Summer Reading
The official website for summer reading is
grandreads.weebly.com
grandreads.weebly.com
Finding Interesting Books
Our school subscribes to a database called Novel List to help students find and select new books to read. Books are recommended by genre, theme, awards, and grade level. There is a section for both fiction and non-fiction, as well as a search bar. Students are able to search for books by keyword, title, author, or series. The advanced search provides more options, such as award winner, starred review, or Lexile level. Please contact the librarian, Ms. Beleckas, if you would like the logon information.
Book Reviews
Common Sense Media is a good resource for checking the content of different media, including books. Reviews are provided by the organization itself, as well as by parents and kids. Here is the link: www.commonsensemedia.org/
Spotlight on The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is one of the books recommended for the incoming 8th grade class for summer reading. It is a powerful coming of age story of about a German girl living under the Nazis. It provides a unique perspective of an era filled with grief and violence, while depicting the strength of the human spirit.
This book has been acknowledged by many organizations for literary excellence. This includes the American Library Association who declared The Book Thief a Michael L. Printz Honor Book, as well as the New York Times who listed the title on their Bestseller List for over 500 weeks.
During the 2018-2019 school year, The Book Thief has been in constant circulation in the school library and has been reserved multiple times. Students have provided positive feedback and continue to recommend the book to each other.
This book has been acknowledged by many organizations for literary excellence. This includes the American Library Association who declared The Book Thief a Michael L. Printz Honor Book, as well as the New York Times who listed the title on their Bestseller List for over 500 weeks.
During the 2018-2019 school year, The Book Thief has been in constant circulation in the school library and has been reserved multiple times. Students have provided positive feedback and continue to recommend the book to each other.
Spotlight on Unfriended by Rachel Vail
Unfriended by Rachel Vail is one of the books recommended for the incoming 8th grade class for summer reading. It depicts the friendship, drama, and bullying that accompany living as a middle school student in today's hyper-connected social media world. Different chapters are shown from different perspectives providing readers with an insight into the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of the various characters.
This book was nominated for both the 2016 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award and the 2016 Kentucky Bluegrass Award.
This book was nominated for both the 2016 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award and the 2016 Kentucky Bluegrass Award.