WMS Summer 2013 Reading List
for Students going into 7th Grade
FICTION
A Dog’s Purpose
Cameron, W. Bruce
The Dogs of Winter
This is the remarkable story of
one endearing dog’s search for
his purpose over the course of
several lives. More than just
another charming dog story, A
Dog’s Purpose touches on the
universal quest for an answer
to life's most basic question:
Why are we here?
Ivan is abandoned on the streets of
Moscow, with little chance to make
it through the harsh winter. But help
comes in an unexpected form: Ivan
is adopted by a pack of dogs, and
the dogs quickly become more than
just his street companions: They
become his family.
Inside Out and Back Again
Yellow Star
Roy, Jennifer
Lai, Thanhha
This is the moving story of one
girl's year of change, dreams,
grief, and healing as she
journeys from one country to
another, one life to the next.
Pyron, Bobbie
This is the true story of Syvia
Perlmutter — a story of courage,
heartbreak, and finally survival
despite the terrible circumstances in
which she grew up.
A Wrinkle in Time
L’Engle, Madeleine
The classic tale of three kids’
travel through time to
Camazotz, where they must face
the leader IT in the ultimate
battle between good and evil—a
journey that threatens their lives
and our universe.
What Came from the Stars
Schmidt, Gary
The Valorim are about to fall to a
dark lord when they send a necklace
containing their planet across the
cosmos, hurtling past a trillion stars
. . . all the way into the lunchbox of
Tommy Pepper, sixth grader, of
Plymouth, Mass.
War Horse
Morpurgo, Michael
Joey, a beautiful bay-red foal, is
sold to the army and thrust into
the midst of WWI. Joey's
courage touches the soldiers
around him, but his heart aches
for Albert, the farmer's son he
left behind. Will he ever see his
true master again?
Tangerine
Bloor, Edward
Though legally blind, Paul Fisher can
see what others cannot. But no one
listens to Paul--until his family moves to
Tangerine. In this Florida town, weird is
normal: Lightning strikes at the same
time every day, a sinkhole swallows a
local school, and Paul the geek finds
himself adopted into the toughest group
around--the soccer team at his middle
school.
FICTION SERIES (first in series listed)
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
When Moose's family moves to Alcatraz Island so his father can work as a guard and
his sister can attend a special school in San Francisco, he has to leave his friends and
his winning baseball team behind. But it's worth it, right? If his sister, Natalie, can get
help, maybe his family will finally be normal.
The Fire Within (Last Dragon Chronicles) by Chris D’Lacey
When David moves in with Liz and Lucy, he discovers a collection of hand crafted, clay dragons that
comes to life and has magical powers. David's personalized dragon, Gadzooks, can forecast the future,
and inspires him to write a story which reveals the truth behind an unsolved mystery close to home.
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
Young Parvana lives with her family in one room of a bombed-out apartment building in
Kabul, Afghanistan. When her father is arrested by the Taliban, and the family loses their
source of income, Parvana conceives a plan. She cuts her hair and disguises herself as a
boy to earn money for her family.
The Outcasts (Brotherband Chronicles) by John Flanagan
They are outcasts. Hal, Stig, and the others - they are the boys the others want no part of.
Skandians, as any reader of Ranger's Apprentice could tell you, are known for their size and
strength. Not these boys. Yet that doesn't mean they don't have skills. And courage - which they will
need every ounce of to do battle at sea against the other bands, the Wolves and the Sharks, in the
ultimate race.
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm (and
Grimm-inspired) fairy tales. An irreverent, witty narrator leads us through encounters with
witches, warlocks, dragons, and the devil himself.
Stormbreaker (Alex Rider) by Anthony Horowitz
They told him his uncle died in a car accident. Fourteen-year-old Alex knows that's a lie, and the
bullet holes in his uncle's windshield confirm his suspicions. But nothing prepares him for the news
that the uncle he always thought he knew was really a spy for MI6--Britain's top secret intelligence
agency. Recruited to find his uncle's killers and complete his final mission, Alex suddenly finds
himself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
Found (The Missing) by Margaret Peterson Haddix
One night a plane appeared out of nowhere, the only passengers aboard: thirty-six
babies. As soon as they were taken off the plane, it vanished. Now, thirteen years later,
two of those children are receiving sinister messages, and they begin to investigate their
past. Their quest to discover where they really came from leads them to a conspiracy that
reaches from the far past to the distant future—and will take them hurtling through time.
Legend by Marie Lu
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at
war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts,
fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military
circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his
motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
The Merchant of Death (Pendragon) by D.J. MacHale
Bobby Pendragon is a seemingly normal fourteen-year-old boy. He has a family, a home,
and even Marley, his beloved dog. But there is something very special about Bobby. He is
going to save the world. And not just Earth as we know it. Bobby is slowly starting to
realize that life in the cosmos isn't quite what he thought it was.
A World Without Heroes (Beyonders) by Brandon Mull
Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable—until a routine day at
the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike
anything he’s ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the
Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The
brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm
where fear and suspicion prevail.
The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride) by James Patterson
Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above
the world. She and all the members of the "flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel-are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream
come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time...
The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus) by Rick Riordan
Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus
holding hands with a girl. Apparently she’s his girlfriend Piper, his best friend is a kid named
Leo, and they’re all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids.”
What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea—except that everything seems very wrong.
SHORT STORIES
First Crossing: Stories about Teen Immigrants, edited by Donald R. Gallo
Fleeing from political violence in Venezuela, Amina and her family have settled in the
United States. Sarah, adopted, is desperate to know her Korean birth parents. Adrian’s
friends have some spooky — and hilarious — misconceptions about his Romanian origins.
Whether their transition is from Mexico to the United States or from Palestine to New
Mexico, the characters in this anthology have all ventured far and have faced countless
challenges.
Guys Read, the Sports Pages, edited by Jon Scieszka
Ten stories guaranteed to put you in the ring, under the basket, and right behind home plate,
from the following perennial all-stars: Dustin Brown, James Brown, Joseph Bruchac, Chris
Crutcher, Tim Green, Dan Gutman, Gordon Korman, Chris Rylander, Anne Ursu, and Jacqueline
Woodson with illustrations by Dan Santat.
NONFICTION
How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awful Famous by Georgia Bragg
Over the course of history men and women have lived and died. In fact, getting sick and
dying can be a big, ugly mess-especially before the modern medical care that we all enjoy
today. How They Croaked relays all the gory details of how some notorious world figures
gave up the ghost.
Throwing Strikes: My Quest for Truth and the Perfect Knuckleball by R.A. Dickey
Adapted for young readers from his New York Times bestselling memoir Wherever I Wind
Up, this is the inspiring story of how knuckleballer R. A. Dickey became one of the game’s
best pitchers.
Kids of Kabul: Living Bravely Through a Never-ending War by Deborah Ellis
The true account of what has happened to Afghanistan’s children since the fall of the
Taliban in 2001. In 2011, Deborah Ellis went to Kabul to find out. She interviewed children
who spoke about their lives now. They are still living in a country torn apart by war.
Violence and oppression still exist, particularly affecting the lives of girls, but the kids are
weathering their lives with courage and optimism.
Battle of the Dinosaur Bones by Rebecca L. Johnson
Paleontologists Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope started off as friends. But
within a few years, competition drove the men apart. Each fought bitterly to discover more
fossils, name more species, and publish more papers than the other. Their competition
produced a wealth of fossils which served to lay a firm foundation for the field of
paleontology and supported Darwin's theory of evolution.
We’ve got a job: the 1963 Birmingham Children’s March by Cynthia Levinson
We’ve Got a Job tells the little-known story of the 4,000 black elementary-, middle-, and
high school students who voluntarily went to jail in Birmingham, Alalama, between May 2
and May 11, 1963. Fulfilling Mahatma Gandhi’s and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s precept to
fill the jails, they succeeded where adults had failed in desegregating one of the most
racially violent cities in America.
Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America by Andrea Pinkney
HAND IN HAND presents the stories of ten men from different eras in American history,
organized chronologically to provide a scope from slavery to the modern day. The stories
are accessible, fully-drawn narratives offering the subjects’ childhood influences, the time
and place in which they lived, their accomplishments and motivations, and the legacies
they left for future generations as links in the “freedom chain.”
Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust by
Doreen Rappaport
In a stirring chronicle, Doreen Rappaport brings to light the courage of countless Jews
who organized to sabotage the Nazis and help other Jews during the Holocaust.
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson
Based on rare archival material, obscure trial manuscripts, and interviews with relatives of the
conspirators and the manhunters, CHASING LINCOLN'S KILLER is a fast-paced thriller about
the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth: a wild twelve-day chase through the streets of
Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia.
Hope Solo, My Story by Hope Solo
Soccer sensation and Olympic gold medalist Hope Solo tells the story of her challenging
journey to become a world famous goalie. Her strength and fearlessness have helped her
overcome many obstacles, from growing up with an unreliable father to returning to the
field after a major injury.
GRAPHIC NOVELS
Big Bad Ironclad! by Nathan Hale
Each of the books in Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales has elements of the strange but true and
is presented in an engaging, funny format, highlighting the larger-than-life characters that
pop up in real history. Big Bad Ironclad! covers the history of the amazing ironclad steam
warships used in the Civil War.
Resistance: Book 1 by Carla Jablonski
Paul and Marie’s bucolic French country town is almost untouched by the ravages of
WWII, but the siblings still live in the shadow of war. Their father is a Prisoner of War,
kept hostage by the Germans. When their friend Henri’s parents disappear and Henri
goes into hiding because of his Jewish ancestry, Paul and Marie realize they must take a
stand. But how can they convince the French Resistance that even children can help in
their fight against injustice?
Relish by Lucy Knisley
Lucy Knisley loves food. The daughter of a chef and a gourmet, this talented young
cartoonist comes by her obsession honestly. In her forthright, thoughtful, and funny
memoir, Lucy traces key episodes in her life thus far, framed by what she was eating at
the time and lessons learned about food, cooking, and life. Each chapter is bookended
with an illustrated recipe—many of them treasured family dishes, and a few of them
Lucy's original inventions.
Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas by Jim
Ottaviani
An action-packed account of the three greatest primatologists of the last century: Jane Goodall,
Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas. These three ground-breaking researchers were all students of
the great Louis Leakey, and each made profound contributions to primatology—and to our own
understanding of ourselves.
The Wall by Peter Sis
“I was born at the beginning of it all, on the Red side—the Communist side—of the Iron
Curtain.” Through annotated illustrations, journals, maps, and dreamscapes, Peter Sís
shows what life was like for a child who loved to draw, proudly wore the red scarf of a
Young Pioneer, stood guard at the giant statue of Stalin, and believed whatever he was
told to believe. But adolescence brought questions.
Drama by Raina Telgemeier
Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school's production of
Moon Over Mississippi, she's a terrible singer. Instead she's the set designer for the stage crew,
and this year she's determined to create a set worthy of Broadway on a middle-school budget.
But how can she, when she doesn't know much about carpentry, ticket sales are down, and the
crew members are having trouble working together?
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
Jin Wang starts at a new school where he’s the only Chinese-American student. When a
boy from Taiwan joins his class, Jin doesn’t want to be associated with an FOB like him.
Jin just wants to be an all-American boy, because he’s in love with an all-American girl.
Danny is an all-American boy: great at basketball, popular with the girls. But his
obnoxious Chinese cousin Chin-Kee’s annual visit is such a disaster that it ruins Danny’s
reputation at school, leaving him with no choice but to transfer somewhere he can start
all over again.
POETRY
Hurricane Dancers: the First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck by Margarita Engle
Quebrado has been traded from pirate ship to ship in the Caribbean Sea for as long as he
can remember. The sailors he toils under call him el quebrado—half islander, half outsider, a
broken one. Now the pirate captain Bernardino de Talavera uses Quebrado as a translator to
help navigate the worlds and words between his mother’s Taíno Indian language and his
father’s Spanish. But when a hurricane sinks the ship and most of its crew, it is Quebrado
who escapes to safety. He learns how to live on land again, among people who treat him well. And it is
he who must decide the fate of his former captors.
A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson
In 1955 people all over the United States knew that Emmett Louis Till was a fourteenyear-old African American boy lynched for supposedly whistling at a white woman in
Mississippi. The brutality of his murder, the open-casket funeral held by his mother,
Mamie Till Mobley, and the acquittal of the men tried for the crime drew wide media
attention. In a profound and chilling poem, award-winning poet Marilyn Nelson
reminds us of the boy whose fate helped spark the civil rights movement.
These book summaries were adapted from www.amazon.com and www.goodreads.com
June 2013