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Here are some of the titles that were suggested to me for a middle school community read project. Thank you all so much for taking the time to share your ideas and opinions with me. I've placed most of these on reserve so I can read them myself and other committee members are reading them, too. I'm sure we will know which one meets our need the best very soon. Hoot got the most recommendations, by the way, with some people calling to suggest it. - - I absolutely loved _Hoot_ and I know middle schoolers at your school would, too. I can't think of a better character education discussion tool. There are a few swear words so you'd better read it for yourself to know what your community will accept. I think this book can draw in every aspect of the curriculum. _City of Ember_ is another book that would work well with middle school, is squeaky clean and is on the list of several state's book awards. I just finished reading this one and think it would be very powerful used in a discussion with a whole school setting. The story is set in the future and has a boy and a girl as the protagonists. - - Hope was here by Joan Bauer or Stand Tall by Joan Bauer http://www.joanbauer.com/jbhome.html (Interesting web site if you have a few minutes.) - - Our district just wound up our first "One Book, One Community" project. We used "Hoot" in grades 3-12 and the students seemed to enjoy it. Book definitely appeals to both boys and girls. Several years ago, Gordon Korman presented at the district I was working in at the time. He had just launched several new adventure series, Dive, Everest, and Island. My 6-8th grade boys are avid readers of this series, but not too many girls have checked them out. I recently read his first installment ("Chasing the Falconers") in his newest series On the Run and would recommend that you read it. The main characters are a brother and sister and I couldn't put the book down. It's also available in paperback, which was a huge consideration for us when we choose "Hoot". Gordon has a website: http://gordonkorman.com/ - - I would like to recommend the book Whirligig by Paul Fleischman. It is a moving book about a young man who, in his failed attempt to commit suicide, accidentally kills a teenage girl. - - We do something like this with Naomi Nye's Habibi. It is a lovely book and Naomi is wonderful at school visits. - - Don't know much about author visits, but I absolutely loved Tangerine by Edward Bloor! - - I just finished Hoot this morning... I think it's a perfect choice! No cursing or explicit scenes, but there are more "complex" characters/situations that would speak to age-appropriate character education. Plus, the main character has SUCH a great relationship with his parents. Parents could probably get into the book as well since Haaisen writes for adults as well as YA audiences. - - Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Parks - - I used Mikaelsen's Touching Spirit Bear as one of our Pass It On book selections last year. Everyone raved about it: students, faculty, girl/boy, all three grade levels, etc. I think it would be a good fit - - Dovey Coe A Long Way from Chicago We are doing Among the Hidden and Running Out of Time by Haddix in the fall and having her speak. I've done Hoot and Al Capone does my Shirts with my after-school book club and they loved both titles. - - Our school recently had a new YA author visit...his name is Jordan Sonnenblick and his book is Drums, girls and Dangerous Pie. - - I love the idea of an all middle school read! One title you might consider is Petey by Ben Mikaelson. Our 8's all read it during the week in the spring when they all work on community service projects. It's a very easy read for them, but because it's a week they have no homework, we have them do a number of reflections on the ideas in the book, especially as it relates to the idea of helping others in the community. I'm sure it would be manageable for 6's, and there's quite a lot to work with. - - I just read your email and thought I should introduce myself. I'm the author of THE ANYBODIES series (for ages 9-13) written under the pen name N.E. Bode -- _www.theanybodies.com (http://www.theanybodies.com) . - - _Touching Spirit Bear_ by Ben Mikalesen would be excellent. Thanks again. Chris Christine Findlay, CRC Director Centerville City Schools 105 Virginia Ave. Centerville, OH 45458 2005 OELMA President 937-433-8841 xt. 214 christine.findlay@centerville.k12.oh.us -------------------------------------------------------------------- All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. 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