I always get requests from teachers, students and parents for recommendations for good books to read.

It is difficult to make a "one-book- fits-all" list because of the wide variety of reading levels, developmental maturity and interests of middle-school students so I prefer to think of my recommendations as a MENU of books from which to choose. Some of these titles I have personally read; others are recommended by other teachers or organizations such as the American Library Association or the Nebraska Golden Sower Committee. Have a book you think needs to be listed here? Email your name, the title and author of the recommended book, and your review of the book to jhellma@lps.org and I'll consider adding it to my Menu of the Reading Cafe.

Reading Menu

Appetizers

Chicken Soup for the Soul books--too many titles to list but each one full of short stories that will make you laugh, cry, and reflect on life. These will be in the non-fiction section of most libraries.

Podcast: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (a novel in cartoons) and Rodick Rules by Jeff Kinney
Frindle by Andrew Clements (Realistic Fiction)
Lunch Money by Andrew Clements (Realistic Fiction)
Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen
Nancy Drew books by Carolyn Keene (Mystery)
Shredderman by Wendelin Van Draanen
The SOS File by Betsy Byars, Betsy Duffey, and Laurie Myers
The Stupendous Dodgeball Fiasco by Janice Repka, illus. Glin Dibley
The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney

Snack Bar
"Skinny" books

Babe & Me by Dan Gutman (155 pages)
The Black Pearl by Scott O'Dell (100 pages)
Black Star, Bright Dawn by Scott O'Dell (103 pages)
Brian's Return (115 pages) by Gary Paulsen (first read Hatchet, The River, and Brian's Winter (133 pages)
Disney Adventures Series by Joan Lowery Nixon (under 100 pages)
Heroes Don't Run: A Novel of the Pacific War (113 pages)
Island, Everest, Dive, Kidnapped, On the Run Series by Gordon Korman (130 pages)
The Legend of Red Horse Cavern by Gary Paulsen (55 pages)
White Water by P. J. Petersen (107 pages)

Entrees

Perfect, Lush and Bounce all by Natasha Friend (Perfect won the 2007 Golden Sower Award). The girls in these books deal with grief, eating disorders, alcoholism, and blended families.

Code Orange by Caroline Cooney Did Mitt accidently start a smallpox epidemic while working on his high school project?

Code Talkers by Joseph Bruchac
Navajo Indians joined the Marine Corp during World War II to become Code Talkers, sending and receiving military communications using their Navajo language. Historical Fiction

Driver's Ed by Caroline Cooney
Three teenagers agonize over what they should do after they steal a stop sign. A woman is killed by driving through the intersection. Can they keep the secret and live with the guilt?

Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
Steven is a normal 8th grader: a drummer in an honor band who has a crush on the hottest girl in school (who doesn't know he exists) and whose little brother annoys him constantly. His world is turned upside down when his brother gets sick and he has to cope with that as well as the other pressures of his life. Realistic Fiction

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. Action adventure mixed with Greek mythology.

Mississippi Trial, 1955 by Chris Crowe (Winner of 2006 Nebraska Golden Sower)
A historical fiction based on the true story of the murder of 15-year-old African American Emmett Till in Mississippi in the summer of 1955. The author's extensive research adds rich details to this event that helped spark the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Historical Fiction

The Perfect Shot by Elaine Marie Alphin (Mystery)

Dessert Bar

Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
The Clique (series) by Lisi Harrison
The Princess Diaries (series) by Meg Cabot
Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
The Summer of the Traveling Pants (series) by Ann Brashares

Sports Cafe

Heart of a Champion by Carl Deuker (Golden Sower Winner)
Seth and Jimmy have been friends since a chance meeting on a baseball field in sixth grade. Now they are in high school on the varsity baseball team and learning how decisions they make off the field impact their lives. (This is one of my all-time favorite books!)

High Heat, On the Devil's Court, Night Hoops, Painting the Black, Runner, and Gym Candy are also by Carl Deuker.

Heat and Travel Team by Mike Lupica

Slam by Walter Dean Myers

Winning Season series by Rich Wallace includes The Roar of the Crowd, Technical Foul, Fast Company, Double Fake, Emergency Quarterback, Southpaw, Dunk Under Pressure, Takedown and Curveball.

Buffet Line
Series, Award Winners and Book Lists

• Golden Sower Nominees: These are nominees for a state award voted on in April by the children of Nebraska. There are three catagories: Primary (K-3), Intermediate (4-6) and Young Adult (7-12). I've listed the Intermediate and Young Adult titles with a short summary in a separate post below. Scroll down to read it.
• YALSA (Young Adult Library Service Association) book lists.
  
• Series: City of Ember, People of Sparks, Yonwood Prophet by Jeanne DuPrau
  The lights in the City of Ember start to flicker and Lena and Doon, two teens who have just finished their education and entered the world of work, join forces to figure out what is going on. City of Ember has a cliff-hanger ending that makes you want to read People of Sparks to see what happens next! (Fantasy/SciFi)
• Podcast of Series: Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras by Scott Westerfeld
  
• Series: Shadow Children by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Among the Hidden and Among the Imposters are the first two books in this series.
• Podcast of Series: Maximum Ride by James Patterson (Science Fiction Adventure)
• Podcast of Series: Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
  
• Series: Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan (Horror)
• Series: Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix.