Middle School Peer Recommendations

The Cushman School wishes you a summer full of stories and special moments!

Read from our elibrary all summer long! Learn about SORA here and how you can access your account.

Authors We Loved

Raina Telgemeier

Jeff Kinney

"Very good author. makes funny and amazing books"
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid- 10/10 I liked this book because it was very funny"

James Paterson

Lincoln Pierce

"It demonstrates a great sense of humor and is full of excellent creativity. "

Rick Riordan

"I really loved the Percy Jackson books, the Magnus Chase books, and the Kane Chronicles. They're hilariously funny and all of them have really cool fantasy concepts. I've never read The Trials of Apollo series but I always wanted to get around to doing it."
"Percy Jackson- It is a fun book with lots of action and fighting. Very cool plot with magical animals, monsters, and people. For 5-6 graders"
"It was a good book that i had a good time learning about Greek stuff"
"The Trials of Apollo-It's a good series and sort of a continuation of a continuation of the Percy Jackson series. Anyone who likes Percy Jackson would probably like this series."

Realistic/Historical Fiction

To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee
"I think the book was really good and the whole time it kept me hooked."
"Good book overall. I was not bored and it kept me hooked"
"I thought this was a great book because it explained and showed the themes of racial prejudice in society in the 1930s. It is also a very fun book, with very well written characters."
"It’s good and intense "

Making Bombs for Hitler

by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
"Lida parents are ripped away from her and was separated from her sister Larissa. The Nazi take Lida to a work camp where she and other Ukrainian children are force to do hard labor. She lies about her age after being tipped off to do so, in order to survive. Later on Lida and a few of her friends are assigned to make bombs for the Nazis. She doesn't want to help them and tries to sabotage the bombs."

Hatchet

by Gary Paulsen
"It's very good"

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

by John Boyne
"It was very sad but interesting at the same time."

Prisoner B-3087

by Alan Gratz
"This a great book, it is based off two survivors from the holocaust. It is sad but it is reallyyyy good, I love how the main character always thinks of ways to escape. If you want a exciting, sad, and adventurous book, you've come to the right place!"

Unfriended

by Rachel Vail
"I liked this book because it was relevant to me because i'm in school just like the characters in this book and deals with some problems that a girl would face at school. There is also a lot of drama. I read this book for summer reading."

Lord of the Flies

by William Golding
"I first read this book earlier this year and it was one of my favorite books from my old language arts class. I think the thing I like most about the books is that it was about kids getting stranded on an island rather than a bunch of adults. It showed how kids might react in a situation like that."
"4.5/5. A great fright scene at the end, and I think this would be for 6th grade and up. "

Blood on the River: James Town, 1607

by Elisa Carbone
"It is a good book and I recommend it"

Refugee

by Alan Gratz
"4.5/5"

Fast Break

by Mike Lupica
"It is a good book and a good story even if you don't like basketball"

Number the Stars

by Lois Lowry
"It was a very emotional book, but it was also really good."

QB 1

by Mike Lupica
"It is very good if you like sports books and football"

Rafaela

by Mariana Furiasse
"este libro es emocionante y atrapante, la verdad no hay mucho que decir, solo que este libro te va a gustar si te interesa el tema. Este libro, reconosco, que se puede poner un poco largo, ya que yo tuve momentos en los que me aburri (igual disfrute la mayoria)"

Fantasy/ Sci Fi

Rebel Rising

by Beth Revis
"A really great book for star wars fans. Great story of how Jyn Erso became the hero she is."

The Alchemist

by Paulo Coelho
"Very Good book, definitely read it, 5/5 stars."

Eragon(The Inheritance Cycle #1)

by Christopher Paolini
"It was a very great book and there is a series of it. There are 4 books and all four of them were great. It is very interesting if you are into stuff like dragon riders and mystical stuff like that."

Harry Potter Collection

by J.K. Rowling
"I like Harry Potter because I love the series and the story because it includes a lot of magic."
"I think the book is really good for ages 13 and up because some scenes might be too strong for younger kids."
"Good book "
"I thought it was a really good book with a lot of detail and it is better than the movie."

The Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins
"I liked this book because its setting is in a post apocalyptic United States and it showed what a apocalyptic government could be with a weird tradition."
"If you haven't read this book it really is amazing. It is a little violent so if you are not into that then this book might not be for you. It just explains a completely different lifestyle into view that we are not used to. It is very entertaining and you will not be able to put it down. If you do end up liking the first book then you should read the rest of the series. They are all wonderful books."

A Wrinkle in Time

by Madeleine L'Engle
"It is a very good book and I would read it again."

The School for Good and Evil

by Soman Chainani
"I thought it was pretty excellent book because it was interesting and I like interesting books because it gets you like whats going to happen next."

Wings of Fire

By Tui T. Sutherland.
"This is a series of books and there is about twelve and there are three graphic novels but I believe the author is coming out with more."

The Giver

by Lois Lowry
"I think it is a great book and that everybody should read it. its a must read."
"It is a very good book and i am reading it and it is amazing."
"its a great book to read!"

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

by Douglas Adams
"It was Funny, it was humorous, it was interesting, it was a little bit of everything. It was this and it was that, it was really the most immersive experience a book has granted me"

Wolves of the Beyond Series

by Kathryn Lasky
"I loved this book, it was all about wolves and animals. It was interesting and entertaining."

Mystery

The Westing Game

by Ellen Raskin
"It was exciting and everything looped back to the beginning in the end which was cool. I really liked it and plan on reading books similar to it."

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

by John Grisham
"5 stars it was a great book with a good ending. "

Holes

by Louis Sachar
"It is very entertaining event after event."

The Hardy Boys Series

by Franklin W. Dixon
First published in 1927, The Hardy Boys Series has sold over 70 million copies and continues to grow as new generations discover Frank and Joe’s daring capers.

The Secret Series

by Pseudonymous Bosch
I really loved this series because it was engaging and it kept me wondering. In the book, the narrator is very funny and keeps you laughing. The story is about two best friends who embark on a journey of a lifetime. This book is great, and was one of my favorite books I've ever read, but if you aren't a fast reader, then this book might bore you because reading it piece by piece is hard because it all ties together really fast.

Sophie's World

by Jostein Gaarder
"It's a book about a girl who starts getting letters addressed to her but it doesn't say from who its from. Instead inside it says mysterious questions like 'who are you' and 'how did the world began' She ends up enrolling into a philosophy corse. she has to use her knowledge to find out where the letters are coming from"

Lucky Little Things

by Janice Erlbaum
"Great book. It gets you on the edge of your seat waiting with suspense."

The Outsiders

by S.E. Hinton
"I liked this books because the amount of action and tension, and the right amount of drama."

Graphic Novels

Amulet Collection

by Kazu Kibuishi
Combining a fast-paced fantasy adventure with gorgeous full-color art, this captivating graphic-novel series follows two ordinary kids on a life-or-death mission.

Way of the Warrior Kid: From Wimpy to Warrior the Navy SEAL Way: A Novel

by Jocko Willink
"A kid named Mark is weak. He says that turtle can beat him in a foot race. He gets bullied, gets bad grades, bad lunches, etc. But then Uncle Jake can to live with Mark's family. Can he transform Mark in a warrior kid?"

Nonfiction

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook

by Joshua Piven, David Borgenicht
"It is really cool and helps with survival"

It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

By Trevor Noah
"The book was extremely interesting and had many twists and turns."

Kobe: The Story of the NBA's Rising Young Star Kobe Bryant

by Joe Layden
"I think it is a very good book and if you would like to learn about one of the best basketball players ever, and learn about him and his life and how hard he worked, you should read this book."

National Geographic

"I think it's an educational, informational, interesting kind of articles and books. I've been reading National Geographic since I was little. "

The Sixth Man

by Andre Iguodala
"A book about an NBA all-star coming from Poverty in Springfield, Illinois to becoming a 3x NBA champion, 1x NBA finals MVP. In my opinion, it is a very good book and it is very inspirational. "

Challenging Reads

Alexander Hamilton

by Ron Chernow
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow presents a landmark biography of Alexander Hamilton, the Founding Father who galvanized, inspired, scandalized, and shaped the newborn nation.

Red Rising (Series)

by Pierce Brown
"Futuristic Fiction, would recommend for 8th grade and up. Probably one of one of my favorite series of all time, if not the best series I have ever read. Lengthy series, so it can keep you interested for a long time."

Cortés and Montezuma

by Maurice Collis
"The invasion of Hernan Cortes"

Becoming

by Michelle Obama

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

by Agatha Christie
"This is a bit of a more challenging book to read and some of the language they use is hard to understand. This is an amazing book nonetheless. As the title says, this is a Murder Mystery/Detective Mystery book. It has a lot of suspense and characters. Overall, this is an amazing work of literature."

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