Reading Olympics

Reading Olympics

Reading Olympics is designed to promote teamwork, self- confidence, and reading for FUN! Books from the list are selected for students of all reading abilities and interests. All students in grades 4 & 5 are encouraged to become a Reading Olympian! If your child is interested in participating in the Reading Olympics program, more information will be sent home at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. In the meantime…START READING TODAY!

2020-21 RO Book List

There are 36 titles on the Reading Olympics list. Only 35 are listed below. The 36th title will be revealed in January 2021 at the Goochland Reads kick-off event.

ADVENTURE

Avalanche! (Survivor Diaries) by Terry Lynn Johnson
Capture the Flag by Kate Messner
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
The Secret Zoo by Bryan Chick
The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone

FANTASY

Dragons in a Bag by Zleta Elliott
Max & the Midknights by Lincoln Peirce
Upside-Down Magic by Sarah Mlynowski

GRAPHIC NOVEL

El Deafo by Cece Bell
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic by Lauren Tarshis

HISTORICAL FICTION

Dash by Kirby Lawson
A Lion to Guard Us by Clyde Robert Bulla
Sugar by Jewell Parker Rhodes

HUMOR

Class Dismissed by Janet Tashjian
Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt

MYSTERY

Bob by Wendy Mass & Rebecca Stead
Escape from Monticello by Steven K. Smith
The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing by Sheila Turnage
Holes by Louis Sachar

NONFICTION

Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball by John Coy
Looking for Miza: The True Story of the Mountain Gorilla Family Who Rescues One of Their Own by Peter Greste
Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Kathryn Davis
Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs by Melissa Stewart
Thirty Minutes Over Oregon: A Japanese Pilot’s World War II Story by Marc Tyler Nobleman

POETRY / NOVEL IN VERSE

Gone Fishing by Tamera Wissinger

REALISTIC FICTION

Because of the Rabbit by Cynthia Lord
A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold
Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks
Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly

SCIENCE FICTION

Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat by Johnny Marciano & Emily Chenoweth
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

SPORTS FICTION

Slam Dunk (STAT: Standing Tall and Talented) by Amar’e Stoudemire
Track Attack by Betty Hicks

Congratulations to the 2018 Champions, “Unreasonable Logic” from RES!

Team Member Requirements

Reading Olympians will work in teams to collectively read from a list of 36 books during the school year. In the Spring, participants will go to the annual tournament and be asked questions about the books in order to earn points for their team.

Reading Olympics team members must…

be a 4th or 5th grade student
read a minimum of 8 books from the book list• 2 books must be read by October 15 • 4 books by December 15 • 8 books by March 15
pass an Accelerated Reader test with a grade of 80% or higher for each of the 8 books read
attend weekly meetings
have a positive attitude and be a good team player