Booklist Grade 8
Grade 8
The Auragole Quartet by Shirley Latessa. Book One: Auragole of the Mountains. Book Two: Auragole of the Way.
Book Three: Auragole of Mattelmead. Book Four: Auragole and the Last Battle.
A terrific, epic fantasy saga set in a world shattered by 500 years of warfare, where most people live in fear in
semi-tribal conditions, and few remember what it is to be fully human. Into this world comes Auragole, a
youth upon whose actions the destiny of humanity will turn. Orphaned, he sets out into the world and
encounters friends and enemies, truth and deception in a vast array of lands and civilizations. Over the next 8
years, he grows to adulthood, constantly faced with doubt and the need to make the right choices, as the fate
of the world hangs in the balance. This is fantasy fiction with real substance, which seriously considers some
of the most pressing questions we humans face. A magnificent accomplishment, very highly recommended.
Flatland, A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott. One of the first science fiction books (1884),
and an enjoyable introduction to the concept of dimensions and their effect on our perceptions. Explore
two-dimensional Flatland, three-dimensional Spaceland , one-dimensional Lineland, and no-dimensional
Pointland! How about a land of four dimensions? An excellent exercise for the imagination.
Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat. Assigned by the Canadian government to investigate reports of wolves
slaughtering caribou, Mowat was dropped alone onto the frozen tundra, where he lived among the wolf packs
and studied their ways. He discovered not a den of marauding killers, but a courageous family of skillful
providers and devoted protectors of their young. He came to fear the savagery of the bounty hunters and
government exterminators who seemed bent upon erasing wolves from the Arctic.
The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be by Farley Mowat. As a boy on the Canadian prairie, Mowat met Mutt, a dog of
uncertain pedigree and certain eccentricity who climbed trees and ladders, rode in an open car wearing
goggles, and hunted with a skill approaching genius. A thoroughly marvelous dog portrayed in a thoroughly
wonderful story.
Honey-Bun by Anne Stockton. A beautifully written story about a beloved pet, and a work of art - poetic
prose, luminous pastel paintings, and a story both unique and universal.
Animals as Teachers and Healers: True Stories and Reflections by Susan Chernak McElroy.
McElroy began her journey toward writing this book when she discovered that she had cancer. As a part of
her healing, she reconnected with her love for animals, gathering story after story about the amazing love and
care possible between humans and animals and between animals and animals.
Animals as Guides to the Soul by Susan Chernak McElroy. A passionate and eloquent portrait of the
truths and revelations people have experienced in their daily encounters with animals. As the author reminds
us, the fingerprint of God is often a pawprint.
Conversations with Animals: Cherished Messages and Memories as Told by an Animal Communicator by Lydia Hiby
with Bonnie S. Weintraub. For years, Hiby forgot that she could talk to animals, until she rediscovered her
skill. This is a deep account of the lives of animals told by a warm and modest soul who knows how to stand
aside and let the animal speak for itself.
When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson with Susan McCarthy.
As Jane Goodall writes, “If animals could read they would be filled with joy and gratitude to the authors - as I
am. It is scholarly, vivid, and compelling. Please read it.”
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Booklist Grade 8
Dogs Never Lie About Love: Reflections on the Emotional World of Dogs by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson. Our
“best friends” have a rich and wonderful inner landscape. The author’s three dogs are the centerpieces of the
book and lead the way in his exploration of a wide range of subjects.
Kinship with All Life by J. Allen Boone. While pet-sitting a dog movie star named Strongheart, Boone
discovered that he could comprehend Strongheart’s thoughts, and Strongheart could comprehend his. Boone
soon met flies, ants, birds, snakes and more who revealed secret after secret to his listening heart. This book
will change your relationship with animals forever.
Wise Child by Monica Furlong. In a remote Scottish village, nine-year-old Wise Child is taken in by Juniper,
a healer and sorceress. Then Wise Child’s mother, Maeve, a black witch, reappears. In choosing between
Maeve and Juniper, Wise Child discovers the extent of her supernatural powers, and her true loyalties.
Juniper by Monica Furlong. Though Juniper enjoys the easy life of a medieval princess, she chooses to learn
about herbs, healing, and the magic within nature from her strange and difficult godmother. As her training
comes to an end, Juniper discovers that her power-hungry aunt is using black magic to seize the throne.
Juniper must use her as-yet-untested powers to stop her—before the kingdom is destroyed.
Colman by Monica Furlong. Set in very early Christian times, this is a fantasy of a faraway age, when the
mystical and the commonplace walked hand in hand. The healer, Juniper, and her apprentice, Wise Child, are
accused of witchcraft and forced to flee their small town. Wise Child’s devoted cousin, Colman, escapes with
them. This is his story of their arrival to the land of Juniper’s birth, where she is, in fact, a princess.
Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples. As the second daughter in a Pakistani family
with no sons, Shabanu has been allowed some freedoms usually forbidden to Muslim girls. Yet her parents
soon grow concerned that her independence and disinterest in “women’s work” will lead to trouble.
The Three Candles of Little Veronica: The story of a child’s soul in this world and the other by Manfred Kyber.
This story, written early in the 20th century, is of a little girl who becomes ill and is carried by her angel back
to her spiritual home. Despite the grief of all who loved her, the aftermath of her passing shines more
brightly than Veronica’s three candles and it becomes evident that Veronica lives on, though in a different
realm. This unique story is one of beauty, hope and love, and the reminder that life only changes, never dies.
The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper: Book One: Over Sea, Under Stone. Book Two: The Dark is
Rising. Book Three: Greenwitch. Book Four: The Grey King. Book Five: Silver on the Tree. This series tells of the
struggle between the forces of light and darkness, in images that beautifully mirror the human heart and prose
that almost sings. Exciting adventures and gripping stories of the threat of overpowering evil, the struggle to
preserve human freedom, and the final triumph of the human spirit.
The Star Rider and Anna McLoon, Two Tales from Ireland, retold by Jakob Streit. The Star Rider tells of a
young man who learns of a dreadful destiny laid upon him by the position of the stars at his birth: a story of
injustice turned to right through honesty. Anna McLoon tells the story of Ireland’s last traveling storyteller.
Empty Pages by Jon Turley. Jasper is a teenager whose parents don’t have much to say to him. When his
grandfather reads from a friend’s war diary, stories of wartime valor and struggle come to life in ways that
change Jasper’s life and hopes.
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Booklist Grade 8
The Hill of the Red Fox by Allan Campbell McLean. During the Cold War, Soviet spies are feared, secrets
are traded, and people disappear. Thirteen-year-old Alasdair is unprepared for the web of danger and
espionage that begins to unfold around him during his summer holidays.
All Sail Set: The gripping and authentic yarn of a race ‘round the Horn onboard the greatest clipper ever built, The Flying
Cloud by Armstrong Sperry. A realistic, riveting narrative of iron men and wooden ships in the days when
clipper ships transformed the world with their amazing speed – only 90 days to sail around the globe – and
the race against time was a race toward a new modern world.
Spirit of the Mountain by Shelley Davidow. The hot South African summer is getting to Emily. She escapes
to Uncle Tim’s farm where she meets green-eyed Joey and can relax. But Emily has an eating disorder, and
each day she slips further from those around her. Only Anna, the healer and herbalist who possesses the
wisdom of ancient customs and traditions, can help her, offering Emily knowledge of a world she could
scarcely imagine.
Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling. A spoiled rich boy is swept off the deck of a luxury ocean liner
and rescued by a fishing vessel; his apparent misfortune becomes a blessing.
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson. The classic adventure novel. In 1751, David Balfour, a young
orphaned Scotsman, is betrayed by his uncle and headed for bondage in the New World, until a
swashbuckling highlander comes to his rescue.
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. One of the all-time greatest stories ever – a
masterpiece of epic proportions, where the joy of goodness shines radiantly pure and the chill of evil creeps
with unmistakable darkness. Through it all, the imperfect, comfort-loving Hobbits uphold the destiny of the
world, one uncertain step at a time.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Largely based on the author’s childhood, this is a timeless tale of the
four March sisters - Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy - who grow to maturity in their mother’s tender but strong and
loving care (their father was a Civil War physician).
Copernicus: Struggle and Victory by Heinz Sponsel. Depicts the life struggles and striving of the Polish
astronomer Nikolaus Copernicus. An excellent book for anyone interested in his world.
Eric Sloane’s Weather Book by Eric Sloane. In simple, appealing language, Sloane explains the whys and
wherefores of weather and weather forecasting. What does a halo around the moon mean? Why do birds
“sit it out” before a storm? Should you take an umbrella when leaving home? You’ll love this book.
Eric Sloane’s Book of Storms: Hurricanes, Twisters and Squalls by Eric Sloane. What triggers a tornado? What
can you see in the eye of a hurricane? What is the difference between a thunderbolt and a thunderclap? Richly
illustrated and fascinating.
New Eyes for Plants: A Workbook for Observing and Drawing Plants by Margaret Colquhoun and Axel Ewald.
This gorgeous book presents one of the finest ways to understand the life of plants and their relationship to
the world and to us. Approached with a sensitive artistry, the reader is guided through exercises and examples
that unveil the vibrancy of plant life as they refine one’s artistic skills.
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Booklist Grade 8
Mr. God, This Is Anna: A True Story of a Very Special Friendship by Flynn. Anna was a four-year-old,
neglected and roaming London streets during the 1930’s. Flynn took her to his mother’s home, where he
discovered that this delightful child could penetrate into the truth of anything she encountered. Her total
openness and honesty amazed all who knew her.
Bones of the Master: A Buddhist Monk’s Search for the Lost Heart of China by George Crane.
Tsung Tsai, a 72-year-old Chinese Zen Master in upstate New York, determined to return to China - whence
he had escaped in 1959 – to find the bones of his master, rebury them properly, and create a shrine. He
selected as his traveling partner the author, whose life had as little to do with the renunciation of desire as
Tsung Tsai’s had to do with its cultivation. The way they weave their worlds together is as much an
adventure as their remarkable trek into the mountains of Inner Mongolia to carry out their unlikely task.
The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton. A family tries to unravel the secrets of their new home
which was once a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Johnny Tremain: A Novel For Young and Old by Esther Forbes. Story of a young silversmith’s apprentice,
who plays an important part in the American Revolution..
Anthony Burns: The Defeat and Triumph of a Fugitive Slave by Virginia Hamilton. The escape, recapture, and
sensational 1854 trial of a fugitive slave.
Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy by S. Reit. In 1861, Emma Edmonds
joined the Union Army disguised as a boy. She went on to serve her country as a master spy.
Mississippi Bridge by Mildred D. Taylor. In 1930s Mississippi, a small town torn by racial injustice and
segregation is united by a tragic accident that changes the lives of the town’s citizens forever.
My Brother Sam is Dead by James L. Collier. Recounts tragedy that strikes the Meeker family during the
American Revolution when one son joins the Rebel forces.
My Sister’s Keeper by Beverly Butler. In the north woods of Wisconsin following a forest fire that destroys
their town in 1871, 17-year-old Mary James forms a new respect for her older sister.
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. Best friends Annemarie Johansen and Ellen Rosen must pretend to be
sisters when Ellen’s parents go into hiding to escape a Nazi roundup.
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr. The moving biography of a young Japanese
girl who dies of leukemia that developed as a result of radiation sickness from the bombing of Hiroshima.
Sing Down the Moon by Scott O’Dell. The tragic forced march of the Indians to Fort Sumner in 1864, told
by a young Navajo girl.
The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox. Fourteen-year-old Jessie is kidnapped and forced aboard an American slave
ship bound for Africa.
The Old Man Mad About Drawing: A Tale of Hokusai by François Place. The 19th-century Japanese artist
Hokusai abandoned traditional engraving to perfect his own technique of colored woodcuts. His life was
unsettled, his marriages uncertain, and his business affairs irregular, but his energy was boundless.
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Booklist Grade 8
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (China)
Gandhi by G. Ashe (India)
The Examination by M. Bosse (China)
Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen (Kenya)
Zulu Dog by A. Ferreira (South Africa)
Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze by E.F. Lewis (China)
Nectar in a Sieve by K. Markandaya (Child bride in India)
Chain of Fire by Beverly Naidoo (South Africa)
No Turning Back by Beverly Naidoo (South Africa)
I Am a Cat by S. Natsume (Japan)
A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush by E. Newby (India)
Slowly Down the Ganges by E. Newby (India)
Rain Comes to Yamboorah by R. Ottley (Australia)
A Single Shard by L.S. Park (Korea)
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton (South Africa)
Haveli by S.F. Staples
(Pakistan)
A Far Off Place by Laurens Van der Post (South Africa)
A Story Like the Wind by Laurens Van der Post (South Africa)
The Lost World of the Kalahari by Laurens Van der Post (South Africa)
Plum-Blossom and Kai Lin by H. Weiss (China)
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