Books for Middle-Schoolers

Suggestions from The Children's Library
Mt. Lebanon Public Library
Pittsburgh, PA
www.einetwork.net/ein/mtleb

Skellig- David Almond
  In the garage of his new house, Michael finds a mysterious stranger.

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World:
The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance - Jennifer Armstrong
  The 1914, men are forced to make an excursion over ice and seas to reach safety after their ship is 
  destroyed by ice.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle- Avi
  A young girl tells the story of murder and rebellion on a transatlantic voyage in 1832.

Tuck Everlasting- Natalie Babbitt
  A girl finds the secret to eternal life.

Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845 - 1850- Susan Campbell Bartoletti
  Compelling non-fiction about the great Irish famine.

Rules of the Road- Joan Bauer
  Sixteen year-old Jenna drives the owner of a shoe store chain from Chicago to Texas and becomes 
  a great saleswoman as she learns about herself.

On My Honor- Marion Dane Bauer
  When two boys disobey their parents the consequences are tragic.

Tangerine- Edward Bloor
  A nearly blind boy understands the world around him better than others.

Another Shore- Nancy Bond
  Seventeen-year old Lyn is transported back to 1744.

The Fantastic Freshman- Bill Brittain
  A magic charm turns Stanley Muffet into a VIP with hilarious results.

The Baby and Fly Pie- Melvin Burgess
  In the future, three teenagers hope a baby they find will improve their lives.

Where the Lilies Bloom- Vera Cleaver
  Fourteen-year old Mary Call tries to keep her family together after her father's death.

Prairie Songs- Pam Conrad
  A beautiful, frail city wife moves to the lonely Nebraska prairie.

King of Shadows- Susan Cooper
  A young actor is transported back to 1599 to the original Globe Theatre where he performs 
  under William Shakespeare.

Getting Near to Baby- Audrey Couloumbis
  Willa Jo and her sister come to terms with a tragedy when they stay for a while with their loving,  
  but misunderstood, aunt and uncle.

Walk Two Moons- Sharon Creech
  A thirteen year old girl and her grandparents take a meaningful cross-country trip.

The Seeing Stone- Kevin Crossley-Holland
  A magical stone helps a medieval boy see images of King Arthur, whose life his strangely parallels.

Boy- Roald Dahl
  Autobiography of the children's author.

There's a Bat in Bunk Five- Paula Danziger
  Fourteen-year old Marcy is thrilled to be a counselor at a creative arts camp in this funny novel.

The World at her Fingertips: The Story of Helen Keller- Paula Danziger
  Biography.

The Visit- T. Degens
  Kate finds out her aunt was a Hitler youth during World War II.

Eva- Peter Dickinson
  A thirteen-year old girl awakens from a coma to find that her brain has been transplanted.

The Abracadabra Kid: A Writer's Life- Sid Fleischman
  Autobiography of a boy who wanted to be a magician but grew up to be an author.

One-Eyed Cat- Paula Fox
  A boy deals with his guilt after disobeying his father.

Homesick, My Own Story- Jean Fritz
  Story of the American author's childhood in 1920s China. Based on fact.

It all Began With Jane Eyre; or, the Secret Life of Franny Dillman- Sheila Greenwald
  A spoof of teenage novels.

Quest for a Maid- Frances Mary Hendry
  Two Scottish sisters, one a powerful sorceress, chose different sides in the quest for a princess.

Out of the Dust- Karen Hesse
  Poetic text relates the life of a 15-year old girl during the Oklahoma Dust Bowl.

The Burnt Stick- Anthony Hill
  An aboriginal boy is taken from his family.

Rumble Fish- S. E. Hinton
  A junior high school boy longs to be like his tough older brother, the Motorcycle Boy.

Answer My Prayer- Sid Hite
  An angel gets more than he bargained for when he comes to the aid of a 16-year old girl.

Downriver- Will Hobbs
  Rebellious teenagers daringly run the white water in the heart of the Grand Canyon.

The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn- Dorothy Hoobler
  In 18th century Japan, a boy who longs to be a samurai becomes an actor to solve a mystery.

We Were There, Too!: Young People in U. S. History- Phillip Hoose
  Biographies of dozens of young people who made a mark in United States history.

Across Five Aprils- Irene Hunt
  A family suffers when two brothers join opposing sides during the Civil War.

Redwall- Brian Jacques
  Matthias, the mouse, wants to destroy the evil rat, Cluny the Scourge. One of a series.

The Dark Portal- Robin Jarvis
  Mice versus Rats in a battle between good and evil below the sewers. First in a series.

The Road from Home- David Kherdian
  Author's moving biography of his Armenian mother's childhood in Turkey.

Silent to the Bone- E. L. Konigsburg
  When a boy loses the ability to speak after he is accused of injuring his infant half-sister, 
  his friend communicates with him and discovers the truth.

Losing Joe's Place- Gordon Korman
  Hilarious story of three teenage boys who take over an apartment for the summer.

The Wreckers- Ian Lawrence
  A 14 year old boy discovers an evil secret about the town he is stranded in after being shipwrecked.

A Wrinkle in Time- Madeleine L'Engle
  Three children travel through time to find their scientist father.

Ella Enchanted- Gail Carson Levine
  A fairy's gift of obedience causes Ella to obey any order given to her.

The Mark of Conte- Sonia Levitin
  Humorous story of Conte who pretends to be two people so he can finish high school early.

Autumn Street- Lois Lowry
  During World War II, Elizabeth befriends her grandparent's black cook and grandson.

Good Night, Mr. Tom- Lois Lowry
  During World War II an abused London boy finds happiness when he is sent to live with an old man.

After the War- Carol Matas
  A 15 year-old Polish holocaust survivor helps to smuggle children immigrants to Palestine

The Hero and the Crown- Robin McKinley
  The daughter of a king and a witch seeks her destiny.

Anne of Green Gables- L. M. Montgomery
  The adventures of a lively, imaginative child on a Prince Edward Island farm.

The Greatest: Muhammad Ali- Walter Dean Myers
  Biography of the famous boxer.

The Other Side of Truth- Beverly Naidoo
  After their mother's murder, a brother and sister are smuggled into London, where they are lost 
  and fearful of their new, strange surroundings.

Carver, A Life in Poems- Marilyn Nelson
  The life of George Washington Carver in poems.

A Single Shard- Linda Sue Park
  A thirteen-year old orphan in medieval Korea learns about life and pottery. Award winner.

Playing Beatie Bow- Ruth Park
  A lonely Australian girl is transported to another family in the 1880s.

Jacob Have I Loved- Katherine Paterson
  Louise finds her identity after feeling deprived all her life.

Nightjohn- Gary Paulsen
  A brave slave teaches a younger slave to read amidst the fear of their cruel owner.

A Long Way From Chicago- Richard Peck
  Funny short stories relate the summers two siblings spend with their larger-than-life Grandmother 
  during the Great Depression.

A Day No Pigs Would Die- Robert Newton Peck
  Moving story of a Shaker farm boy, his pet pig, and his loving father.

Flambards- K. M. Peyton
  In pre-World War I England, an orphaned girl goes to live with her relatives. One of a series.

The Perilous Gard- Elizabeth Pope
  Kate is imprisoned in a remote castle in England inhabited by practitioners of druidic magic.

The Golden Compass- Philip Pullman
  Fantasy in which a girl tries to save her friend from becoming the subject of gruesome experiments 
  in the Far North.

The Upstairs Room- Johanna Reiss
  The years the author and her family spent hiding from the Nazis in occupied Holland.

The View from the Cherry Tree- Willo Davis Roberts
  No one believes Rob witnessed a murder- except the murderer.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone- J. K. Rowling
  A young boy destined for greatness attends Hogwart's School for Wizards and Witches.

A Fine White Dust- Cynthia Rylant
  Thirteen year old Pete falls under the spell of a travelling Preacher Man.

Holes- Louis Sachar
  Cursed by bad luck, Stanley Yelnats finds a true friend and a treasure as he digs holes at a correctional camp.

Interstellar Pig- William Sleator
  A boy becomes suspicious of his exotic neighbors.

Wringer- Jerry Spinelli
  A boy decides whether to accept the violence of being a wringer at his town's annual Pigeon Day.

Dangerous Skies- Suzanne Staples
  Two friends are implicated in a murder.

The Land- Mildred Taylor
  After the Civil War, a racially mixed boy dreams of owning his own land. 
  Prequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.

The Ramsay Scallop- Frances Temple
  In the 14th century, two teenagers travel to Spain.

Leon's Story- Leon Tillage
  Moving biography in which an African-American man recalls growing up in a racist South.

Izzy, Willy-Nilly- Cynthia Voigt
  Izzy's life is changed because of a drunk driver.

Bat 6- Virginia Euwer Wolff
  In post World War II Oregon, a girl's softball game brings about bigotry and compassion.

Here at the Scenic-Vu Motel- Thelma Hatch Wyss
  Hilarious account of seven teenagers boarding at a motel during their senior year.

Dragonwings- Laurence Yep
  In 1909 San Francisco, a Chinese immigrant builds and flies a biplane.

Look for these and other great books in 
The Children's Library
Mt. Lebanon Public Library
16 Castle Shannon Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412/531-1913         3.02
www.einetwork.net/ein/mtleb