The Old Tappan Board of Education

Required Reading

Students are required to read one of the following books this summer to prepare them for the first language arts unit of study in September.

Grade 8

Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos

Fourteen-year-old Nadira, her sister, and their parents leave Bangladesh

for New York City, but the expiration of their visas and the events of

September 11, 2001, bring frustration, sorrow, and terror for the

whole family.

Do Not Pass Go by Kirkpatrick Hill

When Deet's father is jailed for using drugs, Deet learns that prison is

not what he expected, nor are other people necessarily the way he thought

they were.

Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde

While playing a total immersion virtual reality game of kings and intrigue,

fourteen-year-old Giannine learns that demonstrators have damaged the

equipment to which she is connected, and she must win the game quickly

or be damaged herself.

Shakespeare’s Secret by Elise Broach

Named after a character in a Shakespeare play, misfit sixth-grader

Hero becomes interested in exploring a valuable diamond supposedly hidden

in her new house, an intriguing neighbor, and the unexpected attention of

the most popular boy in school.

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar

While navigating his first year of high school and awaiting the birth of

his new baby brother, Scott loses old friends and gains some unlikely new ones as he hones his skills as a writer.

So B. It: a novel by Sarah Weeks

After spending her life with her mentally retarded mother and

agoraphobic neighbor, twelve-year-old Heidi sets out from Reno,

Nevada, to New York to find out who she is.

Vanishing Act by John Feinstein

Eighth-grade sports reporters, Susan Carol and Stevie, reunite at the

U.S. Open tennis championships where they investigate the mysterious

disappearance of a top Russian player.

Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata

After twelve-year-old Sumiko and her Japanese-American family are

relocated from their flower farm in southern California to an internment camp on a Mojave Indian reservation in Arizona, she helps her family and neighbors, becomes friends with a local Indian boy, and tries to hold on to her dream of owning a flower shop.

Additional Books You May Enjoy

Heat by Mike Lupica

Pitching prodigy Michael Arroyo is on the run from social services after being banned from playing Little League baseball because rival coaches doubt he is only twelve years old and he has no parents to offer them proof.

Nothing but the Truth by Avi

A ninth-grader’s suspension for humming “The Star Spangled Banner” during homeroom becomes a national news story.

Running out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix

When a diphtheria epidemic hits her 1840 village, thirteen-year-old Jessie discovers it is actually a 1995 tourist site under unseen observation by heartless scientists, and it’s up to Jessie to escape from the village and save the lives of dying children.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce.

Last Shot by John Feinstein

After winning a basketball reporting contest, eighth graders Stevie and Susan Carol are sent to cover the Final Four tournament, where they discover that a talented player is being blackmailed into throwing the final game.

Safe at Second by Scott Johnson

Paul Lockwood’s best friend Todd Bannister is destined for the major leagues until a line drive to the head causes him to lose an eye and they both must find a new future for themselves.

Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan

When Jake Semple is kicked out of yet another school, the Applewhites, an eccentric family of artists, offer to let him live with them and attend their unstructured Creative Academy. Twelve-year-old E.D., the only non-artistic (and organized) person in her family, feels like the invisible Applewhite and is wary of Jake.

Tangerine by Edward Bloor

Twelve-year-old Paul, who lives in the shadow of his football hero brother Erik, fights for the right to play soccer despite his near blindness and slowly begins to remember the incident that damaged his eyesight.

What I Believe by Norma Fox Mazer

A young girl faces her problems by writing down her thoughts about the family's

personal and financial crises, including the loss of her father's job and the selling of their home.