Selected Titles for Eighth Graders' Enjoyment

Lorraine Bentley, Librarian Media Specialist

St. Andrew Apostle School

 

Armstrong                  SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD: THE

                                    EXTRAORDINARY TRUE STORY OF SHACKLETON AND

                                    THE ENDURANCE

When Sir Ernest Shackleton undertakes his second Antarctic expedition in 1914, his ship becomes frozen in ice floes, leaving him and his crew in a fight for survival. This, one of the most spectacular real-life survival stories ever experienced, is documented by the expedition's photographer. If you are interested in early photography, see also PHOTO BY BRADY, A PICTURE OF THE CIVIL WAR.

 

  Avi                            NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

            Chaos ensues when ninth grader Phillip Malloy breaks a school rule and ignites a

nationwide controversy.

  Barron                       THE FIRES OF MERLIN

            In this Book Three of the Lost Years of Merlin, Merlin travels to the Otherworld

where he must face fire in many different forms and deal with the possibility of losing his

own magical powers.

  Bauer                         RULES OF THE ROAD

            When Madeline Gladstone, the elderly owner of a shoe store chain, hires 16-

Year-old Jenna, a new driver with a talent for selling shoes, to drive her to Texas, Janna begins a summer-long adventure. See also the sequel. BEST FOOT FORWARD.

  

   Bloor                         TANGERINE

          Despite his very limited vision, the indifference of his parents, and his terrible “football hero" older brother, Paul Fisher plays soccer on his middle school's team and succeeds.

    Brancato                   WINNING

            When Gary Madden's football injury results in permanent paralysis, he alienates

himself from his friends.

Bridgers                         ALL TOGETHER NOW

            Casey learns a lot about life from a man with the mind of a child.

Brooks                           THE MOVES MAKE THE MAN

            Jerome Foxworthy, a Junior High basketball player, tries to teach Bix Rivers, a

sharp baseball player, to play basketball; but Six refuses to learn the "moves."

Cormier                           I AM THE CHEESE

            Adam is on a search -- a difficult, strenuous journey by bicycle to find his father

and a desperate journey through his mind to unlock his past, even though he knows that reviving those memories means that he may not survive.

Couloumbis                  SUMMER'S END

            The summer of 1965, Grace celebrates her 13^th birthday, and her older brother

Collin burns his draft card and goes to Canada to avoid serving in Vietnam. Grace and

her cousins, Dolly and Thea, try to make sense out of the war.

Craven                          I HEARED THE OWL CALL MY NAME

A young priest, facing his own death, participates in the life of an Indian village and learns the meaning of life and death.

Creech                        WALK TWO MOONS

While traveling cross-country, Salamanca Tree Hiddle tells her grandparents stories about herself and her best friend and, in turn, begins to accept the loss of her mother.

Crew                            CHILDREN OF THE RIVER

At age 13, Sundars fled Cambodia to escape the Hhmer Roughe army. Now, four years later, she is torn between the customs and lifestyle of her own people and enjoying her Oregon high school days as a "regular" American teenager.

 

Crutcher                         STAYING FAT FOR SARAH BYRNES

Eric and Sarah are social outcasts, Eric because he is fat and Sarah because her hands and face are disfigured from a childhood accident, and friends. When Eric begins swimming and losing weight, their friendship is threatened.

Cummings                    RED KAYAK

Even though 13-year-old Brady does his best to resuscitate a little boy he rescues during a kayak accident, the child dies and Brady is wracked with guilt. When Brady discovers that the boy's death was the result of a prank pulled by his two best friends, he must decide if he should tell the truth.

Cushman                      THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE

Brat, a young homeless girl, is rescued from a dung heap by Jane the Midwife.

Jane needs a helper so Brat becomes a midwife's apprentice, learns to deal with Jane's wicked temper and sour disposition, and finds a place for herself and a future in medieval England. Try also MATILDA BONE by this author.

Dickinson                        AK

When the bush war ends. orphaned, 12-year-old boy-soldier Paul Kagomi buries his beloved AK rifle. Peace, however, does not last long, and Paul is again involved in another civil war.

Elledge                          WIDER THAN THE SKY

A diverse anthology of poems by Dr. Seuss, Shakespeare. and many others.

Farmer                           THE HOUSE OF THE SCORPION

Matt is the young clone of EI Patron, the 140-year-old leader of a corrupt drug empire located between Mexico and the United States. While EI Patron protects and educates Matt, the rest of the family treats him like a beast. Amidst love and hate, Matt struggles to understand his existence.

Freedman                        THE VOICE THAT CHALLENGED A NATION: MARION

                                         ANDERSON AND THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

           Her own determination and the support of family and friends helped African American contralto Marion Anderson succeed as a concert artist and opera singer.