Your summer reading assignment for 2025 is to read one book from this list for your grade level and one other book of your choice.
The titles below are the required options for each grade level.
You will find a list of additional options below that.
Embedded Files
Required Titles for Grade Six
Across the Desert by Dusti Bowling
Addie is a 12-year-old pilot who loves to fly her ultralight plane around the deserts of Arizona and livestream her adventures. Jolene, another 12-year-old, loves to watch these live streams as a way to escape from her difficult home life. When Addie crash land her plane in the desert one day, Jolene decides to be the one to rescue her. Realistic fiction/Adventure
(Learning Ally, SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
Blended by Sharon Draper
Isabella is only eleven, but she is already so used to hearing about how "exotic" and unusual she is due to her black father and white mother that she is sick of her biracial identity. Now that her parents are divorced and fighting over her worse than ever, Isabella needs a way to define her identity so she can feel not like two halves, but a whole. Realistic Fiction
(Learning Ally, SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Jakob and his feisty sister Lizzie live at Bletchley Park, where the British are attempting to break Nazi codes during WWII. When mysterious messages and codes start appearing, the siblings wonder if it's connected to their mother’s disappearance, which happened while she was working at the American Embassy in London, or if it’s a more sinister trap. Help them solve puzzles and break codes to find out! Historical Mystery
(SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros
Seventh-grader Efrén returns from school one day to find his Amá has been arrested by ICE and deported to Tijuana, Mexico. Efrén takes over the care of his siblings when his father takes extra work to pay for the legal bills to try to get her back. The stress eventually catches up with him, drawing the attention of his teachers, and prompting Efrén to make a choice about whom he can trust. Realistic Fiction
(Learning Ally, SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
Ground Zero by Alan Gratz
On September 11, 2001, Brandon is visiting his dad at work in the World Trade Center when the first plane hits. He begins a harrowing journey to escape and survive. Eighteen years later, Reshmina has grown up in Afghanistan surrounded by war, but she dreams of peace. When her village is attacked, she comes across a wounded American soldier and she must make an impossible choice that could put her family in grave danger. Historical/Realistic Fiction/Action
(Learning Ally, SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
Just Roll With It by Veronica Argawal & Lee Durgey-LaVoie
Maggie, who struggles with anxiety and OCD, is starting middle school and very worried. She uses her 20-sided dice to help her make decisions. When her rolls and decisions get compulsive however, her family realizes they need to step in. Will Maggie learn to make friends, trust herself, and reach out to those around her? Graphic Realistic Fiction
(SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
Nura and the Immortal Palace by M.T. Khan
When Nura uncovers a strange door that leads to a magical world she is taken to the Sijj Palace, a luxury hotel for the dangerous jinn. Nura isn't sure who she can trust and now, if she wants to get out alive, she'll have to uncover the deceit behind the glitter or be trapped forever. Fantasy
(SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
A Split Second by Janae Marks
During her birthday sleepover, Elise receives a mysterious necklace and wakes the next day to discover time has moved forward by six months. Her best friends are no longer speaking to her, but her ex-bestie Cora is in the same predicament. When she learns that Cora has an identical necklace, the girls must work together to find a way back to their own time, and it may just heal their broken friendship along the way. Mystery (SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
Wink by Rob Harrell
Ross Maloy just wants to be a normal seventh grader. He doesn't want to lose his hair, or wear a weird hat, or deal with the disappearing friends who don't know what to say to "the cancer kid." But with his recent diagnosis of a rare eye cancer, blending in is off the table. Based on Rob Harrell's real life experience, and packed with comic panels and spot art, this is an unforgettable, heartbreaking, and hilarious story of survival and finding positivity in life's weirdness. Realistic Fiction/Humor
(Learning Ally, SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
Required Titles for Grade Seven
Becoming Kareem by Kareem Abdul- Jabbar
At one time, Lew Alcindor was just another kid from NYC. But with a talent for basketball, and an unmatched team of supporters, Lew Alcindor became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. From a childhood made difficult by racism and prejudice to a record- smashing career, his life was packed with “coaches” who taught him right from wrong and led him on the path to greatness. This book chronicles how Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became the icon and legend he is today, both on and off the court. Nonfiction Memoir (Learning Ally, SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone
Molly Frost is FED UP... Because Olivia was yelled at for wearing a tank top. Because Liza got dress coded and Molly didn't, even though they were wearing the exact same outfit. Because when Jessica was pulled over by the principal and missed a math quiz, her teacher gave her an F. Because it's impossible to find shorts that are long enough. Because girls' bodies are not a distraction. And so Molly starts a podcast where girls can tell their stories, and before long, her small rebellion swells into a revolution. Realistic Fiction (Learning Ally, SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
The Electric Kingsom by David Arnold
After a flu pandemic ravages the earth, a small group of survivors embark on journeys for safe haven and come face-to-face with mysterious and supernatural elements along the way. Among them, Kit is searching for a rumored safe zone and meets up with Nico who is searching for a portal her parents told her about and they work together to find their way to safety. Science Fiction
(SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman
The land of Ashoka fuels its economy with magic, but the supply is dwindling. The newly crowned maharani, Vira is desperate to keep this issue a secret, lest a war break out with a neighbor eager for a takeover. Vira needs to find the Ivory Key, a legendary mechanism said to unlock the kingdom's original magic source. The problem is, she'll need the skills of her three siblings, with whom she's barely speaking, to find it. Can she convince her siblings to help her and not to betray her? Fantasy
(SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart
Lily, born Timothy, is a girl. But being a girl is not so easy when you look like a boy. Dunkin, birth name Norbert, is dealing with bipolar disorder and has just moved to town. This would be hard enough, but the fact that he is also hiding from a painful secret makes it even worse. One summer morning, Lily meets Dunkin and their lives forever change. Realistic Fiction
(Learning Ally, SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
Refugee by Alan Gratz
Three children. Three different countries. Three harrowing stories of survival under the shadow of war. Josef's Jewish family flees Nazi Germany in 1938. Isabel's family braves the ocean in a homemade raft in 1994 in the hopes of a better life in America. And in 2015, Mahmoud's family hopes to find refuge from the war raging in Syria. Each protagonist navigates the uncertainty of leaving behind the only life they've ever known, revealing the fear and heartache associated with being a refugee. Survival/Action
(Learning Ally, SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
Starfish by Lisa Fipps
Ellie, a plus-size teenager, has been bullied and fat-shamed for her weight since she was five years old. As a result, she's developed rules for public behavior to avoid embarrassment, such as walking slowly to avoid jiggling and not eating in public. The one place Ellie truly feels at home is in her swimming pool where she feels weightless and can spread out as far as she wants. With the help of her supportive therapist and father, Ellie grows tired of feeling shame and endeavors to live unapologetically.
Realistic Fiction
(Learning Ally, SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
Parachute Kids by Betty Lee
Feng-Li can't wait to discover America with her family! But then her parents deliver shocking news: They are returning to Taiwan and leaving Feng-Li and her older siblings in California on their own. Suddenly, the three kids must fend for themselves in a strange new world. Starting a new school, learning a new language, and trying to make new friends is hard enough, but Bro and Sis's constant bickering makes everything worse. But as tensions escalate--and all three kids get tangled in a web of bad choices--can Feng-Li keep her family together? Graphic Novel Historical Fiction
(SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
Wrecker by Carl Hiaasen
During the pandemic, 15-year-old Valdez Jones is thriving thanks to online school that allows him time to fish off the Key West coast. One day he sees a boat run aground on a sandbar and becomes suspicious when the men running the boat give him cash to pretend he never saw them. When he begins to see the men all around town and they hire him to be a lookout for them, he worries that he's in over his head and tries to find a way out of his precarious predicament. Mystery (
SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
Required Titles for Grade Eight
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)
Don't Hate the Player by Alexis Nedd
By day, Emila Romero is a field hockey star with a flawless report card. By night, she’s a member of a superstar eSports team. Emilia has mastered the art of keeping her two worlds separate and thriving. When a major eSports tourney comes to her city, Emilia is determined to prove herself to the male- dominated gaming community, but her perfectly balanced life is thrown for a loop when a person from her past, who is also the member of a rival team, discovers her double life. Realistic Fiction
(SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
Chinese American Jo Kuan works as a lady's maid for the bad-tempered daughter of a wealthy man in 1890s Atlanta. Secretly, Jo writes a column for a local newspaper under a pseudonym where she extrapolates on some of high society's lesser qualities. Her column becomes both a hit and a controversy. While she questions revealing herself, Jo receives a mysterious letter that sets her on a path of discovery to learn more about the parents who abandoned her. Historical Fiction
(Learning Ally, SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
Fake ID by Lamar Giles
Nick Pearson is hiding in plain sight. In fact, his name isn't really Nick Pearson. He shouldn't tell you his real name, his real hometown, or why his family just moved to Stepton, Virginia. And he definitely shouldn't tell you about his friend Eli Cruz and the major conspiracy Eli was uncovering when he was killed. Or about how Nick had to choose between solving Eli's murder with his sister and "staying low-key" like the Program said to do. But he's going to tell you—unless he gets caught first... Mystery
(Learning Ally, SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe
When Canadian teenager Norris Kaplan is suddenly plunked into a new high school in Austin, Texas, he finds himself cataloging everyone he meets into traditional American TV show roles. He doesn’t really care about making friends and can at least amuse himself until it’s time to go back to Canada, where he belongs. But soon, those labels become actual people to Norris. On the night of the prom, Norris screws everything up. As he tries to pick up the pieces, will he realize it might be time to stop hiding behind his snarky opinions? Realistic Fiction/Humor
(SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
Sunshine by Jarrett Krosoczka
In this graphic novel memoir, author Jarrett J. Krosoczka recounts his high school experience as a sixteen-year-old counselor at Camp Sunshine, a camp for seriously ill kids and their families. Initially, Jarrett thinks it might be a depressing experience for him, but instead, Jarrett learns from the kids how to make every moment count. As he helps the kids get the full camp experience with wilderness challenges, spooky campfire stories, and lake swimming, he gains an experience that changes his life forever. Graphic Memoir
(SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu
Jealous of the musical talents of her younger brother Woferl, and worried she'll have to give up her dream of composing to become a wife, Nannerl Mozart takes the offer of a magical being that he'll grant her wishes if she helps him regain his crown in the Kingdom of Back. As Nannerl traverses between real and fairy worlds she reconsiders the pact she made. Are her own ambitions worth more than the love she has for her brother? Fantasy
(SORA eBook, SORA audiobook)
Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang
If her grandmother is to be believed, Vietnamese American teenager Valentina Tran's family is just unlucky in love and she's destined never to find it. After an encounter with a pair of cute lion dancers at the Lunar New Year festival, old childhood imaginary friend turned nemesis, Saint Valentine, urges her to give him her heart to protect it from further pain. Valentina bargains with the spirit to turn it over in a year if she has not found love and embarks on a personal journey to break her family's curse. Graphic Realistic Fiction
(SORA eBook)
For Sixth Graders, We Recommend:
Realistic Fiction
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
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
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
Omega Morales and the Legend of La Lexhuz by Laekan Zea Kemp
Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl by Julie Kagawa
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
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
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
For 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
Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson
Historical Fiction
The Blossom and the Firefly by Sherri L. Smith
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
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 25 Sixth.mp4Entering 6th Grade Summer Reading Kickoff Video
SR25 Entering 7th.mp4Entering 7th Grade Summer Reading Kickoff Video
SR25 Entering 8th.mp4Entering 8th Grade Summer Reading Kickoff Video
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