Middle School Suggested Reading List

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The following suggested reading list is offered as a guide to students and parents when choosing the additional books needed to meet the summer reading requirements. Parents: This list includes books of varying difficulty and maturity levels in order to meet the needs of students in grades five through eight. Students may find books which are appropriate matches for their reading levels and/or personal interests. We recommend using commonsensemedia.org to determine whether a novel is a good fit for your child.

Nonfiction Titles

• All in a Drop: How Antony van • No Summit Out of Sight: The True Story Leeuwenhoek Discovered an Invisible of the Youngest Person to Climb the World by Lori Alexander* Seven Summits by Jordan Romero • March Forward, Girl: From Young • Stubby the War Dog: The True Story of Warrior to Little Rock Nine by Melba World War I’s Bravest Dog by Ann Pattillo Beals Bausum • The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater* • I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai • The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence • Untamed: The Wild Life of Jane Goodall Anthony by Anita Silvey • This Promise of Change: One Girl’s Story • Vincent and Theo: the Van Gogh in the Fight for School Equality by Jo Ann Brothers by Deborah Heiligman* Boyce* • The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How • The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science by and Survivors Captured the World’s Most Joyce Sidman* Notorious Nazi by Neal Bascomb • Shoe Dog (Young Readers Edition) by • The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Phil Knight Pedersen and the Churchill Club by • Camp Panda: Helping Cubs Return to the Phillip Hoose Wild by Catherine Thimmesh* • The Keeper: The Unguarded Story of Tim • The Unwanted: Stories of Syrian Refugees Howard (Young Readers Edition) by Tim by Don Brown* Howard • It’s Trevor Noah: Born a Crime (Adapted • No Better Friend (Young Readers for Young Readers) by Trever Noah Edition) by Robert Weintraub

• The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak • The Great Trouble: A Mystery of London, • The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani* the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel by • The War That Saved My Life by Deborah Hopkinson Kimberly Brubaker Bradley* • The Gallery by Laura Marx Fitzgerald • White Rose by Kip Wilson • Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar • How I Became a Ghost: A Choctow Trail • I Lived on Butterfly Hill by Marjorie of Tears Story by Tim Tingle Agosin • Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm • The Lions of Little Rock by Kristen • The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz Levine • Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys • In and Out and Back Again by Thanhha • Crow by Barbara Wright Lai* • Hell and High Water by Tanya Landman • The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis*

Popular Series

• The Unwind Dystology & Arc of a Scythe • Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales by by Neal Shusterman** Nathan Hale • Magnus Chase, Kane Chronicles, Heroes • Willow Falls & Twice Upon a Time by of Olympus, Percy Jackson, etc. by Rick Wendy Mass Riordan • Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan • The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall • Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz Ranger in Time by Kate Messner** • Genius Files by Dan Gutman • Finishing School by Gail Carriger • Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea • The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra • Serafina series by Robert Beatty Clare • Mickey Bolitar series by Harlan Coben • The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer • Track by Jason Reynolds • The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard • Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling • Spy School by Stuart Gibbs • The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins • Warriors by Erin Hunter • CHERUB by Robert Muchamore • Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness • Akata series by Nnedi Okorafor (a finalist • I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore for the World Science Fiction award; • Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar incorporates African jujuism) Children by Ransom Riggs • The Nate series by Tim Federle

• The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly • The Wolf Princess by Cathryn Constable Barnhill* • The Eye of Minds by James Dashner • Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky • The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge by Kwame Mbalia • The Charmed Children of Rookskill • Pet by Akwaeke Emezi* Castle by Janet Fox • The Children of Blood and Bone by Toni • Noggin by John Corey Whaley Adeyemi • Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor • Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos • The Story Runner by J.C. Cervantes Hernandez* Caraval by Stephanie Garver • The Cruel Prince by Holly Black • The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón • Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo* • House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer* • The Forgotten Book by Mechthild Gläser The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron

Graphic Books

• Black Panther: Long Live the King by • Nimona by Noelle Stevenson Nnedi Okorafor • Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol • El Deafo by Cece Bell • Invisible Emmie by Terri Libenson • Real Friends by Shannon Hale • All Summer Long by Hope Larson • All’s Faire in Middle School by Victoria • March by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin Jamieson • American Born Chinese by Gene Luen • The Good Neighbors by Holly Black Yang* • Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi • Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosczka*** • Squirrel Girl by Shannon Hale and Dean • New Kid by Jerry Craft* Hale

Books in Verse

• Rebound by Kwame Alexander • The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo* • Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton • Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough • American Ace by Marilyn Nelson • Unbound by Ann E. Burg • Silver People by Margarita Engle • Mary’s Monster: Love, Madness, and • 5 to 1 by Holly Bodger How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein • The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan by Lita Judge • Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds* • All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg

Classics * Award winning book (Newbery Medal of Honor, National Book Award, Coretta Scott King, Pura Belpre, or various others) ** Author visited GSB previously. *** Author visited GSB during the 2020-2021 school year.

• Black Beauty by Walter Farley • Matilda by Roald Dahl • Little Women by Louisa May Alcott • The Earthsea Quartet by Ursula Le Guin • A Separate Peace by John Knowles • The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman • The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis • The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Burnett • The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien • A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. • Animal Farm by George Orwell Gaines • The Princess Bride by William Goldman • The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White • Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Realistic Fiction

• Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. • Braced by Alyson Gerber Williams* • The Girl I Used to Be by April Henry • Other Words for Home by Jasmine • Keeper by Mal Peet Warga* • Moo by Sharon Creech • Watched by Marina Budhos • The Great Greene Heist by Varian • Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Johnson Christian McKay Heidecker* • Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan • As Brave as You by Jason Reynolds • All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and • All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook Brendan Kiely** by Leslie Connor • Tradition by Brendan Kiely** • The Fault in Our Stars by John Green • The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas* • Restart by Gordan Korman • Monster by Walter Dean Myers • Ghost by Jason Reynolds • Best Friend Next Door by Carolyn • Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan Mackler • Posted by John David Anderson • Mockingbird by Kathryn Erksine • Slider by Pete Hautman • Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt • Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly* • The Science of Unbreakable Things by • Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson* Tae Keller • Dear Martin by Nic Stone** • Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk • The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo • Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen Cartaya* • Game Seven by Paul Volponi • Breakout by Kate Messner** • Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Pena** • Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed • Soar by Joan Bauer • Ghost Boys by Jewel Parker Rhodes • The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade by • The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Jordan Sonnenblick** Stacy McAnulty • Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita • Swagger by Carl Deuker Varadarajan

* Award winning book (Newbery Medal of Honor, National Book Award, Coretta Scott King, Pura Belpre, or various others) ** Author visited GSB previously. *** Author visited GSB during the 2020-2021 school year. • Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart • The Backfield Boys: A Football Mystery in Black and White by John Feinstein • Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohada • When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead* • Holes by Louis Sachar* • Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton • The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by E. Lockhart* • The Tyrant’s Daughter by J.C. Carleson • Counting by Sevens by Holly Goldberg Sloan • The Someday Birds by Sally J. Pla • Summer Ball by Mike Lupica • Peak by Roland Smith • Dogsong by Gary Paulsen* • Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper • Internment by Samira Ahmed • Pride by Ibi Zoboi** • On the Come Up by Angie Thomas • Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick**