Current News > Summer Reading List for Rising 7th and 8th Graders

Summer Reading List for Rising 7th and 8th Graders

In order to encourage and promote reading, the School Board requires every student entering grades six through twelve in the fall to read one book over the summer months. The Fairfax County Public Schools summer reading lists contain suggested books. With the approval of their parents, students may read any book that is comparable to books on the list for their grade level.

Adams, Richard. WATERSHIP DOWN. Seeing a vision of the destruction of their homes, a band of wild rabbits sets out on a quest for a new home and a new society. Personalities and adventures come alive in this unique picture of humanity and nature. (F)

Alcorn, Stephen, and Andrea Davis Pinckney. LET IT SHINE: STORIES OF BLACK WOMEN FREEDOM FIGHTERS. From Sojourner Truth to Shirley Chisholm, this collection gives the reader a view of African American history through individual lives. (NF)

Alcott, Louisa M. LITTLE WOMEN. The March family endures trials and tribulations while their father is involved in the Civil War. (F)

Alexander, Lloyd. TIME CAT: THE REMARKABLE JOURNEYS OF JASON AND GARETH. Gareth is definitely not an ordinary cat with nine lives. He has only one life, but he has the power to visit nine different lives anywhere in any century. Young Jason begs Gareth to take him along as they visit places such as Egypt in 2700 B.C., Japan in 998 A.D., and America in 1775. (F)

Alexander, Lloyd. THE BOOK OF THREE. In the magical realm of Prydain, Taran, a young and restless pig-keeper, would like to have an adventure. He gets more than he bargained for in this fantasy based on Welsh legends. This book is the first of five chronicles. (F)

Ambrose, Stephen E. THE GOOD FIGHT: HOW WORLD WAR II WAS WON. Ambrose presents a concise, readable chronicle of WORLD WAR II through amazing photographs and research. (NF)

Anaya, Rudolfo, and Amy Cordova. MY LAND SINGS: STORIES FROM THE RIO GRANDE. "Lupe and Llorona," "Dulcinea," and "The Three Brothers" are just a few in this collection of ten original and traditional stories set in New Mexico. (F)

Armstrong, Jennifer. SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD. During a 1914 Antarctic expedition, the waters freeze and crush Shackleton's ship, the Endurance, forcing his crew to make a long, perilous journey across ice and stormy seas to reach inhabited land. (NF)

Austen, Jane. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. In this comedy of manners, Elizabeth Bennet, a spirited heroine, doesn't always agree with her opinionated beau, Mr. Darcy. (F)

Avi. MIDNIGHT MAGIC. In Italy in 1491, Mangus the magician and his apprentice are summoned to the castle of Duke Claudio to determine if his daughter is indeed being haunted by a ghost. (F)

Bachrach, Susan. TELL THEM WE REMEMBER: THE STORY OF THE HOLOCAUST. The U. S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's collection of artifacts and pictures tells the story of the Holocaust. (NF)

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. GROWING UP IN COAL COUNTRY. The story of the "breaker boys" who worked the coal mines in the early 1900s is told through pictures and anecdotes. (NF)

Bauer, Joan. HOPE WAS HERE. Hope is on the move again, relocating from New York to a job as a waitress at the Welcome Staircase Diner in Wisconsin. (F)

Beattie, Owen, and John Geiger. BURIED IN ICE.
A scientific research team probes the tragic and mysterious fate of Sir John Franklin's failed expedition to find the Northwest Passage in 1845. (NF)

Bernardo, Anilu. JUMPING OFF TO FREEDOM. David flees Cuba on a raft bound for freedom in America. During the trip he learns to respect the differences of people. (F)

Blackwood, Gary. THE SHAKESPEARE STEALER. Widge, an orphan boy with the ability to write a unique shorthand, is ordered by his master to steal the script of Hamlet from Shakespeare's acting troupe. Widge discovers a feeling of belonging, friendship, and loyalty that changes his life. (F)

Bloor, Edward. TANGERINE. Twelve-year-old Paul, who lives in the shadow of his football hero brother, fights for the right to play soccer despite his near blindness, and is able to discover a haunting truth when his family moves to Tangerine, Florida. (F)

Bowermaster, Jon, and Barry Tessman. ALEUTIAN ADVENTURE: KAYAKING IN THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE WINDS. Photographs and a journal tell the story of modern-day explorers exploring the islands off the coast of Alaska. (NF)

Bridges, Ruby. THROUGH MY EYES. Ruby Bridges tells the moving story of her year in first grade at the all-white William Frantz Public School in New Orleans in 1960. (NF)

Brontë, Charlotte. JANE EYRE. In early 19th century England, an orphaned young woman accepts employment as a governess and soon finds herself in love with her employer, who has a terrible secret. (F)

Budiansky, Stephen. THE WORLD ACCORDING TO HORSES: HOW THEY RUN, SEE, AND THINK. Readers who share Budiansky's love of horses will enjoy learning from his questions, research, photographs, and drawings. (NF)

Burnett, Frances Hodgson. THE SECRET GARDEN. Ten-year-old Mary comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors. She discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of a locked garden. (F)

Coleman, Penny. ROSIE THE RIVETER. This book tells how World War II brought about extraordinary job opportunities for women. On the home front, businesses employed women as men filled the military ranks.(NF)

Colfer, Eoin. ARTEMIS FOWL. When a twelve-year-old genius tries to restore his family fortune by capturing a fairy and demanding a ransom in gold, the fairies fight back with magic, technology, and a particularly nasty troll. (F)

Couper, Heather, and Nigel Henbest. BLACK HOLES. The reader journeys to the heart of a black hole and into one of the greatest mysteries of the universe. (NF)

Creech, Sharon. THE WANDERER. Thirteen-year-old Sophie talks her way onto her uncle's sailboat as he, his two brothers, and a couple of nephews prepare to sail across the Atlantic to visit Grandfather in England. Her voice alternates with that of her cousin Cody, who also keeps a log of the journey. (F)

Cummins, Julie. TOMBOY OF THE AIR: DAREDEVIL PILOT BLANCHE STUART SCOTT. The life of daredevil Blanche Stuart Scott, the first woman to fly a plane in public in America, is described. (NF)

Curtis, Christopher. WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM - 1963. The Watsons live in Flint, Michigan. They fix up the "brown bomber" and drive to visit Grandmother in Alabama and to leave their brother Byron to live with her. (F)

Cushman, Karen. MATILDA BONE. Fourteen-year-old Matilda, apprentice bonesetter in a medieval English village, tries to reconcile the spiritual and practical aspects of her life. (F)

DeFelice, Cynthia. THE APPRENTICESHIP OF LUCAS WHITAKER. As apprentice to Doc Beecher, Lucas devotes his life to discovering the causes of consumption after his parents and family members die of the dreaded disease. (F)

DiCamillo, Kate. BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE. Because of Winn-Dixie, a big, ugly, happy dog, ten-year-old Opal learns things about her long-gone mother from her preacher father. (F)

Dygard, Thomas. SECOND STRINGER. When Kevin replaces the quarterback and football hero who suffers a knee injury, the second stringer needs to prove that he can do the job. (F)

Dyson, Marianne J. SPACE STATION SCIENCE. Satisfy your curiosity with this book which includes photographs and facts from the Space Station. What is daily life really like for astronauts? (NF)

Eastaway, Rob; Jeremy Wyndham; and Tim Rice. WHY DO BUSES COME IN THREES?: THE HIDDEN MATHEMATICS IN EVERYDAY LIFE. Why can't I find a four-leaf clover? How can I win without cheating? How many people watch Friends? This intriguing book explains how math and the laws of probability are at work in our lives. (NF)

Elliott, Laura. UNDER A WAR-TORN SKY. Take a look at Nazi-occupied Europe through the eyes and experiences of Henry Forester, a young flier shot down during World War II. (F)

Farley, Walter. THE BLACK STALLION. This action story details the developing relationship between
Alex and the wild Arabian stallion he befriends while
they are stranded together on a deserted island. (F)

Farmer, Nancy. THE EAR, THE EYE, AND THE ARM. General Malsikas' three children "escape" their fortress home, are kidnapped by She Elephant, and are forced to mine plastic from the 20th century. Three mutant detectives are hired to use their special powers to find them. (F)

Fenner, Carol. YOLANDA'S GENIUS. Genius is not just book-learning, as Yolanda discovers her brother has a gift for music. (F)

Flake, Sharon. THE SKIN I'M IN. Thirteen-year-old Maleeka, an excellent student who is choosing the wrong friends, meets a new teacher who helps her make some discoveries about who she is and what she believes. (F)

Ferris, Jeri. ARCTIC EXPLORER: THE STORY OF MATTHEW HENSON. This biography details the life of the African American explorer who discovered the North Pole. (NF)

Fleischman, Paul. SEEDFOLKS. Kim's simple act of planting a seed changes life in her multi-ethnic neighborhood. (F)

Freedman, Russell. ELEANOR ROOSEVELT: A LIFE OF DISCOVERY. The courage and dedication of Eleanor Roosevelt, the first president's wife to have an independent role as spokesperson for the powerless and downtrodden, are described in this biography. (NF)

Freedman, Russell. GIVE ME LIBERTY: THE STORY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. Using newspapers, letters, and illustrations, Freedman paints the picture of what went on behind the scenes of the Declaration of Independence. (NF)

Freedman, Russell. IN THE DAYS OF THE VAQUEROS: AMERICA'S FIRST COWBOYS. The vaqueros began riding in Spanish Mexico in the 1500s, long before cattle came to Texas. Illustrations, stories, and research combine to tell their story. (NF)

Freedman, Russell. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF CRAZY HORSE. The reader follows Crazy Horse as he grows up, meets Sitting Bull, and leads his people in the Battle of Big Horn. (NF)

Gantos, Jack. JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY. Joey has ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and is trying to get a grip on his behavior. His life is a roller coaster ride with mishaps at home and school including a swallowed key. (F)

Garland, Sherry. THE SILENT STORM. Thirteen-year-old Alyssa has not spoken since seeing her parents die in a hurricane. Now, three years later, another storm threatens the home she shares with her grandfather on Galveston Island. (F)

George, Jean Craighead. MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. A boy builds a treehouse in the mountains and learns to survive on his own. (F)

Gilmore, Rachna. A GROUP OF ONE. Tara just wants to be accepted as a Canadian, but this seems to get more difficult when her grandmother comes from India for an extended visit. (F)

Godfrey, Neale. ULTIMATE KID'S MONEY BOOK. This book has everything you need to know about
money - how to earn, save, spend, and share it. (NF)

Goodall, Jane. THE CHIMPANZEES I LOVE: SAVING THEIR WORLD AND OURS. Imagine a curiosity and passion that compels you to live in a community of chimpanzees. Dr. Goodall tells of her discoveries about chimpanzees, her love for them, and her campaign for the protection of these amazing animals. (NF)

Gourley, Catherine. WHEELS OF TIME. This book tells how Henry Ford designed innovative methods that enabled his company to mass-produce the automobile. (NF)

Greenberg, Jan, and Sophie Jordan. FRANK O. GEHRY: OUTSIDE IN. Illustrated with photos and sketches, (Outside In) introduces readers to the architect of one of the most acclaimed buildings of our times, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. (NF)

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. JUST ELLA. Ella finds that accepting Prince Charming's proposal catches her in a dull world of needlework and etiquette. As she comes to believe her prince is really Prince Boring, she plots her escape. (F)

Hart, Christopher. DRAWING ON THE FUNNY SIDE OF THE BRAIN. You can learn how to draw funny animals, create characters, and create comic strip panels in this how-to book. It describes ways to get laughs using the medium of comic strips. (NF)

Haskins, Jim. ONE MORE RIVER TO CROSS: THE STORIES OF TWELVE BLACK AMERICANS. Meet African Americans who have made major contributions to American life. They range from Crispus Attucks, the first American to die for the cause of independence (in 1770), to Ronald McNair, an astronaut, who also died pursuing his dream. (NF)

Hobbs, Will. JASON'S GOLD. When 15-year-old Jason Hawthorn sets off from Seattle to the newly discovered gold fields, he has no idea of the difficulties that lie ahead. A husky, which Jason names King, becomes essential to the boy's survival. (F)

Holt, Kimberly Willis. DANCING IN CADILLAC LIGHT. Janyelle Lambert is in charge of her unpredictable Grandpap during the summer of 1968 in Moon, Texas, even when he buys a 1962 emerald-green Cadillac convertible and the rest of the family thinks he has taken leave of his senses. (F)

Holt, Kimberly Willis. WHEN ZACHARY BEAVER CAME TO TOWN. When Zachary Beaver comes to Antler, Texas, as part of a traveling sideshow, Toby begins to realize there might be people whose problems are worse than his and the best way to work through problems is by helping others. (F)

Hoose, Philip. WE WERE THERE TOO: YOUNG PEOPLE IN U.S. HISTORY. This book contains stories of real children and teens who contributed to important events in American history from Columbus' arrival right up to the 1990s. (NF)

Isaacs, Anne. TORN THREAD. Sisters Eva and Rachael show great strength and courage after being separated from their father and forced to work in a labor camp making clothing and blankets for the Nazis. (F)

Jacques, Brian. CASTAWAYS OF THE FLYING DUTCHMAN. In 1620, a boy and his dog are rescued from the doomed ship, Flying Dutchman, by an angel who guides them in traveling the world, eternally helping those in great need. (F)

Jiang, Ji-Li. RED SCARF GIRL: A MEMOIR OF THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION. Ji-Li tells the story of her hardships and survival during the Cultural Revolution. (NF)

Juster, Norton. THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH. A
young man travels to many lands, including
Digitopolis, discovering dodecahedra and many other fascinating mathematical ideas. (F)

Kaminsky, Mary and Bobby Valentine. UNCOMMON CHAMPIONS: FIFTEEN ATHLETES WHO BATTLED BACK. This book tells the stories of courageous athletes who battled adversity to find success. (NF)

Klise, Kate, and M. Sarah Klise. TRIAL BY JOURNAL. In this illustrated novel told through journal entries, news clippings, and letters, twelve-year-old Lily finds herself on the jury of a murder trial while conducting her own undercover investigation of the case. (F)

Koller, Jackie French. NOTHING TO FEAR. When his father moves away to find work and his mother becomes ill, Danny struggles to help his family by starting a shoeshine business during the Great
Depression. (F)

Korman, Gordon. NO MORE DEAD DOGS. Eighth grader and football hero Wallace Wallace is assigned as detention to attend rehearsals of the school play. His suggestions change not only the play but his own life as well. (F)

Kramer, Stephen, and Dennis Kunzel. HIDDEN WORLDS: LOOKING THROUGH A SCIENTIST'S MICROSCOPE. Unbelievable photographs show the story of the scientist's world. (NF)

Kurtz, Jane. THE STORYTELLER'S BEADS. During the political strife and famine of the 1980s, two Ethiopian girls, one Christian and the other Jewish and blind, struggle to overcome many difficulties, including their prejudices about each other, as they make the dangerous journey out of Ethiopia. (F)

Lasky, Kathryn. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ROOF IN THE WORLD. Through pictures and text, Meg Lowman describes her studies of the unexplored rainforest canopy. (NF)

Lauber, Patricia. VOLCANO; THE ERUPTION AND HEALING OF MOUNT ST. HELENS. This colorful photographic essay documents the recovery of plant and animal life during the years following the Mount St. Helens eruption. (NF)

Lawrence, Ian. THE WRECKERS. Young John Spencer is the only survivor of the wreck of his father's ship on the barren coast of Cornwall in 1799. But are the villagers truly his friends? Should he trust Simon Magwan and his lovely niece? And is he really the only survivor? (F)

L'Engle, Madeleine. A WRINKLE IN TIME. Meg Murray's father had been experimenting with time travel when he suddenly disappeared. Will the Murray children and their friend, Calvin, outwit the forces of evil as they search through space for their father? (F)

Leroe, Ellen. DISASTER! THREE REAL-LIFE STORIES OF SURVIVAL. Children looking for exciting, real-life survival stories will be attracted by the cover of this collection of first-person accounts of three disasters: the 1914 shipwreck of the Empress of Ireland, the 1928 crash of the airship Italia, and the 1930 crash of the dirigible R-101. (NF)

Levine, Ellen. DARKNESS OVER DENMARK: THE DANISH RESISTANCE. When Germany occupied Denmark during World War II, the Danes refused to turn a blind eye to Nazi atrocities. Of the nearly 8,000 Jews living in Denmark at the time of the occupation, almost all survived because the Danes took action. (NF)

Levine, Gail Carson. DAVE AT NIGHT. When orphaned, Dave is sent to the Hebrew Home for Boys where he is treated cruelly. He sneaks out at night and is welcomed into the music- and culture-filled world of the Harlem Renaissance. (F)

Levine, Gail Carson. ELLA ENCHANTED. Was it a blessing or a curse? Ella is fated to "always be obedient" in this Cinderella story. (F)

Macaulay, David. THE NEW WAY THINGS WORK. This book provides a fascinating and humorous look at the way things work. (NF)

MacLachlan, Patricia. BABY. Taking care of a baby left with them at the end of the tourist season helps a family come to terms with the death of their own infant son. (F)

Macy, Sue. BULL'S EYE: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY OF ANNIE OAKLEY. Annie Oakley used grace and grit to earn top billing in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Historical photographs and quotes bring this American icon to life. (NF)

Mah, Adeline Yen. CHINESE CINDERELLA: THE TRUE STORY OF AN UNWANTED DAUGHTER. Chinese Cinderella is the perfect title for Adeline Yen Mah's memoir of her childhood growing up in China during the 1940s as she endures life ruled by a cruel stepmother. (NF)

Marrin, Albert. COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND THE CIVIL WAR.
This study brings Lincoln to life by relating his own personal background to his decisions and actions during our country's greatest conflict. (NF)

Mays, Osceola; Shane Evans; and Alan B. Grovenor. OSCEOLA: MEMORIES OF A SHARECROPPER'S DAUGHTER. A sharecropper's daughter describes her childhood in Texas in the early years of the twentieth century. (NF)

McKissack, Patricia. BLACK DIAMOND: THE STORY OF THE NEGRO BASEBALL LEAGUES. Stories and colorful quotes fill the pages of this fascinating history of the Negro baseball leagues before desegregation in 1947. The book highlights the talented players and focuses on their second-rate living and playing conditions. (NF)

Meyer, Carolyn. GIDEON'S PEOPLE. Gideon's Amish ways seem strange to Isaac, an Orthodox Jewish boy, who spends several weeks recuperating with Gideon's family. The boys come to respect each other's religious heritage. (F)

Mikaelson, Ben. PETEY. Petey, born in 1905 with cerebral palsy, faces a lonely and uninspired life in an institution. Though he is barely able to communicate, he shares his intelligence, friendship, and dignity with the caregivers whom he comes to know during his 90 years. (F)

Mikaelson, Ben. TOUCHING SPIRIT BEAR. Cole, in order to avoid going to prison, agrees to participate in a sentencing alternative based on the Native American Circle Justice, and he is sent to a remote Alaskan Island. (F)

Montes, Marisa. SOMETHING WICKED'S IN THOSE WOODS. When Javi and his little brother Nico lose both parents in a car accident, they must move from Puerto Rico to live with their aunt in a secluded, wooded area in Northern California. Javi discovers that the woods are haunted by a ghost who has "befriended" Nico. (F)

Murphy, Jim. BLIZZARD: THE STORM THAT CHANGED AMERICA. In March 1888, "The Great White Hurricane" hit the east coast of the U.S. This is the story of that deadly blizzard. (NF)

Myers, Walter Dean. THE GREATEST: MUHAMMAD ALI. Award-winning author Walter Dean Myers presents the amazing story of Muhammad Ali's childhood, his rise as a champion, his politics, and his battles against Parkinson's disease. Packed with dramatic black and white photos, this critically acclaimed biography is the perfect choice for both young adult sports fans and fans of Walter Dean Myers. (NF)

Naidoo, Beverly. THE OTHER SIDE OF TRUTH. Smuggled out of Nigeria after their mother's murder, Sade and her younger brother are abandoned in London and search to find their long-lost uncle who can rescue them and help them reunite with their father. (F)

Namioka, Lensey. TIES THAT BIND, TIES THAT BREAK. In China in 1911, Ailin resists tradition and pressure from her family by refusing to have her feet bound to make her more attractive for her future husband. Her act of defiance alters her life forever. (F)

O'Dell, Scott. SING DOWN THE MOON. In June
1863, Kit Carson is sent to Arizona to force the Navahos to surrender and to take them to Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Bright Morning tells the story of her people as they endure "the long walk." (F)

O'Grady, Scott, and Michael French. BASHER FIVE-TWO. The true story of Capt. Scott O'Grady, F-16 fighter pilot, who was shot down and rescued in Bosnia. (NF)

Orczy, Baroness. THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL. At the height of the French Revolution, while hundreds of aristocrats face their deaths daily, whole families miraculously escape. The only clue is a mocking note,
signed with the drawing of a tiny red flower. (F)

Osborne, Mary Pope. ADALINE, FALLING STAR. After her mother dies, Adaline is sent to live in St. Louis while her father, the famous scout Kit Carson, explores the West. But cruel relatives and her own daring nature soon force Adaline to extreme measures. (F)

Park, Linda Sue. A SINGLE SHARD. Ten-year-old Tree Ear begins a life for himself with courage and honesty when he becomes an apprentice to Min, the most talented potter in 12th century Korea. (F)

Paulson, Gary. MY LIFE IN DOG YEARS. The author describes some of the dogs that were special to him during his life. (NF)

Peck, Richard. FAIRWEATHER. In 1893, thirteen-year-old Rosie and members of her family travel to visit Aunt Euterpe and the World's Columbian Exposition, which, along with an encounter with Buffalo Bill and Lillian Russell, turns out to be a life-changing experience for everyone. (F)

Peck, Richard. A YEAR DOWN YONDER. Mary Alice is sent from Chicago to live with her eccentric grandmother Dowdel while her family tries to make ends meet during the Great Depression. (F)

Pfetzer, Mark, and Jack Galvin. WITHIN REACH: MY EVEREST STORY. In this suspenseful first-person narrative, sixteen-year-old Mark Pfetzer relates his experiences as the youngest climber to attempt Everest. (NF)

Platt, Richard. EYEWITNESS: SPY. This book provides information about men and women spies throughout history as well as about the tools and equipment they used in espionage and intelligence service. (NF)

Pullman, Phillip. THE GOLDEN COMPASS.
This fantasy relates Lyra's adventures while preventing her best friend and other kidnapped children from becoming victims of experiments in the Far North. (F)

Rinaldi, Ann. GIRL IN BLUE. To escape an arranged marriage, Sarah joins the Union Army as a man but, upon her discovery, acts as a spy in the house of Rose O'Neal Greenhow. (F)

Rowling, J. K. HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE. Orphaned Harry Potter lives with his abusive aunt, uncle, and cousin until he receives his surprise acceptance to Hogwarts School of Wizardry and learns his true identity. (F)

Rupp, Rebecca. EVERYTHING YOU NEVER LEARNED ABOUT BIRDS. Written with humor, this book is filled with bird lore and legends, science and nature, and hands-on projects. (NF)

Ryan, Pam Munoz. ESPERANZA RISING. After her father is murdered, Esperanza Ortega is forced to flee her beloved El Rancho de las Rosas in Mexico to a migrant camp in California. (F)

Sachar, Louis. HOLES. Poor Stanley is sent to Camp Green Lake for stealing a pair of sneakers. Will he survive the daily digging in the desert?

Shusterman, Neal. DOWNSIDERS. Talon lives Downside, or underneath New York City. When he accidentally meets Lindsay, a Topsider from above ground, their worlds inevitably collide. (F)

Skurzynski, Gloria, and Alan Ferguson. WOLF STALKER: MYSTERIES IN OUR NATIONAL PARKS. Twelve-year-old Jack, his younger sister, and the family's teenage foster child go to Yellowstone National Park, where Jack's mother, a wildlife veterinarian, is investigating a report that wolves reintroduced into the Park have attacked. (F)

Sis, Peter. TIBET: THROUGH THE RED BOX.
Opening the red box, Peter Sis finds the diary his father kept when he was a photographer in Tibet in the 1950s. (NF)

Sleator, William. THE NIGHT THE HEADS CAME. Sixteen-year-old Leo and his best friend, Tim, are kidnapped by aliens on a lonely stretch of road. When the aliens decide to keep Tim, Leo must try to explain his friend's disappearance and, at the same time, figure out a way to get Tim back. (F)

Smith, Betty. A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN.
Childhood and family relationships in turn-of-the-century Brooklyn are seen through the eyes of young Francie. (F)

Soto, Gary. BASEBALL IN APRIL AND OTHER STORIES. This book focuses on growing up poor as a Mexican American in the land of opportunity. (F)

Spinelli, Jerry. CRASH. Seventh grade football sensation Crash Coogan torments his nerdy neighbor, Penn Webb, until he realizes that Penn is actually to be admired. (F)

Spinelli, Jerry. KNOTS IN MY YO-YO STRING: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A KID. Mr. Spinelli's personal memoir of his life in Norristown, Pennsylvania, in the 1950s will help you understand the writing genius of this Newbery-winning author. (NF)

Spinelli, Jerry. STARGIRL. Sixteen-year-old Leo tells the story of Stargirl Caraway, the free spirit who enrolls at Mica High School, not exactly the "hotbed of non-conformity."

Stanley, Diane. MICHAELANGELO. This is a picture book biography of the Renaissance sculptor, architect, and poet. (NF)

Stevenson, Robert Louis. TREASURE ISLAND. An innkeeper and his son find a map on the body of a deceased guest. The map promises a pirate's fortune and many adventures follow. (F)

Stone, Phoebe. ALL THE BLUE MOONS AT THE WALLACE HOTEL. Though her family cannot afford dance lessons, Fiona knows she is meant to be a dancer. The story unfolds in the dilapidated mansion where she lives with her sad, withdrawn mother, her sister, and the family secrets. (F)

Taylor, Mildred D.. THE LAND. Paul-Edward Logan, son of a white plantation owner and an African-Indian slave mother, runs away at 14 to seek his own fortune. This is Taylor's exciting prequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. (F)

Taylor, Theodore. THE BOMB. This is the story of Bikini Island, a nuclear test site during World War II, told from the point of view of Sorry, a 16-year-old islander. (F)

Tolkien, J. R. R. THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RINGS. In this first book of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Frodo, a hobbit, must journey to the barren wasteland of Mordor to destroy the one ring that could rule them all. A fellowship is formed to aid him on this dangerous journey. (F)

Tolkien, J. R. R. THE HOBBIT. Accompanied by a troop of determined dwarfs and a wizard, the Hobbit takes off down the road leading to the Misty Mountains in hopes of retrieving the lost treasure of the dwarfs. (F)

Uchida, Yoshiko. INVISIBLE THREAD. Uchida describes growing up in California as a second generation Japanese American and her family's internment in a Utah concentration camp during World War II.
(NF)

Van Draanen, Wendelin. FLIPPED. In alternating chapters, Bryce and Juli describe how their feelings for each other, themselves, and their families have changed over the years. (F)

Van Steenwyk, Elizabeth. A TRAITOR AMONG US.
In occupied Holland in 1944, thirteen-year-old Pieter becomes increasingly involved in the work of the Dutch Resistance even though he knows the risk of being discovered by the Nazi informer who lives in the village. (F)

Verne, Jules. 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA. An eccentric captain explores the undersea world in a submarine powered by a strange energy source. (F)

Webb, Sophie. MY SEASON WITH PENGUINS: AN ANTARCTIC JOURNAL. Through watercolor sketches and journal entries, Webb tells the story of her summer expedition. (NF)

Whelan, Gloria. GOODBYE, VIETNAM. Mai and her Vietnamese family escape their beloved land and endure a dangerous boat journey to an uncertain future in America. (F)

Whelan, Gloria. HOMELESS BIRD. Koly, a thirteen-year-old girl, enters into an arranged marriage with a very young husband whose family only wants her dowry to pay for train tickets to the Ganges River to cure his TB. (F)

Wolff, Virginia Euwer. BAT 6. In two small Oregon towns, everyone is looking forward to the Bat 6 girls' softball game of 1949 until a racial incident occurs at the 50th annual game. (F)

Wulffson, Don. THE KID WHO INVENTED THE POPSICLE. Brief, factual stories of how various familiar things were invented, many by accident, make for an informative read. (NF)

Yep, Laurence. THE COOK'S FAMILY. While visiting Chinatown to escape the fighting at home, Robin and her grandmother befriend a Chinese cook and pretend to be his missing family. (F)

Zindel, Paul. THE GADGET. It is 1945 and Stephen has moved to the top secret military base in Los Alamos, New Mexico, to join his father, a famous physicist, who is working on a project he is forbidden to discuss. Stephen is determined to find out the true nature of "the gadget."