On Your Mark, Get Set, Read! Middle Grade Book List for Summer Reading 2016

The books on this list are about sports, fitness, exercise, and self-confidence - all themes that connect well to this year's summer reading theme. Though some skew younger or older, the target audience for most of these is ages 8 to 12.

Soar by Joan Bauer
Due to a heart transplant, Jeremiah can't play baseball,  but when he discovers that his new school district is suffering in the aftermath of a steroids scandal at the high school, he decides to coach a middle school team and restore the community's love for the sport.

Double Reverse by Fred Bowen
Ninth grader Jesse has never seen himself as a quarterback, but when he is asked to step into the role, he finds it suits him better than expected.

Out of Bounds by Fred Bowen
Nate Osborne learns a valuable lesson from his aunt, a fellow soccer player, when he and his teammates on the Strikers become so hungry to beat their rivals they nearly lose sight of fair play. (Fred Bowen has many other sports titles that would also be appropriate for this year's theme.)

Strider by Beverly Cleary
In this sequel to Dear Mr. Henshaw, Leigh Botts enters high school, joins the track team, finds a dog, and falls in love.

The Cat Ate My Gymsuit by Paula Danziger
Marcie feels down on herself about many things, including her weight, but when her favorite teacher loses her job, she finds her voice and joins the fight to bring her back.

The Best Friend Battle by Lindsay Eyre
When Sylvie's best friend Miranda begins spending time with Georgie, a boy who always teases Sylvie on the baseball field, her jealousy causes her to make some poor decisions.

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
When Astrid's best friend, Nicole, decides at the last minute not to attend roller derby camp, Astrid signs up anyway, using the sport as her means of learning how to stand on her own without Nicole.  (This book was awarded a 2016 Newbery Honor)

About the B'nai Bagels by E.L. Konigsburg
Mark Setzer is half-horrified half-amused when his mother becomes the manager of his little league team, but when he finds out some information that may undermine her hard work, he must decide whether to share it or keep it to himself.

The Toilet Paper Tigers by Gordon Korman
Scientist Professor Prendergast knows nothing about baseball, so when he takes on the job of coaching the Tigers, he leaves most of the work to his granddaughter, Kristy, who does her best to whip the hapless boys of the team into shape.

The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. by Kate Messner
Gianna has to finish her leaf project in order to remain on the cross-country team, but she finds it difficult to concentrate because she seems to be the only one who notices her grandmother's failing mental health.

Mason Dixon: Basketball Disasters by Claudia Mills
Disaster-prone Mason Dixon finds himself in an impossible battle against a rival team when his parents make him join a basketball team coached by his dad.

Breaking the Ice by Gail Nall
When Kaitlin, a promising young skater, loses her temper at a competition, she suddenly becomes a pariah in the skating world and must start over with a new coach.

Plunked by Michael Northrop
During the first game of the baseball season, sixth grader Jack is hit in the head by a pitch, which shakes his confidence and causes him to become terrified of inside pitches.

The Melting of Maggie Bean by Tricia Rayburn
After a few difficult months during which Maggie relied heavily on chocolate for emotional support, she is forced to join Pound Patrollers with her aunt. Though the meetings embarrass her, she finds the experience helpful for her secret plan to try out for the synchronized swim team. (This book is the first title in a trilogy.)

Guys Read: The Sports Pages, edited by Jon Scieszka

This collection of sports-themed short stories includes work from such favorite authors as Chris Crutcher, Tim Green, and Dan Gutman.

Jelly Belly by Robert Kimmel Smith
When Ned goes to a camp to help him lose weight, he and his new friends find it difficult to resist unhealthy snacks and seek a way to get healthy without giving up junk food.

There's a Girl in My Hammerlock by Jerry Spinelli
When Maisie Potter is cut from the cheerleading squad, she takes her entire school by surprise and joins the previously all-male wrestling team.

Ava XOX by Carol Weston
When Ava makes a poster of tips for losing weight for a friend, and then brings it to school, she finds herself in trouble with some older girls who find her words offensive.

Easy Reader Review: The Oscar Series and The Sloppy Tiger Series by Joy Cowley (plus Joy Cowley Classroom Giveaway 2016!)

Joy Cowley is the creator of one of my favorite characters from childhood, Mrs. Wishy-Washy. There are several titles about Mrs. Wishy-Washy available from Hameray Publishing, but these are not the only books Joy has written. I recently received review copies of six titles from two of her other series, which I want to share with you today, to help promote the 2016 Joy Cowley Classroom Giveaway. (Details on the contest will be given at the end of this post!)

The Oscar books focus on a family of six - Mother, Father, Tom, Lucy, Beth, and Oscar. Oscar is the youngest child, and he often has a hard time keeping up with his siblings, who see him as too little to participate in most things. In Oscar Did It! the three older children blame Oscar for every accident that occurs around the house, but Oscar has the last word when he is first to the table for lunch. In Well Done, Oscar! the family goes to the beach and Oscar just can't figure out how to do things correctly, but he saves the day when his parents need help with something only small hands can do. Finally, in Go to Bed, Oscar! Oscar doesn't want to stay in his own bed, so after getting up several times to find his parents, he seeks out new sleeping arrangements. These books are appealing because they use relatable scenarios and they answer the call for more diverse books. (Indeed, illustrator Don Tate is a member of We Need Diverse Books.) They also share the sense of humor that makes Mrs. Wishy-Washy so appealing, where a surprise occurs just at the end of the story.

The Sloppy Tiger series is about a young girl named Poppy and her stuffed tiger, who can't help but make sloppy messes everywhere he goes. In Sloppy Tiger Washes the Floor, Poppy allows Tiger to do some mopping, but warns him not to make a mess. Unfortunately, Sloppy Tiger can't resist adding more and more bubbles to his bucket, resulting in a slippery disaster. In Sloppy Tiger on the Bus, Poppy takes Sloppy Tiger with her for a bus ride, but he annoys a fellow passenger that she gets off the bus! Finally, in Sloppy Tiger's Picnic, Poppy tells Tiger he can have a picnic if he cleans his room. Tiger hides all his clutter only to have it reappear later on. The illustrations are really engaging in these books. Tiger looks like a floppy, cuddly stuffed animal kids would want to snuggle, and responsible, conscientious kids will relate to Poppy's exasperation with his sloppy behavior. The word sloppy is a bit overused in the books, but that's probably only annoying to me because I'm not a beginning reader. 

These books - and many others - are among the prizes you can win in the fourth annual Joy Cowley Classroom Giveaway! Click the image below for the entry form. 

The Grand Prize ($1000 value) includes: 

• Joy Cowley Collection (60 titles, including the Oscar and Sloppy Tiger titles)
• Joy Cowley Early Birds (30 titles)
• Joy Cowley Big Books (19 titles)
• Mrs. Wishy-Washy & Friends Finger Puppets (my two-year-old loves these!)

This contest ends on April 13, 2016, and the winners will be announced by the publisher on April 14, 2016. Full contest guidelines can be found on Hameray's website.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Read! Chapter Book List for Summer Reading 2016

These sports-themed titles from chapter book series are perfect summer reading choices for kids transitioning from easy readers to longer works.

Individual Titles

Ivy and Bean: Doomed to Dance by Annie Barrows
Ivy and Bean think they want to learn ballet, but their ballet class turns out to be a lot less exciting than they expected.

Casketball Capers by Peter Bently
At St. Orlok's Elementary School for vampires, Lee and his friends prepare to play casketball against a team of cheating werewolves.

Game Time, Mallory by Laurie Friedman
Mallory is excited to join the basketball team but also nervous about trying something new without her friends by her side.

Coach Hyatt is a Riot by Dan Gutman
When A.J. joins the Peewee football team, he is surprised to discover his coach is a woman.

Yikes Bikes! by Abby Klein
Freddy learns to ride a bicycle in order to participate in a fundraiser and beat the class bully.

Horrible Harry and the Kickball Wedding by Suzy Kline
For Valentine's Day, Harry stages a wedding in which he marries classmate Song Lee. 

Izzy Barr, Running Star by Claudia Mills
Izzy wants her father to come to her track meets, but because she thinks he would prefer to attend her stepbrother's games, she holds back from sharing her true feelings.

Louise Trapeze is Totally 100% Fearless by Micol Ostow
Louise, whose family is part of the circus is excited to have her first performance on the trapeze until she realizes she is afraid of heights.

Amelia Bedelia Shapes Up by Herman Parish
Amelia Bedelia has many misadventures as she tries to find the sport that is best for her. 

Full Series

Race the Wild series by Kristin Earhart
Book 1: Rainforest Relay
In this series, four kids from different backgrounds team up for a reality TV show where they have to follow clues on a scavenger hunt through different ecosystems.

Little Rhino series by Ryan Howard
Book 1: My New Team
Former Major League baseball player Ryan Howard writes this series which combines baseball with positive life lessons.

Frankie's Magic Soccer Ball series by Frank Lampard
Book 1: Frankie vs. the Pirate Pillagers
Frankie's soccer ball has the power to transport him to different times and places, where he and his friends play soccer against various opponents.

Little Shaq by Shaquille O'Neal

Book 1: Little Shaq
Basketball player Shaquille O'Neal writes this series about his fictionalized younger self, who learns important lessons on and off the court.

Ballpark Mysteries series by David A. Kelley
Book 1: The Fenway Foul-Up
Each entry in this series is set in a different team's ballpark.

Topps League Stories by Kurtis Scaletta

Book 1: Jinxed!
Bat boy Chad uses his baseball card collection to help his team, the Pine City Porcupines, solve problems.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Read! Easy Reader Book List for Summer Reading 2016

This list of leveled easy readers is almost exclusively sports-focused, but there are a couple of titles that also highlight other health-related themes. The titles are sorted by reading level, with easy books at the top of the list and more difficult books at the bottom.

Levels D - F

Biscuit Plays Ball by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, illustrated by Pat Schories

No dogs are allowed in the ball game, but Biscuit still wants to play!

Aaron is a Good Sport by P.D. Eastman

Aaron Alligator gets in trouble no matter what he's doing, and that includes playing ball. 

After School Sports Club series by Alyson Heller, illustrated by Steve Bjorkman

A diverse group of kids gets together after school to try out different sports.

See Me Run by Paul Meisel
A yellow dog runs away as he is chased by a pack of several other dogs.

Puppy Mudge Wants to Play by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Sucie Stevenson
Though Henry is busy, Mudge won't stop dropping hints until he agrees to play.

Are You Ready to Play Outside? by Mo Willems
Elephant and Piggie are excited to go out and play, but worry when it starts to rain.

A Big Guy Took My Ball by Mo Willems
When a big guy takes Piggie's ball, Gerald vows to help her get it back.

Twins in the Park by Ellen Weiss, illustrated by Sam Williams
Young twins ride the bus to the park for a day of fun.

Levels G-I 

Don't Throw it to Mo! by David A. Adler, illustrated by Sam Ricks
Mo is the youngest kid on his football team, but it's a mistake to underestimate his abilities.

Hooray for Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold
Buzz's coach needs one more player for the big football game, but a fly isn't exactly what he has in mind.

The Bike Lesson by Stan and Jan Berenstain
A funny lesson in bike safety from Father Bear to Small Bear.

The Day I Had to Play with My Sister by Crosby Bonsall
A big brother and little sister try to play hide-and-seek but they each have different ideas about the rules.

Dixie Wins the Race by Grace Gilman, illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers
When Emma runs an important race, she warns Dixie to stay on the sidelines, but the dog has trouble obeying after Emma takes a fall.

Ballet Stars by Joan Holub, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
A ballet recital is described from warms-ups to curtain call.

Pinkalicious: Soccer Star by Victoria Kann
Pinkalicious and her soccer team, the Pinksters, are having trouble beating the girls on the Ravens until Goldilicious takes Pinkalicious on a magic ride to learn more about the game.

Katie Woo Has the Flu by Fran Manushkin, illustrated by Tammie Lyon
Katie Woo rests in bed to help her recover from the flu.

Nina, Nina, Ballerina by Jane O'Connor, illustrated by DyAnne DiSalvo
Nina is worried that her mother won't be able to spot her among her classmates during the ballet recital since they will all be dressed alike.

Number One Sam by Greg Pizzoli

Sam loves to race as long as he wins, but he's not sure how to handle coming in second.

Levels J-M

 

Pete the Cat: Play Ball! by James Dean
Pete the Cat is the model of good sportsmanship when his team, the Rocks, play against the Rolls.

The Littlest Leaguer by Syd Hoff
Harold is the smallest player on the team, but during one game he gets his chance to prove his talent.

Soccer Sam by Jean Marzollo, illustrated by Blanche Sims
Sam's cousin Marco doesn't speak much English, but the two boys bond over their love for soccer.

Fancy Nancy and the Mean Girl by Jane O'Connor, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
When Nancy, who is not a natural athlete, is teamed up with a mean girl from her class on Field Day, she must learn to stand up for herself.

Amelia Bedelia Hits the Trail by Herman Parish, illustrated by Lynne Averill
Amelia and her classmates go on a hike to collect items for their class nature table.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Drop the Ball by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard
When Mr. Putter decides he should take up a sport, Mrs. Teaberry knows just the team for him to join.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Run the Race by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard
Mrs. Teaberry convinces Mr. Putter to participate in a marathon for senior citizens.

Loose Tooth by Anastasia Suen, illustrated by Allan Eitzen
A basketball game serves as the pivotal point in this story about Peter, who hopes not to lose his loose tooth until after school picture day.

See my list of picture books for the On Your Mark, Get Set, Read! theme here.