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Eighth Grade Reading List This is the reading list used for summer reading suggestions and for required outside reading assignments for the eighth grade. The catalog links are for copies kept in the Reading List section of the Teen Area. ***There may be additional copies available. Ask a librarian for help in finding them.*** Across Five Aprils - Irene Hunt During the Civil War, Jethro is left behind to take care of the farm when the men go off to fight. Black Boy - Richard Wright Autobiography of the African-American writer who grew up in the Jim Crow South and who was brutally taught his place in life by his family. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley A satire describing a scientific and industrialized utopia. Dicey's Song - Cynthia Voigt A novel about the adjustments of four children when they move in with their grandmother and start a new life. Eight Plus One - Robert Cormier Nine stories probe the feelings and reactions of people in life's most trying situations. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents - Julia Alvarez Fifteen interconnected stories portray with warmth and humor the assimilation of a Dominican doctor's family into American culture. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou An African-American woman recounts her painful growth to maturity. The Illustrated Man - Ray Bradbury A fantasy of a man whose tattoos can predict the future. The Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan Vignettes alternate back and forth between the lives of four Chinese women in pre-1949 China and the lives of their American-born daughters in California. The Killer Angels - Shaara, Michael A fictionalized, Pulitzer-prize winning account of the four bloodiest days of the Civil War -- the Battle of Gettysburg. The Last of the Mohicans - James Fenimore Cooper A story of a man who chooses to leave society and his subsequent struggle for survival on the frontier. Lily's Crossing - Patricia Reilly Giff This historical novel presents the impact of World War II on an American child and a Hungarian refugee. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott The story of the March family and their four daughters. The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton Tough, lower class boys have a running feud with a middle class gang. Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe A classic of English literature about a shipwrecked mariner who overcomes self-pity and despair to reconstruct his life on a deserted island. Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry - Mildred Taylor The only African-American family in Spokane, Mississippi wages a courageous struggle to remain independent. Taking Sides - Gary Soto Lincoln Mendoza faces a racist coach and conflicting loyalties to old friends when he becomes the only Hispanic-American on his new school's basketball team. Tex - S.E. Hinton Tex and his brother learn to cope with their father's absence. That Was Then, This is Now - S.E. Hinton Two teenage boys find themselves in conflict when one begins to mature and the other does not. True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle - Avi A sea-faring adventure set in 1832 in which Charlotte, age 13, becomes involved in a mutinous plot against the insane captain. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne While exploring marine disturbances, the central characters are captured by the maniacal Captain Nemo. Where the Lilies Bloom - Vera and Bill Cleaver An Appalachian girl attempts to preserve the dignity and independence of her family. The Witch of Blackbird Pond - Elizabeth George Speare This Newbery winner traces the tale of Kit Tyler who, in 1687, befriends an old woman considered a witch by the community and suddenly finds herself standing trial for witchcraft. Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo - Zlata Filipovic This account of Zlata Filipovic's war-torn childhood makes a compelling plea for "peace on earth and good will toward all." Back to the School Reading Lists page