Recommended Nonfiction for Middle School Learners

Armstrong, Jennifer. 2005. Photo by Brady: A Picture of the Civil War. NY: Atheneum.

Armstrong, Jennifer. 2000. Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: the Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance. NY: Crown.

Aronson, Marc. 2011. Trapped: How the World Rescued 33 Miners from 2,000 Feet Below the Chilean Desert. NY: Atheneum.

Aronson, Marc & Marina Budhos. 2010. Sugar Changed the World: The Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery and Freedom. NY: Clarion.

Aronson, Marc & Mike Parker Pearson. 2010. If Stones Could Speak: Unlocking the Secrets of Stonehenge. Washington DC: National Geographic Children's Books.

Atkin, S. Beth. 2000. Voices from the Field: Children of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their Stories. New York: Little Brown Young Readers
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2010. They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group. NY: Houghton Mifflin.

------------------------------. 2005. Hitler Youth: Growing Up In Hitler's Shadow. NY: Scholastic.
------------------------------. 2005. Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine. NY: Sandpiper.
------------------------------. 1999. Growing Up in Coal Country.  NY: Sandpiper.

Bausum, Ann. 2009. Denied, Detained, Deported: Stories from the Dark Side of American Immigration. Washington, DC: National Geographic.

Bial, Raymond. 2002. Tenement Life on the Lower East Side. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Blakey, Ron and Wayne Ranney. 2008. Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau. Grand Canyon, AZ: Grand Canyon Association.

Bledsoe, Lucy Jane. 2006. How to Survive in Antarctica. NY: Holiday House.

Brimner, Larry Dane. 2010. Birmingham Sunday. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press.

Bruchac, Joseph. 2008. Sacajawea. Boston: Harcourt.
--------------------. 2008. Jim Thorpe: Original All-American. NY: Speak.

Bryson, Bill. 2000. I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away. NY: Broadway.

Budhos, Marina. 2007. Remix: Conversations with Immigrant Teenagers. New York: Henry Holt/Resource Publications.

Burns, Loree Griffin. 2010. The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe. Illustrated with photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Caputo, Philip. 2005. 10,000 Days of Thunder: A History of the Vietnam War. NY:Atheneum.

Chassman, Gary. 2002. In the Spirit of Martin: The Living Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  NY: Tinwood Books.

Collier, Michael. 2009. Over the Coast: An Aerial View of Geology. NY: Mikaya Press.

Collier, Michael. 2008. Over the Rivers: An Aerial View of Geology. NY: Mikaya Press.

Collier, Michael. 2007. Over the Mountains: An Aerial View of Geology. NY: Mikaya Press.

From A Black Hole is NOT A Hole.

DeCristofano, Carolyn Cinami. 2012. A Black Hole is NOT a Hole. Illustrated by Michael Carroll. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishers..
Einstein, Albert, 1950s. An Ideal Service to Our Fellow Man. As heard on NPR’s This I Believe.

Ellis, Deborah. 2009. Children of War: Voices of Iraqi Refugees. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books.

------------------. 2008. Off to War: Voices of Soldiers’ Children. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books.

------------------. 2004. Three Wishes. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books.

Evans, Kate. 2007. Weird Weather: Everything You Didn’t Want to Know About Climate Change But Probably Should Find Out. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books.

Feelings, Tom. 1995. The Middle Passage: White Ships/Black Cargo. New York: Dial.

Ferri, Daniel. 2005. The Kindness of Strangers. As heard on NPR’s Morning Edition, December 5, 2005.

Fleischman, John. 2004. Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science. NY: Sandpiper.

Freedman, Russell. 2010. The War to End All Wars: World War I. NY: Clarion.
----------------------. 2004. The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights. NY: Clarion.

------------------------. 1998. Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor. NY: Sandpiper.

Gallo, Gary. 2010. Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow: the Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix. Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe. NY: Clarion.

Grady, Wayne. 2010. Technology: A Groundwood Guide. Toronto: Groundwood Books.

Grainfield, Linda. 2001. 97 Orchard Street, New York: Stories of Immigrant Life. Illustrated by Arlene Alda. Toronto, Ontario: Tundra Books.

Illustration by Gennady Spirin. from Life in the Boreal Forest

Guiberson, Brenda Z. 2009. Life in the Boreal Forest. Illustrated by Gennady Spirin. Toronto: Groundwood Books.

Guibert, Emmanuel. 2009. The Photographer: Into War-torn Afghanistan with Doctors Without Borders. Photographs by Lefevre. NY: FirstSecond.

Hall, Laura. 2008. From Hip Hop Comes Hope. As heard on NPR’s Tell Me More.

Hall, Susan, 2011. A Powerful Act of Love. As heard on The Bob Edwards Show, December 16, 2011.

Heinlein, Robert. 2010. Our Nobel, Essential Decency. As heard on The Bob Edwards Show, 3.12.10.

Herrera, Nicholas. 2011. High Riders, Saints and Death Cars: A Life Saved by Art. Illustrated by John T. Deene. Toronto: Groundwood Books.

Higgins, Dalton. 2010. Hip Hop World: Groundwood Series. Toronto: Groundwood Books.

Hill, Laban Carrick. 2009. Harlem Stomp! A Cultural History of the Harlem Renaissance. NY: Little Brown
-----------------------. 2007.  America Dreaming: How Youth Changed America in the 60s.  NY: Little Brown.

Hubbard, Jim. 1994. Shooting Back from the Reservation: A Photographic View of Life by Native Americans. NY: New Press.

Kidder, Tracey. 2004. Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World. New York: Random House.

Kops, Deborah. 2012. The Great Molasses Flood: Boston 1919. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishers.
Kuklin, Susan. 1996. Irrepressible Spirit: Conversations with Human Rights Activists. New York: Putnam.

Kurlansky, Mark. 2001. The Cod's Tale. Illustrated by S.D. Schindler. NY: Putnam.

Laxer, James. 2009. Democracy: A Groundwood Guide. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books.

Levine, Macklin. 2009. The Beatles Live On. As Heard on NPR’s Weekend Edition, March 15, 2009.

Lisa. 2005. This I Believe. NPR. July 13, 2005.

Lorinc, John. 2008. Cities: A Groundwood Guide. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books.

Lourie, Peter. 2009. Whaling Season: A Year in the Life of an Arctic Whale Scientist. NY: Houghton Mifflin.

Mann, Charles C. 2009. Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491. NY: Atheneum.

Marin, Reeve. 2008. Oscar: The Life and Music of Oscar Peterson. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books.

Marrin, Albert. 2011. Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy. NY: Knopf.

------------------. 2006. Saving the Buffalo. NY: Scholastic.

Martin, Russell & Lydia Nibley. 2009. The Mysteries of Beethoven's Hair. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishers.
McDowall, Catherine. 2011. Everyone is Included. As heard on The Bob Edwards Show, October 14, 2011.

McLain, Tarak. 2009. Thirty Things I Believe. As heard on NPR’s Weekend Edition, January 18, 2009.  (Note: Tarak is 7-years-old).

McWhorter, Diane. 2004. A Dream of Freedom: the Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1968. NY: Scholastic.

Mills, Kay, 1994. This Little Light of Mine: The Life of Fannie Lou Hamer. NY: Plume.

Montgomery, Sy. 2010. Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot. Photographs by Nic Bishop. NY: Houghton Mifflin.

Moody, Rick. 2005. The Joy and Enthusiasm of Reading. As heard on NPR’s This I Believe, August 29, 2005.

Murphy, Jim. 2011. Weird  & Wacky Inventions. NY: Sky Pony Press.

Myers, Walter Dean. 1994. Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary. NY: Scholastic.

Nelson, S.D. (Standing Rock Sioux). 2010. Black Elk's Vision: A Lakota Story. NY: Abrams Books for Young Readers.
O’Brien, Perry Edmond and Ann Sibley O’Brien. 2009. After Gandhi: One Hundred Years of Nonviolent Resistance. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing.

Orr, Gregory. 2006. The Making of Poems. As heard on NPR’s All Things Considered, February 20, 2006.

Phuc, Kim. 2008. The Long Road to Forgiveness. As heard on NPR’s All Things Considered, June 30, 2008.

Roach, Mary 2004. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. NY: W.W. Norton.

From Secret Subway

Rubalcaba, Jill  and Peter Robertshaw. 2010. Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debates. Watertown MA: Charlesbridge Publishing.

Sandler, Martin W. 2009. Secret Subway: The Fascinating Tale of an Amazing Feat of Engineering.  Washington DC: National Geographic Children's Books.

Siddiqui, Haroon. 2008. Being Muslin: A Groundwood Guide. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books.

Singh, Rina. 2010. Guru Nanak: The First Sikh Guru. Illustrated by Andrée Pouliot. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books.

Sitarkski, Anita. 2007. Cold Light: Creatures, Discoveries, and Inventions that Glow. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press.

Siy, Alexandria. 2011. Bug Shots: The Good, the Bad, and the Bugly. NY: Holiday House.

------------------. 2009. Cars on Mars: Roving the Red Planet. Watertown MA: Charlesbridge Publishing.

Steven, Peter. 2010. The News: A Groundwood Guide. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books.

Stokes, John, Herman Viola and Lois Wolfe. 2007. Students on Strike: Jim Crow, Civil Rights, Brown, and Me. Illustrated with Photographs. Washington DC: National Geographic Children’s Books.

Stone, Tonya Lee. 2009. Almost Astronauts:13 Women Who Dared to Dream. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.
Sullivan, George. 2009. Berenice Abbott, Photographer: An Independent Vision. NY: Clarion.

Tanaka, Shelley. 2006. Climate Change: A Groundwood Guide. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books.

Terkel, Studs. 2005. Community in Action. As heard on NPR’s Morning Edition, October 24, 2005.

Turner, Pamela S. 2008. Life on Earth: An Astrobiologist's Quest. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Urban, Lex. 2011. Finding Out What’s Under Second Base. As heard on The Bob Edwards Show, July 22, 2011.

Valverde, Mariana. 2010. The Force of Law: A Groundwood Guide. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books.

Walker, David & Peter Hinks (ed). 1829/2000. David Walker's Appeal: To the Coloured Citizens of the World. Pennsylvania State University. (Link is for an online source)

Walker, Sally M. 2005. Secrets of a Civil War Submarines: Solving the Mysteries of the H.L. Hunley. Carolrhoda.

Weatherford, Carole Boston. 2007. Birmingham, 1963. (Poetry). Honesdale, PA: Wordsong.
Wright, Simeon and Herb Boyd. 2010. Simeon's Story: An Eyewitness Account of the Kidnapping of Emmett Till. Chicago, IL: Lawrence Hill Books.

Yerxa, Leo. 2006. Ancient Thunder. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books.

Zhang, Ange. 2004. Red Land, Yellow River: A Story from the Cultural Revolution. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books.

Ziegelman, Jane. 2010. 97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement. NY: HarperCollins.

This I Believe Essays Written by Middle and High School Students

Charles. 2010. Juice. Entered on November 29, 2010.

Earley, Brighton. 2008. Finding the Flexibility to Survive. As heard on NPR’s All Things Considered, June 2, 2008.

El-Saad, Alaa. 2009. America’s Beauty is in Its Diversity.  As heard on NPR’s Tell Me More, January 29, 2009.

Levine, Macklin. 2009. The Beatles Live On. As Heard on NPR’s Weekend Edition, March 15, 2009.

Lupi, Nora, 2008. My Opinions Matter. As heard on NPR’s Tell Me More, November 4, 2008.

Majeed, Kamaal. 2007. Being Content with Myself. As heard on NPR’s All Things Considered, May 7, 2007.

Rittenberg, Josh. 2006. Tomorrow Will Be A Better Day. As heard on NPR’s Morning Edition, February 27, 2006.

Sophia. 2005. This I Believe. (about magic)

Yu, Ying Ying, 2006. A Duty to Family, Heritage and Country. As heard on NPR’s Morning Edition, July 17, 2006.

Yuchasz, Joshua. 2006. We’re All Different in Our Own Ways. As heard on All things Considered, October 16, 2006.

Recommended Books for Grade 8 Reading Workshop

Mirror & Window Books
Barton, Chris. 2011. Can I See Your I.D.? True Stories of False Identities. Illustrated by Paul Hoppe. NY: Dial.
Bruchac, Joseph,. 2007. The Way. Minneapolis, MN: Darby Creek Publishing.
Budhos, Maria. 2011. Tell Us We're Home. NY: Atheneum.
Collington, Peter. 1994. The Coming of the Surfman. NY: Knopf.
Gallo, Donald, R. (Ed.). 2007. First Crossing: Stories about Teen Immigrants. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
Hidier, Yanuja Desai. 2003. Born Confused. NY: Scholastic.
Jones, Traci. L. 2006. Standing Against the Wind. NY: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
Lee, Marie G. 2001. Finding My Voice. NY: Harper Trophy.
Myers, Walter Dean & Ross Workman. 2011. Kick. NY: HarperTeen (Note: Workman is a high school student).
Na, An. 2003. A Step from Heaven. NY: Speak.
Son, John. 2004. Finding My Hat. NY: Scholastic.
Thurlo, David & Aimee Thurlo. 2004. The Spirit Line. NY: Viking.
Veciana-Suarez, Ana. 2002. Flight to Freedom. NY: Scholastic.
Woodson, Jacquline. 2008. After Tupac and D Foster. NY: Putnam. 

Text to Text 
1. Exploring the Essay
Bryson, Bill. 2000. I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away. NY: Broadway.
Einstein, Albert, 1950s. An Ideal Service to Our Fellow Man. This I Believe on NPR.
Grady, Wayne. 2010. Technology: A Groundwood Guide. Toronto: Groundwood Books.
Heinlan, Robert. 2010. Our Nobel, Essential Decency. This I Believe Essays as heard on the Bob Edwards show, 3.12.10 on NPR.
Hubbard, Jim. 1994. Shooting Back from the Reservation: A Photographic View of Life by Native Americans. NY: New Press.
Kidder, Tracey. 2004. Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World. New York: Random House.
Sullivan, George. 2009. Berenice Abbott, Photographer: An Independent Vision. NY: Clarion.
Walker, David & Peter Hinks (ed). 1829/2000. David Walker's Appeal: To the Coloured Citizens of the World. Pennsylvania State University. (Link is for an online source)

2. Exploring the 1960s & Early 1970s


Alvarez, Julia. 2004. Before We Were Free. NY: Laurel Leaf. (Dominican Republic, 1960-61).
----------------. 2004. Antes de ser libres. NY: Laurel Leaf. (Dominican Republic, 1960-61).
Brimner, Larry Dane. 2011. Birmingham Sunday. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press.
Caputo, Philip. 2005. 10,000 Days of Thunder: A History of the Vietnam War. NY:
Atheneum.
Case, Diana. 1995. 92 Queens Road. NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. (South Africa, 1960s).
Compestine, Ying Chang.  2009. Revolution is Not a Dinner Party. NY: Holt. (China, 1972).
Gallo, Gary. 2010. Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow: the Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix. Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe. NY: Clarion.
Glass, Linzi. 2006. The Year the Gypsies Came. NY: Henry Holt. (South Africa during the 1960s).
Gonzalez, Christina. 2010. The Red Umbrella. NY: Knopf Books.
Hill, Laban Carrick. 2007.  America Dreaming: How Youth Changed America in the 60s. NY: Little Brown.
Kaufman, Michael. 2009. 1968. New Milford, CT: Roaring Brook Press.
Magoon, Kekla. 2010. The Rock and the River. NY: Collins.
McWhorter, Diane. 2004. A Dream of Freedom: the Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1968. NY: Scholastic.
Mills, Kay, 1994. This Little Light of Mine: The Life of Fannie Lou Hamer. NY: Plume.
Myers, Walter Dean. 1994. Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary. NY: Scholastic.
Stokes, John, Herman Viola and Lois Wolfe. 2007. Students on Strike: Jim Crow, Civil Rights, Brown, and Me. Illustrated with Photographs. Washington DC: National Geographic Children’s Books.
Wiles, Deborah. 2010. Countdown. NY: Scholastic Press.
Williams-Garcia. Rita. 2010. One Crazy Summer. NY: Amistad.

Text to World

Bagdasarian, Adam. 2000. Forgotten Fire. NY: Dorling Kindersley.
Badoe, Adwoa. 2010. Between Sisters. Toronto: Groundwood Books.
Budhos, Marina. 2007. Remix: Conversations with Immigrant Teenagers. New York: Henry Holt/Resource Publications.
Carmi, Daniella. 2000. Samir and Yonatan. Translated by Yael Lotan.  NY: Arthur A. Levine Books.
Combres, Elisabeth. 2011. Broken Memory: A Novel of Rwanda. Toronto: Groundwood Books.
Engle, Margarita. 2011. Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck. NY: Henry Holt.
Guibert, Emmanuel. 2009. The Photographer: Into War-torn Afghanistan with Doctors Without Borders. Photographs by Lefevre. NY: FirstSecond.
Kass, Pnina Moed. 2006. Real Time. NY: Graphia.
Kuklin, Susan. 1996. Irrepressible Spirit: Conversations with Human Rights Activists. New York: Putnam.
Marston, Elsa. 2005. Figs and Fate: About Growing Up in the Arab World Today. NY: George Braziller.
Oodgeroo. 1994. Dreamtime: Aboriginal Stories. Illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft. NY: Lothrop, Lee, and Shepard.

Exploring Other: Science Fiction & Fantasy
Abbott, Ellen Jensen. 2009. Watersmeet. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish.
Allende, Isabel. 2006. Kingdom of the Golden Dragon. NY: Rayo.
------------------. 2004. El Reino del Dragon de Oro. NY: Rayo.
Allende, Isabel. 2004. Forest of the Pygmies. NY: Rayo.
------------------. 2005. El Bosque de los Pigmeos. NY: Rayo.
Allende, Isabel. 2009. City of Beasts. NY: Harper Perennial.
-------------------. 2003. La Ciudad de las Bestias. NY: Rayo.

Bruchac, Joseph. 2011. Wolf Mark. NY: Tu Books/Lee & Low. (Will be published in Fall, 2011).
-------------------. 2007. Wabi: A Hero's Tale. NY: Speak.
Fishbone, Greg, 2011. Galaxy Games: The Challengers. NY: Tu Books/Lee & Low. (Will be published in Fall, 2011).
Gill, David Macinnis. 2009. Soul Enchilada. NY: Harper Collins.
Pon, Cindy. 2009. Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia. NY: Greenwillow Books.
Sandler, Karen. 2011. Tankborn. NY: Tu Books/Lee & Low. (Will be published in Fall, 2011).
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. 2011. Blessed. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
----------------------------. 2010. Eternal. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
---------------------------. 2007. Tantalize. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
Tolkien, J.R.R. 1986. The Hobbit. NY: Ballantine.

So Much to See: Image and Text
Carlson, Lori Marie. (Ed.). 2005. Red Hot Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Being Young and Latino in the United States. New York: Henry Holt and Company.
Feelings, Tom. 1995. The Middle Passage: White Ships/Black Cargo. New York: Dial.
Grandits, John. 2007. Blue Lipstick: Concrete Poems. NY: Clarion.
Igus, Toyomi.1998. i see the rhythm. Illustrated by Michele Wood. San Francisco: Children's Book Press.
Nye, Naomi Shihab. 2002. 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East.  Greenwillow Books/ HarperCollins.
Soto, Gary. 2006. A Fire in My Hands: Revised and Expanded Edition. San Diego, CA: Harcourt.
Volakova, Hana. 1994. I Never Saw Another Butterfly. NY: Schocken.


Wonderings...
Alvarez, Julia. 2006. Finding Miracles. New York: Laurel Leaf.
Anderson, M.T. 2006. The Astonishing Life of Octavia Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
Cart, Michael. 2006. Necessary Noise: Stories About Our Families as They Really Are. Illustrated by Charlotte Noruzi. NY: HarperTeen.

Chassman, Gary. 2002. In the Spirit of Martin: The Living Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  NY: Tinwood Books.

Haddix, Margaret Petersen. 2007. Uprising. NY: Simon & Schuster.
Laird, Elizabeth & Nimr, Sonia. 2006. A Little Piece of Ground. Illustrated by Bill Neal. Chicago, IL: Haymarket Books.
Lawrence, Jerome and Lee Robert E. 2007. Inherit the Wind. NY: Ballantine Books.
Myers, Walter Dean. 2010. Lockdown. NY: Amistad.
Saenz, Benjamin Alire. 2011. Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.

Determining Importance
Atkin, S. Beth. 2000. Voices from the Field: Children of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their Stories. New York: Little Brown Young Readers.
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2010. They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group. NY: Houghton Mifflin.
Bial, Raymond. 2002. Tenement Life on the Lower East Side. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Grainfield, Linda. 2001. 97 Orchard Street, New York: Stories of Immigrant Life. Illustrated by Arlene Alda. Toronto, Ontario: Tundra Books.
Higgins, Dalton. 2010. Hip Hop World: Groundwood Series. Toronto: Groundwood Books.
Herrera, Nicholas. 2011. High Riders, Saints and Death Cars: A Life Saved by Art. Illustrated by John T. Deene. Toronto: Groundwood Books.
Myers, Walter Dean. 2009. Riot. NY: Egmont USA.
Ziegelman, Jane. 2010. 97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement. NY: HarperCollins.


Synthesis
Aronson, Marc & Marina Budhos. 2010. Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom and Science. NY: Clarion.
Bryant, Jennifer. 2007. Pieces of Georgia: A Novel. NY: Yearling.
Danticat, Edwidge. 2003. Behind the Mountains. New York: Scholastic.
Gaskins, Paul Fuyo (Ed.). 1999. What Are You? Voices of Mixed-Race Young People. New York: Henry Holt.
Haworth-Attard, Barabra. 2005. Theories of Relativity. NY: Holt.
Rushdie, Salman. 1990. Haroun and the Sea of Stories. New York: Penguin.
Sheth, Kashmira. 2009. Keeping Corner. NY: Hyperion.
Staples, Suzanne Fisher. 2005. Under the Persimmon Tree. Frances Foster Books/Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Steinbeck, John. 2002. Of Mice and Men (Centennial Edition). New York: Penguin.
Williams-Garcia, Rita. 2010. Jumped. NY: Amistad.
Zusak, Markus. 2007. The Book Thief. NY: Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Books for Grade 7

Mirror & Window Books
Alvarez, Julia.  2002. Before We Were Free. NY: Knopf.
Emerson, Kevin. 2008. Carlos is Gonna Get It. NY: Arthur A. Levine.
Flake, Sharon. 2004. Who Am I Without Him? Short Stories about Girls and the Boys in Their Lives. NY: Hyperion.
Hiaasen, Carl. 2002. Hoot. NY: Knopf.
Johnson, Angela. 2003. The First Part Last. NY: Simon & Schuster.
---------------------. 1999. Heaven. NY: Scholastic.
Kent, Rose. 2007. Kimchi & Calamari. NY: HarperCollins.
Mikaelsen, Ben, 2001. Touching Spirit Bear. NY: HarperCollins.
Mosher, Richard. 2001. Zazoo. NY: Clarion.
Myers, Walter Dean. 2010. Cruisers Book 1. NY: Scholastic.
Saldana, Rene. 2004. Finding Our Way. NY: Laurel Leaf.
Sones, Sonya. 2001. What My Mother Doesn’t Know. NY: Simon & Schuster.
Spinelli, Jerry. 2000. Stargirl. NY: Knopf.
Trueman, Terry. Stuck in Neutral. NY: HarperCollins.
Weeks, Sarah. 2005. So B. It. NY: HarperCollins.
Whelan, Gloria. 2000. Homeless Bird. NY: HarperCollins.

Text to Text
1. Graphic Novels

Butzer, C.M. 2008. Gettysburg: The Graphic Novel. NY: Harper Collins.
Coy, John. 2003. Around the World. Illustrated by Antonio Reonegro and Tom Lynch. NY: Lee & Low.
Gaiman, Nel. 2009. Coraline: The Graphic Novel. Illustrated by P. Craig Russell. NY: Harper Collins.
Lutes, Jasson. 2007. Houdini: The Handcuff King. Illustrated by Nick Bertozzi. NY: Hyperion.
Neri, G. 2008. Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty. Illustrated by Randy DuBurke. NY: Lee & Low.
Sturm, James. 2007. Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow. Illustrated by Rich Tommaso. NY: Hyperion.
Tan, Shaun 2011. Lost and Found: Three. NY: Scholastic.
Varon, Sara. 2007. Robot Dreams. Raring Brook.
Vollmar, Rob. 2007. The Castaways. Illustrated by Pablo G. Callejo. NBM/ComicLit.
Yang, Gene Luen. 2011. Level Up. Illustrated by Thien Pham. NY: First Second Books.
Young, Karen Romano. 2010. Doodlebug:A Novel n Doodles. NY: Feiwel & Friends.
 
2. Historical Fiction
Anderson, Laurie Halse. 2000. Fever 1793. NY: Simon & Schuster.
Auch, Mary Jane. 2002. Ashes of Roses. NY: Holt.
Bruchac, Joseph (Abenaki). 2006. Codetalker, a Novel about Navajo Marines in WWII. NY: Speak.
Crowe, Chris. 2002. Mississippi Trial, 1955. NY: Fogelman.
Erdrich, Louise. 1999. The Birchbark House. NY: Hyperion.
------------------. 2006. The Game of Silence. NY: HarperCollins.
-----------------. 2010. The Porcupine Year. NY: HarperCollins.
Hesse, Karen. 2001. Witness. NY: Scholastic.
Lester, Julius.  2005. Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue. NY: Hyperion.
Mazer, Harry. 2001. A Boy at War: A Novel of Pearl Harbor. NY: Simon & Schuster.
Myers, Walter Dean. 2010. Riot. NY: Egmont.
Taylor, Mildred D. 2001. The Land. NY: Fogelman.
Yee, Paul. 2004. Dead Man's Gold and Other Stories. Illustrated by Harvey Chan. Toronto: Groundwood Books.

3. Science Fiction & Fantasy
Bruchac, Joseph (Abenaki). 2007. Wabi: A Hero's Tale. NY: Speak.
Card, Orson Scott. 1974/2010. Ender's Game. Tor Books.
Crichton, Michael. 1991. Jurassic Park. NY: Ballantine Books.
DuPrau, Jeanne. 2003. The City of Ember. NY: Random.
Farmer, Nancy. 2002. The House of the Scorpion. NY: Atheneum.
Horowitz, Anthony. 2006. Stormbreaker. NY: Speak.
MacHale, D.J. 2007. Pendragon: The Merchant of Death. NY: Aladdin.
Paolini, Christopher. 2005. Eldest. NY:  Knopf.
------------------------. 2003. Eragon. NY:  Knopf.
Philbrick, Rodman. 2000. The Last Book in the Universe. NY: Blue Sky.
Pierce, Tamora. 2003. Trickster’s Choice. NY: Random.
Rowling, J.K. 2005. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. NY: Levine.

Text to World
Barakat, Ibtisam. 2007. Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood. NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Burg, Ann E. 2009. All the Broken Pieces. NY: Scholastic.
Ellis, Deborah. 2010. No Safe Place. Toronto: Groundwood Books.
----------------. 2010. Childlren of War: Voices of Iraqi Refugees. Toronto: Groundwood Books.
Glover, Savion and Bruce Weber. 2000. Savion!: My Life in Tap. NY: HarperCollins.
Hobbs, Will. 2007. Crossing the Wire. NY: HarperCollins.
Park, Linda Sue. 2010. A Long Walk to Freedom. NY: Clarion
Rhodes, Jewell Parker. 2010. Ninth Ward. NY: Little Brown.
Schlosser, Eric & CharlesWilson. 2007. Chew on This: Everything You Don't Want to Know about Fast Food. NY: Houghton Mifflin.
 Zenatti, Valerie. 2008. A Bottle in the Gaza Sea. Bloomsbury.

Creating Visual Images
Du Bois, William. 2005. The Twenty One Balloons. NY: Pufflin.
Eisner, Will. 2007. To the Heart of the Storm. NY: W.W. Norton.
Gaiman, Neil. 2010. The Graveyard Book. Illustrated by Dave McKean. NY: HarperCollins.
Govenar, Alan. 2006. Extraordinary Ordinary People: Five Americn Masters of Traditonal Art. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.
Landowne, Youme, 2008. Pitch Black. Illustrated by Anthony Horton. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.
Lyons, Mary E. 1993. Stitching Stars: The Story Quilts of Harriet Powers. NY: Atheneum.
Morice, David. 2002. Poetry Comics: An Animated Anthology. NY: T & W Books.Sis, Peter. 2007. The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain. NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Tan, Shaun. 2007. The Arrival. NY: Arthur A. Levine.
Watt, Key. 2008. Alabama Moon. NY: Square Fish.




Wonderings... 
Bacigalupi, Paola. 2010. Ship Breaker. Boston: Little, Brown.
Bloor, Edward, 2001. Tangerine. NY: Scholastic.
Cortez, Sarah (Ed). 2011. You Don't Have A Clue: Latino Mystery Stories for Teens. Pinata Books.
Crowe, Chris. 2003. Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case. NY: Phyllis Fogelman Books / Penguin.
Hobbs, Will. 2001. Down the Yukon. NY: HarperCollins.
Hopkinson. Deborah. 2006. Up Before Daybreak: Cotton and People in America. NY: Scholastic.
Janeczko, Paul B. 2010. The Dark Game: True Spy Stories. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.
Naidoo, Beverkey. 2008. Burn My Heart. NY: Amistad.
Reinhardt, Jung. 2003. Dreaming in Black and White. NY: Dial.
Wulf, Linda Press. 2006. The Night of the Burning: Devorah's Story. NY: Farrar, Straus and Groux.
Wynne-Jones, Tim. 1999. Stephen Fair. Toronto: Groundwood Books.

Determining Importance
Armstrong, Jennifer. 2005. Photo by Brady: A Picture of the Civil War. NY: Atheneum.
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2005. Hitler Youth: Growing Up In Hitler's Shadow. NY: Scholastic.
Bledsoe, Lucy Jane. 2006. How to Survive in Antarctica. NY: Holiday House.
Fleischman, John. 2004. Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science. NY: Sandpiper.
Mann, Charles C. 2009. Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491. NY: Atheneum.
Roach, Mary 2004. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. NY:W.W. Norton.
Wright, Simeon and Herb Boyd. 2010. Simeon's Story: An Eyewitness Account of the Kidnapping of Emmett Till. Chicago, IL: Lawrence Hill Books.
Walker, Sally M. 2005. Secrets of a Civil War Submarines: Solving the Mysteries of the H.L. Hunley. Carolrhoda.

Synthesis
Armstrong, Jennifer. 2000. Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: the Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance. NY: Crown.
D;Adamo, Francesco. 2005. Iqbal. NY: Aladdin.
Freedman, Russell. 2004. The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights. NY: Clarion.
------------------------. 1998. Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor. NY: Sandpiper.
Grines, Nikki. 2010. Dark Sons. Kindle Eition. Zondervan.
Janeczko, Paul B. 2007. Worlds Afire. Cambridge, MA Candlewick.
Lang, Gene Yuen. 2009. The Eternal Smile. Illustrated by Derek Kirk Kim. NY: First Second.
Nelson, Marilyn. 2005. A Wreath for Emmett Till. Illustrated by Philippe Lardy. Boston: Houghton.
Ottaviani, Jim. 2001. Two-Fisted Science. G.T. Labs.