I have been working on a list of books for teachers and parents of middle school students and struggling high school students. This is not a "remedial reading list" or a list of "high interest, low readability books." I hate that phrase. This is simply a list of books that have received accolades for their craft. I have read most of these books, but a few were recommended by collegues. The reading levels range from about 4th grade to about 8th grade. In order to make it easier for parents and teachers to locate books for their kids, I have divided the list (currently 65 titles) into three categories: Middle School (6th - 8th grade), High School (9th - 12th) and In Between (7th - 9th grade).
I want to make it clear that I am acting as a private individual and that this is not a district approved reading list. Like all reading material, personal bias and standards come into play. In other words, what I feel is a good book and appropriate for a middle school student may not be what others consider appropriate; therefore, I recommend you and/or any persons you share this list with review all the titles (you can get a summary on amazon.com or from Sparknotes.com). Book titles marked with an asterisk (*) are books I have read and highly recommend. Speak, Touching Spirit Bear, and The Last Book in the Universe are three must reads.
| A Long Way From Chicago - Richard Peck | *Jade Green - Phyllis Reynolds Naylor |
| A Series of Unfortun. Events - L. Snicket | *Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key - Jack Gantos |
| A Single Shard - Linda Sue Park | *The Landry News - Andrew Clements |
| *A Year Down Yonder - Robert Peck | *Maniac Magee - Jerry Spinelli | *Because of Winn Dixie - Kate DiCamillo | *Moves Make the Man - Bruce Brooks | *Bridege to Terabithia - Katherine Paterson | *Nightjohn - Gary Paulsen | Esperanza Rising - Pam Ryan Munoz | *Number the Stars - Lois Lowry | *The Giver - Lois Lowry | Sammy Keyes(Hotel Thief) - W. Van Draanen | *Harris and Me - Gary Paulsen | *Somewhere in the Darkness - Walter D. Myers |
| *Hatchet - Gary Paulsen | Tangerine - Edward Bloor |
| Heaven - Angela Johnson | *The Trolls - Polly Horvath |
| *Holes - Louis Sachar | *Tuck Everlasting - Natalie Babbitt |
| Honas and Me - Dan Gutman | *What Hearts - Bruce Brooks |
In Between Books
(7th - 9th grade)
| A Hole in the World - Sid Hite | *The Last Book in the Universe - Rodman Philbrick |
| *Eva - Peter Dickinson | Monster - Walter Dean Myers |
| The Greatest - Walter Dean Myers | *No More Dead Dogs - Gordon Korman |
| Freak the Mighty - Rodman Philbrick | *Touching Spirit Bear - Ben Mikaelsen |
| *Kit's Wilderness - David Almond | Star Girl - Jerry Spinelli |
High School Books
(9th - 12th grade)
| *The Chocolate War - Robert Cormier | *Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson |
| *Dakota Dreams - James Bennett | *Stuck in Neutral - Terry Truman |
| *Fallen Angels - Walter Dean Myers | Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes - Chris Crutcher |
| *Jumping the Nail - Eve Bunting | Tears of a Tiger -Sharon Draper |
| *Out of Nowhere - Ouida Sebestyen | *Tunes for Bears to Dance To - Robert Cormier |
