Great Reading: Grade Eight

Accidents of Nature by Harriet McBryde Johnson

Jean, who has cerebral palsy, attends a summer camp for youth with disabilities. Her outspoken new friend Sara mounts a challenge to the philosophy and management of the camp. You'll find yourself questioning your own ideas along with each of the memorable characters in this funny, fast-moving book.

America by E.R. Frank

Nearly lost within the foster-care system, America is a 15-year-old boy who attempts suicide, then begins the long road to safety and recovery with the help of a therapist. His story is a harrowing one you won't forget.

Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch

In 1911, Irish immigrant Rose finds work in a sweatshop to support herself and her 12-year-old sister. Set against the background of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, this is historical fiction with plenty of drama and characters you'll care about.

Buried Onions by Gary Soto

With several members of his family dead from gang violence, Mexican-American Eddie has dropped out of community college. Still he wants more than just revenge, he wants a better life, and you'll be rooting for him to find it under the layers of “buried onions”.

Dead Girls Don't Write Letters by Gail Giles

If you like a good creepy story with plenty of plot twists, try this one. Letters arrive from Sunny's older sister Jazz, thought to be dead in an out-of-town fire. Then Jazz herself appears; or is this an imposter? Till the very last page, you may not be sure.

Feed by M.T. Anderson

In a nightmare world of the future, teens consume schooling, music, and corporate-dominated culture through computer feeds implanted in their heads. Titus's new friend Violet wants to think, feel and love in a human way, but can the two fight the Feed?

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson

Bobby's not just another teenage guy anymore – he must care for his baby daughter, whom he adores. This winner of multiple awards has all the rhythms and emotions of teen life in the city – and characters you won't soon forget.

Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn

Cyd Charisse works in a hip, west-coast coffee bar, has a surfer boyfriend, and fights constantly with her mom and stepdad. In her own jazzed-up and hilarious voice, Cyd relates her series of rebellions that land her on a plane to New York, where she'll get to know her “bio-dad” for the first time. Sequels are Shrimp and Cupcake .

Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian

Setting up his own website as a place to express his opinions, 17-year-old Josh takes on the identity of Larry. When “Larry” becomes a media sensation, Josh may be in over his head. This is a fast-moving tale that takes on questions about identity, power, and individuality in a multi-media age.

The Hoopster by Alan Lawrence Sitomer

Andre is an academic star as well as a star on the basketball court. When his essay on racism is published in a national magazine, he figures he's on his way to success in college and career. But is it that easy to escape the violence of his tough neighborhood? There's sharp dialogue and street-smart attitude in this book. Sequel is Hip-Hop High School.

Make Lemonade and True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff

14-year-old LaVaughn baby-sits the small children of a tough single mom, learning much about responsibility, family, and what it takes to beat the odds in the inner city. In the award-winning sequel, she's struggling with her first big crush.

Mary Jane by Judith O'Brien

The story of Spider-man has never been told quite like this before, though the eyes of his love interest Mary Jane. The superhero elements are tangential to the teen's personal problems-her absent father, self-centered mother, financial woes, and struggle with anorexia.

Rock Star Superstar by Blake Nelson

When his band gets a shot at a national recording deal, Pete starts to leave his hometown life – and girlfriend - far behind. But is Pete ready for superstardom, and more important, is that what he really wants?

Sacajawea: The Story of Bird Woman and the Lewis and Clark Expedition by Joseph Bruchac

The story of the young Native American woman who assisted Lewis and Clark and guide, translator, and caretaker, told as fiction, alternating the points of view of Sacajawea and William Clark.

Search of the Moon King's Daughter by Linda Holeman

Set during the early days of England's Industrial Revolution, this beautifully written book tells of Emmaline, who tries to hold her family together after a fall in fortunes. Emmaline must take a series of dirty and exhausting jobs, and her small brother is sold to work as a chimney sweep – can she find him and bring him home?

So B. It by Sarah Weeks

Heidi's mom has “a bum brain”, though you can't tell by looking at her. One of the twenty-three words that Heidi's mom knows sends Heidi on a voyage to reveal her past.

Sweetblood by Pete Hautmann

This is a vampire story, but with a difference. At 16, Lucy is a diabetic whose involvement in a vampire chat room leads her to suspect that the creatures could cause her life-threatening disease. Frustrated by the adults who try to contain her research and by the medical rituals which keep her disease in check, Lucy ventures into the world of the supernatural.

Terrier by Tamora Pierce

Tamora Pierce, writer of many exciting historical fantasies, tells this tale of the very early Middle Ages in journal form. Training to serve in the Provost's Guards, young Beka Cooper is a kind of “rookie cop”. She must use her police training, as well as some magical powers, to solve a series of bloody crimes in the slum district of the kingdom of Tortall.

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

Abandoned by her dad, Remy has learned to handle multiple stepfathers, tough AP courses, and potential boyfriends with the same steely self-discipline. Cute musician Dexter gets the message – no commitment, no messy food in Remy's car – or can his kindness teach Remy what love and lullabys are all about?

Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

TJ Jones, high school senior whose mixed parentage and rough experiences as a neglected child have made him sensitive to anyone who's mistreated in school, decides to help out a younger kid who's being bullied. How to do it? Create a swim team and make the younger kid a successful athlete. The school doesn't have a pool. but that won't stop TJ and his crew of likable misfits.

Who Am I Without Him ?by Sharon G. Flake

If you've ever made a mistake in a romantic relationship, you'll recognize the characters in these short stories. It's not only girls who make bad choices and you'll find that Sharon Flake can make the boys, girls, even parents in her stories seem as real as the kids in your school.

Witch Child by Celia Rees

When Mary Newbury of the 17th -century Plymouth Colony befriends a Native American boy, spending time learning the ways of nature, townspeople suspect her of being a witch.

Nonfiction

The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon

Runyon looks back on his slow recovery from severe burns that resulted from a suicide attempt. Despite the horror of his experience, the writer's love for his family and those who helped him through his darkest days comes through.

Engineering the City by Mattys Levy and Richard Panchyk

Why are there so many shapes and designs for bridges? What happens when you flush the toilet? This book, filled with interesting questions, answers, and projects to go along with them, will fascinate anyone who likes building things.

Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos

This author of the popular “Rotten Ralph” and “Joey Pigza” books reveals a secret from his past – he served time in prison for drug running. In a straightforward, tough-minded narrative, Gantos tells how he got into this mess, and how he moved on to build a new life for himself.

In the Company of Men: a Woman at the Citadel by Nancy Mace

In 1999, Mace became the first woman to graduate from The Citadel, a tradition-bound military college in South Carolina. This is her story of tough physical challenge, harassment, humiliation, friendship, joy and ultimate triumph against the odds.

Left for Dead: a Young Man's Search for Justice for the USS Indianapolis by Peter Nelson

More than 1200 sailors died in the sinking of this World War II vessel, 900 of them abandoned by the Navy to die of thirst or be eaten by sharks. After the war, the ship's captain was court-martialed while those responsible went free. Here you'll learn the shocking details of the incident and the story of the young boy who helped bring the facts to light 55 years afterward.

Upon the Head of the Goat: a Childhood in Hungary 1939-1944 by Aranka Siegel

A Holocaust survivor tells of her family's grueling experiences in the Jewish ghetto during the Nazi occupation of Hungary, prior to their deportation to the concentration camps. This memoir vividly conveys the point of view of a child, age 9, as the family struggles to survive.

Ask your librarian for more good books to read!

Compiled by Youth Services Department, Springfield City Library, 2007