Realistic Fiction

 Joey Pigza Loses Control
Author: Jack Gantos
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Summary: This book is about a boy named Joey Pigza and his visit with his father. He lives with his mom because his father is an alcoholic, but he is recovering and now the court said Joey needed time with him. Joey has ADHD or some type of hyperactivity disorder, which requires him to wear a patch to help keep him calm. However while visiting his dad his dad starts drinking again and throws all of Joey’s patches down the toilet. At first Joey tries to function, but at his baseball game where his dad puts a lot of pressure on him to throw a perfect game he loses control, runs away and calls his mother. His mother drives to come get him and Joey does not tell his father he is leaving because he was freaking out and really scared Joey. However Joey forgot his dog Pablo but he was outside of his dad’s house and Joey got him and said goodbye to his grandma who always knew what was best for him but her son wouldn’t listen to her.
Characters: Joey, mom, dad (Carter), grandma, Pablo (dog), and Leezy ( Dad’s friend)
Setting: Pittsburg
Plot: Story about a boy visiting his father for the first time after many years.
Theme: Joey, Family, Family problems

 Owl Moon
Author:  Jane Yolen
Genre: Realistic fiction
Summary: Owl moon is about a little girl and her Pa going owling. The little girl tells the story of the time they went and what owling includes. She said you have to be very quite to see the owls. At their first stop they did the owl call and got no response. They kept walking then came to another spot where Pa did the owl call, but this time an owl called back! They found the owl and just stared at it, then returned home under the owl moon.
Characters: owls, pa, little girl
Setting: Woods
Plot: A little girl going owling with her pa.
Theme: bravery, owling,  spending time with family, special moments

 I Can Be Anything
Author: Jerry Spinelli 
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Summary: This book is about a child thinking about what he wants to be. However the things that he is listing are not normal things you would think of. He list things like a cheek-to-cheek grinner, a make-believe critter, and a gift unwrapper. At the end of the story he decides he is going to be everything.
Characters: Little boy
Setting: Yard
Plot: Dreaming about what you want to be when you grown up.
Theme: Future, dreams

 

      Ramona Quimby, Age 8

      Author: Beverly Cleary

     Genre:  Realistic Fiction

      Summary: This story is about Ramona Quimby, her family, and her adventures in the third grade. Her family is all going through changes in their life, her dad is going back to school, her sister Beezus is going to junior high, and Ramona is going to third grade and gets to ride the bus all by herself. Ramona’s life in third grade is a sticky one, she thinks her teacher believes she is a nuisance, and has to deal with a boy who likes to pick on her who she nicknames yard ape. Her life becomes worse when she cracks her “hardboiled egg” on her head and finds out that it was not hardboiled! Then she throws up in front of her class and believes her teacher really hates her. However her life at school turns around when she must present her book report and she does a very entertaining and funny one, her teacher loves her, and tells her that she loves her and she is not a nuisance. Ramona job in the family is to entertain Willa Jean when she goes to the babysitter’s house after school, which is a task and Ramona finds it annoying since she is so young. In the end Ramona and her family are all happy and although their life can be messy they wouldn’t want it any other way!

Character: Ramona, Beezus, Mom, Dad, Mrs. Whaley, Willa Jean, Yard Ape, Howie (friend)

Setting: School, Quimby’s home

      Plot: The life of the Quimby Family

      Theme: third grade, family, school

 

  Superfudge 

      Author: Judy Blume

    Genre:  Realistic Fiction

    Summary: This book is all about Peter Hatcher and his family. He thinks his life is annoying enough with his pesty little brother fudge, but then his parents tell him that they are having a baby. Peter is very mad and wants to run away because he does not want another baby like Fudge. However Peter adjusts to his new life and his new little sister Tootsie. A few months go by and his parents decide that they are going to move to Princeton for a year and leave their hometown of New York. Once again Peter wants to stay but then after his parents talk to him they convince him to move. Peter gets to Princeton and actually likes it, he makes a new friend named Andy, and they go into worm business for Mrs. Muldor. He also has a crush on a girl named Joanne. Throughout the year the family goes through many ups and downs including Fudge running away with his friend Daniel. In the end the family decides that it is best to return to NYC because his dad misses his job and they all just miss the city.

   Characters: The Hatcher Family: Peter, Fudge (brother), Tootsie(sister), Anne (mom), Warren (dad), Turtle (dog), Uncle Feather (myna bird)

Others:  Alex (friend from Princeton), Jimmy (friend from New York), Henry (elevator man), Joanne (crush from Princeton), Shelia (“Friend” from New York), Daniel(friend of Fudge), Mrs. Muldor (worm Lady), Beverly Muldor (works at art Gallery, Giraffe Neck), Frank Fargo (Jimmy’s dad and artist)

Setting: Princeton, New York, Hatcher’s houses in both cities, School in Princeton

Plot: Family dealing with a normal life and dealing with the changes that may come their way.

  Theme: The Hatcher Family, Change

 

When I was Young in the Mountains

     Author: Cynthia Rylant

     Genre: Realistic Fiction

Summary: When I Was Young in the Mountains is about a little girl recalling all the things her family did while she was growing up in the mountains. She tells us about the good times and the funny times, as well as the family routines, and her experience at church. At the end of the story she states that she never dreamed of going anywhere else because she was so happy with her life in the mountains.

     Characters: Narrator, brother, grandma, grandpa, Mr. and Mrs. Crawford (store owners)

   Setting: Mountains

Plot: A little girl recalling her childhood life of growing up in the mountains and never wanting to be anywhere but there.

Theme: memories, being content and happy with your life

 Junie B. First Grader (at Last!)

    Author: Barbara Park

 Genre: Realistic Fiction

    Summary: Junie B. First Grader (at Last!) is all about Junie B and her ups and down in Mr. Scary’s class.  On the first day of school Junie B. is very nervous about school, until she realizes her best friend from last year Lucille is in her class. However Lucille already made new best friends and told Junie they could no longer be best friends. Then her bus buddy also decides to sit with a new girl on the bus instead of Junie. This is when Junie meets Herb, a boy who sits in front of her in her class and is also on her bus. They decided to be bus buddies and Junie really likes him and thinks they will be friends.  One day in class Mr. Scary tells the students to draw pictures understand or really see what words are on the boards. Then when the students are showing Mr. Scary their pictures Junie realizes she did read the word wrong. Mr. Scary realizes this and tests her sight, then sends her to the nurse. Here Junie discovers she will need glasses, the next day she goes to the eye doctor and gets her glasses. She is really nervous to show her class, but one day during show and tell she works up the nerve to show her class. However when she walks to the front of the class and puts them on some students start to laugh! Herbert runs to the front of the class to defend Junie he tells the class her glasses are great and that she must have extra special eyes if she needs glasses. The class then agrees and then tells her how cool her glasses are! Through the help of Herbert Junie realizes first grade won’t be too bad. 

   Characters: Junie, Mom, Dad, Mr. Scary, Lucille, Herbert, Camille and Chenille (Lucille’s new twin friends), Mr. Scary, Grace (Bus buddy), Bobbi Jean Piper ( Grace’s new bus buddy), Jose (sits near Junie), May (teacher’s pet, always telling on Junie), Lennie (sits near Junie, has spiky hair)

 Setting: Mr. Scary’s room

Plot: Junie B.’s life in first grade.

      Theme: first grade, glasses

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

 Author: Philip C. Stead

Genre: Realistic fiction

Summary: This book is about a man named Amos McGee who works at the zoo. He does special things with each of the animals in the morning, plays chess with the elephant, races the tortoise, sits with the penguin, whips the rhinoceros’s nose and at sunset reads stories to the owl. One day however Amos wakes up and is too sick to go to work! All the animals are sad and worried for their friend so they go to Amos house and take care of him like he takes care of them every day. Amos starts to feel better thanks to the help of his friends and they all fall asleep.

Character: Amos, elephant, tortoise, penguin, rhino, owl

Setting: Zoo, Amos house

Plot: Story about a devoted zoo worker who one day becomes sick and can’t go to work and care for the animals.

Theme: friendship, being sick

   Diary of a Wimpy Kid

       Author: Jeff Kinney

 Genre: Realistic Fiction

 Summary: The Diary of a Wimpy Kid tells us about the life of Greg who is a kid in middle school. The book tells us all about the troubles he and his best friend Rowley get into. It also tells us about Greg’s family, which includes his mom, dad, older brother Rodrick who loves to pick on Greg, and his annoying little brother Manny who is very spoiled. The book tells us about things that happen at school, such as Greg and Rowley becoming part of the safety patrol, Greg and Rowley ending their friendship over the comics placed in the school news paper, and Greg and Rowley becoming friends again. At their school there is a piece of cheese that has been on the ground for a while, the kids at the school will not come near a person who has touched the cheese. Rowley and Greg made the kids in high school mad on Halloween, so months later they came back for revenge! They make Rowley eat the gross cheese, the next day at school all of kids realize it is gone, but Greg takes the blame and says that he was tired of seeing it on the ground so he moved it. This in turn makes Rowley and Greg become friends again, but no one in school will come near Greg. 

 Characters: Greg, Rowley, Mom, Dad, Rodrick, Manny, Fregley (strange neighbor)

Setting: Greg’s house, school, Rowley’s house, the neighborhood

 Plot: Greg’s sixth grade experiences.

Theme:  friendship

 

 The Dot

Author: Peter H. Reynolds

Genre: Realistic Nonfiction

Summary: The Dot is about a little girl name Vashti, Vashti cannot draw and is very frustrated when art class is over and there is nothing on her paper. Her teacher comes over and tells her to try and make a mark and see where it takes you. She makes a dot signs her name and leaves the class. Then when she goes to art another day her dot is framed on the wall! She looks at it and says I can make a better dot then that! She starts off making dots and mixing colors to make a better dot then her first one. Her pictures are beautiful and they are put into the art show. A little boy comes up to her and tells her she is a great artist and she wishes he could draw like her. Vashti gives the boy the same lesson and encouragement her teacher gave her.

Characters: Vashti, art teacher, little boy

     Setting: School

Plot: A little girl names Vashti discovering her unknown talent.

      Theme: art

The Runaway Bunny
Author: Margaret Wise Brown
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Summary: The Runaway Bunny is about a little bunny who tells his mother that he is going to run away! His mother tells him that she will always chase after him because he is her baby. The bunny says he will become a fish so his mother can’t catch him, but his mother will become a fisherman to fish him out of the sea. The little bunny keeps listing all these other things that he will become but for every one of them his mother has something she will be so she will always catch him or be with him! The little bunny realizes at the end that he might as well just stay where he is because his mother will always find him!
Characters: Mother, Little bunny
Setting: woods
Plot: Story about a little bunny who wants to run away but changes his mind at the end because no matter what he says his mother finds a way to be with him
Theme: running away, love of parents
 
Love you Forever
Author: Robert Munsch
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Summary: This book is all about a mother and her son. Each night the mother goes into her sons bedroom and rocks him to sleep. She does it from birth all the way until the son is fully grown. When the son is fully grown the mother goes to his house and climbs in the window and rocks him to sleep. The mother gets to old for this so the son starts going to the mothers house and rocking her to sleep. 
Characters: Mother and son
Setting: Mother's house and Son's house
Plot: A mother tell her son how much she loves him each and every night
Theme: A parents love.

Butterfly Kisses
Author: Bob and Brooke Carlisle
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Summary: This book is about a father and daughter's love for one another. The story starts out with the daughter being young and her dad and her doing butterfly kisses every night. The book ends at the daughter's wedding with her dad walking her down the aisle. 
Character: Father and Daughter
Setting: House
Plot: A father and daughter's love and their traditions.
Theme: bond between fathers and daughters, traditions.

Bad Dog Marley!
Author: John Grogan
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Summary: This story is about a family and their new dog Marley. Marley starts out as a cute innocent puppy but then grows and becomes a bad dog! He grows and grows, and the more he grows the more he eats! He eats everything in sight that he is not supposed to eat! Although Marley is a bad dog the family loves Marley.
Characters: Marley, Mommy, Daddy, Cassie, Baby Louie
Setting: Family's House
Plot: A story about a family and their bad dog Marley.
Theme: Family, Dog

Marley Goes to School
Author: John Grogan
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Summary: Marley missed his best friend Cassie. He wants to go to school with her but is told he must stay in the backyard. However Marley escapes and finds his way to school! While looking for Cassie he gets in all kinds of trouble! Finally he finds his best friend Cassie!
Characters: Marley, Cassie, Daddy, Principal
Setting:Cassie's School
Plot:  Marley and his adventures finding Cassie!
Theme: Friendship between a dog and his owner, trouble
 
Marley and the Kittens
Author: John Grogan
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Summary: Marley is so excited that the family got two new kittens! He tries to make friends with them and to imitate what they do. However Marley is much bigger then the kittens and whenever he tries to imitate them he ends up in trouble! Marley is afraid that he is loosing his number one spot as favorite pet, until the kittens are put into danger and Marley saves the day!
Characters: Marley, The kittens, Daddy, Mommy, Cassie, and Baby Louie
Setting: Home
Plot: Marley and the kittens new friendship.
Theme: Friendship 
 
I like Myself
Author: Karen Beaumont
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Summary:This story is all about a little girl who likes being herself. She likes everything about herself both the good and the bad! She tells readers she loves herself because "I am Me." Great book for children struggling with self esteem issues!
Characters: A little Girl
Setting: Little girls house and town
Plot:  A little girl telling readers why she loves being her!
Theme: Acceptance and loving yourself!
 
Blubber
Author: Judy Blume
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Summary: This book is about a girl named Linda who is getting teased by her classmates because she is a little bigger then them. The children are so mean to her, they write blubber in her driveway, steal her coat, make her strip, along with calling her names and doing many other mean and hurtful things to her! In the end one of the bully's stands up for Linda and then the children pick on Jill for doing this. Great book to look at for children to see how hurtful bullying can be!
Characters: Jill, Linda, Caroline, Wendy, Tracey, Kenny, Jill's parents, Tracey's parents, Linda's mom, Rochelle, Bruce, Mr. Machinist, Mrs. Minish
Setting: The children's school, Jill's home, Tracey's home, around the town where the children live
Plot: A class of fifth graders bullying one student.
Theme: Bullying, friendship

Fantasy

 The Magic Hat  
Author: Mem Fox
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: This book is about a magic hat that comes in from out of town and without warning turns people into animals. If the magic hat lands on your head then you are turned into an animal. In the book 5 people are turned into 5 different animals. At the end of the book a wizard comes into town with a sign that said stop, and the wizard then turned the animals back into people, and left town.
Characters: Hat, Warty old man (toad),hair man (Baboon), Sleepy old man (Bear),Kangaroo, Giraffe, Wizard, townspeople
Setting: Town
 Plot: A magic hat comes into town and turns people into animals.
Theme:  Magic

 
 Chrysanthemum 
Author: Kevin Henkes
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: Chrysanthemum is about a little girl who loves the name her parents have given to her. She loves hearing it, seeing it written, and saying it. That is until she starts school. At school the children pick on her and say her name is as long as half of the Alphabet, and also tells her she looks like a flower. She keeps getting encouragement from her parents but when she goes to school she loses her confidence because she keeps getting made fun of. However, one day her music teacher Mrs. Twinkle stands up for her and says her name is beautiful. Now all the girls in the classroom want to be friends with her and want to change their names to flower names.
Characters: Chrysanthemum, Mrs. Twinkle (music teacher, sticks up for Chrysanthemum), Jo, Rita, and Victoria (classmates, mean), Mrs. Chud (teacher),Mother and Father
Setting: School and home
 Plot: Story about a little girl who gets picked on for her name.
Theme: Self-esteem, being different is ok, individuality


Interrupting Chicken 
Author: David Ezra Stein
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: This story is about a little red chicken that needs to go to bed. She asks her Papa to read her a story and she promises she won’t interrupt. He starts reading one story, she interrupts, he reads another story, she interrupts, he reads his third and final story and she interrupts again! Now Papa is both tired and out of stories so he tells the chicken to tell him a story. The chicken starts her own made up story, but Papa falls asleep! The chicken who now is finally tired falls asleep as well!
Characters: Papa, Little red chicken
Setting: Bedroom
Plot: A chicken who always interrupts the stories her father tells her to put her asleep!
Theme: Interrupting, chickens, bedtime
 
 Charlotte’s Web      
Author: E.B. White
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: This story is about a pig named Wilbur. He was going to be killed when he was born because he was a runt, however a little girl named Fern saved him and raised him. But then her parents made her sell him to her uncle since Wilbur was getting to big to be treated like a baby. Fern agreed to sell Wilbur but went to visit him every day! Wilbur made a friend who was a spider named Charlotte while living at the Zuckerman’s barn, she swore that she would not let Wilbur get slaughtered for meat! So she wove words into her web so people could see what she saw in Wilbur. The Zuckerman’s take Wilbur to the fair and he wins a special prize for bringing in so many tourists to their town. At the fair Charlotte knows she will die soon, so she makes an egg sac and lays eggs, however she cannot go back to the barn. So with the help of Templeton the rat, Wilbur gets the egg sac down and guards it in honor of Charlotte. In the end the eggs hatch and out of the many eggs 3 choose to stay at the barn and be friends with Wilbur while the others explored the world and found new homes. This would occur all throughout Wilbur’s life, new spiders were born, they would stay for a little and then many of them would leave. However a few always stayed back and became friends with Wilbur and although they would never replace Charlotte, Wilbur was always happy to have friends.
Characters: Wilbur, Fern, Avery, Charlotte, Templeton, Lamb, Goose, Lurvy (farm hand), The Zuckerman’s, The Arable’s, Charlotte’s children ( Joy, Aranea, Nellie)
Setting: The Zuckerman’s Barn and the fair
 Plot: Story about a pig and his friendship with a spider.
Theme: Saving Wilbur, Friendship

  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 
Author: J.K. Rowling
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: The book is about a boy named Harry Potter, whose parents died by a wizard named Voldermort; however Harry at the young age of one defeated Voldermort. Since he was left parentless the people of the wizard world decided to place him with his non wizard aunt and uncle. The Dursleys have a son named Dudley and when Harry comes they treat him horribly, however one day Harry’s life begins to change, he receives a letter and his uncle won’t let him read it, however he keeps receiving more letters. Finally on his 11 birthday Hagrid comes to take Harry to Hogwarts, this is when Harry learns how special he is and what he did for the wizard world. At Hogwarts Harry makes new friends and learns a lot, he even becomes the seeker of the Quidditch! Harry realizes that someone is trying to steal something that Hagrid got from the Gringott’s bank when he was with Harry. Although he gets in trouble along the way Harry figures out that Hogwarts is protecting the sorcerer’s stone on the third floor, when he realizes that one of the teachers is going to steal it Harry tries to save it. He manages to get through the obstacles with help from Hermione and Ron and keep the stone out of Voldermorts hands who is so weak that he took shelter in Professor Quirrell.
Characters: Harry, The Dursley’s (Aunt and uncle, Petunia, Vernon, and their son Dudley), Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, Dumbledor (head of Hogwarts), Voldermort (evil wizard killed Harry’s parents), Malfoy (bully at Hogwarts), Neville ( friend of Harry), Professor McGonagall ( head of Gryffindor house, where Harry lives), Professor Snape ( hates Harry, Harry thinks he is after the stone), Professor Quirrell (stutters, tries to steal stone, keeps Voldermort in his turban.
Setting: Hogwarts
Plot: Harry saves the Sorcerer’s Stone which keeps people alive forever.
Theme: Hogwarts, Sorcerer’s Stone, Courage, Friendship

 Frog and Toad are Friends 
Author: Arnold Lobel
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: This book is all about frog and toad and their adventures together. The book is split up into 5 different stories. The stories tell us from anything about being tired, to being sick, to forgetting something, to loosing something, or to feeling silly in an outfit. However the main purpose of this book is to show the meaning of friendship.
Characters: Frog and Toad
Setting: Frog and Toads Houses, and area they live
Plot: Stories about Frog and Toad who are best friends.
Theme: Frog and Toad, Friendship


 
 The Little Engine that Could 
Author:  Watty Piper
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: This story is about a train that carries food and toys to the good little boys and girls on the other side of the mountain. One day the train stops and just cannot go any farther! Three trains come by but none of them will help the train because they feel as though they are better than pulling a toy train or they are way too tired to pull even that small of a train! Finally a little blue train comes along and agrees to try to help the toys and food get to the good little children over the mountain. All the way up the mountain the train keeps saying I think I can I think I can until she finally reaches the top!
Characters: toys on the train, 3 trains that won’t help (shiny new engine, big engine, Rusty old engine.), Little Blue engine.
Setting: Railroad tracks, town where children live
Plot: Finding a way to get the toys and food to the good little children after the train breaks down.
Theme: never give up!

 
 Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH 
Author: Robert C. O’Brien
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: Mrs. Frisby’s son Timothy becomes ill and this is when her journey begins. Mrs. Frisby is widowed mouse who learns a lot about her deceased husband throughout the journey she takes in the book trying to protect her family. In order to try to help Timothy phenomena go away Mrs. Frisby goes to visit Mr. Ages who is the resident mouse doctor on the Fitzgibbon’s farm land which is where Mrs. Frisby and her 4 children reside. The medicine helps Timothy get better, however when spring comes around and the family must move to the summer home Timothy is still to weak to do so. Mrs. Frisby talks to a crow who she helped save from the cat named dragon and he takes her to the owl in the wood. The owl at first gives her the basic advice, try to move him or your family will die. But when he finds out whom her husband was things change. He tells her to go see the rats and they will be able to help her.  Mrs. Frisby is confused as to why the rats would help her and why everyone keeps saying what a great man her husband was. When she goes to the rats they will not let her in at first until they hear who she is. They also tell her about how her husband and some of these rats were kept at an experimental building for a long time where they were taught to read and had injections put into them that was until they finally escaped, they became friends and Mr. Frisby died trying to help the rats. The night of the move Mrs. Frisby’s job is to put the cat to sleep by slipping a sleeping powder into Dragons food. She manages to complete the task but gets captured by the farmer’s son Billy. Justin one of the rats then comes to save her and she in turn saves the lives of the rats because she heard that the government was coming out to kill the rats. The rats create a plan and almost all of them escape except for Justin and another rat, Justin saved Brutus’s life and went back to save the other rat, but the poison got to him and he died. The book ends with Mrs. Frisby telling the children about the rats of NIMH and her husband, as well as them moving to their summer home.
Characters: Mrs. Frisby (mom), Mr. Frisby (dad who is dead), Timothy (Sick son), Cynthia (youngest), Teressa (oldest and most responsible), Martin (second oldest, very strong), Mr. Ages (Old mouse, doctor), Nicodemus ( leader of the rats), Justin (smart rat, dies trying to save other rat), Brutus (young rat), Arthur (in charge of moving Mrs. Frisby’s home), Jenner (rat who deserted the group), Isabella (young rat, crush on Justin), Owl, Jeremy (bird Mrs. Frisby saved from Dragon), Dragon (cat), Shrew (Mrs. Frisby’s neighbor), Mr. and Mrs. Fitzgibbion (owner of farm), Paul and Billy (sons of owners), Dr. Shultz ( NIMH), Julie and George (assistants at NIMH)
Setting: Fitzgibbion’s farmland, Mrs. Frisby’s home, the rat hole, Fitzgibbion’s home.
Plot: A widowed mouse trying to keep her family safe.
Theme: Rats, mice,  Courage, teamwork, loyalty, family


  Swimmy 
Author: Leo Leonni
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: Swimmy is about a fish that is unlike the other fish in his school. All the other fish are red while Swimmy is black. One day a big fish comes along and eats all the red fish but Swimmy makes it out safely. He explores the ocean alone then finds another school of red fish that are hiding from the big fish. This is when Swimmy has his idea to make all the fish swim together to look like one big fish and Swimmy will be the eye!
Characters: Swimmy, red fish
Setting: Ocean
Plot: Story about a fish who is different from his friends.
Theme: Teamwork, overcoming fear  

                       
 The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre:  Science Fiction/Fantasy
Summary: The book takes place in the future, North America has been destroyed and now people live in a place called Panem. Panem is divided into 12 different districts and the Capitol. The Capitol is filled with rich people who needed some entertainment in their lives so the Hunger Games were invented. The Hunger Games is a fight till the death, only one person can win and the others will die. Each district sends 2 tributes, one boy and one girl, whoever wins the Hunger Games wins money and food for their district. The names of the boys and girls go into the pool once they turn 8 each year until they are 18 they get another slip with their name added to the bowl. However your name can be added more f you take tesserae of food to help feed your family. District 12 is where Katniss resides, the day of the reaping Effie Trinket picks Prim’s name for the girl tribute, but Katniss knows that prim is too young to go through the Hunger Games and survive it, so Katniss decides that she is going to volunteer as tribute so Prim will be saved from this awful experience. The boys name to be called in Peeta, Peeta is the son to the baker in town, whom Katniss and Gale often trade things with. The district is very poor so the only way Katniss survives is by hunting and trading (hunting is illegal). Katniss is in charge of caring for her family since her father died and her mother basically gave up after that. Once Katniss says goodbye to her family, Gale, and even Peeta’s father she is taken on a train to the Capitol.  Once on the train Peeta and Katniss get training and advice from Haymitch (a drunk winner of one of the previous Hunger Games), along with Effie Trinket. From day one they are a team, holding hands when they are on the chariot. Training begins and they stick together learning about the different skills they will need to use to try and win the Hunger Games. After 3 days of training, interviews take place, during Peeta’s interview he confesses that he is in love with Katniss, so they need to act like they are in love whenever they are together or cross paths during the games. When the games begin Peeta is looking out for Katniss, however  after that Peeta teams up with the Career’s ( tributes from district who train year round) to try and keep Katniss safe, even getting in a fight with Cato so Katniss can be free, which leads to Peeta becoming very injured. Katniss in on her own basically until she pairs up with Rue. It all begins when Katniss cuts a Trackerjackers nest onto the Career’s, and then they continue to take down the Career’s by burning the food supply. Rue eventually dies from a spear thrown by a boy from district 1, which leaves Katniss alone. However there is a rule change and the Capitol decides that there will be 2 winners this year, the remaining boy and girl from the same district. Katniss and Peeta team up and eventually fall in love. They fight to the finish and end up winning the Hunger Games. However right after they kill Cato’s there is another rule change stating that there can only be one winner. Peeta tells Katniss to kill him because he is already badly injured, however Katniss devises a plan and her and Peeta both “eat” deadly berries and as soon as they hit their mouths the rules change again and they both win. This however leaves them in trouble with the capitol and they need to show that they did it out of love even if Katniss is confused with her feelings.
Characters: Katniss Everdeen (main character, winner of the Hunger Games), Peeta Mellark (winner of the Hunger Games, in love with Katniss), Primrose Everdeen ( sister of Katniss, selected for the games but Katniss volunteers since her sister is only 8), Gale Hawthorne ( Katniss’s hunting partner), Parents of Katniss ( father died in mine explosion, mother makes medicine to heal people), Haymitch Abernathy (mentor for District 12, previous winner of the Hunger games, drunk all the time), Cinna ( Katniss’s Hairstylist), Effie Trinket ( Escort for district 12, pink hair, always saying it’s going to be a Big Big day),  Rue ( Tribute for District 11, small girl, reminds Katniss of Prim, team up and become alliances), Cato ( Tribute from District 2, very manly, big threat, ends up being him, Peeta, and Katniss in the final where he dies a painful death), Foxface ( Tribute from District 5, very quick moving, clever, smart, survives by stealing food from other tributes), Thresh ( Tribute from district 11, very tall, lets Katniss go because she tried to save Rue)
Setting: Capitol, District 12, Arena
Plot: Katniss tells the story of her life in the Hunger Games.
Theme:  Hunger Games, Survival, Power, Building Relationships, Falling in Love.

  The Adventures of Captain Underpants 
Author: Dav Pilkey
Genre: Fantasy
 Summary: This book is about George and Harold two fourth grade boys who love to play practical jokes and make comic books. One day their practical jokes go a little too far, they ruin the big football game at their school by peppering the pom-pom’s, pouring bubble bath into the band’s instruments, and filling the football with helium. They think they will get away with the trick, however little do they know the principal of their school Mr. Krupp has installed video cameras and caught everything they did on tape! He threatens to show the football team the boys beg him and tell him they will do anything! He pulls out a list of rules and tells them they must follow them or else he shows the football team! The boys follow the rules but soon get tired of being a slave to Mr. Krupp, so they buy a hypnotizing ring and hypnotize Mr. Krupp to make him give them the tape and listen to what they say! However during the hypnotizing they tell Mr. Krupp that he will turn into Captain Underpants, the comic that the boys created. As soon as he turns to Captain Underpants he is out of the room fighting danger. The boys follow him around until they finally get him back to the school and try to turn him back into Mr. Krupp however it isn’t working, so they pour water on his head to snap him back to his normal life. But they didn’t read the instructions to the ring because they thought they lost them! So now every time someone snaps Mr. Krupp turns into Captain Underpants again!
Characters: George, Harold, Mr. Krupp, Captain Underpants
Setting: Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, Ohio
Plot: The adventures of Captain Underpants
Theme: Comic, Captain Underpants

 

 Funny Farm

Author: Mark Teague

Genre: Fantasy

Summary: This story is about Edward (the dog)  who is visiting his Uncle Earl, Aunt Josephine, and cousin Judy on the farm. He helps feed the pigs, paint the barn, and gathered eggs. After his chores were done he went to the barn dance with Judy. By the time he gets back to the farm Edward is so sleepy.

Characters: Edward, Cousin Judy, Aunt Josephine, Uncle Earl

Plot: Edward visiting his relatives on the farm.

Theme: Family, Farm

 

Dinorella

Author: Pamela Duncan Edwards

Genre: Fantasy

Summary: This is the story of Cinderella but with dinosaur's. Dinorella goes to the ball and saves the prince from the mean dinosaurs. After she saves him she leaves the ball. The prince sets out to find the dinosaur who lost her jewels while saving him.

Characters: Dinorella, Doris, Dora, Fairy-Dactyl and the prince

Setting: Dinorella's town

Plot: Dinorella goes to the ball and saves the day.

Theme: Fairytales 
 

Don't Worry Bear
Author: Greg Foley
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: Bear is worrying about his friend the caterpillar. Caterpillar made a cocoon and told bear he won't see him for a long time. Bear worries and checks on caterpillar everyday in all types of weather. One day the cocoon is goon and a butterfly comes over to bear! The butterfly is the caterpillar.
Characters: Bear, caterpillar, mouse
Setting: Outside, Trees
Plot:  Bear is worried about his friend caterpillar.
Theme: Change, Friendship

Micauber
Author: John Lithgow
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: This book is about a squirrel who lives in central park carosel. He loves the art museum and goes there everyday. One day he sees a woman painting and hopes into her basket. When she sleeps he paints. He continues to do this and takes his pieces home. He then invites his friends over to view his art.
Character: Micauber, Artist
Setting: Central Park
Plot: Story about a squirrel who loves painting.
Theme: Artistry 

Llama Llama Red Pajama
Author: Anna Dewdney
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: This story is about a llama trying to go to sleep. He can't fall asleep and wants his mama to get him a drink of water. But he still can't fall asleep and all he wants is his

mama. Finally his mama llama comes in and tells the baby llama he can't be so whiny. She tells him that although she loves him she is one busy mama llama. 
Characters:Baby and mama llama
Setting: House
Plot: A baby llama trying to fall asleep
Theme: bedtime, love

A Bad Case of Stripes
Author: David Shannon
Genre: Fantasy
Summary: Camilla loves lima beans but no one in her class likes them. She doesn't want to get made fun of so she stops eatting them. Once she stops eatting them she starts turning colors and whenever someone says a color or object she turns into the color of the item. It gets so bad and she becomes her room. Finally a woman comes and cures her by giving her a spoonful of lima beans. From then on Camilla eats lima beans everyday. 
Characters: Camilla, Mom, Dad, Mr. Harms, Old woman, Dr. Grop, Dr. Sponge, Dr. Cricket, Dr. Young, Dr. Gourd, Dr. Bumble, Environmental therapist
Setting: Camilla's house
Plot: A young girl who stops eatting lima beans and starts having problems.
Theme: Individuality