Summer Reading 2013

1. Summer Reading 2013 Eighth Grade

2. What do you think? Set in New York City at the beginning of the American Revolution, Chains addresses the price of freedom both for a nation and for individuals. Isabel tells the story of her life as a slave. She was sold with her five-year-old sister to a cruel Loyalist family even though the girls were to be free upon the death of their former owner. She has hopes of finding a way to freedom and becomes a spy for the rebels, but soon realizes that it is difficult to trust anyone. She chooses to find someone to help her no matter which side he or she is on. With short chapters, each beginning with a historical quote, this fast-paced novel reveals the heartache and struggles of a country and slave fighting for freedom. The characters are well developed, and the situations are realistic. An author's note gives insight into issues surrounding the Revolutionary War and the fight for the nation's freedom even though 20 percent of its people were in chains. Well researched and affecting in its presentation, the story offers readers a fresh look at the conflict and struggle of a developing nation. Denise Moore, O'Gorman Junior High School, Sioux Falls, SD

3. Chainsby Laurie Halse Anderson • 11 AR points • 336 pages • Historical fiction

4. What do you think? Being deaf has its benefits. On his first day at Carbon High School, Will Halpin finds out about a party by reading lips on his bus. Other than adding to his ability to secretly gain information, though, his difference makes his transition into the public school from the high school for deaf students difficult. The only person willing to be his friend is not very popular himself, so Will must decide between Devon Smiley and the possibility of gaining some social standing. Things turn dark on a class trip to the old coal mine, supposedly haunted by a ghost who shares Will's name. The star quarterback falls down a mine shaft, and the tragedy appears to be murder. Will and Smiley team up to solve the case but uncover even more mysteries than what they started with. Will has a strong sarcastic voice. He is not always likeable, but he is very human and entertaining.

5. The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpinby Josh Berk • 8 AR points • 250 pages • Teen fiction

6. What do you think? It’s seven in the morning. The Bantrys wake to find the body of a young woman in their library. She is wearing an evening dress and heavy makeup, which is now smeared across her cheeks. But who is she? How did she get there? And what is the connection with another dead girl, whose charred remains are later discovered in an abandoned quarry? The respectable Bantrys invite Miss Marple to solve the mystery . . . before tongues start to wag.

7. Body in the Library by Agatha Christie • 8 AR points • 224 pages • mystery

8. What do you think? Back in Florida, Jack decides that becoming a writer will allow him to turn his worst experiences, and he has many, into money. He flubs his IQ test, nearly flunks wood shop, almost gets a date with a beautiful girl, visits a fortune teller, digs up his dead dog not once but twice, and copes with members of an off-kilter family who constantly remind him of his stupidity. Through it all, Jack manages to barrel forward, self-esteem intact, with high expectations and crazy schemes. Based on Gantos's own trials and tribulations growing up in Barbados and Florida, the narrative sparkles with wit and, although exaggerated, rings with the authenticity of adolescent humor, embarrassment, and fascination with the absolutely gross. The dog coffin scenes, with maggots and rats, would no doubt sell the book to middle-grade boys. Zany characters, good pacing, lots of humor, and a touch of romance make this a quick, fun read. Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME

9. Jack’s Black Bookby Jack Gantos • 6 AR points • 176 points • Realistic fiction, humor

10. What do you think? Ever since Mark's parents died, he has been living with Bryon. The boys are more like brothers than mere friends. They've been inseparable--until recently. Something seems to be changing between them, and Bryon can't figure it out. Is it Cathy, Bryon's new girlfriend? Is Mark jealous? Bryon is also tired of the street fighting, but Mark seems unable to quit. And where is Mark getting all of that money? In That Was Then, This Is Now, one of her most admired novels, S. E. Hinton paints a richly textured portrait of two boys at a crossroads in their friendship. With careful, intimate strokes, Hinton reveals a boy struggling over whether to protect his best friend or whether to follow his own beliefs about right and wrong. The ending will surprise readers, challenging them to puzzle over Bryon's dilemma in their own hearts.

11. That Was Then, This Is Nowby S.E. Hinton • 6 AR points • 160 pages • Realistic fiction

12. What do you think? Trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen sea, Solveig--along with her brother, the crown prince, their older sister, and an army of restless warriors--anxiously awaits news of her father's victory at battle. But as winter stretches on, and the unending ice refuses to break, terrible acts of treachery soon make it clear that a traitor lurks in their midst. Solveigmust also embark on a journey to find her own path. Yet, a malevolent air begins to seep through the fortress walls, as a smothering claustrophobia slowly turns these prisoners of winter against one another. Those charged with protecting the king's children are all suspect, and the siblings must choose their allies wisely. But who can be trusted so far from their father's watchful eye? Can Solveig survive the long winter months and expose the traitor before he manages to destroy a kingdom?

13. Icefallby Matthew J. Kirby • 10 AR points • 336 pages • fiction

14. What do you think? Homeschooled on an isolated "alternate farm commune" that has dwindled since the 1960s to 2 members, 13-year-old Cap has always lived with his grandmother, Rain. When she is hospitalized, Cap is taken in by a social worker and sent—like a lamb to slaughter—to middle school. Smart and capable, innocent and inexperienced (he learned to drive on the farm, but he has never watched television), long-haired Cap soon becomes the butt of pranks. He reacts in unexpected ways and, in the end, elevates those around him to higher ground. From chapter to chapter, the first-person narrative shifts among certain characters: Cap, a social worker (who takes him into her home), her daughter (who resents his presence there), an A-list bully, a Z-list victim, a popular girl, the school principal, and a football player (who unintentionally decks Cap twice in one day). Phelan, Carolyn

15. Schooledby GordanKorman • 8 AR points • 224 pages • Realistic fiction, humor

16. What do you think? What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

17. Legendby Marie Lu • 11 AR points • 336 pages • Teen fiction

18. What do you think? A wonderful story of triumph over imperfection, shame, and loss. Large, awkward, learning-disabled Maxwell Kane, whose father is in prison for murdering his mother, and crippled, undersized Kevin are both mocked by their peers; the cruel taunting they endure is all too realistic and believable. The boys establish a friendship-and a partnership. Kevin defends them with his intelligence, while Max is his friend's "legs," affording him a chance to participate in the larger world. Inspired by tales of King Arthur, they become knights fighting for good and true causes.The author writes with empathy, honoring the possibilities of even peripheral characters; Kevin and Max are memorable and luminous.Libby K. White,

19. Freak the Mightyby Rodman Philbrick • 6 AR points • 192 pages • Realistic fiction

20. What do you think? Fifteen-year-old Lina is a Lithuanian girl living an ordinary life—until Soviet officers invade her home and tear her family apart. Separated from her father and forced onto a crowded train, Lina, her mother, and her young brother make their way to a Siberian work camp, where they are forced to fight for their lives. Linafinds solace in her art, documenting these events by drawing. Risking everything, she imbeds clues in her drawings of their location and secretly passes them along, hoping her drawings will make their way to her father's prison camp. But will strength, love, and hope be enough for Lina and her family to survive? This powerful tale of heartbreak and hope is sure to haunt readers long after they finish the last page.

21. Between Shades of Grayby RutaSepetys • 9 AR points • 352 pages • Teen fiction

22. What do you think? Zach Granger has to tell many lies; for one, his name is really Jack Osborne, and for another his parents aren't divorced rather, his father, a pilot, is in prison for transporting drugs for a ruthless cartel. When his father agrees to cooperate with the DEA, his family goes into a witness protection program, with new names and a new home in Elko, Nev. Will they be safe from the cartel? Smith paints a realistic picture of Zach's complicated emotions: he misses his father and his old life, he's nervous about making a mistake and he is uncomfortable lying, especially to his new girlfriend, Catalin. He also takes to his new surroundings, especially Catalin's grandfather's sheep camp in the mountains, and the friendly hotel that's home to Sam, the warm and wise custodian of Zach's school. Smith keeps the tensions high: readers will suspect right away that the detailed journals Zach keeps are going to lead to trouble, and will understand the hero's anxiety when lines from it begin to appear on his classroom's chalkboard.

23. Zach’s Lieby Roland Smith • 7 AR points • 224 pages • Realistic fiction

24. What do you think? After drinking some vodka and taking his mom's car for a spin to his father's girlfriend's house, who just happens to be his former third-grade teacher, 16-year-old Alex Gregory finds himself on his neighbors' lawn with police yelling at him and a broken gnome under his car. It is hard to believe that Alex would do anything like this; most of the time he hangs out with his friend Laurie, a sassy petite karate expert, and plays guitar in the school jazz band. He is also trying to get over his parents' recent split. For drinking and driving, Alex is sentenced to 100 hours of community service at a nursing home with Solomon Lewis. Sol is a difficult, crotchety, eccentric old man with emphysema who lashes out at Alex in strange Yiddish phrases. Soon Alex grows found of Sol, who teaches him something about the guitar, respecting the elderly, and taking responsibility for his actions. Alex's voice is fresh and funny, but doesn't downplay the serious situations. –Shannon Seglin, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA

25. Notes From the Midnight Driverby Jordan Sonnenblick • 7 AR points • 288 pages • Humor, realistic fiction

26. What do you think? 1956: Freddy and Polly Emerson are enjoying a terrific summer vacation helping their father with his latest experiment. That is, until they disappear. The police investigate, but find nothing. Their father, Professor Emerson, has also vanished. 2010: Ben and Rachel Corder are sure it will be a long, dull summer until they discover an underground vault in their garden. The vault holds something incredible—two children who have been asleep for decades! But “unearthing” Freddy and Polly leads to a whole series of questions: How will the two fit into the twenty-first-century world of cell phones and Whoppers? How will their bodies adjust after more than fifty years of being frozen? How is cryonic suspension even possible? What happened to Professor Emerson? And why does it feel like they’re being followed . . . ?

27. Frozen In Timeby Ali Sparkes • 10 AR points • 320 pages • Science fiction, mystery

28. What do you think? Welcome to the tyrannical city of Jewel, where impatience is a sin and boldness is a crime.Goldie Roth has lived in Jewel all her life. Like every child in the city, she wears a silver guardchain and is forced to obey the dreaded Blessed Guardians. She has never done anything by herself and won’t be allowed out on the streets unchained until Separation Day. When Separation Day is canceled, Goldie, who has always been both impatient and bold, runs away, risking not only her own life but also the lives of those she has left behind. In the chaos that follows, she is lured to the mysterious Museum of Dunt, where she meets the boy Toadspit and discovers terrible secrets. Only the cunning mind of a thief can understand the museum’s strange, shifting rooms. Fortunately, Goldie has a talent for thieving.Which is just as well, because the leader of the Blessed Guardians has his own plans for the museum—plans that threaten the lives of everyone Goldie loves. And it will take a daring thief to stop him.

29. Museum of Thievesby Lian Tanner • 9 AR points • 320 pages • Fiction – adventure, fantasy

30. What do you think? Tom Edison IV, middle-school wannabe inventor and Thomas Edison's great-great grandson, doesn't want his family to leave Yonkers, NY, for Kansas after his father loses his job, so he's determined to find a way for his family to stay. This becomes a possibility after he discovers a clue to a centuries-old family secret related to his famous relative's discovery of the secret formula for changing metal into gold. Tom and his sidekicks Colby and Noodle are on the hunt for it. Along the way they encounter the secret society Sub Rosa (formed by the likes of Edison, Henry Ford, Babe Ruth, Franklin Roosevelt, and others) and must solve mind-boggling clues that lead them through various parts of New York City. Tom isn't the only one after the formula; Nikola Tesla's great-great grandson (who happens to be Tom's dad's former boss) believes that it belongs to him. Rumor has it that Tesla and the first Edison had a major falling out over it, and it ruined Tesla's career. The race is on to see who can solve the puzzle first. It's up to Tom to save his family's name and legacy.

31. Edison’s Goldby Geoff Watson • 8 AR points • 320 pages • fiction

32. References • Pictures: www.barnesandnoble.com and Google images • Reviews: www.amazon.com