Summer Reading Choices for Students Entering the 7th Grade Mockingbird (Realistic Fiction) Kathryn Erskine Caitlin has Asperger's. The world according to her is black and white, and anything in between is confusing. Before, when things got confusing, Caitlin went to her older brother, Devon, for help. But Devon was killed, and her Dad is still too upset about it to help Caitlin. She wants everything to go back to the way things were, but she can’t do it alone. When she discovers the word closure, she realizes that is the answer she is looking for. Along the way, she discovers friendship and that the world may not always be black and white.
Ghost (Realistic Fiction and Sport) Jason Reynolds Running. That’s all Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) has ever known. But Ghost has been running for the wrong reasons. It all started with Ghost and his mother running away from his abusive father. Since then, Ghost has been the one causing problems—and running away from them—until he meets Coach, an ex-Olympic Medalist who sees something in Ghost: crazy natural talent. If Ghost can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter in the city. Can Ghost harness his raw talent for speed, or will his past finally catch up to him?
Amina's Voice (Realistic Fiction) Hena Khan For musically gifted Pakistani-American Amina Khokar, sixth grade brings so many changes and struggles. Her best friend is becoming a citizen, taking an American name and making friends with the new girl, Emily. Amina wants to sing in the school show but worries about her uncle's traditional belief that music is un-Islamic. There are tensions building in town and the mosque is vandalized. Can Amina manage her faith and her friendship and finally find her voice?
Revolution is Not a Dinner Party (Culture) Ying Chang Compestine Nine-year-old Ling has a very happy life. Her parents are both dedicated surgeons at the best hospital in Wuhan, China. Her father teaches her English as they listen to Voice of America every evening on the radio. But then one of Mao’s political officers moves into a room in their apartment. In an atmosphere of increasing mistrust and hatred, Ling fears for the safety of her neighbors, and soon, for herself and her family.
Life As We Knew It (Fantasy) Susan Beth Pfeffer High school sophomore Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when an asteroid knocks the moon closer to Earth. The result is catastrophic. How can her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis are wiping out the coasts, earthquakes are rocking the continents, and volcanic ash is blocking out the sun? Million Dollar Throw (Sport) Mike Lupica Nate Brodie, a New England quarterback, has a chance to win a million dollars by throwing one pass through a target at halftime during the Patriots' Thanksgiving game. More than anything, Nate's family really needs the money. Suddenly the boy with the golden arm is having trouble completing a pass . . . but can he make the one that really counts?
The Freedom Summer Murders(Nonfiction) Don Mitchell To coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Summer murders, this book explores the harrowing true story of three civil rights workers (one black and two white) slain by the KKK in Mississippi. They were trying to help African Americans register to vote as part of the Freedom Summer effort to bring democracy to the South. Their disappearance and murder caused a national uproar and was one of the most significant incidents of the Civil Rights Movement.