Stafford Middle School
Summer 2008 Reading List
(click here for printable version)

Rip Into Summer With a Good Book!
Reading List
IN-COMING SIXTH GRADERS
Reading List
IN-COMING SEVENTH GRADERS
Reading List
IN-COMING EIGHTH GRADERS
Dear Parents/Guardians:

Because reading is a crucial component of everyone’s education, we are offering the following list to promote the reading habit over the summer. The list below for each grade level contains a variety of choices so that your child will both enjoy and benefit from a summer of reading.

We require our students to read one book from the list, or any other book you approve of, prior to the start of school on August 27, 2008.  Incoming grades 7 and 8, please click here for a list of assignments.  Incoming grade 6, please click here for a list of assignments.   Your child must complete one assignment for the novel he/she reads. This assignment must be turned in by Friday, August 29th to your child’s English teacher who will credit and record what your child has read over the summer.

The recommended book list will be available at the Stafford Library. The following web sites can assist you in providing further information about award winning books:

http://www.nutmegaward.org/index.htm

http://www.ala.org/alsc/newbery.html

http://www.ala.org/ala/emiert/corettascottkingbookaward/corettascott.htm#winners

http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/alscresources/booklists/MiddleSchoolReads.cfm

Stafford Middle School Library  http://www.stafford.ctschool.net/SMS/library.html

The following web sites provide book reviews, book summaries, author information, book activities and much more:

KidsReads.com    http://www.kidsreads.com/

Teenreads.com   http://www.teenreads.com/

The following link is Mrs. Callahan's end of the year book talk:

Book Talk

Thank you for your partnership in promoting your child’s education.

Sincerely,

Kenneth Valentine, Principal
Stafford Middle School English, Reading, and Library Media Teachers


READING LIST FOR IN-COMING SIXTH GRADERS


Author
Title
Abbott, Tony
 Firegirl
Balliett, Blue Chasing Vermeer
Birdsall, Jeanne

The Penderwicks : a summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits, and a very interesting boy

Bruchac, Joseph The Warriors
Clements, Andrew
 Room One
 Things Not Seen
Things Hoped For
Curtis, Christopher Paul
 The Watsons go to Birmingham--1963 : a novel
Fleischman,Sid
 		The Entertainer and the Dybbuk
Freedman, Russell (Nonfiction) The Wright brothers : how they invented the airplane
Grimes, Nikki Jazmin's Notebook
Han, Jenny
 Shug

Harkrader, Lisa

 Airball : my life in briefs
Kehret, Peg
 Escaping the Giant Wave
Kinney, Jeff
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley's Journal
Korman, Gordon
 No More Dead Dogs
Lord, Cynthia
 Rules
Lubar, David
 Hidden Talents
Lupica, Mike
 Heat
Murphy, Jim (Nonfiction)
 An American Plague: the true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793
O'Dell, Kathleen
 Agnes Parker Girl in Progress
Agnes Parker: Keeping Cool in Middle School
Pullman, Philip
 The Scarecrow and His Servant
Perkins, Lynne Rae- Criss Cross
Sage, Angie Magyk
Flyte
Physik
Turner, Ann
 Hard Hit
***2009 Nutmeg Nominees (Click here)
Book Series

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READING LIST FOR IN-COMING SEVENTH GRADERS


Author
 Title
Abrahama, Peter Down the Rabbit Hole
Alexie, Sherman The absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Allison, Jennifer

 Gilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator
Gilda Joyce: the Ladies of the Lake
Gilda Joyce: the Ghost Sonata
Bennett, Holly
 The Bonemender
Bruchac, Joseph Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two
Canales, Viola
 The Tequila Worm
Freedman, Russell (Nonfiction) Cowboys of the Wildwest
Funke, Cornelia Caroline Inkheart
Inkspell
Gaiman, Neil  Coraline
Hughes, Dean

Soldier boys
Kinney, Jeff Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley's Journal
Lubar, David
 		True Talents
Flip
Lupica, Mike The Big Field
Moriarty, Jaclyn
 The Year of Secret Assignments
Murphy, Jim (Nonfiction) Blizzard!: the Storm that changed America
Myers, Walter Dean Monster
Scorpions
Pfeffer, Susan Beth
 Life As We Knew It
Rees, Celia

Pirates! : the true and remarkable adventures of Minerva Sharpe and Nancy Kington, female pirates
Rees, Douglas
 Vampire High
Shafer, Audrey
The Mailbox
Smith, Greg Leitich
 Ninjas, Piranhas and Galileo
Vega, Denise Click Here: (to find out how I survived seventh grade)
Van Draanen, Wendelin
 Flipped
Wooding, Chris
 Poison
Storm Thief
***2009 Nutmeg Nominees (Click here)
Book Series

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READING LIST FOR IN-COMING EIGHTH GRADERS
Author
Title
Adoff, Jaime
 Jimi and Me
Alexie, Sherman
 The absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Bauer, Joan  Hope was Here
Bauer, Michael Gerard
 Don't Call Me Ishmael
Cary, Kate
 Bloodline: A Novel
Cooney,Caroline B.
 		Code Orange
Cormier, Robert The Rag and Bone Shop : a novel
Crowe, Chris (nonfiction)
 		Getting Away with Murder : The True Story of the Emmett Till Case
Flake, Sharon
 		Bang!
Fradin, Dennis B. (nonfiction)
 
The Signers : the fifty-six stories behind the Declaration of Independence
Freedman, Russell (nonfiction) Give me liberty!: the story of the Declaration of Independence
Godbersen, Anna
 The Luxe
Graham, Gardner
 Inventing Elliot
Higson, Charles
 		SilverFin: a James Bond Adventure
Holub, Josef
 An Innocent Soldier
Johnson, Maureen
 13 Little Blue Envelopes
Lubar, David
 Flip
Dunk
Michael, Livi
 The Whispering Road
Miller, Kristen
 KiKi Strike: Inside the Shadow City
Morpurgo, Michael
 Private Peaceful
Moses, Sheila P.
The Legend of Buddy Bush
Myers, Walter Dean
 Fallen Angels
Peters, Julie Anne Define "Normal" : A novel 
Plum-Ucci, Carol  The Body of Christopher Creed
Rees, Douglas Vampire High
Roach, Mary (non-fiction) Stiff : The curious lives of human cadavers
Wolff, Virginia Euwer
  1. Make Lemonade
  2. True Believer
Yolen, Jane Armageddon Summer
Zenatti, Valerie, 1970- (nonfiction) When I was a soldier : a memoir
***2009 Nutmeg Nominees (Click here)
Book Series

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