John Winthrop Middle School

John Winthrop Middle School Summer 2013 Reading: 7th – 8th Grade

The following is a list of suggested books; however students are not limited to the titles on this list. If you are looking for suggestions please use the following websites for reviews:

 iCONN – Books & Authors  TeenReads

Memoirs/Biography

Mark Zuckerberg - Marcia Amidon Lüsted

Examines the life of Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, and discusses his achievements and how his social networking site influences the world.

Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to get back in the Board- Bethany Hamilton

Bethany Hamilton shares the story of her lifelong love of surfing, and tells how she was able to recover and return to competition with the help of her family, friends, and faith after losing her arm in a shark attack at the age of thirteen.

Steve Jobs: The Man who Thought Different – Karen Blumenthal

Steve Jobs' story has become legend: a college dropout who started a wildly successful tech company in his parents' garage. A devoted husband, father, and Buddhist, he battled cancer for over a decade, became the ultimate CEO, and made the world want every product he touched. Here is the complex man behind the myth. Disclaimer: This biography is not endorsed by Apple; this is an unauthorized/unofficial biography.

I Want to Live: Diary of a Young Girl in Stalin’s Russia – Nina Lugovskaya

Recently unearthed in the archives of Stalin's secret police, the NKVD, Nina Lugovskaya's diary offers rare insight into the life of teenage girl in Stalin's Russia--when fear of arrest was a fact of daily life. Translated by Andrew Bromfield.

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier – Ishmael Beah

Ishmael Beah describes his experiences after he was driven from his home by war in Sierra Leone and picked up by the government army at the age of thirteen. Beah served as a soldier for three years before being removed from fighting by UNICEF and eventually moving to the United States.

George Lucas- Adam Woog

Examines the personal life, career, and success of the creator of the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" movies, whose technological innovations have had a major impact on the film industry.

Chasing Lincoln’s Killer – James L. Swanson Recounts the twelve-day pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth, covering the chase through Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, with a discussion of Abraham Lincoln as a father, husband, and friend that examines the impact of his death on those close to him.

Born to Fly: the Heroic Story of Downed U.S. Navy Pilot Lt. Shane Osborn- Shane Osborn

Navy pilot Shane Osborn tells his life story, describing the development of his love of flying, and chronicling the experiences he and his crew members had after their plane was struck down by a Chinese jet on April 1, 2001.

The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions – Sister Helen PreJean

From the author of the national bestseller Dead Man Walking comes a brave and fiercely argued new book that tests the moral edge of the debate on capital punishment: What if we’re executing innocent men? Two cases in point are Dobie Gillis Williams, an indigent black man with an IQ of 65, and Joseph Roger O’Dell. Both were convicted of murder on flimsy evidence (O’Dell’s principal accuser was a jailhouse informant who later recanted his testimony). Both were executed in spite of numerous appeals. Sister Helen Prejean watched both of them die. As she recounts these men’s cases and takes us through their terrible last moments, Prejean brilliantly dismantles the legal and religious arguments that have been used to justify the death penalty.

Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World – Sy Montgomery

This portrait of Grandin's life with autism and her groundbreaking work as a scientist and designer of cruelty-free livestock facilities describes how she overcame key disabilities through education and the support of her mother. Contemporary Fiction

AL Capone Does My Shirts- Gennifer Choldenko

Moose Flanagan is sentenced to Alcatraz, and he did not even commit a crime. His father has taken a job on Alcatraz Island as a guard. On the island he meets other kids from families just like his. Thus begins the fun adventures and the problems! Al Capone Shines My Shoes is also by this author.

The White Zone – Carolyn Marsden

As American bombs fall on Baghdad during the Iraq War, ten-year-old cousins Nouri and Talib witness the growing violence between Sunni and Shiite Muslims.

An Abundance of Katherines- John Green

Having been recently dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named Katherine, recent high school graduate and former child prodigy Colin sets off on a road trip with his best friend to try to find some new direction in life while also trying to create a mathematical formula to explain his relationships. Faith, Hope, and Ivy June - Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

During a student exchange program, seventh-graders Ivy June and Catherine share their lives, homes, and Kentucky communities, and find that although their lifestyles are total opposites, they have a lot in common.

The Secret Life of Bees – Sue Kidd Monk

Fans of The Lovely Bones and Lucky will not want to miss this book. Fourteen-year-old Lily and her companion, Rosaleen, an African-American woman who has cared for Lily since her mother's death ten years earlier, flee their home after Rosaleen is victimized by racist police officers. Together, they find a safe haven in Tiburon, South Carolina at the home of three beekeeping sisters, May, June, and August.

Travel Team- Mike Lupica

After he is cut from his travel basketball team--the very same team that his father once led to national prominence--twelve-year-old Danny Walker forms his own team of cast-offs that might have a shot at victory. Check out Mike Lupica’s other titles.

You Have Seven Messages – Stewart Lewis

Luna and her family still struggle with their grief over her mother's death; it has been over a year since she was struck and killed by a taxi. Yet, after Luna goes to finally clean out her mother's studio she discovers her cell phone, fully charged and with seven unheard voicemails. Having listened to the messages, Luna learns unexpected truths about her mother and begins to wonder whether her death was really an accident.

When Zachary Beaver Came To Town – Kimberly Willis Holt

During the summer of 1971 in a small Texas town, thirteen-year-old Toby and his best friend Cal meet the star of a sideshow act, 600-pound Zachary, the fattest boy in the world.

Define Normal – Julie Anne Peters

When she agrees to meet with Jasmine as a peer counselor at their middle school, Antonia never dreams that this girl with the black lipstick and pierced eyebrow will end up helping her deal with the serious problems she faces at home and become a good friend.

Everest: The Contest - Gordon Korman

The youngest expedition ever to attempt an Everest climb has begun. But the trouble starts long before they reach the summit. Competition is fierce. Conditions are harsh. And the trek from Base Camp proves a challenge that not all the contestants can meet. If you love this try The Climb and The Summit.

Monster – Walter Dean Myers While on trial as an accomplice to a murder, sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon records his experiences in prison and in the courtroom in the form of a film script as he tries to come to terms with the course his life has taken.

As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth - Lynne Rae Perkins

A teenage boy encounters one comedic calamity after another when his train strands him in the middle of nowhere, and everything comes down to luck.

Olive’s Ocean – Kevin Henkes

On a summer visit to her grandmother's cottage by the ocean, twelve-year-old Martha gains perspective on the death of a classmate, on her relationship with her grandmother, on her feelings for an older boy, and on her plans to be a writer.

Holes- Louis Sacher

How can the theft of a pair of sneakers turn into such a bizarre, life-altering experience for Stanley? A wonderful story filled with mystery and intrigue. Check out the sequel Small Steps.

Classics

Bridge to Terabithia - Katherine Paterson

The life of a ten-year-old boy in rural Virginia expands when he becomes friends with a newcomer who subsequently meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia, during a storm.

The Chocolate War- Robert Cormier

A high school freshman discovers the devastating consequences of refusing to join in the school's annual fund raising drive and arousing the wrath of the school bullies.

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

Bilbo Baggins, a respectable, well-to-do hobbit, lives comfortably in his hobbit hole until the day the wandering wizard Gandalf chooses him to take part in an adventure from which he may never return.

A Night to Remember- Walter Lord

At first, no one but the lookout recognized the sound. Passengers described it as the impact of a heavy wave, a scraping noise, or the tearing of a long calico strip. In fact, it was the sound of the world’s most famous ocean liner striking an iceberg. Based on interviews with sixty-three survivors, Lord’s moment-by-moment account is among the finest books written about one of the twentieth century’s bleakest nights.

The Outsiders-S.E. Hinton Fourteen-year-old Ponyboy, a proud “greaser” from the poor side of town, starts to think differently about his life when a member of his gang kills a “soc” (short for “social”), a member of a rival rich kid’s gang. Look for other great titles by S.E. Hinton.

White Fang- Jack London

Follows the adventures of a dog that is part wolf as he eventually makes his peace with man in the wilderness of northern Canada. Jack London also wrote Call of the Wild.

And Then There Were None- Agatha Christie

Ten people, each with something to hide and something to fear, are invited to a lonely mansion on Indian Island by a host who, surprisingly, fails to appear. On the island they are cut off from everything but each other and the inescapable shadows of their own past lives. One by one, the guests share the darkest secrets of their wicked pasts. And one by one, they die…

Around the World in 80 Days- Jules Verne

Before there were airplanes and high speed travel, Phileas Fogg, an English gentleman, bets 20,000 pounds that he can travel around the world in only 80 days. En route he meets a beautiful Indian Princess, gets mistaken for a notorious criminal and is pursued by a detective with a warrant for his arrest. Follow his fantastic adventures through four continents in his daring race against time. It's a fast-paced, action-packed, high-spirited journey filled with romance, danger and adventure.

Black Beauty- Anna Sewell

The narrator of this book, the handsome, coal-black horse called ''Black Beauty'', is lead through numerous adventures by various owners - from a riding and carriage horse, to the rough life of a town cab horse, to eventual happiness in a secure home. Through it all, he keeps his strength and good temper. Historical Fiction

Between Shades of Grey - Ruta Sepetys In 1941, fifteen-year-old Lina, her mother, and brother are pulled from their Lithuanian home by Soviet guards and sent to Siberia, where her father is sentenced to death in a prison camp. While she fights for her life, vowing to honor her family and the thousands like, Lina writes and buries her story in a jar on Lithuanian soil. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas – John Boyne

Nine year old Bruno is living during WWII but has no clue about the role of the Nazis or concentration camps. This may not sound strange in and of itself, until you realize that Bruno’s father is the Commander of Auschwitz and that Bruno lives in a house right outside this camp.

Bloodline Rising- Katy Moran Cai, a thief in seventh-century Constantinople, finds himself held captive on a trading ship bound for Britain--the home his father, a ruthless barbarian assassin, fled long ago. While on the ship, Cai discovers that his Anglish captors know more about the secrets of his family than he does. A Hare in the Elephant’s Trunk- Jan Coats

Jacob Akech Deng's young life is forever changed one night in 1987 when soldiers from the north invade his small village in Southern Sudan. As he struggles to survive and escape the cycle of violence, he tries to remember his mother and her belief in the importance of education. Jefferson’s Sons- Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

A fictionalized look at the last twenty years of Thomas Jefferson's life at Monticello through the eyes of three of his slaves, including two who were his sons by his slave, Sally Hemings.

Across Five Aprils – Irene Hunt In this historically accurate story, Jethro Creighton comes of age during the turbulent years of the Civil War. The Glory Field – Walter Dean Meyers

Follow a family's two-hundred-forty-one-year history, from the capture of an African boy in the 1750s through the lives of his descendants, as their dreams and circumstances lead them away from and back to the small plot of land in South Carolina that they call the Glory Field. This is one of Walter Dean Myers’ exciting books.

The Help- Kathryn Stockett The novel gives a personal and political history of Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960’s. Follow each character and hear their stories and experiences of living and working during the civil rights movement.

The Runner – Robert Newton In Richmond, Australia, in 1919, fifteen year old Charlie Feehan becomes an errand boy for a notorious mobster, hoping that his ability to run will help him, his widowed mother, and his baby brother escape poverty.

Dear America Series – Scholastic, Inc. Meet the young men and women who made their way through the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. See Europe and America as it was before the days of wireless communication and mass transit. Enjoy all seventy-one titles in this fabulous series.

Black Duck- Taylor Lisle What if someone told you that you could no longer enjoy your favorite snack? How far would you go to make sure you had that snack? This is just what happened in the United States during the 1920s, a time known as Prohibition, when it was illegal to drink alcohol. It was a time when rum-running boats, such as the Black Duck, delivered their precious cargo of alcohol to the shoreline towns of Connecticut and Rhode Island. Black Duck is filled with fast boats, spies, turncoats and shootouts!

Mystery Johnny Swanson- Eleanor Updale

In 1929 England, eleven-year-old Johnny Swanson helps his widowed mother by starting a newspaper advertising scam. In the midst of scam work, Swanson discovers a real-life murder mystery that places his mother in mortal danger.

Three Times Lucky- Shelia Turnage

Miss Moses LoBeau lives in the small town of Tupelo Landing, NC, where she washed ashore in a hurricane eleven years ago, and she's been making waves ever since. Mo has found a home with the Colonel, a café owner with a forgotten past of his own, and Miss Lana, the fabulous café hostess. She will protect those she loves with every bit of her strong will and tough attitude. So when a lawman comes to town asking about a murder, Mo and her best friend, Dale Earnhardt Johnson III, set out to uncover the truth, in hopes of saving the only family Mo has ever known.

Wizard of Dark Street- Shawn Thomas Odyssey

Twelve-year-old Oona decides to quit her apprenticeship with her uncle, a wizard who owns an enchantment shop on the last of the Faerie roads that connect New York City to the Land of the Fey, and hone her skills as a detective. When her uncle is later stabbed, Oona's skills are quickly put to the test.

Gilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator- Jennifer Allison

During the summer before ninth grade, intrepid Gilda Joyce invites herself to the San Francisco mansion of distant cousin Lester Splinter and his thirteen-year-old daughter, where she uses her purported psychic abilities and detective skills to solve the mystery of the mansion's boarded-up tower. If you like this mystery, you may enjoy more of Gilda Joyce’s adventures.

The Rivalry: Mystery at the Army-Navy Game- John Feinstein

Play by plays and SportsCenter. Sound Appealing? Stevie is a high school guy who lives and breathes sports. He works with newspapers as a sports reporter. His reluctant parents allow him to take the trip to DC to report the famous Army/Navy game. But more than passes, touchdowns, field goals and anthems occur at this rival game. Take a look at some of the author’s other sports- mystery titles.

The White Gates – Bonnie Ramthun

When his mother becomes the doctor in Snow Park, Colorado, twelve-year-old Tom learns of a curse placed on the town's doctors many years before by an eccentric Ute woman. Yet Tom suspects that a modern-day villain is hiding behind that curse.

Kaleidoscope Eyes – Jen Bryant

In 1968, with the Vietnam War raging, thirteen-year-old Lyza inherits a project from her deceased grandfather, who had been using his knowledge of maps and the geography of Lyza's New Jersey hometown, to locate the lost treasure of Captain Kidd.

The Hardy Boys – Franklin W. Dixon Follow the boys on many adventures, with one of the titles from this series.

The Angel of Death: A Forensic Mystery- Alane Ferguson

While investigating the murder of her English teacher, seventeen-year-old Cameryn Mahoney, who works as assistant coroner for her father, begins a romance with the most popular guy in school, awaits the arrival of her long-missing mother, and puts her life in danger. Science Fiction/Fantasy

Rot and Ruin- Jonathan Maberry

In a post-apocalyptic world where fences and border patrols guard the few people left from the zombies that have overtaken civilization, fifteen-year-old Benny Imura is finally convinced that he must follow in his older brother's footsteps and become a bounty hunter. Follow it up with the sequel Dust and Decay.

City of Bones- Cassandra Clare

When Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder; much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with odd markings. Don't miss the other books in The Mortal Instruments trilogy: City of Ashes and City of Glass.

Kill Order – James Dasher

Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, sun flares hit the earth and mankind fell to disease. Mark and Trina were there when it happened, and they survived. Now a disease of rage and lunacy races across the eastern United States, and there’s something suspicious about its origin.

Ruby Red- Kerstin Gerr

Sixteen-year-old Gwyneth discovers that she, rather than her well-prepared cousin, carries a time-travel gene, and soon she is journeying with Gideon, who shares the gift, through historical London, trying to discover whom they can trust.

Salt: Book 1- The Salt Trilogy- Maurice Gee

Hari, a downtrodden underclass boy, and Pearl, a privileged girl, both develop a talent to speak to animals and humans through mind control, and find themselves thrown together on a quest to save mankind from a terrible weapon.

The Gateway- Obert Skye

Fate brings fourteen-year-old Leven Thumps and thirteen- year-old Winter together, as they discover that for mankind to continue dreaming, the gateway between reality and the land of dreams and hopes--Foo--must be found and demolished. Continue with the sequel The Whispered Secret.

The Mysterious Benedict Society- Trenton Lee Stewart After passing a series of mind-bending tests, four children are selected for a secret mission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.

The Emerald Atlas- John Stephens

After years of moving from one orphanage to another following their parents' disappearance, Kate, Michael, and Emma learn that they have special powers, a prophesied quest to find a magical book, and a fearsome enemy.

The Dark City- Book 1 of the Relic Master Series- Catherine Fisher

Galen, a man of the old Order and a Keeper of relics, and his sixteen-year-old apprentice, Raffi, face many obstacles as they search for a powerful relic that has been hidden for centuries. They must find this relic in an effort to stop the devastation that has hit their world.

Inkheart- Cornelia Funke

Twelve-year-old Maggie learns that her father, who repairs and binds books for a living, can "read" fictional characters to life. Find out what happens when one of those characters abducts them and tries to force him into service.

The Secret Hour-Book 1 of the Midnighters Series- Scott Westerfeld

Upon moving to Bixby, Oklahoma, fifteen-year-old Jessica Day learns that she is one of a group of people who have special abilities that help them fight ancient creatures living in an hour hidden at midnight; creatures that seem determined to destroy Jess. Non-Fiction

Remembering September 11, 2001:What We Know Now-Mara Miller

Examines the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, including the attack on the World Trade Center Towers, the Pentagon, and United Flight 93, and describes the aftermath.

Stiff: the Curious Lives of Human Cadavers – Mary Roach

Stiff is an oddly compelling, often hilarious exploration of the strange lives of our bodies’ postmortem. For two thousand years, cadavers—some willingly, some unwittingly—have been involved in science's boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. For every new surgical procedure, from heart transplants to gender reassignment surgery, cadavers have been there alongside surgeons, making history in their quiet way.

Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love – Larry Levin

In 2002, Larry Levin and his twin sons, Dan and Noah, took their terminally ill cat to the hospital to have the beloved pet put to sleep. What would begin as a terrible day suddenly got brighter as the ugliest dog they had ever seen--one who was missing an ear and had half his face covered in scar tissue--ran up to them and captured their hearts. The dog had been used as bait for fighting dogs when he was just a few months old, thrown in a cage and left to die until the police rescued him and saved his life. Shark Life: True Stories about Sharks and the Sea- Peter Benchley

Afraid of Sharks? This sets the record straight about the many types of sharks (including the ones that pose a genuine threat to us), the behavior of sharks and other sea creatures we fear, the odds against an attack, and how to improve them even further. The author also teaches us how to swim safely in the ocean by reading the tides and currents and respecting all the inhabitants. Here are the lessons he has learned, the mistakes he has made, the danger he has faced—and the spectacular sights he has seen in the world’s largest environment.

When Do Fish Sleep? And Other Imponderables of Everyday Life – David Feldman

Ponder, if you will ...Why are tennis balls fuzzy? How come birds don't tip over when they sleep on telephone wires? Why Mickey Mouse has only four fingers? So many questions; so little time! This book is a fun and relaxing read- guaranteed! Just open to a page and learn something new! Hope Solo; My Story – Hope Solo The Olympic gold medalist and starting goalkeeper for the U.S. women's national soccer team gives readers behind-the-scenes details of her life on and off the field. Solo offers a fearless female role model for the next generation, driven to succeed on her own terms. Young fans will truly be inspired by Hope's repeated triumphs over adversity. A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail–Bill Bryson The Appalachian Trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America–majestic mountains, silent forests, sparkling lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaining guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way–and a couple of bears. A Walk in the Woods will make you long for the great outdoors (or at least a comfortable chair to sit and read in). Swimming to Antarctica- Lynne Cox Lynne Cox started swimming almost as soon as she could walk. By age sixteen, she had broken all records for swimming the English Channel. Her daring eventually led her to the Bering Strait, where she swam five miles in thirty-eight-degree water in just a swimsuit, cap, and goggles. In between those accomplishments, she became the first to swim the Strait of Magellan, narrowly escaped a shark attack off the Cape of Good Hope, and was cheered across the twenty-mile Cook Strait of New Zealand by dolphins. She even swam a mile in the Antarctic. Lynne writes the same way she swims, with indefatigable spirit and joy, and shares the beauty of her time in the water with a poet's eye for detail.

Knots in My Yo-Yo String- Jerry Spinelli A masterpiece of those embarrassing, gloppy, painful, and suddenly wonderful things that happen on the razor's edge between childhood and full-fledged adolescence. Documenting some first memories through high school, including: first kiss, first punch, first trip to the principal's office, and first humiliating sports experience, this story is bound to make you laugh, cry, sympathize and relate! The Bronte Sisters: the Brief Lives of Charlotte, Emily and Anne-Catherine Reef The Bronte sisters are among the most beloved writers of all time, best known for their classic nineteenth-century novels Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Agnes Grey. This biography explores the turbulent lives of these literary siblings and the oppressive times in which they lived. *Summaries are a compilation of book jacket information, our words, and Amazon.com excerpts.