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You are required to read THREE books.
You must read: Iqbal, by Francesco D’Adamo.
Read any two books from the following list. You are encouraged to read the others!
How Angel Peterson Got His Name, by Gary Paulsen
In a series of vignettes, Gary Paulsen embellishes his childhood memories of wrestling bears, going over waterfalls in barrels, taking off on a giant kite, and other extreme sports.
The Road to Paris, by Nikki Grimes
Paris Richmond has never had it easy. Her white father walked out on the family; her black mother tends to drink when she's lonely. Only Paris's older brother Malcolm is a constant. But when just Paris is placed in the foster home of the Lincolns, she finds herself all alone.
A Corner of the Universe, by Ann M. Martin
Hattie had been anticipating a summer as comfortably uneventful as all the others-until her uncle with "mental problems" makes a surprise entrance, turning everything upside-down. –from the publisher
On My Honor, by Marion Dane Bauer
“On your honor?” Joel’s father said. “You won’t go anywhere except the park?”
“On my honor,” Joel repeated.
When Joel’s best friend Tony challenges him to swim in the treacherous Vermillion River, Joel ignores his promise not expecting his decision to have a tragic outcome.
Flipped, by Wendelin Van Draanen
The first time she saw him, she flipped. The first time he saw her, he ran. And from the second grade to the seventh, that’s how it was. But in the eighth grade, their views of the world – and each other – turn upside down, thanks to some chickens. –from the publisher
The Greatest: Muhammad Ali, by Walter Dean Myers
This biography tells of Ali's childhood, his rise as a champion, his politics, and his battle against Parkinson's disease. Considered by some to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers, Ali’s accomplishments reach far beyond the ring. (A great read even if you don’t think you like boxing or sports non-fiction.)
Students Entering Grade 7
You are required to read THREE books.
You must read: Things Not Seen, by Andrew Clements
Read any two books from the following list.
(You are encouraged to read the others.)
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie, by Jordan Sonnenblick
“Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school, and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey.” But sometime between breakfast and dinner, Steven's world is turned upside down.” - from the publisher
Touching Spirit Bear, by Ben Mikaelsen
"Cole Matthews has always been in trouble and has had so many ‘last chances’ that he figures he knows how to work the juvenile justice system . . . That is until he agrees to Circle Justice, a Native American tradition that attempts to heal the victim, the offender, and the community.” – School Library Journal
The Skin I'm In, by Sharon Flake
"Maleeka Madison has problems fitting in with others at her school. Her hair is too nappy, her skin is too dark, her grades are too good, her clothes are too weird, and her teachers are too fond of her." - Terrell Young
The Sacrifice, by Kathleen Benner Duble
Two young girls are accused of witchcraft in Andover, Massachusetts, in 1692 and await trial in a miserable prison while their mother desperately searches for some way to free them. Against the backdrop of witchcraft hysteria, friend turns against friend, neighbor against neighbor.
Black Duck, by Janet Taylor Lisle
It's the spring of 1929 and prohibition is in full swing; lawmen are in pursuit of rum runners. When Reuben and Jeddy find a dead body washed up on a Rhode Island beach, they suspect it has something to do with smuggling liquor. What they don't expect is an adventure rapped up in a riveting mystery!
Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam, By Cynthia Kadohata
Bred as a show-dog and raised as a pet, German shepherd Cracker travels to Vietnam as a military dog trained to sniff out bombs, traps, and the enemy. This is an action-packed story of the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of a dog and her handler.
Students Entering Grade 8
You are required to read THREE books.
One book must be from the list of fiction novels.
One book must be from the list of nonfiction titles.
One book may be freely chosen from either list.
(You are encouraged to read the others.)
Fiction
Freak, by Marcella Pixley
“For Miriam Fisher, a budding poet who reads the Oxford English Dictionary for fun, seventh grade is a year etched in her memory as ‘clear as pain’. That’s the year her older sister, once her best buddy and fellow ‘alien’, bloomed like a beautiful flower and joined the high school in-crowd.” – from the publisher
Peak, by Roland Smith
When Peak, a 14-year-old tagger, is arrested for scaling Manhattan’s Woolworth Building, he appears headed for a long stint in juvenile detention. Rescued by the father he barely knows, Peak unexpectedly finds himself trekking in China as part of his Dad’s commercial climbing operation on the Tibetan side of Mount Everest.
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
In order to protect her younger sister, sixteen-year-old Katniss volunteers to take her place as a contender in the annual Hunger Games, a grave competition hosted by the Capitol where young boys and girls are pitted against one another in a televised fight to the death.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick
When Hugo, a twelve-year-old orphan living in the wall of the Paris train station, meets a mysterious toy seller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his most precious secret are put in jeopardy.
The Art of Keeping Cool, by Janet Taylor Lisle
In 1942, Robert and his cousin Elliot uncover long-hidden family secrets while staying with their grandparents in a Rhode Island town. And when they befriend a German artist who is suspected of being a spy, the boys encounter a prejudice in their neighbors that spark a tragic event.
The Schwa was Here, by Neal Shusterman
Brooklyn kid Antsy Bonano is intrigued by an “invisible-ish” classmate who at times blends into the background and can’t be seen by others. The two boys battle for the attention of a spirited blind girl and learn the truth about Antsy’s mother in a clever, quirky tale told with rollicking humor.
Nonfiction
The Pact, by Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt
"We didn't lock hands in some kind of empty, symbolic gesture... We just took one another at his word and headed back to class, without even a hint of how much our lives were about to change." -from The Pact
Warriors Don't Cry, by Melba Beals
Set against the civil rights movement of 1957, Melba Beals tells of her agonizing junior year spent in Little Rock’s Central High School as she and eight others braved the taunts and violent attacks of segregationist determined to remove them from the previously “white” school.
Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer
This is Krakauer's personal account of his disastrous ascent of Mt. Everest.
“A harrowing tale of the perils of high-altitude climbing, a story of bad luck and worse judgment and of heartbreaking heroism.” - PEOPLE
Letters to a Bullied Girl, by Olivia Gardner
When Emily and Sarah Buder read Olivia's tortured story of being the victim of bullying after suffering an epileptic seizure in middle school, these sisters were galvanized to start a letter writing campaign to let Olivia know that she was not alone and she should believe in herself. This book presents letters from the bully and the bullied, letters selected from the more than 4,000 written by men and women and girls and boys affected by bullying.