Reading List
Older Readers: 6th to 8th Grade
Amal Unbound. By Aisha Saeed. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen.
Unknowingly, Amal insults a corrupt but powerful man in her small Pakistani village. As retribution, he claims her as an indentured servant.
ā
Apollo 8: The Mission that Changed Everything. By Martin W. Sandler. Illus. Candlewick.
With riveting text and stunning archival photos capturing the excitement and danger, this compelling account of the Apollo 8 mission emphasizes the turning point of the space program.
ā
Attucks! Oscar Robertson and the Basketball Team that Awakened a City. By Phillip Hoose. Illus. Farrar.
This is a comprehensive account of the people and the events involved in the first all-Black high school basketball team that confronted segregation in Indianapolis and won.
ā
Be Prepared. By Vera Brosgol. Illus. by Vera Brosgol and Alec Longstreth. First Second.
Brosgol comically recounts her experiences at a summer camp for Russian American kids in this graphic memoir.
ā
Boots on the Ground: America’s War in Vietnam. By Elizabeth Partridge. Illus. Viking.
People who lived through the Vietnam War discuss its history and politics in this illuminating book featuring dramatic photographs and first-person accounts.
ā
Children of Blood and Bone. By Tomi Adeyemi. Holt.
In an adventure infused with West African mythology, Zélie’s magic reawakens and she battles to restore magic to the oppressed kingdom of Orïsha.
ā
Crash: The Great Depression and the Fall and Rise of America. By Marc Favreau. Little, Brown.
This account of American life during the 1930s covers the economic hardships and political changes of the period, as well as the lingering influences on America today.
ā
The Cruel Prince. By Holly Black. Little, Brown.
In this dark high fantasy, twin mortal girls are caught up in the political machinations of powerful, blood-thirsty Faeries.
ā
The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science. By Joyce Sidman. Illus. HMH.
On pages featuring Merian's illustrations, this inviting volume demonstrates how her fascination with observing life cycles led her to create realistic and detailed drawings that changed scientific research. (Sibert Medal Book)
ā
Ghost Boys. By Jewell Parker Rhodes. Little, Brown.
This novel explores the issues of racial violence and police brutality from the viewpoint of Jerome, the ghost of a 12-year-old black boy gunned down by a white police officer.
ā
Harbor Me. By Jacqueline Woodson. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen.
Six children learn the power of sharing their stories when their teacher assigns them to spend Fridays in a weekly conversation circle.
ā
Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction. By Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Illus. by the author. Scholastic/Graphix.
This graphic memoir offers an intimate portrait of a young artist growing up in challenging circumstances, including his single mother’s lifelong battle with drug addiction.
ā
Hurricane Child. By Kheryn Callender. Scholastic.
As a hurricane approaches her Caribbean island home, 12-year-old Caroline desperately searches for her mother in this story of abandonment, mysterious spirits, and a first crush.
ā
The Hyena Scientist. By Sy Montgomery. Illus. by Nic Bishop. HMH.
Montgomery profiles biologist Kay Holekamp at her research camp in Masai Mara, Kenya, where she studies the social structure, communication, biology, and habits of spotted hyenas.
ā
Illegal. By Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin. Illus. by Giovanni Rigano. Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky.
Determined preteen Ebo leaves his impoverished Nigerian village to follow his older siblings, all of whom have one dream: to make it to Europe, by any means possible.
ā