MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS SUGGESTED SUPPLEMENTAL LITERATURE LIST
Young people should be encouraged to read widely and to select materials, fiction and nonfiction, that appeal to their varied interests and abilities. The following list is not comprehensive but representative of genres, titles, and authors suitable for seventh and eighth grade extended readings or thematic units. Several works (indicated by bold print) are RESERVED for in‐depth study at a particular grade level. In the event there is an objection to a particular selection, alternative selections are available.
This literature list is a DYNAMIC list and will continue to be updated through staff development or use of the Language Arts Literature Recommendation Form (see Appendix) to ensure ethnic diversity, age and content appropriateness, and inclusion of recent works. Classics Short Stories Alcott, Louisa May Little Women Dahl, Roald “The Wish” Knight, Eric L. Lassie Come Home Henry, O. "The Gift of the Magi" (7th grade) Dickens, Charles A Christmas Carol "The Last Leaf" Doyle, Arthur C. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes "Retrieved Reformation" The Hound of the Baskervilles (BB) "After Twenty Years" Kjelgaard, Jim Big Red (BB) "The Ransom of Red Chief" Lamb, Charles Tales from Shakespeare Irving, W. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" London, Jack The Call of the Wild (8th grade) Keyes, Daniel "Flowers for Algernon" (Alaskan) (BB) London, Jack "To Build a Fire" and other stories White Fang (8th grade) (Alaskan) (BB) Poe, Edgar Allen "The Tell‐Tale Heart" Montgomery, L. M. Anne of Green Gables "Hop Frog" Nordoff, Charles The Mutiny on the Bounty "The Pit and the Pendulum" Sewell, Anna Black Beauty Shakespeare, W. The Merchant of Venice (8th Grade) A Midsummer Night's Dream Alaska/Canadian North
Smith, Betty A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Beach, Rex E. The Iron Trail (Alaskan) Steinbeck, John The Red Pony (8th grade) Bond, Marshall Gold Hunter; The Adventures of The Pearl (7th grade) Marshall Bond Twain, Mark Tom Sawyer (BB) Curwood, James The Wolf Hunters The Prince and the Pauper (BB) Verne, Jules Around the World in Eighty Days George, Jean C. Julie of the Wolves (Alaska Native) (7th grade) Newbery Award (BB) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Water Sky (Alaska Native) Wells, H.G. The Time Machine Hess, Karen Aleutian Sparrow Invisible Man Hill, Kirkpatrick Winter Camp (BB) War of the Worlds Hobbs, Will Far North (ALA) White, T.E. The Sword in the Stone London, Jack The Call of the Wild (8th grade) (BB) Once and Future King White Fang (8th grade)
Morey, Walt Scrub Dog of Alaska (Alaskan) (BB) Kavik the Wolf Dog (BB) Mowat, Farley Lost in the Barrens (Native American) (BB) Roth, Arthur The Iceberg Hermit (Alaskan) Markoosie Harpoon of the Hunter (Alaska Native) Paulsen, Gary Dogsong (Alaska Native) Newbery Honor (BB) Hatchet Newbery Honor (BB) Former Battle Book (BB) Purdy, Anne Tisha (Alaskan) (BB) American Library Association Award (ALA) Vanasse, Deb Distant Enemy (Alaska Native) (BB) Out of the Wilderness (Alaskan)
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District 127 Middle School Supplemental Literature List English/Language Arts Curriculum Adopted March 22, 2011
Adventure/Survival Fiction Lowry, Lois The Giver Newbery Award (BB) Martinez, Floyd Spirits of the High Mesa (Hispanic)
Morey, Walt Gentle Ben Morey, Walt Death Walk Scrub Dog of Alaska (Alaskan) (BB) Hobbs, Will Far North Death Walk (8th grade) Ghost Canoe Kavik the Wolf Dog (BB) Paulsen, Gary Canyons Myers, Walter D. Scorpions (African American) Dogsong (Alaska Native) Newbery Somewhere in Darkness (African Honor (BB) American) Hatchet Newbery Honor (BB) Hoops (African American) White, Robb Deathwatch (BB) Mikaelsen, Ben Petey (ALA) (BB)
North, Sterling The Wolfling Contemporary Realistic Fiction O'Brien, Robert C. Z for Zachariah (BB) Oneal, Zibby The Language of Goldfish Avi Nothing But the Truth Newbery Honor Pascal, Francine My First Love and Other Disasters (BB) (BB) Paterson, K. Jacob Have I Loved Newbery Award (BB) Blume, Judy Tiger Eyes Paulsen, Gary Canyons Bodett, Tom Williwaw (Alaskan) Dogsong (Alaska Native) Newbery Honor Bonham, Frank Durango Street (BB) (BB) Byars, Betsy Cracker Jackson (child abuse) Hatchet Newbery Honor (BB) Clavell, James The Children's Story Tracker (BB) Coville, Bruce & Philbrick, Rodman Freak the Mighty (BB) Yolen, Jane Armageddon Summer Ryan, Pam Esperanza Rising (Hispanic) (Pura Belpre) Conly, Jane Leslie Crazy Lady Newbery Honor Sachar, Louis Holes Newbery Award (ALA) (BB) Cooney, Caroline The Face on the Milk Carton (BB) Spinelli, Jerry Maniac Magee Newbery Award (BB) Cormier, Robert The Chocolate War (BB) There’s a Girl in My Hammerlock (BB) I Am the Cheese (8th grade) Star Girl (ALA) (BB) Creech, Sharon Walk Two Moons Newbery Award Staples, Suzanne Haveli (Pakistan) (ALA) (BB) (BB) Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind Daly, Maureen Seventeenth Summer Newbery Honor (Pakistan) (BB) Danziger, Paula Can You Sue Your Parents for Trueman, Terry Stuck in Neutral (mature issues) Malpractice? (BB) Uchida, Yoshiko Journey to Topaz (BB) Eckert, Allan W. Incident at Hawk's Hill Vanasse, Deb Distant Enemy (Alaskan) (BB) Ellis, Deborah Breadwinner (Afghanistan) (BB) Out of the Wilderness (Alaskan) Farmer, Nancy Girl Named Disaster (African) Newbery Voigt, Cynthia Dicey's Song Newbery Award Honor (BB) Homecoming (BB) George, Jean C. Julie of the Wolves (Alaska Native) Solitary Blue (BB) (7th grade) White, Robb Deathwatch (BB) The Talking Earth (American Native) Yep, Laurence Child of the Owl (Asian American) Water Sky (Alaska Native) Zindel, Paul My Darling, My Hamburger Greene, Shep The Boy Who Drank Too Much The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man‐in‐ Green, Bette The Summer of My German Soldier the‐Moon Marigolds (BB) Pigman (BB) Greenberg, Joanne I Never Promised You a Rose Garden
(BB) Hayes, Daniel The Trouble with Lemons Historical Fiction Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders (7th grade) (BB) Tex (BB) Anderson, Laurie Fever, 1793 (BB) That Was Then, This is Now (8th Chains grade) Avi Crispin: The Cross of Lead Newbery Rumble Fish (7th grade) Award Ho, Minfong Clay Marble (Asian) Choi, Sook Nyul Year of Impossible Goodbyes (Asian) Holman, Felice Slake's Limbo (BB) (BB) Houston, James Frozen Fire: A Tale of Courage (Alaska Clapp, Patricia The Tamarack Tree Native) (BB) Collier, James, L. The Bloody Country The Falcon Bow (Alaska Native) My Brother Sam is Dead Newbery Honor Kerr, M.E. Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack (BB) Klass, David California Blue Conrad, Pam Prairie Songs (BB) Konigsburg, E.L. Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place Curtis, Christopher Paul The Watsons Go to Birmingham (African Korman, Gordon No More Dead Dogs American) Newbery Honor (BB) Krumgold, Joseph Onion John Newbery Honor (BB) Lipsyte, Robert The Contender
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District 128 Middle School Supplemental Literature List English/Language Arts Curriculum Adopted March 22, 2011
Cushman, Karen Catherine, Called Birdy Newbery Peck, Richard A Year Down Under Newbery Award Honor (ALA) (BB) Tolan, Stephanie Surviving the Applewhites Newbery The Midwife’s Apprentice Newbery Honor Award (BB) DeFelice, Cynthia Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker Sports Fiction Draper, Sharon Fire From the Rock Forbes, Esther Johnny Tremain Newbery Award (BB) Brooks, Bruce The Moves Make the Man (BB) Hesse, Karen Letters from Rifka (Jewish) (BB) Lipsyte, Robert The Contender (BB) Out of the Dust Newbery Award
Highwater, Jamake Legend Days (American Native) Anpao: An American Indian Odyssey Biography/Autobiography/ (American Native) Newbery Honor Memoir Hobbs, Will Ghost Canoe
Hoobler, Dorothy Ghost in the Tokaido Inn Adoff, Arnold Malcolm X (African American) Hunt, Irene Across Five Aprils (8th grade) Newbery Dahl, Roald Boy (BB) Honor (BB) No Promises in the Wind Filipovi’c, Zlata Zlata’s Diary (BB) Frank, Anne The Diary of a Young Girl (8th grade) Keith, Harold Rifles for Watie Newbery Award (BB) (BB) Lasky, Kathryn True North: A Novel of the Freedman, Russell Lincoln, A Photobiography Newbery Underground Railroad Award (BB) Mitchell, Margaret Gone With the Wind The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Meyer, Carolyn Mary, Bloody Mary Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Myers, W. D. The Legend of Tarik Equal Rights Newbury Honor (African American) Hickman, Homer Rocket Boys The Glory Field (African American) Murphy, Claire & O'Dell, Scott Sarah Bishop Haigh, Jane Gold Rush Women (Alaskan) (BB) Patterson, Catherine Liddie Children of the Gold Rush (Alaskan) (BB) Paulsen, Gary Nightjohn (African American) Herriot, James All Creatures Great and Small (BB) Sarny: A Life Remembered (African American) Kawagley, Dolores Yupik Stories (Alaska Native) Soldier’s Heart Keller, Helen The Story of My Life Rhue, Morton The Wave (8th grade) Richter, Conrad The Light in the Forest (American Non-Fiction Native) (BB) Richter, Hans P. Friedrich Ambrose, Stephen The Good Fight: How World War II Was Rinaldi, Ann Girl in Blue Won Wolf by the Ears (BB) Armstrong, Jennifer Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: Rostkowski, Margaret After the Dancing Days The Extraordinary True Story of Salisbury, Graham Under the Blood Red Sun (Japanese Shackleton and the Endurance (BB) American) Beals, Melba Patillo Warriors Don’t Cry: A Searing Memoir Schaefer, Jack Shane (8th grade) (BB) of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock’s Shaara, Michael The Killer Angels Central High (abridged) Speare, Elizabeth The Witch of Blackbird Pond Newbery Cox, Loretta Winter Walk; A Century‐old Survival Award (BB) Tale from the Arctic (Alaska Native) Steele, William O. The Perilous Road Crowe, Chris Getting Away with Murder: The True Taylor, Mildred Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (African Story of the Emmett Till Case American) Newbery Award (BB) Dahl, Roald Boy (BB) Let the Circle Be Unbroken (African Fleischman, John Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True American) (BB) Story about Brain Science (BB) The Land Coretta Scott King Award Taylor, Theodore The Cay Gunther, John Death Be Not Proud Hersey, John Hiroshima (8th grade) (BB Yates, Elizabeth Amos Fortune, Free Man (African American) Newbery Award Jones, Ron The Acorn People Yep, Lawrence Hiroshima Levine, Karen Hana’s Suitcase Dragonwings (Asian American) (BB) McKissack, Patricia Black Diamond Yolen, Jane The Devil’s Arithmetic (BB) Morrison, Toni Remember: The Girl in a Cage Journey to School Integration Coretta Scott King Award Mowat, Farley Never Cry Wolf (Alaskan) (BB) Humor Muir, John Stikeen (Alaskan) Murphy, Jim An American Plague: The True and Bauer, Joan Hope Was Here Newbery Honor (BB) Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Korman, Gordon No More Dead Dogs Epidemic, 1793 Newbery Honor (Sibert Peck, Richard Long Way from Chicago Medal) Fairbanks North Star Borough School District 129 Middle School Supplemental Literature List English/Language Arts Curriculum Adopted March 22, 2011
Myers, Walter Dean Malcom X: By Any Means Necessary Keyes, Daniel "Flowers for Algernon" short story (African American) version Paul, Francis L. Kahtahah (Alaska Native) Shusterman, Neal Eyes of King Midas Paulsen, Gary My Life in Dog Years Sleator, William Interstellar Pig (BB) Woodsong (BB) Verne, Jules 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Purdy, Anne Tisha (BB) Wells, H.G. The Time Machine Invisible Man Fantasy War of the Worlds
Alexander, Lloyd Book of Three (BB) Poetry The High King (BB) Newbery Award Westmark Adoff, Arnold I Am the Darker Brother, rev. ed. (African Bach, Richard Jonathan Livingston Seagull American) Barron, T. A. Lost Years of Merlin Bierhorst, John In the Trail of the Wind: American Cassedy, Sylvia Behind the Attic Wall Indian Poems and Ritual Orations Colville, Bruce Dragonslayer (BB) (American Native) Cooper, Susan The Dark Is Rising Newbery Honor (BB) Brooks, Gwendolyn Selected Poems (African American) Farmer, Nancy The Sea of Trolls Carlson, Lori ed. Cool Salsa (Hispanic) The Land of the Silver Apples Clinton, Catherine ed. I, Too, Sing America: Three Centuries of The Islands of the Blessed African American Poetry Funke, Cornelia Inkheart Dickinson, Emily I'm Nobody! Who Are You? and other Thief Lord poems Jacques, Brian Redwall series (BB) Dunning, Stephen, ed. Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon LeGuin, Ursula A Wizard of Earthsea (BB) Pickle (anthology) L'Engle, Madeleine A Wrinkle in Time Newbery Award (BB) Frost, Robert You Come Too and other poems A Wind in the Door Giovanni, Nikki Ego Tripping (African American) A Swiftly Tilting Planet (BB) Glenn, Mel Jump Ball: A Season in Poems Many Waters Hughes, Langston Selected Poems (African American) Lewis, C.S. The Chronicles of Narnia Koch, Kenneth Rose, Where Did You Get That Red? McCaffrey, Anne Dragonsinger (7th grade) (BB) Molloy, Paul, ed. l00 Plus American Poems (anthology) McKinley, Robin The Blue Sword Nash, Ogden Collected Poems of Ogden Nash Beauty (BB) Nye, Naomi Shihab This Same Sky Paolini, Christopher Eragon Rasmussen, Knud Beyond the High Hills (Alaska Native) Pierce, Tamora Wild Magic (BB) Sandburg, Carl Early Moon and other poems Pullman, Phillip Golden Compass Service, Robert The Spell of the Yukon and other Rex, Adam The True Meaning of Smekday poems (Alaskan) (BB) Riordan, Rick The Lightening Thief Collected Works of Robert Service Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s (Alaskan) Stone
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings
Wrede, Patricia Dealing with Dragons (BB) Former Battle Book (BB)
Yolen, Jane Dragon’s Blood (BB) American Library Association Award (ALA)
Science Fiction
Asimov, Isaac Fantastic Voyage Bond, Nancy String in the Harp Bradbury, Ray The Illustrated Man Something Wicked This Way Comes Card, Orson Scott Ender’s Game Ender’s Shadow (BB) Christopher, John White Mountain Trilogy (BB) Clarke, Arthur C. Childhood's End Collins, Suzanne The Hunger Games Crichton, Michael Timeline Farmer, Nancy The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm (ALA) (BB) House of the Scorpion Newbery Honor (BB) Haddix, Margaret Among the Hidden (BB) Heinlein, Robert Citizen of the Galaxy
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District 130 Middle School Supplemental Literature List English/Language Arts Curriculum Adopted March 22, 2011 MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS ADDITIONAL SUGGESTED SUPPLEMENTAL LITERATURE LIST
The list of titles below are additional books to be added to the Suggested Supplemental Literature List found in the English/Language Arts curriculum document (p. 127-130), adopted March 22, 2011. For more information, please contact the curriculum department at (907) 452-2000, ext. 11422.
Title Author Grade Level Theme/Interest FICTION "The story, told with humor and skill, will fascinate readers with an interest in what it was like for the Al Capone Does My Shirts Gennifer Choldenko 5-8 children of prison guards and other workers to actually grow up on Alcatraz Island." (Amazon Review) Whole class, lit circles; interesting history cross Aleutian Sparrow Karen Hesse 7-8 curricula; Aleut people endure, Alaska themed relocation during the war. Bamboo People Mitali Perkins 7-8 Independent read, lit circles; political current. Because of Winn Dixie Kate DiCamillo 7-8 Human relations, empathy. Blessing's Bead Debby Dahl Edwardson 7-8 Lit groups; female appeal. Whole class, lit circles; good character development, Bruiser Neal Shusterman 7-8 child abuse and bullying. 8+ "Up-to-the-minute slang and pop culture references will Bucking the Sarge Christopher Paul Curtis (under grade 8 not advised) resonate with teen readers." (Amazon Review) Cinder Marissa Meyer 7-8 Independent read; female appeal; sci-fi. (Book One of the Lunar Chronicles) Great themes for extra curricula connections; author's Diamond Willow Helen Frost 7 voice; Alaskan themed, dog mushing, poetry. Divergent Veronica Roth 7-8 Independent read, lit circles; sci-fi. (Book One of the Divergent Series) Doll Bones Holly Black 6-8 Independent read; scary ghost story. Alaska themed; "This is an example of authentic Native Alaskan storytelling at it's best, realistic modern-day Edge of Nowhere John Smelcer 7-8 vision-quest scenario and easily identify and empathize with the characters." (Amazon Review) The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate Jacqueline Kelly 5-8 Historical; "A charming and inventive story of a child
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District 1 April 15, 2015
struggling to find her identity at the turn of the 20th century." (Amazon Review) Title Author Grade Level Theme/Interest Historical; humorous; "19th- century America, sprinkled Fair Weather Richard Peck 5-8 with historical photographs." (Amazon Review) Two main character POV changes across the course of Flipped Wendelin Van Draanen 5-8 the story. Independent read, lit groups; positive female Flygirl Sherri L. Smith 5-8 protagonist, historical, WWI identify. The Fourteenth Goldfish Jennifer L. Holm 7-8 Humorous. Independent or whole class read, lit circles; historical, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and WWII San Francisco and present, forced internment of Jamie Ford 8+ Sweet American Japanese, many meaningful connections well written bias, prejudices, tolerance. Lawn Boy Gary Paulsen 7-8 Short, but very funny. Lit groups; positive female protagonist, empathy, being A Mango-Shaped Space Wendy Mass 7-8 different. 7-8 Whole class; possible companion piece for To Kill a Mississippi Trial, 1955 Chris Crowe (possibly grade 9 as companion Mockingbird; historical, civil rights; 870 Lexile. piece) Moon Over Manifest Clare Vanderpool 5-8 Positive female protagonist, place and identity. Independent read, lit groups; historical, BIA schools in My Name Is Not Easy Debby Dahl Edwardson 7-10 Alaska. "An epic quest across land, sea, and the depths of their own hearts looking for Pi: the young seeker whose tale Navigating Early Clare Vanderpool 5-8 Early reads in the numbers following 3.14, convinced that he is lost." (Amazon Review) "Words don't come easy for an 11-year-old boy coming Paperboy Vince Vawter 5-8 of age in the segregated South." (Amazon Review) Independent read, lit circles; male appeal, inner conflicts, Pop Gordon Korman 7-8 difficult choices, some strong language, learning about Alzheimier's.
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District 2 April 15, 2015
Title Author Grade Level Theme/Interest Red Kayak Priscilla Cummings 7-8 Ethical situations. Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party Ying Chang Compestine 7 Historical, Chinese revolution. Historical, gold rush, death of parent, role of weapons in Revolver Marcus Sedgwick 8 society, perseverance. Independent read, lit circles; competitive runner loses The Running Dream Wendelin Van Draanen 7-8 her leg. Interweaves two narrative voices with humor and Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs Ron Koertge 7-9 warmth. Whole class read; historical, desegregation, civil rights; Sources of Light Margaret McMullan 7-9 840 Lexile. "Tree, a 6'-3" 12 year old, copes with his parents' recent divorce and his failure as an athlete by helping his Stand Tall Joan Bauer 7-8 grandfather, a, a Vietnam vet and recent amputee, and Sophie, a new girl at school." (Amazon Review) Whole class read, lit circles; illness, family, right to life; Stuck in Neutral Terry Trueman 7-8 820 Lexile. Winnie's War Jenny Moss 7 Historical, Spanish influenza pandemic. Independent read, whole class (early grades); Wonder R.J. Palacio 6-8 acceptance, bullying, compassion, courage, friendship. NON-FICTION Iqbal Francesco D'Adamo 7-8 Accessible and issues in Pakistan and world issues. The Soloist Steve Lopez 8+ Independent read, lit circles; homeless, mental illness. Spies of Mississippi Rick Bowers 7-8 Whole class read; short primary sources. Yummy: The Last Days of a G. Neri 7-12 Independent read; graphic novel. Southside Shorty
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District 3 April 15, 2015