8th Grade Book Overviews

And Then There Were None (Ten Little Indians) by Ten people, each with a guilty secret, are lured to an isolated island off the Devon coast. Shortly after they arrive, a mysterious voice accuses each of them of murder. And then, one by one, they begin dying. Who is killing them? Where is he or she hiding? Is the murderer in fact one of them?

*Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson Jacqueline Woodson, one of today's finest writers, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse. Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child's soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson's eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.

Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan Esperanza thought she'd always live like a princess on their Mexican ranch, but disaster strikes, and her life starts over in the U.S.

Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Victor Frankenstein is a mad scientist who makes a giant monster out of dead bodies — and brings it to life! When the monster is alive, Victor knows he has made a mistake. But before he can fix it, the creature escapes! It roams the countryside, spreading terror and destruction. Now Victor must find the monster he has created — the monster known as Frankenstein.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when the single engine plane in which he is flying crashes. Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother has given him as a present — and the dreadful secret that has been tearing him apart ever since his parents' divorce. But now Brian has no time for anger, self-pity, or despair — it will take all his know-how and determination, and more courage than he knew he possessed, to survive.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell Left alone on a beautiful but isolated island off the coast of California, a young Indian girl spends eighteen years, not only merely surviving through her enormous courage and self- reliance, but also finding a measure of happiness in her solitary life.

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson Sara Louise Bradshaw is sick and tired of her beautiful twin Caroline. Ever since they were born, Caroline has been the pretty one, the talented one, the better sister. Even now, Caroline seems to take everything: Louise's friends, their parents' love, her dreams for the future. For once in her life, Louise wants to be the special one. But in order to do that, she must first figure out who she is and find a way to make a place for herself outside her sister's shadow.

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes Because Johnny is proud of the work he does as a silversmith's apprentice, his master warns him that pride goes before a fall. When Johnny violates the law by working on Sabbath Day, his hand is maimed by hot silver and he must find a new profession. His search lands him in the middle of America's fight for freedom.

My Brother Sam Is Dead by Christopher Collier & James Lincoln Collier Two brothers are torn apart and a bitter family battle ensues, caused by differing loyalties during the Revolutionary War. Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo Private Thomas Peaceful has left his family behind. He has followed his older brother Charlie to France to fight in the First World War. Now, young Thomas has been ordered to stand night watch over the battlefields. As the minutes tick by, Thomas's memories are full of his childhood spent deep in the countryside. But every moment Thomas spends thinking about his life brings him another moment closer to something he cannot bear to think about, a time when the war and its horrific consequences will change his life forever.

*The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Set during World War II in Germany, this novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist, books. With the help of her accordion–playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids, as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

White Fang by Jack London A companion book to The Call of the Wild, this tale of the Klondike gold rush is told through the eyes of White Fang, who is half dog, half wolf.

*Must purchase on own.