Middle School Summer Reading List

Books on the Middle School Summer Reading List for Trumbull students.

Updated June 13, 2024
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Little women
Alcott, Louisa May
Paper Book
In picturesque nineteenth-century New England, tomboyish Jo, beautiful Meg, fragile Beth, and romantic Amy come of age while their father is off to war.
The crossover /
Alexander, Kwame.
Paper Book
Series streaming now on Disney+, with executive producers including NBA great LeBron James! The Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winning middle grade bestseller! Basketball and heartache share the court in this slam-dunk novel in verse. "With a bolt of lightning on my...
Devolver al remitente
Alvarez, Julia.
Ebook
After Tyler's father is injured in a tractor accident, his family hires migrant Mexican workers to help save their Vermont farm from foreclosure. Tyler isn' t sure what to make of these workers. Are they undocumented? And what about the three daughters, particularly Mari, the oldest, who is proud of...
Ashes /
Anderson, Laurie Halse.
Paper Book
Return to the American Revolution in this blistering conclusion to the middle grade Seeds of America trilogy. As the Revolutionary War rages on, Isabel and Curzon have narrowly escaped Valley Forge--but their relief is short-lived. Before long they are reported as runaways, and...
The last /
Applegate, Katherine.
Paper Book
In this first book of an epic middle grade series, Katherine Applegate takes us on an unforgettable journey. A New York Times bestseller from the beloved author of the action-packed Animorphs series and the award-winning The One and Only Ivan. Byx is the youngest member of...
Shipwreck at the bottom of the world : the extraordinary true story of Shackleton and the Endurance
Armstrong, Jennifer
Paper Book
Shipwreck at the Bottom of the Worldvividly recreates one of the most extraordinary adventure stories in history. In August 1914, Ernest Shackleton and 27 men sailed from England in an attempt to become the first team of explorers to cross the Antarctic continent from one side to the other. Five...
The thing about jellyfish /
Benjamin, Ali.
Paper Book
This stunning debut novel about grief and wonder was an instant New York Times bestseller and captured widespread critical acclaim, including selection as a 2015 National Book Award finalist! After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is...
The blackbird girls /
Blankman, Anne,
Paper Book
NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD WINNER A SYDNEY TAYLOR MIDDLE GRADE HONOR BOOK Like Ruta Sepetys for middle grade, Anne Blankman pens a poignant and timeless story of friendship that twines together moments in underexplored history. On a spring morning, neighbors...
Masterpiece /
Broach, Elise,
Paper Book
Marvin lives with his family under the kitchen sink in the Pompadays' apartment. He is very much a beetle. James Pompaday lives with his family in New York City. He is very much an eleven-year-old boy.After James gets a pen-and-ink set for his birthday, Marvin surprises him by creating an...
Kaleidoscope eyes /
Bryant, Jennifer.
Paper Book
Will Lyza’s 1968 summer mystery lead to . . . pirate treasure? When Lyza helps her dad clean out her late grandfather’s house, a mysterious surprise brightens the sad task. In Gramps’s dusty attic, Lyza discovers three maps, carefully folded and stacked, bound...
Kaleidoscope eyes
Bryant, Jennifer.
Paper Book
Will Lyza’s 1968 summer mystery lead to . . . pirate treasure? When Lyza helps her dad clean out her late grandfather’s house, a mysterious surprise brightens the sad task. In Gramps’s dusty attic, Lyza discovers three maps, carefully folded and stacked, bound...
The secret garden
Burnett, Frances Hodgson
Paper Book
Celebrate an unforgettable classic with this gorgeous hardcover edition, including full-color illustrations. This beautiful hardcover edition includes Tasha Tudor's iconic illustrations in full color, making it the perfect collector's edition or a wonderful gift for young readers. ...
Summerlost /
Condie, Allyson Braithwaite.
Paper Book
A tender and compelling contemporary novel for young readers about facing loss and finding friendship, from Ally Condie, international bestselling author of the Matched series. Nominated by the Mystery Writers of America for the 2017 Edgar Award   "Kids are...
Grayson /
Cox, Lynne,
Paper Book
Grayson is Lynne Cox's first book since Swimming to Antarctica ("Riveting"--Sports Illustrated; "Pitch-perfect"--Outside). In it she tells the story of a miraculous ocean encounter that happened to her when she was seventeen and in training for a big swim (she had already...
New kid /
Craft, Jerry.
Paper Book
Winner of the Newbery Medal, Coretta Scott King Author Award, and Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature!  Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Gene Luen Yang, New Kid is a timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low...
Raymie nightingale /
DiCamillo, Kate.
Paper Book
A #1 New York Times bestseller! A 2016 National Book Award Finalist! As featured on The Today Show's Read with Jenna Jr. Book Club Two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo returns to her roots with a moving, masterful story of an unforgettable summer...
Out of my mind
Draper, Sharon M.
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller for three years and counting and now an original film on Disney+! "A gutsy, candid, and compelling story. It speaks volumes." --School Library Journal (starred review) "Unflinching and realistic." --Kirkus...
Phineas Gage : a gruesome but true story about brain science
Fleischman, John
Paper Book
Phineas Gage was truly a man with a hole in his head. Phineas, a railroad construction foreman, was blasting rock near Cavendish, Vermont, in 1848 when a thirteen-pound iron rod was shot through his brain. Miraculously, he survived to live another eleven years and become a textbook case in brain...
Amelia lost :
Fleming, Candace.
Paper Book
From the acclaimed author of The Great and Only Barnum-as well as The Lincolns, Our Eleanor, and Ben Franklin's Almanac-comes the thrilling story of America's most celebrated flyer, Amelia Earhart. In alternating chapters, Fleming deftly moves readers back and forth...
Old Yeller
Gipson, Fred
Paper Book
When a novel like Huckleberry Finn, or The Yearling, comes along it defies customary adjectives because of the intensity of the respouse it evokes in the reader. Such a book, we submit, is Old Yeller; to read this eloIquently simple story of a boy and his dog in the Texas hill country is an...
Old Yeller.
Gipson, Fred,
Paper Book
When a novel like Huckleberry Finn, or The Yearling, comes along it defies customary adjectives because of the intensity of the respouse it evokes in the reader. Such a book, we submit, is Old Yeller; to read this eloIquently simple story of a boy and his dog in the Texas hill country is an...
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's library
Grabenstein, Chris.
Paper Book
THE START OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES WITH MORE THAN TWO MILLION COPIES SOLD! Can you escape from what James Patterson calls "the coolest library in the world"? Follow along and solve the clues in this interactive adventure! From the co-author of Murdle...
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's library
Grabenstein, Chris.
Paper Book
THE START OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES WITH MORE THAN TWO MILLION COPIES SOLD! Can you escape from what James Patterson calls "the coolest library in the world"? Follow along and solve the clues in this interactive adventure! From the co-author of Murdle...
Uprising
Haddix, Margaret Peterson.
Paper Book
Around her the workers were screaming out prayers and curses.... She herself was sobbing tearlessly.... Her only prayer was still, "I don't want to die." Oh, please, God, don't let me die, she thought. I've never even had a chance to live. Bella, newly arrived in New...
Gizmos & gadgets :
Hauser, Jill Frankel,
Paper Book
Gear up to discover science by constructing weird, wacky contraptions. With this guide, children can start building, questioning, creating, and inventing--all the while learning fun physics principles and good science practices. 150+ illustrations.
Brooklyn Bridge
Hesse, Karen.
Paper Book
Karen Hesse has achieved many honors for her more than twenty books over the course of her award-winning career: the Newbery Medal, the Scott O'Dell Historical Fiction Award, the MacArthur Fellowship "Genius" Award, and the Christopher Medal. Her novels burn with intensity, and keenly felt,...
Turtle in paradise
Holm, Jennifer L.
Paper Book
In Jennifer L. Holm's New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor winning middle grade historical fiction novel, life isn't like the movies. But then again, 11-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple She's smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending....
Claudette Colvin :
Hoose, Phillip M.,
Paper Book
"When it comes to justice, there is no easy way to get it. You can't sugarcoat it. You have to take a stand and say, 'This is not right.'" - Claudette Colvin On March 2, 1955, an impassioned teenager, fed up with the daily injustices of Jim Crow segregation, refused to give her seat...
Fish in a tree
Hunt, Lynda Mullaly.
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller . An emotionally-charged, uplifting novel that will speak to anyone who's ever thought there was something wrong with them because they didn't fit in. "Fans of R.J. Palacio's Wonder will appreciate this feel-good story of friendship...
One dog and his boy
Ibbotson, Eva.
Paper Book
Eva Ibbotson's final masterpiece, a tale of a boy and dog who were meant to be together. All Hal had ever wanted was a dog. "Never!" cries his mother. "Think of the mess, the scratch-marks, the puddles on the floor." But on the morning of Hal's 10th birthday, the unbelievable...
The contract /
Jeter, Derek,
Paper Book
The debut book in the New York Times bestselling Contract series, The Contract is a middle grade baseball novel inspired by the youth of legendary sports icon and role model Derek Jeter. As a young boy, Derek Jeter dreams of being the shortstop for the New York...
Mistakes that worked
Jones, Charlotte Foltz.
Paper Book
The greatest discoveries are made outside the classroom! Learn all about mistakes that changed the world with this collection of the strange stories behind everyday inventions! It's no accident that you'll love this book!   SANDWICHES came about when an English earl was...
Amina's voice /
Khan, Hena.
Paper Book
A Washington Post Best Children's Book of 2017 "For inspiring empathy in young readers, you can't get better than this book." --R. J. Palacio, author of #1 New York Times bestseller Wonder "Amina's anxieties are entirely relatable, but it's her sweet...
The hypnotists /
Korman, Gordon.
Paper Book
An all-new, mesmerizing adventure from the masterful Gordon Korman!Is it a gift . . . or is it a curse? Jax Opus can use his color-changing eyes to make people do things they don't want to do. (Only his color-blind best friend, Tommy, seems immune.) At first, Jax doesn't know what he's doing --...
Inside out & back again /
Lai, Thanhha.
Paper Book
Inside Out and Back Again is a #1 New York Times bestseller, a Newbery Honor Book, and a winner of the National Book Award! Inspired by the author's childhood experience as a refugee--fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon and immigrating to Alabama--this coming-of-age debut novel told...
The boy on the wooden box :
Leyson, Leon,
Paper Book
In the #1 New York Times bestseller, Leon Leyson (born Leib Lezjon) was only ten years old when the Nazis invaded Poland and his family was forced to relocate to the Krakow ghetto. Leon Leyson (born Leib Lezjon) was only ten years old when the Nazis invaded Poland and his...
A snicker of magic /
Lloyd, Natalie.
Paper Book
Introducing an extraordinary new voice---a magical debut that will make your skin tingle, your eyes glisten . . .and your heart sing.Midnight Gulch used to be a magical place, a town where people could sing up thunderstorms and dance up sunflowers. But that was long ago, before a curse drove...
Wheels of change :
Macy, Sue.
Paper Book
Take a lively look at women's history from aboard a bicycle, which granted females the freedom of mobility and helped empower women's liberation. Through vintage photographs, advertisements, cartoons, and songs,Wheels of Changetransports young readers to bygone eras to see how women used the...
The secret garden :
Marsden, Mariah,
Paper Book
Green-growing secrets and powerful magic await you at Misselthwaite Manor, now reimagined in this bewitching graphic novel adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's beloved tale. From Mariah Marsden, author of the critically acclaimed Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic...
Rain reign /
Martin, Ann M. (Matthews), 1955-
Paper Book
A New York Times bestselling novel by the author of The Baby-sitters Club, about a girl on the autism spectrum and the dog she loves. Rose Howard is obsessed with homonyms. She's thrilled that her own name is a homonym, and she purposely gave her dog Rain a name with...
Call of the Klondike :
Meissner, David.
Paper Book
Winner of the Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction The remarkable tale of two young men during the Klondike Gold Rush, told through first-hand diaries, letters, and more--"excellent reading" for middle grade fans of The Call of the Wild and adventure stories (School Library...
Anne of Green Gables
Montgomery, L. M.
Paper Book
Anne (with an ‘e’ of course) starts out as a mistake. The elderly Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert had planned on adopting a boy to help Matthew with the chores on their Prince Edward Island farm. What are they to do with the red-haired, high-spirited girl who arrives instead? ...
Anne of Green Gables
Montgomery, L. M.
Paper Book
Anne (with an ‘e’ of course) starts out as a mistake. The elderly Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert had planned on adopting a boy to help Matthew with the chores on their Prince Edward Island farm. What are they to do with the red-haired, high-spirited girl who arrives instead? ...
Anne of Green Gables
Montgomery, L. M.
Paper Book
Anne (with an ‘e’ of course) starts out as a mistake. The elderly Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert had planned on adopting a boy to help Matthew with the chores on their Prince Edward Island farm. What are they to do with the red-haired, high-spirited girl who arrives instead? ...
An American plague :
Murphy, Jim,
Paper Book
Powerful and riveting, this Newbery Honor-winning narrative describes the illness known as yellow fever, the toll it took on the nation's capital--and the eventual triumph over the disease. Long before Covid and the West Nile virus, yellow fever was a medical mystery that forced thousands...
Faith, hope, and Ivy June
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds.
CD
Two Kentucky girls, Ivy June Mosley of Thunder Creek and Catherine Combs of Lexington, are participating in their schools' first-ever seventh-grade student exchange. Taking turns, each girl leaves home for two weeks to live and attend classes with the other, and records her honest feelings about the...
A single shard
Park, Linda Sue.
Paper Book
The Newbery Medal-winning tale of an orphan boy whose dream of becoming a master potter leads to unforeseen adventure in ancient Korea. Tree-ear is an orphan boy in a 12th-century Korean village renowned for its ceramics. When he accidentally breaks a delicate piece of pottery, he...
A wolf called Wander /
Parry, Rosanne
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! "Don't miss this dazzling tour de force."--Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal winning author of The One and Only Ivan This gripping novel about survival and family is based on the real story of one wolf's incredible journey to find a safe place to...
Black brother, black brother
Rhodes, Jewell Parker
Paper Book
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection! From award-winning and bestselling author, Jewell Parker Rhodes comes a powerful coming-of-age story about two brothers, one who presents as white, the other as black, and the complex ways in which they are...
Becoming Naomi LeOon /
Ryan, Pam Muonoz.
Audiobook
"I always thought that the biggest trial in my life was my name, Naomi Guadalupe Zamora Outlaw, but little did I know that it was the least of my problems, or that someday I would live up to it." One evening, everything Naomi has known with Gram and her little brother begins to...
Esperanza rising
Ryan, Pam Mu©łoz.
Paper Book
A modern classic for our time and for all time--this beloved, award-winning bestseller resonates with fresh meaning for each new generation. Perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo, Christopher Paul Curtis, and Rita Williams-Garcia. Esperanza Rising joins the Scholastic...
Imprisoned :
Sandler, Martin W.
Paper Book
While Americans fought for freedom and democracy abroad, fear and suspicion towards Japanese Americans swept the country after Japan's sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. Culling information from extensive, previously unpublished interviews and oral histories with Japanese American survivors of...
Just Like That /
Schmidt, Gary D.
Paper Book
In this unforgettable, gently humorous novel, New York Times bestselling, award-winning author Gary D. Schmidt tells two poignant, linked stories: that of a grieving girl and a boy trying to escape his violent past. Meryl Lee Kowalski is sent to a girls' boarding school in fall...
Okay for now
Schmidt, Gary D.
CD
"The Dump" is what Doug Swieteck calls his new home in upstate New York. He lands there in the summer of 1968, when the Apollo space missions are under way, Joe Pepitone is slugging for the New York Yankees, and the Vietnam War is raging. At home he lives with a father who has lost his way and a...
Orbiting Jupiter
Schmidt, Gary D.
Paper Book
In this riveting novel, two boys discover the true meaning of family and the sacrifices it requires. Two-time Newbery Honor winner Gary D. Schmidt delivers the shattering story of Joseph, a father at thirteen, who has never seen his daughter, Jupiter. After spending time in a...
The great wall of Lucy Wu /
Shang, Wendy Wan Long.
Paper Book
Lucy Wu, aspiring basketball star and interior designer, is on the verge of having the best year of her life. She's ready to rule the school as a sixth grader and take over the bedroom she has always shared with her sister. In an instant, though, her plans are shattered when she finds out that...
Bomb :
Sheinkin, Steve.
Paper Book
Perfect for middle grade readers and history enthusiasts, New York Times bestselling author Steve Sheinkin presents the fascinating and frightening true story of the creation behind the most destructive force that birthed the arms race and the Cold War in Bomb: The Race...
The notorious Benedict Arnold :
Sheinkin, Steve.
Paper Book
New York Times bestselling author, Newbery Honor recipient, and National Book Award finalist Steve Sheinkin presents both the heroism and the treachery of one of the Revolutionary War's most infamous players in his biography of Benedict Arnold. Winner of the...
Every thing on it :
Silverstein, Shel
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling Shel Silverstein, celebrated creator of Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, and Falling Up, comes an amazing collection of never-before-published poems and drawings. Have you ever read a book with everything on it? Well, here it is! You will say...
The illustrated longitude
Sobel, Dava.
Paper Book
A fully illustrated edition of the international best-seller Longitude. The Illustrated Longitude recounts in words and images the epic quest to solve the greatest scientific problem of the eighteenth and three prior centuries: determining how a captain could pinpoint his...
All thirteen :
Soontornvat, Christina.
Paper Book
Winner of the 2021 Kirkus Prize for Young People's Literature A 2021 Newbery Honor Book A 2021 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book A 2021 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist A 2021 Orbis Pictus Honor Book A unique account...
Almost astronauts :
Stone, Tanya Lee.
Paper Book
They had the right stuff. They defied the prejudices of the time. And they blazed a trail for generations of women to follow. What does it take to be an astronaut? Excellence at flying, courage, intelligence, resistance to stress, top physical shape -- any checklist would include...
The hobbit, or, There and back again
Tolkien, J. R. R.
Paper Book
This deluxe hardcover edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic prelude to his Lord of the Rings trilogy contains a short introduction by Christopher Tolkien, a reset text incorporating the most up-to-date corrections, and all of Tolkien's own drawings and full-color illustrations, including the rare...
The hobbit, or, There and back again
Tolkien, J. R. R.
Paper Book
This deluxe hardcover edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic prelude to his Lord of the Rings trilogy contains a short introduction by Christopher Tolkien, a reset text incorporating the most up-to-date corrections, and all of Tolkien's own drawings and full-color illustrations, including the rare...
Little Audrey /
White, Ruth,
Paper Book
"What else would you wish for?" Daddy says. "If you could have anything in the world, what would you wish for?" I shrug. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe . . ." "Maybe what?" "For us to live better than we do." He does not say anything.
Countdown
Wiles, Deborah.
Ebook
Franny Chapman just wants some peace. But that's hard to get when her best friend is feuding with her, her sister has disappeared, and her uncle is fighting an old war in his head. Her saintly younger brother is no help, and the cute boy across the street only complicates things. Worst of all,...
The blossoming universe of Violet Diamond /
Woods, Brenda
Paper Book
Coretta Scott King Honor winner Brenda Woods' moving, uplifting story of a girl finally meeting the African American side of her family explores racism and how it feels to be biracial, and celebrates families of all kinds. Violet is a smart, funny, brown-eyed, brown-haired girl in a...
Brown girl dreaming
Woodson, Jacqueline.
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller and National Book Award Winner A Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Book of the Century Jacqueline Woodson, the acclaimed author of Red at the Bone, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse.

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