GCISD Middle School Summer Reading Recommendations
2013 Texas Lone Star Annotated Reading List
This list is approved for 6th through 8th grade and is developed by librarians in the state
of Texas. While students have the opportunity to self-select books that he/she might like
to read, not all books are recommended for all students. Parents are encouraged to take
an active role in their child’s book selections.
Bardugo, Leigh. Shadow and Bone Recommended 7th/8th
While crossing the vast, horrifying Fold, Alina discovers that she has magical powers. Attracting the attention
of her country's most powerful leaders, Alina is whisked away, and her whole life changes in an instant.
Barnes, Jennifer Lynn. Every Other Day Recommended 7th/8th
Every other day, Kali changes from a normal girl to an invincible monster killer. She is forced to reveal her
secret and enlist the help of friends when she sees that a classmate is marked for death – and it’s on the wrong
day.
Bauer, Joan. Almost Home Recommended Everybody
Still grieving her beloved grandfather and with no father to count on, Sugar and her mother suddenly find
themselves homeless. Life has dealt them a devastating blow, but Sugar Mae Cole is not one easily knocked
down.
Blumenthal, Karen. Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different Recommended Everybody
Love him or hate him, one cannot deny the impact Steve Jobs had on the twentyfirst century. This is the honest
story of the complicated man who truly thought different.
Bragg, Georgia. How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous Recommended Everybody
Some of the most famous people came to the most gruesome of deaths. Read all
about it, if you have "the guts for gore!"
Carvell, Tim. Planet Tad Recommended Everybody
Tad begins the New Year with a blog and a resolution to survive the seventh grade. His blog posts chronicle his
struggles with his annoying little sister, science projects, an embarrassing summer job, and many more middle
school mishaps.
Davies, Stephen. Outlaw: A Novel Recommended 7th/8th
Jake and his sister Kas are kidnapped from Burkina Faso, where their father serves as the British Ambassador,
and end up in the hands of the famous outlaw Yakuba .
Flinn, Alex. Bewitching Recommended Everybody
Kendra from Beastly is back and trying to help Emma in this Cinderella story with a modern day twist. Classic
tales of The Little Mermaid, Hansel and Gretel, and The Princess and the Pea all play a part as well.
Kincaid, S.J. Insignia Recommended Everybody
Tom is drifting aimlessly with his washed up, gambler father when his life takes a
completely unexpected turn. He is offered a place at the Pentagonal Spire, an elite military academy, where he
will be trained as a WWIII operative.
Kindl, Patrice. Keeping the Castle: A Tale of Romance, Riches, and Real Estate Recommended 7th/8th
Althea Crawley lives in a deteriorating castle with her mother, younger brother, and two stepsisters. Strongwilled, beautiful, and cunning, Miss Crawley must find a wealthy man to marry in order to preserve her
family’s home.
Levine, Kristin. The Lions of Little Rock Recommended 7th/8th
Marlee finds her voice to speak out against racism and segregation when she makes a real friend in Liz, an
African-American girl passing for white, in her 1958 Little Rock junior high school.
Lu, Marie. Legend Recommended Everybody
June, a prodigy and government “golden girl”, is on the hunt for Day, a famous
criminal and hero of the people. But when she finds him, he is not what she
expected.
McCall, Guadalupe Garcia. Under the Mesquite Recommended 7th/8th
Lupita’s heart belongs both in her native Mexico and in her American home in Eagle Pass. The oldest of eight
siblings, she is resilient as she struggles to help raise her siblings in the face of a family illness.
Meyer, Marissa. Cinder Recommended Everybody
Cinder is the best mechanic in New Beijing, and, unfortunately, she is also an unloved stepchild and a cyborg.
When Crown Prince Kai seeks her skills to fix a beloved android, Cinder unwittingly finds herself drawn into a
deadly game of planetary politics.
Morpurgo, Michael. An Elephant in the Garden Recommended Everybody
Lizzie, an ailing elderly woman, recounts her childhood memories of life in Dresden, Germany during the 1945
allied bombings that destroyed the city. She and her family fled the city, taking with them an orphaned elephant
her mother has cared for since its birth.
Nielsen, Jennifer A. The False Prince Recommended Everybody
Sir Conner, a nobleman in the kingdom of Carthya, scours the country searching for an orphan who will pass as
the long-lost prince and carry out his deceptive plan. The four orphans must compete to be chosen as the prince
or face certain death.
Palacio, R.J. Wonder.
Highly Recommended
Recommended Everybody
Auggie, a boy with extreme facial anomalies, takes a big step entering middle school after a life of
homeschooling. Will his classmates accept him as just a normal kid?
Petrucha, Stefan. Ripper Recommended 7th/8th
Orphan Carver Young is taken in and trained by a retired detective. Carver’s firstassignment is to find his long
lost father, and all he has to go on is a letter, a letter with handwriting that matches that of the infamous
murderer, Jack the Ripper.
Sonnenblick, Jordan. Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip Recommended Everybody
How do you go on when your whole life has been about baseball and an elbow
injury ends your playing career in an instant? Devastated Peter Friedman is forced to find out.
Strohmeyer, Sarah. Smart Girls Get What They Want Recommended 7th/8th
Overachievers Gigi, Bea and Neerja have been friends forever. They have their sights set on top colleges where
their lives will really start. But when the girls realize that grades aren't everything, they each take on a new
challenge to push their own personal envelope and learn that they are more than just the sum total of their GPA.
2013-2014 Texas Bluebonnet Annotated Reading List
Applegate, Katherine. The One and Only Ivan Recommended for 6th and 7th
The Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade is home to a mangy group of performing animals which includes
friends Ivan the gorilla, Stella the elephant and a stray dog, Bob. They are soon joined by Ruby, a baby elephant
who is frightened and confused, after being torn away from her elephant family. Ivan is philosophical and
expresses his view of life through art, which is sold by the owner of the mall. The financial situation causes both
fame and the changes which accompany notoriety.
Burg, Shana. Laugh with the Moon Recommended for 6th and 7th
Clare’s father has dragged her to Malawi where he is working as a doctor in a hospital. She soon learns the
reality of life in the rural village, and it is nothing like her teenage existence in the United States. Texan Shana
Burg chronicles Clare’s mindset, as she navigates the ups and downs of being a kid in this African nation.
Clifton, Lutricia. Freaky Fast Frankie Joe Recommended for 6th and 7th
Frankie Joe and his mom live a laid back life in Texas, but a string of bad choices lands his mom in jail, and
Frankie Joe finds himself living in Illinois with the dad and stepfamily he never knew he had. Trying to make
the best of a difficult situation, he uses his bicycle to deliver pizza in the hopes of earning enough money to bike
back home to Texas. Through an unusual group of characters, Frankie Joe learns the meaning of responsibility,
family and the joy of finding a place where you belong.
Harris, R.P. Tua and the Elephant Recommended for 6th and 7th
First‐time author R.P. Harris introduces the reader to Tua, a ten‐year‐old girl who lives in Chiang Mai,
Thailand. On a visit to the town’s colorful night market, she encounters a beautiful elephant. Unfortunately, two
scurrilous mahouts own the mistreated animal. So begins Tua’s adventurous journey through the Thai
countryside in hopes of getting the animal to the elephant
refuge!
MacLachlan, Patricia. Waiting for the Magic Recommended for 6th and 7th
On the morning Papa left, Mama decided to take Elinor and Will to get the dog Papa had never wanted. At the
animal shelter, they found four very compatible canines, and to avoid deciding on just one, Mama declared they
would adopt all four, plus a cat. Surprisingly, all five animals talk, and four‐year‐old Elinor can hear them. So,
starts the magic!
Mlynowski, Sarah. Whatever After: Fairest of All. Recommended for 6th and 7th
Once upon a time, life for a brother and sister gets turned upside down when the magic mirror in their basement
transports them to a magical land filled with strangely familiar characters. A girl with fair skin and red lips, a
poisoned apple and evil stepmother stand in their way to make things right. After that, will they ever get home?
Neri, G. Ghetto Cowboy Recommended for 6th and 7th
Frustrated by his bad choices, Cole’s mom drives through the night from Detroit to Philadelphia, to relinquish
the parenting of Cole to Harper, the father Cole has never known. Harper is the legendary hero of the historic
Philadelphia stables! This story mixes modern urban life with traditional cowboy values of hard work and doing
the right thing.
Potter, Ellen. The Humming Room Recommended for 6th and 7th
Mystery, ghosts, gardens, oh my! Twelve year old Roo Fanshaw’s specialty is hiding. After being sent to live
with an eccentric uncle she never knew in an uninhabited mansion on Cough Rock Island. What does she
discover in the mansion and what are the strange noises she hears? This new mystery is loosely‐based on the
classic book The Secret Garden.
Scattergood, Augusta. Glory Be Recommended for 6th and 7th
What if you couldn’t go to the neighborhood pool because of the color of your skin? Augusta Scattergood’s
debut novel is a Southern‐inspired story set in 1964. In this moving story we follow Glory through a memorable
summer of friendships,
sisterly love, racial tension, and her fight for equality.
Sherry, Maureen. Walls Within Walls Recommended for 6th and 7th
In her debut novel, Maureen Sherry takes us on an adventure through Manhattan. The Smithfork family moves
into an old apartment and find themselves solving a mystery with clues all around them. Who can they trust?
How do they read the clues built into their apartment to find the treasure before it’s too late?