Dear Parents and Students,
We are all very excited that summer is finally here. This year we would like for all of our students to relax and enjoy their summer with a book. We are asking that all students choose at least one book from the list provided to read this summer. You may purchase the book in a bookstore or go to your local library. Along with reading your book you will be required to write a book report. This book report will be due the first week you return to school. This report will be your first assignment and grade for the new school year. We are providing you with the list of books to choose from along with two book report templates. You will have a fiction template and a non-fiction template depending on the book you choose.
Thank you,
Diana Figueroa
Recommended Summer Reading List Grades 6-8
Diary
of a Fairy Godmother Author: Codell, Esme Raji
Hunky
Dory is an unconventional witch who would rather grant wishes than cast spells
which gets her kicked out of charm school; so Hunky sets out to become the best
fairy godmother she can be. (grades 5-8)
The
London Eye Mystery Author: Dowd, Siobhan
Ted and Kat’s cousin Salim takes a ride in the London Eye – he waves good bye as he gets in the pod – and Ted and Kat watch the pod as it travels around, but when the pod lands, Salim is nowhere to be found. He’s disappeared into thin air and it’s up to Ted and Kat to figure out what happened. (grades 6 and up)
Fat
Kid Rules the World Author: Going, K. L.
17-year-old
Troy, depressed, suicidal, and weighing nearly three hundred pounds, gets a new
perspective on life when Curt, a semi-homeless teen who is a genius on guitar,
asks Troy to be the drummer in a rock band. (grades 7-12)
Getting
Air Author:
Gutman, Dan
A
flight to California from NJ home for X games competition leads to high drama
for Jimmy, his friends David and Henry, and his little sister, Julia.
Terrorists hijack the plane and their fate seems dismal. (grades 4-7)
Penny
from Heaven
Author: Holm, Jennifer L.
Penny
lives with her plain old American mother and grandparents, but she has an open
invitation to visit her deceased father’s Italian Family. (grades 5-8)
Lemonade
Mouth
Author: Hughes, Mark Peter
Lemonade,
revolt, and music – what do they have in common? Five misfits form a band and
everything changes for them and other kids at their school. (grades 7 and up)
La
Linea
Author: Jaramillo, Ann
A
compelling novel about a family’s attempt to be reunited. It’s Miguel’s turn to
take the long journey to the U. S. from Mexico to join his parents. He’s
prepared for the danger, but not Elena, his younger sister making the journey
with him. (grades 5-8)
Schooled Author: Korman, Gordon
Funny
and unique, what happens when a boy raised alone by his grandmother on a commune
has to go to a regular middle school? A lot of misunderstandings, humor, and
realizations about who people really are. (grades 7 and up)
A
Friendship for Today Author: McKissack, Patricia C.
McKissack
reaches into her own childhood to shape this novel narrated by strong and smart
Rosemary. She enters 6th grade in 1954, just after the Supreme Court
school desegregation decision. (grades 6-9)
The
Secret Under My Skin Author: McNaughton, Janet
Set
in 2368, this dystopian novel offers a glimpse of a potential future for our
world. The setting and culture of the book are equally vividly rendered,
offering a depth that allows readers to believe fully in its premise. (grades
6-9)
Harlem
Summer
Author: Myers, Walter Dean
A
historical novel, set in the midst of the Harlem Renaissance, 1925. 16-year-old
Mark wants to help support his family by taking a job at the office of The
Crisis magazine founded by W. E. B. Dubois. (grades 5-7)
Call Me Hope Author:
Olson, Gretchen
11-year-old
Hope has a mother with a problem. Despite Hope’s best efforts, the smallest
thing can cause here mother to begin saying very mean and hateful things,
followed by cruel punishment. When Hope plans to attend the 6th
grade trip, she works very hard to make it happen, but problems with her mother
may keep her at home. (grades 5-8)
Freak Author: Pixley, Marcella
Fleischman
7th
grader Miriam Fischer is definitely different from the other kids in her
school. A good example: she reads the dictionary for fun. However, she is a
talented poet and she can always hang out with her older sister. That is, until
her older sister suddenly becomes a social butterfly. When a classmate cruelly
bullies Miriam, she explodes. Miriam is an unforgettable character. (grades
7-12)
Love, Stargril Author:
Spinelli, Jerry
Told from Stargirl’s own point of view, readers finally get a glimpse inside the mind of this mysterious girl. Written in the form of the world’s longest letter, the book’s format resembles a diary that takes readers from date to date over a little more than a year’s time. (grade 4-8)