers that are hungry for funny books.

I recommend The Great Cat Conspiracy by Katie Davies. It is a good book for many reasons. It is third in the series that includes The Great Hamster Massacre and The Great Rabbit Rescue. Ms. Davies did such a great job at making The Great Cat Conspiracy that I still knew who the characters were even though I didn’t read the other books in the series. The Great Cat Conspiracy is the book I recommend most for this summer because it has a good hook which makes students want to finish reading it. I don’t want to give it away but the book is about a dad who gets so angry with his son (who is the cat’s owner) that he locks the cat out of the house. When the dad finally goes to get the cat back – IT’S GONE! The son (who was named Tom) goes with his friends Anna and Suzanne to find the missing cat. To find out what happens, buy the book and read!

I also recommend the book Steve Jobs: Thinking Differently by Patricia Lakin, The Beatles: The Stories Behind the Songs 1962-1966 by Steve Turner, and The Beatles: The Stories Behind the Songs 1967-1970 by Steve Turner. I like those three because they are all very detailed biographies.

So go ahead, at least try one of these books. Maybe you’ll enjoy one of them – I hope you do! This summer is going to be a great summer for reading! I can tell already!

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Student 3

Since summer is coming I’m suggesting a couple of books. First off I want to recommend The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde. If you like wacky nutzy books then this is the book for you. A 16 year old girl named Jennifer Strange runs a magic company called Kazam. Magic isn’t as powerful as it used to be in the old days. Now magic carpets are used for pizza delivery and precious wizard powers are used to fix electric issues. But something weird is happening. Magic is getting more powerful. Big Magic is coming..

Some other suggestions that I have are Newbery medal winning Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos a very funny and witty book,  the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins which I’m sure you have heard about it might be a little violent for some people, Suzanne Collins’ other series called Gregor the Overlander which involves mysteries and swordfights, Wonder by R.J. Palacio about a deformed kid who has to fit in with the entire middle school, and Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce which has many twists you won’t see coming.

I hope you will decide to read at least one of these fantastic books! Have a great summer!

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Student 4

Because summer is coming, I suggest you decide what you’re going to read. I’m not saying you have to decide as soon as you finish reading this, but don’t spend two months this summer trying to decide what to read. It’s a problem I have all the time. I recommend trying some of these books. I read them over the school year and they’re great for summer reading.

Deadweather and Sunrise by Geoff Rodkey, is a great book. It is about a boy named Egbert who struggles with living on Deadweather, an island where it is always steaming and humid. On top of that, his older siblings beat him up. His adventure starts when he takes a trip to Sunrise, another, much nicer island nearby. His family vanishes and he finds out, someone wants to kill him for treasure. He meets plenty of pirates and in the end, has to protect the treasure hidden on his plantation, that started the whole journey in the first place. This is a great book, especially for people who like books with adventure or mystery.

Some other books I’m recommending are: The Newbery winning book Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos, which is a very descriptive funny mystery, The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins is an excellent series for people who want dark and adventurous. Also, Wonder by R.J. Palacio is a very emotional book, good for people who like regular life with a little twist.

These are some great books I’ve read, and strongly recommend you read over the summer.

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Student 5

 It is almost summer and, it is time to start picking books to read over the summer and, I will help by providing some suggestions. This book will be a late summer read as it comes out in September. I have a few other suggestions as well.

 The book The Templeton Twins Have An Idea By Ellis Weiner has two kids named Abigail and John and they go on a big adventure. Their mom just died and their dad is really depressed and won’t work. (He is an Inventor) They move to a school that the professor (their dad) will work in the Arts and Science Department. A man kidnaps Abigail and John and traps them in the Basement of an old house in the country. The man is named Dean D. Dean and he  leaves his brother Dan D. Dean to keep the kids in the basement. Abigail and John outsmart Dan and they escape. John locks Abigail in the trunk of the car outside, (Why? It is part of their plan) and John starts rolling on the ground pretending to have hurt his ankle. Dan comes out and drives them to the place where Dean has their father and they outsmart the Dean twins once and for all. (This book has a narrator that says important stuff and interrupts the story sometimes.) Though this book is not out until September, it is a good read for kids 8 -10 years old

I also suggest 2012 Newbery Winner Dead End In Norvelt by Jack Gantos which is a funny and exciting read. Cosmic By Frank Cottrell Boyce is a space adventure that you will never forget. The Hunger Games Trilogy By Suzanne Collins is adventurous and if you like Si-Fi you will like this trio of books.

These are some reading suggestions for the summer and if you like to read at all these are books for you!

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Student 6

Now that summer is coming, it is time to find some good books to read over the summer. I have a few suggestions to keep you entertained.

Tua and the Elephant is a heartwarming story by R.P. Harris.  When ten-year-old Tua, a little Thai girl finds an elephant, her and her elephant, Pohn-Pohn find themselves on an adventure, running away from two mean mahouts who want to take back Pohn-Pohn. Tua and Pohn-Pohn make it to a sanctuary, where Pohn-Pohn can be safe, but to get there she had an amazing journey, including swimming across a river, tricking people, meeting monks, being in a chase in the market, and Pohn-Pohn almost being taken away from Tua.

Some other books I’d recommend for summer reading are:

Thirteen by Lauren Myracle is a great, fun book for girls about a girl named Winnie who just turned 13. She has an older sister named Sandra, a 6-year-old brother named Ty, and two BFFs, Dinah and Cinnamon. Even though this is a sequel to Ten, Eleven, and Twelve, you won’t be confused reading it alone.

TTYL is a story all written in IMing about three BFFs a.k.a. the winsome threesome, Angela (SnowAngel), Zoe (zoegirl), and Maddie (mad maddie) who are all in tenth grade. This is the first book of the Internet Girl series, including ttfn and l8r, g8r.

Boys are Dogs by Leslie Margolis is a book about a girl in junior high school named Annabelle who moves and goes to a new school, makes new friends, and best of all, gets a new dog. When the boys at her new school start getting super-annoying, Annabelle decides to train them like dogs. This is the first book in the series including Girls acting Catty and Everyone Bugs Out.

Happy Reading!

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Student 7

Now that summer is here, there is lots of things to do. However, if you ever need something relaxing to do, you can always sit down and read a good book. You may need a very appealing book to really get into it, and that is why I recommend a great book called The Island of Thieves by Josh Lacey.

The Island of Thieves is an adventures book that pulls you in from the start. When Tom Trelawney is left with his uncle Harvey for a week, he soon finds out he is about to go for a joyride. As Tom persuades Harvey to let him go to Peru because of a clue to a buried treasure, Tom soon discovers that his uncle is in some serious dept. Harvey owes Otto Gonzalez, South America’s most dangerous criminal, $100,000. Harvey shares the clue with Otto, and they seem to be in agreement. As they are desperate for more clues, they discover the world is bigger than they thought. In this breathtaking, hardcore story, Tom and Harvey go through every last place in Peru looking for the lost pages of John Drake’s journal, just to be double-crossed. Join them as they go through an adventure, action-packed James Bond thriller filled with enough surprises to keep you locked in the action, to the very last moment. Overall, if you’re looking for a great, thrilling book, that has a great story line, you should definitely read The Island of Thieves.

Other Great Novels

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos is an fantastic book for kids that are interested in adventures, laugh-out-loud, exciting books. Jack Gantos puts himself in a child character, who goes on throughout a classic plot story, including gripping chapters, amazing twists, and possibly murder? It also gives your imagination a boost, and makes you want to relate to it after.

The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan is a fantastic series of books that binds ancient Egypt with modern day life. Carter and Sadie Kane are long distance relationship siblings that rarely ever see each other. But, when they find out that they have many things to do with the Egyptians, become magicions practicing the lost art of magic, and accidentally release the worst monster in Egypt (aka Apophis) they need to do everything they can to stop him. A great series for kids and adults of all ages that like dramatic, action-packed adventure books. It is also very gripping and expands your knowledge of the Egyptian gods.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney is a great laugh-out-loud book that includes a series of books telling the story of a boy named Greg Heffley, and his adventures through school and life. This is a great book for speedy readers that like to rush through books, but enjoy them at the same time.

Well, now you know how to keep yourself busy this summer! All these books are great, full of creativity, and are all listed with great detail. They are all listed with links. Hope you enjoy them, because I know I did!

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Student 8

Now that it is summer you should keep reading like in the regular school year. Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger is a sure read for the summer. This book is great if you are someone who enjoys a hilarious read  with a kick of adventure.

When  Lenny Flem lends $10 to his friend Casper Bengue to buy the Heidelberg Handlebar Number Seven, fake mustache and the next day a mustachioed man goes on a robbing streak. Lenny thinks he knows the culprit. The fake mustache is so convincing that it can hypnotize towns of people to the will of the mustache wearer. Can Lenny stop Casper before he takes over the world?

Other excellent summer reads are: Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos: Can Jack survive the summer grounded? Cosmic by  Frank Cottrell Boyce : What will happen when a 12 year old Liam get launched into space as a grownup? Also The Cheshire Cheese Cat by Carmen Agra Deedy: Can a cheese eating cat (Skilley) live with cheese eating mice?

All these books are sure to keep you reading during the summer!

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Student 9

It is time for summer, and for summer reading. Here is a suggestion. This book is called The Case of the Deadly Desperados.

The Case of the Deadly Desperados by Caroline Lawrence, is a wonderful, gripping, Wild West book. P.K. Pinkerton is on the run from three desperados. They are trying to steal a deed to a large amount of land from P.K. They murdered his foster parents. P.K. escapes to Virginia City, and has many adventures, while still on the run from the three desperados. I thought this book was wonderful. It was gripping, adventurous and wonderfully written.

Some other good books for summer reading are; Dead End In Norvelt by Jack Gantos, The Adventures of Tintin by Herge, and The Mysterious Four by Dan Poblocki.

Summer reading shouldn’t be a chore, it should be fun!

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Student 10

Now that summer is coming, it is time to find some good books to read over the summer. I have a few suggestions to keep you interested.

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Student 11

Student 12

It is important that you read over the summer because you need to keep your brain busy and these books will make it fun!

I recently read an awesome book by R.J. Palacio called Wonder. August Pullman was born with a facial deformity and hasn’t gone to school. Until now. Auggie has a sister named Olivia (but her old friends call her Via). The writer tells the story from 6 perspectives. August goes to school and is bullied. He is called “freak” and “the plague” (if someone touches August they have to put hand sanitizer, on or wash their hands in 30 seconds or less or they have the plague). Wonder helps us understand what it is like to be bullied. I think Wonder is a great book for kids in elementary school because it shows why we shouldn’t judge people by how they look.

I read a lot of books this year and these will also make your summer enjoyable. One book that I liked was Circus Galacticus by Deva Fagan. I liked this book because of its fantasy element. Another book I thought was awesome was Brain Jack by Brian Falkner. I liked it because of its futuristic technology. A third book that I would recommend is The Potato Chip Puzzles by Eric Berlin. I appreciated how Eric Berlin mixed puzzles and words to make the story. I also was crazy about Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass. I liked it because it was a mystery with a surprising ending.Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce was interesting because of the way it uses cliffhangers, and it also had funny chapter names. Another great summer book is Mousenet by Prudence Breitrose and it was cool because it used technology in a fun and creative way. One last summer book is Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney, it is good for the summer because it is a light read and you can read it by the pool. Sometimes the reading was difficult, but I learned a lot.

Fourth grade made me a better reader, and by reading you understand life.

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Student 13

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Student 14

Summertime is just around the corner so be ready to pick out some great books for your kids to read. Whether it’s action, fairyland, mystery there’s loads of choices for your kid.

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage is about Mo, a girl who loves mysteries. So when a strange detective comes to town, and an old man is murdered, she’s on the case with her friend Dale. This book is great if you adore action. Three Times Lucky is one of those books that has big parts that you know something’s going to happen but you don’t know what.

I would love to share some of my summer reading suggestions. My first recommendation would definitely Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger. This book is great for kids because it’s hilarious. When Lenny’s best friend turns evil because of a fake mustache, he and celebrity Jodie’O Rodeo try to save the world. My second choice would be The Hunger Games. I’m not a big fan of it but most kids are. This would definitely be for action-lovers. I would give it a try and see what you think. And my last choice would be the Harry Potter Series. This is a favorite to almost all kids, a boy wizard whose life completely turns around.

Have fun this summer and enjoy your books!

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Student 15

Do you not like to read? Well reading is a tricky thing, first you need to learn how to read of course. That sounds pretty tricky learning a whole new language on paper. Personally for me I think picking out the kind of book you want to read is the hardest. You have to decide whether you want to read about someone who lost their glass slipper, and lives happily ever after with her “prince charming.” Or about someone who figures out he is a wizard and is destined to kill the wizarding world’s worst enemy. Now that it is summer people want to relax and enjoy their months of freedom. You might think no more assigned books no more homework. Books are no homework they are simply for you to enjoy you can read picture books to novel but reading is reading and if you think about it reading is fun.

A book just out that I suggest is Of Giants And Ice by Shelby Bach, It is a action book about a girl named Rory. Rory’s parents are both famous, and famously got divorced. Rory has switched schools over and over again. When she finally comes to school in North Carolina strange things happen. When her mother can’t pick her up she sends Rory to the Ever Afters, an after school program there Rory realises that she is a “Character” like on her first day she threw a rock at a dragon….Rory makes friends and follows her friend Lena on her tale as a companion where they live through the guidelines of Jack and The Beanstalk. The story changes a lot and Rory finds out what she is destined to. I recommend this book for people who love action and mystery. In this book the plot is well thought out and makes sense which leads to a great book which might be the perfect book for you.

And once you finish Of Giants And Ice make sure to check out these suggestions. Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce is a great book about a boy who is mistaken for a grown man (many times) but after almost driving a sports car without a drivers license Leom goes to space without his parents cosmic things happen. I recommend this book for humorous kind of people who can take a joke. Harry Potter series 1-7 by J. K. Rowling. It is about a boy named Harry whose parents were killed with the Avada Kedavra spell casted by Lord Voldemort (the wizarding worlds arch enemy) Harry was taken in by his mean aunt and uncle with their spoiled son Dudley. When Harry turns eleven he figures out he is a wizard and his adventures move on from there, when he goes to a wizarding school called Hogwarts. This book is my all time favorite and I really recommend it to all adventurous people. Dead End In Norvelt is a great book written by Jack Gantos is about a boy named Jack who is grounded for a whole summer and he works for an old lady next door named Ms. Volker. It turned out to be the best summer he ever had. But could there possibly be murder? I recommend this book for people with a big imagination somebody who is humorous and mysterious.

So if you like reading, or if you don’t, just relax and remember its your choice. You can take the shortest book and read it for the whole summer. Or you can read the longest book in a week. As long as you’re reading whether it’s long or short just read.

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Student 16

Summer is almost here! Here are a few books that I would recommend for reading over the summer without getting bored.

One book that I really enjoyed was Chomp by Carl Hiaasen, it has a very unique plot. The book is about a family who is broke, the father is a animal wrangler and has many strange animals in his backyard. When he takes a job with a fake survivalist on a T.V. show, many things go wrong. Someone goes missing, a crazy man is after his daughter and the boy’s mom is in China when they are in the Everglades. I really liked the book and if you read it I hope you like it too.

One of my favorite books that I read is Boys are Dogs which is about a girl who has to live with her mom’s new boyfriend who she hates. She gets a dog and a dog training book too, she trains all of the boys in school so they are not mean to her. I thought the book was really funny and I loved the plot.

Another interesting book that I like is The Winter Pony. It’s about the race to Antarctica. I thought it was very well written and very interesting. Many ponies are helping with the race  too. Sometimes it can be very sad but I still liked the book a lot.

Ella Enchanted is a book that you can just not put down! It’s about a girl who’s terrific mother dies and is left with her mean father and her lovely cook. Her cook turns out to be her fairy god mother. Many events happen in this wonderful book, I really recommend it!

These are books that I really enjoyed and I hope you will take the time to read them!

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Student 17