2025 Sixth Grade to Eighth Grade Summer Reading Book List Sixth Grade to Eighth Grade Summer Reading Book List Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought DifferentKaren BlumenthalSteve Jobs’ journey was unconventional: adopted at birth, college dropout, and co-founder of Apple in a garage at age 20. Known for his perfectionism, style, and innovation, he revolutionized technology with products like the iPhone and Mac. This biography explores his complex life and lasting impact on the world.Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human SocietiesJared DiamondGuns, Germs and Steel examines the rise of civilization and the issues its development has raised throughout history.The Boy Who Harnessed the WindWilliam KamkwambaWhen a drought ruined William Kamkwamba’s village crops, he turned to science books for answers. Using scrap metal and bike parts, he built a windmill that brought electricity and water, changing his family’s life. This inspiring memoir shows how one boy’s idea can light up the world.The 57 BusDashka SlaterThis riveting nonfiction book for teens about race, class, gender, crime, and punishment tells the true story of an agender teen who was set on fire by another teen while riding a bus in Oakland, California.When Stars are ScatteredVictoria JamiesonHeartbreak, hope, and gentle humor exist together in this graphic novel about a childhood spent waiting, and a young man who is able to create a sense of family and home in the most difficult of settings.GutsRaina TelgemeierIn Guts, Raina Telgemeier shares her true story of struggling with stomach issues that turn out to be tied to anxiety. As school pressures and friendship changes pile up, Raina learns to face her fears. With humor and heart, this graphic memoir explores mental health, growing up, and finding inner strength.Auschwitz LullabyVictoria JamiesonBased on the true story of Helene Hannemann, a brave German nurse who cared for Auschwitz’s youngest prisoners. Despite losing her family to Nazi forces, Helene fought to protect Romani children, organizing a daycare in the camp hospital under Dr. Mengele’s watch, showing incredible courage amid horror.Brown Girl DreamingJacqueline WoodsonRaised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson shares vivid poems about growing up African American during the 1960s and 1970s. Her powerful, accessible verses explore life amid Jim Crow and the Civil Rights movement, her struggles with reading, and the joy of finding her voice through storytelling.Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina Young Readers EditionMisty CopelandDetermination meets dance in this prizewinning and New York Times bestselling memoir by the history-making ballerina Misty Copeland, vividly recounting the story of her journey to become the first African American female principal ballerina at the prestigious American Ballet Theatre.Diary of Anne FrankAnne FrankAnne Frank, a 15-year-old Holocaust victim, died at Bergen-Belsen in 1945. Her diary, written during two years in hiding, became a global bestseller and a powerful testament to hope amid tragedy. Her words preserve her memory and the experience of millions silenced by the Nazi regime.I am MalalaMalala YousafzaiMalala Yousafzai stood up against the Taliban’s control of Pakistan’s Swat Valley, fighting for girls’ education. At fifteen, she survived a near-fatal shooting. Her recovery sparked a global journey, becoming a symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest Nobel Peace Prize nominee. I Am Malala tells her inspiring story.Bad BoyWalter Dean MyersThis gripping and funny memoir by Walter Dean Myers explores his youth in 1940s Harlem as a so-called “bad boy.” Quick-tempered and strong, Myers sought refuge in books, secretly reading while facing tough streets. His journey from struggle to becoming a celebrated writer is both powerful and inspiring.Yellow StarJennifer RoyThis is the true story of Syvia Perlmutter―a story of courage, heartbreak, and finally survival despite the terrible circumstances in which she grew up.NightElie WieselNight is Elie Wiesel’s powerful memoir of surviving Nazi death camps as a teenager. More than a chronicle of horror, it explores the Holocaust’s meaning and enduring philosophical and personal questions. The Hunger Games SeriesSuzanne CollinsIn a post-apocalyptic land called Panem, the Capitol rules 12 districts, forcing each to send a boy and girl to the deadly Hunger Games. When Katniss volunteers to save her sister, she faces a brutal fight for survival where she must balance life, love, and humanity.Out of My MindSharon DraperEleven-year-old Melody has cerebral palsy: she can’t walk, talk, or write. But she has a brilliant mind and a photographic memory. Though others underestimate her, Melody is determined to show the world who she really is.That Thing About BollywoodSupriya KelkarThis magical middle grade novel talks about an Indian American Girl whose world turns upside down when she involuntarily starts bursting into song and dance routines in everyday lifeDrums, Girls, and Dangerous PieJordan SonnenblickSteven’s life is pretty typical…until it’s not. He plays drums in the jazz band, crushes on the most popular girl, and tolerates his adorable (and annoying) little brother, Jeffrey. But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with a serious illness, Steven’s world changes overnight. Suddenly, he’s juggling school, music, family stress, and his own fears. With humor, heart, and a little help from something called Dangerous Pie, Steven discovers what it really means to grow up.One for the Murphy’sLynda Mullaly HuntCarley, tough and guarded, enters foster care with the kind, chaotic Murphy family. Their love slowly breaks through her defenses, showing her what it means to belong. But when her mother wants her back, Carley faces a heartbreaking choice between the family she came from and the one she’s grown to love.The OutsidersS.E. HintonThe Outsiders is a dramatic and enduring work of fiction that laid the groundwork for the YA genre. S. E. Hinton’s classic story of a boy who finds himself on the outskirts of regular society remains as powerful today as it was the day it was first published.The Chocolate WarRobert CormierThis chilling portrait of an all-boys prep school casts an unflinching eye on the pitfalls of conformity and corruption in our most elite cultural institutions.Romeo & JulietWilliam ShakespeareIn a world torn by family hatred, Romeo and Juliet fall in love. Their passion is swift, deep, and doomed. Shakespeare’s tragedy explores the intensity of young love, the destructiveness of feuds, and fate’s cruel hand. Beautiful language and powerful emotion make this tale timeless and deeply moving across generations.Twelve Angry MenReginald RoseTwelve Angry Men is a powerful drama about justice, bias, and the U.S. legal system. Juror Eight challenges the majority’s guilty verdict, urging others to confront their prejudices. Through intense dialogue and shifting perspectives, the play reveals both the flaws and strengths of American society and its promise of fair trial.The Book ThiefMarkus ZusakThirteen-year-old The Book Thief is a powerful novel set in Nazi Germany about Liesel, a foster girl who finds hope in stolen books. Guided by her foster father, she shares stories during dark times, connecting neighbors and a hidden Jewish man. Markus Zusak’s writing vividly captures love, loss, and survival.American Born ChineseGene YangAmerican Born Chinese by Gene Yang weaves three stories: Jin Wang, the only Chinese-American at his new school; the legendary Monkey King; and Chin-Kee, a negative stereotype wreaking havoc. Their lives intertwine in a surprising, action-packed tale that explores identity, culture, and acceptance with humor and depth.RefugeeAlan GratzAs powerful and poignant as it is action-packed and page-turning, this highly acclaimed novel was on the New York Times bestseller list for more than four years and continues to change readers’ lives with its meaningful takes on survival, courage, and the quest for home.The Fault in Our StarsJohn GreenDespite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.The GiverLois LowryIn Lois Lowry’s The Giver, twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a controlled, seemingly perfect community where everyone is the same. When chosen as Receiver of Memory, he uncovers dark secrets and learns the power of feelings. Faced with tough choices, Jonas challenges his world’s values in this thought-provoking classic.MausArt SpiegelmanMaus is a powerful graphic novel portraying the Holocaust through the author’s father’s experiences, with Jews as mice and Nazis as cats. It blends a gripping historical account with the author’s complex relationship with his father, offering a haunting story of survival and the lasting effects of trauma.Long Way DownJason ReynoldsFifteen-year-old Will carries his murdered brother’s gun, determined to take revenge. But as he rides an elevator, people connected to his brother reveal surprising truths that challenge Will’s assumptions. Told in sharp verse, Long Way Down explores teenage gun violence and grief in a powerful, fast-paced story.The Complete Sherlock Holmes CollectionArthur Conan DoyleIn 1887, Conan Doyle introduced Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in A Study in Scarlet, creating a literary icon. Their address, 221B Baker Street, is now as famous as Holmes himself. For over 130 years, the detective’s adventures have captivated readers worldwide with lasting popularity.Little Fires EverywhereCeleste NgIn Shaker Heights, the perfect Richardson family’s ordered life is disrupted when artist Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl move in. Their mysterious pasts and defiance unsettle the community, sparking a custody battle and revealing secrets. Little Fires Everywhere explores identity, motherhood, and the cost of playing by the rules. About VSA Future Learning CenterFounded in 2015, VSA Future Learning Center offers engaging academic enrichment to students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. In Reading & Writing, Math, Public Speaking, SAT, and more, they’ve developed active learning models in their classrooms, where students have the chance to engage with new concepts, participate in meaningful group discussions, and build confidence in small-group settings, both virtually and in person. Between 2021 and 2025, 118 VSA students have earned regional and national awards in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. VSA enrollment is open for its summer camp, summer evening classes in ELA, Vocabulary, and Reading Comprehension, and its full slate of 2025–26 school year classes in English, Math, Reading & Writing, and Public Speaking. Learn more at www.vsafuture.com, call 973-951-9600, and visit at 600 S. Livingston Ave, Ste 105, Livingston, NJ 07039.
