Mark Twain Intermediate School for the Gifted & Talented

Mark Twain Intermediate School for the Gifted & Talented Karen Ditolla, Principal

Dear Parent / Guardian.

Your child has a 25 book reading goal to complete this year. While books read for school courses count toward this goal, the majority of the books will come from your child's independent reading.

As it is important for your child to be exposed to a variety of literature, the following lists are sorted by genre in order to facilitate a broader choice. Please encourage your child to explore the different genres.

One list is for Academic classes and the other is for the Accelerated class. Students in the Academic classes may choose to read books from either list and respond accordingly using the Be A Critic Blog on my faculty page. Students in the Accelerated class are to select books from the Accelerated Reading List and respond accordingly using the Be A Critic Blog.

Please go over the lists with your child. Be aware that some books are more advanced than others and you may want to discuss and guide your child's choices accordingly.

I encourage you to participate in the Scholastic Book Club throughout the year. Many books from the reading list will appear throughout the year at a reduced rate and your purchases from Scholastic allows me to continue to expand the classroom library

Please contact me via email with any questions or concerns. Sincerely,

Ms. Robles

Be a Critic Blog Each month, one Be a Critic Blog must be posted about a book read independently. Blogs may be posted online at any time during the month but are due by 9pm on the last day of each month. Late blogs will not be accepted. No exceptions. Books used for blog posts over the course of the year must come from the independent reading lists unless otherwise noted.

Please return by Friday, September 13, 2019

_____ I am aware that my child has a 25 book reading goal to complete by the end of the year.

_____ I am aware that my child has to complete and turn in an assigned number of Be a Critic Blogs before the end of each semester.

_____ I have reviewed the appropriate reading list(s) with my child.

Parent Signature ________________________________________________

Please print student's name_______________________________________

HR/ID ____________

Reasons to Read:

Mental Stimulation Keeping your brain active prevents it from losing power. Just like any other muscle in the body, the brain requires exercise to keep it strong and healthy.

Knowledge Everything you read fills your head with new pieces of information. The more knowledge you have, the better equipped you are to tackle a challenge.

Vocabulary Expansion The more you read, the more words you gain exposure to, and the more you will use them in your writing and everyday vocabulary.

Better Writing Skills Exposure to published, well-written work has a noted effect on one's own writing, as observing the cadence, fluidity, and writing styles of other authors will invariably influence your own work.

Memory Improvement Reading a novel requires you to keep track of characters, plot, setting, and more. As your brain does this, new synapses are forged and existing ones are strengthened.

Stronger Analytical Thinking Skills Critical and analytical thinking skills are put to work by taking note of all the details provided and sorting them.

Improved Focus and Concentration Reading allows the brain to focus on fine details which will then extend to other tasks. Reading 15-20 minutes before school or tackling work will help your focus throughout the day.

Improved Empathy Literary fiction improves a reader's capacity to understand what others are thinking and feeling. This in turn improves interpersonal skills and communication.

Stress Reduction The stresses of daily life can slip away when engaged in reading.

Modified from 10 Benefits of Reading: Why You Should Read Every Day by Lana Winter-Hebert

Scholastic Catalogue Information

In the hopes of encouraging your child to become lifelong readers as well as complete their 25 book reading goal for the year, as well as introducing a variety of new literature, the 8G cluster is now participating in the Scholastic Book Club. Your child will have an opportunity to order books through me or you can place your Scholastic Book Clubs orders directly online. The first ordering deadline for the year is September 27th.

Ordering Online Browse all the great monthly Book Club selections and order online. Plus, our class earns a FREE book every time a parent orders online.

Here's how it works:

SIGN UP at bookclubs. On the parent page, click the "Don't have a User Name and Password?" link, then register for your own username and password. When prompted, enter the one-time Class Activation Code shown below. This code ensures that your order is sent to me.

SELECT the books you'd like to order from over 500 titles available online...and take advantage of online-only specials and discounts.

SEND your order to me online by the due date. Books will be delivered directly to our classroom, as always.

Online Ordering Information Web address: bookclubs Class Activation Code: GLJ3V

Academic Reading List (ID 1 & ID 4 English) Choose books you have not already read and explore different genres!!!

KEY

CL ? available in the classroom library

^ - any book by this author counts for this list

# - part of a series

* - both books count as one

Adventure The Call of the Wild ? Jack London CL The Cay ? Theodore Taylor CL The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp ? Rick Yancey Journey to the Center of the Earth ? Jules Verne CL Treasure Island ? Robert Louis Stevenson CL

Classics The Adventures of Tom Sawyer ? Mark Twain CL Jacob Have I Loved ? Katherine Paterson CL The Pearl - John Steinbeck ^ CL Sounder ? William H. Armstrong When the Legends Die ? Hal Borland CL Where the Lilies Bloom ? Vera Cleaver Where the Red Fern Grows ? Wilson Rawls CL The Yearling ? Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Fantasy The Blue Sword ? Robin McKinley CL Boneshaker ? Cherie Priest CL # The Dark is Rising ? Susan Cooper ^ CL # The Forest of Hands and Teeth ? Carrie Ryan CL # The Graveyard Book ? Neil Gaiman CL The Hobbit ? JRR Tolkien ^ CL The Last Unicorn ? Peter S. Beagle CL Leviathan ? Scott Westerfeld CL # The Neverending Story ? Michael Ende CL

Historical Fiction Across Five Aprils ? Irene Hunt CL Code Talker ? Joseph Bruchac CL Fever 1793 ? Laurie Halse Anderson CL Girl in a Cage ? Jane Yolen CL Kira-Kira ? Cynthia Kadohata CL

continued

Historical Fiction continued A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder ? Richard Peck * CL Milkweed: A Novel ? Jerry Spinelli CL My Brother Sam is Dead ? James Lincoln Collier, et al CL Night John and Sarny ? Gary Paulsen * CL Out of the Dust ? Karen Hess CL The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano ? Sonia Manzano CL Rifles for Watie ? Harold Keith

Memoirs Bad Boy: A Memoir ? Walter Dean Myers CL Death Be Not Proud ? John Gunther CL Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter ? Adeline Yen Mah CL This Boy's Life: A Memoir ? Tobias Wolff CL

Mysteries The Arm of the Starfish ? Madeleine L'Engle ^ # Hound of Baskervilles ? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Death on the Nile ? Agatha Christie The Ruby in the Smoke ? Philip Pullman CL #

Realistic Fiction Bang! ? Sharon Draper CL The Circuit ? Francisco Jimenez CL Confetti Girl - Diana Lopez CL Cuba 15 ? Nancy Osa Darius and Twig ? Walter Dean Myers CL Good Enough ? Paula Yoo CL Homecoming ? Cynthia Voigt CL ^ # House Arrest ? K.A. Holt CL Husky ? Justin Sayre CL Let the Circle Be Unbroken ? Mildred D. Taylor CL A Mango-Shaped Space ? Wendy Mass CL Miracle's Boys ? Jacqueline Woodson CL Monster ? Walter Dean Myers CL Parrot in the Oven ? Victor Martinez CL The Pigman ? Paul Zindel CL Rumble Fish ? S.E. Hinton ^ Sleeping Freshman Never Lie ? David Lubar CL# Taking Sides ? Gary Soto CL There Will Be Bears ? Ryan Gebhart CL Twerp ? Mark Goldblatt CL When the Black Girl Sings ? Bil Wright CL

Science Fiction Flowers for Algernon ? Daniel Keyes CL Journey to the Center of the Earth ? Jules Verne Matched ? Ally Condie CL # War of the Worlds ? H.G. Wells CL A Wrinkle in Time ? Madeline L'Engle ^ CL #

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