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Eighth Grade California Learning Standards

Eighth Grade California Learning Standards

Eighth Grade California Learning Standards

Select a subject to review its standards, organized into teacher-friendly learning categories.

English Language Arts

Plan reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language instruction from the Grade 8 expectations below.

72 standards organized into 6 learning categories

Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (6-12)

30 standards
RH.6-8.1 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

RH.6-8.10 Applies to 6-8

Standard: By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

RH.6-8.2 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

RH.6-8.3 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Identify key steps in a text's description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).

RH.6-8.4 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

RH.6-8.5 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).

RH.6-8.6 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).

RH.6-8.7 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

RH.6-8.8 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.

RH.6-8.9 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.

RST.6-8.1 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.

RST.6-8.10 Applies to 6-8

Standard: By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

RST.6-8.2 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

RST.6-8.3 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.

RST.6-8.4 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics.

RST.6-8.5 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic.

RST.6-8.6 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Analyze the author's purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text.

RST.6-8.7 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).

RST.6-8.8 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.

RST.6-8.9 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.

WHST.6-8.1 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content. a. Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources. c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. d. Establish and maintain a formal style. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

WHST.6-8.10 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

WHST.6-8.2 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes. a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories as appropriate to achieving purpose; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. b. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples. c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts. d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone. f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.

WHST.6-8.3 Applies to 6-8

Standard: (See note; not applicable as a separate requirement)

WHST.6-8.4 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

WHST.6-8.5 Applies to 6-8

Standard: With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

WHST.6-8.6 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.

WHST.6-8.7 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

WHST.6-8.8 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources (primary and secondary), using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. CA

WHST.6-8.9 Applies to 6-8

Standard: Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research.

Language

6 standards
L.8.1

Standard: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. a. Explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives) in general and their function in particular sentences. b. Form and use verbs in the active and passive voice. c. Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood. d. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood.* Footnote: Beginning in grade 3, skills and understandings that are particularly likely to require continued attention in higher grades as they are applied to increasingly sophisticated writing and speaking are marked with an asterisk (*).

L.8.2

Standard: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. a. Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break. b. Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission. c. Spell correctly.

L.8.3

Standard: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. a. Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the action; expressing uncertainty or describing a state contrary to fact).

L.8.4

Standard: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., precede, recede, secede). c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech or trace the etymology of words. CA d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

L.8.5

Standard: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context. b. Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words. c. Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent, resolute).

L.8.6

Standard: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Reading: Informational Text

10 standards
RI.8.1

Standard: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RI.8.10

Standard: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

RI.8.2

Standard: Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.

RI.8.3

Standard: Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

RI.8.4

Standard: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. (See grade 8 Language standards 4-6 for additional expectations.) CA

RI.8.5

Standard: Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and refining a key concept. a. Analyze the use of text features (e.g., graphics, headers, captions) in consumer materials. CA

RI.8.6

Standard: Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.

RI.8.7

Standard: Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.

RI.8.8

Standard: Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

RI.8.9

Standard: Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.

Reading: Literature

10 standards
RL.8.1

Standard: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RL.8.10

Standard: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

RL.8.2

Standard: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

RL.8.3

Standard: Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

RL.8.4

Standard: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. (See grade 8 Language standards 4-6 for additional expectations.) CA

RL.8.5

Standard: Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style.

RL.8.6

Standard: Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.

RL.8.7

Standard: Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors.

RL.8.8

Standard: (Not applicable to literature)

RL.8.9

Standard: Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new.

Speaking and Listening

6 standards
SL.8.1

Standard: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion. b. Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed. c. Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others' questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas. d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented.

SL.8.2

Standard: Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.

SL.8.3

Standard: Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

SL.8.4

Standard: Present claims and findings (e.g., argument, narrative, response to literature presentations), emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation. CA a. Plan and present a narrative that: establishes a context and point of view, presents a logical sequence, uses narrative techniques (e.g., dialogue, pacing, description, sensory language), uses a variety of transitions, and provides a conclusion that reflects the experience. CA

SL.8.5

Standard: Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.

SL.8.6

Standard: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 8 Language standards 1 and 3 for specific expectations.)

Writing

10 standards
W.8.1

Standard: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. d. Establish and maintain a formal style. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

W.8.10

Standard: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

W.8.2

Standard: Write informative/explanatory texts, including career development documents (e.g., simple business letters and job applications), to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. CA a. Introduce a topic or thesis statement clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. CA b. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples. c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts. d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. e. Establish and maintain a formal style. f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.

W.8.3

Standard: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically. b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationships among experiences and events. d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.

W.8.4

Standard: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)

W.8.5

Standard: With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and including grade 8.)

W.8.6

Standard: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

W.8.7

Standard: Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

W.8.8

Standard: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

W.8.9

Standard: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. a. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new"). b. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., "Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced").

Eighth Grade Literature Books

Literature for Eighth Grade Learning

Literature for Eighth Grade Learning

This teacher-focused collection includes titles identified in the source list for Grade 6, Grade 7, or Grade 8.

  • Grade 6
  • Grade 7
  • Grade 8

70 titles shown

A Duet for Home

Karina Yan Glaser

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Realistic Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

From the New York Times best-selling creator of the Vanderbeekers series comes a triumphant tale of friendship, healing, and the power of believing in ourselves, told from the perspectives of two biracial sixth graders living in a homeless shelter.

Culture
Black/African American, Multicultural
Topics
Music

A Seed in the Sun

Aida Salazar

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Fiction in Verse, Historical Fiction, Poetry
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Lula, a farm-working girl with big dreams, meets Dolores Huerta, Larry Itliong, and other labor rights activists and joins the 1965 protest for workers' rights.

Culture
Latino/Latino American
Topics
American History, Immigration/Migration

Air

Monica Roe

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Realistic Fiction, Sports
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Twelve-and-a-half year old Emelyn Ethrige lives with her father in South Carolina, dreams of wheelchair motocross, and makes custom chair bags trying to earn enough money to buy a serious set of wheels. She has been in a wheelchair all her life, and is just fine getting around without help, but it seems that since her mother was killed in an accident everyone have started treating her differently: urging caution and trying to "help" and for an independently-minded girl who loves speed and big air tricks it is frustrating--so Emelyn and her best friends come up with a plan to change their minds.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Physical Fitness

Alice Austen Lived Here

Alex Gino

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Realistic Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Middle school student Sam is comfortable with their nonbinary identity, and their family has accepted it too (as long as they do their homework and chores), so when their history teacher assigns as a project coming up with a proposal for the new statue honoring a historical Staten Islander (there is a contest involved) they and their friend TJ decide to focus on Alice Austen, a lesbian photographer, whose house on Staten Island is a museum--but they have to overcome the presumption on the part of their teacher that only straight males are eligible.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Gender/Sexuality

Alone

Megan Freeman

Grades 6,7,8 2021
Genre
Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction in Verse, Science Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

When twelve-year-old Maddie hatches a scheme for a secret sleepover with her two best friends, she ends up waking up to a nightmare. She’s alone—left behind in a town that has been mysteriously evacuated and abandoned. With no one to rely on, no power, and no working phone lines or internet access, Maddie slowly learns to survive on her own. Her only companions are a Rottweiler named George and all the books she can read. After a rough start, Maddie learns to trust her own ingenuity and invents clever ways to survive in a place that has been deserted and forgotten. As months pass, she escapes natural disasters, looters, and wild animals. But Maddie’s most formidable enemy is the crushing loneliness she faces every day. Can Maddie’s stubborn will to survive carry her through the most frightening experience of her life?

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Not specified

American Murderer: The Parasite That Haunted the South

Gail Jarrow

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Nonfiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

The newest installment of Jarrow’s “Medical Fiascoes” series delves into the devastating impact and attempted eradication of hookworm in the American South. The species in question, Necator americanus, or “American murderer,” was discovered by epidemiologist Charles Wardell Stiles. Thriving in warm climates, the hookworm larva enters the body via the skin—often of bare feet—and travels in the bloodstream to the lungs, where it exits the capillaries and is swallowed. Once in the small intestine, it attaches itself and grows to maturity on the blood of its host. Like the others in the series, this account provides necessary social and cultural context alongside robust (and horrifying) medical and scientific information.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
American History, Global Historical Events and Figures, Life Science (Biology), Personal and Community Health

Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids

Cynthia Leitich Smith

Grades 6,7,8 2021
Genre
Realistic Fiction, Short Story
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

A bustling anthology of 16 short stories framed by opening and closing poems all connect to an annual intertribal powwow in Ann Arbor. Readers are immersed in the sights, sounds, energy, and emotions of a powwow experience.

Culture
Indigenous Peoples, Native American
Topics
American History

Animal Farm

George Orwell

Grades 8,9,10 1945 Suggested Classic Addition
Genre
Fiction, Allegory
Format
Novel
Book description and connections

Farm animals overthrow their human owner only to find one form of tyranny replaced by another.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Political allegory, Satire

Anne of West Philly: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Anne of Green Gables

Ivy Noelle Weir

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Realistic Fiction
Format
Graphic Novel
Book description and connections

When Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert decide to foster a teenage girl for the first time, their lives are changed forever. Their redheaded foster daughter, Anne Shirley, is in search of an exciting life and has decided that West Philly is where she's going to find it. Armed with a big personality and unstoppable creativity, Anne takes her new home by storm as she joins the robotics club, makes new friends in Diana and Gilbert, experiences first love, and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. But as Anne starts to get comfortable, she discovers one thing she wasn't looking for: a family.

Culture
Black/African American
Topics
Not specified

Brown Girl Dreaming

Jacqueline Woodson

Grades 6,7,8 2014 Suggested Classic Addition
Genre
Memoir, Poetry
Format
Memoir in Verse
Book description and connections

The author tells the story of her own childhood in verse, growing up Black in South Carolina and New York during the Civil Rights era.

Culture
African American
Topics
Memoir in verse, Civil Rights era

Caprice

Coe Booth

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Realistic Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

After a wonderful seven weeks at Ainsley International School, twelve-year-old Caprice has been offered a full scholarship and she should be delighted, but instead she is full of doubts because what happened at the last night dance has brought back the memory of being sexually abused by her uncle as a four-year-old; worse, her maternal grandmother is ill, and that means going back to the house in Baltimore where it all happened--Caprice has never told anybody but now, as she realizes that her grandmother knew, she tries to find the words to tell someone, and the strength to finally confront her abuser.

Culture
Black/African American
Topics
Mental, Emotional, and Social Health, Women’s Studies

Captain America: The Ghost Army

Alan Gratz

Grades 6,7,8 2023
Genre
Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Format
Graphic Novel
Book description and connections

In this thrilling historical adventure, 18 year-old Steve Rogers (AKA Captain America) and his young sidekick, Bucky Barnes are fighting in WWII when they encounter a threat like none they've ever seen -- a Ghost Army. The dead of this war and wars past are coming back to life, impervious to bullets, flames, or anything else the Allies can throw at them. The armies rise from the ground in the night and seem to disappear without a trace. How can Cap and Buck fight something that's already dead? And just what does the mysterious Baron Mordo, sitting in his castle atop nearby Wundagore Mountain have to do with this?

Culture
Not specified
Topics
War

City of Thieves

C. Alexander London

Grades 6,7,8 2021
Genre
Fantasy, Science Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

In a modern mega-city built around dragons, one boy gets caught up in the world of underground dragon battles and a high-stakes gang war that could tear his family apart.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Not specified

Ellen Outside the Lines

A.J. Sass

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Realistic Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Ellen, an autistic thirteen-year-old, navigates a new city, shifting friendships, a growing crush, and her queer and Jewish identities while on a class trip to Barcelona, Spain.

Culture
Jewish/Jewish American
Topics
Gender/Sexuality

Fahrenheit 451

Ray Bradbury

Grades 8,9,10 1953 Suggested Classic Addition
Genre
Science Fiction
Format
Novel
Book description and connections

In a future where books are burned, a fireman whose job is to destroy them begins to question everything he believes.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Dystopian genre, Censorship, Critical thinking

Falling Short

Ernesto Cisneros

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Realistic Fiction, Sports
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Isaac and Marco already know sixth grade is going to change their lives. But it won’t change things at home—not without each other’s help. This year, star basketball player Isaac plans on finally keeping up with his schoolwork. Better grades will surely stop Isaac’s parents from arguing all the time. Meanwhile, straight-A Marco vows on finally winning his father’s approval by earning a spot on the school’s basketball team. But will their friendship and support for each other be enough to keep the two boys from falling short?

Culture
Latino/Latino American
Topics
Physical Fitness

Freewater

Amina Luqman-Dawson

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Historical Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

After an entire young life of enslavement, twelve-year-old Homer escapes Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, leaving his beloved mother behind. Much as he adores her and fears for her life, Homer knows there’s no turning back, not with the overseer on their trail. Through tangled vines, secret doorways, and over a sky bridge, the two find a secret community called Freewater, deep in the recesses of the swamp.

Culture
Black/African American
Topics
American History

Golden Girl

Reem Faruqi

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Fiction in Verse, Realistic Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Seventh grader Aafiyah loves playing tennis, reading Weird but True facts, and hanging out with her best friend, Zaina. However, Aafiyah has a bad habit that troubles her—she’s drawn to pretty things and can’t help but occasionally “borrow” them. But when her father is falsely accused of a crime he hasn’t committed and gets taken in by authorities, Aafiyah knows she needs to do something to help. When she brainstorms a way to bring her father back, she turns to her Weird but True facts and devises the perfect plan.

Culture
Muslim, South Asian
Topics
Not specified

Ground Zero

Alan Gratz

Grades 6,7,8 2021
Genre
Historical Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

In time for the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, master storyteller Alan Gratz (Refugee) delivers a pulse-pounding and unforgettable take on history and hope, revenge and fear -- and the stunning links between the past and present.

Culture
Latino/Latino American, Middle Eastern
Topics
American History, War

Hatchet

Gary Paulsen

Grades 5,6,7,8 1987 Suggested Classic Addition
Genre
Adventure, Realistic Fiction
Format
Chapter Book
Book description and connections

After a plane crash strands him alone in the Canadian wilderness, a boy must learn to survive with only a hatchet.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Survival, Man versus nature

Hazard

Frances O'Roark Dowell

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Fiction in Verse, Poetry, Realistic Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

A kid filled with rage, suspended from the football team for unsportsmanlike conduct, and his father, newly home from the war in Afghanistan, reckon with the injuries they’ve caused to others and themselves in this unflinching middle grade novel in verse about love and forgiveness.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Mental, Emotional, and Social Health, War

Hidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every Day

Dan Nott

Grades 6,7,8 2023
Genre
Nonfiction
Format
Graphic Novel
Book description and connections

We use water, electricity, and the internet every day--but how do they actually work? And what’s the plan to keep them running for years to come? This nonfiction science graphic novel takes readers on a journey from how the most essential systems were developed to how they are implemented in our world today and how they will be used in the future.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Physical Science (Chemistry and Physics)

How to Build a Human: In Seven Evolutionary Steps

Pamela Turner

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Nonfiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

This entertaining, informative, accessible account about human evolution starts with an explanation of natural selection and returns to it throughout as it touches on major milestones in the evolution of hominins, including which traits, behaviors, and skills allowed them—us—to continue to survive and evolve.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Life Science (Biology)

Hummingbird

Natalie Lloyd

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Fantasy, Science Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Twelve-year-old homeschooled Olive is tired of being seen as "fragile" just because she has osteogenesis imperfecta (otherwise known as brittle bone disease) so she's thrilled when she finally convinces her parents to let her attend Macklemore Elementary. Olive can't wait to go to a traditional school and make the friends she's always longed for, until a disastrous first day dashes her hopes of ever fitting in. Then Olive hears whispers about a magical, wish-granting hummingbird that supposedly lives near Macklemore. It’ll be the solution to all her problems! If she can find the bird and prove herself worthy, the creature will make her most desperate, secret wish come true.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Not specified

Invisible

Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Gabriela Epstein

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Realistic Fiction
Format
Graphic Novel
Book description and connections

For fans of New Kid and Allergic, a must-have graphic novel about five very different students who are forced together by their school to complete community service... and may just have more in common than they thought.

Culture
Latino/Latino American
Topics
Not specified

Isla to Island

Alexis Castellanos

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Historical Fiction
Format
Graphic Novel, Wordless Book
Book description and connections

This stunning wordless graphic novel follows a young girl in the 1960s who immigrates from Cuba to the United States and must redefine what home means to her. Marisol loves her colorful island home. Cuba is vibrant with flowers and food and people…but things are changing. The home Marisol loves is no longer safe—and then it’s no longer her home at all. Her parents are sending her to the United States. Alone.

Culture
Latino/Latino American
Topics
Immigration/Migration

Iveliz Explains It All

Alyssa Bermudez, Andrea Beatriz Arango

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Fiction in Verse, Poetry, Realistic Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

This novel in verse offers a deeply moving and honest look at a middle schooler struggling with depression. Twelve-year-old Iveliz is trying to manage her mental health and advocate for the help and understanding she deserves, but in the meantime her new friend calls her crazy and her abuela Mimi dismisses the therapy and medicine Iveliz needs to feel like herself.

Culture
Latino/Latino American
Topics
Not specified

Jennifer Chan is not alone

Tae Keller

Grades 3,4,5,6,7,8 2022
Genre
Mystery, Realistic Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Being the new kid is never easy, and it can be especially hard at a new school with mean, popular kids. Chinese American Jennifer Chan moves in across the street from Korean American Mallory Moss in small-town Norwell, Florida. Jennifer, full of self-confidence, has a strong belief in aliens, and Mallory can tell that she's going to have trouble fitting in at their predominantly white middle school. As wild rumors spread about Jennifer, Mallory finds herself stuck between becoming friends with her or sticking with the queen bees of their seventh-grade class.

Culture
Chinese/Chinese American
Topics
Not specified

Long Way Down

Jason Reynolds

Grades 7,8,9,10 2017 Suggested Classic Addition
Genre
Fiction in Verse
Format
Novel
Book description and connections

In the sixty seconds it takes an elevator to descend, a boy carrying a gun to avenge his brother's murder is visited by ghosts from his past.

Culture
African American
Topics
Fiction in verse, Cycle of violence

Lord of the Flies

William Golding

Grades 8,9,10 1954 Suggested Classic Addition
Genre
Fiction, Allegory
Format
Novel
Book description and connections

Stranded on an uninhabited island, a group of boys descend from order into savagery.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Allegory, Civilization versus savagery

Louisa June and the Nazis in the Waves

L.M. Elliott

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Historical Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

In 1941, after Hitler declares war on the United States, unleashing U-boat submarines to attack American ships, Louisa June, with the waves outside her house carrying dangerous enemies, must help her mother after her father and brother are caught in the crossfire.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Global Historical Events and Figures, War

Maizy Chen's Last Chance

Lisa Yee

Grades 3,4,5,6,7,8 2022
Genre
Fiction in Verse, Realistic Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Eleven-year-old Maizy Chen visits her estranged grandparents, who own and run a Chinese restaurant in Last Chance, Minnesota; as her visit lengthens, she makes unexpected discoveries about her family's history and herself.

Culture
Chinese/Chinese American
Topics
Immigration/Migration

Maniac Magee

Jerry Spinelli

Grades 5,6,7,8 1990 Suggested Classic Addition
Genre
Realistic Fiction
Format
Chapter Book
Book description and connections

An orphaned boy becomes a local legend as he crosses a racially divided town's invisible lines and brings people together.

Culture
Multiracial community themes
Topics
Racism, Homelessness, Community

Merci Suarez Plays It Cool

Meg Medina

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Realistic Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Merci is starting eighth grade at Seaward Pines Academy, and as the school year begins, she is juggling chores, spending time with her family—including older brother Roli, who is home for the semester—changing schedules and shifting friendships, and the advancement of her beloved grandfather Lolo's Alzheimer's disease. Taking on new roles and responsibilities, Merci tries to find time to spend with different friend groups while also developing feelings for classmate Wilson. She's also busy helping to care for her younger twin cousins and at times grows frustrated with the difficulties that Lolo's memory loss brings. As Merci navigates the changing world around her, she comes to find that loss does not care where you are or what you are doing; it simply comes.

Culture
Latino/Latino American
Topics
Not specified

Miss Quinces

Kat Fajardo

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Humor
Format
Graphic Novel
Book description and connections

Rising star Kat Fajardo's debut middle-grade graphic novel about a girl who would rather do anything other than celebrate her quinceañera! A funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story about navigating the expectations of family and cultural tradition.

Culture
Latino/Latino American
Topics
Not specified

Morning Sun in Wuhan

Ying Chang Compestine

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Realistic Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

When the pandemic emerges in Wuhan, thirteen-year-old Mei discovers that her love of cooking can make a difference in a locked-down city that is filled with uncertainty and panic.

Culture
Chinese/Chinese American
Topics
Global Historical Events and Figures, World Cultures: Perspectives, Practices, and Products

Once There Was

Kiyash Monsef

Grades 6,7,8 2023
Genre
Adventure, Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Folklore, Science Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

When fifteen-year-old Iranian American Marjan discovers her murdered father was secretly a veterinarian to magical creatures, she realizes she must take up his mantle, despite the many dangers.

Culture
Middle Eastern
Topics
Not specified

Peace Is a Chain Reaction: How World War II Japanese Balloon Bombs Brought People of Two Nations Together

Tanya Lee Stone

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Nonfiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

From an award-winning author comes a vivid depiction of an act of war from opposing sides of the conflict in World War II--and a rare reconciliation and wish for peace that evolved years later.

Culture
Japanese/Japanese American
Topics
American History, Global Historical Events and Figures, Religion/Spirituality

Pride: An Inspirational History of the LGBTQ+ Movement

Stella Caldwell

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Nonfiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Young readers will learn about groundbreaking events, including historic pushes for equality and the legalization of same-sex marriages across the world. They will dive into the phenomenal history of queer icons from ancient times to the present and read about Harvey Milk, Marsha P. Johnson, Audre Lorde, and more. Including several personal current essays from inspiring young LGBTQ+ people, this book encourages readers to take pride in their identity and the identities of those around them.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Gender/Sexuality

Refugee

Alan Gratz

Grades 6,7,8 2017 Suggested Classic Addition
Genre
Historical Fiction
Format
Chapter Book
Book description and connections

Three young refugees from three different eras — Nazi Germany, 1990s Cuba, and present-day Syria — each risk everything to find safety.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Refugee experience, Interwoven timelines

Rez Dogs

Joseph Bruchac

Grades 6,7,8 2021
Genre
Fiction in Verse, Realistic Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Malian, a Wabanaki girl, can’t go home to her parents in Boston because she must shelter in place with her grandparents on the rez, thanks to being caught there by the COVID-19 pandemic during a weekend visit. She loves her grandparents but is often bored. That changes one morning when she wakes up and sees the rez dog outside, just as she had dreamed he would be. When it becomes obvious that he has adopted the family and become its self-appointed protector, Malian names him Malsum, the old name for a wolf. Noted Abenaki author Bruchac limns Malian’s growing friendship with the dog in this accomplished novel in verse.

Culture
Indigenous Peoples, Native American
Topics
Not specified

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Mildred D. Taylor

Grades 6,7,8 1976 Suggested Classic Addition
Genre
Historical Fiction
Format
Chapter Book
Book description and connections

A Black family in Jim Crow-era Mississippi fights to keep their land and their dignity against a hostile, unjust system.

Culture
African American
Topics
Jim Crow era, Social justice

School Trip

Jerry Craft

Grades 6,7,8 2023
Genre
Realistic Fiction
Format
Graphic Novel
Book description and connections

Eighth grader Drew Ellis recognizes that he isn't afforded the same opportunities, no matter how hard he works, that his privileged classmates at the Riverdale Academy Day School take for granted, and to make matters worse, Drew begins to feel as if his good friend Liam might be one of those privileged kids and is finding it hard not to withdraw, even as their mutual friend Jordan tries to keep their group of friends together.

Culture
Black/African American
Topics
Not specified

Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal about the Japanese American Incarceration

Elizabeth Partridge, Lauren Tamaki

Grades 3,4,5,6,7,8 2022
Genre
Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction
Format
Picture Book
Book description and connections

Legendary photographers Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams all photographed the Japanese American incarceration, but with different approaches-and different results. This nonfiction picture book for middle grade readers examines the Japanese-American incarceration-and the complexity of documenting it-through the work of these three photographers.

Culture
Japanese/Japanese American
Topics
American History, Visual Arts, War

Singing with Elephants

Margarita Engle

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Fiction in Verse, Historical Fiction, Poetry
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

It’s 1947 when Olivia, her sister, Catalina, and her veterinarian parents move to Santa Barbara. Life in a new country isn’t easy for them, and it is full of racial taunts. Still mourning the death of her abuelita, Olivia befriends famous poet Gabriela Mistral, who encourages her to write and express her emotions. Lacking confidence, Olivia finds solace in her cheerful animal friends, who, like her, speak their individual, poetic language. Before long, she befriends two baby elephants, one of whom is taken by an actor and made into a spectacle. Full of anger, Olivia learns to stand up for herself and for those who don’t have a voice.

Culture
Latino/Latino American
Topics
Not specified

Small Town Pride

Phil Stamper

Grades 3,4,5,6,7,8 2022
Genre
Realistic Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Jake is just starting to enjoy life as his school’s first openly gay kid. While his family and friends are accepting and supportive, the same can’t be said about everyone in their small town of Barton Springs, Ohio. When Jake’s dad hangs a comically large pride flag in their front yard in an overblown show of love, the mayor begins to receive complaints. A few people are even concerned the flag will lead to something truly outlandish: a pride parade. Except Jake doesn’t think that’s a ridiculous idea. Why can’t they hold a pride festival in Barton Springs? The problem is, Jake knows he’ll have to get approval from the town council, and the mayor won’t be on his side. And as Jake and his friends try to find a way to bring Pride to Barton Springs, it seems suspicious that the mayor’s son, Brett, suddenly wants to spend time with Jake. But someone that cute couldn’t possibly be in league with his mayoral mother, could he?

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Gender/Sexuality

Speak

Laurie Halse Anderson

Grades 8,9,10 1999 Suggested Classic Addition
Genre
Realistic Fiction
Format
Novel
Book description and connections

A high school freshman who has stopped speaking gradually reveals, through her art, the assault that silenced her.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Trauma and voice, Symbolism

Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler

Ibi Zoboi

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Fragments—photos, notebook pages, quotes, poems, and snippets of biography several pages long—pointedly coalesce into a pattern revealing writer Octavia Estelle Butler's unique position in the galaxy of great contemporary science fiction writers. And while readers younger than high-school age may not have encountered Butler’s renowned work, they will certainly appreciate the way her childhood obsessions, from pop culture to horses to a pink notebook, as well as her propensity for daydreaming (noted sharply by a teacher in a report card), influenced her.

Culture
Black/African American
Topics
Not specified

The Curse of the Mummy: Uncovering Tutankhamun's Tomb

Candace Fleming

Grades 6,7,8 2021
Genre
Nonfiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Award-winning and critically acclaimed author Candace Fleming presents the edge-of-your-seat true story of the search for Tutankhamun's tomb, the Western public's belief that the dig was cursed, and the battle for ownership of the treasures within.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Global Historical Events and Figures, International Studies/World History

The Diary of a Young Girl

Anne Frank

Grades 7,8,9,10 1947 Suggested Classic Addition
Genre
Nonfiction, Memoir
Format
Memoir
Book description and connections

A Jewish teenager's diary records two years spent in hiding from the Nazis, capturing both the horror of the Holocaust and an ordinary teenage voice.

Culture
Jewish
Topics
Holocaust, Primary-source nonfiction

The Door of No Return

Kwame Alexander

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Adventure, Fiction in Verse, Historical Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

In 1860, 11-year-old Kofi Offin, an Asante boy of the fictional West African village of Upper Kwanta, reveres his older brother Kwasi and loves the stories told by his grandfather, Nana Mosi. He has a best friend, Ebo, and a crush on a girl named Ama. He resents his schoolteacher for insisting that his students speak “the Queen’s English” rather than their native Twi in school. And he is often at odds with his bully of a cousin, who has challenged him to a swimming competition. But the rhythms of Kofi’s daily life and relationships are disrupted when Kwasi accidentally kills the son of the leader of nearby Lower Kwanta in a wrestling match at the annual Kings Festival.

Culture
Black/African American
Topics
Not specified

The Giver

Lois Lowry

Grades 5,6,7,8 1993 Suggested Classic Addition
Genre
Science Fiction
Format
Chapter Book
Book description and connections

In a seemingly perfect, emotionless community, a boy chosen to hold society's memories discovers the painful truths it has hidden.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Dystopian genre, Ethics, Society

The House on Mango Street

Sandra Cisneros

Grades 7,8,9,10 1984 Suggested Classic Addition
Genre
Fiction, Vignettes
Format
Novel
Book description and connections

A young Latina girl growing up in a Chicago neighborhood tells her coming-of-age story in a series of poetic vignettes.

Culture
Latino/Mexican American
Topics
Vignette structure, Identity and community

The Last Hope in Hopetown

Maria Tureaud

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Fantasy, Science Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Twelve-year-old Sophie and her 300-year-old best vampire friend Delphine break into a secret government facility to find a cure for the illness causing vampires to go rogue.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Gender/Sexuality

The Last Mapmaker

Christina Soontornvat

Grades 3,4,5,6,7,8 2022
Genre
Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Joining an expedition to chart the southern seas, twelve-year-old mapmaker's assistant Sai, posing as a well-bred young lady with a glittering future, realizes she's not the only one on board harboring secrets when she discovers the ship's true destination.

Culture
South Asian
Topics
Not specified

The Ogress and the Orphans

Kelly Barnhill

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Fairy Tale, Fantasy
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

When a child goes missing from the Orphan House in the town of Stone-in-the-Glen, the mayor suggests the kindly Ogress is responsible, but the orphans do not believe that and try to make their deluded neighbors see the real villain among them.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Not specified

The Outsiders

S.E. Hinton

Grades 7,8,9,10 1967 Suggested Classic Addition
Genre
Realistic Fiction
Format
Chapter Book
Book description and connections

Two rival teenage gangs, the working-class Greasers and the wealthy Socs, clash in a story of loyalty and class conflict.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Social class conflict, Coming of age

The Overground Railroad (Young Adult Edition): The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America

Candacy Taylor

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Nonfiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

For years, it was dangerous for African Americans to travel in the United States. Because of segregation, Black travelers couldn't eat, sleep, or even get gas at most white-owned businesses. The Green Book listed hotels, restaurants, department stores, gas stations, recreational destinations, and other businesses that were safe for Black travelers. It was a resourceful and innovative solution to a horrific problem. It took courage to be listed in the Green Book, and the stories from those who took a stand against racial segregation are recorded and celebrated. This young reader's edition of Candacy Taylor's critically acclaimed adult book Overground Railroad include her own photographs of Green Book sites, as well as archival photographs and interviews with people who owned and used these facilities.

Culture
Black/African American
Topics
American History

The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls

James Bird

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Realistic Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

After being caught stealing one too many times, Benjamin Waterfalls is sent to a 'boot camp' at the Ojibwe reservation where he searches for answers as he tries to turn his life around and embrace this second chance.

Culture
Indigenous Peoples, Native American
Topics
Not specified

The Sun Does Shine: An Innocent Man, a Wrongful Conviction, and the Long Path to Justice (Young Readers)

Anthony Ray Hinton, Lara Love Hardin, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Biography/Autobiography, Memoir, Nonfiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Adapted for young readers, this true story follows a man who spent thirty years on death row for a crime he didn't commit and how he transformed not only his own spirit, but those of his fellow inmates, until his release in 2015.

Culture
Black/African American
Topics
Not specified

The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963

Christopher Paul Curtis

Grades 5,6,7,8 1995 Suggested Classic Addition
Genre
Historical Fiction
Format
Chapter Book
Book description and connections

A close-knit Michigan family drives south to Alabama to visit relatives and finds themselves present for a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement.

Culture
African American
Topics
Civil Rights Movement, Family

The Wednesday Wars

Gary D. Schmidt

Grades 6,7,8 2007 Suggested Classic Addition
Genre
Historical Fiction, Humor
Format
Chapter Book
Book description and connections

A boy stuck alone with his teacher every Wednesday afternoon slowly bonds with her over Shakespeare during the turbulent year of 1967.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Vietnam era, Shakespeare connections

The Woman Who Split the Atom: The Life of Lise Meitner

Marissa Moss

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

As a female Jewish physicist in Berlin during the early 20th century, Lise Meitner had to fight for an education, a job, and equal treatment in her field, like having her name listed on her own research papers. Meitner made strides in the study of radiation, but when Hitler came to power in Germany, she suddenly had to face not only sexism, but also life-threatening anti-Semitism as well. Nevertheless, she persevered and one day made a discovery that rocked the world: the splitting of the atom. While her male lab partner was awarded a Nobel Prize for the achievement, the committee refused to give her any credit. Suddenly, the race to build the atomic bomb was on--although Meitner was horrified to be associated with such a weapon.

Culture
Jewish/Jewish American
Topics
Global Historical Events and Figures, Physical Science (Chemistry and Physics), Women’s Studies

Thirst

Varsha Bajaj

Grades 6,7,8 2022
Genre
Adventure
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

A heroic girl in Mumbai fights for her belief that water should be for everyone. Minni lives in the poorest part of Mumbai, where access to water is limited to a few hours a day and the communal taps have long lines. Lately, though, even that access is threatened by severe water shortages and thieves who are stealing this precious commodity--an act that Minni accidentally witnesses one night. Meanwhile, in the high-rise building where she just started to work, she discovers that water streams out of every faucet and there's even a rooftop swimming pool. What Minni also discovers there is one of the water mafia bosses. Now she must decide whether to expose him and risk her job and maybe her life. How did something as simple as access to water get so complicated?

Culture
South Asian
Topics
Not specified

To Kill a Mockingbird

Harper Lee

Grades 8,9,10 1960 Suggested Classic Addition
Genre
Historical Fiction
Format
Novel
Book description and connections

A young girl in Depression-era Alabama watches her father defend a Black man falsely accused of rape.

Culture
African American, Southern U.S.
Topics
Jim Crow era, Moral courage, Justice

Tumble

Celia Pérez

Grades 3,4,5,6,7,8 2022
Genre
Realistic Fiction, Sports
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Before she decides whether to accept her stepfather's proposal of adoption, twelve-year-old Adela Ramirez reaches out to her estranged biological father--who is in the midst of a career comeback as a luchador--and the eccentric extended family of wrestlers she has never met, bringing Adela closer to understanding the expansive definition of family.

Culture
Latino/Latino American
Topics
Physical Fitness

Two Degrees

Alan Gratz

Grades 3,4,5,6,7,8 2022
Genre
Adventure
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Fire. Ice. Flood. Three climate disasters. Four kids fighting for their lives. Akira, Owen, George, and Natalie are all swept up in the devastating effects of climate change. They are also connected in ways that will shock them--and could alter their destinies forever.

Culture
Japanese/Japanese American, Latino/Latino American
Topics
Earth Science

Violets Are Blue

Barbara Dee

Grades 6,7,8 2021
Genre
Realistic Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

Twelve-year-old Wren, who is learning special effects makeup, is thrilled to be makeup artist for her new school's production of Wicked, but her parents' divorce is seriously affecting her mother.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs, Mental, Emotional, and Social Health, Theatre

Walk Two Moons

Sharon Creech

Grades 5,6,7,8 1994 Suggested Classic Addition
Genre
Realistic Fiction
Format
Chapter Book
Book description and connections

A girl tells her grandparents a story within a story as they drive to retrace her missing mother's last journey.

Culture
Not specified
Topics
Parallel narrative structure, Grief

Wave

Diana Farid, Kris Goto

Grades 3,4,5,6,7,8 2022
Genre
Fiction in Verse, Poetry, Realistic Fiction
Format
Not specified
Book description and connections

When her best friend's cancer returns in the summer of 1987, none of her usual pursuits--surfing, singing, or reading poetry--can keep thirteen-year-old Ava afloat.

Culture
Middle Eastern
Topics
Not specified

Selection note: Grade recommendations come from the source collection. Educators should confirm local availability, instructional purpose, accessibility, and community context when selecting a title.