Summer Recommended Reading for Middle Schoolers

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
The Anybodies by N.E. Bode
Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney
Under the Same Sky by Cynthia DeFelice
Chicken Boy by Franes Dowell
The Old Willis Place by Mary Downing Hahn
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Jackie's Wild by Will Hobbs
Gossamer by Lois Lowry
Heat by Mike Lupica
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
House of the Red Fish by Graham Salisbury
Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan
Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083 by Andrea White
The Ravenmaster's Secret by Elvira Woodruff
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Artemis Fowl by Eion Colfer
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Hansen, Patty Hansen
Dicey's Song by C. Voight
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Granny Tortelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech
Harry Potter and the Half Blooded Prince by J.K. Rowling
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Old Yeller by Fred Gibson
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Sadoko and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr
Small Steps by Louis Sachar
Speak by Laurie Halse Paterson
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Tear of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Princess Diaries: Volumes I and II by Meg Cabot
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Rediscovering Daily Graces by Robert Elmer (NavPress, 2006) according to a well respected amazon.com reviewer. . .

Reviewer:
W. Terry Whalin "Agent / Editor / Writer" (Scottsdale, Arizona) - See all my reviewsWith the noise and challenges of our daily life, how do you return to the essentials? It's a question asked--and answered in this slim yet powerful volume from Robert Elmer. For hundreds of years, the church defined faith in seven essential sacraments: baptism, confirmation, communion, reconciliation, prayer for the sick, marriage and vocation (a celebration of our work). Elmer has read the classic teachings and pulled together a series of engaging and readable insight from classic teachers like Martin Luther, John Calvin, Charles Spurgeon, Andrew Murray and D.L. Moody. The results of this careful volume will help you deepen your faith walk. Each sacrament ends with a section called "Putting the Words to Work" where the individual reader or a group can apply the readings to their own lives. In the final section, Elmer asks, "What do we do now with so much good advice?...It's a voyage of rediscovery, back through God's grace. Don't forget, though, that God's best gifts will permeate our lives only with our permission, with our active consent." Read deeply in these pages. It's worth the effort.

I loved this book because it finally said out loud all those things we bicker about in the back pews. A reminder that tradition and sacrament are not bad words!

When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin (Westbow, 2006) was recommended to me by my friend and an incredible editor, Rachelle Gardner. I was hesitant because my experience reading "Christian" fiction has disappointed me more often than it has delighted me. I'm so glad I gave this book a chance. Charles Martin holds you captive and never lets you go as a reader. His style is similar to Nicholas Sparks in my opinion, and his depth of character makes me want to keep reading long after I've turned the last published page. I'm ready for more from Charles Martin and I hope you will be too!

From the Publisher
In a small town square of a sleepy Georgia town, seven-year-old Annie sits at her lemonade stand, raising money for her own heart transplant. At a nearby store, Reese flips through the newspaper, thinking about the latest boat he's restoring. As a beat-up bread truck careens around the corner, a strong wind blows Annie's money into the road. Reese looks up in time to see Annie's yellow dress fluttering in the wind as she runs into the road. What happens next will change both of their lives forever.

Richly atmospheric and evocative, with the kind of characters that move into your heart and take up residence, Charles Martin's new novel will resonate with fans of God-haunted southern fiction, and with anyone who enjoys a solidly crafted, heart-touching story.

Cowlick by Christin Ditchfield (Golden Books, 2007) is a delight! According to its amazon.com description ". . . She comes in the middle of the night, when everyone is sleeping. When she sees a smooth little head on a pillow, she can't resist giving it a cow kiss—sluuurrrp! Cowlick! gives young readers an imaginative and playful explanation for the "bedhead" that afflicts us all!"

I have two boys who have complained about their cowlicks from when they were very little. They still battle them every morning! Now we know where they came from!

Christin Ditchfield is a talented writer of books for children and families. She has written dozens of non fiction books for children along with family titles like The Family Guide to Narnia. She is the host of the nationally syndicated radio show Take it to Heart! and resides in Sarasota, Florida. You can find out more about Christin and Cowlick at www.takeittoheartradio.com.

Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick (Viking Adult, 2006) is one of the first narrative non fiction history books I've ever read. I've always been interested in history, but it tends to be dry reading. When I saw that this book was on the bestseller list, I decided to give it a try.

I wasn't disappointed.

I learned more about our earliest colonists than I ever thought possible. Their quest for religious freedom inspired not only their own but future generations to come to this land of the free. But once here, they, not unlike many of us, discovered that freedom has a cost - a high cost.

This book spans more than one generation of colonists. The same generations of Indians were chronicled right alongside the colonists. Both viewpoints seemed to be well represented. I highly recommend this book for every person even slightly interested in how this country was founded. Parents who homeschool would be interested for the educational value of this book as well.

Scent by C.L. Kelly (Zondervan, 2006) according to its amazon.com description is about "the hunt is on to capture “the very breath of beauty” and secure the success of struggling perfumers Cassie and Nick Dixon. When the fragrance “Cassandra” is at last unveiled, the public goes wild. Then “Cassandra” starts to wreak havoc, and the Dixons must face their inner demons before it’s too late … "

This first book in a new series by Kelly captured my attention from page one and never let go. The characters were real, true to life, human beings - flawed, but redeemable. This series (Sensations) promises to attract both the faithful Kelly followers and those new to this author's talent for telling a compelling story.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (The Chicken House, 2003) is about a twelve-year-old girl named Meggie who learns that her father, who repairs and binds books for a living, can "read" fictional characters to life when one of those characters abducts them and tries to force him into service.

This 500 page + book captured my imagination from the first page and held onto me until a unique and satisfying ending. I read this book because my son loved it and because I have a chance to create online teacher guides for books for scholastic.com and this was my "practice" book. I normally don't like to read books that are more than 350 pages because I'm a relatively slow reader, but this one made the time just fly by!

There is some violence in this book in the form of bad guys slapping our main character across the face or a firestarter who burns his fingers, but other than that it is a great read for any child.

The Hidden by Kathryn Mackel (Westbow, 2006) is the story of psychologist Susan Stone who returns to her home, a Colorado horse ranch, when her father falls ill. Soon her bossy competence is rubbing everyone the wrong way, including her father, with whom her relationship was always problematical. Escaping a wrenching emotional scene, Susan races across the highlands on a spirited stallion and is thrown into a deep chasm, where she discovers an odd, androgynous young man and brings him back to the house. Is her young charge an angel? A demon? The sheriff, an old lover of Susan's, checks in: there has been a murder. And then there is a series of them, all bizarre, all perhaps linked to the strange young man (from Booklist).

Kathy's successful experiences as a Hollywood screenwriter makes this read a page turner, filled with images that both provoke awe and trembling. This edition of Christian fiction doesn't apologize for the faith journeys of its characters, and includes them in a natural, yet somewhat predictable, way.

Kathy's love for story romances her readers.