In order to change it up this quarter (for my sanity as much as the kids'), I started book clubs this quarter in my reading classes. When searching for books over the past two years for this endeavor, I have discovered that everyone wants middle-schoolers to read really old books. Almost every list of recommendations online included The Outsiders, The Giver, A Wrinkle in Time, The Hobbit, The Bridge to Terabithia, The Witch of Blackbird Pone, and Tuck Everlasting. I love all of those books. I really do want my kids to read titles like those. I offered most of them as options. But I also really wanted them to be invested in the books without me having to sell them. I wanted to buy new books and books that they would pick up in the library on their own if given the chance. There are some really, really good ones out there. So here's my list of some modern middle school reads that are worth giving a chance.
1. Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt
Here's the description of this book: "When Jack meets his new foster brother, he already knows three things about him: Joseph almost killed a teacher. He was incarcerated at a place called Stone Mountain. He has a daughter. Her name is Jupiter. And he has never seen her." I mean what kid doesn't want to read that book after reading that? Kids love things that seem real and this feels very real. It's a book with themes that make my students think and it's a SAD book. Man, I'm waiting for the part when I have to send half my class to the counseling office because they are crying in my class. I think this is good for kids though to build empathy. I remember how much I cried reading Where the Red Fern Grows, but it didn't make me love that book any less.
2. Jackaby by William Ritter
This debut novel is a bit of Sherlock Holmes meets the paranormal. It's adventurous. It's mysterious. And it's funny. I like the fact that kids are invested in the case. I also like that it's a series so kids can continue their reading quest if they like it afterwards. It's not a difficult read and is accessible for middle school students.
3. The Crossover/Booked by Kwame Alexander
These are two different books, but I'm pushing them together because they are very similar. Both are written in a cool poetry format and have protagonists that are middle school athletes dealing with more off the field or court than on it. They really capture teenage angst as well as how teenagers really cope with family drama (it's not always a pretty reaction). My kids are invested in these books and once again the real issues (death, divorce, bullying, crushes, sibling rivalry) feel genuine.
4. I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Patricia McCormick
This is my only nonfiction pick, but my students gravitated toward this because it was true. It tells the story of when the Taliban took control of Swat Valley in Pakistan and one girl who refused to be silenced and fought for her right for an education. This led to her being shot at point-blank range at the age of 15 while riding a bus to school. I chose the Young Readers Version for my kids and it is perfect reading level for my low readers. It makes students put themselves in someone else's shoes. My kids ask questions every single day as they read and I can see them Googling political figures and historical facts all the time. I love anything that makes my kids wonder.
5. Maybe A Fox by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee
When one sister goes missing into thin air one day, the other has to stumble into grief and heartbreak. A missing girl is always a way to grab attention, but this book is different than a typical mystery. It really dives into the superstitions of a group of people and how and how we all cope differently after tragedy. It is truly a beautiful book and its honestly grips you like most novels for middle school students can't do. I was unsure of how readily my students would attach to such realities, but one student told me just last week "Reading this book is the best thing I've ever done in school." High praise, I'd say.
6. Bruiser by Neal Schusterman
This one is not quite as new as the others on my list, but this is my 2nd year in a row using it in my classroom. I really like it. It is a story about Brewster "Bruiser" Rawlins, a boy everyone in school is scared of. Behind his scary exterior is a boy in fear because he is very different from everyone else. He has a special power. I don't want to give away the whole book, because it worth a read, but I will say that the debate about whether this power is a blessing or a curse is one of the best discussions I've ever had with my students. It's a weird enough book to be sort of magical, but real enough for kids to relate to the characters personally.
7. Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
This one is also a bit older and it comes from the same author as Orbiting Jupiter, but I think it needs its own spot on this list. It is a beautiful coming-of-age novel about a boy that is new to town and has to adjust not only to a new school, but also deal with a abusive father and try to understand his older brother who has just returned from Vietnam and will never be the same. It is a companion book for The Wednesday Wars if you have ever read that, but this, in my opinion, was much more powerful.
8. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Like the Kwame Alexander books, this one is written in poetry format. That is a new trend and for reluctant readers, a trend I really like. Jacqueline Woodson has always been an author I'd admire and this autobiography is as moving as I'd have expected. Woodson was raised in South Carolina and New York and always felt halfway home in each place. Her poems show how African Americans were treated in both urban and rural settings in the 1960s and 1970s. They are poems about childhood and poems about big issues and poems about what gives us fire and passion. Just good stuff.
9. Doll Bones by Holly Black
I just happened upon this story on accident. Found it on audiobook in the library and thought it would be a good background story while I was walking at they gym. It is a story about three kids who have been friends forever and create a magical world using the action figure toys. But, then, without warning, Zach's father throws out all his toys and declares he is too old for them. Zach, furious and confused and embarrassed, has to decide how to "grow up" and whether he can be friends with Poppy and Alice. He makes this transition during an adventure to solve a mystery of a haunted china doll (that is creepy enough to get the kids reading). I thought it was a little creepy, had adventure, and was incredibly honest. I will keep it as an option for my readers for sure.
Do you have any recommendations for middle school readers? I am ALWAYS looking for a good new book to suggest to my class. Feel free to comment and let me know.
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