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, 1832-1888
Paper Book
Little Women is one of the best loved books of all time. Lovely Meg, talented Jo, frail Beth, spoiled Amy: these are hard lessons of poverty and of growing up in New England during the Civil War. Through their dreams, plays, pranks, letters, illnesses, and courtships, women of all ages have become a...
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...
I will always write back :
Alifirenka, Caitlin,
Paper Book
The New York Times bestselling true story of an all-American girl, a boy from Zimbabwe, and the letter that changed both of their lives forever. It started as an assignment. Caitlin had never even heard of Zimbabwe when everyone in her class was told to write...
Guitar notes.
Amato, Mary
Paper Book
On odd days, Tripp uses a school practice room to let loose on a borrowed guitar. Eyes closed, strumming that beat-up instrument, Tripp escapes to a world where only the music matters. On even days, Lyla Marks uses the same practice room. To Tripp, she's trying to become even more...
Ashes. [large print]
Anderson, Laurie Halse
Paper Book
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year The Seeds of America Trilogy (Book 3) 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 awful Bellingham is...
The last.
Applegate, Katherine
Paper Book
I REMEMBERED with a sudden pang, my mother's words the last time we were together: It's never wrong to hope, Byx. Of course, she'd also said: Unless the truth says otherwise. Byx is used to being the youngest and the smallest. But for all her life, she's also been part of...
Shipwreck at the bottom of the world : the extraordinary true story of Shackleto
Armstrong, Jennifer, 1961-
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...
The secret garden.
Brill, Calista.
Paper Book
Based on the beloved classic children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, this edition of The Secret Garden is a beautifully illustrated hardcover picture book adaptation that all children will treasure. Once upon a time...a walled garden bloomed under the summer skies in the north of...
Quiet power : the secret strengths of introverts /
Cain, Susan
Paper Book
Based on the monumental bestseller Quiet, this new version focuses on the strengths and challenges of being an introverted kid Susan Cain sparked a worldwide conversation when she published Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking....
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 and the struggle...
Raymie nightingale /
DiCamillo, Kate.
Paper Book
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 friendship. Raymie...
Out of my mind /
Draper, Sharon M.
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller for three years and counting! "A gutsy, candid, and compelling story. It speaks volumes." --School Library Journal (starred review) "Unflinching and realistic." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
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 : the life and disappearance of Amelia Earhart /
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...
Old Yeller /
Gipson, Fred,
Paper Book
A timeless American classic and one of the most beloved children's books ever written, Old Yeller is a Newbery Honor Book that explores the poignant and unforgettable bond between a boy and the stray dog who becomes his loyal friend. When his father sets out on a cattle drive toward Kansas...
Old yeller.
Gipson, Fred.
Paper Book
A timeless American classic and one of the most beloved children's books ever written, Old Yeller is a Newbery Honor Book that explores the poignant and unforgettable bond between a boy and the stray dog who becomes his loyal friend. When his father sets out on a cattle drive toward Kansas...
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's library.
Grabenstein, Chris
Paper Book
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets A Night in the Museum in this action-packed New York Times Bestseller from Chris Grabenstein, coauthor of I Funny, Treasure Hunters and other bestselling series with James Patterson!...
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's library.
Grabenstein, Chris
Paper Book
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets A Night in the Museum in this action-packed New York Times Bestseller from Chris Grabenstein, coauthor of I Funny, Treasure Hunters and other bestselling series with James Patterson!...
George's secret key to the universe /
Hawking, Lucy.
Paper Book
Stephen Hawking, author of the multi-million copy bestselling A Brief History of Time, and his daughter Lucy explain the universe to readers of all ages. George's parents, who have always been wary of technology, warn him about their new neighbors: Eric is a scientist and his daughter, Annie,...
The Kon-Tiki expedition by raft across the South Seas /
Heyerdahl, Thor
Paper Book
The Kon-Tiki expedition by raft across the South Seas /
Heyerdahl, Thor
Paper Book
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 TimesBestseller! The author of the beloved One for the Murphysgives readers 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. "Everybody is...
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...
Mistakes that worked /
Jones, Charlotte Foltz.
Paper Book
Presents the stories behind forty things that were invented or named by accident, including aspirin, X-rays, frisbees, silly putty, and velcro.
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...
Stand up, Yumi Chung! /
Kim, Jessica,
Paper Book
One lie snowballs into a full-blown double life in this irresistible story about an aspiring stand-up comedian. On the outside, Yumi Chung suffers from #shygirlproblems, a perm-gone-wrong, and kids calling her "Yu-MEAT" because she smells like her family's Korean barbecue...
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 --...
Pop.
Korman, Gordon
Paper Book
A YA novel that explores the fierce competitive nature of high school sports. Marcus is new in town and is hoping to make the championship high school football team, but it seems like a closed club, run by current star Troy. One day, while tossing the ball around in a park, Marcus meets Charlie, a...
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...
Heat.
Lupica, Mike
Paper Book
Rain reign /
Martin, Ann M. (Matthews), 1955-
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller! 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 two homonyms (Reign, Rein), which, according to Rose's rules of homonyms, is very special. Not everyone...
Anne of Green Gables.
Dussling, Jennifer
Paper Book
Anne is a young orphan who finally finds a home at Green Gables, but it's not exactly smooth sailing. Anne always seems to find herself getting into scrapes! This easy-to-read adaptation of L.M. Montgomery's classic is guaranteed to hook beginning readers not yet ready to tackle the original.
Anne of Green Gables.
Dussling, Jennifer
Paper Book
Anne is a young orphan who finally finds a home at Green Gables, but it's not exactly smooth sailing. Anne always seems to find herself getting into scrapes! This easy-to-read adaptation of L.M. Montgomery's classic is guaranteed to hook beginning readers not yet ready to tackle the original.
Anne of Green Gables.
Dussling, Jennifer
Paper Book
Anne is a young orphan who finally finds a home at Green Gables, but it's not exactly smooth sailing. Anne always seems to find herself getting into scrapes! This easy-to-read adaptation of L.M. Montgomery's classic is guaranteed to hook beginning readers not yet ready to tackle the original.
Kensuke's kingdom
Morpurgo, Michael.
Audiobook
A desert-island adventure, and a subtle observation of friendship, trust and humanity. Winner of The Children's Book Award. Superbly read by DEREK JACOBI. When Michael is washed up on an island in the Pacific after falling from his parents' yacht, he struggles to survive on...
Kensuke's kingdom
Morpurgo, Michael.
Audiobook
A desert-island adventure, and a subtle observation of friendship, trust and humanity. Winner of The Children's Book Award. Superbly read by DEREK JACOBI. When Michael is washed up on an island in the Pacific after falling from his parents' yacht, he struggles to survive on...
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, 1933-
Paper Book
A single shard.
Park, Linda Sue
Paper Book
Tree-ear is an orphan boy in a 12th-century Korean potters&’ village. When he accidentally breaks a pot, he must work for the master to pay for the damage by setting off on a difficult and dangerous journey that will change his life forever.
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...
Hidden like Anne Frank : fourteen true stories of survival /
Prins, Marcel, 1962-
Paper Book
For readers of The Boy Who Dared and Prisoner B-3087, a collection of unforgettable true stories of children hidden away during World War II.Jaap Sitters was only eight years old when his mother cut the yellow stars off his clothes and sent him, alone, on a fifteen-mile walk to hide...
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...
Esperanza rising.
Ryan, Pam Munoz
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. Pura Belpre Award Winner *...
Chew on this :
Schlosser, Eric.
Paper Book
Kids love fast food. And the fast food industry definitely loves kids. It couldn't survive without them. Did you know that the biggest toy company in the world is McDonald's? It's true. In fact, one out of every three toys given to a child in the United States each year is from a fast food...
Okay for now. [online electronic audiobook]
Schmidt, Gary D.
Audiobook
"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
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...
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...
Longitude : the true story of a lone genius who solved the greatest scientific p
Sobel, Dava
Paper Book
The dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest and of one man's forty-year obsession to find a solution to the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day--"the longitude problem." Anyone alive in the eighteenth century would have known that "the longitude problem" was the...
All thirteen : [online electronic book] the incredible cave resuce of the Thai b
Soontornvat, Christina.
Ebook
A unique account of the amazing Thai cave rescue told in a heart-racing, you-are-there style that blends suspense, science, and cultural insight. On June 23, 2018, twelve young players of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach enter a cave in northern Thailand seeking an...
Into the killing seas /
Spradlin, Michael P.
Paper Book
In 1945 twelve-year-old Patrick and his younger brother Teddy stowaway on the U.S.S. Indianapolis in a desparate attempt to get back to the Philippines where they last saw their parents, just before the Japanese invasion--but when the ship is sunk they find themselves clinging to a piece of debris...
The hobbit : or, there and back again.
Tolkien, J. R. R. 1892-1973
Paper Book
First ever illustrated eBook of the classic bestseller featuring more than 60 colour paintings and pencil drawings by the award-winning artist, Alan Lee, Conceptual Designer on Peter Jackson's THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY.
The hobbit : or, there and back again.
Tolkien, J. R. R. 1892-1973
Paper Book
First ever illustrated eBook of the classic bestseller featuring more than 60 colour paintings and pencil drawings by the award-winning artist, Alan Lee, Conceptual Designer on Peter Jackson's THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY.
Countdown /
Wiles, Deborah.
Paper Book
The story of a formative year in 12-year-old Franny Chapman's life, and the life of a nation facing the threat of nuclear war.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...
Brown girl dreaming.
Woodson, Jacqueline
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller and National Book Award Winner Jacqueline Woodson, the acclaimed author of Red at the Bone, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse.   Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt...

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