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GRADE 8
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Required Reading
Choose one of the four historical fiction novels
below…
The Devil’s Arithmetic
by Jane Yolen
Hannah thinks tonight’s Passover Seder will be the same as always. Little does she know that this year she will be mysteriously transported into the past – into the Holocaust of World War II – where she will live the horrors that await.
Mississippi Trial 1955
by Chris Crowe
In Mississippi in 1955, a sixteenyear- old finds himself at odds with his grandfather over issues surrounding the kidnapping and murder of fourteen-year-old Emmett Till, and African-American from Chicago. Recommended by former 8.
Monkey Town: The Summer of the Scopes Trial
by Ronald Kidd
A local high school teacher is arrested for teaching about evolution. The resulting 1925 Scopes trial prompts fifteen-year-old Frances to question the ideas and people she has always known.
Eyes of the Emporer
by Graham Salisbury
Japanese-American Eddie liesabout his age to join the Army. Two weeks later Pearl Harbor is bombed. Eddie and his fellow Japanese-American soldiers are sent on a secret mission to train attack dogs. There’s one twist, though: they’re going to be the bait.
In September, eighth graders will be asked to answer two writing prompts in which they will discuss their summer reading. They may use their novels as reference. This writing serves two purposes:
It gets students thinking about their reading critically, and it allows Ms. Vohl Hamilton, the eighth grade English teacher, to preview the writing voice, style and skills of each student. If students do the summer reading, they’ll do well.
CHOICE BOOKS
After choosing one of the four historical fiction novels to read (see above), select ONE of the eight “choice” novels below. Read one historical novel and one choice novel, and your summer reading requirements will be met. Enjoy your novels! They’ve been recommended by last year’s eighth graders and teenagers across the country.*
Maximum Ride: the Angel Experiment
by James Patterson
After the half-human, half-wolf mutant Erasers abduct the youngest member of their group, the "bird kids," who are very human (but have wings and can fly) take off in pursuit. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives to save the world. Book one of an action-packed series.
House of the Scorpion
by Nancy Farmer
In a future where humans despise clones, Matt enjoys special status as the young clone of El Patron, the 142- year-old leader of a corrupt drug empire nestled between what once was Mexico and the United States. Matt is threatened by a sinister cast of characters, though, and escape is the only chance he has to survive. Chilling.
GunStories: Life-Changing Experiences with Guns
by Beth Atkins
True individual testimony of teens on their experiences with guns through stories, interviews and photographs. Some experiences are good, some bad. A variety of issues are covered and various viewpoints are presented. Nonfiction.
Nothing but the Truth
by Avi
Ninth-grade student Philip Malloy was suspended from school for singing Spangled Banner homeroom, causing what his teacher, Ms. Narwin, called “a disturbance.” The incident becomes a national news story. Was Philip standing up for his patriotic ideals? Was Ms. Narwin just trying to be a good teacher? Or was it all just a misunderstanding gone bad – very bad? Judge for yourself.
Diary of an Anorexic Girl
by Morgan Menzie
Morgan Menzie takes readers through a harrowing, but ultimately hopeful and inspiring account of her eating disorder. Her story is told through journals she kept during her daily struggle with this addiction and disease. “It’s the truestory of victory over a disease that is killing America’s youth.”
The Christopher Killer: Forensic Mystery 1
by Alane Ferguson
Seventeen-year-old Cameryn wants to be a forensic pathologist and jumps at the chance to be her coroner father’s assistant. It’s more difficult than she expected when she must help find her friend’s murderer. First in a series.
Keeper
by Mal Peet
When sports reporter Paul Faustino flips on his tape recorder for an exclusive interview with El Gato – the phenomenal goalkeeper who single-handedly brought his team to the World Cup – he quickly learns that this will be no ordinary story. Regardless of your love for soccer (or not ) this tale of mystery, magic, heart-stopping action and a ghost will haunt the reader long after the story has ended.
How I Live Now
by Meg Rosoff
Set in present day, fifteen-year-old Daisy arrives at her aunt's farm in England. Soon after, her aunt goes away on business, leaving Daisy with four strangercousins. The next day London is attacked by an unnamed enemy. Power fails, systems fail, and the farm becomes more isolated. It’s a kind of Eden with no adults in charge and no rules. But the war is everywhere, and Daisy and her cousins must forge their way in a world that is unknown in the scariest way.
***Please note: Some books may contain mature language and / or content. As a family, please select titles from this list that are appropriate for your student.
GRADE 8
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