Book Recommendations
Challenging:
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
Tunnels by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams
Jurrasic Park by Michael Crichton
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Ice Station Zebra by Alistair MacLean
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Dune by Frank Hebert
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Any “Agatha Christie” Mystery novel.
Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guinn
Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey
The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
Kidnapped by Robert Lewis Stevenson
The String in the Harp by Nancy Bond
Average:
The Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
Absolutely Normal Chaos by Sharon Creech
Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech
The Wanderer by Sharon Creech
Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
*Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Virginia Hamilton
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Finding Blue by Lois Lowry
The Messenger by Lois Lowry (sequel)
*Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Because of Winn Dixie or Sticks by Joan Bauer
The Boy Who Saved Baseball by John H. Ritter
Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah
Bud, not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Warrior Heir by Cindy Chima (series)
Warrior Heir by Cindy Chima (series)
Magyk, Septimus Heap Series by Angie Sage
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
*The Children of Green Knowe by Lucy Boston
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
*Hoot by Carl Hiassen
Ironman by Chris Crutcher
The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (series)
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
*Redwall by Brian Jacques (series)
A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L’Engle
*Meet the Austens by Madeline L’Engle
The Arm of the Starfish by Madeline L’Engle
All About the Bnai Bagels by EL Konigsburg
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Coffer
Stones in Water by Donna Jo Napoli
Choosing Up Sides By John H Ritter
The Big Wander by Will Hobbs
*Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
Stand Tall by Joan Bauer
Ranger’s Apprentice - The Battle of Gorlan by John Flanagan
Belle Prater’s Boy by Ruth White
Everlost by Neal Shusterman
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Secret Garden by
The House of Dies Drear
I am the Cheese by Robert Cormier
Maximum Ride series by James A. Patterson
The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Quicker/ Easier Reads:
Mandy by Julie Edwards
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup By Sharon Creech.
*The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Chodenko
*Esperanza Rising by Pam Munez Ryan
*No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman
Ella Enchanted by Gail Levine
Are you There, God, It’s Me Margaret by Judy Bloom
Something Upstairs by Avi
Kidnapped, the Abduction by Gordon Korman
*The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Positive Movies for family fun and to build historical and cultural literacy background
* My favorites
(range: G and PG)
The Secret of Roan Inish
*The Whale Rider
To Sir With Love
Rocky
*To Kill a Mockingbird (Depression era)
ET
Hoosiers
Shane
The Great Escape
The Bridge Over the River Kwai (WWII)
The Man Who Would Be King (Kipling)
The Keys of the Kingdom (missionary China)
PT 109
*Twelve Angry Men
*Return to Me
*Finding Forrester
On the Waterfront
It’s a Wonderful Life (Christmas)
Going My Way (Christmas)
Holiday Inn (Christmas)
Groundhog Day
Sounder (depression era South)
*Iron Will
Lilies of the Field
Field of Dreams
Little Women (19th C)
Old Yeller (pioneer)
Chicken Run
Neverending Story
*Searching for Bobby Fischer
The Mighty
Forever Young
The Man Who Knew Too Much
*North by Northwest
Singing in the Rain
*Chariots of Fire
Wild in America
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
*Second Hand Lions
Finding Nemo
Akeelah and the Bee
Eragon
Miracle
The Princess Bride
*Groundhog Day
*Day After Tomorrow
Wizard of Oz
Newsies (turn of century hard times)
Cool Runnings
The Neverending Story
Remember the Titans (60s racial unrest)
A Little Princess (modern)
The Little Princess (old with Shirley Temple)
The Seeker
Bella (high school, recommended by the diocese, best watched with parents)
Ratatouille
Harry Potter and …..all movies
Star Wars series
Parent Trap…the original from 1960s
The Princess Bride
Back to the Future
The Mighty Ducks
Apollo 13 (60/70s space exploration)
Searching for Bobby Fisher
Lord of the Rings (series of three movies)
Cocoon
Pay It Forward
The Sandlot
The Rookie
August Rush
October Sky
The Seeker
The City of Ember
Becket/The Lion in Winter/ A Man for All Seasons (middle ages, more sophisticated)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (middle ages)
Three Godfathers (old west)
The Alamo (old west)
Meet Me In Saint Louis (turn of century)
Grapes of Wrath (Depression era)
Torah,Torah, Torah (WWII)
***any movie that builds historical background for reading to help students visualize when they read….examples: the Patriot (R), 1776, Sam Adams, WWII movies,