Middle School Books

 

 

Let me suggest the following as a readable, provocative and sensible bit of fiction that walks straight into contemporary political issues:

 

A Little Piece of Ground By Elizabeth Laird with Sonia Nimr, Haymarket Books, 2006, 221 pp. is one such book. A soccer-loving boy scrambles to find a way to play amid difficulties of Israeli occupied Ramallah. It succeeds in giving a child-eye-view of a complex conflict in a way that is both engaging, believable and  heartwarming.  A fuller review is to be found at the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs website:  http://www.wrmea.com/archives/November_2006/0611042.html 

 

 

First Light By Rebecca Stead

If your kids love City of Ember they will dig this!  Thea lives in a village completely under the ice in Greenland where first settlers came to flee persecution.  Peter is a 12 year old boy living in New York who is wondering if his headaches are like those of his mother who "goes away" into herself for a few days.  Soon their two worlds meet in this edge of your seat ride!  Readers get a taste of both points of view as each chapter devotes itself to the world under or above the ice.  A page turner that kept me up, readers will have to know how these two prodigies are connected and why meeting starts an unforgettable adventure.

 

AmandaW  Kennwick, WA 


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    Craig Seasholes:Jo: Sorry, I thought I had blogged it, but haven't. Link to book info is from amazon site Editorial Reviews From School Library Journal Grade 8 Up–When acclaimed South American journalist Paul Faustino begins his interview with World Cup soccer star El Gato, he expects to be recording the thoughts of a goalkeeper at the height of his career. He never envisioned hearing about a young, lonely boy growing up in the middle of a rain forest, who wandered upon a mysterious soccer field and an apparition that appeared to him daily and trained him to become the greatest goalkeeper ever known. Is El Gato mad? Is he suffering from hallucinations due to the stress of the game? Is there some truth to be discovered in his fantastic tale? Only at the conclusion of the interview and the resolution of who the Keeper really is and what he is waiting for will readers even think of putting down this fascinating book. Peet achieves his expressed desire to write an entirely new kind of soccer story, not only including the experience of play, but also mesmerizing readers with a supernatural mystery in a tale about relationships, loneliness, and believing in oneself. This is a well-written, fast-paced sports story that addresses far more than just the sport itself. Fans of Chris Crutcher's sports-themed novels will want to pick up this selection by a new and talented writer.–Kathryn Childs, Morris Mid/High School, OK Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
    Craig Seasholes:absolutely, and adults. It also has a very strong environmental message,and a great theme as the young man deals with hisfather the logger. Check out my blog on it http://www.bloglines.com/blog/Bookman
    jo chinn:How long is it? Would it appeal to grade 8 boys?
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