Packer Collegiate Institute Summer 2017

Summer Reading 2017 Incoming

Second Grade

Packer Collegiate Institute

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Brand New School, Brave New Ruby* By Derrick Barnes Eight-year-old Ruby Booker wants to be a rock star when she grows up. This year Ruby is headed to a new school where her older brothers rule, but Ruby plans to use her star quality to get the attention she deserves. Ivy + Bean* By Annie Barrows The moment they saw each other, Bean and Ivy knew they wouldn't be friends. But when Bean plays a joke on her sister, Nancy, and has to hide quickly, Ivy comes to the rescue, proving that sometimes the best of friends are people never meant to like each other. A Birthday for Bear By Bonny Becker Bear does not like birthdays. He doesn’t like parties or balloons, cards or candles. In fact, Bear does not like anything to do

Lion Lessons By Jon Agee There are seven steps to becoming a proper lion, including Looking Fierce, Roaring, Prowling Around, and Pouncing. Our young hero, a rather meek and scrawny human boy, does his best to learn the necessary skills during his training with a master instructor (who just happens to be a real lion). After a grueling set of lessons, the boy discovers that the final step—Looking Out for Your Friends—is the most important of all. That’s how any kid can earn his lion diploma (not to mention the affection of every cat in town) Critter Club*: Amy and the Missing Puppy By Callie Barkley Amy’s mother is a vet and Amy loves animals. She also loves mysteries. So when one of her mom’s canine patients disappears, Amy and her friends work together to find the lost puppy.

with birthdays at all. He would much rather spend his birthday alone cleaning his house, but Mouse, small and gray and bright-eyed, has other ideas. Rabbit and Robot and Ribbit* By Cece Bell Rabbit is excited to surprise Robot with a visit, but Robot already has his friend Ribbit over to play. Rabbit is not so sure about Ribbit. While Robot thinks everything she says is humorous, all Rabbit hears is “ribbit”. And Ribbit eats flies with her popcorn--gross! Readers will find plenty to chuckle over as Robot’s two friends become friends themselves. I Yam a Donkey By Cece Bell Confusion abounds when a poorly spoken donkey says to a grammarian yam, "I Yam a Donkey!"

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Franny K. Stein*: Lunch Walks Among Us By Jim Benton Franny K. Stein is a young mad scientist who prefers all things spooky and creepy. When she has trouble making friends at her new school she experiments with fitting in. Everything goes smoothly until a monster erupts from the trashcan! Freckle Juice By Judy Blume Andrew wants freckles so badly that he buys Sharon's freckle recipe for fifty cents. Bad Kitty* Gets a Bath By Nick Bruel It’s bath time for Bad Kitty. The supplies needed include a tub, plenty of water, a suit of armor, and an ambulance with the engine running The William Hoy Story: How a Deaf Baseball Player Changed the Game By Nancy Churnin All William Ellsworth Hoy wanted to do was play baseball. After losing out on a spot on the local deaf team, William practiced even harder—eventually earning a position on a professional team. But his struggle was far from over. In addition to the prejudice Hoy faced, he could not hear the umpires' calls. One day he asked the umpire to use hand signals: strike, ball, out. That day he not only got on base but also changed the way the game was played forever. William "Dummy" Hoy became one of the greatest and most beloved players of his time!

Heidi Hecklebeck* Has a Secret By Wanda Coven After having been homeschooled all of her life, Heidi Heckelbeck starts second grade at a regular school. As if being the new girl isn’t tough enough, Heidi has to find a way to deal with mean Melanie. Luckily, Heidi has a secret: she’s a witch in disguise.

Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas By Lynne Cox This is the incredible story of Elizabeth, a real-life elephant seal, who made her home in the Avon River in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. The moving tale, based on real events, is gorgeously illustrated by the award winning artist, Brian Floca. A must read! Mercy Watson* to the Rescue By Kate DiCamillo The first of many adventures staring Mr. and Mrs. Watson and their hilarious, toast-with-butter loving pig, Mercy. Dodsworth* in Paris By Tim Egan When Dodsworth and the duck vacation in Paris, they have a grand time despite running out of money and accidentally riding their bicycles in the Tour de France. The Princess in Black* By Shannon Hale Stopping monsters is no job for dainty Princess Magnolia. But luckily Princess Magnolia has a secret —she’s also the Princess in Black, and stopping monsters is the perfect job for her! Who says princesses don’t wear black?

Giant Squid By Candace Fleming The giant squid is one of the most elusive creatures in the world. As large as whales, they hide beyond reach deep within the sea, forcing scientists to piece together their story from those clues they leave behind. An injured whale's ring-shaped scars indicate an encounter with a giant squid. A piece of beak broken off in the whale's belly; a flash of ink dispersed as a blinding defense to allow the squid to escape-- these fragments of proof were all we had . . . until a giant squid was finally filmed in its natural habitat only two years ago. In this beautiful and clever nonfiction picture book about the giant squid, Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann explore, both visually and poetically, this hidden creature's mysterious life.

New and Noteworthy

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Lost and Found Cat: The True Story of Kunkush's Incredible Journey

By Doug Kuntz When an Iraqi family is forced to flee their home, they can’t bear to leave their beloved cat, Kunkush, behind. So they carry him with them. But during the crowded boat crossing to Greece, his carrier breaks and the frightened cat runs from the chaos. In one moment, he is gone. After an unsuccessful search, his family has to continue their journey, leaving brokenhearted. This is the remarkable true story about one cat’s journey to be reunited with his war-torn family.

Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat By Javaka Steptoe

Basquiat and his unique, collage-style paintings rocketed to fame in the 1980s as a cultural phenomenon unlike anything the art world had ever seen. But before that, he was a little boy who saw art everywhere: in poetry books and museums, in games and in the words that we speak, and in the pulsing energy of New York City. Steptoe's vivid text and bold artwork, echoing Basquiat's own, introduce young readers to the powerful message that art doesn't always have to be neat or clean--and definitely not inside the lines--to be beautiful. (2017 Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards)

New and Noteworthy

Dory* Fantasmagory By Abby Hanlon Dory, the youngest in her family, is a girl with a very active imagination, and she spends the summer playing with her imaginary friend, pretending to be a dog, battling monsters, and generally driving her family nuts. Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas By Gwendolyn Hooks Overcoming racism and resistance from his colleagues, Vivien Thomas ushered in a new era of medicine: children’s heart surgery. Tiny Stitches is the compelling story of this incredible pioneer in medicine. Digby O'Day* in the Fast Lane By Shirley Hughes Always looking for adventure Digby O'Day and his best friend Percy participate in the All-Day Race, but the route is full of dangers and Digby‘s archenemy, Lou Ella, will do anything to win the race. Eye to Eye: How Animals See the World By Steve Jenkins Explains how for most animals, eyes are the most important source of information about the world in a biological sense. The simplest eyes—clusters of light-sensitive cells—appeared more than one billion years ago, and provided a big survival advantage to the first creatures that had them. Since then, animals have evolved an amazing variety of eyes, along with often surprising ways to use them

Boris* on the Move By Andrew Joyner Boris lives in Hogg Bay, in an old bus that used to travel all over the world, but now just sits there--until one day when his parents take him on an adventure.

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Pink is for Blobfish: Discovering the World’s Perfectly Pink Animals By Jess Keating An informative introduction to the weirdest, wildest, pinkest creatures in the animal kingdom. Captain Awesome* to the Rescue By Stan Kirby & George O’Connor When second-grader Eugene and his family move to a new neighborhood and he starts at a new school, he has a chance to bring out his superhero alter ego, Captain Awesome, to find the kidnapped class hamster. Ling and Ting*: Share a Birthday By Grace Lin Ling & Ting are twins. They share a birthday. They bake cakes, and they make birthday wishes. They tell stories and wrap gifts. They also share a birthday secret! Have fun with Ling and Ting! They stick together and look alike. But they are not exactly the same.

Kung Pow Chicken*: Let’s Get Cracking By Cyndi Marko Gordon Blue transforms into Kung Pow Chicken, an avian superhero who fights crime in the city of Fowladelphia. When Gordon's birdy senses lead him to a festival, suddenly, POOF! Feathers fill the air and shivering naked chickens are everywhere. Why have all these chickens lost their feathers? Forced to wear wooly sweaters, the city itches for a hero. Kung Pow Chicken hops into his Beakmobile to save the day!

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Piper Green* and the Fairy Tree By Ellen Potter Life on an island in Maine is always interesting. But when a new teacher starts at Piper’s school—and doesn’t appreciate the special, um, accessory that Piper has decided to wear—there may be trouble on the horizon. Then Piper discovers the Fairy Tree in her front yard. Is the Fairy Tree really magic? And can it fix Piper’s problems? Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California's Farallon Islands By Katherine Roy Up close with the ocean's most fearsome and famous predator and the scientists who study them—just thirty miles from San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. (2015 Sibert Honor Award) Mr. Putter & Tabby* Smell the Roses By Cynthia Rylant Mr. Putter wants Mrs. Teaberry’s birthday to be extra special this year. So how about a trip to the Conservatory to see the beautiful trees and plants and flowers? Mr. Putter and Tabby and Mrs. Teaberry and Zeke sniff the air. They smell the roses. They learn the plant facts. It’s the perfect celebration . . . until Zeke finds the banana tree. High Tide for Horseshoe Crabs By Lisa Kahn Schnell This fascinating and engaging book introduces the life cycle of the horseshoe crab, with a focus on the annual mass-spawning event at Delaware Bay.

The Princess and the Warrior By Duncan Tonatiuh Tonatiuh reimagines one of Mexico's cherished legends. Princess Izta had many wealthy suitors but dismissed them all. When a mere warrior, Popoca, promised to be true to her and stay always by her side, Izta fell in love. The emperor promised Popoca if he could defeat their enemy Jaguar Claw, then Popoca and Izta could wed. When Popoca was near to defeating Jaguar Claw, his opponent sent a messenger to Izta saying Popoca was dead. Izta fell into a deep sleep and, upon his return, even Popoca could not wake her. As promised Popoca stayed by her side. So two volcanoes were formed: Iztaccihuatl, who continues to sleep, and Popocatepetl, who spews ash and smoke, trying to wake his love. (2017 Pura Belpré Honor Award for Illustration) Lulu and the Brontosaurus* By Judith Viorst Lulu's parents refuse to give in when she demands a brontosaurus for her birthday and so she sets out to find her own, but while the brontosaurus she finally meets approves of pets, he does not intend to be Lulu's. Here’s Hank*: Bookmarks Are People Too By Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver Hank is a kid who doesn't try to be funny, but he somehow always makes the kids in his class laugh. He's pretty bad at memorizing stuff, and spelling is his worst subject. (But so are math and reading!) In the first book in the series, Hank's class is putting on a play, and Hank wants the lead part: Aqua Fly.

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear By Lindsay Mattick & Sophie Blackall Before Winnie-the-Pooh, there was a real bear named Winnie. In 1914, Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian on his way to tend horses in World War I, followed his heart and rescued a baby bear. He named her Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, and he took the bear to war. Harry Colebourn's real-life great-granddaughter tells the true story of a remarkable friendship and an even more remarkable journey--from the fields of Canada to a convoy across the ocean to an army base in England...And finally to the London Zoo, where Winnie made another new friend: a real boy named Christopher Robin. Here is the true story of the bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh. (2016 Caldecott Award) Lulu* and the Duck in the Park By Hilary McKay Lulu, who loves animals, brings an abandoned duck egg to school, even though her teacher has banned Lulu from bringing animals to school ever again. I Am Helen Keller (Ordinary People Change the World series)* By Brad Meltzer The inspiring story of Helen Keller, who learned to read and write despite being deaf and blind, and became an activist who fought for the rights of disabled people.

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Books to Read Together The Adventures of Nanny Piggins* By R.A. Spratt Nanny Piggins answers stingy Mr. Green's ad for a nanny and takes on his three children, filling their days with fun, adventure, sweets, and love. Stuart Little By E.B. White The adventures of the debonair mouse, Stuart Little, as he sets out in the world to seek out his dearest friend, a little bird who stayed a few days in his family's garden. Little House on the Prairie* By Laura Ingalls Wilder This classic story of pioneer life follows a family as they travel from the big woods of Wisconsin to a new home on the prairie, where they build a house, meet neighboring Indians, build a well, and fight a prairie fire. The Story of Diva and Flea By Mo Willems Set in Paris, Diva, a small yet brave dog, and Flea, a curious streetwise cat, develop an unexpected friendship in this unforgettable tale of discovery.

Mr. Popper's Penguins By Richard and Florence Atwater The unexpected delivery of a large crate containing an Antarctic penguin changes the life and fortunes of Mr. Popper, a house painter obsessed by dreams of the Polar regions. Tumtum and Nutmeg*: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall By Emily Bearn Three stories about married mice, Tumtum and Nutmeg, who find adventure when they try to help two human siblings who live in a tumbledown cottage with their absent-minded inventor father. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory* By Roald Dahl Roald Dahl’s classic story of five children lucky enough to visit Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory. Beryl: A Pig’s Tale By Jane Simmons Tired of being mistreated and cooped up, Beryl the piglet escapes her farm and meets a group of wild pigs. With her new "family" she sets out to find a true home.

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