St. Mary's School Library

Required reading for 7^th and 8^th grade students: Phoenix Rising by Karen Hesse.

This novel will be discussed in your language arts and religion classes in September, 2011.

Grade 6 students: Required reading, 4 novels.

Grades 7 and 8: Phoenix Rising and 4 additional novels.

Please write the title, author, and genre for each novel and bring the list with you the first day of school.

Have fun reading!

Recommended Titles

Abeel, Samantha - My Thirteenth Winter

Sometimes a challenge in life can lead to inspiration. Samantha writes of her difficulties in overcoming a math-related learning disability and her difficulties with spelling and grammar. This is an amazing story of courage, strength, and the ability to overcome adversity.

Abrahams, Peter - Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery

Like her idol Sherlock Holmes, eighth-grader Ingrid Levin-Hill uses her intellect to solve the murder of an eccentric local woman in her hometown of Echo Falls.

Alcott, Louisa May - Little Women

In this enduring classic set in the 1800’s, readers will delight in meeting the four March sisters – Meg, Amy, Beth, and Jo. Beginning around the time of the Civil War, this wonderful novel lets us step back in time and share their lives and adventures – the fun, the sadness, and the joy.

Anderson, Laurie Halse - Chains

As the Revolutionary War patriots fought for their freedom under the banner of “all men are created equal,” a stark division was created as slaves lived and died beside their masters. Isabel, a 14-year-old slave, struggles to come to terms with this injustice. The stark horrors of slavery and war are brilliantly illustrated by Anderson.

Anderson, Laurie Halse - Fever, 1793

In 1793 Philadelphia, sixteen-year-old Matilda Cook, separated from her sick mother, learns about perseverance and self-reliance when she is forced to cope with the horrors of a yellow fever epidemic.

Avi - Iron Thunder

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. Will he find the courage to survive?

Avi - The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is the only female passenger aboard a transAtlantic sailing ship heading for

America

in 1832. Troubles abound when Charlotte is accused of murder and sentenced to be hanged! A suspenseful seafaring novel!

Ayres, Katherine - Macaroni Boy

Living in Pittsburgh during the Great Depression, Mike investigates the cause of the sickness that is affecting so many in his community, including his own grandfather. To learn the truth he must enlist the help of the neighborhood bully who nicknames Mike “Macaroni Boy.”

Bauer, Joan - Squashed

To win the blue ribbon at the Pumpkin Weigh-In, sixteen-year-old Ellie must get her giant pumpkin named Max to gain 200 more pounds. Ellie’s other goal is to lose twenty pounds herself and attract Wes, the new boy. Weather problems, stiff competition, and pumpkin thieves complicate Ellie’s life in this funny, fastpaced novel.

Bruschi, Tedy - Never Give Up: My stroke, my recovery, and my return to the NFL

Ten days after helping the New England Patriots win the Super Bowl, 31-year-old middle linebacker Bruschi suffered a debilitating stroke that left his future uncertain. His comeback initially met with much skepticism from the media and fans alike, but Bruschi writes that he was determined to overcome the obstacles thrown up by those ignorant of strokes.

Burgan, Michael - Muhammad Ali: American Champion

Using a graphic novel format, this illustrated biography tells the life story of dynamic heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, who gained fame for his boxing skills, political views, and humanitarian efforts.

Canfield, J. - Chicken Soup for the Nature Lover’s Soul

A collection of short, inspirational stories for nature lovers. One of the popular series.

Clements, Andrew - Extra Credit

Abby needs to do well on the extra credit pen pal assignment. But to Sadeed, her assigned pen pal in the hills of Kabul,

Afghanistan

, the project is just extra work. Although their cultures and lifestyles are vastly different, Abby and Sadeed develop a friendship that is based on their similarities.

Clements, Andrew - No Talking

How will the teachers and principals react when a normally way-too-talkative class nicknamed the "unshushables" suddenly becomes SILENT? Is it because of a student rebellion? A strange disease? Or is it just the result of a contest between the boys and the girls?

Crane, Stephen - The Red Badge of Courage

In this realistic novel of the Civil War, Henry, a young Union soldier, is initially enthusiastic and patriotic about fighting; however, when the actual bloodshed begins, he is overwhelmed with the horror of war.

Creech, Sharon - Absolutely Normal Chaos

At first, Mary Lou Finney (of Walk Two Moons) thinks her summer assignment of keeping a journal will be boring. But then life becomes exciting, and Mary Lou has lots to tell – about her cousin – and about her boy-crazy best friend – and about the most incredible unbelievable summer of her life.

Creech, Sharon - The Wanderer

Thirteen-year-old Sophie and her cousin Cody record their transatlantic crossing aboard the Wanderer, a forty-five foot sailboat, which, along with uncles and another cousin, is en route to visit their grandfather in

England

Curtis, Christopher Paul - The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963

The everyday lives of the Watsons, an African-American family, are drastically changed when they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963. A novel that is at times both comic and deeply moving.

Dash, Joan A. - A Dangerous Engine: Benjamin Franklin, from Scientist to Diplomat

Biography of eighteenth-century printer, scientist, revolutionary, and diplomat, Benjamin Franklin. Dash’s book brings to life the mind, heart and accomplishments of this fascinating man.

Davies, Jacqueline - The Lemonade War

When Evan's sister Jessie skips third grade and ends up in his fourth grade class, he is worried she will embarrass him with her school smarts. To settle the question of who is smarter, he challenges Jessie to a lemonade war. Which sibling can run the most successful lemonade stand in a five day competition?

DeKeyser, Stacy - Jump the Cracks

On the way to visit her father in New York City, fifteen-year-old Victoria finds an apparently abused child in the train's bathroom and soon finds herself accused of being a kidnapper. She tries to fulfill her promise to protect the boy at all costs.

DuPrau, Jeanne - The City of Ember (Series)

Can Lina and Doon save their beloved city from impending darkness? Book one of the Books of Ember series.

Flake, Sharon G. - The Skin I’m In

Thirteen-year-old Maleeka, uncomfortable because her skin is extremely dark, meets a new teacher with a birthmark on her face and makes some discoveries about how to love who she is and what she looks like.

Forbes, Esther - Johnny Tremain

Johnny Tremain, a fourteen-year-old silversmith’s apprentice, is drawn into the Revolutionary War and becomes a patriot fighting to free the colonies from

England

. Along the way he learns about life and about himself.

Frank, Anne - The Diary of a Young Girl

Anne Frank and her family, fleeing the horrors of Nazi occupation, hide in the back of an Amsterdam warehouse for two years. She was thirteen when the family went into the Secret Annex, and in this diary, she grows to be a young woman and a wise observer of human nature as well. With unusual insight, she reveals the relations between eight people living under extraordinary conditions, facing hunger, isolation, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death.

Freedman, Russell - Washington at Valley Forge

George Washington's battle at Valley Forge becomes real in this book. Through well-written text, historic works of art, and primary sources, the reader can understand Washington's feelings and actions. The suffering of the men, the heroics of the people, and the strategy of the battles are shared in this book.

Gardner, Graham - Inventing Elliot

Fourteen-year-old Elliot Sutton arrives at his new high school determined he is not going to become a target for teasing; however, when a group of upperclassmen try to recruit him to join their group the Guardians, Elliot must make a difficult decision.

George, Jean Craighead – Julie of the Wolves

A young Eskimo girl, named both Julie Edward (her American name) and Miyax Kapugen (her Eskimo name), runs away from a traditional planned marriage that she finds intolerable. She becomes lost on the vast North Slope of the Alaskan Brooks Range, far away from even the most remote settlement. The long arctic winter is coming on and Julie must call on all her wits, her Eskimo skills, and her sensitivity to nature to find the food and shelter she needs to survive.

Greene, Betty - Summer of My German Soldier

Set during WWII, this story reveals the value of friendship and the importance of compassion.

Harlow, Joan Hiatt - Joshua’s Song

1919 has been a terrible year for Joshua. After his father died he had to quit school and take a job as a newspaper boy in Boston. He thought his life could not get harder until the day the molasses tank exploded.

Harlow, Joan Hiatt - Thunder from the Sea

Harsh weather brings an orphan boy, Tom, and a stranded dog, Thunder, together on the island of Newfoundland. They struggle to find a family despite a blizzard, a tidal wave, and worst of all, Thunder’s former owner.

Hawking, Stephen and Lucy - George’s Secret Key to the Universe

Stephen George and his neighbor friend Eric travel through a computer portal into outer space encountering black holes while trying to escape an evil scientist.

Hiaasen, Carl - Flush

Noah’s father is jailed for sinking a river boat because he believes that illegal dumping is going on.

Noah and his sister must gather evidence that the owner of a floating casino is guilty of the dumping. Young environmentalists will delight in the twisting plot and quirky characters.

Hiaasen, Carl - Hoot

Roy, a middle school boy who is the target of a school bully, gets involved in a mysterious case of vandalism and a barefoot boy’s commitment to save burrowing owls living on a construction site.

Holm, Jennifer L. - Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf: A Year Told Through Stuff

Follow the clues left in this mixed diary/scrapbook as it traces a girl’s journey through seventh grade and the stresses of middle school. During this time, she also has to deal with the major adjustment of a new stepfather after losing her father years ago.

Horowitz, Anthony - Stormbreaker (Series)

After the death of the uncle who had been his guardian, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is coerced to continue his uncle’s dangerous work for

Britain

’s Intelligence Agency, M16. James Bond-like adventures abound in this fast-paced, suspenseful novel. (Book one in the Alex Rider series).

Hughes, Pat - Guerilla Season

Two fifteen-year-old boys in Missouri in 1863 find friendship and family loyalty tested by Quantrell's raiders, a Rebel guerrilla band.

Jiang, Ji-li - Red Scarf Girl : A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution

The author tells about the happy life that she led in

China

up until she was twelve-years-old when her family became a target of the Cultural Revolution. She discusses the choice she had to make between denouncing her father and breaking with her family, or refusing to speak against him and losing her future in the Communist Party.

Kehret, Peg - Abduction

Thirteen-year-old Bonnie has a feeling of foreboding on the very day that her six-year-old brother Matt and their dog Pookie are abducted, and she becomes involved in a major search effort as well as a frightening adventure.

Kehret, Peg - The Ghost’s Grave

When twelve-year-old Josh apprehensively spends the summer in Washington state with his eccentric Aunt Ethel, he encounters the ghost of a one-legged coal miner. After stumbling upon a metal box of buried treasure, he solves the mystery of the box and finds out more about himself and his family.

Kehret, Peg - Saving Lilly

Erin hadn’t meant to start a war with her teacher. She just didn’t want the class to take a field trip to a place that abused animals! Can one girl actually make a difference, and save even one elephant?

Kelly, Jacqueline - The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

The summer of 1899 is hot in Calpurnia’s sleepy Texas town, and there aren’t a lot of good ways to stay cool. As Callie explores the natural world around her, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates the dangers of living with six brothers, and learns what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century.

Lewis, J. Patrick et al. - Birds on a Wire: A Renga 'Round Town

An unnamed community, characteristic of smalltown

USA

, is beautifully brought to life through an ancient form of poetry called renga, meaning “linked verse.” Like a haiku, a renga is an ancient Japanese verse form that is traditionally written by two poets.

London, Jack - White Fang

White Fang faces the harsh and cruel reality of life in the wild, in the Indian camp, and as a fighting dog. It is not until he is befriended by the Californian Weedon Scott that he understands kindness for the first time.

Lord, Walter - A Night to Remember

The story of the sinking of the Titanic is told in a "you were there" approach.

Lupica, Mike - Batboy

Brian loves baseball. But baseball has not always been a positive influence in his life. His parents are divorced due in large to his father’s devotion to his own baseball career. Brian’s all-time favorite player was involved in a steroid scandal that affected an entire era of baseball achievements and stats. Now in one dream summer as batboy for the Detroit Tigers, he learns some truths about second chances and letting go.

Lupica, Mike - Travel Team

After being cut from his travel basketball team, the very same team that his father once led to national prominence, twelve-year-old Danny Walker forms his own team of cast-offs that might have a shot at victory.

MacHale, D.J. - The Merchant of Death (Pendragon Series)

Fourteen-year-old Bobby Pendragon, having learned he is a Traveler- - someone who can ride the “flumes” through time and space, is soon off to the alternative dimension of Denduron. There he teams up with Loor, a girl his age from the warrior-territory of Zadaa, in an attempt to save

the gentle Milago people from slavery. Book one in an exciting series!

Martin, Ann M. - Belle Teal

A young white girl witnesses the integration of her public school in the early 1960s South. Belle Teal, a spunky, generous girl who copes at home with a loving but feckless mother and a beloved but increasingly senile grandmother, finds herself caught in the middle of the integration conflict, as she must balance her old friendship with bigoted Little Boss with her new friendship with Darryl, a black boy.

Martin, Ann M. - A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray

Everything is comfortable in Squirrel’s world until her mother and brother disappear. Left on her own, she is forced to face many challenges from humans, other animals, and the elements. As days pass, Squirrel learns that her life will never be the same, but with all these obstacles, can she survive?

McDonald, Joyce - Swallowing Stones

A freak accident on the Fourth of July changes the lives of four teenagers forever. Michael watches his world fall apart in this suspenseful story of an accidental crime and its sorrowful results.

Morpurgo, Michael - War Horse

Written from his point of view, Joey the horse recalls his experiences growing up on an English farm where he is befriended by young Albert. Sold to the army by Albert’s harsh father, Joey struggles for survival as a cavalry horse during World War I. Throughout it all, he hopes to be re-united with his beloved master Albert someday.

Myers, Walter Dean - Somewhere in the Darkness

A teenage boy accompanies his father, who has recently escaped from prison, on a trip that turns out to be an often painful time of discovery for them both.

Nelson, Kadir - We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

The author/illustrator of this powerful book shares his love for the history of the Negro Leagues in exquisite oil paintings that show the spirit, pride, and determination of these athletes. Narrated as one voice that speaks for many, the reader is given the opportunity to spend time with not only the well-known but also the unknown players of the Negro Leagues.

O’Keefe, Susan Heyboer - Death By Eggplant

Bertie is overwhelmed by his secret desire to become a Master Chef; by his clueless parents; and by his mortal enemy, Nick. Add in caring for a flour-sack baby for 10 days, and it’s a recipe for laughter and self-discovery.

Paolini, Christopher - Eragon (Series)

In Aagaesia, a fifteen-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters. Book one of The Inheritance Cycle.

Pearson, Mary E. - The Adoration of Jenna Fox

After a yearlong coma, Jenna awakens into a body, a life, and a world she does not remember. She is told about who she was, but she doesn't remember. As Jenna begins to live again, she struggles to reconcile the person she was with the person she has become and the person her parents want her to be. Jenna discovers that her recovery is not going to be as simple as she had thought.

Peck, Richard - On the Wings of Heroes

A boy in Illinois remembers the home front years of World War II, especially his two heroes- -his brother in the Air Force and his father, who fought in the previous war. Davey learns all about sacrifices at home, and away.

Peck, Richard - The River Between Us

During the early days of the Civil War, the Pruitt family takes in two mysterious young ladies who have fled New Orleans to come north to Illinois.

Peters, Julie - Anne Define Normal

When she agrees to meet with Jasmine as a peer counselor at their middle school, Antonia never dreams that this girl with black lipstick and a pierced eyebrow will end up becoming her friend. In this contemporary novel, the girls face some serious problems together and show the reader that looks can be deceiving.

Pierce, Tamara – Alanna (series)

Feisty, red-haired Alanna disguises herself as a boy in her quest to become a royal knight. Alanna becomes friends with the young Prince Jonathan, and she becomes the enemy of the prince’s uncle, the Duke. A lively adventurous fantasy novel in which Alanna shows her courage and skill.

Potok, Chaim - The Chosen

This novel tells the story of Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders – one an Orthodox Jew, the other the son of a Hasidic Rabbi – and the course of their friendship as they grow up in Brooklyn.

Rappaport, Doreen - Lady Liberty: A Biography

Through the voices of many, the story of the Statue of Liberty is brought to life. Each character provides a piece of the history, starting with Laboulaye's dream of a birthday gift for

America

, through the painstaking creation and construction on both continents, and ending with immigrants and their memories of Lady Liberty

Rawlings, Marjorie Kinnan - The Yearling

When young Jody Baxter rescued and adopted a fawn that he named Flag, he had no idea of the joy and heartbreak the next year would bring. In the Florida backwoods of many years ago, the Baxter family struggled with a harsh everyday life. They grew their own crops and at times confronted rattlesnakes, alligators, bears, and wolves. A classic story of love, survival, and growing up.

Riordan, Rick - The Lightning Thief (Series)

21st century kid Percy Jackson discovers he is the secret son of one of the mythical Greek gods of Mount Olympus. After this discovery, Percy is sent to a summer camp for children of the gods, where he learns to fight monsters and survive against unnatural odds, handy skills for his first quest. Book one of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.

Rowling, J. K. – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Series)

Harry, an orphan, lives with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. One day just before his eleventh birthday, an owl tries to deliver a mysterious letter—the first of a sequence of events. He must match wits against Lord Voldemort, who seeks an object of legend known as the Sorcerer's Stone. Book one of the Harry Potter series.

Sachar, Louis - Holes

Stanley Yelnats finds true friendship, a treasure and a new beginning at Camp Greenwood, a correctional camp in Texas for juveniles, where he is sent for a crime he did not commit.

Sachar, Louis - Small Steps

Characters familiar to readers from the bestseller Holes take on new challenges as they adjust to their life back in Austin, Texas. Armpit makes some unlikely friends of a neighbor with cerebral palsy and a lonely young pop star.

Saint-Exupery, Antoine de - The Little Prince

An aviator whose plane is forced down in the Sahara Desert encounters a little prince from a small planet who relates his adventures.

Seidler, Tor - Brainboy and the Deathmaster

Darryl, video game whiz, is drawn into a high-tech program where kids compete to be the best video gamers. However, Darryl discovers the ultimate prize may be winning his survival and that of his friends.

Smith, Roland - Elephant Run

Nick Freestone is trying to escape Nazi bombs in London when his mother sends him to stay with his father on a teak plantation in

Burma

. Unfortunately he arrives in

Burma

just as the Japanese invade the country and take his father prisoner. Can he and his new friend Mya risk their lives to help POWs escape on elephant back?

Sonnenblick,

Jordan

- Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie

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.

Spinelli, Jerry - Smiles to Go

High school freshman Will Tuppence has girl trouble…Add to that problem a strained relationship with another friend, a love-hate relationship with a dangerous skateboard ride, and proof of the

immutable death of the proton, and Will is facing a tough year.

Supplee, Suzanne - Artichoke's Heart

Rosemary has been overweight forever. When the scale hits 203, Rosemary takes drastic measures to lose weight, including eating tainted mayonnaise and drinking weight loss shakes. As Rosemary embarks on this clandestine weight loss program, she gains more than she loses with a new friend and a love interest. More important than her weight loss, Rosemary learns to love herself for who she is.

Taylor, Mildred – Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Cassie Logan comes to understand what her father means when he talks of the importance of their family land. After all, black landowners in 1933 Mississippi are far from common. The Logan’s story is one of courage and a sure sense of worth and honor in a world of prejudice and its accompanying injustice.

Van Draanen, Wendelin - Flipped

Bryce and Juli, a pair of 8th grade neighbors, write alternating chapters in this contemporary light-hearted novel. Ever since second grade, Juli has had a crush on Bryce – and he has done his best to avoid her! In 8^th grade, however, things “flip” and their roles are reversed. Now Bryce likes Juli – and Juli isn’t so sure about Bryce anymore. As the novel progresses, both teens learn valuable lessons about life and love.

Weeks, Sarah - So B. It

After spending her life with her mentally retarded mother and agoraphobic neighbor, twelve-year-old Heidi sets out from Reno, Nevada, to New York to find out who she is.

Winters, Kay - Colonial Voices: Hear Them Speak

Join the printer's errand boy as he delivers an urgent message to various establishments in Boston on December 17, 1773. At each stop, the reader is introduced to different occupations such as the Printer, the Baker, and the Midwife. Detailed watercolor and ink drawings add visual interest; historical notes and suggestions for further reading provide support.

Zusak, Markus – The Book Thief

Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesl - a young German girl whose Book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.