Dear Parents of In-coming 4th and 5th Graders,
Each year 25 book titles are selected for the Massachusetts Children’s Book Awards (MCBA). The MCBA program is geared for Massachusetts students in grades 4-6. In the Reading Public Elementary schools, students in grades 4 and 5 are encouraged to read at least 5 books from the MCBA list. In March, if students have read 5 titles, they are eligible to vote for their favorite title and see how it compares with the state-wide winner (usually announced in April).
When school resumes in August/September, I would like to do a video project with the 4th and 5th grade students and make book trailers for an MCBA book of their choice. I am asking that each student read ONE book from the attached MCBA list over the summer so that we may begin our project when school begins (the entire project takes 4 to 5 library periods). If a student has NOT read a book by the time school starts, I will give them two weeks to complete the reading.
I have attached the complete MCBA list in MS Excel format and have noted which books are suitable for each grade. Some students set a personal goal to read all the books from the list. However, I wanted to mention that even though students may read any book from the list, several titles deal with difficult topics (Ghost, Towers Falling, Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, Took) and might best be suited for older readers. You know your child best and I would recommend reading a summary of the book your child is interested in and go from there. There is a great website which has all the book summaries: MCBA website
Reading Public Library will have multiple copies of all the MCBA titles. I also noted on my spreadsheet what other formats the library has. Many come in a downloadable audio file, CD audiobook, or Playaway—great for long car rides on vacation! Students always ask me if it "counts" if they listen to a book--YES!
Thank you in advance for your support with this project. As always, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email me.
Happy Reading!
Paula Falvey, Birch Meadow Library Media Specialist
