Name: ______

Expanding Experiences
A list of books focused on learning more about the world around us.
It includes nonfiction books and fiction books.

DIRECTIONS: Select one book from the appropriate grade-level list, and then complete the assignment at the end of this packet. Please note that the “Looking for a Challenge” list (page 4) contains books that are at a more difficult reading level. Only select a book from that list if you are prepared to tackle that reading level. Otherwise, you should stay within the list for your grade level.

Rising 6th Grade

Sasquatch in the Paint, by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Theo Rollins is starting eighth grade six inches taller, and his new height is making everyone expect more from him. Coach Mandrake wants to transform him from invisible science geek into star basketball player, even though Theo has little experience with the game.

Stealing the Game, by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Chris Richards has always looked up to Jax, his older brother and his parents' "golden child." Lately, though, Jax has been full of surprises. First he dropped out of law school; then he started hanging out with some shifty-looking friends. One day Jax asks Chris to recruit his best middle school teammates for a pick-up basketball game in the park. Chris doesn't think much of it until the wrong team wins and Jax goes ballistic. It turns out that Jax bet on the game, hoping to earn enough money to repay a debt to someone who doesn't forgive easily.

Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey, by Nick Bertozzi

When Ernest Shackleton led dozens of men on an ambitious Antarctic expedition, the goal was to reach the South Pole - something that had eluded him in the past. Though he would never reach that goal, this particular expedition was extraordinary for another reason - that no man perished in spite of the unimaginably harsh conditions. This graphic novel is stark, but the landscape of its setting demands starkness.

Mo’ne Davis: Remember My Name, by Mo’ne Davis and Hilary Beard

In August 2014, Mo'ne Davis became the first female pitcher to win a game in the Little League World Series and the first Little Leaguer to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and a month later she earned a place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. She was thirteen years old.

The Skin I’m In, by Sharon Flake

Maleeka suffers every day from the taunts of the other kids in her class. When a new teacher, whose face is blotched with a startling white patch, starts at their school, Maleeka can see there is bound to be trouble for her too. But the new teacher's attitude surprises Maleeka. Miss Saunders loves the skin she's in.

Shadow on the Mountain, by Margi Preus

Recounts the adventures of a 14-year-old Norwegian boy named Espen during World War II. After Nazi Germany invades and occupies Norway, Espen and his friends are swept up in the Norwegian resistance movement. During five years under the Nazi regime, he gains—and loses—friends, falls in love, and makes one small mistake that threatens to catch up with him as he sets out to escape on skis over the mountains to Sweden.

After Tupac & D Foster, by Jacqueline Woodson

In a close-knit African American neighborhood in Queens, New York, the unnamed narrator lives across from her best friend, Neeka. Then D Foster wanders onto the block, and the three 11-year-old girls quickly become inseparable.

Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas, by Jim Ottaviani

This graphic novel introduces the lives and work of three eminent primatologists. Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Biruté Galdikas were each mentored by Louis Leakey, and each made pivotal contributions to twentieth-century natural science.

Rising 7th Grade

Does My Head Look Big In This, by Randa Abdel-Fattah

When Amal makes the decision to start wearing the hijab full-time and everyone has a reaction. Her parents, her teachers, her friends, people on the street. But she stands by her decision to embrace her faith and all that it is, even if it does make her a little different from everyone else.

I Will Always Write Back, by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda

The true story of two young pen pals who forge a life-altering connection. In 1997, Caitlin, a typical 12-year-old girl from a middle class American family, began writing to Martin, a studious 14-year-old from a Zimbabwe slum. In her letters, Caitlin described her life, which consisted of shopping trips, quarrels with friends, and problems at school. Martin was initially far more circumspect in his responses.

I am a Taxi, by Deborah Ellis

For 12 year old Diego, home is the San Sebastian Women’s Prison in Cochabamba, Bolivia. His parents farmed coca, a traditional Bolivian medicinal plant, until they got caught in the middle of the government’s war on drugs. Diego goes in and out of the prison to school and the market, keeping his family alive as best he can.

The Dark Game: True Spy Stories, by Paul Janeczko

Ever since George Washington used them to help topple the British, spies and their networks have helped and hurt America at key moments in history. In this fascinating collection, Paul B. Janeczko probes such stories as that of Elizabeth Van Lew, an aristocrat whose hatred of slavery drove her to be one of the most successful spies in the Civil War; the engineering behind a Cold War tunnel into East Berlin to tap Soviet phones and many more famous and less-known examples.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, William Kamkwamba

Fourteen year old William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and modern science was mystery. It was also a land withered by drought and hunger. But William had read about windmills, and he dreamed of building one that would bring to his small village a set of luxuries that only 2 percent of Malawians could enjoy: electricity and running water. His neighbors called him misala—crazy—but William refused to let go of his dreams.

Listen, Slowly, by Thanhha Lai

A California girl born and raised, Mai can't wait to spend her vacation at the beach. Instead, though, she has to travel to Vietnam with her grandmother, who is going back to find out what really happened to her husband during the Vietnam War. Mai's parents think this trip will be a great opportunity for their out-of-touch daughter to learn more about her culture. But to Mai, those are their roots, not her own. Vietnam is hot, smelly, and the last place she wants to be.

All-American Boys, by Jason Reynolds

When sixteen-year-old Rashad is mistakenly accused of stealing, his classmate Quinn witnesses his brutal beating at the hands of a police officer, an officer that happens to be the older brother of Quinn’s best friend. This story is told through each of their viewpoints, alternating between Rashad’s and Quinn’s perspectives.

Bomb: The Race to Build - Steal - the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon, by Steve Sheinkin

In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific race that spanned 3 continents. This is the story of the plotting, the risk-taking, the deceit, and genius that created the world's most formidable weapon – the atomic bomb.

Rising 8th Grade

Navajo Code Talkers, by Nathan Aaseng

On the Pacific front during World War II, strange messages were picked up by American and Japanese forces on land and at sea. The messages were totally unintelligible to everyone except a small select group within the Marine Corps: the Navajo code talkers-a group of Navajos communicating in a code based on the Navajo language. This code, the first unbreakable one in U.S. history, was a key reason that the Allies were able to win in the Pacific.

We Should All Be Feminists, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This personal essay, adapted from Adichie’s TEDx talk of the same name, which was later used in Beyoncé’s song “***Flawless,” offers a more inclusive definition of feminism. This definition strives to highlight and embrace a wide range of people and experiences.

Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Written as a letter to his son, “Between the World and Me” is a series of essays that confront the notion of race in America. It illustrates how race has shaped American history, often at the cost of black bodies and black lives. Coates both asks questions of his reader and tries to answer those questions - questions that have plagued modern society. But since the problems at hand will only increase once the questions stop being asked, we persevere.

Funny in Farsi, by Firoozeh Dumas

A lighthearted memoir chronicles the author's move from Iran to America in 1971 at age seven, the antics of her extended family and her eventual marriage to a Frenchman. The best parts will make readers laugh out loud, as when she arrives in Newport Beach, Calif., "a place where one's tan is a legitimate topic of conversation." She is particularly good making gentle fun of her father, who loves Disneyland and once competed on the game show Bowling for Dollars.

Eyes Wide Open: Going Beyond the Environmental Headlines, by Paul Fleischman

This volume is a call to action that informs students about how they can evaluate environmental issues by using politics, psychology, history, and an understanding of economics and the media. Divided into six chapters, the audio follows the print version in organization and includes the final entry, "How to Weigh Information": a synopsis on how to judge media, follow the money, and check for fallacies. While the illustrations from the print book are not included, the narration does incorporate the numerous sidebars that offer additional information, definitions and facts.

Titanic: Voices from the Disaster, Deborah Hopkinson

Weaves together the voices and stories of real TITANIC survivors and witnesses to the disaster -- from the stewardess Violet Jessop to Captain Arthur Rostron of the CARPATHIA, who came to the rescue of the sinking ship. Packed with heartstopping action, devastating drama, fascinating historical details, loads of archival photographs on almost every page, and quotes from primary sources.

Guilty? Crime, Punishment, and the Changing Face of Justice, by Teri Kanefield

When does strategy become cheating? Can good luck be theft? Is killing always a crime? Real-world cases show there are often no clear-cut answers in this fascinating look at the ever-evolving world of law and order, and crime and punishment.

The Port Chicago 50, by Steve Sheinkin

On July 17, 1944, a massive explosion rocked the segregated Navy base at Port Chicago, California, killing more than 300 sailors who were at the docks, critically injuring off-duty men in their bunks, and shattering windows up to a mile away. On August 9th, 244 men refused to go back to work until unsafe and unfair conditions at the docks were addressed. When the dust settled, fifty were charged with mutiny, facing decades in jail and even execution.

Looking for a Challenge?

Fight Like A Girl: 50 Feminists Who Changed the World, by Laura Barcella

This introduction to the history of feminist activism in the United States profiles fifty notable women, ranging from contemporary Supreme Court Justices like Ruth Bader Ginsburg to modern writers like Roxane Gay.

Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History, by Antonio Mendez

On November 4, 1979, Iranian militants stormed the American embassy in Tehran and captured dozens of American hostages, sparking a 444-day ordeal and a quake in global politics still reverberating today. But there is a little-known drama connected to the crisis: six Americans escaped. And a top-level CIA officer named Antonio Mendez devised an ingenious yet incredibly risky plan to rescue them before they were detected.

Chew On This, by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson

This book covers the history of the fast-food industry and delves into the agribusiness and animal husbandry methods that support it.

Challenger Deep, by Neal Shusterman

Caden Bosch thinks someone at his school wants to kill him. More than this, he can feel things, big things, happening outside space and time. Caden feels both powerful and powerless at the same time. Things escalate until Caden’s parents admit him to a mental hospital for treatment. Alongside this story - a story anchored in Caden’s reality - we also learn of another story, where Caden is out to sea with the Captain, a girl named Calliope, a parrot, and others. These stories weave among each other to illustrate the bigger picture - Caden’s experiences in the depths of mental illness.

Last Summer of the Death Warriors, by Francisco X. Stork

One is dying of cancer. The other's planning a murder. When Pancho arrives at St. Anthony's Home, he knows his time there will be short: If his plans succeed, he'll soon be arrested for the murder of his sister's killer. But then he's assigned to help D.Q., whose brain cancer has slowed neither his spirit nor his mouth.

Now is the Time for Running, by Michael Williams

When soldiers attack their small village, Deo escapes with his older, mentally disabled brother, carrying a soccer ball filled with money, and after facing prejudice, poverty, and tragedy, it is in soccer that Deo finds hope.

  1. Write a minimum 6-10 sentence summary of the book. Things to consider including in your summary: setting, plot, characters, conflict, and resolution.

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2. Write five facts you learned from the book.

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  5. ______

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