Churchville-Chili JHS

8th Grade

Suggested Summer Reading List

Avi. -- Blue Heron      

While spending the month of August on the Massachusetts shore with her father, stepmother, and their new baby, almost thirteen-year-old Maggie finds beauty in and draws strength from a great blue heron, even as the family around her unravels.

Billingsley, Franny. -- The Folk Keeper      

Orphan Corinna disguises herself as a boy to pose as a Folk Keeper, one who keeps the Evil Folk at bay, and discovers her heritage as a seal maiden when she is taken to live with a wealthy family in their manor by the sea.

Bloor, Edward. -- Tangerine      

Twelve-year-old Paul, who lives in the shadow of his football hero brother Erik, fights for the right to play soccer despite his near blindness and slowly begins to remember the incident that damaged his eyesight.

Blume, Judy. -- Tiger Eyes : A Novel      

Resettled in the "Bomb City" with her mother and brother, Davey Wexler recovers from the shock of her father's death during a holdup of his 7-Eleven store in Atlantic City.

Christopher, John. -- The White Mountains      

Three boys strive for freedom in a future society run by enormous metal robots called Tripods, who capture mature human beings and make them docile, obediant servants.

Coerr, Eleanor. -- Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes     

Hospitalized with the dreaded atom bomb disease, leukemia, a child in Hiroshima races against time to fold one thousand paper cranes to verify the legend that by doing so a sick person will become healthy.

Coles, William E., Jr. -- Another Kind of Monday      

When Mark discovers money and a note concealed in the pages of a copy of Dickens' "Great Expectations," he undertakes a quest with his classmate Zeena that leads to more money, more clues to follow, and ultimately more knowledge of himself.

Conly, Jane Leslie. -- Crazy Lady!      

As he tries to come to terms with his mother's death, Vernon finds solace in his growing relationship with the neighborhood outcasts, an alcoholic and her retarded son.

Cooney, Caroline B. -- Flash Fire       

As fire sweeps through a canyon near Los Angeles, teenagers Danna and Hall Press and other children whose parents are not around must work together to save themselves.

Crichton, Michael. -- The Lost World : A Novel       

Jurassic Park the primordial zoo has been closed and the dinosaurs it once housed have been destroyed. Now, six years later, there are rumors that some of them may have survived.

Crichton, Michael. -- Sphere : A Novel       

A group of American scientists descend to the ocean floor to investigate a spaceship of phenomenal dimensions, apparently undamaged by its fall, and three hundred years old.

Crutcher, Chris. -- Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories      

A collection of short stories featuring characters from earlier books by Chris Crutcher.

Crutcher, Chris. – Whale Talk

Intellectually and athletically gifted, TJ, a multiracial, adopted teenager, shuns organized sports and the gung-ho athletes at his high school until he agrees to form a swimming team and recruits some of the school's less popular students.

Dickinson, Peter. -- The Ropemaker      

When the magic that protects their Valley starts to fail, Tilja and her companions journey into the evil Empire to find the ancient magician Faheel, who originally cast those spells.

Duane, Diane.  --  So You Want to be a Wizard      

Thirteen-year-old Nita, tormented by a gang of bullies because she won't fight back, finds the help she needs in a library book on wizardry which guides her into another dimension.

Duncan, Lois. -- Killing Mr. Griffin      

A teenager casually suggests playing a cruel trick on the English teacher, but did he intend it to end with murder?

Duncan, Lois. -- Stranger with My Face      

A seventeen-year-old senses she is being spied on and probably impersonated, but when she discovers what actually is occurring, it is more unbelievable than she ever imagined.

Dygard, Thomas J. -- Game Plan      

When the hospitalization of Barton High's head football coach forces skinny student manager Beano Hatton to step in, he must deal with a rebellious quarterback and his own lack of confidence.

Farmer, Nancy. -- A Girl Named Disaster       

While journeying to Zimbabwe, eleven-year-old Nhamo struggles to escape drowning and starvation and in so doing comes close to the luminous world of the African spirits.

Ferris, Jean. – Once Upon a Marigold

A young man with a mysterious past and a penchant for inventing things leaves the troll who raised him, meets an unhappy princess he has loved from afar, and discovers a plot against her and her father.

Fletcher, Susan. -- Shadow Spinner      

When Marjan, a thirteen-year-old crippled girl, joins the Sultan's harem in ancient Persia, she gathers for Scheherazade the stories which will save the queen's life.

Fox, Paula. -- The Eagle Kite : A Novel      

Liam's father has AIDS, and his family cannot talk about it until Liam reveals a secret that he has tried to deny ever since he saw his father embracing another man at the beach.

Funke, Cornelia. – Inkheart      

Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father Mo, a bookbinder, can "read" fictional characters to life when an evil ruler named Capricorn, freed from the novel "Inkheart" years earlier, tries to force Mo to release an immortal monster from the story.

Gantos, Jack. -- Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key      

To the constant disappointment of his mother and his teachers, Joey has trouble paying attention or controlling his mood swings when his prescription meds wear off and he starts getting worked up and acting wired.

Greene, Bette. -- Summer of My German Soldier      

Sheltering an escaped German prisoner of war is the beginning of some shattering experiences for a twelve-year-old Jewish girl in Arkansas.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. -- Among the Hidden      

In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, Luke has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family's farm, until another "third" convinces him that the government is wrong.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. -- Just Ella     

In this continuation of the Cinderella story, fifteen-year-old Ella finds that accepting Prince Charming's proposal ensnares her in a suffocating tangle of palace rules and royal etiquette, so she plots to escape.

Hautzig, Esther. -- The Endless Steppe : Growing Up in Siberia     

During World War II, when she was eleven years old, the author and her family were arrested in Poland by the Russians as political enemies and exiled to Siberia. She recounts here the trials of the following five years spent on the harsh Asian steppe.

Hayes, Daniel. -- The Trouble with Lemons      

Tyler and Lymie, eighth grade misfits, discover a dead body in a quarry and work to uncover the mystery behind it.

Hesse, Karen. -- Letters from Rifka      

In letters to her cousin, a young Jewish girl chronicles her family's flight from Russia in 1919 and her own experiences when she must be left in Belgium for a while when the others emigrate to America.

Hobbs, Will. -- Beardance      

While accompanying an elderly rancher on a trip into the San Juan Mountains, Cloyd, an Ute Indian boy, tries to help two orphaned grizzly cubs survive the winter and, at the same time, completes his spirit mission.

Hobbs, Will. -- The Big Wander      

As he searches for his uncle through the rugged Southwest canyon country, fourteen-year-old Clay becomes involved with a group of Navajo Indians who are trying to save some of the last wild mustangs.

Hoh, Diane. -- Titanic : The Long Night      

When Elizabeth and Katie, two girls from very different backgrounds, board the Titanic, they think they are on their way to new lives in America, but what they do not know is that they will have to fight to stay alive on the sinking ship.

Isaacs, Anne. -- Torn Thread      

In an attempt to save his daughter's life, Eva's father sends her from Poland to a labor camp in Czechoslovakia where she and her sister survive the war.

Jones, Diana Wynne. -- Howl's Moving Castle      

Eldest of three sisters in a land where it is considered to be a misfortune, Sophie is resigned to her fate as a hat shop apprentice until a witch turns her into an old woman and she finds herself in the castle of the greatly feared wizard Howl.

Jones, Diana Wynne. -- The Lives of Christopher Chant      

Young Christopher Chant, in training to become the next Chrestomanci or head controller of magic in the world, becomes a key figure in a battle with renegade sorcerers because he has nine lives.

Juster, Norton. -- The Phantom Tollbooth      

A journey through a land where Milo learns the importance of words and numbers provides a cure for his boredom.

Lawrence, Iain. -- The Wreckers       

Shipwrecked after a vicious storm, fourteen-year-old John Spencer attempts to save his father and himself while also dealing with an evil secret about the Cornish coastal town where they are stranded.

Lynch, Chris. -- Iceman      

Fourteen-year-old Eric, a ruthless hockey player prone to violence on the ice, tries to reconcile his own needs with those of his parents.

Matas, Carol. -- After the War       

After being released from Buchenwald at the end of World War II, fifteen-year-old Ruth risks her life to lead a group of children across Europe to Palestine.

Matas, Carol. -- In My Enemy's House       

When German soldiers arrive in Zloczow during World War II, a young Jewish girl must decide whether or not to conceal her identity and work for a Nazi in Germany in order to survive.

McCaffrey, Anne. -- Dragonsong      

Forbidden by her father to indulge in music in any way, a girl on the planet Pern runs away, taking shelter with the planet's fire lizards who, along with her music, open a new life for her.

McKinley, Robin. -- The Hero and the Crown      

Aerin, with the guidance of the wizard Luthe and the help of the blue sword, wins the birthright due her as the daughter of the Damarian king and a witchwoman of the mysterious, demon-haunted North.

McKinley, Robin. -- Spindle's End     

The infant princess Briar Rose is cursed on her name day by Pernicia, an evil fairy, and then whisked away by a young fairy to be raised in a remote part of a magical country, unaware of her real identity and hidden from Pernicia's vengeful powers.

McKissack, Pat. -- The Dark-thirty : Southern Tales of the Supernatural      

A collection of ghost stories with African-American themes, designed to be told during the Dark Thirty--the half hour before sunset--when ghosts seem all too believable.

Mikaelsen, Ben. -- Petey      

In 1922 Petey, who has cerebral palsy, is misdiagnosed as an idiot and institutionalized; sixty years later, still in the institution, he befriends a boy and shares with him the joy of life.

Myers, Walter Dean. -- The Magic Circle      

After learning sorcery to become a healer, a good-hearted woman is turned into a witch by evil spirits and she fights their power until her encounter with Hansel and Gretel years later.

Myers, Walter Dean -- The Outside Shot      

Recruited by a small midwestern college to play basketball, a Harlem boy has many new experiences, including working with a child who needs physical therapy and dealing with corruption in college sports.

Na, An. -- A Step From Heaven     

Tells the tale of Young Ju as she grows from a toddler in Korea to a high-school graduate in California desperately trying to be a 'true' American while her immigrant parents try to make her stay close to her Korean heritage.

Naylor, Phyllis. – Jade Green     

Although warned not to bring anything green into her new home, recently orphaned Judith Sparrow wonders if her most treasured possession is the cause of mysterious happenings.

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. -- Outrageously Alice      

Alice is in the eighth grade, and while she wants her life to be exciting and outrageous, she also wants to feel protected and safe.

Napoli, Donna Jo -- Stones in Water       

After being taken by German soldiers from a local movie theater, Roberto is forced to work in Germany, escapes into the Ukrainian winter, before desperately trying to make his way back home to Venice.

Nix, Garth. -- Shade's Children      

In a savage future world, four young fugitives attempt to overthrow the bloodthirsty rule of the Overlords with the help of Shade, their mysterious mentor.

O'Dell, Scott. -- Black Star, Bright Dawn      

Bright Dawn must face the challenge of the Iditarod dog sled race alone when her father is injured.

Paulsen, Gary. -- The Foxman      

A town boy sent to live on a remote wilderness farm forms a friendship with an elderly, disfigured man who teaches him many things.

Paulsen, Gary. -- The Schernoff Discoveries      

Harold and his best friend, both hopeless geeks and societal misfits, try to survive unusual science experiments, the attacks of the football team, and other dangers of junior high school.

Perl, Lila. -- Four Perfect Pebbles : A Holocaust Story      

The author tells the story of her family's experiences as Jews in Hitler's Germany, tracing their horrifying journey from their home country to Holland and back again, living in refugee, transit, and prison camps, including Bergen-Belson.

Philbrick, Rodman. -- Freak the Mighty      

Max, a large eighth-grader with a learning disability, becomes friends with Freak, an intelligent boy who is physically impaired.

Reiss, Johanna. -- The Journey Back      

After spending three years hiding from the Nazis, a Jewish family is reunited and begins the job of rebuilding their country and family.

Reiss, Johanna. -- The Upstairs Room      

A Dutch Jewish girl describes the two-and-one-half years she spent in hiding in the upstairs bedroom of a farmer's house during World War II.

Ritter, John. -- Choosing up Sides      

In 1921 thirteen-year-old Luke finds himself torn between accepting his left-handedness or conforming to the belief of his preacher-father that such a condition is evil and must be overcome.

Rowling, J. K. -- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban      

During his third year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry Potter must confront the devious and dangerous wizard responsible for his parents' deaths.

Sleator, William. -- The Duplicate      

Sixteen-year-old David, finding a strange machine that creates replicas of living organisms, duplicates himself and suffers the horrible consequences when the duplicate turns against him.

Sleator, William. -- Interstellar Pig        

Barney's boring seaside vacation suddenly becomes more interesting when the cottage next      door is occupied by three exotic neighbors who are addicted to a game they call "Interstellar Pig."

Smith, K. (Kay). -- Skeeter       

The adventures of two young boys befriended by an old black man who is a legendary hunter.

Soto, Gary. -- Taking sides      

Fourteen-year-old Lincoln Mendoza, an aspiring basketball player, must come to terms with his divided loyalties when he moves from the Hispanic inner city to a white suburban neighborhood.

Sparks, Nicholas. -- The Notebook     

In a testimony to the lasting power of love, a man tells an elderly woman

a story from a faded old notebooks, his voice relating the heartbreaking tale of two lovers and their fifty-year journey to happiness.

Sparks, Nicholas. – A Walk to Remember      

High school senior Landon Carter embarks on the road to manhood when a twist of fate makes the Bible-carrying Jamie Sullivan his date for the homecoming dance, and he falls in love with the minister's daughter, not knowing her tragic secret.

Staples, Suzanne Fisher. -- Dangerous Skies      

Hypocrisy and prejudice twist events in such a way as to implicate two children, one from a prominent white family and the other an African-American, in a murder.

Stevermer, Caroline. -- River Rats      

Nearly twenty years after the holocaust called the Flash has destroyed modern civilization, Tomcat and a group of other orphans face danger as they steer an old steamboat over the toxic waters of the Mississippi River.

Tolkien, J.R.R. – Lord of the Rings Trilogy     

Middle Earth is in grave danger. The Dark Lord, Sauron, wishes to intensify his already great power, by reclaiming the One Ring that had been stolen by Bilbo Baggins. With this ring, he can enslave Middle Earth and unleash incredible evil. Bilbo's nephew, Frodo, is at the center of this epic drama involving the ring that he knows very little about.

Turner, Megan Whalen. -- The Thief       

Gen flaunts his ingenuity as a thief and relishes the adventure which takes him to a remote temple of the gods where he will attempt to steal a precious stone.

Voigt, Cynthia. -- A Solitary Blue      

Jeff's mother, who deserted the family years before, reenters his life and widens the gap between Jeff and his father, a gap that only truth, love, and friendship can heal.

White, Ruth. -- Belle Prater's Boy      

When Woodrow's mother suddenly disappears, he moves to his grandparents' home in a small Virginia town where he befriends his cousin and together they find the strength to face the terrible losses and fears in their lives.

Wolff, Virginia Euwer. -- Bat 6      

In small town, post-World War Oregon, twenty-one 6th grade girls recount the story of an annual softball game, during which one girl's bigotry comes to the surface.

Yep, Laurence. -- Dragon's Gate      

When he accidentally kills a Manchu, a fifteen-year-old Chinese boy is sent to America to join his father, an uncle, and other Chinese working to build a tunnel for the transcontinental railroad through the Sierra Nevada mountains in 1867.

Yep, Laurence. -- Dragonwings       

In the early twentieth century a young Chinese boy joins his father in San Francisco and helps him realize his dream of making a flying machine.

Zindel, Paul. -- The Gadget     

In 1945, having joined his father at Los Alamos, where he and other scientists are working on a secret project to end World War II, thirteen-year-old Stephen becomes caught in a web of secrecy and intrigue.