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American Academy

Castle Pines - Reading

Summer 2025: Assignments are listed by grade (K-8)

 
Kindergarten

  • Practice proper tripod pencil grip
    Image of hands holding a pencil demonstrating the tripod grip.
  • Practice letter recognition (letter names) A-Z by utilizing ABC/Alphabet books.
    • Chicka Chika Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault,
    • Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate

  • Recommended books:
    What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know, E.D. Hirsch
  • Practice independently opening and closing their snacks, as well as skillfully zip and button clothing. It is highly encouraged to practice tying shoes.


Note to Kindergarten Parents: When you begin reading this summer, start with the Language and Literature section of What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know. Throughout the school year you may want to read selections from the History/Geography section of What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know. The information in that section will help students prepare for first grade.


 

Grade 1

  • What Your First Grader Needs to Know, E.D. Hirsch


Note to incoming first grade parents: Please choose 1-2 of the following books to read to your child this summer. These books are great to introduce a Growth Mindset. We will build on these concepts throughout the school year.

  • Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg
  • The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
  • Ish by Peter H. Reynolds
  • The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken
  • What Do You Do with an Idea? by Kobi Yamada
  • What Do You Do with a Problem? by Kobi Yamada
  • What Do You Do with a Chance? by Kobi Yamada
  • Elastic Fantastic Brain by Joann Deak
  • The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein

OPTIONAL (Great read alouds with family):
  • Revolutionary War on Wednesday by Mary Pope Osborne
  • Who was Dr. Seuss? by Janet B. Pascal

 

Grade 2

Parents of incoming second graders should pick one or two of the following Tall Tales to read with your child:

  • Paul Bunyan, Steven Kellogg
  • Pecos Bill, Steven Kellogg
  • Johnny Appleseed, Steven Kellogg
  • John Henry, Julius Lester


AND

Pick one (or more) of the following Magic Treehouse books, by Mary Pope Osbourne, to read:

  • #16: Hour of the Olympics
  • #21: Civil War on Sunday
  • #47: Abe Lincoln at Last!
  • #10: Ghost Town at Sundown
  • #14: Day of the Dragon King
  • #37: Dragon of the Red Dawn
  • #5: Night of the Ninja
  • #23: Twister on Tuesday
  • #18: Buffalo Before Breakfast


AND

Purchase:

  • What Your 2nd Grader Needs to Know, E.D. Hirsch
    (this book is used a lot throughout the year as home study)

 




Grade 3

REQUIRED (Pick One):

1.) Flora and Ulysses
2.) Who is Leif Erikson

Additional recommended reading to help build student background knowledge:
OPTIONAL:
  • Magic Treehouse Midnight on the Moon
  • Magic Treehouse Fact Finders Sabertooths and the Ice Age
  • Magic Tree HOuse, Viking ships at Sunrise
  • What is the Declaration of Independence
  • Stella Diaz Has Something to Say
  • Where is our Solar System

 

Grade 4

 REQUIRED:

Fictional Book- Required for everyone- Frindle by Andrew Clements

*Students will be completing a graded activity in literacy on this novel.

 

Historical Fiction- Pick One Historical Fiction

  • The Middle Ages: An Interactive History Adventure (You Choose: Historical Eras) by Allison Lassieur
  • I Survived American Revolution, 1776 by Lauren Tarshis

    *Students will be completing a graded activity in history to reflect on their selected historical fiction novel.

 

Grade 5

REQUIRED:

Mr. Tucket, by Gary Paulsen
*Students will be completing a graded activity in literacy on this novel when they return to school in the fall.

 

Grade 6

BOOK: Wonder, Raquel J. Palacio
READING PROJECT: Download and complete the grade 6 questions for Wonder. The grade 6 questions will help prepare students for the Socratic Seminars at the beginning of the school year.
Download the grade 6 Socratic Seminar Rubric.
Questions: 6th Grade English: Deedra Lankford [email protected]

 

Grade 7

BOOK: The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton  
READING PROJECT: Download and complete the grade 7 questions for The Outsiders. The grade 7 questions will help prepare students for the Socratic Seminars at the beginning of the school year.
Download the grade 7 Socratic Seminar Rubric.
Questions: 7th Grade English: Jessica Dawkins [email protected]
 

 

Grade 8

BOOK: The Giver, Lois Lowry
READING PROJECT: Download and complete the grade 8 questions for The Giver. The grade 8 questions will help prepare students for the Socratic Seminars at the beginning of the school year.
Download the grade 8 Socratic Seminar Rubric.

Questions: 8th Grade English: Shannon Donohoe  – [email protected]