East Ramapo Central School District Summer Reading Lists

Each student must read two (2) books. Seventh & eighth graders have required titles.

Entering 7th Grade

Entering 8th Grade

Entering 9th Grade -12th Grade

Students must complete an outline for each book they read. Movie showings and book discussions of required books will take place on Fridays from July 20 to August 24 at the Library beginning at 2 PM. Books will be available in the display area outside of the Young Adult Room in June. Click here for book discussions at the library.

7th Graders: Select two (2) books: one from the required list and one from an author on the suggested list.

Required Reading List for entering 7th Grade Students
Choose One:

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton – Since his parents’ death, Ponyboy’s loyalties have been to his brothers and his gang. But when his best friend kills a member of a rival gang, Ponyboy finds himself caught up in a nightmare of violence.

The Skin I’m In by Sharon Flake – “Bullying at school can be a terrible experience, and yet sometimes it can be quite hard to see the reason for the bullying. Why, for instance, would a black boy tease a black girl about being black? This is one of those stories where you can see things going from bad to worse in front of your very eyes. Maleeka is in a difficult situation and there doesn't seem to be anyone she can turn to. She makes some pretty bad mistakes before she finally realizes that the new English teacher, the outspoken Miss Saunders, really is on her side.” http://www.readingmatters.co.uk/book

The Lottery Rose by Irene Hunt – Abused by his mother and her boyfriend, Georgie learns to hide his hurt. He withdraws into a safe and secret world of beautiful gardens filled with roses; just like those in the library book he treasures when he wins a small rosebush in a grocery store contest.

Suggested List of Authors for entering 7th Grade Students–
Choose one:

Louisa May Alcott

Julia Alvarez

Sandra Cisneros

Arthur Conan Doyle

Caroline B. Cooney

Robert Cormier

Sharon Creech

Karen Cushman

Edwidge Danticat

Walter Dean Myers

Sarah DessenSharon Draper

Sharon Flake

Virginia Hamilton

S.E. Hinton

Lois Lowry

Harry Mazer

Nicholasa Mohr

Christopher Paolini

Christopher Paul Curtis

Gary Paulsen

Nancy Osa

J.K. Rowling

William Sleator

Gary Soto

Armstrong Sperry

Jerry Spinelli

Mildred Taylor

Frances Temple

J.R.R. Tolkien

Mark Twain

Cynthia Voight

Elie Weisel

Jacqueline Woodson

Laurence Yep

Jane Yolen

Paul Zindel

8th Graders: Select two (2) books: one from the required list and one from an author on the suggested list.

Required Reading List for entering 8th Grade Students
Choose One:

Tears of a Tiger by Sharon Draper – Andy Jackson was driving the car that crashed one night after a game, killing Robert Washington, his best friend and the captain of the Hazelwood High Tigers. It was late, and they had been drinking, and now, months later, Andy can’t stop blaming himself. As he turns away from family, friends, and even his girlfriend, he finds he’s losing the most precious thing of all—his ability to face the future.

The Pact by Davis, Jenkins, & Hunt – This is a story about the power of friendship. Three doctors grew up in the streets of Newark facing city life’s temptations, pitfall, and even jail. But one day these three young men made a pact. They promised each other they would all become doctors, and stick it out together through the long, difficult journey to attaining that dream. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt are not only friends to this day—they are all doctors.

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 . . .

The Pearl by John Steinbeck – For Kino, finding a magnificent pearl means the promise of a better life for his impoverished family. His dreams blind him to the greed that the pearl arouses in him and his neighbors.

Suggested List of Authors for entering 8th Grade Students–
Choose one:

Louisa May Alcott

Julia Alvarez

Sandra Cisneros

Arthur Conan Doyle

Caroline B. Cooney

Robert Cormier

Sharon Creech

Karen Cushman

Edwidge Danticat

Walter Dean Myers

Sarah Dessen

Sharon Draper

Sharon Flake

Virginia Hamilton

S.E. Hinton

Lois Lowry

Harry Mazer

Nicholasa Mohr

Christopher Paolini

Christopher Paul Curtis

Gary Paulsen

Nancy Osa

J.K. Rowling

William Sleator

Gary Soto

Armstrong Sperry

Jerry Spinelli

Mildred Taylor

Frances Temple

SJ.R.R. Tolkien

Mark Twain

Cynthia Voight

Elie Weisel

Jacqueline Woodson

Laurence Yep

Jane Yolen

Paul Zindel

For 9th through 12th Grade Students:
Fiction- You may choose from, but are not limited to, the authors on this list:

General Fiction	Science Fiction/ Fantasy
Sue Monk Kidd Alice Sebold	J.R.R. Tolkien Terry Brooks
Barbara Kingsolver Edwidge Danticat	C.S. Lewis Orson Scott Card
John Irving Pat Conroy	Christopher Paolini Madeline L’Engle
Amy Tan Jamaica Kincaid	Issac Asimov
Julia Alvarez	J.K. Rowling
Kurt Vonnegut	M.T. Anderson
Kurt Vonnegut	Douglas Adams

Horror	Mystery
Stephen King	James Patterson
R.L. Stine	Mary Higgins Clark
Dean Koontz	Edgar Allen Poe
Anne Rice	Dan Brown
Annette Curtis Klause	Dashiell Hammet
	Anthony Horowitz
	Sue Grafton

Coming-of-Age	Classics
Walter Dean Myers	Mark Twain
Sharon Draper	Ernest Hemingway
Robert Cormier	Jane Austen
Christopher Paul Curtis	Edith Wharton
Annette Curtis Klause	Charles Dickens
Markus Zusak	John Steinbeck
Carolyn Mackler	Emily or Charlotte Bronte
Gary Paulson	Ken Kesey
Laurie Halse Anderson
Sharon Flake
Ann Brashares

HOW-TO	TRUE CRIME
How To: Absolutely Everything You Need To Know- Jennifer McKnight-Trontz	One Deadly Night- John Glatt
How To Talk To Anyone:92 Little Tricks For Big Success in Relationships- Leil Lowndes	Murder So Cold; A Father’s Deadly Rage, A Daughter’s Tragic Legacy- Patricia Springer
How To Do Just About Anything- Courtney Rosen	Death in a Texas Desert; And Other True Crimes From The Dallas Observer- Carlton Stowers

BIOGRAPHY	SPORTS THEME
Will’s Choice: A Suicidal Teen, A Desperate Mother, and a Chronicle of Discovery- Gail Griffith	I May Be Wrong But I Doubt It- Charles Barkley
Ordinary Genius: The Story of Albert Einstein- Stephanie Sammartino McPherson	It’s Not About the Bike- Lance Armstrong
Walter Dean Myers; Writer for Real Teens- Denise M. Jordan	Friday Night Lights: A Town a Team and a Dream- H.G. Bissinger
	Shoeless Joe- W.P. Kinsella
	Glory Road-Don Haskins and Dan Wetzel
	All titles by Mike Lupica

MEMOIR/AUTOBIOGRAPHY	HISTORY
Tuesdays With Morrie- Mitch Albom	Teenage Confidential: An Illustrated History of the American Teen- Michael Barson, Steven Heller
A Child Called It, and sequels- Dave Peltzer	The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History- Thomas E. Woods
Learning Joy From Dogs Without Collars- Lauralee Summer	A Short History of Nearly Everything- Bill Bryson
Warriors Don’t Cry- Melba Beale	A Little History of the World- E.H. Gombrich
Almost A Woman- Esmerelda Santiago	The People’s History of the United States Or Voices of the People’s History of the United States- Andrew Zen
Autobiography of Malcolm X- Alex Haley & Malcolm X
The Perfect Storm- Sebastian Junger
Maus- Art Spiegelman

Related Links

East Ramapo Central School District Summer Reading Lists

7th Graders: Select two (2) books: one from the required list and one from an author on the suggested list.

8th Graders: Select two (2) books: one from the required list and one from an author on the suggested list.

Suggested List of Authors for entering 8th Grade Students– Choose one:

For 9th through 12th Grade Students: Fiction- You may choose from, but are not limited to, the authors on this list:

Suggested List of Authors for entering 8th Grade Students–
Choose one:

For 9th through 12th Grade Students:
Fiction- You may choose from, but are not limited to, the authors on this list: