Middle School Summer Reading Suggestions

FICTION

A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn
Sleeping Beauty, kissed awake by a twenty-first century boy from Miami, follows him home where she hopes to win his love.

Abduction! by Peg Kehret
Thirteen-year-old Bonnie, on a quest to find her kidnapped brother and his dog, becomes a victim of the kidnapper as well.

Achingly Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Thirteen-year-old Alice sets long and short term priorities for her life as she experiences the complexities of young love.

After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson
2009 Newbery Honor book. In the New York City borough of Queens in 1996, three girls bond over their shared love of Tupac Shakur's music, as together they try to make sense of the unpredictable world in which they live.

All of the Above by Shelley Pearsall 
Five urban middle school students, their teacher, and other community members relate how a school project to build the world's largest tetrahedron affects the lives of everyone involved.

All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn
While spending the summer at their grandmother's Vermont inn, two prankster siblings awaken young ghosts from the inn's distant past who refuse to "rest in peace."

Alphabet of Dreams by Susan Fletcher
Mitra and her little brother are of royal blood, exiled in poverty. Babak’s prophetic dreams causes him to be kidnapped.

Amandine by Adele Griffin
Her first week at a new school, shy Delia befriends Amandine, not anticipating the dangerous turns their friendship would take.

Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez
In the early 1960s in the Dominican Republic, twelve-year-old Anita learns that her family is involved in the underground movement to end the bloody rule of the dictator, General Trujillo.

Bone by Jeff Smith
Fantasy saga in comic book form.

The Boy Who Saved Baseball by John H. Ritter
Can an average boy, an ornery old baseball star, and one last game save Tom’s small California town from destruction by a developer?

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
Ruth and her sister become the property of a powerful Loyalist family in New York City at the beginning of the American Revolution.

Change-Up by John Feinstein
While covering baseball’s World Series between the Washington Nationals and the Boston Red Sox, teenage sports reporters Stevie and Susan Carol investigate a rookie pitcher whose evasive answers during an interview reveal more than a few contradictions in his life story.

The Convicts by Iain Laurence
To avenge the death of his father Tom Tin goes into the streets of London; but after he is convicted of murder, Tom is eventually sent to Australia where he has a surprise reunion.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
Sophomore Frankie starts dating senior Matthew Livingston, but when he refuses to talk about the all-male secret society that he and his friends belong to, Frankie infiltrates the society in order to enliven their mediocre pranks.

Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Bethany’s overprotective parents disappear and she is left with an aunt she never knew. She discovers shocking secrets that make her question herself and her family.

Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams
Trying to avoid being implicated in a local murder, Ingrid attempts to investigate the mysterious death herself, disturbing her usual routine.

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
When his younger brother is diagnosed with leukemia, thirteen-year-old Steven tries to deal with his complicated emotions, his school life, and his desire to support his family.

Elephant Run by Roland Smith
Trying to escape Nazi bombs in London, Nick goes to Burma. He arrives just as Burma is invaded by the Japanese and his father is captured.

Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff
Just before his eleventh birthday, Sam discovers his own picture in a mysterious newspaper article in his grandfather's attic.

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan 
During the Great Depression, Esperanza and her mother are forced from their wealthy home in Mexico to Southern California where they work in harsh conditions.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
2010 Newbery Honor Book. On the eve of the 20th century, 11-year-old Calpurnia explores the natural world, develops a relationship with her grandfather and handles living with six brothers.

The Fashion Disaster that Changed My Life by Lauren Myracle
A humorous account of the difficulties of being a seventh grade girl.

First Light by Rebecca Stead
Seven generations ago, a group of people hunted as witches escaped to a sanctuary beneath Greenland's ice cap. When Peter arrives in Greenland with his scientist parents, he discovers Thea and a passage to an underground city.

Flush by Carl Hiaasen
With their father jailed for sinking a river boat, Noah Underwood and his younger sister, Abbey, must gather evidence that the owner of a casino is emptying its bilge tanks into the waters around their Florida Key home.

Go Big or Go Home by Will Hobbs
Fourteen-year-old Brady and his cousin Quinn love extreme sports, but nothing could prepare them for the aftermath of Brady's close encounter with a meteorite after it crashes into his Black Hills, South Dakota, bedroom.

The Golden Compass by Richard Pullman
Lyra sets out to prevent kidnapped children from becoming the subjects of experiments.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
2009 Newbery award winner in which Nobody Owens is a normal boy, except that he has been raised by ghosts and other denizens of the graveyard.

Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde
While playing a total immersion virtual reality game, Giannine learns that demonstrators have damaged the equipment to which she is connected, and she must win the game quickly or be damaged herself.

Hidden Talents and True Talents by David Lubar
Two in a series that follows troubled teens who find themselves at Edgeview School only to discover hidden paranormal powers which they will need to defend themselves.

Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate
Kek, an African refugee, is confronted by many strange things at the Minneapolis home of his aunt and cousin, as well as in his fifth grade classroom, and longs for his missing mother, but finds comfort in the company of a cow and her owner.

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
Fifteen-year-old Daisy goes to England to stay with her aunt and cousins, with whom she instantly bonds, but soon war breaks out and rips apart the family while devastating the land.

Hush by Jacqueline Woodson
A twelve-year-old African American girl encounters many challenges when her family enters the Witness Protection Program.

Iron Thunder by Avi
Thirteen-year-old Tom Carroll finds work at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on a secret project that may benefit the Northern armies during the Civil War. Pursued by spies from the South, he ends up in the middle of a sea battle.

Joey Pigza Loses Control by Jack Gantos
Joey, who is still taking medication to keep him from getting too wired, goes to spend the summer with the hard-drinking father he has never known and tries to help the baseball team he coaches win the championship.

Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen
A fifteen-year-old former fat girl spends the summer working as a waitress exploring her sense of self.

The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean
In thirteenth century China, twelve-year-old Haoyou takes to the sky as a circus kite rider.

The Last Dragon by Silvana de Mari
Get ready for hardships, unlikely friendships, humor, and love as Yorsh the elf tries to find the last dragon.

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
A teenager struggles with the world’s changes after a cosmic disaster.

Lion Boy by Zizou Corder
A boy with the ability to speak the language of cats sets out from London to seek his kidnapped parents and finds himself on a Paris-bound circus ship learning to train lions.

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
When Ted and Kat’s cousin Salim disappears from the London Eye ferris wheel, the two siblings must work together.

Minerva Clark Goes to the Dogs by Karen Karbo
Independent teenage detective Minerva assists bratty Chelsea de Gruzen to locate a lost million dollar diamond.

Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
Edward Tulane, a cold-hearted and proud toy rabbit, loves only himself until he is separated from the little girl who adores him and travels across the country, acquiring new owners and listening to their hopes, dreams, and histories.

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick
2010 Newbery Honor Book. A fast paced chronicle of Civil War history presented through the voice of 12-year-old Homer who uses clever humor to mitigate the horrors of war.

Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury
While on a boy scout outing a group of campers are faced with both an earthquake and a tsunami.

Olive’s Ocean by Kevin Henkes
On a summer visit to her grandmother's cottage by the ocean, twelve-year-old Martha gains perspective on the death of a classmate, on her relationship with her grandmother, on her feelings for an older boy, and on her plans to be a writer.

One-Handed Catch by M. J. Auch
Explores the struggle and hard work it takes to come back from a serious injury.

Paint the Wind by Pam Munoz Ryan
After her overprotective grandmother has a stroke, Maya, an orphan, leaves her extremely restricted life in California to stay with her mother's family on a remote Wyoming ranch, where she discovers a love of horses and encounters a wild mare that her mother once rode.

Pemba’s Song by Tonya Hegamin
As fifteen-year-old Pemba adjusts to leaving her Brooklyn, New York, home for small-town Connecticut, a Black history researcher helps her understand the paranormal experiences drawing her into the life of a mulatto girl who was once a slave in her house.

Pieces of Georgia by Jen Bryant
Georgia works through the loss of her mother by keeping a journal provided by her guidance counselor.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
While attending a strict academy for potential princesses with the others from her mountain village, fourteen-year-old Miri discovers unexpected talents and connections to her homeland.

Princess in Love by Meg Cabot
In a series of humorous diary entries, a New York City ninth grader agonizes over her love life, final exams, and her future role as the princess of Genovia.

Rensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
While sailing in the Pacific Ocean, eleven-year-old Michael falls overboard and ends up stranded on a nearly deserted island. He is befriended by an old Japanese man, the island’s other inhabitant, in this exciting tale of friendship and survival.

The Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delangey
The trials and tribulations of being trained as a wizard’s apprentice.

The Ropemaker by Peter Dickinson
When the magic that protects their valley starts to fail, Tilja and her companions journey into the evil empire to find an ancient magician.

Rules by Cynthia Lord
Frustrated at a life with an autistic brother, twelve-year-old Catherine longs for a normal existence, but her world is further complicated by a friendship with a young paraplegic.

Savvy by Ingrid Law
2009 Newbery Honor book. Mibs is about to turn thirteen, and in her remarkable family, becoming a teenager means finally discovering your extra-special ability—your savvy.

Same Stuff as Stars by Katherine Paterson
When eleven-year-old Angel is left with her grandmother, she worries about a mysterious man who begins sharing with her the wonder of stars.

Skullduggery Pleasant by Kathleen Karr
In 1839, twelve-year-old Matthew's job as assistant to the phrenologist Dr. Cornwall takes him up and down the Eastern Seaboard and to Europe, as they rob graves and try to find out who is following them and why.

Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer
To free his sister from a shape-shifting troll, Jack takes a journey with Vikings where he meets an assortment of mythological creatures.

The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland
In twelfth-century England, a thirteen-year-old recounts how Merlin gives him a magical seeing stone which shows him images of King Arthur.

Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli
Will Tuppence's life has always been ruled by science and common sense but in ninth grade, shaken up by the discovery that protons decay, he begins to see the entire world differently.

So B. It by Sarah Weeks
Heidi searches to discover the background of her mentally disabled mother.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
The adventures of Despereaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.

The Thing About Georgie by Lisa Graff
Everything is a challenge for Georgie, a 42-inch dwarf, including school furniture, running track, and playing an instrument.

Tiger by Jeff Stone
Five young warrior-monk brothers survive an insurrection and must use the ancient arts to avenge their Grandmaster.

Triss by Brian Jacques
Three friends escape from slavery and are pursued across the sea toward Redwall by a band of freebooters who seek the treasure of Brockhall.

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
2009 Newbery Honor book in which an old hound and two kittens born underneath the house, endure separation, danger, and many other tribulations before they finally end up reunited and free.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman
In a future world where those between the ages of thirteen and eighteen can have their lives "unwound" and their body parts harvested for use by others, three teens go to extreme lengths to uphold their beliefs and, perhaps, save their own lives.

The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
Four students, with their own individual stories, develop a special bond and attract the attention of their teacher, a paraplegic, who chooses them to represent their sixth-grade class in the Academic Bowl competition.

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connors
Twelve-year-old Addie tries to cope with her mother's erratic behavior and being separated from her beloved stepfather and half-sisters.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
2008 Newbery Honor Book. Highlights a year in the life of a 1967 teen as he navigates adolescence with the help of his classroom teacher.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
2010 Newbery Award winner. Twelve-year-old Miranda encounters changing friendships, a sudden punch, a homeless man and mysterious notes that hint at knowledge of the future.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
2010 Newbery Honor Book. Minlin, buys a magical goldfish and then joins a dragon on a quest to bringing fortune to Fruitless Mountain and Jade River.

The Wizard’s Dilemma by Diane Duane
Teenage wizard Nita travels to other universes to find a cure for her mother who has brain cancer.

NON-FICTION

Digital Photo Madness: 50 Weird & Wacky Things To Do With Your Digital Camera 
by Thom Gaines
A compact guide to digital photography with tips on light, composition, close-ups and finding interesting subjects.

Drawing the New Adventure Cartoons by Chris Hart
Cool spies, evil guys and action heroes learn to draw them with this book.

Freestyle Soccer Tricks by Sean D’Arcy
Step by step photos give tips on perfecting soccer tricks, flick-ups and catches.

Gifted Hands: The Story of Ben Carson by Carson
The inspirational story of Ben Carson, an African American pediatric neurosurgeon, who achieved his life goals in spite of the many obstacles he encountered.

Girls Got Game: Sports Stories and Poems by Sue Macy
A collection of short stories and poems written by and about young women in sports.

Good Brother, Bad Brother: The Story of Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth 
by James Cross Giblin 
Both John Wilkes Booth and his elder brother Edwin made lasting impressions on American history. Find out how they were alike and how they were different.

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz
Winner 2008 Newbery Award. Readers will meet a cast of characters from a lively medieval village.

Hana’s Suitcase: A True Story by Levine
The director of a newly opened Holocaust museum in Japan and her students become intrigued with a suitcase from a concentration camp found among the museum’s artifacts. The story of a Czech girl, Hana Brady, a victim of the Holocaust, unfolds through the search for information about a suitcase.Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
Poems written by an eleven-year-old after the death of his parents.

Marley Dog Like No Other by John Grogan
Heartwarming memoir, adapted for young readers, about the rambunctious, wondrously neurotic
Labrador Retriever who became the heart of the Grogan family.

Phineas Gage: A Gruesome But True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman
Explores the strange case of Phineas Gage, who, in 1848, was injured at work when a
thirteen-pound iron rod was shot through his brain, baffling scientists and doctors alike when he
miraculously recovered but suffered a severe personality change.

Secrets of a Civil War Submarine Solving the Mysteries of the H.L.Hunley
by Sally M. Wallker
Chronicles the 1995 discovery of the sunken submarine that made history when it was the first to sink an enemy ship.

The Surrender Tree by Margarita Engle
2009 Newbery Honor book. Poems of Cuba’s struggle for freedom.

Twelve Rounds to Glory the Story of Muhammad Ali by Charles R. Smith, Jr.
An illustrated 12 round account of the champion boxer’s life.

Twice toward Justice by Claudette Colvin
The true story of a hero of the Civil Rights Movement.

Undercurrents by Willo Davis Roberts
Fourteen-year-old Nikki has trouble accepting her new stepmother Crystal, and the problem grows worse when they visit the Northern California house where Crystal lived as a child and experienced some horrible event that she is trying to keep secret.

Witness by Karen Hesse
A series of poems express the views of various people in a Vermont town in the 1920’s while the Klu Klux Klan is trying to infiltrate the town.

Worlds Afire: The Hartford Circus Fire of 1944 by Paul B. Janeczko
A collection of “eyewitness” poems sharing the excitement and anticipation of attending the circus on July 6, 1944 in Hartford, Connecticut as it turns to horror when a fire engulfs the circus tent killing nearly 180 people.

Written in Bone by Sally M. Walker
An archaeological investigation of human and material remains from 17th and 18th-century
Jamestown and colonial Maryland.

Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award Nominees (click to view list)

Have a Wonderful Summer!