Summer Reading List 2009
Students from all grade level (6 – 8) should choose a minimum of 2 books from the attached book list for summer reading. Each book has the AR Reading Level and point value listed. Choose books within you reading range, and be prepared to take and AR test when returning to school in the fall.
Firestorm by David Klass RL 3.4 11.0 points
When Jack, who has always been told to blend in, sets the school rushing record, he puts into motion a course of events including finding out his parents aren’t really his parents, running for his life from a shape-shifting wolf girl, communicating telepathically with a dog named Gisco, being trained by a ninja babe named Eko, and finding out he is the only one who can save the world from ecological disaster if he can find “firestorm.”
What Happened to Cass McBride? By Gail Giles RL 3.6 4.0 points
After his brother commits suicide, Kyle Kirby kidnaps and buries alive Cass McBride, the girl he holds responsible. Cass talks to Kyle through a plastic air tube and frantically tries to get him to set her free. She fights for her life both physically and mentally before time runs out.
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher RL 3.9 9.0 points
Clay Jenson receives a mysterious package. Inside are seven cassette tapes that Hannah Baker, Clay’s secret crush, recorded before she committed suicide two weeks earlier. Clay is one of 13 people who listen to the tapes and discover what part Hannah thought each of them played in her death.
Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything in It by Sundee T. Frazier RL 4.0 6.0 points
Brendan has a notebook full of questions, and he hopes to find all the answers during his summer vacation. Then, he meets the grandfather he never knew about, and new questions need to be answered: Does his grandpa want him around? And, if not, does it have anything to do with the color of Brendan’s skin?
The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd RL 4.1 7.0 points
When Ted’s cousin, Salim, disappears while riding the London Eye, it’s up to Ted and his sister, Kat, to figure out what has happened. Ted comes up with many interesting theories because, as he states, his brain operates on a different system (he has been diagnosed as having a “syndrome”). Will one of these theories solve the mystery?
The Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson RL 4.2 9.0 points
Five young teens hired as models for theme park guides find themselves pitted against Disney villains and witches that threaten both the future of Walt Disney World and the stability of the world as a whole.
Sweethearts by Sara Zarr RL 4.4 7.0 points
Alternating between present-day life and flashbacks to a tragic and momentous day in her childhood, 17-year-old Jenna Vaughn reinvents herself from Jennifer Harris, the chubby, picked-on little girl, into a popular, much-loved high school girl with friends and “the” boyfriend. When her best and only friend from childhood, Cameron Quick, reappears into her life after he disappeared and she thought he was dead, her whole life is thrown out of balance.
Slam by Nick Hornby RL 4.4 11.0 points
Sam Jones loves skateboarding and Tony Hawk. When, at the age of 15, his girlfriend, Alicia, gets pregnant, his life suddenly changes and he learns to cope. Much more than a contemporary problem novel, this book combines humor, wacky characters and an unusual writing style.
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass RL 4.5 11.0 points
Just before his thirteenth birthday, Jeremy Fink receives a keyless locked box—set aside by his father before his death five years earlier—that purportedly contains the meaning of life.
Boot Camp by Todd Strasser RL 4.6 8.0 points
When 15-year-old Garrett refuses to end a relationship with 23-year-old Sabrina, his controlling parents send him to a behavior modification boot camp in hopes that the camp’s extreme methods will teach him to be a more respectful son. Garrett struggles to survive the extreme cruelty and eventually joins two other teens in a desperate escape attempt.
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer RL 4.7 11.0 points
When an asteroid hits the moon knocking it closer to the Earth and causing a chain of cataclysmic natural disasters, 16-year-old Miranda tells through journal entries what happens as her family faces dismal conditions that include power outages, lack of food and water, and outbreaks of disease.
Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings RL 4.9 8.0 points
Living near the water on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, thirteen-year-old Brady and his best friends J.T. and Digger become entangled in a tragedy, which tests their friendship and their ideas about right and wrong.
Red Glass by Laura Resau RL 4.9 10.0 points
Pedro, a 6-year-old boy from Mexico, is the only survivor of a group who attempted to illegally cross the border into the United States. Facing sever dehydration, Pedro is hospitalized and comes to live with Sophie and her family until he is contacted from members of his extended family still living in Mexico. Pedro has to decide if he wants to go back or stay with his new family, a choice a 6-year-old should never have to face.
Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix RL 5.0 9.0 points
Thirteen years ago, 36 babies landed at an airport under mysterious circumstances. Now they are all teenagers who have no idea that their lives are in serious danger until two of them begin to piece together the surprising truth about their pasts.
Peak by Roland Smith RL 5.0 9.0 points
The emotional, tension-filled story of a fourteen-year-old boy’s attempt to be the youngest person to reach the top of Mount Everest.
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare RL 5.0 12.0 points
When 15-year-old Clary Fray witnesses a murder at a club by creatures no one else can see, she realizes her life will never be the same. Her mother is kidnapped, and she is taken in by a group of demon hunters who help her discover her true heritage. She joins them in the search for the Mortal Cup in hopes of finding her mother and stopping a renegade sector from destroying all nonhumans.
Deadline by Chris Crutcher RL 5.1 9.0 points
During a routine sports physical just before his senior year, Ben Wolf finds out he has one year to live. He swears the doctor to secrecy, refuses treatment, doesn’t tell anyone about his diagnosis, and decides to do everything he always wanted to do including playing football, pursuing his long-time crush, and petitioning to have the main street in his small town named after Malcolm X, all the while conversing through dreams with a spiritual guide known as “Hey-Soos.”
The Christopher Killer by Alane Ferguson RL 5.1 9.0 points
Aspiring forensic pathologist Cameryn Mahoney convinces her father, who is the coroner in a small town, to hire her as an assistant to help him solve the mystery of a serial killer who leaves a St. Christopher medal with each victim. She puts herself in danger when the next victim turns out to be her friend Rachel.
Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby RL 5.2 9.0 points
Thirteen-year-old Joey Willis has been deaf since age six, but her mother has refused to let her learn sign language, leaving Joey struggling to connect with those around her until she meets Dr. Charles Mansell and his baby chimpanzee, who secretly teach Joey how to sign.
Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis RL 5.2 4.0 points
Quirky Emma-Jean loves to observe her fellow seventh graders’ behavior from afar. When she decides to help a few classmates with their problems, tension and humor ensues.
The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry RL 5.2 4.0 points
Orphans, neglectful parents, a baby on the doorstep and a lonely billionaire are some classic themes in children’s literature that receive a humorous twist in this delightful, slim volume
Generation Dead by Daniel Waters RL 5.4 10.0 points
All of a sudden, teens that have died are coming back to life. Oakvale High is one of the only high schools that allows “differently biotic” (DB) students to attend. When Phoebe, a typical high school girl, becomes attracted to a DB boy, she faces criticism and hostility from her family and peers. Can the living and the dead coexist?
Adam Canfield of the Slash by Michael Winerip RL 5.4 9.0 points
While serving as co-editors of their school newspaper, middle-schoolers Adam and Jennifer uncover fraud and corruption in their school and in the city’s government.
Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt RL 5.7 12.0 points
Henry Smith lives a safe and secure life in his family home until trouble arrives one day in the form of a pickup truck that strikes and severely injures his older brother. The accident leads to racial hostility, revelations of family secrets and a dangerous journey that throws Henry together with the boy who drove the vehicle that hit his brother.
You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn RL 5.7 7.0 points
First cousins Laura and Miles grew up like sisters and were inseparable…until Laura blossomed into a beautiful, rich, popular girl and Miles became lost, overweight and an outcast. When Laura commits suicide, Miles is devastated and needs to learn how to live her life without Laura and to find her own inner beauty.
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson RL 5.9 3.0 points
From 1920 to 1945, some of the roughest, fastest and most amazing baseball games took place in the Negro Leagues. Magnificent paintings and fascinating anecdotes introduce Rube Foster, Oscar Charleston and many other unsung heroes of the sport.
Daughter's Keeper by Waldman, Ayelet RL 6.0 18.0 points
When Olivia makes a terrible mistake, she is forced to turn to the mother who has never come through for her before, but without her mother's help, Olivia's future hangs in the balance.
Bloodlines by Conant, Susan Info RL 6.0 12.0 points
When the proprietor of Puppy Luv, a pet store fronting for black market dog breeders, is murdered, Holly Winter links the killing with the disappearance of an adorable malamute pup and is soon entering the corrupt world of dog breeding.
The Eyes of Kid Midas By Shusterman, Neal RL 6.0 6.0 points
This book is a story of one boy's struggle to control his thirst for revenge as well as his desire for everything else: cars, stereos, even the girl he loves.
Learning the Game by Waltman, Kevin RL 6.1 9.0 points
When he and his high-school basketball teammates steal from a fraternity house in their small Indiana town, Nate contends with his guilt, his loyalty to his friends, and his desire to help his older brother who comes under suspicion for the crime.
A Teenager's Journey: Overcoming a Childhood of Abuse by Pelzer, Richard B. RL 6.2 8.0 points
Richard reveals how the horrific treatment he endured as a boy affected him throughout his teenage years. As an adolescent, he found himself turning to drugs, even contemplating suicide, as he struggled to separate and live an autonomous life.
Code Orange by Cooney, Caroline B . RL 6.2 8.0 points
While conducting research for a school paper on smallpox, Mitty finds an envelope containing 100-year-old smallpox scabs and fears that he has infected himself and could infect all of New York City.
Mergers by Layne, Steven L . IRL 6.3 9.0 points
Four deviant teenagers, each with a special power, struggle to survive in a future where the Legion for World Alliance has merged all Earth's peoples into one combined race.
Scribble byJennings, Richard W. RL 6.6 6.0 points
With only his dog Scribble for companionship, a twelve-year-old boy mourns the death of his best friend and tries to understand the meaning of strange, otherworldly visitations from the likes of Sam Walton and Nat King Cole.
We Were There, Too! Young People in U.S. History by Hoose, Phillip RL 7.1 17.0 points
This book presents biographies of dozens of young people who made a mark in American history, including explorers, planters, spies, cowpunchers, sweatshop workers, and civil rights workers.
Shout, Sister, Shout! Ten Girl Singers Who Shaped a Century by Orgill, Roxane RL 7.8 7.0 points
This book presents biographies of ten women singers of the twentieth century.
The Secret Twin by Orenstein, Denise Gosliner RL 7.2 11.0 points
Born a conjoined twin, thirteen-year-old Noah bears the secret guilt of being the only survivor and now finds himself in the care of a stranger with a secret of her own.
The Dog Who Wouldn't Be by Mowat , Farley RL 7.9 10.0 points
The adventures of Mutt--canine character whose extraordinary exploits are 'doggone' funny.
Barack Obama by Devaney, Sherri RL 10.3 3.0 points
This book examines the life and career of Barack Obama, an Illinois senator and rising star in the Democratic Party. The coauthor is Mark Devaney.
