list of summer reads - Central Middle School

SUGGESTED SUMMER READING LIST 2016
CENTRAL MIDDLE SCHOOL
Adventure/Mystery
The Girl Is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines
Iris Anderson is only 15, but she's quickly mastering the art of deception in this YA novel It's the Fall of 1942
and Iris's world is rapidly changing. Her Pop is back from the war with a missing leg, limiting his ability to do the
physically grueling part of his detective work. Iris is dying to help, especially when she discovers that one of
Pop's cases involves a boy at her school.
Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey
Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. Now that she is being haunted by the
ghost of a young woman, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must discover the mystery
behind this girl's violent death, to prevent the ghost's twin sister from suffering the same fate.
Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief (Sammy Keyes Series)
What Sammy should have done was put the binoculars down and call 911. What she does instead is
tighten up the focus on her right eye to get a better look. There's something very familiar about this thief.
But when Sammy eventually spills her story to Officer Borsch, he doesn't believe her. He treats her like
some snot-nosed little kid. Well, Sammy's not going to stand for that. She's a snot-nosed seventh
grader now, and she knows what she saw. And somehow she's going to prove it.
Death Cloud by Andrew Lane
It is the summer of 1868, and Sherlock Holmes is fourteen. On break from boarding school, he is staying
with eccentric strangers―his uncle and aunt―in their vast house in Hampshire. When two local people die
from symptoms that resemble the plague, Holmes begins to investigate what really killed them, helped by
his new tutor, an American named Amyus Crowe. So begins Sherlock's true education in detection, as he
discovers the dastardly crimes of a brilliantly sinister villain of exquisitely malign intent.
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Playing with the form he created in his trailblazing debut novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian
Selznick once again sails into uncharted territory and takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey.
Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose
dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling
clue in his mother's room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out
alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.
Tunnel Vision by Susan Shaw
On her way home one evening, Liza has to force her way through a group of men in a train underpass.
She doesn’t think anything of it, but when her mom is shot dead moments later, Liza’s world turns upside
down. Even worse, Liza was really the target. Only hours after her mother’s death, Liza is nearly killed
again and she and her dad are placed in the witness protection program.
Body in the Woods by April Henry
Alexis, Nick, and Ruby have very different backgrounds: Alexis has spent her life covering for her mom's
mental illness, Nick's bravado hides his fear of not being good enough, and Ruby just wants to pursue her
eccentric interests in a world that doesn't understand her. When the three teens join Portland County
Sheriff's Search and Rescue, they are teamed up to search for a autistic man lost in the woods. What they
find instead is a dead body.
The Secret of ROVER by Rachel Wildavsky
The Secret of Rover follows the clever and resourceful twins Katie and David as they race across the
country in their attempt to outwit an international team of insurgents who hold their parents and baby sister
captive in a foreign land.
Realistic Fiction
Then I Met My Sister by Christine Hurley Deriso
It's not exactly easy living in a shrine to your dead sister. Since birth, I've known that everyone loved
Shannon. She was perfect―beautiful, smart, talented. And me? Not so much. My parents always expected
me to live up to her greatness. But I could never measure up to her, so why even try?
Tall Story by Candy Gourlay
Andi is short. And she has lots of wishes. She wishes she could play on the school basketball team, she
wishes for her own bedroom, but most of all she wishes that her long-lost half-brother, Bernardo, could
come and live in London where he belongs.
Soar by Joan Bauer
Jeremiah is the world’s biggest baseball fan. He really loves baseball and he knows just about everything
there is to know about his favorite sport. So when he’s told he can’t play baseball following an operation on
his heart, Jeremiah decides he’ll do the next best thing and become a coach.
The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt
Drew's a bit of a loner. She has a pet rat, her dead dad's Book of Lists, an encyclopedic knowledge of
cheese from working at her mom's cheese shop, and a crush on Nick, the surf bum who works behind the
counter. It's the summer before eighth grade and Drew's days seem like business as usual, until one night
after closing time, when she meets a strange boy in the alley named Emmett Crane.
Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt
In this companion novel to The Wednesday Wars, Doug struggles to be more than the "skinny thug"
that some people think him to be. He finds an unlikely ally in Lil Spicer, who gives him the strength to
endure an abusive father, the suspicions of a town, and the return of his oldest brother, forever scarred,
from Vietnam.
Runaway by Wendelin Van Draanen
Holly has run away before, but this time she actually gets away—and what at first felt like an escape soon
becomes a daily struggle for survival. She is smart and resourceful, and she manages to make it across
the country on her own. But how long can this go on? It’s getting harder to avoid the truth—Holly is now
homeless.
Now Is the Time for Running by Michael Williams
Just down the road from their families, Deo and his friends play soccer in the dusty fields of Zimbabwe,
cheered on by Deo's older brother, Innocent. It is a day like any other... until the soldiers arrive and Deo
and Innocent are forced to run for their lives, fleeing the wreckage of their village for the distant promise of
safe haven in South Africa. Along the way, they face the prejudice and poverty that greet refugees.
Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo
Two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo returns to her Florida roots with a moving, masterful story
of an unforgettable summer friendship.
Humorous
The Accidental Genius of Weasel High by Rick Detorie
Larkin Pace desperately wants a new camcorder. How else is he going to become the next great
filmmaker? But his dad won’t give him any money, his sister is determined to make his life miserable, and
his nemesis Dalton Cooke is trying to steal his girlfriend. Now this height-challenged aspiring director must
chronicle his wacky life for a freshman English assignment.
The Absolute Value of Mike by Kathryn Erskine
Mike tries so hard to please his father, but the only language his dad seems to speak is calculus. And for a
boy with a math learning disability, nothing could be more difficult. When his dad sends him to live with
distant relatives in rural Pennsylvania for the summer to work on an engineering project, Mike figures this
is his big chance to prove himself.
The Gecko and Sticky Series
The Gecko & Sticky are a fabulous crime-fighting duo! This quartet of funny adventures will appeal to fans
of superheroes both young and old. Dave Sanchez is an average boy with an after-school job and a pet
gecko named Sticky. All very normal—until the day Sticky talks! Sticky tells Dave a wild tale of a former
life of crime, searching for Aztec gold with a treasure hunter named Damien Black, and of a magical Aztec
wristband with shiny gold power ingots that will give the wearer super powers. Dave doesn’t believe a
word—until Sticky shows him the wristband.
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Dead End in Norvelt is a novel about an incredible two months for a kid named Jack Gantos, whose plans
for vacation excitement are shot down when he is "grounded for life" by his feuding parents, and whose
nose spews bad blood at every little shock he gets. But plenty of excitement (and shocks) are coming
Jack's way once his mom loans him out to help a feisty old neighbor with a most unusual
chore―typewriting obituaries filled with stories about the people who founded his town.
Withering Tights by Louise Rennison
Tallulah Casey is ready to find her inner artist. And some new friends. And maybe a boy or two or three.
The ticket to achieving these lofty goals? Enrolling in a summer performing arts program, of course. She's
bound for the wilds of Yorkshire Dales—eerily similar to the windswept moors of Wuthering Heights.
Tallulah expects new friends, less parental interference, and lots of drama. Acting? Tights? Moors? Check,
check, check.
The Fourth Stall Series by Chris Rylander
Do you need something? Mac can get it for you…he and his best friend and business manager, Vince.
Their methods might sometimes run afoul of the law, or at least the school code of conduct, but if you have
a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can pay him, Mac is on your side. His office is located in the
East Wing boy's bathroom, fourth stall from the high window. And business is booming. Or at least it was,
until this particular Monday. Because this Monday is when Mac and Vince find out that the trouble with
solving everyone else's problems is there's no one left to solve yours.
Historical Fiction
City of Orphans by Avi
The streets of 1893 New York are crowded and filthy. For thirteen-year-old newsboy Maks Geless, they
are also dangerous. Bruno, leader of the awful Plug Ugly Gang, has set his sights on Maks and orders his
boys to track him down. Suddenly Maks finds himself on the run, doing all he can to evade the gang, with
only his new friend Willa by his side. And that’s just the start of Mak’s troubles.
Strings Attached by Judy Blundell
From National Book Award winner Judy Blundell, a deadly tale of love, mystery, and the Mob.
When Kit Corrigan arrives in New York City, she doesn't have much. She's fled from her family in
Providence, Rhode Island, and she's broken off her relationship with a boy named Billy, who's enlisted in
the army.
Jefferson’s Sons: A Founding Father’s Secret Children by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
This story of Thomas Jefferson's children by one of his slaves, Sally Hemings, tells a darker piece of
America's history from an often unseen perspective-that of three of Jefferson's slaves-including two of his
own children. As each child grows up and tells his story, the contradiction between slavery and freedom
becomes clearer, calling into question the real meaning of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." This
poignant story sheds light on what life was like as one of Jefferson's invisible children.
Five 4ths of July by Pat Raccio Hughes
The American Revolution is underway, and fiery Jake Mallery wants freedom from tyranny – the tyranny of
his strict father, that is. Jake doesn’t care about fighting for liberty. To him, the pursuit of happiness is
sailing the high seas, seeking adventure on a privateer. But his father insists that Jake remain at home on
the Connecticut coast, tending the family’s ferry and joining the local militia in case the town is attacked.
Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pickney
In a small upstate New York town during the Great Depression, three children--Hibernia, Willie, and Otis-are about to meet. Hibernia dreams of becoming a famous singer and performing at Harlem's swanky
Savoy Ballroom. Willie is recovering from a tragedy that prevents him from becoming a junior boxing
champ. Otis spends every night glued to the radio, listening to the voices that remind him of Daddy and
Ma.
Small Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whelan
It is India, 1918, six months after the end of World War I, and Rosalind awaits the return of her father from
the war. Rosalind is kept from boarding school in England at her mother’s insistence. While her father has
been at war, Rosalind sees the country slowly change. A man named Ghandi is coming to power, talking
about nonviolence and independence from Britain. Rosalind longs to live the life that her heart tells her, not
what her parents prescribe for her, but no one seems to listen.
Graphic Novels
Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol
Anya could really use a friend. But her new BFF isn't kidding about the "forever" part . . .
Of all the things Anya expected to find at the bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them.
Especially not a new friend who's been dead for a century.
Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge
Paige Turner has just moved to New York with her family, and she's having some trouble adjusting to the
big city. In the pages of her sketchbook, she tries to make sense of her new life, including trying out her
secret identity: artist. As she makes friends and starts to explore the city, she slowly brings her secret
identity out into the open, a process that is equal parts terrifying and rewarding.
Around the World by Matt Phelan
As the nineteenth century wound down, a public inspired by the novel Around the World in Eighty Days
clamored for intrepid adventure. The challenge of circumnavigating the globe as no one ever had before--a
feat assuring fame if not fortune--attracted the fearless in droves. Three hardy spirits stayed the course: In
1884, former miner Thomas Stevens made the journey on a bicycle, the kind with a big front wheel. In
1889, pioneer reporter Nellie Bly embarked on a global race against time that assumed the heights of
spectacle, ushering in the age of the American celebrity.
Bad Island by Doug Tennapel
When Reese is forced to go on a boating trip with his family, the last thing he expects is to be shipwrecked
on an island-especially one teeming with weird plants and animals. But what starts out as simply a bad
vacation turns into a terrible one, as the castaways must find a way to escape while dodging the island's
dangerous inhabitants. With few resources and a mysterious entity on the hunt, each secret unlocked
could save them . . . or spell their doom. One thing Reese knows for sure: This is one Bad Island.
I Love Him to Pieces by Evonne Tsang
Can love survive the zombie apocalypse? Maybe Dicey's first chance at a real relationship was dead from
the start. She's the star of her high school baseball team, and Jack's the star of the science program. Her
idea of a study session includes sleeping in the sun, and his idea of a good game involves dungeons and
dice.
The Last Dragon by Jane Yolen
Two hundred years ago, humans drove the dragons from the islands of May. Now, the last of the dragons
rises to wreak havoc with only a healer's daughter and a kite flying would be hero standing in its way.
Fantasy
Chime by Franny Billingsley
Briony has a secret. It is a secret that killed her stepmother, ruined her sister's mind, and will end her life, if
anyone were to know. She has powers. Then Eldric comes along with his golden lion eyes and a great
mane of tawny hair. He is as natural as the sun, and he treats her as if she is extraordinary. And everything
starts to change . . . Chime is a haunting, brilliantly written novel that will stay with you--its magic, its
romance, its world like none other.
Entwined by Heather Dixon
Come and mend your broken hearts here. In this retelling of the classic tale "The Twelve Dancing
Princesses," the eldest princess must fight to save her family—and her heart—from an ancient dark magic
within the palace walls.
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier The Ruby Red Trilogy
Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for
traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a
different era!
Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter
One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life
forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it
becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires,
werewolves, shape shifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control
their magic and live in the normal world.
The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier
When Trei loses his family in a tragic disaster, he must search out distant relatives in a new land. The
Floating Islands are unlike anything Trei has ever seen: stunning, majestic, and graced with kajurai, men
who soar the skies with wings.
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Twelve-year-old Sunny lives in Nigeria, but she was born American. Her features are African, but she's
albino. She's a terrific athlete, but can't go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place
where she fits. And then she discovers something amazing-she is a "free agent," with latent magical
power. Soon she's part of a quartet of magic students, studying the visible and invisible, learning to change
reality. But will it be enough to help them when they are asked to catch a career criminal who knows magic
too?
Horror/ Supernatural
Flickers
Far from the isolated prairie ranch where they were born, orphaned twins Isabelle and Beatrice Thorn are
living a glamorous 1920s Hollywood life as wards of Mr. Cecil, a mysterious and influential director.
Isabelle is a silent film starlet, destined for greatness in the very first talking picture—a horror flick that will
showcase her famous scream, often seen but never before heard by audiences.
The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
Strange things have been happening in sixteen-year-old Maya's small Vancouver Island community—from
the mountain lions that have been constantly approaching her to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling"
out people and situations. There's also a sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel different. Combine that
with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect
that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.
Flip by Martyn Bedford
What does it mean to have a soul whose will to live knows no limits?
One morning fourteen-year-old Alex wakes up to find himself in the wrong bedroom, in an unfamiliar
house, in a different part of the country. Six months have disappeared overnight. The family at the
breakfast table? Total strangers.
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. So did his father before him, until he
was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly
athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. They follow
legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at
bay.
The Poisoned House by Michael Ford
Life can be cruel for a servant girl in 1850s London. Fifteen-year-old Abi is a scullery maid in Greave Hall,
an elegant but troubled household. The widowed master of the house is slowly slipping into madness, and
the tyrannical housekeeper, Mrs. Cotton, punishes Abi without mercy. But there's something else going on
in Greave Hall, too. An otherworldly presence is making itself known, and a deadly secret will reveal itself-a secret that will shatter everything Abi knows.
This Dark Endeavour: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein by Kenneth Oppel
Victor and Konrad are the twin brothers Frankenstein. They are nearly inseparable. Growing up, their lives
are filled with imaginary adventures...until the day their adventures turn all too real.
Science Fiction
Ultraviolet by R. J. Anderson
Sixteen-year-old Alison wakes up in a mental institution. As she pieces her memory back together, she
realizes she s confessed to murdering Tori Beaugrand, the most perfect girl at school. But the case is a
mystery. Tori s body has not been found, and Alison can't explain what happened. One minute she was
fighting with Tori. The next moment Tori disintegrated into nothing.
Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky
Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a
date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with
the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical
closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her.
The Testing Trilogy by Charbonneau
It’s graduation day for sixteen-year-old Malencia Vale, and the entire Five Lakes Colony (the former Great
Lakes) is celebrating. All Cia can think about—hope for—is whether she’ll be chosen for The Testing, a
United Commonwealth program that selects the best and brightest new graduates to become possible
leaders of the slowly revitalizing post-war civilization.
Invasion: A C.H.A.O.S. Novel by Jon S. Lewis
Colt McAlister was having the summer of his life. He spent his days surfing and his nights playing guitar on
the beach with friends. He even met a girl and got his first car. But everything changes when his parents
are killed in a freak accident.
Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories by Kelly and G. Grant Link
Imagine an alternate universe where tinkerers and dreamers craft and re-craft a world of automatons,
clockworks, calculating machines, and other marvels that never were. Visionaries Kelly Link and Gavin J.
Grant have taken a genre already rich, strange, and inventive and challenged fourteen masters of
speculative fiction, including two graphic storytellers, to embrace its established themes and refashion
them in surprising ways and settings.
Tracked by Jenny Martin
On corporately controlled Castra, rally racing is a high-stakes game that seventeen-year-old Phoebe Van
Zant knows all too well. Phee’s legendary racer father disappeared mysteriously, but that hasn't stopped
her from speeding headlong into trouble. When she and her best friend, Bear, attract the attention of
Charles Benroyal, they are blackmailed into racing for Benroyal Corp, a company that represents
everything Phee detests.
Blood Red Road Dust Lands Series by Moira Young
Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The
Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge
from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when four cloaked
horsemen capture Lugh, Saba's world is shattered, and she embarks on a quest to get him back.
Biographies & Non-Fiction
Mysterious Bones: The Story of Kennewick Man by Katherine Kirkpatrick
This stunningly illustrated nonfiction account explores the 1996 discovery of the skeletal remains of
Kennewick Man.
Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom by Sue Macy
Take a lively look at women's history from aboard a bicycle, which granted females the freedom of mobility
and helped empower women's liberation. Through vintage photographs, advertisements, cartoons, and
songs, Wheels of Change transports young readers to bygone eras to see how women used the bicycle to
improve their lives.
Fruit Desserts by Maggie Mayhew
Fruit Desserts is a wonderful collection of recipes designed to help you make the most of the abundant
selection of fruits that is now available.
Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea and Air by Ross
Open this amazing book and discover how the greatest explorers in history — from Marco Polo to Neil
Armstrong — plunged into the unknown and boldly pieced together the picture of the world we have today.
Wideness and Wonder: The Life and Art of Georgia O’Keeffe by Susan Rubin
Wideness and Wonder is the fascinating story of the mysterious and beloved artist Georgia O'Keeffe. Wellknown children's biography writer Susan Goldman Rubin traces the events that shaped O'Keeffe's art and
how art influenced OKeeffe's life in return. Wideness and Wonder is colorful, accessible, and packed with
the art that made O'Keeffe so renowned.
Poetry
Hidden by Helen Frost
When Wren Abbott and Darra Monson are eight years old, Darra's father steals a minivan. He doesn't
know that Wren is hiding in the back. The hours and days that follow change the lives of both girls. Darra is
left with a question that only Wren can answer. Told from alternating viewpoints, this novel-in-poems
reveals the complexities of memory and the strength of a friendship that can overcome pain.
Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes
For twelve years, Joylin Johnson's life has been just fine, thank you very much. A game of basketball with
the boys-especially her friend Jake-was all it took to put a smile on her face. Baggy jeans, T-shirt, and hair
in a ponytail were easy choices. Then suddenly the world seemed to turn upside down, and everything
changed at once. In short poems that perfectly capture the crazy feelings of adolescence and first
crushes, award-winning author Nikki Grimes has crafted a delightful, often hilarious, hearttugging story.
Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
Lupita, a budding actor and poet in a close-knit Mexican American immigrant family, comes of age as she
struggles with adult responsibilities during her mother's battle with cancer in this young adult novel in
verse.
Orchards by Holly Thompson
After a classmate commits suicide, Kana Goldberg—a half-Japanese, half-Jewish American—wonders
who is responsible. She and her cliquey friends said some thoughtless things to the girl. Hoping that Kana
will reflect on her behavior, her parents pack her off to her mother's ancestral home in Japan for the
summer. There Kana spends hours under the hot sun tending to her family's mikan orange groves.
Kana's mixed heritage makes it hard to fit in at first, especially under the critical eye of her traditional
grandmother, who has never accepted Kana's father. But as the summer unfolds, Kana gets to know her
relatives, Japan, and village culture, and she begins to process the pain and guilt she feels about the
tragedy back home. Then news about a friend sends her world spinning out of orbit all over again.
The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic by Allan Wolf
The voices in this remarkable re-creation of the Titanic disaster span classes and stations, from Margaret
("the unsinkable Molly") Brown to the captain who went down with his ship; from the lookout and wireless
men to a young boy in search of dragons and a gambler in search of marks. Slipping in telegraphs,
undertaker's reports, and other records, poet Allan Wolf offers a breathtaking, intimate glimpse at the lives
behind the tragedy, told with clear-eyed compassion and astounding emotional power.
Booked by Kwane Alexander
In this follow-up to the Newbery-winning novel THE CROSSOVER, soccer, family, love, and friendship,
take center stage as twelve-year-old Nick learns the power of words as he wrestles with problems at home,
stands up to a bully, and tries to impress the girl of his dreams. Helping him along are his best friend and
sometimes teammate Coby, and The Mac, a rapping librarian who gives Nick inspiring books to read.
This electric and heartfelt novel-in-verse by poet Kwame Alexander bends and breaks as it captures all the
thrills and setbacks, action and emotion of a World Cup match!