What books make for good summer reading―and why? Students recommend

Check the following lists of student-recommended books for suggestions for summer reading. But first read this humorous list that shows the priority that reading has in at least one student's life:
 

To-Do List

1.    Dreaming about love interests
2.    Breathing
3.    Doing homework
4.    Talking to friends
5.    Dealing with the parently figures
6.    Throwing things at siblings
7.    Whining about chores
8.    Sleeping
9.    Eating...food
10.  Pleasing teachers
 .
 .
 .
51. Reading books
―Student, Sells Middle School

And now for the students' lists:

Recommended by two seventh graders in Scott Miller's class

Kerr, P. B. The Akhenaten Adventure. New York: Scholastic, 2004. This is the first book in the Children of the Lamp trilogy.
Have you ever wished that if you rubbed djinn's lamp you could have three wishes granted? Well, by reading Children of the Lamp by P. B. Kerr, maybe you can.

The book's adventure starts off in a dentist's office. How strange is that? But this might be a reason why the "children" John and Philippa Graut end up half way around the world in Cairo, Egypt!

On their adventure, they will look for more than 70 people, break into a museum, and try to "destroy" Iblis, who keeps bringing bad luck into the world. Iblis is one of the evil djinns in the universe of the book.

I think this is a good "over-the-summer-book" to read because it is an adventure book, and you can travel across the world just sitting down in a comfy chair and reading it. If you like to read, go on adventures, or travel, I think you should read this book.

Hunter, Erin. Into the Wild. New York: Avon Books. This is the first book in the Warriors series.
If you need a book to read over the summer and like animals, action, or adventure, then you should read the Warriors Series and then the New Prophecy Series by Erin Hunter.

In the first series there are six books, including Into the Wild, the first book. It's about a young house cat named Rusty who wants to live with the forest cats. This will be hard because the forest cats are much stronger, faster, and no other house cat had ever gone to live with them before.

But even if Bluestar, the leader of the cats, allows Rusty to live with them, will he be able to learn all of the rules and gain the respect of his new family? Will he be able to leave his old friends and family? Or will he be just the cat they've been needing? Follow Rusty as he makes friends, helps the forest cats, and watches noble warriors mysteriously die.

This is a great book for the summer because you feel like you're there and you won't want to put it down. Also, if you want to keep reading more about Rusty and the forest cats, then you can read the rest of the books in the series!

Favorite books from Mrs. Holdridge's seventh-grade students

	DiCamillo, Kate. Because of Winn-Dixie. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2000. Because of Winn-Dixie is an easy read about a girl named Opal who finds a dog who is running amuck and tries to keep it against her dad's wishes. This is a book for dog lovers or someone who likes stories about people helping other people or animals helping people. The book is also appropriate for fourth and fifth graders.
	Farmer, Nancy. The House of the Scorpion. New York: Atheneum, 2002. Matt, the main character, is the clone of a high-powered drug lord. He is the only clone with intelligence; the book is set in an area between Mexico and the United States in a futuristic world. The book is original in its plot, which keeps you wanting to read.
	Funke, Cornelia. Inkheart. New York: Chicken House, Scholastic, 2003. This is the first book in the series. Inkheart is the first of two books; the third one is coming out soon. The main character in this book is able to read characters or things "out" of the books he reads. This allows him to change the stories to his liking. It is exciting to read because it catches your attention as soon as you start reading. The second sequel to this is Inkspell.
	Funke, Cornelia. The Thief Lord. New York: Scholastic, 2001. The Thief Lord is a book about a boy and his brother trying to survive in Italy during the winter. Even though it would be so easy to steal food, the boy will not allow his little brother to steal anything. The moral of this story is that you can still find happiness with having nothing or good friends will look out for you.
	Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the Barons. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003. This is the fourth book in the Shadow Children series. In this series three children are not allowed in a family The first book in the series is Among the Hidden. There are a total of six science fiction books, which show how troubling this is for some kids. It keeps you reading because you want to make sure the third child is safe and protected.
	Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Double Identity. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005. Double Identity is about a young girl who is forced to leave everything she has ever known behind and live in a new community. She is very puzzled by the community's reaction to her. They all seem to know her as someone other than who she thinks she is.
	Hiaasen, Carl. Hoot. New York: Yearling, 2002. In Carl Hiaasen's book Hoot, the main character is trying to save a forest of owls from being destroyed by their habitat being cut down by developers. This is a great book for animal lovers who like fiction stories. His book Flush has a similar plot, save the environment. This is also good for fourth and fifth graders.
	Horowitz, Anthony. Stormbreaker. New York: Speak, 2000. This is the first book in the Alex Rider series. Alex Rider's adventures begin with the book Stormbreaker and continue through three more books. Alex is a teen spy in a world of high tech. Thrilling to read, each page or chapter is a cliffhanger; these books are sure to get you in trouble with your parents for not turning out the lights in time every night. Each book sends you into more drama and adventures.
	Jacques, Brian. Redwall. New York: Philomel Books, 1986. This is the first book in the Redwall series. The Redwall series is about an animal world made up mostly of rodents, foxes, and birds who have their own society similar to medieval times. There is lots of action with wars and castles; Jacques personifies human attributes in his characters. When I heard him speak, he said it was no secret that in his books, good will triumph over evil in the end. These books are wonderful for people who like fantasy books.
	Jones, Diana Wynne. Howl's Moving Castle. New York: Greenwillow, 1986. Howl's Moving Castle is about a girl who thinks the wizard who lives in a floating castle is evil because he has a fire demon. It is a fun book with many secrets as the story unravels. It is a good book because it teaches about life and shows how people are not always what they seem. Rumors can be destructive.
	Lowry, Lois. The Giver. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. A Newbery Medal winner. This is the first in the Giver trilogy. The Giver gets off to a slow start and can be a confusing book, particularly at the end. The setting is in a futuristic community where each child is assigned a job. The two companion books which follow are better; however, it is recommended that you read all three of them.
	MacHale, D. J. The Merchant of Death. London: Pocket Books, 2002. This is the first book in the Pendragon series. The books in the Pendragon series are about a traveler, Bobby Pendragon, who goes to different territories to stop them from going into chaos. The books are unpredictable, exciting, and make you want to keep reading the entire series; they are filled with cliffhangers and are often compared to the Harry Potter books.
	Paolini, Christopher. Eragon. New York: Knopf, 2003. This is the first book in the Inheritance trilogy. If you like books about the past, then Eragon is the book for you. A village peasant unknowingly goes to restore order in Alagaesia; the book has swords, magic, and weird creatures. This book is popular with many different ages and would be a great book to read before the movie comes out this next winter. Eldest (Knopf, New York, 2005) is the sequel, so if readers like the first book, they will like the second.
	Pullman, Philip. The Golden Compass. New York: Knopf, 1995. This is the first book in the Dark Materials trilogy. This book has a unique story line and takes place in a different world. The main character soon finds she has a shocking destiny to fill. It is great for teens who like adventure and is often compared to The Chronicles of Narnia; however, it is more complicated. If interested, there is a second and third book.
	Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2005. This is the sixth book in the Harry Potter series. The Harry Potter series is popular with all ages, especially because there are already four movies out for the series. All books keep you reading to find out what hardships Harry Potter will face and how he will defeat them. Rowling promises big surprises to come in the next, and last, book.
	Sachar, Louis. Holes. New York: Frank Foster Books, 1998. A Newbery Medal winner. Have you ever been punished for something you didn't do? If so, then you certainly will be able to relate to this book. Family curses and the idea that things are not always what they seem are prevalent throughout this book. This is a good read for all ages with a very creative storyline. The companion book, Small Steps, has a bit more mature story line or theme running through it. However, if you liked Armpit in the first story, you will be interested to see how he handles being released from Camp Green Lake.
	Snicket, Lemony. The Bad Beginning (HarperCollins, New York, 1999). This is the first book in the A Series of Unfortunate Events series. Don't forget the A Series of Unfortunate Events books! The Lemony Snicket books teach readers to look at the bright side of our problems. (Hint: Look at the series' title.) The books are so much better than the movie! There is one more to come!

Books That Sells Middle School Students Love

	DiCamillo, Kate. Because of Winn-Dixie. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2000. Because of Winn-Dixie is about a 10-year-old girl who moves to Naomi, Florida, and has no friends. While shopping in a grocery store, she meets a stray dog and wants to keep him. I would recommend this book to people who are pet lovers! Will she get to keep him?
	DuPrau, Jeanne. The City of Ember. New York: Random House, 2003. This is the first―sort of―in the series. A prequel is slated for publication. This book is about two kids trying to get away from the city of Ember. The city of Ember is a city that has little supplies, poor electricity, and the city has a black sky. I recommend this book to people who like exciting endings and people who are trying to start reading sci-fi. This book has a really interesting setting. Read the book and find out what the setting is!
	Funke, Cornelia. Dragon Rider. New York: Chicken House, Scholastic, 2001. I would recommend this book to people who like adventures, make-believe animals, and surprises. This book is full of them. I liked the book Dragon Rider because I like dragons and adventure stories because of the action.

	Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the Hidden. New York: Aladdin, 1998. This is the first book in the Shadow Children series. This series is about a third child named Luke. Back then if you had over two children it was illegal. Luke had to hide all day long since he was a third child. He's hiding from everyone and especially the Population Police. One day Luke finds Jen, another third child and her dad is in the Population Police. Jen goes on a protest about third children and gets killed. What will Luke do now? This series is for sci-fi lovers and it has some action.
	Harrison, Lisa. The Clique. New York: Little, Brown, 2004. This is the first book in the Clique series. The Clique is about four girls in a clique who have known each other since preschool. This new girl arrives and one of the girls from the clique meets her and she's poor. The new girl is so poor, she has to live in the girl's pool house and the other girls don't know that till they find their best friend talking to the new girl. It turns out to be a great adventure. I recommend this book to teenagers who like to be in cliques, but once they read this, they will figure out that being in a clique will get you nowhere.
	Hiaasen, Carl. Hoot. New York: Yearling, 2002. This book is about a lonely boy who moves from Montana to Florida. He finds a mysterious boy who runs through the forest with no shoes. Later he finds out the boy is connected to these mysterious burrowing owls at a construction site. This book is for anyone who likes mysteries and humorous books.
	Horowitz, Anthony. Stormbreaker. New York: Speak, 2000. Stormbreaker is the first book in the Alex Rider series. Here are two reviews, one for the book and one for the series: Stormbreaker is a great book because it is about a 13 year old boy who is a lot like me. He is constantly getting into trouble and dangerous situations. Everyday is filled with danger and it is hard to stop reading. Alex, the main character, is a spy who is trying to find out who murdered his uncle. He goes through many near death experiences and meets many crazy people who want to kill him. Alex will not give up until he finds his uncle's killer. He gets beat up many times and many "paid killers" are after him. He is working under cover as a spy at age 13, you can't get much more exciting and action packed than that. There are many books about Alex Rider and I have already started the next one called Point Blank. It is also a great book filled with murder mysteries and excitement. Alex Rider saves the world a lot. He is a spy and he uses a lot of secret devices. He also makes a lot of new friends. I would recommend this series to people who enjoy action and adventurous type books.
	Lowry, Lois. The Giver. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. A Newbery Medal winner. This is the first book in the Giver trilogy. The Giver is about a boy named Jonas who is 10 or 12 and lives in a very organized town, where there is no color. When Jonas starts to see color, he gets picked to be the future Giver. Yet it is nothing like he thought it would be. He has to go through memories he's never had before in a hurtful way. Will Jonas ever be able to break free of this treatment?
	Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989. Number the Stars is about a girl and her friend who live in the time of Hitler's reign. This book is filled with adventures while she is trying to save her Jewish friend from Hitler's wrath, while dealing with her personal problems.

Paolini, Christopher Eragon. New York: Knopf, 2003. Eragon is the first book in the Inheritance series, and Eldest is the second. I would recommend Eragon to anybody who loves dragons, magic, and adventure with a little love story twisted in somehow. It is about a boy who finds a dragon egg but thinks it's a stone. He gets a surprise when it hatches and desperately tries to hide it, but one villager finds out about it. Eragon soon finds out he is a dragon rider. He now has to take up the responsibility of being so and even trying to raise the league of dragon riders up once again. Read Eragon first so you understand the book. Then read Eldest (Knopf, New York, 2005). There is a battle. Eragon travels to battle and learns a secret about his dead family from an unusual source: his own brother.

	Paulsen, Gary. Hatchet. New York: Atheneum, 1987. A Newbery Honor Book. This is the first book in the Hatchet series. Dear reader, I recommend the book Hatchet to you because if you like adventure books, the Hatchet book is an adventure book. The main character is Brian. Brian has to go visit his dad but instead he gets lost in the wild after the plane crashes. How will he survive with only a hatchet? He does not have clothes, food, or a place to sleep―only a hatchet and an emergency kit. The other books in the series follow Brian on more survival adventures.
	Rawls, Wilson. Where the Red Fern Grows. New York: Delacorte, 1996, originally published 1961. Where the Red Fern Grows is about a boy who really wants to get a dog. When his parents finally let him, he gets two dogs. When he gets his dogs he hunts with them. Then he hears about a hunting competition. He enters the competition and he wins. In the end one of his dogs dies. A while after that his other dog gets very lonely and soon after he dies too.
	Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 1997. This is the first book in the Harry Potter series. In the first Harry Potter book, Harry's parents were murdered by an evil wizard named Voldemort. Harry is then adopted by his uncle, aunt, and cousin (taken to them). Harry later finds out he is a famous wizard who survived against Lord Voldemort. Harry then goes to a witchcraft and wizardry school and makes friends with Ron and Hermione. Next Ron, Hermione, and Harry find themselves looking for the person who is stealing the powerful sacred stone. The series continues to follow the suspenseful adventures of Harry and his friends and they fight evil.
	Sachar, Louis. Holes. New York: Frank Foster Books, 1998. In the book Holes, there is a kid named Stanley who gets caught when he found shoes. So he ran and the cops brought him to court for stealing. So he goes to Camp Green Lake and has to dig 5 foot holes every day. Every day he finds something interesting, he gets a day off. It's over 100 degrees, and they have very little water. What is it that the camp warden is really looking for? I recommend this book to people who like adventure books.
	Schreiber, Ellen. Teenage Mermaid. New York: HarperCollins, 2003. Teenage Mermaid is a romantic adventurous story. This story is about a mermaid loving an earthie and seeking true love. I recommend this book to kids that enjoy love stories. If you like the Little Mermaid, you will love Teenage Mermaid, but with a twist!
	Snicket, Lemony. The Austere Academy. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. This is the fifth book in the A Series of Unfortunate Events series. We have two reviews for the series. A Series of Unfortunate Events is a series about three orphans who have to live with their uncle; but I don't think he's their uncle. He's a treacherous villain who is trying to get hold of their fortune. The oldest, Violet Baudelaire, is an inventor, Klaus Baudelaire is a scholar, and Sunny Baudelaire, the baby, uses her two sharp teeth to bite things. This series is filled with action, a little horror, and suspense. I recommend this series to people who like action, like to be scared, and can't wait till what happens next. Enjoy! The books in this series talk about three children who were rich and became orphans. Count Olaf, who says that he's their uncle, wants the Baudelaire fortune. These three children are Violet, an inventor; Klaus, a book reading expert; and little Sunny, the one who loves biting things. Their parents died in a suspicious fire while these children were at the beach. If you're someone who loves reading books like these, I suggest you read this series of books which talks about how they use their skills of their own to escape from Count Olaf's death traps for their fortune. He has a gang of friends that helps him too. If you like action, horror kinds of books, you'll love these!

You might also have a look at the Student Voices section of the March 2006 issue of In Perspective, which features lists of books boys recommend to other boys

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