[LM_NET] HIT- YA book suggestions

[Tanya Breathwaite <troydb@COASTALNET.COM>]

Thank you to everyone who responded!

Original request was for seventh grade book recommendations for classroom library.

The Schwa Was Here -- Neal Shusterman
The Seeing Stone - Kevin Crossley-Holland (Book 1 of a King Arthur trilogy,
but great details on medieval life -- in my school, I aim 8th graders at
this series because they study middle ages in 8th grade.)
An American Plague by Jim Murphy - riveting non-fiction account of the
yellow fever epidemic of 1793
Fever 1793 - Laurie Halse Andersen - same fascinating facts are conveyed,
but this time told in fiction form.
The Edge on the Sword - Rebecca Tingle
The Truth About Forever - Sarah Dessen -- girls love this one
Code Talker - Joseph Bruchac -- can't keep this new novel about the Navajo
code talkers on the shelf!
The Artemis Fowl series is still popular with 7th graders. There are four
now with a fifth coming out this summer. I've read them all and each one is
just as entertaining as the previous.

Pictures of Hollis Woods
Touching Spirit Bear
Gregor the Overlander
Eragon
Caroline Cooney or Lois Duncan books
Esperanza Rising
Anthony Horowitz books
The Among the Hidden, etc. series by Haddix

Author Salvador SeBasco has a book growing in national popularity
day-by-day. It starts with a story for ages 3 and up.  Then, the next
section of the book is for ages 7 and up (including seventh graders) and
it is an academic exercise in which three questions are asked.  That
section is called three steps to imagination.  Then, there is a third
section for grown-ups which explains how to use the story as a parable,
and that the chihuahua in the story stands as a metaphor/symbol for what
we strive for in life.

He wrote the concept for the story and did many of the pictures in the
book when he was six years old, and because of that the stopry and
pictures have a wide appeal to ELEM school students. So much so that from
all over the world children send thank you cards. 
http://www.ijustread.com/id23.htm

The morals to the story are "the biggest problems in life are solved one
step at a time."  And, "we can not be accomplished without each other.

In the grown-up section, used by teachers to get tips on how to teach
using the book, there is a definition for imagination, a
definition for peace, and highlighted are another three steps to
imagination, but this time for adults!

Laura Bush's comments about the book can be seen at
http://www.ijustread.com/id24.htm and,again, if you want a good cry without
having to go to the movies, http://www.ijustread.com/id23.htm children
have sent in thank you cards from all over the world.

Last week HABITAT FOR HUMANITIES in Austin, Texas, teamed up with
Salvador SeBasco to begin giving the book (THE BOY, THE KING, AND THE
CHIHUAHUA) to each new home owner (aka because a person home is their
castle, and because they approach each home dedication
one-family-at-a-time).  Photos of that can be seen at the top of
www.iJustRead.com

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (Book 1)
The Sea of Monsters by Riordan (Book 2)
Great marriage between modern fiction and mythology-great story
 
The Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix
Mister Monday
Grim Tuesday
Drowned Wednesday
Sir Thursday
High fantasy, exciting adventure
 
Ranger's Apprentice: Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
Medieval fantasy
 
Blood Red Horse by K.M. Grant
Historical fiction
 
Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith
Twins trying to battle Yeti/Chupacabra type creatures
 
Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach
Mystery,

The Lone Star list might be a place to start.  Also, Frederick Mueller
is a practicing librarian and reviews books all the time.  These are on
the middle school level. 

Lone Star list - http://www.txla.org/groups/yart/lonestar.html

Frederick Mueller's blog - http://mullerinthemiddle.blogspot.com/

Stormbreaker, Point Blank, etc. by Horowitz (Alex Rider series)
Artemis Fowl (series by Colfer)
Downriver and other adventure books by Will Hobbs
Lightning Thief
Merlin series (by T.A. Barron)
Eragon & Eldest by Paolini
At the Crossing Places (King Arthur trilogy by Crossley-Holland)
Mary Whalen Turner's trilogy beginning with The Thief.
(of course Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings)

I just read The Book Thief and highly recommend it.


Tanya Breathwaite, 7th grade English teacher
Hickory Middle School, Chesapeake, VA
breattdi@cps.k12.va.us

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