Summer Reading

Hillside students are asked to read a minimum of three books during the summer of 2023. There is one required book per grade, and each student should read at least two additional books of their choice. A list of suggested books is included for each grade level, but students are welcome to choose books outside of the lists provided.


Students going into grades 4, 5, and 6:


REQUIRED: Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen

Things get out of hand for a twelve-year-old boy when a neighbor convinces him to expand his summer lawn mowing business.

Suggested books for grade levels 4, 5, and 6


Students going into grade 7:


REQUIRED: Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen

From his 1776 Pennsylvania homestead, thirteen-year-old Samuel, who is a highly-skilled woodsman, sets out toward New York City to rescue his parents from the band of British soldiers who kidnapped them.

Suggested books for grade level 7


Students going into grade 8:


REQUIRED: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton *

The struggle of three brothers to stay together after their parents’ death and their quest for identity among the conflicting values of their adolescent society.

Suggested books for grade level 8


Students going into grade 9:


REQUIRED: The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

After 83-year-old Eddie is tragically killed while trying to save a little girl from a falling cart, he awakes in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a destination. It‘s a place where five people explain your life to you. One by one, Eddie’s five people illuminate the mysteries of his meaningless life, and reveal the haunting secret behind the eternal question: Why was I here?

Suggested books for grade level 9


Please feel free to read more books. We encourage you to read every day! Enjoy and have a wonderful summer.