FRIENDS SELECT MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADES 7 & 8 2016 SUMMER READING PROGRAM This summer, rising 7th and 8th graders will read three summer reading books: one peerrecommended choice and one book pair. Of course, we encourage students to read more than three books, but these three are required. We also encourage parents to read the books selected by their students. A. PeerRecommended Choices : The graduating 8th graders have reflected on their favorite books that they’ve read as middle schoolers, and they have compiled a list of recommendations. All rising 7th and 8th graders will read one of the books on this list, which appears below. Students will be asked to discuss their choice from this list in their English class. B. Book Pairs: Students entering grades 7 and 8 also will select one pair of books from the list below. Students are certainly encouraged to read more than one pair. Pairs read during the summer will be discussed with the sponsoring teacher at a seminar scheduled in September. Though there are no tests, papers, worksheets nor grades associated with summer reading, seminar attendance is required. Students may be asked to integrate summer reading material into coursework discussions, tests, and papers during the school year. *Book descriptions are from the internet and book jackets; specific attributions are not noted.
A. List of PeerRecommended Choices (choose one book): Otherworld: Isle of Mist by Adrian Bailey When fifteen year old apprentice conservator Wally Gobbett unearths a forgotten medieval manuscript, The Secret Chronicle of the Isle of Mist, hidden in the basement of the British Library in London, little does he realise that the secret contained within its pages will draw him into a magical world that will change his life forever. Max SW. recommends this book because: It is a wonderfully humorous and whimsical interpretation of the fantasy archetype pervading the genre. Not only does it have some unconventional characters, but a constantly engaging plot riddled with eccentric and ever changing dynamics and events. The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, Book 1) by Rick Riordan Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane. One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives. Sara K. recommends this book because: It’s a book that brings magic into the real world. Follow the journey of two kids like us and there adventure filled with magic, laughter, and danger. The Siren by Kiera Cass Kahlen is a Siren, bound to serve the Ocean by luring humans to watery graves with her voice, which is deadly to any human who hears it. Akinli is human—a kind, handsome boy who's everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. Falling in love puts them both in danger . . . but Kahlen can't bear to stay away. Will she risk everything to follow her heart? Lily recommends this book because: It’s a good book to read if you read the Selection series because it’s by the same author. It is an interesting romantic story. Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis Deza is the smartest girl in her class in Gary, Indiana, singled out by teachers for a special path in life. But it's 1936 and the Great Depression has hit Gary hard, and there are no jobs for black men. When her beloved father leaves to find work, Deza, Mother, and her older brother, Jimmie, go in search of him, and end up in a Hooverville outside Flint, Michigan. Jimmie's beautiful
voice inspires him to leave the camp to be a performer, while Deza and Mother find a new home, and cling to the hope that they will find Father. The twists and turns of their story reveal the devastation of the Depression and prove that Deza truly is the Mighty Miss Malone. Nyeema recommends this book because: It’s a good book and you can understand the life of an AfricanAmerican child back in the day. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green Despite the tumorshrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten. (Recommended for grades 9 and up) Oliver recommends this book because: Under the death, the love becomes pure and touching. Graceling by Kristin Cashore Kristin Cashore’s bestselling, awardwinning fantasy Graceling tells the story of the vulnerable yet strong Katsa, a smart, beautiful teenager who lives in a world where selected people are given a Grace, a special talent that can be anything from dancing to swimming. Katsa’s is killing. As the king’s niece, she is forced to use her extreme skills as his thug. Along the way, Katsa must learn to decipher the true nature of her Grace . . . and how to put it to good use. A thrilling, actionpacked fantasy adventure that will resonate deeply with adolescents trying to find their way in the world. Claire recommends this book because: There’s a strong female protagonist who struggles with immense power and goes on an epic quest. It’s super cool and interesting! The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 1) by John A. Flanagan They have always scared him in the past—the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15yearold Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger's apprentice. What he doesn't yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. Silas recommends this book because: It has a good story that makes you not want to put the book down when you read it.
Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt Doug struggles to be more than the "skinny thug" that some people think him to be. He finds an unlikely ally in Lil Spicer, who gives him the strength to endure an abusive father, the suspicions of a town, and the return of his oldest brother, forever scarred, from Vietnam. Olivia recommends this book because: It is a very engaging comingofage story that made me laugh and cry multiple times. Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy by Jane Leavy In an era when too many heroes have been toppled from too many pedestals, Sandy Koufax stands apart and alone, a legend who declined his own celebrity. As a pitcher, he was sublime, the ace of baseball lore. As a human being, he aspired to be the one thing his talent and his fame wouldn't allow: a regular guy. A Brooklyn kid, he was the product of the sedate and modest fifties who came to define and dominate baseball in the sixties. Alec K. recommends this book because: It tells the incredible story of an incredible athlete, whose life amazes all. The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis The real story of the crash began in bizarre feeder markets where the sun doesn't shine and the SEC doesn't dare, or bother, to tread: the bond and real estate derivative markets where geeks invent impenetrable securities to profit from the misery of lowerand middleclass Americans who can't pay their debts. The smart people who understood what was or might be happening were paralyzed by hope and fear; in any case, they weren't talking. (Written for adults/contains some language and mature themes) Alec S. recommends this book because: The story is engaging and also mildly humorous. Also, it highlights an important section of modern economic history that everyone has been affected by and can relate to. Things to Make and Do in the Fourth Dimension: A Mathematician's Journey Through Narcissistic Numbers, Optimal Dating Algorithms, at Least Two Kinds of Infinity, and More by Matt Parker Starting with the foundations of math familiar from school (numbers, geometry, and algebra), Matt Parker takes us on a grand tour, from four dimensional shapes, knot theory, the mysteries of prime numbers, optimization algorithms, and the math behind barcodes and iPhone screens to the different kinds of infinity and slightly beyond.
Alec S. recommends this book because: A YouTuber wrote it. The book is funny. It covers some interesting topics that anybody can understand. The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson After twelveyearold Annika, a foundling living in late nineteenthcentury Vienna, inherits a trunk of costume jewelry, a woman claiming to be her aristocratic mother arrives and takes her to live in a strangely decrepit mansion in Germany. Poli recommends this book because: It has a very traditional story line, but with a twist. It’s filled with adventure and the fantasies of childhood. Crash by Lisa McMann Jules lives with her family above their restaurant, which means she smells like pizza most of the time and drives their doublemeatballshaped food truck to school. It’s not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle that. What she can’t handle is the recurring vision that haunts her. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and explode...and nine body bags in the snow. Minas M. recommends this book because: This book has adventure and anything you can think of.
B. List of Book Pairs (choose one pair): Historical Fiction/Adventure: Tr. Dan Capecchi The Bamboo Sword by Margi Preus Running Out of Night by Sharon Lovejoy The Bamboo Sword: Set in 1853 in Japan, this novel follows Yoshi, a Japanese boy who dreams of someday becoming a samurai. Unfortunately, as part of the serving class, Yoshi can never become a warrior. He is taken up by Manjiro, the protagonist of Preus’s Heart of a Samurai, and becomes his servant and secret watchdog. Meanwhile, Commodore Matthew Perry and his USS Susquehanna squadron of steamships arrive in Edo Bay demanding “diplomatically” that Japan open its ports to foreign trade. Aboard the commodore’s flagship is a cabin boy, Jack, who becomes separated from his American companions while on shore. When he and Yoshi cross paths, they set out on a grand adventure to get Jack back to his ship before he is discovered by the shogun’s samurai. Running Out of Night: Every day is a misery for a nameless, motherless Southern girl who is treated cruelly by her pa and brothers. Her life changes forever when a runaway slave named Zenobia turns to her for help and shelter. Longing for her own freedom, the girl decides to run away, and she and Zenobia set off on a harrowing journey. LGBTQIA pair: Tr. Fred Kogan Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart George by Alex Gino Lily and Dunkin: Author Donna Gephart crafts a compelling dual narrative about two remarkable young people: Lily, a transgender girl, and Dunkin, a boy dealing with bipolar disorder. Their powerful story will shred your heart, then stitch it back together with kindness, humor, bravery, and love. George: Be who you are. When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.George thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part … because she's a boy. With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.
Historical fiction & nonfiction WWII: Tr. Chris Jefferson The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley The Boys in the Boat (Young Readers Adaptation): The True Story of an American Team's Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics by Daniel James Brown The War That Saved My Life: Nineyearold Ada has never left her oneroom apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him. So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother? The Boys in the Boat: Out of the depths of the Great Depression comes the astonishing tale of nine workingclass boys from the American West who at the 1936 Olympics showed the world what true grit really meant. With rowers who were the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washington’s eightoar crew was never expected to defeat the elite East Coast teams, yet they did, going on to shock the world by challenging the German boat rowing for Adolf Hitler. Overcoming adversity, youth in wartorn areas: Tr. Anne Wentling Child Soldier: When Boys and Girls Are Used in War (CitizenKid) Michel Chikwanine I am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition) Child Soldier: Michel Chikwanine was five years old when he was abducted from his schoolyard soccer game in the Democratic Republic of Congo and forced to become a soldier for a brutal rebel militia. Against the odds, Michel managed to escape and find his way back to his family, but he was never the same again. After immigrating to Canada, Michel was encouraged by a teacher to share what happened to him in order to raise awareness about child soldiers around the world, and this book is part of that effort. I am Malala: Malala Yousafzai was only ten years old when the Taliban took control of her region. They said music was a crime. They said women weren't allowed to go to the market. They said girls couldn't go to school. Raised in a oncepeaceful area of Pakistan transformed by terrorism, Malala was taught to stand up for what she believes. So she fought for her right to be educated. And on October 9, 2012, she
nearly lost her life for the cause: She was shot pointblank while riding the bus on her way home from school. No one expected her to survive. Now Malala is an international symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner. Verse Novels: Tr. Amanda Cartier Booked by Kwame Alexander Out of the Dust Karen Hesse Booked: Soccer, family, love, and friendship, take center stage as twelveyearold Nick learns the power of words as he wrestles with problems at home, stands up to a bully, and tries to impress the girl of his dreams. Helping him along are his best friend and sometimes teammate Coby, and The Mac, a rapping librarian who gives Nick inspiring books to read. Out of the Dust: This gripping story, written in sparse firstperson, freeverse poems, is the compelling tale of Billie Jo's struggle to survive during the dust bowl years of the Depression. With stoic courage, she learns to cope with the loss of her mother and her grieving father's slow deterioration. There is hope at the end when Billie Jo's badly burned hands are healed, and she is able to play her beloved piano again. Historical Fiction: Tr. Steph Demko Number the Stars by Lois Lowry A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen Number the Stars: As the German troops begin their campaign to "relocate" all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie Johansen’s family takes in Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her as part of the family. Through the eyes of tenyearold Annemarie, we watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, nearly seven thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism of an entire nation reminds us that there was pride and human decency in the world even during a time of terror and war. A Night Divided: With the rise of the Berlin Wall, twelveyearold Gerta finds her family suddenly divided. She, her mother, and her brother Fritz live on the eastern side, controlled by the Soviets. Her father and middle brother, who had gone west in search of work, cannot return home. Gerta knows it is dangerous to watch the wall, to think forbidden thoughts of freedom, yet she can't help herself. She sees the East German soldiers with their guns trained on their own citizens; she, her family, her neighbors and friends are prisoners in their own city.
Fantasy/Adventure/SciFi: Tr. Herb Kerns Walk on Earth a Stranger Rae Carson Seven Wonders Book 1: The Colossus Rises Peter Lerangis Walk on Earth a Stranger: Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home—until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety? The Colossus Rises: Percy Jackson meets Indiana Jones in the New York Times bestselling epic adventure Seven Wonders!The Colossus Rises is the first book in a sevenbook series. This first installment chronicles the story of Jack McKinley, an ordinary kid with an extraordinary problem. In a few months, he’s going to die—unless he finds seven magic Loculi that have been hidden in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Fantasy: Tr. Heather Gosse The Broken Lands by Kate Milford The Boneshaker by Kate Milford The Broken Lands: A crossroads can be a place of great power. So begins this deliciously spinetingling prequel to Kate Milford’s The Boneshaker, set in the colorful world of nineteenthcentury Coney Island and New York City. Few crossroads compare to the one being formed by the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River, and as the bridge’s construction progresses, forces of unimaginable evil seek to bend that power to their advantage. Only two orphans with unusual skills stand in their way. Can the teenagers Sam, a card sharp, and Jin, a fireworks expert, stop them before it’s too late? Here is a richly textured, slowburning thriller about friendship, courage, and the ageold fight between good and evil. The Boneshaker: Thirteenyearold Natalie Minks loves machines, particularly automata—selfoperating mechanical devices, usually powered by clockwork. When Jake Limberleg and his traveling medicine show arrive in her small Missouri town with a mysterious vehicle under a tarp and an uncanny ability to make Natalie’s halfbuilt automaton move, she feels in her gut that something about this caravan of healers is a bit off. Her uneasiness leads her to investigate the intricate maze of the medicine show, where she discovers a horrible truth and realizes that only she has the power to set things right. Set in 1914, The Boneshaker is a gripping, richly textured novel about family, community, courage, and looking evil directly in the face in order to conquer it.
Funny/heist stories: Tr. Daniel Consiglio The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson To Catch a Cheat by Varian Johnson The Great Greene Heist: Jackson Greene swears he's given up scheming. Then school bully Keith Sinclair announces he's running for Student Council president, against Jackson's former friend Gaby de la Cruz. Gaby wants Jackson to stay out of it but he knows Keith has "connections" to the principal, which could win him the presidency no matter the vote count. So Jackson assembles a crack team: Hashemi Larijani, tech genius. Victor Cho, bankroll. Megan Feldman, science goddess. Charlie de la Cruz, reporter. Together they devise a plan that will take down Keith, win Gaby's respect, and make sure the election is done right. If they can pull it off, it will be remembered as the school's greatest con ever. To Catch a Cheat: Jackson Greene is riding high. He is officially retired from conning, so Principal Kelsey is (mostly) off his back. His friends have great new projects of their own. And he's been hanging out a lot with Gaby de la Cruz, so he thinks maybe, just maybe, they'll soon have their first kiss. Then Jackson receives a link to a faked security video that seems to show him and the rest of Gang Greene flooding the school gym. The jerks behind the video threaten to pass it to the principal unless Jackson steals an advance copy of the school's toughest exam. Middle Grade family and friend stories: Tr. Laurie Morrison Where You’ll Find Me by Natasha Friend Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly Where You’ll Find Me: The first month of school, thirteenyearold Anna Collette finds herself... DUMPED by her best friend Dani, who suddenly wants to spend eighth grade "hanging out with different people." DESERTED by her mom, who's in the hospital recovering from a suicide attempt. TRAPPED in a house with her dad, a new baby sister, and a stepmother young enough to wear her Delta Delta Delta sweatshirt with pride. STUCK at a lunch table with Shawna the Eyebrow Plucker and Sarabeth the Irish Stepper because she has no one else to sit with. But what if all isn't lost? What if Anna's mom didn't exactly mean to leave her? What if Anna's stepmother is cooler than she thought? What if the misfit lunch table isn't such a bad fit after all? With help from some unlikely sources, including a crazy girlband talent show act, Anna just may find herself on the road to okay.
Blackbird Fly: A pple has always felt a little different from her classmates. She and her mother moved to Louisiana from the Philippines when she was little, and her mother still cooks Filipino foods and chastises Apple for becoming “too American.” When Apple’s friends turn on her and everything about her life starts to seem weird and embarrassing, Apple turns to music. If she can just save enough to buy a guitar and learn to play, maybe she can change herself. It might be the music that saves her . . . or it might be her two new friends, who show her how special she really is. Funny Middle School: Tr. Maureen Haurin The Last Boy at St. Edith’s by Lee Malone My Seventh Grade Life in Tights by Brooks Benjamin The Last Boy at St. Edith’s: Seventh grader Jeremy Miner has a girl problem. Or, more accurately, a girls problem. 475 of them to be exact. That’s how many girls attend his school, St. Edith’s Academy. Jeremy is the only boy left after the school’s brief experiment in coeducation. And he needs to get out. But his mother—a teacher at the school—won’t let him transfer, so Jeremy takes matters into his own hands: he’s going to get expelled. Together with his best friend Claudia, Jeremy unleashes a series of hilarious pranks in hopes that he’ll get kicked out with minimal damage to his permanent record. But when his stunts start to backfire, Jeremy has to decide how far he’s willing to go and whom he’s willing to knock down to get out the door. My Seventh Grade Life in Tights: All Dillon wants is to be a real dancer. And if he wins a summer scholarship at DanceSplosion, he’s on his way. The problem? His dad wants him to play football. And Dillon’s freestyle crew, the Dizzee Freekz, says that dance studios are for sellouts. His friends want Dillon to kill it at the audition—so he can turn around and tell the studio just how wrong their rules and creativitystrangling ways are.