The WMS Summer Reading assignment is to read (at least) two books.
One should be from the list of required titles for your grade level and the other can be any book you choose.
Scroll to the bottom of the page for a PDF version of this list and additional recommendations.
Required Options for Entering Grade Six
▲ Available on Learning Ally
☼ eBook accessible on SORA
♡ Audiobook accessible on SORA
Blended by Sharon Draper
Eleven-year-old Isabella feels sliced in half as she switches weekly between her white mom’s suburban home and her Black dad’s urban neighborhood. After a heart-stopping encounter with the police, she must stop "blending" and finally find the courage to compose her own identity. ▲☼♡
Realistic Fiction
Bye Forever, I Guess
by Jodi Meadows
Thirteen-year-old Ingrid is a "charity case" for a toxic real-life friend, but online she is a powerhouse gamer and successful blogger. She must navigate social drama and anonymous texts to see if she can make a real-world connection outside the virtual game. ☼
Realistic Fiction
Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros
Seventh-grader Efrén’s world shatters when his Amá is deported to Mexico, leaving him to care for his siblings while his father works two jobs to pay legal bills. He must find the strength to become his own superhero and decide who he can truly trust to help reunite his family. ▲☼♡
Realistic Fiction
A First Time For Everything
by Dan Santat
Middle schooler Dan is an awkward kid who prefers being invisible until a class trip to France and Switzerland changes everything. From tasting authentic fondue to mountain trekking, he realizes that saying "yes" to every adventure is the only way to find his true self. ▲☼
Graphic Memoir
Ground Zero by Alan Gratz
Nine-year-old Brandon is trapped in a fiery nightmare inside the World Trade Center on September 11, while eighteen years later, eleven-year-old Reshmina dreams of peace in her Afghan village. When Reshmina finds a wounded American soldier, she faces an impossible choice that could put her entire family in mortal danger. ▲☼♡
Action/Adventure
Holding on For Dear Life
by Dusti Bowling
Thirteen-year-old Canyon risks life-altering concussions in the dangerous world of bull riding just to make his grieving father proud. He must decide if he has the courage to let go of the bull and embrace his secret passion for playing the fiddle. ☼♡
Realistic Fiction/Sports
Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting by Roseanne A. Brown
Twelve-year-old Serwa is a master at swinging a moonbeam spear against fire-transforming vampires, but she has no idea how to survive a normal Maryland middle school. When a shapeshifting monster infiltrates her class, she must train her clueless new friends into a fighting squad before it's too late. ☼♡
Fantasy
Wink by Rob Harrell
Ross Maloy just wants to be a normal seventh grader, but a rare eye cancer diagnosis makes him a target for cruel internet memes and disappearing friends. Using side-splitting humor and music to battle medical trials, he discovers how to find positivity in a total dumpster fire of a year. ▲☼♡
Realistic Fiction/Humor
Required Options for Grade Seven
▲ Available on Learning Ally
☼ eBook accessible on SORA
♡ Audiobook accessible on SORA
Becoming Kareem by Kareem Abdul- Jabbar
Lew Alcindor transforms from a kid facing prejudice in NYC into a basketball icon and powerful advocate for social justice. Guided by a team of mentors, he learns that true greatness is found through education, activism, and perseverance both on and off the court. ▲☼♡
Memoir
Brooms by Jasmine Wells
In 1930s Mississippi, a ragtag crew of underdogs competes in illegal, high-stakes broom races in a world where magic is reserved for the white elite. This found family uses forbidden magic to outrun poverty and injustice while dodging ruthless authorities. ☼♡
Graphic Historical Fantasy
Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone
Molly Frost is fed up with girls being targeted by unfair dress codes and starts a podcast to share their horror stories. Her small rebellion quickly explodes into a full-scale revolution as the students stand up to the administration to make their voices heard. ▲☼♡
Realistic Fiction
Everything Sad is Untrue
by Daniel Nayeri
Standing before his Oklahoma middle school class, a refugee named Daniel Nayeri weaves together memories of escaping Iran with legends of ancient kings. He must convince his skeptical classmates that his wild stories are actually the incredible truth of the life he left behind. ☼♡
Memoir/Fantasy/Historical Fiction
Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart
Lily is ready to finally be recognized as a girl, while new student Dunkin struggles to hide a painful family secret and his bipolar disorder. Their lives change forever when they form a bond to navigate the bullies and heavy challenges of eighth grade together. ☼♡
Realistic Fiction
Refugee by Alan Gratz
Three children from different eras—Josef in Nazi Germany, Isabel in 1990s Cuba, and Mahmoud in modern Syria—embark on harrowing journeys to find safety. Their parallel stories of survival reveal the immense courage it takes to flee home in search of a future without fear. ▲☼♡
Action/Adventure
Starfish by Lisa Fipps
Plus-size teenager Ellie has spent years hiding behind "Fat Girl Rules" to avoid bullies, but she feels weightless and free only when stretching out in her swimming pool. With the help of new allies, she learns to cast aside her shame and starts unapologetically taking up space like a starfish. ▲☼♡
Realistic/Verse
Wrecker by Carl Hiaasen
Fifteen-year-old Valdez Jones VIII stumbles upon a suspicious boat on a sandbar and is paid by the men on board to stay silent. He soon finds himself pulled into a dangerous mystery involving smugglers and grave robbers off the coast of Key West. ▲☼♡
Mystery
Required Options for Grade Eight
▲ Available on Learning Ally
☼ eBook accessible on SORA
♡ Audiobook accessible on SORA
Bloom by Kenneth Oppel
After a mysterious rain causes black grass to sprout overnight around the world, scientists quickly realize the plantlike vines are alien as they release toxic pollen, destroy vegetation, and even develop carnivorous pods that swallow animals and people. Anaya, Petra, and Seth, three teens living on Salt Spring Island near Vancouver, seem immune to the toxic plants and may be the only ones who can stop the invasion. Science Fiction
(Learning Ally, SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
Code of Honor by Alan Gratz
When Iranian American Kamran Smith learns that his brother has been labeled a terrorist, he knows something isn't right. In a race against time, it is up to Kamran to prove his brother's innocence, even as the country has turned against him and his family. Kamran must piece together the clues and the codes that will save his brother's life--and save his country from possibly the largest terrorist attack since 9/11. Realistic Fiction/Action Adventure
(Learning Ally, SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
A self-proclaimed comic book nerd steps off the sidelines to document a high school basketball team’s "now or never" quest for a state championship. This action-packed journey reveals the intense pressure and personal stories of players fighting to avoid becoming just another footnote in sports history. ▲☼
Graphic Memoir/Sports
Fake ID by Lamar Giles
A boy living in witness protection under the name "Nick Pearson" must risk his cover to investigate the suspicious death of his friend Eli. He has to choose between staying low-key as the Program demands or uncovering a major conspiracy to solve a murder. ▲☼♡
Mystery
Indivisible by Daniel Aleman
Sixteen-year-old Mateo Garcia’s dreams of Hollywood stardom are shattered when his undocumented parents are taken by ICE, leaving him to care for his seventh-grade sister. He faces a high-stakes struggle to keep his family together while navigating a legal system that threatens a permanent goodbye. ☼♡
Realistic Fiction
Not Here to Be Liked by Michelle Quach
Eliza Quan is the most qualified candidate for editor-in-chief, but she is passed over for a charming jock who won based on nothing but vibes. Her viral manifesto against school sexism sparks a high-stakes feminist war that forces her to decide if she’s willing to become a villain to achieve justice. ☼♡
Realistic Fiction
The Running Dream
by Wendelin Van Draanen
Track star Jessica thinks her life is over after losing her leg in an accident, but she refuses to trade her running spikes for a wheelchair forever. With a "never-say-die" attitude and a high-tech racing leg, she trains to return to the starting blocks and reclaim her identity. ▲☼♡
Realistic Fiction/Sports
Sunshine by Jarrett Krosoczka
Sixteen-year-old Jarrett fears that being a camp counselor for seriously ill children will be depressing, but he instead discovers a world of hope and determination. Through wilderness challenges and campfire stories, he learns life-changing lessons about making every moment count. ☼♡
Graphic Memoir
For Sixth Graders, We Recommend:
Realistic Fiction
Across the Desert by Dusti Bowling
Alice Austen Lived Here by Alex Gino
Class Trip by Jerry Craft (graphic novel)
Ellen Outside the Lines by A.J. Sass
Falling Short by Ernest Cisneros
Freestyle by Gale Galligan (graphic novel)
Finally Heard by Kelly Yang
Hands by Torrey Maldonado
Just Roll With It by Veronica Argawal &Lee Durfey-LaVoie
Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee
Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution by Sherrie Winston
Not an Easy Win by Chrystal Giles
The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls by James Bird
She Holds Up the Stars by Sandra Laronde
Shine On, Luz Véliz! by Rebecca Balcárcel
Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena by Julie C. Dao
This Last Adventure by James Dalton
Those Kids From Fawn Creek by Erin Entrada Kelly
Twin Cities by Jose Pimienta
Unfadeable by Maurice Broaddus
Historical Fiction
The Bletchley Riddle by Ryta Sepetys & Steve Sheinkin
Coming Up Cuban by Sonia Manzano
In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo
Isla to Island by Alexis Castellanos
Troublemaker by John Cho
Wave by Diana Farid
Mystery/Horror
Drew LeClair Gets a Clue by Katryn Bury
Jennifer Chan is Not Alone by Tae Keller
This Appearing House by Ally Malineko
SciFi/Fantasy
Amira and Hamza by Samira Ahmed
Children of Quicksands by Efua Traore
Etta Invincible by Reese Eschmann
Freddie vs. the Family Curse by Tracy Badua
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd
Leviathan by Jason Shiga
The Marvellers by Dhionelle Clayton
My Aunt is a Monster by Reimena Yee
Nura and the Immotal Palace by M.T. Khan
Omega Morales and the Legend of La Lexhuz by Laekan Zea Kemp
Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl by Julie Kagawa
A Split Second by Janae Marks
Nonfiction
Hardcourt by Fred Bowen
The Outdoor Scientist by Temple Grandin
RBG’s Brave and Brilliant Women by Nadine Epstein
The Talk by Wade Hudson
For Seventh Graders, we recommend all the titles on the Sixth Grade list, plus:
Realistic Fiction
A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namely
Finding Junie Kim by Ellen Oh
Fly by Alison Hughes
I'll Be the One by Lyla Lee
Nikhil Out Loud by Maulik Pancholy
Parachute Kids by Betty Tang
Peak by Roland Smith
A Pho Love Story by Loan Le
Ride On by Faith Hicks
Salt and Sugar by Rebecca Carvalho
They Call Me Guero by David Bowles
The Usual Suspects by Maurice Broaddus
Historical Fiction
Henderson’s Boys by Robert Muchamore
The Lions of Little Rock by Kristen Levine
Moonwalking by Zetta Elliott
Stateless by Elizabeth Wein
SciFi/Fantasy
Artie and the Wolf Moon by Olivia Stephens
Ballad and Dagger by Daniel José Older
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
Electric Kingdom by David Arnold
The Ivory Key by Akashaya Raman
The Patron Thief of Bread by Lindsay Eagar
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Superman Smashed the Klan by Gene Luen Yang
Mystery
Enchantment Lake by Margi Preus
Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Slay by Brittney Morris
Trace by Pat Cummings
Nonfiction
Eleven Seconds by Travis Roy
The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan
Star Child by Ibi Zoboi
Why is Everybody Yelling by Marisabina Russ
2026 Summer Reading - all required.pdfFor Eighth Graders, we recommend all the books on the previous lists, as well as:
Realistic Fiction
All-American Muslim Girl by Nadine Jolie Courtney
Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber
Borders by Thomas King
Don't Hate the Player by Alexis Nedd
Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Phillippe
Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson
Historical Fiction
The Blossom and the Firefly by Sherri L. Smith
The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Kee
The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand
Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
Rose Sees Red by Cecil Castellucci
SciFi/Fantasy
The Ghosts of Rose Hill by RM Romero
The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu
Lunar New Year by Gene Luen Yang
A Million to One by Adibi Jaigirdar
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
A Roof Over Our Heads by Nicole Kronzer
Seventh Raven by David Elliott
A Thousand Steps into Night by Traci Chee
Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa
Mystery
The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow
Darkly by Marisha Pessl
Disappeared by Francisco X. Stork
Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson
My Flawless Life by Yvonne Woon
Spin by Giles Lamar
To Catch a Killer by Sheryl Scarborough
Nonfiction
The Black Friend by Frederick Joseph
Chasing the Truth (YR edition) by Jodi Kantor
Fallout by Steve Sheinkin
How to Be a Young Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi and Nic Stone
How to Change Everything by Naomi Klein
Looking for even more summer enrichment? Check out the links below:
SR 26 Entering 6th.mp4Entering 6th Grade Summer Reading Kickoff Video
SR26 Entering 7th .mp4Entering 7th Grade Summer Reading Kickoff Video
SR26 Entering 8th.mp4Entering 8th Grade Summer Reading Kickoff Video