Reading List, Middle School

Grade 6 GOR List

Avi: The Blue Heron, The Man Who Was Poe, Nothing But the Truth, Crispin, Cross of Lead, and others. Note: We will read The True Confessions of Charlo3e Doyle in Grade 6, so please DO NOT read this one on your own.

Lloyd Alexander: The Chronicles of Prydain (series) and others

Joan Aiken: The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, and others

Laurie Anderson: Chains

Natalie BabbiA: Tuck EverlasHng

Blue Balliet: Chasing Vermeer

Joan Bauer: Hope Was Here, and others

Gary Blackwood: The Shakespeare Stealer

Betsy Byers: Summer of the Swans, The Midnight Fox and others

Gennifer Choldenko: Al Capone Does My Shirts

Andrew Clements: Frindle, Things Not Seen

Susan Cooper: The Dark is Rising (series)

Padriac Collum: The Golden Fleece

Zizou Corder: Lion Boy

Sharon Creech: Walk Two Moons, Bloomability, The Wanderer, and others, but not her shorter stories

Christopher Paul CurLs: Bud, Not Buddy, The Watsons Go to Birmingham

Karen Cushman: Catherine Called Birdie, The Midwife’s ApprenHce

Roald Dahl: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, MaHlda, and others

Kate DiCamillo: The Tale of Despereaux, Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tiger Rising

Kathryn Erskine: Mockingbird

Paula Fox: Slave Dancer, One-Eyed Cat, Monkey Island

Cornelia Funke: The Thief Lord, Dragon Rider, Inkheart, Inkspell

Jack Gantos: Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, and sequels

Jean Craighead George: My Side of the Mountain, and sequels

Patricia Reilly Giff: Pictures of Hollis Woods, Lily’s Crossing

BeAe Greene: Summer of My German Soldier

Margaret Peterson Haddix: Among The Hidden

Karen Hesse: Out of the Dust, The Music of Dolphins, Stowaway, and others

Polly Horvath: Everything on a Waffle

Eva IboAson: The Secret of PlaWorm 13, and sequels

E.L. Konigsburg: From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, The View from Saturday, Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver, and others

Joseph Krumgold: Onion John, And Now Miguel

Cynthia Kadohata: Kira-Kira

Stephen Lawhead: The Dragon King Saga (series)

Madeleine L’Engle: A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A SwiZly TilHng Planet, Meet the AusHns, and many more.

Gail Carson Levine: Ella Enchanted, Dave at Night (not her shorter fairy tales)

KrisLn Levine: The Best Bad Luck I Have Ever Had

Lois Lenski: Indian CapHve

C.S. Lewis: Note: You will be required to read The Magician’s Nephew during the summer before Grade 6 as part of the summer reading program. (If you would like to read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, or any of the other books in the Chronicles of Narnia series, these would be excellent choices for GOR.)

Lois Lowry: The Giver, Gathering Blue, The Messenger, Number the Stars, The Willoughbys, and others

Michelle Magorian: Goodnight Mr. Tom

Walter Dean Myers: Somewhere in the Darkness, and others ScoA O’Dell: Island of the Blue Dolphins

Linda Sue Park: A Single Shard, My Name Is Keoko, and others  Katherine Paterson: Bridge to Terabithia, Lyddie, Jip, and others

Gary Paulson: Hatchet, Dogsong, Brian’s Winter, and others

Richard Peck: A Long Way from Chicago, A Year Down Under

Rodman Philbrick: Freak the Mighty

Wilson Rawls: Where the Red Fern Grows, Summer of the Monkeys

Louis Sachar: Holes

Zilpha Snyder: The Bronze Pen

Elizabeth George Speare: The Witch of Blackbird Pond and others. Note: We will read The Bronze Bow together in Grade 6, so please DO NOT read this one on your own.

Armstrong Sperry: Call it Courage

Jerry Spinelli: Maniac Magee, Wringer, and others

J. R. R. Tolkien: The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings (series)

Yoshiko Uchida: Jar of Dreams

Cynthia Voight: Homecoming, Dicey’s Song, Jackaroo, and others

Virginia Euer Wolff: True Believer

Lawrence Yep: Dragonwings, The Star Fisher, and others

Jane Yolen: The Devil’s ArithmeHc and others

• There are many other wonderful authors to choose from, but any addiLons to this list must be approved by one of your English teachers in order to count for independent reading. One guideline is to first check if a book that you would like to read has won any significant awards.
• Not all books are appropriate for every sixth grader; a book’s appropriateness may depend on one’s level of maturity, understanding of the topic, and familiarity with English. If you have a quesLon about whether or not a book is appropriate for you, please check with one of your English teachers, with one of the CAJ librarians, or with your parents.

Grade 7

Required Reading:	Task:	Reviewed by:
1 book from the GOR list	Book Recommendation Poster	English Teacher
	Google Drive Survey
1 book from content area list (Bible, Math, Science, or Social Studies)	2 Minute Presentation	Content Area Teacher
	Google Drive Survey
1 free choice (must be on grade level)	Google Drive Survey	Homeroom Teacher

• Additional books read should also be recorded on the Google Drive Survey, in order to count toward the class goal.

• Book list & instructions will be posted on the CAJ website.

• Today we will practice using the google drive survey!

TASK #1 - GOR BOOK POSTER

You are going to design a Book Recommendation Poster that will persuade others to read the book.

Requirements for the poster:

• Title and Author (spelled correctly) must stand out clearly

• A summary in your own words – Write 5-7 sentences that sum up the main action or conflict going on in the book. Don't say "This book is about . . ." Get us right into the action!

• Your Personal Recommendation – Write 2-3 sentences telling your classmates why you recommend this book. Be specific!

• 2 Adjectives (Example: ACTION-PACKED!) describing the book must stand out clearly on the page.

• Visuals: Add pictures, graphics, etc. that relate to the book

• Size: B5 (250 x 176 mm or 9.84 x 6.93 inches) or half of a construction paper

• Due: the first day of class (to your English teacher)

TASK #2 - CONTENT AREA PRESENTATION

You are going to give a short presentation in a content area class to explain to your classmates what you learned about a particular topic.

Requirements for the presentation:

• Tell the title and author name

• Give a brief summary

• Explain the most interesting thing that you learned from reading the book

• Script or notecards written for the presentation

• Due: the first day of class (to your content area teacher)

Requirements:

• 1 book from the Guided Outside Reading (GOR) list
  • Task: book recommendation
  • Reviewed by: English Teacher
• 1 book from a content area (Bible, Math, Science, or Social Studies )
  • Task: 2 minute presentation - Title and Author
    • Brief summary
    • What you learned
  • Reviewed by: Content Area Teacher
• 1 free choice (must be on grade level but does not have to be on one of the reading list)

Guided Outside Reading List

English 7 Guided Outside Reading (GOR) List

Alcott, Louisa M.	Little Women
Alvarez, Julia	Before we were Free
Avi	Nothing but the Truth
	The Secret School
	Don’t you know there’s a War on?
	Crispin: Cross of Lead
Balliett, Blue	Chasing Vermeer
	The Wright 3
Bauer, Joan	Hope was Here
Birdsall, Jeanne	The Penderwicks
Chabon, Michael	Summerland
Creech, Sharon	Walk Two Moons
	Chasing Redbird
	The Wanderer
	Ruby Holler
	Heartbeat
	Replay
Curtis, Christopher Paul	Bud, Not Buddy
	Elijah of Buxton
Cushman, Karen	Catherine called Birdy
	Midwife’s Apprentice
	Matilda Bone
	The Ballad of Lucy Whipple
DiCamillo, Kate	The Tale of Despereaux
Dickens, Charles	A Christmas Carol
Farmer, Nancy	The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm
	A Girl Named Disaster
	The House of the Scorpion
	The Sea of Trolls
Frederick, Heather Vogel	The Voyage of Patience Goodspeed
Funke, Cornelia	The Thief Lord
	Inkheart
	The Dragon Rider
	Inkspell
Gantos, Jack	Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key
	Joey Pigza Loses Control
	What would Joey Do?
Griff, Patricia R.	Pictures of Hollis Woods
Grisham, John	Skipping Christmas
Haddix, Margaret P.	Running Out of Time
	Among the Hidden
	Among the Barons
	Among the Betrayed
	Among the Imposters
	Escape from Memory
	Among the Brave
	Among the Enemy
	The House on the Gulf
	Double Identity
	Among the Free
Hamilton, Virginia	The Mystery of Drear House
Hannigan, Katherine	Ida B.
Hiassen, Carl	Hoot
Hesse, Karen	Out of the Dust
	Stowaway
Horvath, Polly	Everything on a Waffle
	The Vacation
Jacques, Brian	Mattimeo
	Mossflower
	Pearls of Lutra
	Redwall
	Taggerung
	The Bellmaker
Jimenez, Francisco	Breaking Through
Kadohata, Cynthia	Kira-Kira
	Weedflower
Klass, David	You don’t know Me
Konigsburg, E.L.	The Outcasts ot 19 Schulyer Place
Korman, Gordon	Everest Series (I: Contest, II: Climb, III: Summit)
	Island Series (I: Shipwreck, II: Survival, III: Escape)
Lawhead, Stephen	various titles
L’engle, Madeleine	A Ring of Endless Light
	A Wind in the Door
	Many Waters
	An Acceptable Time
Lewis, C.S.	The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Lisle, Janet Taylor	The Art of Keeping Cool
Lobel, Anita	No Pretty Pictures
Lowry, Lois	The Giver
	Gathering Blue
	Silent Boy
	Messenger
Myers, Walter Dean	The Glory Field
Napoli, Donna Jo	Daughter of Venice
	Stones into Water
	Sirena
	Three Days
	North
	Bound
Park, Linda Sue	A Single Shard
	When my Name was Keoko
Paterson, Katherine	Jip
	Preacher’s Boy
	The Same Stuff as Stars
Paulsen, Gary	Dogsong
	Hatchet
	Brian’s Winter
	Brian’s Return
	The Transall Saga
	Guts
Peck, Richard	A Long Way from Chicago
	A Year Down Yonder
	Fair Weather
	The River Between Us
Sachar, Louis	Small Steps
Schmidt, Gary	Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster
	Boy
Smith, Roland	Peak
Spinelli, Jerry	Stargirl
	Loser
	Crash
	The Library Card
	Milkweed
Staples, Suzanne Fisher	Shabanu
	Haveli
	Shiva’s Fire
St. John, Patricia M.	Twice Freed
Taylor, Mildred D.	Let the Circle be Unbroken
	The Road to Memphis
	The Land
Tolan, Stephanie S.	Surviving the Applewhites
Ullman, James Ramsey	Banner in the Sky
Voigt, Cynthia	Dicey’s Song
	Homecoming
	The Runner
Weeks, Sarah	So B. It
Wolff, Virginia Euwer	Make Lemonade
	True Believer
Yolen, Jane	Armageddon Summer

“Dear America” Book series

“Heroes of the Faith” Book series (Biography) “Christian Heroes” Then & Now” (Biography) Trailblazer books

“Reel Kids Adventures” Book series

Bible Reading List

	The book of Genesis (NIV Study Bible)
Harris, Alex&Brett	Do Hard Things
Hoth, Iva	The Picture Bible, Old Testament
Strobel, Lee

Math Reading List

• Leonhard Euler and the Bernoullis: mathematicians from Basel by MBW Tent
• Emmy Noether: the mother of modern algebra by MBW Tent
• Mathematicians are people too: stories from the lives of great mathematicians, v. 1 & 2 by Luetta & Wilbert Reimer
• Charles Babbage and the engines of perfection by Bruce Collier
• Euclid: the great geometer by Chris Hayhurst
• Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz: the polymath who brought us calculus by MBW Tent - The life and times of Pythagoras by Susan Sales Harkins
• The prince of mathematics: Carl Friedrich Gauss by MBW Tent
• Archimedes and the door of science by Jeanne Bendick

Science Reading List

• Extreme physics: take a quantum leap to the edge of science by Dan Green (M 530 GRE)
• The book of blood: from legends and leeches to vampires and veins by HP Newquist (M 612.1 NEW)
• Invincible microbe: tuberculosis and the never-ending search for a cure by Jim Murphy & Allison Blank (M 616.9 MUR)
• An American plague: the true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 by Jim Murphy (M 614.5 MUR)
• Built to last: building America’s amazing bridges, dams, tunnels, and skyscrapers by George Sullivan (M 624 SUL)
• *Bones never lie: how forensics helped solve history’s mysteries by Elizabeth MacLeod
• *Bridges and tunnels: investigate feats of engineering by Donna Latham
• *Double helix: the quest to uncover the structure of DNA by Glen Phelan
• *The secrets of the universe (5-item series)

Social Studies Reading List

Available in Library

• Geology by Dr. John Morris - Weather by Michael Oard
• Exploring the World Around You by Gary Parker
• Our Living Earth by Isabelle Delannoy
• The Young Earth by John Morris
• Christian Heroes Then and Now by Janet Benge: Wilfred Grenfell (Canada), Elizabeth Elliot (Ecuador)

Available in classroom (204)

• Don’t Know Much About Planet Earth by Kenneth C. Davis (also in Library)
• Cool Geography by Jane Glicksman
• The Wild Colorado by Richard Maurer (2 copies)
• The Story of Canada by Isabel Barclay
• The Boys’ War by Jim Murphy
• Secrets in Stone by Laurie Coulter
• Rain Forests by Andrea Mertiny
• Volcanoes by Dr. Rainer Koethe
• The History News: Revolution by Christopher Maynard
• The History News: Explorers by Michael Johnstone
• The Usborne Book of Peoples of the World by Gillian Doherty and Anna Claybourne
• Everything You Need to Know About American History Homework by Anne Zeman and Kate Kelly
• Everything You Need to Know About World History Homework by Anne Zeman and Kate Kelly
• The Usborne Encyclopedia of Planet Earth by Anna Claybourne, Gillian Doherty and Rebecca Treays (2 copies)
• Usborne World History The Last 500 Years by Jane Bingham, Fiona Chandler and Sam Taplin (2 copies)
• Visual Factfinder: World History by Ken Hills
• Scholastic Atlas of Earth by Scholastic (2 copies)
• Horrible Geography: Odious Oceans by Anita Ganeri (2 copies)
• Horrible Geography: Perishing Poles by Anita Ganeri
• Horrible Geography: Violent Volcanoes by Anita Ganeri (2 copies)
• Hernando de Soto and the Explorers of the American South by Sylvia Whitman

SUMMER READING 8 GUIDELINES

8th Grade students: You must read 3 books as described below. Notice how you should submit each one:

1) ONE book from the 8th grade Summer GOR List

• Choose one question to answer in 2-3 paragraphs:
  • Describe how the theme of Taking a Stand is seen in one of the characters.
  • Describe how South East Asian history is a necessary part of the main plot.
  • Explain your expectations at the beginning of the book and how/why you were satisfied or disappointed at the end.
• SUBMIT this as a pdf attachment, Word document or Open Office document (with your name and book title at the top), in an email to Ms. Fischer <jfischer@caj.or.jp> before the first day of school in August 2014. (DO NOT share this with me as a Google doc.)

2) ONE book from the Bible, Math, Science, Social Studies Content List

• To complete the Summer Reading #2 Content Book form:
  • Create an A4 size electronic document similar to the template.
  • Fill in the title and author of the book.
  • Choose the number of stars that shows your opinion of the book (5=beyond my expectations-WOW! 4=excellent, 3=good, 2=OK), and put that number in the star.
  • In the “Let Me Recommend...” box, write 4-5 sentences why you would recommend this book to other 8th grade students. e) Take a picture of you holding the book and insert it in the photo position like the template.
  • Fill in your first and last name at the bottom. g) Print your A4 size color document.
• SUBMIT this by bringing your printed A4 size color copy to school during the first week, August 26-29, 2014.

3) ONE book of your choice, written in English at your own reading level, on or off the 8th grade Summer Reading List

• Complete the Summer Reading #3 Choice Book ticket by completing these:
  • Fill in your first and last name.
  • Fill in the title of the book and the author’s name.
  • Ask your parent to sign after you finish reading the book.
• SUBMIT this by bringing it to school during the first week, August 26-29, 2014.

The 8th Grade Summer Reading List is attached, but you can also view it on the CAJ website, Life @ CAJ under Library. (Click on the Library icon, then the 8th Grade Summer Reading List.)

8th G. O. R. (2014-15)

*=audio version available

Abeel, S.	My 13th Winter
Avi	Nothing But the Truth
Avi	Seer of Shadows
Avi	The Traitor’s Gate
Baliett, B.	*Chasing Vermeer
Baliett, B.	*The Wright 3
Balliet, B.	The Calder Game
Baskin, N.	Anything But Typical
Bauer, J.	Hope Was Here
Bemis, J.	Nine Pound Hammer
Bowen, A.	Wolf, the Journey Home
Bradford, C.	Young Samurai: TheWay...Sword Things Not Seen
Clements, A.	The Girl Who Threw Butterflies
Cochrane, M.	Waiting for Normal
Connor, L.	If the Witness Lied
Cooney, C.	The Toymaker
de Quidt, J.	The King of Dragons
Fenner, C.	Reckless
Funke, C.	*Thief Lord
Funke, C.	*Inkheart
Funke, C.	Inkspell
Funke, C.	Out of the Woods
Gardner, L.	Twenty Gold Falcons
Gordon, A.	Little Princes: One Man’s Promise
Grennan, C.	The Testament
Grisham, J.	Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer
Grisham, J.	Take Your Best Shot
Gutwein, A.	Boom!
Haddon, M.	Roy Morelli Steps Up to the Plate
Heldring, T.	Olive’s Ocean
Henkes, K.	*Flush
Hiassen, C.	*Hoot
Hiassen, C.	The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn
Hoobler, D.	Paper Daughter
Ingold, J.	*Kira-kira
Kadohata, C.	Greetings From Planet Earth
Kerley, B.	Death Cloud
Lane, A.	Hawksmaid
Lasky, K.	Byzantium
Lawhead, S.	The Unfortunate Son
Leeds, C.	Out of the Silent Planet
Lewis, C. S.	Messenger
Lowry, L.	Gossamer
Lowry, L.	Son
Lowry, L.	Good Night, Mr. Tom
Magorian, M. McCaughrean	Cyrano
Mone, G.	Fish
Mortenson, G.	Three Cups of Tea
Muchamore, R.	The Recruit
Napoli, D.	Daughter of Venice
Napoli, D.	The Wager
Orr, W.	Peeling the Onion
Peck, R.	The Teacher’s Funeral
Peck, R.	Here Lies the Librarian
Perkins, L.	As Easy As Falling Off...Earth
Perkovich, O.	8th Grade Super Zero
Raskin, E.	The Westing Game
Reeve, P.	Here Lies Arthur
Sachar, L.	Small Steps
Schlitz, L.	Splendors and Glooms
Schmatz, P.	Bluefish
Schmidt, G.	*Wednesday Wars
Schusterman, N.	The Schwa Was Here
Sensel, Joni	The Farwalker’s Quest
Sheth, K.	Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet
Shinn, S.	Gateway
Shulman, P.	The Grimm Legacy
Slade, A.	Jolted: Newton Starker’s Rules
Smith, G.	The Forest in the Hallway
Stratton, A.	The Grave Robber’s Apprentice
Tashjian, J.	My Life as a Book
Updale, E.	Montmorency: Thief,...Gentleman?
Updale, E.	Montmorency: On the Rocks
Updale, E.	Montmorency and the Assassins
Van Draanen	The Running Dream
Weeks, S.	So B. It
Yolen, J.	Trollbridge

SOCIAL STUDIES CONTENT BOOKS

Barakat, I.	Tasting the Sky
Boyne, J.	*The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Bruchac, J.	Code Talker
Burg, Ann	All the Broken Pieces
Carmi, D.	Samir and Yonatan
Chapman, F.	Is It Night of Day
Compestine, Y.	Revolution is Not a Dinner Party
Cushman, K.	The Loud Silence of Francine Green
Gleeson, L.	Mahtab’s Story
Gratz, A.	*Samurai Shortstop
Gold, A.	A Special Fate
Houston, J.	Farewell to Manzanar
Hughes, D.	Missing in Action
Kadohata, C.	A Million Shades of Gray
Kadohata, C.	Weedflower
Kidd, R.	Monkey Town
Kim, H.	The Long Season of Rain
Leyson, L.	The Boy on the Wooden Box
Laird, E.	A Little Piece of Ground
Li, C.	Mao’s Last Dancer
Namioka, L.	Ties That Bind, Ties That Break
Park, L.	*A Long Walk to Water
Park, L.	*When My Name Was Keoko
Paterson, K.	Master Puppeteer
Perkins, M.	Bamboo People
Preus, M.	Heart of a Samurai
Salisbury, G.	Eyes of the Emperor
Salisbury, G.	House of the Red Fish
Salisbury, G.	Under the Blood-Red Sun
Sepetys, R.	Between Shades of Gray
Smith, R.	Elephant Run
Spinelli, J.	Milkweed
Uchida, Y.	Journey to Topaz
Whelan, G.	Chu Ju’s House
Wiles, D.	Countdown
Yep, L.	Dragon’s Gate

CONTENT BOOKS

for Summer Reading

SOCIAL STUDIES (NOT on the GOR list)

Benge J.	Douglas MacArthur
Blumberg, R.	Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun
Galloway, P.	Adventures on the Ancient Silk Road
Grant, R. G.	Why Did Hiroshima Happen?
Keat, N.	Alive in the Killing Fields
Lekuton, J.	Facing the Lion
Tunnell, M..	Candy Bomber
Turnbull, S.	The Most Daring Raid of the Samurai

BIBLE

Benge, J.&G.	David Bussau: Facing the World Head On
Benge, J.&G.	Jacob DeShazer: Forgive Your Enemies
Benge, J.&G.	Lillian Trasher: The Greatest Wonder in Egypt
Benge, J.&G.	Sundar Singh: Footprints Over the Mountains
dcTalk	Jesus Freaks, v. 1:...The Ultimate Jesus Freaks
dcTalk	Jesus Freaks, v. 2:...Fearing God, Not Man
Jackson, D.&N.	Hero Tales
McKissack, P.	Let My People Go
Morimoto, T.	By Grace & Mercy
Zhang, S.	A Little Tiger in the Chinese Night: An Autobiography in Art

MATH

Bendick, J.	Archimedes and the Door of Science
Collier, B.	Charles Babbage and the Engines of Perfection
Harkins, S.	The Life and Times of Pythagoras
Hayhurst, C.	Euclid: the Great Geometer
Tent, MBW	Emmy Noether: The Mother of,Modern Algebra
Tent, MBW	Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz: The,Polymath Who Brought Us,Calculus
Tent, MBW	Leonhard Euler and the Bernoullis: Mathematicians from Basal
Tent, MBW	The Prince of Mathematics: Carl Friedrich Gauss
Reimer, L.&W.	Mathematicians are People Too