Summer is such a great time to read! I am crazy busy during the school year and feel “guilty” if I sit down to read. However, during the sumer I allow myself time to kick back, relax and just do some readin’.
Among some of the books I have chosen to read this month are middle school (4-6th grade) and junior high (7th-8th grade) books. I scrapped quite a few that were recommended on websites. Twaddle (a Charlotte Mason term) is a word that best describes those titles and I ended up whittling the towering stack of books down to ones that I thought were either interesting, funny, or thought-provoking. All of these books can be found at the local library.
The Great Brain John D. Fitzgerald *MS This series is one of my all-time favorites. Tom, the older brother of the narrator, is always scheming to make money and in his little brother’s eyes he’s “The Great Brain”. I have read them to students in third grade and sixth grade. These are books that are universally loved.
Far Flung Adventures: Fergus Crane, Paul Stewart, Chris Riddell *MS I loved this book! Very creative, funny and original. The illustrations are interesting as well.
Perloo the Bold, Avi *MS Timid and fearful Perloo becomes an unwilling leader in this tale.
Because of Winn-Dixie Kate Di Camillo *MS,*JH I enjoyed this book because of the transformation of the narrator. A great book to discuss.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond Elizabeth George Speare *JH Don’t let the title fool you, there aren’t really any witches. This is a terrific read.
Calico Captive Elizabeth George Speare *JH Based upon a true story during the French and Indian War.
Bronze Bow Elizabeth George Speare *JH A Newberry award winner of a story of a young man whose life is changed after hearing the teachings of Jesus.
The Westing Game– Ellen Raskin *JH A mystery with a twist that will keep readers engaged in trying to figure out “who dun-it” or didn’t!
Watership Down– Richard Adams *JH An adventure story of courage and fortitude. This would be a great book to discuss character issues with your children.
Maniac Magee Jerry Spinelli *JH A Newberry Award winner about a young man who doesn’t see “color” in a town that is divided. I ended up crying although I didn’t expect to do so.
*MS= Middle School
*JH= Junior High
I realize that many middle school students can read older level books, but it doesn’t always mean that they understand the complexity of a story. Therefore, I listed some titles as junior high rather than middle school.
Thank you for the list of books, we are heading to the library tomorrow. I can’t believe my daughter said to me today that she didn’t have anything to read that was good- this list will give us a great start!
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You are most certainly welcome! I’ll have more titles to add as the year progresses. Happy reading! 🙂
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We are loving the Ramona books and Mrs. Pigglewiggle too!! Lisa you’re great!
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I love Ramona too! I’ll have to add her to the list. 🙂
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