The Summer Reading List provides you with plenty of choice. Select carefully and give yourself the opportunity to continue the valuable activity of reading during the summer months. This year all middle school students will read Slot Machine by Chris Lynch. The book and its themes will be addressed in various ways in the curriculum next year.

Read a MINIMUM of four (4) books plus your grade’s required books(s).

1. All students in the Middle School should read Slot Machine by Chris Lynch.
2. Read the REQUIRED BOOK(S) below for your grade.
3. Select two other books from the recommended summer reading list.
4. Read at least one book of your choice, if not more.

ENTERING 6th GRADE:
James Howe – The Misfits

ENTERING 7th GRADE:
Lois Lowry – Gathering Blue

ENTERING 8th GRADE:
S. E. Hinton – The Outsiders
Karen Hesse – Witness

RECOMMENDED READING LIST

Abelov, Joan. Go and Come Back. Hear the amusing perspective of a primitive Peruvian girl and her friends as they observe the New York behaviors of two women anthropologists who come to study their tribe and its customs. (F)

Alexander, Lloyd. The High King (or any other book in The Chronicles of Prydain). Magical spells woven from Welsh legend and myth tell of Taran, the assistant pig keeper, who ventures in search of his true identity. (F)

Almond, David. Kit’s Wilderness. Thirteen-year-old Kit is a good student led astray by another boy whose negative influence worries Kit’s teachers. Magically, the dangerous game played in a dark coal mine awakens a ghost that links the two boys in a more positive venture. 2001 winner of Michael J. Printz Award. (F) Also recommended: Skellig and Heaven Eyes

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. Why is it that Melinda, a high school ninth grader, is literally losing her voice: Could it be because her “friends” are avoiding her, or is it something even more sinister? (F)

Avi. Nothing but the Truth: A Documentary Novel. Philip, a ninth grader, has never been in trouble; never, that is, until now. Upset that he is being kept off the track team by his poor English grade, Philip’s behavior is questioned by his English teacher when she tries to discipline him. (F) Also recommended: Beyond the Western Sea: The Escape from Home and Fighting Ground

Bagdasarian, Adam. Forgotten Fire. In 1915, Vahan Kenderian, the youngest son of a prominent Armenian family in Turkey, sees his world shatter as his father disappears and his two older brothers are shot in front of his eyes. Vahan remembers his family and his heritage as he struggles to survive in a country where now the Armenians are the enemy. (F)

Bauer, Joan. Hope Was Here. Hope and her aunt Addie have come to Wisconsin to run the Welcome Stairways Café for G. T. Stoop who is dying of leukemia. When G.T. decides to run for mayor to beat the corruption of the town’s “bad guys,” Hope discovers truth and goodness in unusual places. (F)

Bloor, Edward. Tangerine. During the year that his family moves to Tangerine, Florida, seventh grader Paul tries to fit in and figure things out. However, mysteries surrounding his brother Erik threaten to ruin life for the Fisher family. (F) Also recommended: Crusader

Bond, Nancy. The Voyage Begun. Living on Cape Cod, two young adults, despite almost overwhelming odds, continue to fight for the environment and themselves. (F)

Brashares, Ann. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. An ordinary pair of thrift shop jeans has the magic power to fit four girls with very different bodies and make each look fabulous. Thus, the four friends who are spending their first summer apart, decide to send the jeans fom one to the other and in this way share their adventures. (F)

Bronte, Charlotte. Jean Eyre. In this powerful study of Victorian values and thinking, Bronte creates a spirited, soul-searching young woman who questions her position in a patriarchal society. When she meets Edward Rochester, Jane finds her match and discovers the great mystery of the mad woman in the attic (F)

Card, Orson Scott. Ender’s Game. Ender Wiggin is a boy genius living in the future, where he is being trained to save the world in a war against alien invaders. His training includes simulations with troops and games with real players. Can Ender pass the final test? (F) Also recommended: Ender’s Shadow: A Parallel Novel toEnder’s Game

Carlson, Lori M. (ed.). American Eyes: New Asian-American Short Stories for Young Adults. In ten touching stories by young Asian American writers, we can share the difficulties of straddling two cultures. With their “American eyes,” these young people of Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Hawaiian, Filipino, and Korean descent convey their confusion about their identity. (F)

Carter, Alden R. Between a Rock and a Hard Place. A wilderness canoe trip goes very wrong -- for those who enjoyed Gary Paulsen’s Hatches and its sequel, Brian’s Winter. (F)

Cole, Brock. The Goats. The victims of a vicious camp prank, two young teens learn personal and physical survival skills when they are abandoned on an island. (F)

Cooney, Caroline. For All Time. Annie never intended to find herself in an Egyptian crypt to be buried alive. All she wanted was to time travel to 1899 to be with her true love, Strat. Do they ever get together in the same time frame? (F)

Cooper, Susan. The Grey King. Will Stanton, the last of the old ones (immortals dedicated to the fight against evil), continues to discover his magical powers. (F) Read any of the five books in the series.

Cormier, Robert. The Rag and Bone Shop. When his seven-year-old-neighbor is found murdered, Jason, twelve, is questioned by police and an investigator known “to get confessions.” Is Jason guilty, or is he the victim of police pressure to find a killer? (F)

Creech, Sharon. The Wanderer. Thirteen-year-old Sophie joins an all-male crew of cousins and uncles to cross the Atlantic in a 45-foot sailboat. Along with dangerous waves that are bigger than buildings, she discovers more about herself and her family. (F) Also recommended Chasing Redbird and Walk Two Moons.

Crowe, Chris. Mississippi Trial, 1955. A summer stay with his grandfather in Mississippi changes Hiram’s life forever. He makes a new friend, Emett Till, who is black and visiting from Chicago. When Emmett is accused of making “ugly remarks” to a white woman, Hiram’s sense of the world shatters. (F)

Curtis, Christopher Paul. Bud, Not Buddy. Ten-year-old Bud leaves Flint, Michigan, with a suitcase filled with secret objects and a set of rules called “Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself.” He is in search of the father he never met. (F)

Cushman, Karen. Catherine, Called Birdy. Detailed medieval castle life is presented through the eyes of strong-willed Birdy and recorded in her spirited diary. (F) Also recommended: the Newbery Award winner, The Midwife’s Apprentice. Her newest book is Matilda Bone.

Deuker, Carl. Night Hoops. Nick works on his basketball game once his older brother gives up the game to pursue his music. At night, Nick practices with Trent, a troubled teen whose interest in basketball ignites his motivation for school. (F)

Dickinson, Peter. The Ropemaker. For nineteen generations, the Valley has been protected by powerful spells and has prospered. Now the magic is weakening, and now Tilja and Meena must journey forth to find a magician powerful enough to bring back the old enchantment. (F) Also recommended: Eva

Dorris, Michael. The Window. Rayona’s parents are facing their own problems forcing Rayona to be shifted from one foster home to another. When life looks bleakest, her father transports her to Kentucky to meet, for the first time, family members she didn’t even know she had. (F)

Farmer, Nancy. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm. In 2194 three siblings disappear in a kidnapping and embark on a journey through underground mystical places and societies of Zimbabwe. Three mutant detectives hired by the children’s parents are dragged along on this magical journey. (F)

Fine, Anne. The Tulip Touch. Natalie and Tulip become fast friends, but Natalie soon discovers a twist to the friendship that intensifies and leaves her in a quandary. Some days she wants to end the friendship, as even her parents and teacher advise, but other days the bond seems to be stronger than ever. (F)

Fleischman, Paul. Seek. Late at night, a boy is looking for a radio station. This simple act is the centerpiece of this boy’s search for his father. The only clue he has is that his father was a DJ of a Golden Oldies program. Does he find what he seeks? (F) Also recommended: Whirligig

Foggo, Cheryl. One Thing That’s True. It was supposed to be a great summer for thirteen-year-old Roxanne until hidden family secrets throw her family off kilter, and even her best friend can’t help. (F)

Frank, Anne. The Diary of a Young Girl. While hiding from the Nazis in the Netherlands during World War II, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl movingly records her life and feelings. (NF)

Fraustino, Lisa R. ed. Dirty Laundry: Stories about Family Secrets. Every family has its secrets. Sample the writings of great young adult authors such as M. E. Kerr, Richard Peck, Bruce Coville, Charis Crutcher, to name a few, and read about families and their difficulties. (F)

Gordon, Sheila. Waiting for the Rain. Two young South African boys, one white and one black, grow up as friends. In their late teens they meet again during violent demonstrations against apartheid. (F)

Greene, Jacqueline. Out of Many Waters. During the Spanish Inquisition, two Jewish sisters from Amsterdam are kidnapped and sent to a Brazilian monastery. They escape and become stowaways, but are separated at sea. Isabel arrives in “New Amsterdam” as part of the first Jewish settlement. (F)

Guy, Rosa. The Friends. Rejected by her classmates because she “talks funny,” Phyllisia Cathy, a young West Indian girl, is forced to become friends with poor, frazzled Edith, the only one who will accept her. (F)

Haddix, M. P. Turnabout. Wouldn’t it be fun to grow younger, instead of older? One would think so, but Melly and Anny Beth, both 100 and 103, find out that it has its problems. In 2085, when we meet then, they are teens, still getting younger, and looking to someone to care for them when they are infants. (F)

Hautzig, Esther. The Endless Steppe. This true story of a family deported from Poland who struggled to survive in Siberia during World War II should move you deeply. (NF)

Herriot, James. All Creatures Great and Small or All Things Bright and Beautiful. Stories of a young veterinarian beginning his practice in northern England some years ago. You may have seen some of the tales on PBS. (NF)

Hewitt, Lorri. Lives of Our Own. In Colorado, Shawna grew up with black and white friends and never saw their differences. But when she moves to Georgia with her Dad in the 90s, the social pressures become intense and even dangerous.

Heyerdahl, Thor. Kon-Tiki. If you have dreams of a three-month journey on a raft across 4300 miles of the pacific Ocean, this true classic may be for you. (NF)

Hobbs, Will. Far North. Stranded in the Canadian wilderness, two boys endure a brutal sub arctic winter of bear, wolf, and moose attacks while they repeatedly struggle to escape. (F) Also recommended: Bearstone

Holmes, Barbara. Following Fake Man. Twelve-year-old Homer tells us about a summer in Maine when he tried to solve the mystery surrounding his father’s death. Is the mysteriously disguised man one piece of the puzzle that will give Homer a clue about his own past? (F)

Holt, Kimberly Willis. When Zachary Beaver Came to Town. After his mother left Antler, Texas, to become a country singer, Toby Wilson, 13, might have thought of himself as unlucky. But then he meets Zachary Beaver, “The World’s Fattest Boy” who is part of a traveling sideshow. Through their awkward friendship, Toby learns how to put his own loss into perspective. (F)

Isaacs, Anne. Torn Thread. Based on a true story, two sisters are sent by their father to a Czechoslovakian factory where they face grueling conditions, yet they survive under the quasi-protection of the owner who fooled the Nazis while he helped to reduce the suffering of many Jews. (F)

Jacques, Brian. Redwall. In this first in a series of Redwall adventures, the mouse population in the ancient stone abbey is threatened by the vilest bilge rat ever to jump ship. (F) Any book in this series is highly recommended.

Johnson, Agela. Songs of Faith. Doreen tells about her parents’ divorce and just how devastating the breakup of a family can be. Still, her mother helps her learn some powerful lessons about love. (F)

Joseph, Lynn. The Color of My Words. Twelve-year-old Ana Rosa Hernandez’s mind is filled with words, but in the Dominican Republic, freedom of expression is non-existent. Ana witnesses the effects of the power of her words and the extraordinary sacrifices her family makes to support her gift.

Kerr, M. E. Slap Your Sides. Jubal Shoemaker and his family are Quakers. Jubal’s older brother Bud has registered as a conscientious objector during WWII. “How can you be pacifists with a madman like Hitler…” is the refrain of Jubal’s neighbors and friends. (F)

Kim, Helen. The Long Season. Set in South Korea in 1969, an orphaned boy arrives at a daughter-rich household and opens such a torrent of emotions that the family is nearly destroyed. (F)

Konigsburg, E. A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver. Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, mother of Richard the Lionheart, survived court politics by being an expert manipulator. (F)

Konigsburg, E. Silent to the Bone. When Branwell’s baby stepsister falls into a coma, he is suspected of causing the condition. Because he loses his voice, his best friend Connor finds a unique way to communicate with Branny—a special card game. Will Connor be able to interpret Branny’s clues and help clear him of all charges? (F)

Kurtz, Jane. The Storyteller’s Beads. During famine in the 1980s in Ethiopia, two girls from very different traditions must overcome rampant prejudice or perish in the face of it. (F)

Lasky, Kathryn. Elizabeth I, Red Rose of the House of Tudor. In a series of diary entries, Princess Elizabeth, the eleven-year-old daughter of King Henry VIII, celebrates holidays and birthdays, relives her mother’s execution, revels in her studies and agonizes over her father’s death. (F) Also by this author, The Bone Wars

Lawrence, Iain. Ghost Boy. Harold Kline, an albino, is tortured by his classmates because he is different. He joins a circus—but is life any better for him there? (F)

Lawrence, Iain. The Wreckers. In a gripping drama, John survives a shipwreck on his first sea voyage aboard his father’s ship in 1799, only to face the adventure of outwitting the rescuers. (F)

LeGuin, Ursula K. The Wizard of Earthsea or The Tombs of Atuan or The Farthest Shore. This trilogy follows the life of Sparrowhawk from boyhood, when his misuse of his gift for magic releases an evil force, to his old age, where his harad-won wisdom must grapple with the destroyers of magic. (F)

Lester, Julius. The Pharoah’s Daughter: A Novel of Ancient Egypt. Moses, a bungling teenager, struggles to decide about his true beliefs. Is he Egyptian like the adopted mother who raised him? Or is he a Hebrew like the mother wo gave him life? This split identity leads to near-tragedy. A retelling of the Old Testament story. (F)

Levine, Gail. Ella Enchanted. Cinderella meets Goody Twoshoes in this tale about a girl cursed by the “gift” of obedience. Ella is, nonetheless, a take-charge, intuitive heroine, who, despite her love for Prince Char, learns how to just say “no.” (F)

Lipsyte, Robert. The Contender or The Brave. His life in a downward spiral, Alfred turns to a boxing club in Harlem where he learns some important lessons of life as well as boxing. In the sequel, The Brave, Sonny Bear leaves the Indian reservation and brings all his anger to the boxing ring in Harlem, where he must learn some tough lessons from Alfred. (F)

Lobel, Anital. No Pretty Pictures: A Child of War. A true story of Anita and her brother who were in the wrong place at the wrong time during the WWII. Together they spent their childhood trying to be invisible to survive. This is the story of their struggle to reverse their learned behaviors and to showcase their skills and talents. (AB/B)

London, Jack. White Fang. Read this fine classic about White Fang, a cross-bred dog who fights to save the life of the man who rescured him from a cruel owner. (F)

Lowry, Lois. Find a Stranger, Say Goodbye. Natalie wants desperately to find her birth mother. She does; but she is not ready for the scene she enters. All Lois Lowry books are recommended, too. (F)

Mahy, Margaret. Memory. Jonny, tortured by memories of his sister’s accidental death, meets Sophie, an Altzheimer’s victim with almost no memory at all, and through their relationship, Jonny begins to gain a deeper understanding of life. (F)

McCaffrey, Anne. Dragonsong or Dragonsinger or Dragondrums. In Pern, where man and dragon live together, Menolly’s music has little value until she becomes mistress of nine magical fire lizards. (F)

Mowat, Farley. Never Cry Wolf. Because the wolf population has begun wholesale killing of caribou, Mowat, a naturalist, is sent to the Arctic tundra to observe their habits. His time studying this extraordinary animal has helped people see the wolf and its beauty. (NF)

Myers, Walter Dean. The Greatest: Muhammad Ali. From Heavyweight Champion of the World to gold medalist in the 1960 Olympics, Muhammad Ali became a model to some and a controversial figure to others (AB/B)

Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. Steve is on trial for robbery and murder. Written in the form of a screenplay of the trial, this story also includes Steve’s inner thoughts. (F)

Myers, Walter Dean. Slam! “Slam” Harris is a talented basketball player whose dreams of fame and fortune in the NBA can come true, if he can learn to control his anger. (F)

Naidoo, Beverly. The Other Side of Truth. After their mother is murdered, Sade, 12, and Femi, 10, are sent to London by their father, a journalist in trouble with the Nigerian government. (F)

Napoli, Donna Jo. Beast. In a retelling of “Beauty and the Beast,” Prince Orasmyn kills a camel and is transformed into a lion. Will he ever find the human love to return him to his human state? (F) Also recommended: Sirena

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Jade Green: A Ghost Story. It is the large brown house “with the two eyes” that will be Judith Sparrow’s new home. Her uncle tells her she can bring all of her belongings except anything green. Soon she realizes that the green picture fram given to her by her mother that she smuggled into the house may have awakened a ghost. (F)

Nixon, Joan. The Orphan Train Adventures. The Orphan Train Adventures follow the story of the six Kelly children whose widowed mother has sent them west from New York City in 1856 because she realizes she cannot “give them the life they deserve.” Inspired by true stories from the orphan trains, these fictional accounts are both exciting and touching and may be read either singly or as a series. They include: A Family Apart; Caught in the Act; In the Face of Danger; A Place to Belong; A Dangerous Promise; and Keeping Secrets. (F)

North, Sterling. Rascal. This wonderful heartwarming story of a boy and his pet raccoon is set in the period of time just at the end of World War I. (F)

Nye, Naomi Shihab. Habibi. Fourteen-year-old Palestinian-American Liyana Abboud must learn to fit into the new world of Jerusalem and understand the political conflicts that arise. (F)

O’Dell, Scott. Island of the Blue Dolphins. An Indian girl left by her tribe survives alone for eighteen years on a bleak island off the coast of California. (F)

O’Dell, Scott. Sing Down the Moon. In the Arizona-New Mexico area of the 1860s, neither Spanish slave traders not Kit Carson’s soldiers can keep Bright Morning, a fourteen-year-old Navaho, from the tribal land she loves. (F)

Orr, Wendy. Peeling the Onion. Anna, after suffering spinal trauma in a car accident, begins a painful physical and emotional recovery that peels away her old life and strips her down to her very core. (F)

Paterson, Katherine. Jacob Have I Loved. Wheeze fights for her place in a world that seems to revolve around her beautiful, talented, selfish twin sister, Caroline. (F) Also by this author: Jip, His Story and Lyddie.

Paulsen, Gary. Hatchet. Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson, stranded in the Canadian wilderness following a plane crash, survives with only a hatchet and his determination. (F)

Paulsen, Gary. Woodsong. The author’s own passionate story about raising dogs in Minnesota and running the Iditarod in Alaska is riddled with humor, tenderness, and the unexplained. (NF)

Peck, Richard. A Day No Pigs Would Die. How do you know when you are not a child anymore? Why do some people your own age seem much older? Can you grow up suddenly at age 12 or 13? It happened to Rob. (F) Also recommended: A Long Way from Chicago: A Novel in Stories and A Year Down Under, both Newbery winners.

Pullman, Philip. The Golden Compass. With a wholly developed universe, an ever-more resilient young hero named Lyra, an amulet that can answer questions, companion daemons, kidnapped children, formidable armored bears, witch clans, and more, theis compelling and intricately plotted fantasy will leave you clamoring for the sequel, The Subtle Knife. (F)

Pullman, Philip. Ruby in the Smoke. Murder, adventure and romance in 19th century London abound in this thriller that is continued in The Shadow in the North and The Tiger in the Well. (F)

Rinaldi, Ann. The Last Silk Dress. During the Civil War, Susan finds a way to help the Confederate Army while she uncovers a series of mysterious family secrets. (F) Also recommended: Wolf by the Ears.

Rottman, S. L. Rough Waters. It would be almost anyone’s dream come true to run the rapids on a Colorado river for a summer. But sudden tragedy overshadows the lives of two brothers, and they suddenly find themselves running the rapids and working for an uncle they didn’t know they even had. (F)

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone. Join the fun and adventures of Harry Potter and his friends at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You are guaranteed a rollicking read of magic, imagination and satisfying revenge. (F) Continue the fun in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Salisbury, Graham. Under the Blood Red Sun. A Japanese American and his “haole” best friend find their carefree routine of school, baseball an fishing trips disrupted by the bombing of their neighborhood, Pearl Harbor. (F)

Sleator, William. The Boxes. The old theme of Pandora’s Box is revisited when Anne’s curiosity overtakes her uncle’s specific warnings never to open two mysteriously sealed boxes. (F)

Speare, Elizabeth. Witch of Blackbird Pond. Orphaned Kit must find her aunt in Puritan New England and face danger in a witchcraft trial. (F)

Spinelli, Jerry. Stargirl. Stargirl does not fit in with anyone in her high school; however, in time, other students are charmed by her quirkiness and unusual interests. Will this last, or will Stargirl always struggle to be accepted? (F) Also recommended: Maniac Magee

Springer, Nancy. I Am Mordred: A Tale from Camelot. Mordred has heard the terrible prophesy, but hs is determined to become one of King Arthur’s knights and defy destiny. (F)

Staples, Suzanne. Shiva’s Fire. Parvati’s rare gift as a dancer enables her to escape poverty and become a devadesi, a student of classican sacred Hindu dance. Parvati must make a painful choice in order to develop her talent. (F)

Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island. Jim Hawkins meets Long John Silver in this classic pirate adventure which your grandparents probably read. (F)

Taylor, Mildred D. The Land. Paul-Edward Logan, son of a wealthy white plantation owner and a black slave mother, wants desperately to own his own land. Caught between the black and white worlds, and finding that he does not fit into either, life is difficult for this good man trying to make his dreams a reality. (F) Prequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Also recommended: The Road to Memphis

Taylor, Theodore. The Bomb. In 1944 the Americans liberate Bikini Atoll from the Japanese, and fourteen-year-old Sorry will do anything to stop the Americans from using his island home for nuclear testing. (F) Also recommended: The Cay

Townsend, Sue. The Secret of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 ¾. In spite of himself, Adrian Mole reveals his enormous wit and wisdom in this secret diary as he suffers through”spots” (pimples), bullying, and his parents’ separation. (F)

Trueman, Terry. Stuck in Neutral. Shawn McDaniel, 14, has cerebral palsy and this lack of muscle control keeps him from being understood by friends and family. Despite the condition that has caused his teachers to label him “retarded” he has an active mind and an indomitable spirit. (F)

Turner, Megan. The Thief. Fantastically set in an ancient Greece that might have been, the thief Gen almost loses more than his life when he endeavors to find the mythic Hamiathes’ Gift. A Newbery Honor Series. (F)

Voight, Cynthia. Elske. Twelve-year-old Elske escapes death and flees from her barbaric Volkaric homeland. There she joins forces with Beriel, and they bravely return to their homeland on a daring quest. This is the fourth in Voight’s medieval Kingdom series, but is is not necessary to read the others first. (F)

Voight, Cynthia. Homecoming. A young girl named Dicey Tillerman journeys with her siblings to find a home after their mother abandons them in a shopping mall. You may enjoy Dicey’s Song, Seventeen Against the Dealer or any other story about the Tillerman family. (F)

Werlin, Nancy. Black Mirror. When Frances Leventhal, half Japanese and half Jewish, begins to investigate the death of her brother, she finds dangerous secrets hidden in the workings of the community service group on campus, of which her brother was a member. (F)

Whelan, Gloria. Homeless Bird. Despite the oppressive constraints of an arranged marriage in Jordan, Koly, 13, finds outlets by teaching herself to read and by putting her unflagging optimism, courage, and hope into her quilt creations. 2000 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. (F)

White, Ruth. Belle Prater’s Boy. What really happened to the parents of twelve-year-old Gypsy and her cousin Woodrow in this small Virginia town? (F)

Whitesel, Cheryl. Rebel, a Tibetan Odyssey. Fourteen-year-old Thunder’s curiosity about foreigners causes trouble for his family in turn-of-the-century Tibet. His actions continue to be misunderstood at the monastery. Courage is demanded when Thunder realizes his kharma is forever linked to that of his tormentor. (F)

Wilson, Diane Lee. I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade. Guided by her shaman grandmother’s vision, the young girl, Oyuna, disguises herself as a boy to join Kubla Khan’s army, where she aspires to overturn the curse that overshadows her family in fourteenth century China. (F)

Wolfe, Virginia E. Bat 6. In 1949, two Oregon towns look forward to the fiftieth anniversary girls’ softball game. Told in the voices of the sixth grade players, a drama unfolds bringing home the painful realities of prejudice during WWII. (F)

Wolfe, Virginia E. Make Lemonade. A babysitting job allows Verna at fourteen to join forces with seventeen-year-old Jolly and her two small children to make lemonade from the lemons of life in this most unusual novel. (F)

Woodson, Jacqueline. Hush. Why does Toswiah Green have to change her name to Evie Thomas, and why does her family have to move from their happy home in Denver to a colorless city in another part of the country? (F) Also by this author: Miracle’s Boys

Zindel, Paul. Raptor. Zach finds a baby dinosaur that bonds with him, while the mother is on the run trying to retrieve her lost baby. There is heart-pounding suspense as the slimy, multi-fanged creature is on the loose. (F) Also recommended: The Pigman

Suggested Summer Reading for Parents

Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Agression in Girls. Rachel Simmons

Speaking of Divorce: How to Talk with Your Kids and Help Them Cope. Roberta Beyer and Kent Winchester

Worry: Hope and Help for a Common Condition. Edward M. Hallowell, M.D.

The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness: Five Steps to Help Create and Sustain Lifelong Joy

Best Friends, Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Lives of Children. Michael Thompson, PH.D. and Catherine O’Neil Grace

Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood. William Pollack, PH.D.

Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls. Mary Pipher, PH.D.

Speaking of Boys: Answers to the Most Asked Questions about Raising Sons. Michael Thompson

Sex and Sensibility: The Thinking Parent’s Guide to Talking Sense about Sex. Deborah Roffman.