HIT: 7th grade novels, part 2

[Colleen Flannery <Colleen_Flannery@NEEDHAM.K12.MA.US>]

I received even more ideas for 7th grade class novels after I had already
posted a hit, so here are some more 7th grade class novels, part 2. Enjoy!

************
Colleen C. Flannery-Schwarz                  Library Media Specialist
Pollard Middle School                              781.455.0480 ext. 217
200 Harris Avenue
colleen_flannery@needham.k12.ma.us
Needham, MA 02492


************
I just finished When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt,
It's fantastic and I found myself wishing I had a middle school class to
read it with.

*********

Hi Colleen,

I'm catching up on my mail, so I don't know if I'm responding to your post
too late to be helpful, but if you still need some suggestions:

This year we decided to require only two novels each for 7th and 8th
grades,
and that they would not be be books that would be discussed later during
the
school year.  The teachers want the kids to read the books, take only notes
(no sentences or paragraphs) to be used to for an in-class writing
assignment in September.  They will use the writing assignment as an
assesment of the student's writing abilities.

Previously, they had read Roll of Thunder, and I don't know why they
discontinued it.  The teachers are not at all familiar with current YA
literature (other than The Outsiders) and they needed suggestions.  I
really
had to sell them on these choices:

7th grade:  The Outsiders and The Pigman
8th grade:  Nothing But the Truth and Z for Zachariah

I talked up Out of the Dust, but one teacher returned it, saying that her
girls wouldn't be able to handle the part about the accident.  (Probably
because the teacher herself couldn't handle it....she stopped reading the
book and wouldn't finish it!!!!)

In addition to the required list, we gave both grades a summer reading list
with suggested titles of 1999 YA publications.

Hope this helps!

*********

Colleen,

When I taught 7th grade Lang Arts, we read Where the Red Fern Grows.  It
was well received.

***********
Hi Colleen - are you familiar with Storm, by Suzanne Fisher Staples?  I
found it a wonderful story set in Nantucket (I think, from memory - my US
geography is not so good) which raises  issues of family, racism, loyalty
etc. and which would also integrate well with geography. Someone "down
under" loved it.
Regards
Judi

*************

Hi, Colleen -
The only one our seventh did for the last two years was _The
Outsiders_...The kids then did at least one piece of contemporary fiction
chosen from a list I compiled and did a comparison of teeens in the 60's to
present-day teens.  I'll be interested to hear what others are doing.
Pat Bennett, Librarian
**************

Colleen, here are some that my teachers use; I'm at home and don't
remember
if these are with low 7th, low 8th, or somewhere in between:
Where the Red Fern Grows
The Outsiders
The Diary of Anne Frank

A book I read in grad school and absolutely loved and can't speak highly
enough of--although maybe more a 6th grade book--Under the Blood Red Sun
by
Salisbury.  Young boy (younger than 6th!) of Japanese descent living in
Hawaii during the Pearl Harbor bombing.

Luck!

**********
The Golden Compass by Pullman, Summer of My German Soldier by
Greene, Lasky's True North, One-eyed Cat by Fox et al

********

We use Slave Dancer, Johnny Tremain, Across Five Aprils.  All are tied to
the social studies curriculum.
Val Connor
Cal-mum Middle High School
Caledonia, NY



************
Colleen C. Flannery-Schwarz                  Library Media Specialist
Pollard Middle School                              781.455.0480 ext. 217
200 Harris Avenue
colleen_flannery@needham.k12.ma.us
Needham, MA 02492

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