Available in English and Spanish
Grades PreK–12
Where Summer Reading Meets Academic Achievement
Improve Reading Skills with Our Proven Take-Home Book Program Raise reading skills this summer with My Books Summer Take-Home Book Packs. They're proven to maintain and increase reading levels by providing meaningful summertime practice with fluency, comprehension, and more.
Results Educators Need Prepare students for the next school year with practice activities in each book pack that align with your district’s reading goals:
In a study of students in Grades 3–5, 78% maintained or increased their reading levels from spring to fall after receiving access to Scholastic summer books and other learning opportunities.
• Encourage voluminous independent reading. • Build essential background knowledge. • Promote close reading and help students cite text evidence.
• Support writing about reading and writing from sources. • Discover research: build and present knowledge. • Introduce and reinforce academic vocabulary.
Make Summer Count. (2016).
Build Home Libraries. Build Bright Futures. Research shows that access to books in the home is one of the strongest predictors of educational achievement. 1 My Books Summer grows home libraries and encourages families to read together. Our high-interest books and family resources help integrate reading into daily life—so literacy is growing even when school is out. Home libraries are one of the best tools schools have to promote literacy growth.
New Books! Every year, our literacy experts review hundreds of new books to refresh our packs with students' favorite characters and series for maximum engagement.
The likelihood of being on track in literacy and numeracy almost doubled if at least one book was available in a student’s home. 1 1 Book
Reading just five books during the summer can prevent a decline in reading achievement. 2 5 Books
25 Books
A child who comes from a home with 25 books will, on average, complete two more years of school than a child from a home without any books at all. 3
1 Manu et al. (2019). Association between availability of children’s book and the literacy-numeracy skills of children aged 36 to 59 months. 2 Kim, J. S. (2006). Effects of a voluntary summer reading intervention on reading achievement: Results from a randomized field trial. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 28(4), 335–355. 3 Evans et al. (2010). Family scholarly culture and educational success: Books and schooling in 27 nations.
Scholastic My Books Summer | 1
Choose the Book Pack Your Students Will Love
Every summer reading program is different. Pick the themes that best meet your summer needs. Choose from English and Spanish book packs. Fiction, nonfiction, and fiction/ nonfiction combination packs are available for each grade.
5-Book Packs
BACKYARD BUGS I SEE FIREFLIES
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PreK–12
This edition is only available for distribution through the school market.
English PreK Nonfiction 5-Pack
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Reina Ramos
Reina tiene muchas ganas de conocer a su primo Andrés. Sin embargo, al comienzo, ¡las cosas no salen como las había imaginado!
PreK–5
por Emma Otheguy
ilustrado por Andres Landazabal
traducido por Isabel C. Mendoza
This edition is only available for distribution through the school market.
scholastic.com
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Spanish Grade 2 Fiction 5-Pack
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Specialty Themes • NEW! Grades K–5: Getting to Know the U.S.A. (4-pack) • PreK: Beginning Concepts • Grade K: School Readiness • Grade 1: Communities • Grade 2: Health & Wellness
• Grade 3: STEAM • Grade 4: Animals & Habitats • Grade 5: Leaders & Innovators • Grades 6–8: Genre Study • Grades 9–12: Literary Elements
Grade 2 Getting to Know the U.S.A. Pack
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Other Configurations Choose 6-packs or 10-packs for an even mix of fiction and nonfiction!
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RACING TO THE RESCUE!
bREAKING bARRIERS ONE WoRD, ONE RECoRD, ONE bRUSH STRoKE AT A TIME! N uestra América highlights the inspiring stories of thirty Latinas and Latinos throughout history and their incredible contributions to the cultural, social, and political character of the United States. SyLVIA ACEVEDO • LUIS ÁlVAREz • PURA bELPRé • MARTHA E. bERNAL • JULIA DE bURGOS • CéSAR CHáVEz • SANDRA CISNERoS • RobERTO CLEMENTE • CELIA CRUz • oLgA CUSToDIO • JAIME ESCAlANTE • MACARIO GARCíA • X gONzálEz • LAURIE HERNáNDEz • JUAN FELIPE HERRERA • DoloRES HUERTA • ÓSCAR DE lA RENTA • JENNIfER lOPEz • xIUHTEzCATl MARTíNEz • SylVIA MéNDEz • LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA • C. DAVID MOLINA • RITA MORENO • ELlEN OCHOA • JoRGE RAMoS • SylVIA RIVERA • MARíA ELENA SAlINAS • SONIA SOTOMAyOR • DARA TORRES • RobERT UNANUE Twenty-three of the stories featured in this anthology are also included in the Molina Family Latino Gallery, the first national gallery dedicated to Latinos at the Smithsonian. Nuestra América and the Molina Family Latino Gallery are initiatives led by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino to ensure that Latino art, history, and cul- ture are represented throughout the Institution.
T welve-year-old Adrianna Villalobos and her older brother, Feye, travel the globe with their parents, the hosts of a suspenseful nature show called Wild Survival! The show features daring animal rescues and the work the family does at their animal sanctuary. Her parents are using the show to help an old family friend who studies jaguars in Mexico. Daniela Corrales Gutiérrez has dedicated her life to studying these amazing big cats. She needs the family’s assistance to locate an injured jaguar—and help her improve her relationship with local ranchers. The task is huge and made more difficult by the constant threat of poachers. Adrianna is convinced that the poaching team they encountered in Cuba and Sri Lanka is here in Mexico now, too. Will anyone listen this time?
NUESTRA AMÉRICA 30 INSPIRING lATINAS/lATINoS WHO HAVE SHAPED THE UNITED STATES f
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3 BRAVO! Poems About Amazing Hispanics
CHASING JAGUARS
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Margarita Engle F illustrated by Rafael López
READ MORE!
$10.99 US
This edition is available for distribution only through the school market.
ISBN 978-1-338-87852-3
51099
Pack of 10
by SAbRINA VoURVoULIAS IlLUSTRATED by GLORIA FéLIx
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Cover art © 2022 by Mike Heath | Magnus Creative Cover design by Yaffa Jaskoll
$8.99 US $11.99 CAN
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4 TH -7 TH GRADERS APPEALS TO
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MELISSA CRISTINA MÁRQUEZ
GRADE 4 READING LEVEL
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Grade 6 Fiction/Nonfiction 10-Pack
BEST VALUE! Classroom Sets Includes 30 five-book packs to build your students' home libraries with a total of 150 books!
Pack of 30
Grade 1 Communities 5-Pack
Scholastic My Books Summer | 3
What's Included in Each Pack Books and components are available in English and Spanish. *
5-, 6-, or 10-Book Packs Choose from fiction and/or nonfiction, or specialty themes. Titles are updated every year to ensure students receive new books to add to their home libraries.
Summer Reading Journal Make reading a daily habit with activities that families and students can complete together.
FAMILY TIME
Henry, Like Always by Jenn Bailey
Before Reading Preview the book with your child. Together, look at the cover image and read the title, author’s name, and other cover text. Then, read through the book one time, pausing only to explain unfamiliar words and phrases. While Reading Reread the book, this time pausing to discuss it. Use the following prompts to guide your discussion. Feel free to add your own! After “Classroom Ten looked at the pictures”: The Big Calendar in Classroom Ten is always the same. This week it is different. How does Henry feel about the change in the calendar? Is Henry excited about the parade? After “Katie got a kazoo”: What do you learn about Henry on this page? How does he feel about the musical instruments? After “But it is Share Time”: Why does Henry go to the school nurse? How are Henry’s thoughts and emotions affecting how his body feels? After “Henry marched out of the closet”: How do Henry and Samuel help each other? After Reading At the end of the book it says, “Henry found his own way. Just like always.” What does this mean? How does Henry find his own way? What does he do to take care of himself throughout the story?
Think Sheets Promote close reading with book-specific Think Sheets for each title that include writing activities and comprehension questions.
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Ready, Set, Read . . . Together! Tips for Family Read-Alouds Reading aloud is good for everyone in the family, not just kids! But it is a research-proven strategy for helping kids learn to read and for building literacy, regardless of whether the child or the adult is doing the reading. Reading aloud improves children’s reading by
• immersing them in language. • motivating them to pick up books on their own. • exposing them to new vocabulary and types of texts. • inspiring them to be super readers.
So how do you add reading aloud to an already busy routine? And how do you make it special ? Here are some tips that might help: • Ask your reader or a family member to read aloud while others are preparing a meal, doing the dishes, folding laundry, or tidying up. • Plan your family read-aloud time. Make a read-aloud chart and hang it where everyone can see it. Invite family members to sign up for books they want to read or write down their own book suggestions. • Set up a special place in your home for read-alouds. Make it as cozy, comfortable, and inviting as possible, and be sure there’s plenty of reading light. • Before you start reading, preview what the book is about. If it’s a topic that might be new to some family members, make sure everyone has enough information to make sense of the story. Building background knowledge makes reading and listening to a story more enjoyable for everyone. • To be continued . . . Time to stop? Try leaving listeners wanting more by ending at a dramatic moment in the action.
NEW! Family Guide Build family confidence with read-aloud tips and conversation starters to create everyday literacy moments.
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Timeline to Get Set for Summer Reading (Grades 3–5)
About 8 weeks before end of school year: • Hold a class or school literacy night to introduce parents and families to summer reading. Help generate enthusiasm by having kids design posters about summer reading, make collages about favorite books, or create their own mini-books to have on display at this event. • Have kids create a class mural to put up in the classroom, hallway, or cafeteria, linking summer reading with summer fun.
Program Guide for Educators Get your summer reading program up and running with a downloadable guide that supports implementation and outreach.
With next-to-last report card (March/April): • Send home a family letter about summer reading. (See sample letter in this guide.)
About 4 weeks before end of school year: • Introduce kids to logging minutes. During independent reading time, write on chart paper a sample book title, followed by a write-on line. Have each kid note the start time on a sticky note. At the end of the independent reading period, take note of the new time and determine together how many minutes have elapsed. Then record the number of minutes alongside the book title on your chart-paper model. Have kids make a daily habit of logging minutes, and remind them that every minute counts! Suggest to kids that when they read during the summer, they might want to ask someone to help them record and add up their daily reading times. • Introduce the habit of using a journal for daily writing entries. Set up a “journaling time” during the day to make journaling part of the class routine and to demonstrate that ideas can be set down in a matter of 5 or 10 minutes, to be revisited and expanded later. Students will appreciate having a place to record their ideas and will quickly take to the idea of checking it daily to reread or to make new entries. With final report card (May/June): • Set a reading goal that each child can reasonably achieve. Distribute reading pledges and invite students to illustrate theirs and take them home to post on the refrigerator or a bulletin board. • Send home a list of the My Books Summer books you are giving children. Suggest that parents post the list at home and check off the title as each book is completed. If possible, also list other recommended titles to help children make the transition to the next grade level.
Program Guide
Educator Resource • GRADES 3–5
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*Spanish packs available for Grades PreK–5 only.
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See Inside: Think Sheet and Summer Reading Journal
FAMILY TIME
Student reflection is prompted before, during, and after reading.
Reina Ramos by Emma Otheguy; illustrated by Andrés Landazábal
Before Reading Preview the book. Look at the cover image and read the cover text. Then explore the glossary in the back of the book. While Reading Read the book one time, pausing to explain unfamiliar words. Then reread it, this time using prompts to guide a discussion. After page 15: Why does Reina feel left out? After page 21: On the subway, Reina describes Andrés slamming into her and knocking off her headband. Do you think Reina is mad about him bumping into her, or is she mad about something else? Explain your answer. After page 23: Reina learns that Andrés has never ridden the subway before. What does this help her understand about him? After page 27: How does Andrés help Reina feel less left out? After Reading Early in the story, Reina wants Andrés to stop talking about the island. At the end, she wants him to keep talking about the island. What has changed? Literacy Tip Point of view refers to who is narrating, or telling, the story. If the narrator uses the words I, me, my , we , the story is in the first person. Reina Ramos starts with the lines “My cousin Andrés is visiting!” This means the story is told by Reina. The first person point of view lets you understand everything Reina is thinking and feeling in her own words. (fact 2) FICTION or NONFICTION FICTION Title: __________________ ________________________
Book-specific page numbers direct students to key passages.
Side-by-Side Comparison Compare means to notice how things are alike or different. Pick two books and compare them. Compare each item in the boxes (main character, setting, plot, problem, and solution). Write how they are alike or different.
d. Write two facts and one surprising fact review! Draw a picture to go with your review.
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Title: __________________ ________________________
____________________________
____________________________ .
(topic)
Main Character: __________ ________________________ Setting: _________________ ________________________ Plot: ___________________ ________________________ Problem: ________________ ________________________ Solution: ________________ ________________________
979-8-225-05418-2 Main Character: __________ ________________________ Setting: _________________ ________________________ Plot: ___________________ ________________________ Problem: ________________ ________________________ Solution: ________________ ________________________
____________________________
(fact 1)
_________ and ________________
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me in the book is ______________
(surprising fact)
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d that you read this book!
Activities target literary element knowledge-building.
Each student activity is paired with an everyday family activity to activate families as literacy partners.
Challenge your child to compare pairs of things in your home, such as an apple and an orange, a comb and a brush, or a fork and a spoon. Ask your child to say how they are alike and how they are different.
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Scholastic My Books Summer | 5
See Inside: Family Guide
Ready, Set, Read . . . Together! Tips for Family Read-Alouds Reading aloud is good for everyone in the family, not just kids! But it is a research-proven strategy for helping kids learn to read and for building literacy, regardless of whether the child or the adult is doing the reading. Reading aloud improves children’s reading by
• immersing them in language. • motivating them to pick up books on their own. • exposing them to new vocabulary and types of texts. • inspiring them to be super readers.
Inform families of the benefits of book talks and read-alouds.
So how do you add reading aloud to an already busy routine? And how do you make it special ? Here are some tips that might help: • Ask your reader or a family member to read aloud while others are preparing a meal, doing the dishes, folding laundry, or tidying up. • Plan your family read-aloud time. Make a read-aloud chart and hang it where everyone can see it. Invite family members to sign up for books they want to read or write down their own book suggestions. • Set up a special place in your home for read-alouds. Make it as cozy, comfortable, and inviting as possible, and be sure there’s plenty of reading light. • Before you start reading, preview what the book is about. If it’s a topic that might be new to some family members, make sure everyone has enough information to make sense of the story. Building background knowledge makes reading and listening to a story more enjoyable for everyone. • To be continued . . . Time to stop? Try leaving listeners wanting more by ending at a dramatic moment in the action.
Empower families to build read-alouds into daily routines.
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See Inside: Program Guide
Quick Checklist for Teachers
Pacing, implementation, and outreach materials help teachers set up their summer reading programs and distribute book packs.
MID-SPRING: Start the Buzz
Establish the daily practices of making reading journal entries and logging minutes spent reading. Engage in book talks about familiar titles to model critical thinking and citing text-based evidence.
LATE SPRING: Set It in Motion & Set Goals
Send home student and family letters to introduce My Books Summer (see sample letters, pp. 33–38).
Downloadable!
Post flyers in the classroom or hold a poster contest to motivate students. Invite parents into the classroom to introduce the program and show its take-home components. Host a Scholastic Literacy Event to kick off summer. If you have purchased the family engagement BookConnect mobile tool, hold a tutorial for families at a summer reading kick-off event. With older students, open a class discussion about the importance of reading over the summer and its impact on their overall success in school and beyond. Preview book packs with the class, noting features of special interest. Emphasize to students that the MBS books are theirs to keep—to read, reread, enjoy, share, and add to their home libraries. Encourage students to take part in the Scholastic Summer Reading Program, where students can log their reading minutes, access free resources, earn digital prizes, and more! Remind students that they will share their Summer Reading Journals and Think Sheets with their new classroom teachers in the fall.
OVER THE SUMMER: Keep Up the Momentum
Ask your local library to inform you about story hours or book groups for summer reading.
Teacher Resource • ALL GRADES
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Scholastic My Books Summer | 7
Take-Home Book Packs Your Way Meet your summer reading goals with customization options that align with your budget,
planning capacity, and students' needs. Select Books for Your Students
Choose from hundreds of expertly curated books that reflect your district's priorities, budget, and student body. Books with recognizable characters and series across fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels are available in English and Spanish. Distribute to students to keep them on track. Empower Student Choice Research indicates that self-selected reading is twice as powerful as teacher-selected reading in developing motivation and comprehension. With self-select customization, educators pick a variety of books for students to choose from. Available with in-person or online selection.
On-Site Host an on-site summer reading distribution event where students choose their own books from an educator-vetted selection.
Online Students browse educator-vetted books online and select titles that interest them from fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, and more.
SAMPLE DISTRICT & ORGANIZATION LETTER
From the desk of Dr. Cristina Dunn Superintendent, Scholastic Unified School District
Let families know how valuable your summer reading program is with a customized superintendent/ organization letter.
Add-Ons Choose from add-ons, including a variety of student workbooks, a customized district letter from your administrators, and student backpacks for learning on the go.
Summer Reading Program
Dear Parent or Guardian, We have made incredible progress this school year. Thank you for your invaluable support and partnership, which helps to ensure that your child and all of our students succeed inside and outside of the classroom. The Scholastic Unified School District is pleased to give each child a summer reading take-home pack to motivate students to read this summer. Each pack includes engaging books, reading and writing activities, and tips to help you make the most of summer reading opportunities. Ongoing practice throughout the summer will help your child gain the necessary skills to flourish in school. The book packs will give you an opportunity to spend quality time with your child while also strengthening his or her reading comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking and conversational skills. The goals of our
summer reading take-home program are simple: • Encourage students to become lifelong readers
• Teach students how to think critically about what they’re reading • Connect students and families with local libraries, book stores, and community organizations • Expose students to different types of authors and characters • Help students develop reading and writing skills through different types of reading experiences
Research proves that families play an important role in building and maintaining reading skills, especially over the summer months. On behalf of the Scholastic Unified School District, we hope that you and your family have a restful summer and embrace the joy and power of reading.
Sincerely,
Dr. Cristina Dunn Superintendent of School, Scholastic Unified School District
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To learn more about customizing your My Books Summer Take-Home Packs, contact your Scholastic Education partner.
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Add More Practice. See More Success.
FAMILY TIME
Dinosaur Lady by Linda Skeers
BUNDLE! My Books Summer + Summer Express Workbook Set Pair My Books Summer with a workbook of skills-based activities so students can retain key skills from the previous school year and get a peek at what’s ahead. Activities reinforce reading, writing, phonics, and math skills. Available for Grades PreK–4.
Before Reading Preview the book. Read the title, author’s name, and other cover text. As you read, jot down and look up unfamiliar words. While Reading After p. 4: Consider the way Mary is dressed and the things that surround her at the table. What do these things tell you about when this story takes place? After p. 17: Before Mary uncovered the Ichthyosauru s bones, why didn’t people know that species could become extinct? After p. 30: Why was Mary not allowed to attend lectures or take classes or join the Geological Society of London? How did she feel about this? After p. 33: Why did geologists, scientists, and scholars visit Mary at her cottage? What does this tell you about what they thought of her? After Reading How did Mary’s fossil discoveries help people better understand the past? Literacy Tip: The book states that Mary’s first discovery “shattered the commonly held belief that the Earth was only six thousand years old.” A commonly held belief is an idea or opinion that is accepted as true by a large number of people. Mary’s life and work were affected by the commonly held belief that women should not or could not be scientists.
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Whale ? Survive
Survive Whale ?
Shop more than 100 workbooks at scholastic.com/shop-workbooks
Carefully, they chiseled away dirt and stone to expose a four-foot-long head with a pointed snout. BUT MARY WASN’T SCARED. SHE WAS FASCINATED!
The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist
Illustrated by David Antram
This edition is only available for distribution through the school market.
words by Linda Skeers
pictures by Marta Álvarez Miguéns
scholastic.com
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Grade 4 5-Pack Bundle
Quizzes and ebooks
Independent Reading All Year Round This powerful independent reading management tool provides personalized reading experiences with thousands of engaging ebooks in English and Spanish. Students can track and log their reading time and deepen comprehension with embedded book quizzes for every title in My Books Summer.
Learn more at scholastic.com/literacypro
My Books Summer | 9
Ready to Meet Your Summer Reading Goals?
To learn more about My Books Summer Take-Home Packs, contact your Scholastic Education partner, visit scholastic.com/mybookssummer , or call (800) 387-1437.
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