Middle School

Summer Reading for 2007

Students in grades 4 through 12 are required to read two books during the summer months.  At the middle school level, students will read one book selected by our teachers and another book of their own choosing.

All Middle School students will read The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois.

The Twenty-One Balloons concerns a schoolteacher who decides to spend a year in a balloon, but, due to an accident, lands on the island of Krakatoa. It turns out that the island is populated by twenty families who share the wealth of a secret diamond mine. They have used their wealth to build elaborate houses, which also serve as restaurants. They have a calendar with a 20-day month. On "A" day, everyone eats in Mr. and Mrs. A's American restaurant; on "B" day, in Mrs. and Mrs. B's British chop house; on "C" day, in Mr. and Mrs. C's Chinese restaurant; on "D" day, in Mr. and Mrs. D's Dutch restaurant, and so forth. Mr. M's Moroccan house features many ingenious (and well-depicted) inventions, such as a living room in which the furniture is electrified like amusement park bumper cars. When Krakatoa explodes, the families and Sherman escape on a flying platform lofted by twenty balloons.

Stargirl - Leo Borlock follows the unspoken rule at Mica Area High School: don't stand out--under any circumstances! Then Stargirl arrives at Mica High and everything changes--for Leo and for the entire school. After fifteen years of home schooling, Stargirl bursts into tenth grade in an explosion of color and a clatter of ukulele music, enchanting the Mica student body, but the delicate scales of popularity suddenly shift, and Stargirl is shunned for everything that makes her different. Somewhere in the midst of Stargirl's arrival and rise and fall, normal Leo Borlock has tumbled into love with her. In a celebration of nonconformity, Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the fleeting, cruel nature of popularity as well as the thrill and inspiration of first love.

Crash - Newbery medalist Jerry Spinelli tackles the tale of cocky seventh-grade super-jock Crash Coogan, who got his nickname the day he used his first football helmet to knock his cousin Bridget flat on her backside, and he has been running over people ever since, especially Penn Webb, the dweeby, vegetarian Quaker kid who lives down the block. Through the eyes of Crash, readers get a rare glimpse into the life of a bully in this unforgettable story about stereotypes and the surprises life can bring.

Suggested Reading List  (optional)

The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

Written in a simpler style than Mallory's chronicles of King Arthur or Tennyson's Idylls of the King, this book introduces the legend of King Arthur, the knights of the round table, the search for Holy Grail, and the battle between good and evil as evidenced by the struggle between Merlin and Moran Le Fey. The Arthurian legends serve as foundations of much of the literature in England for the next 1,000 years.

Aaron, H. I Had A Hammer

In more than a book about baseball, Hank Aaron tells about his accomplishments and the excitement of major league play and also writes about his family life and friendships, civil rights, and prejudice. He tells of the difficulties of being among the first African Americans to break the color barrier.

Abbott, E. Flatland

This mathematical satire entertains as it teaches the concept of multiple dimensions of space.

Adams, R. Watership Down

This allegorical novel about a group of rabbits' quest for a new home is full of analogies to human civilizations, including political ideology and power struggles.

Adamson, J. Born Free

For the animal lover, this story tells of the loving relationship between lions and humans.

Alcott, L. Little Women

Four sisters grow up in New England during the Civil War-a classic.

Alexander, L. The Book of Three

This is the first of five books set in the imaginary land of Prydain. The other books in the series are The Black Cauldron, The castle of Llyr, The High King, and Taran Wanderer.

Armstrong, W.H. Sounder

Set in the South in the late nineteenth century, this is the story of a courageous dog and his sharecropper's family.

Avi. Night Journeys

Twelve-year-old Peter York and his Quaker guardian join a search for escaped "bondsmen" who turn out to be mistreated children rather than the criminals they expect. This historical fiction adventure is set in 1767 in Pennsylvania.

Avi. True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Charlotte is the only young lady on a voyage across the Atlantic. She discovers that the captain is murderous and the crew is rebellious.

Bauer, M.D. On My Honor

Two Ten-year-old boys go swimming in a river they have been told to avoid. When tragedy occurs, one boy must understand the nature of his responsibility.

Beatty, P. Charlie Skedaddle

Charlie Quinn learns of selfless courage and honor after running to the Blue Ridge Mountains to escape the realities of the Civil War.

Beatty, P. Jayhawker

Elijah Tulley, 12, is forever committed to abolishing slavery after he meets John Brown.

Beatty, P. Turn Homeward Hanalee

Hanalee is a strong young girl working in Georgia during the Civil War. She and other mill workers are captured and relocated to Indiana.

Bishop, J. The Day Lincoln Was Shot

Hour by hour, the author details the movements of Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865.

Blos, J.W. A Gathering of Days

Thirteen-year-old Catherine Hall keeps a diary of her life on a New Hampshire farm in the 1830's.

Bodanis, D. The Secret Family: Twenty-four Hours Inside the Mysterious

World of Our Minds and Bodies

The unseen world around us and within our bodies is shown in vivid detail as the reader follows a typical family through their day.

Boreland, H. When the Legends Die

Thomas Black Bull is a young Ute forced into the white man's world. He becomes embittered and brutal before he finds his identity through acceptance of his Indian heritage.

Boston, L. The Children of Greene Knowe (series)

Tolly, from the present, and the ghost-children from the past share adventures in a time-free world.

Bradbury, R. Fahrenheit 451

A man in the future learns to love books in an age of censorship and persecution of learning.

Brooks, P.S. Beyond the Myth: The Story of Joan of Arc

This is a challenging, but outstanding, history of the life of Joan of Arc.

Burnette, F.H. The Secret Garden

Mary Lennox is a spoiled orphan sent to live on her guardian's estate in the Yorkshire moors. She finds a secret garden and a special companion.

Burnford, S. Incredible Journey

In order to return to their home, a young Labrador retriever, an old bull terrier, and a Siamese cat journey through the Canadian wilderness.

Burns, M. I Hate Mathematics Book

This book is full of activities that show how we use math.

Byars, B. Summer of the Swans

A teenage girl gains new insight into herself and her family when her mentally handicapped younger brother gets lost.

Cameron, E. Court of the Stone Children

Nina visits the French museum and meets Dominique who has traveled through time from the courts of Napoleon. Together they try to solve a mystery that has lasted two centuries.

Cather, W. The Song of the Lark

Thea Kronborg, a young woman and singer with a passion for life, is eager to escape the conventional life into which she was born. She struggles to redefine herself.

Cisneros, S. The House On Mango Street

Growing up in the Latino section of Chicago, Esperanza (Hope) is determined not to live down to everyone's low expectations for her.

Cleary, B. A Girl from Yamhill: A Memoir

Cleary shares her childhood experiences with the reader and discusses how she became interested in writing.

Coerr. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

Sadako is a young girl from Hiroshima who is hospitalized with leukemia, the "atom bomb disease."

Collier. My Brother Sam Is Dead

This is the story of the Meeker family during the Revolution. One son joins the rebel forces while the other family members attempt to stay neutral.

Cooper, S. Dark is Rising series; Over Sea; Greenwitch; The Grey King;

Silver on the Tree; The Dark is Rising

Will Stanton discovers a special fact: he is the last of the Old Ones, immortals dedicated to keeping the world from the domination of the forces of evil. The series tells of his adventures as he quests for the six magical signs that will aid the Old Ones in the final battle between the Dark and the Light.

Cormier, R. The Chocolate War

A fund-raiser in a boys' prep school leads to violence because the participants are motivated by cruelty, greed, and conformity.

Curtis, C. Bud, Not Buddy

Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan during the Great Depression, exscapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father.

Curtis, C. The Watsons Go To Birmingham

Kevin Watson, age 10, tells this story of a family's strength and of southern racism. In 1963, the Watson family moves to Alabama, hoping to remove their oldest son from the negative influences of his city life.

Cushman, K. Catherine, Called Birdy

Catherine's diary is filled with historic details of life on a manor in late thirteenth century England. This is a spirited account of adolescence in medieval England.

Cushman, K. The Ballad of Lucy Whipple

Twelve-year-old Lucy Whipple moves from Massachusetts to a California mining town.

Cushman, K. The Midwife's Apprentice

A young, homeless girl is taken in by an unpleasant midwife and uses her circumstances to improve her life.

Dahl, R. Boy

This is an autobiographical account of the author's childhood dramas and traumas.

Dash, J. The Triumph of Discovery: Four Nobel Women

This is a collection of stories about four women who have won the Nobel Prize in science.

DeAngeli, M. The Door in the Wall

Robin, son of Sir John de Bureford, overcomes illness and abandonment to become a hero of the castle of Lindsay.

DeFoe, D. Robinson Crusoe

A young merchant seaman is cast ashore on an uninhabited tropical island, destined to spend twenty-four years in isolated loneliness.

Demi. One Grain of Rice

This book teaches students about the power of exponents with the story of Rani, a clever young woman who uses her skill in mathematical thinking to outwit a self-indulgent raja and secure food for her starving people.

Dickens, C. Great Expectations

An orphan boy named Pip has "great expectations" for his life. A dangerous convict, an odd benefactress, and a beautiful young woman are a few of the characters who help to dash and realize these expectations.

Doyle, A.C. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

These are the tales of the articulate sleuth Mr. Holmes and his loveable and practical assistant, Dr. Watson.

DuBois, W.P. The Twenty-One Balloons

Professor Sherman's tale of life on Krakatoa is based on scientific fact-and absolute nonsense.

DuMaurier, D. Rebecca

In this suspenseful novel, a young woman marries a widower and moves to Manderley, his country home in Cornwall, England. There, she must come to terms with sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, and the haunting presence of his first wife.

Durrell, G. My Family and Other Animals

Set in Corfu between the two World Wars, this is a great book of animals, insects, and the author's crazy family.

Evslin, B. Heroes, Gods, and Monsters of the Greek Myths

If you would like to know the many characters and stories of Ancient Greece, read this book for a little while each day during the summer.

Fast, H. April Morning

The story of Lexington and Concord is related by fifteen-year-old Adam Cooper, son of a Massachusetts farmer.

Filipovic, Z. Zlata's Diary

This is the diary of thirteen-year-old Zlata Filipovic who recounts the horror she witnesses as her home, Sarajevo, dissolves into ethnic conflict.

Fleischman, P. Saturnalia

Saturnalia is a festival celebrated by the Romans and here transported by Paul Fleischman to Boston in the Seventeenth century. One day of the year, masters and servants trade places, and everyone watches the fun and chaos.

Forbes, E. Johnny Tremain

Set in Boston in 1775, this is the classic story of a young man who becomes involved in the events leading to the American Revolution.

Fox, P. One Eyed Cat

Ned believes he has shot the eye out of a wildcat and tries to reconcile himself to what he thinks he has done.

Fox, P. The Slave Dancer

A boy is press-ganged aboard a slave ship and finds solace in his music.

Frank, A. Diary of a Young Girl

Anne Frank was barely thirteen years old when she and her family went into hiding in Amsterdam to escape the Nazis. This is her account of growing up under extraordinary conditions.

Freedman, R. Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery

Eleanor Roosevelt's accomplishments are even more impressive when students understand her lack of confidence as a young woman, as well as the restraints that were placed on women of her time.

Freedman, R. Lincoln: A Photobiography

The photographs, cartoons, documents, and posters pictured here draw the reader into this vivid portrayal of Lincoln and clear explanations of significant events in his life.

Fritz, J. The Case of Benedict Arnold; The Great Little Madison; Stonewall; Traitor

These are biographies of men who shaped our country.

Gaines, E. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman

This is a fictional account of the life of a Black woman from the end of slavery to the 1900's.

Gipson, F. Old Yeller

Set in the late 1860's, this is the story of a fourteen-year-old Texas boy and his big yellow dog.

Greene, B. Morning Is A Long Time Coming

In this sequel to Summer of My German Soldier, Patty travels to Europe to meet Anton's parents.

Hamilton, E. Mythology

The legends, tales, and myths of Ancient Greece come to life in this collection of famous stories.

Hamilton, V. The House of Dies Drear; The Mystery of Drear House

These historical mystery novels tell the story of a family who inherits the spirit and spirits of an Ohio house that was once a stop on the Underground Railway.

Herriot, J. The Lord God Made Them All; All Creatures Great and Small;

All Things Bright and Beautiful; All Things Wise and Wonderful

A Scottish veterinarian cares for the creatures with whom we inhabit the earth.

Hersey, J. Hiroshima

Six survivors tell their stories of the bombing of Hiroshima and its horrible aftermath.

Hinton, S. E. The Outsiders

This novel tells the tale of the members of a city gang and their relations to each other and to the "outsiders."

Ho, M. The Clay Marble

Twelve-year-old Dara lives in a refugee camp on the border of Cambodia and Thailand and has witnessed the horrors of war.

Hobbs, W. Bearstone

A troubled Indian teen is given a last chance to turn his life around when he is sent to live with an elderly rancher whose caring ways provide the boy with understanding and guidance.

Houston, J.W. Farewell to Manzanar

In this story of loss, adjustment, and renewal, a young girl is taken to a Japanese relocation camp during World War II.

Hunt, I. Across Five Aprils

Jethro, 9, lives in the border state of Illinois during the Civil War and grows up rapidly over the next four years.

Hunt, I. Up a Road Slowly

This story follows Julie Trilling from her mother's death when Julie was a child to her high school graduation.

Isdell, W. A Gebra Named Al

Julie hates algebra-until she meets a gebra named Al.

Juster, N. The Phantom Tollbooth

A boy puts a coin in a mysterious tollbooth and goes on equally mysterious adventures.

Keene, A. Earthkeepers

This is a collective biography of people whose work has increased our knowledge about and concern for the preservation of nature.

Keith, H. Rifles for Waite

Jeff Bussy faces adversity on his 300-mile escape route during the Civil War.

Keller, H. The Story of My Life

An extraordinary woman who is deaf, dumb, and blind becomes one of the great figures of our time.

Keyes, D. Flowers for Algernon

Mentally retarded Charlie tells, in his own words, how experimental brain surgery gives him superior intelligence-and how the experiment begins to fail.

Koch, K. & Farrell, K. Talking to the Sun

This is one of the best anthologies of poetry for middle school students.

Konigsburg, E.L. The View from Saturday

Four students develop a special bond and are chosen to represent their sixth-grade class in the Academic Bowl competition.

Lansing, A. Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctica Expedition

Polar explorer Ernest Shackleton attempts to cross Antarctica in 1914.

L'Engle, M. The Arm of the Starfish; The Young Unicorns, any of the Time Trilogy

These are many positive books with themes of good overcoming evil, acceptance, and the power of love.

Lewis, C.S. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia)

This series of books chronicles the adventures of several children in the land of Narnia.

London, J. Call of the Wild

Stolen by greedy men from his home and forced to labor in the harsh Arctic wilderness pulling sleds during the Yukon gold rush, a dog quickly learns the law of he land: survival of the fittest.

Lowry, L. The Giver

Set apart by his appointment as "the Giver," twelve-year-old Jonas faces loneliness and a desperate struggle with evil disguised as sameness.

Lowry, L. Number the Stars

A brave, non-Jewish family helps a family of Jews escape to Sweden during World War II.

Macaulay, D. The Way Things Work

From levers and pulleys to x-rays and computers, the author explains how things work.

McCullers, C. The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter

The characters in this complex novel include a young girl coming of age in a small southern town, a disillusioned African-American doctor, and a mute man.

McLean, A. Ice Station Zebra

An American nuclear submarine crew attempts to rescue a British meteorological team trapped on a polar ice cap.

McPhee, J. In Suspect Terrain

McPhee describes the geologic features that reveal the history of the Appalachians.

Meltzer, M. The American Revolutionaries: A History in Their Own Words,

1750-1800

Excerpts from letters, journals, diaries, and newspapers give a clear picture of life in America at this time.

Mitchell, M. Gone With the Wind

This epic novel of the South during the Civil War describes the exploits of Scarlett O'Hara and the end of the plantation as a way of life.

Montomery, L.M. Anne of Green Gables

Anne, an orphan, is mistakenly sent to live with a middle-aged brother and sister on a farm.

Myers, W.D. Fallen Angels

Written in memory of his brother who died in Vietnam, this novel tells the story of the plight of African-Americans in the Vietnam War.

Norton, M. The Borrowers; The Borrowers Afloat; The Borrowers Avenged; The

Borrowers Aloft

The Borrowers are miniature people who inhabit old houses and live by borrowing. If they are discovered they must move.

O'Brian, R. Mrs. Frisby and Rats of NIMH

Mrs. Frisby, a mouse, seeks help from highly intelligent, trained rats who have escaped from the NIMH. She, in turn, is able to help them evade capture.

O'Dell, S. Island of the Blue Dolphins

A young girl survives alone for 18 years when she is accidentally left on an island.

O'Dell, S. Streams to the River, River to the Sea

This is the story of Sacagawea who served as interpreter to the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Paterson, K. Bridge to Terabithia

A friendship develops between Leslie, and imaginative, headstrong young lady, and Jess, a boy with a good heart.

Paterson, K. Lyddie

A young girl of the mid-nineteenth century, Lyddie Worthen, must earn enough money to reunite her family.

Paulsen, G. Hatchet

Brian, a thirteen-year-old, spends fifty-four days alone in the wilderness and must learn to survive.

Peavy, L. and Smith, U. Dreams into Deeds: Nine Women Who Dared

These are the stories of nine women who made a difference. They are Jane Addams, Marian Anderson, Rachel Carson, Alice Hamilton, Mother Jones, Juliette Gordon Low, Margaret Mead, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Babe Didrikson.

Peck, R.N. A Day No Pigs Would Die

This is the story of a boy growing up on Vermont farm, his relationship with his father, and an important decision.

Petroski, H. Invention By Design: How Engineers Get from Thought to Thing

Using examples from paper clips to monumental bridges, Petroski shows how engineers work.

Petry, A. Harriet Tubman: Conductor of the Underground Railroad

This is a biography of Harriet Tubman.

Raskin, E. The Westing Game

Sixteen heirs of an eccentric millionaire are gathered for a hunt for their inheritance.

Rawlings, M.K. The Yearling

In the harsh life of the Florida backwoods, a young boy finds solace in his attachment to a fawn.

Rawls, W. Summer of the Monkeys

This is a heartwarming story of growing up in the frontier-like wilds of turn-of-the-century Oklahoma.

Reeder, C. Shades of Gray

An orphan, Will is forced to live with his Uncle Jed, a coward who has refused to fight for the Confederacy.

Reiss, J. The Upstairs Room

Johanna Reiss and her sister lived hidden away for more than two years during World War II.

Richter, C. The Light in the Forest

An adolescent boy is caught between two cultures: the white civilization into which he was born, and the Native American tribe which has raised him since the age of four.

Rinaldi, A. Wolf by the Ears

Rinaldi is an excellent writer of historical fiction. This novel is about the daughter of Sally Hemmings who, after her marriage, leaves the sheltered world of Monticello and makes the difficult decision to "pass" as a white woman.

Schaefer, J. Shane

Shane is about a gunman struggling to overcome his past. It is also about friendship, love, work, selflessness, and loyalty.

Scieszka, J. and Smith, L. Math Curse

Math problems show the value of mathematical thinking.

Smith, B. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

This classic coming-of-age novel is about Francie Nolan who grows up in a poor family in Brooklyn.

Snyder, Z. The Egypt Game

Two friends in California find themselves playing a real-life game.

Speare, E. Sign of the Beaver

Left alone to guard the family's wilderness home in eighteenth century Maine, a boy is taught survival skills by local Indians.

Speare E. Witch of Blackbird Pond

Kit Tyler's unconventional upbringing brings her into serious conflict with her Puritan relatives, and she finds herself accused of witchcraft.

Spinelli, J. Maniac Magee

Orphaned and homeless, Jeffrey Magee sees beauty in others, regardless of color or station.

Staples, S.F. Shabanu

Strong-willed, independent Shabanu resists the constraints imposed on her freedom as a Muslim girl growing up in the desert in Pakistan.

Steig, W. Abel's Island

Abel, a mouse, is washed up on a deserted island where he overcomes hardships and survives.

Steinbeck, J. The Pearl

Pearl fishing is a hard and dangerous trade, a lesson that the young diver Kino already knew. Kino also knew that if he was ever to give his wife and child the clothes, food, and house he wanted for them, he must find a big pearl, a truly big pearl.

Steinbeck, J. The Red Pony

This is a story about Jody, his love for a pony, and his feelings toward a remote father and a sympathetic ranch hand.

Steinbeck, J. Travels with Charley

In 1960, at the age of sixty, Steinbeck, with a poodle named Charley, rediscovers his native land by traveling the length and breadth of the United States.

Stevenson, R.L. Kidnapped

The uncle of David Balfour, a young Scottish boy, has him kidnapped and shipped aboard the brig Covenant to prevent him from discovering that the uncle's estate is really his own.

Stowe, H.B. Uncle Tom's Cabin

This novel helped to crystallize northern sentiment on the issue of slavery.

Taylor, M. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Cassie Logan, a young African-American girl lives in the segregated South.

Taylor, T. The Cay

During World War II, a blinded twelve-year-old boy and an old black man are stranded on a small desert island in the Caribbean after a German submarine torpedoes the freighter on which they are passengers.

Tolkein, J.R.R. The Hobbitt; The Fellowship of the Ring; The Two Towers; The

Return of the King

Follow the adventures of Bilbo Baggins and Frodo, his nephew.

Twain, M. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

A nineteenth century Connecticut Yankee mechanic suffers a blow to the head and wakes up in King Arthur's Britain.

Twain, M. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Tom Sawyer is the story of a young, mischievous, courageous boy growing up during this country's period of greatest expansion.

Verne, J. Around the World in Eighty Days

In 1872 Phileas Fogg wins a bet by traveling around the world in seventy-nine days, twenty-three hours, and fifty-seven seconds.

Verne, J. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Captain Nemo, who loves the ocean and hates the world of men, takes amazing voyages around the world in his submarine.

Watson, J. The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of DNA

Wells, H.G. The War of the Worlds

A superior race from Mars invades Earth with plans to make slaves of all human beings.

Wharton, E. The Age of Innocence

This novel portrays New York society in the 1870's.

White, T.H. The Once and Future King

A fantasy on the life of King Arthur, this book is humorous, elegant, and detailed.

Wiesel, E. Night

This fictionalized retelling of the author's struggle to survive during Hitler's reign of persecution is a gripping story of a Jewish boy's bravery and determination.

Yep, L. Dragonwings

At the turn of the century, a young Chinese boy in San Francisco becomes an aviation pioneer.

Yep, L. Mountain Light

Continuing Yep's saga begun in The Serpent's Children, Squeaky Lau, a young man in China around the turn of the century, determines to join the "noble" revolution against the Manchu Dynasty and is disappointed to find only flea-bitten, quarreling looters.

Yolen, J. Briar Rose

Rebecca is disturbed by her grandmother's unique version of the story of Sleeping Beauty and strives to uncover the truth behind this version of the fairy tale.

Yolen, J. Devil's Arithmetic

This is an account of individual suffering and sacrifice resulting from the Holocaust.

Yolen, J. The Gift of Sarah Barker

Abel and Sarah, two Shaker children, learn the rules of their community and their love for each other.

Zindel, P. The Pigman

This novel takes a serious look at relations between young and old as two teenagers befriend an old man and then wreck his home while he is in the hospital.