J.
T. Moore Middle School
2008 Rising 8th Grade Summer Reading
Required: Standard classes: Heat by Mike Lupica
Annotation: Baseball is young Michael Arroyo's only salvation, but his dream of playing in the Little League World Series is soon threatened.
Required: IB/Advanced classes: Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Annotation: In 1793, the Cook Coffeehouse outside Philadelphia is a haven for those fleeing from the fever sweeping across the mosquito-infested city. Fourteen-year-old Mattie Cook has just lost her childhood playmate to the fever and struggles to keep her family and her family's business alive. Historical Significance
PLUS
Choose one book from this list that you have not previously read:
Notes from a Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick
Annotation: In this novel described as "Tuesdays with Morrie" for teens, a troubled 16-year-old boy discovers the friendship of a lifetime after he is sentenced to do community work at an old folks' home. A funny, bittersweet tour de force
Shadow of a Bull by Maia Wojciechowska
Annotation: Manolo Olivar has to make a decision: to follow in his famous father's shadow and become a bullfighter, or to follow his heart and become a doctor. 1965 Newbery winner
Outsiders by S.E.Hinton
Annotation: When it was first published in 1967, "The Outsiders" defied convention with its immediate, deeply sympathetic portrayal of Ponyboy and his struggle to find a place for himself in a difficult world.
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
Annotation: Zindel's groundbreaking, bestselling tour de force is the unforgettable tale of two disillusioned high school students who have their faith in humanity restored by lonely, eccentric Mr. Pignati, whom they dub the Pigman.
Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli--sequel to Stargirl
Annotation: Picking up a year after "Stargirl" ends, this much-anticipated sequel takes the form of "the worlds longest letter," in diary form, in which Stargirl reflects on time, life, Leo, and--of course--love.
Small Steps by Louis Sachar—sequel to Holes
Annotation: Two years after being released from Camp Green Lake, Armpit is home in Austin, Texas, trying to turn his life around. But it's hard when you have a record, and everyone expects the worst from you. The only person who believes in him is Ginny, his 10-year old disabled neighbor. Together, they are learning to take small steps. And he seems to be on the right path, until X-Ray, a buddy from Camp Green Lake, comes up with a get-rich-quick scheme. This leads to a chance encounter with teen pop sensation, Kaira DeLeon, and suddenly his life spins out of control, with only one thing for certain. He'll never be the same again.
Day of Tears by Julius Lester Coretta Scott King Award, 2006
Annotation: Told through flashbacks, foreshadowing, and shifting first-person points of view, this novel about slavery in America follows young Emma, who along with readers will discover that every decision has its consequences, and final judgment is passed down not by man, but by his maker. Historical significance
Slave Dancer by Paula Fox
Annotation: This powerful story of slavery tells the tale of 13-year-old Jesse, snatched from the docks of New Orleans and thrown aboard a slave ship to play his fife so the captured slaves will dance and keep their muscles strong. Jesse yearns for an end to the horrors, but one final horror awaits him. 1974 Newbery Medal. Historical Significance
Skies over Sweetwater by Julia Moberg
Annotation: A historical fiction novel about the first women to fly for the US air force-- Sweetwater, Texas, home of Avenger Field, is the site where the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) training camp teaches women how to fly bombers, trainers, and utility planes. The WASP were the first women in history trained to fly American military aircraft. Still in their teens, these courageous pioneers, heroes in their own right, left their homes to serve their country doing what they loved to do—fly! Historical Significance |
