Please read (at least) two books of your choice this summer.
This list is a collection of recommendations from eighth graders and the school librarian.
See the back of last page for the rest of your Summer Reading assignment
Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins
Chiko is a studious Burmese boy who has
been seized by the government and sent
into the Burmese army. Tu Reh, a Karenni
boy whose home is destroyed by the
Burmese soldiers, is eager to fight for his
people. When Chiko and Tu Reh meet, a
close friendship is forged, demonstrating
their courage to overcome violence and
prejudice.
Bloody Jack* by L.A. Meyer
Reduced to begging and thievery in the
streets of London, a thirteen-year-old
orphan disguises herself as a boy and
connives her way onto a British warship
set for high sea adventure in search of
pirates.
Booked by Kwame Alexander
Nick Hall, a bright eighth-grader, has
trouble paying attention in class. Most of
his brain time is taken up daydreaming
about soccer. Meanwhile, problems at
home give him other things to worry
about. Help comes from his best friend
and teammate Coby, and his librarian
“The Mac,” who points Nick to inspiring
literature.
Peak* by Roland Smith
When Peak Marcello is caught climbing a
skyscraper in New York City, his famous
climber dad takes him out of the country.
Peak soon discovers that his dad is driven
by selfish motives. Now that he has an
opportunity to be the youngest person to
climb Mt. Everest, Peak has to decide
what's important.
The Ruins of Gorlan* by John Fleming
Fifteen-year-old Will hopes to become a
knight of Castle Redmont, but due to his
small stature, he winds up as an
apprentice to the fierce, mysterious
Ranger. When the kingdom is attacked by
evil magic forces, Will helps track down
and defeat nasty beasts.
Children of Blood and Bone* by
Tomi Adeyemi
Seventeen-year-old Zélie, her older
brother Tzain, and rogue princess Amari
fight to restore magic to the land and
activate a new generation of magi, but
they are ruthlessly pursued by the crown
prince, who believes the return of magic
will mean the end of the monarchy.
Girls Made of Snow and Glass by
Melissa Bashardoust
Sixteen-year-old Mina has a heart made
of glass. She marries a king, becoming
step-mother to fifteen-year-old Lynet,
who was fashioned out of snow. When the
king chooses Lynet to rule the southern
territories, she must decide whether she
should win the approval of her "mother"
or defeat her and take over the kingdom.
The Golden Compass* by Phillip Pullman
Accompanied by her daemon, Lyra
Belacqua sets out to prevent her best
friend and other kidnapped children from
becoming the subject of gruesome
experiments in the Far North.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
Bilbo Baggins, a respectable, well-to-do
hobbit, lives comfortably in his hobbit-
hole until the day the wandering wizard
Gandalf chooses him to take part in an
adventure from which he may never
return.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
A councilman offers Kaz "Dirtyhands"
Brekker unimaginable riches, provided he
can break a foreign chemist out of the
most deadly and secure prison in the
world. Kaz assembles a team of misfit
specialists perfect for the task, but things
go wrong, and soon Kaz finds himself
having to escape the very prison he was
to infiltrate.
The Boy Who Dared by
Susan Campbell Bartelotti
Based on real events, this is the story of
17-year-old Helmuth Hübener, who was
imprisoned in October 1942 for
distributing anti-Nazi leaflets. Secretly
listening to BBC radio broadcasts,
Helmuth attempts to reveal the truth
about Hitler but consequently suffers
beatings, torture and imprisonment.
The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
Seventeen-year-old Chinese American Jo
Kuan works as a lady's maid for a rich
spoiled brat in 1890s Atlanta. Secretly, Jo
writes a column for a local newspaper on
some of high society's lesser qualities. Her
column becomes both a hit and a
controversy and Jo receives a mysterious
letter that sets her on a path to learn
more about the parents who abandoned
her.
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
Seventeen-year-old Richie Perry, just out
of his Harlem high school, enlists in the
Army in the summer of 1967 and spends a
devastating year on active duty in
Vietnam.
Little Women and Good Wives by
Louisa May Alcott
The March sisters and their mother must
try to make ends meet while their father
is at war. Although life can be hard for the
family, and times are tough, this is an
extraordinary story of triumph over
adversity, recounting in exquisite detail,
the lives, loves, trials, and triumphs of
these four very different sisters.
Sophia’s War by Avi
When John André, a handsome British
officer quartered in her home during the
American Revolution, fails to help her
brother, an American soldier, Sophia
becomes a spy and sets out to personally
stop British forces from seizing West
Point.
Found* by Margaret Peterson Haddix
One night a plane appeared out of
nowhere, the only passengers aboard:
thirty-six babies. As soon as they were
taken off the plane, it vanished. Now,
thirteen years later, two of those children
are receiving sinister messages, and they
begin to investigate their past.
In the Hall With the Knife
by Diana Peterfreund
A violent storm strands six students at
Blackbrook Academy's girls' dormitory--a
creepy mansion with nooks and crannies
named Tudor House. With names and
nicknames that harken back to the board
game Clue, the students find their
headmaster murdered the next morning
and work together to figure out who is
the killer among them.
Mousetrap by Agatha Christie
When eight people are trapped during a
snow storm, they find out there is a
murderer in their midst.
The Night She Disappeared
by April Henry
Told from various viewpoints, Gabie and
Drew set out to prove that their missing
co-worker Kayla is not dead, and to find
her before she is, while the police search
for her body and the man who abducted
her.
Winterhouse by Ben Guterson
Elizabeth, 11, spends Christmas break at
Winterhouse Hotel under strange
circumstances, where she discovers that
she has magic, and her love of puzzles
helps her solve a mystery.
Cinder* by Marissa Meyer
In this futuristic twist on the classic
Cinderella story, Cinder is a teenage
cyborg mechanic. Her “normal” existence
is turned upside down when she meets
and falls for the handsome prince and
learns that her sister's life is being
threatened by a plague. Can Cinder save
her sister and also capture the heart of
her prince?
The Hunger Games* by Suzanne Collins
In dystopian America, now called
"Panem," each year a boy and a girl from
each district participate in a violent
reality TV show called The Hunger Games
in which competitors battle to the death.
Sixteen-year-olds Katniss and Peeta take
their places in the games and are up
against highly-trained competitors.
Becoming Kareem
by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Presents the memoir of legendary
basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
as he reflects on his childhood, career,
conversion to Islam, and social reform
work.
Born a Crime® by Trevor Noah
Adapted for young readers, the author,
comedian Trevor Noah, shares his
personal journey from his birth in South
Africa to his job behind a desk at "The
Daily Show."
Free Lunch by Rex Ogle
The author reveals the humiliation that
came with the daily outing of his family's
hunger and poverty in sixth grade when
he had to announce that he participated
in his school's free lunch program.
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Describes the life of the young Pakistani
student who advocated for women's
rights and education in the Taliban-
controlled Swat Balley, survived an
assassination attempt, and became the
youngest nominee for the Nobel Peace
Prize.
Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
When he learns that his former college
professor is dying, Mitch, a busy sports
journalist, makes time to visit him and
finds his own outlook on life changed by
his conversations with the dying teacher.
® Refers to Young Reader edition
*Part of a series
The Prisoner of Cell 25*
by Richard Paul Evans
Ninth-grader Michael Vey has the power
to zap people with electricity on demand.
He keeps his power a secret until the day
his crush, Taylor, witnesses him in action.
When an evil organization kidnaps Taylor
and Michael's mother, Michael and his
friends must rescue them.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Meg Murry and her friends become
involved with unearthly strangers and a
search for Meg's father, who has
disappeared while engaged in secret
work for the government.
Unplugged by Donna Freitas
Skye is a sixteen-year-old virtual girl who
can't wait to unplug for her year of
service when she turns seventeen. But
when the border between the real and
virtual world closes, Skye is trapped on
the wrong side. Skye sets out to return
home to her family amidst a frightening
discovery about the true nature of her
world.
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Justyce McAllister is top of his class, set
for the future. His private school
classmates think he has been given unfair
advantages because he is black and his
neighborhood think he has assimilated to
“white culture." Everything comes to a
head when Justyce and his friend Manny
are cruising together with their music too
loud and they draw the fury of an off-duty
white cop
Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott
Stella and Will both have cystic fibrosis
and to be safe, they need to stay six feet
away from each other, but as Stella and
Will start to fall in love, safety measures
begin to feel like a punishment and they
reexamine the risks they're willing to take
to live.
Ghost* by Jason Reynolds
If they can get their acts together, Ghost,
Lu, Patina, and Sunny could potentially
become their middle school track team's
elite squad. Ghost has outstanding
natural talent, but no formal training, and
his discipline is lacking. He will have to do
everything he can to stay on track,
physically and figuratively, to be the best
sprinter in the city.
Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee
When boys in seventh-grader Mila's class
start touching her and making her feel
uncomfortable, she does not want to tell
her friends or mother until she reaches
her breaking point.
A Very Large Expanse of Sea
by Tahereh Mafi
In 2002, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl
named Shirin starts over at yet another
high school, having dealt with the
prejudice and abuse that followed 9/11.
She copes by turning to music and break-
dancing. She meets Ocean James, who
seems to want to get to know her, but
she's had the walls up for so long, she
doesn't know if she can really let him in.
YOUR SUMMER READING
ASSIGNMENT:
& Read at least two
books of your choice.
& Fill out the “Summer
Reading Grade 8”
sheet on the next
page.
& Print and attach a
“selfie” of you and
your book.
Name:________________________ Parent signature: ______________________
Summer Reading Grade 8

What was your favorite book this summer? : ____________________________________

Rate that book by coloring in 1 to 5 stars: 1= did not enjoy it and 5=loved it!

Why was this your favorite book? You might discuss character connections, the plot,
or the language.
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Based on what you know about theme, what is the theme of your novel?
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What other books did you read this summer? Rate them as well.

1.  ___________________________

2.  ___________________________

3.  ___________________________

Please print and attach a “selfie” of you and your book