Research Guides: Middle School Summer Reading (2021): Middle School 2021 Summer Reading

Middle School Community Summer Read

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
When Candice finds a letter in an old attic in Lambert, South Carolina, she isn't sure she should read it. It's addressed to her grandmother, who left the town in shame. But the letter describes a young woman. An injustice that happened decades ago. A mystery enfolding its writer. And the fortune that awaits the person who solves the puzzle.So with the help of Brandon, the quiet boy across the street, she begins to decipher the clues. The challenge will lead them deep into Lambert's history, full of ugly deeds, forgotten heroes, and one great love; and deeper into their own families, with their own unspoken secrets. Can they find the fortune and fulfill the letter's promise before the answers slip into the past yet again?

6th Grade Class Reads (Community Read + 2 books)

Amina's Voice by Hena Khan
Amina has never been comfortable in the spotlight. She is happy just hanging out with her best friend, Soojin. Except now that she's in middle school everything feels different. Soojin is suddenly hanging out with Emily, one of the "cool" girls in the class, and even talking about changing her name to something more "American." Does Amina need to start changing too? Or hiding who she is to fit in? While Amina grapples with these questions, she is devastated when her local mosque is vandalized.

Read a Book of Your Choice

In addition to reading The Parker Inheritance and Amina's Voice, all 6th grade students should also read one book of their choice. You can find book recommendations from faculty and students on the following pages of this site. Choose one of these recommendations or choose a title you've been wanting to read!

6th Grade Summer Reading Assignment
Be sure to complete this assignment from Mr. Layne-Allen.

7th Grade Class Reads (Community Read + 2 books)

Front Desk by Kelly Yang
Mia Tang has a lot of secrets. Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests. Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed. Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language? It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams?

Read a Book of Your Choice

In addition to reading The Parker Inheritance and Front Desk, all 7th grade students should also read one book of their choice. You can find book recommendations from faculty and students on the following pages of this site. Choose one of these recommendations or choose a title you've been wanting to read!

7th Grade Summer Reading Assignment
Be sure to complete this assignment from Mr. Layne-Allen.

8th Grade Class Reads (Community Read + 3 books + assignment)

Up from the Sea by Leza Lowitz
A powerful novel-in-verse about how one teen boy survives the March 2011 tsunami that devastates his coastal Japanese village. On the day the tsunami strikes, Kai loses nearly everyone and everything he cares about. But a trip to New York to meet kids whose lives were changed by 9/11 gives him new hope and the chance to look for his estranged American father. Visiting Ground Zero on its tenth anniversary, Kai learns that the only way to make something good come out of disaster is to return and rebuild.

Up From the Sea will be the first book taught in 8th grade.

Read a Book of Your Choice

In addition to reading The Parker Inheritance and Up from the Sea, all 8th grade students should also read one book of their choice. You can find book recommendations from faculty and students on the following pages of this site. Choose one of these recommendations or choose a title you've been wanting to read!

Choice of one of the following:

Ground Zero by Alan Gratz

Extremely Loud, and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

Eyes Wide Open: Going Behind the Environmental Headlines by Paul Fleischman

We are the Weather Makers by Tim Flannery

Summer Reading Assignment
Complete this assignment and submit it to Ms. Baldwin.

Middle School Summer Reading (2021): Middle School 2021 Summer Reading

2021 Middle School Summer Reading

Middle School Community Summer Read

6th Grade Class Reads (Community Read + 2 books)

7th Grade Class Reads (Community Read + 2 books)

8th Grade Class Reads (Community Read + 3 books + assignment)