Summer Reading List 2020 - Ms. Heck's 8th Grade - The ...

Ms. Heck’s 8th Grade
               Summer Reading List 2020

Divergent by Veronica Roth
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated
to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless
(the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every
year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives.
For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she
can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini
When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a
poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a
dragon hatchling, Eragon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire
itself. Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny,
magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance,
Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an
Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the
legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands….

H oops by Walter Dean Myers
All eyes are on seventeen-year-old Lonnie Jackson while he practices with his team for a city-
wide basketball Tournament of Champions. His coach, Cal, knows Lonnie has what it takes to
be a pro-basketball player, but warns him about giving in to the pressure. Cal knows because he,
too, once had the chance--but sold out.

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Bioengineers clone 15 species of dinosaurs and establish an island preserve where tourists can
view the large reptiles; chaos ensues when a rival genetics firm attempts to steal frozen dinosaur
embryos, and it's up to two kids, a safari guide and a paleontologist to set things right.

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. In a
shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together,
and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets. Full of nonstop action,
suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Yann Martel's imaginative and unforgettable Life of Pi is a magical reading experience, an endless
blue expanse of storytelling about adventure, survival, and ultimately, faith. The precocious son
of a zookeeper, 16-year-old Pi Patel is raised in Pondicherry, India, where he tries on various
faiths for size, attracting "religions the way a dog attracts fleas."

A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass
Mia, 13, has always seen colors in sounds, numbers, and letters, a fact she has kept secret since
the day she discovered that other people don't have this ability. Then she discovers that she has a
rare condition called synesthesia, which means that the visual cortex in her brain is activated
when she hears something. From then on, she leads a kind of double life-she eagerly attends
research gatherings with other synesthetes and devours information about the condition, but
continues to struggle at school, where her inadvertent pairing of particular colors with numbers
and words makes math and French almost impossible to figure out.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s
surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone. Outside the towering stone walls
that surround them is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever
made it through alive.Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is
terrifying: Remember. Survive. Run.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious
photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an
unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our
story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island
off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for
Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that
the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been
quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—
they may still be alive.

Nothing but the Truth by Avi
Ninth grader Philip Malloy is forbidden to join the track team because of his failing grades in
English class. Convinced that the teacher just doesn't like him, Philip concocts a plan to get
transferred into a different homeroom. Instead of standing silently during the national anthem,
he hums along. And ends up on trial.

The Other Side of Truth by Beverly Naidoo
Sade, the 12-year-old protagonist of Naidoo's sophisticated and emotional novel, must flee her
native Nigeria with her younger brother after their mother is killed in a shooting. Their father, a
muckraking journalist in trouble with the military government, is the target. Sade and 10-year-old
Femi soon find themselves stranded in London, abandoned by the woman paid to smuggle them
into the country, and at the mercy of mostly friendly, but foreign government agencies, foster
families and teachers.

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
Being stuck inside her head is making Melody go out of her mind--that is, until she discovers
something that will allow her to speak for the first time ever. At last Melody has a voice . . . but
not everyone around her is ready to hear it.

The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger
The powerfully destructive forces of nature that created the Halloween Gale of 1991 are made
vivid through interviews with survivors, families, and Coast Guard rescue crews. True adventure
at its best.

Prodigy by Marie Lu (author of Legend)
In this sequel to Legend, Lu delivers a breathtaking thriller with high stakes and cinematic
action. June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: The Elector Primo dies,
and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group
of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They
have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector. It’s their chance to
change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
Jessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a car accident. She's not comforted by the
news that she'll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when
you live to run? As she struggles to cope with crutches and a first cyborg-like prosthetic, Jessica
feels oddly both in the spotlight and invisible. People who don't know what to say, act like she's
not there. Which she could handle better if she weren't now keenly aware that she'd done the
same thing herself to a girl with CP named Rosa. A girl who is going to tutor her through all the
math she's missed. A girl who sees right into the heart of her.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has
been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's
fierce-hearted black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily
decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina--a town that holds the
secret to her mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sister, Lily is
introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the Black Madonna. This is a
remarkable novel about divine female power, a story that women will share and pass on to their
daughters for years to come.

A Separate Peace by John Knowles
The volatile world of male adolescence provides the backdrop for John Knowles’ engrossing tale
of love, hate, war, and peace. Sharing a room at Devon, an exclusive New England prep school,
in the summer prior to World War II, Gene and Phineas form a complex bond of friendship that
draws out both the best and worst characteristics of each boy and leads ultimately to violence, a
confession, and the betrayal of trust.

The Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
The main character is twelve-year-old Patty Bergen, a Jewish girl growing up during World War
II. She lives in a small Arkansas town, where the federal government has chosen her town as the
location for a camp for Nazi prisoners of war. Although most Jewish Americans despise the
Germans for what they have done to Jews in Europe, Patty regards the prisoners of war with
more curiosity than hatred.

Taking Sides by Gary Soto
This touchingly realistic story explores the divided loyalties of a Hispanic basketball player who
has recently moved from a poor neighborhood to a more affluent one. Initially, eighth grader
Lincoln feels like a traitor when he plays ball for the predominantly white school he now attends.
To make matters worse, his new coach seems to hold a grudge against both Lincoln and his
former school, Franklin Junior High. As a game against Franklin approaches, tension mounts
and Lincoln experiences clashes with several people, including some teammates.

That Was Then, This Is Now by S.E. Hinton (Author of The Outsiders)
Ever since Mark's parents died, he has been living with Bryon. The boys are more like brothers
than mere friends. They've been inseparable--until recently. Something seems to be changing
between them, and Bryon can't figure it out. Is it Cathy, Bryon's new girlfriend? Is Mark jealous?
Bryon is also tired of the street fighting, but Mark seems unable to quit. And where is Mark
getting all of that money?

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
A short story collection that has been changing minds and lives since it entered the literary scene,
The Things They Carried is a ground-breaking meditation on war, memory, imagination, and the
redemptive power of storytelling. The Things They Carried depicts the men of a man who has
survived a tour in Vietnam to become a father and writer at the age of forty-three.

Whatever H appened to Janie? by Caroline B. Cooney (sequel to The Face on the Milk Carton)
As Janie Johnson glanced at the face of the ordinary little girl on the milk carton, she was
overcome with shock. She recognized that little girl—it was she. How can it possibly be true? But
it is. With the mystery of her kidnapping now unraveled, Janie's story continues in the second
book in the series--and the nightmare is not over. No one can bring back or relive the 12 years
gone by. The Spring family wants justice, but who is really to blame? The Johnsons know that
they must abide by the court decisions made, but it's difficult to figure out what's best for
everyone. Janie Johnson or Jenny Spring? Who is she? Certainly there's enough love for everyone,
but how can the two separate families live happily ever after?