Dear Parents,

Summer is an excellent opportunity for students and families to enjoy spending some time together reading and discussing a good book. Like a good movie, books create conversations about our life's experiences and the world around us. 

Educational researchers have found that there is a strong correlation between reading and academic success. A student who is a good reader is more likely to do well in school and pass exams than a student who is a weak reader. Research has also shown that summer is a time when students lose ground. Reading is one way to help keep skills sharp.

With these ideas in mind, our district has put together an abbreviated recreational summer reading list. These books are taken from the Texas Library Association's lists of books which can be found at http://txla.org/html/reading.html. You can access further recommendations from the list.

In order to help students choose books on their reading level, it is helpful to know about the Lexile Framework for Reading. This framework is a scientific approach to measuring readers and reading materials. The Lexile measure reflects the difficulty of a text. Your child's Lexile measure indicates his or her reading ability. Knowing the Lexile level of a book and the Lexile measure of a reader helps predict how the book matches the student's reading ability. The recommended Lexile range for choosing reading text is 50L above and 100L below their Lexile measure. This means that if a child's lexile level is 880L, they should choose books in the lexile range from 830L to 990L. Keep in mind that lexile levels measure the reading difficulty of a book; they do not take into account the maturity level of the reader so choose books wisely.

Student lexile level's can be found on the TAKS Confidential Student Report under the "Reading" category in the lower left corner which will say:

Lexile Measure
880L (numbers will be different)

Within every classroom, students' Lexile levels will vary. Lexiles track a student's reading progress over time, no matter what grade they are in.

Many libraries have access to databases which can help your child find reading materials on their Lexile level. For book suggestions visit the free Lexile Book Database at www.Lexile.com. This can be used to find books and create booklists. The Lexile Framework provides an easy way for readers to keep track of their growth and progress.

Happy summer reading!

Recommendations for Recreational Summer Reading

La Porte ISD

2008

Age 1-Second Grade

On the Go With Mr. and Mrs. Green by Keith Baker

Move Over, Rover! by Karen Beaumont

Cork & Fuzz: Short and Tall by Dori Chaconas

Duck & Goose by Tad Hills

 
Third through Sixth Grades

The Blue Ghost by Marion Dane Bauer

Roxie and the Hooligans by Phillis Reynolds

Down Girl and Sit: On the Road by Lucy Nolan

Who Stole Halloween by Martha Freeman

Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddeix

George Crum and the Saratoga Chip by Gaylia Taylor

Sixth through Eighth Grades

The Lambkins by Joanna Cotler

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Black Tattoo by Sam Enthoven

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass

Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick

Runaway by Van Draanen

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

Ninth through Twelfth

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Code Orange-by Caroline Cooney

Twilight by Stephanie Meyers

Good Brother, Bad Brother: The Story of Edwin Booth & John Wilkes (nonfiction) by James Cross Giblin

Crunch Time by Mariah Fredericks

Stay With Me by Garret Freymann-Weyr

What Are You Afraid Of? Stories About Phobias by Don Gallo

Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog by John Grogan

If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? by Melissa Kantor