I – Middle School Books ~ Blogging Through the Alphabet

The letter I wasn’t too bad but it wasn’t super easy, either. We had a couple of “controversial” books on this list – At Home Dad liked it a lot and I did not a lot. 🙂 That’s a big part of the joy of this journey we are on – we both get to share things we enjoy with the girls. Rather than continuing to ramble, which I am quite good at sometimes, I’ll get on with the list.

Island of the Blue Dolphin by Scott O’Dell

This is a story about a girl who spent 18 years along on an island off the coast of California. She has to learn to survive in the difficult island setting. Set in the early 1800s, this story shows courage, bravery, and strength of spirit to overcome. From maintaining her food supply to fighting of wild dogs to finding and maintaining shelter, Karana boldly shows many of the characteristics that we seek in our heros.

Indian In The Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks

This is one that At Home Dad began reading to the girls because grandma sent it home with one of them after a sleep over and told her how wonderful it was. Well, once we got started, they all loved it. So, I think several of the books in this series were read aloud.

Omri has a little cupboard where he stores his favorite plastic characters. When he puts his favorite figure, an Iroquois Indian named Little Bull, in, something wonderful happens – Little Bull comes to life. With a real, live little figure to play with, Omri has many adventures. But he also now has a heavy responsibility – he is the one who must care for and keep safe his new friend. This is the first of a series of five books and each one takes the adventure a bit deeper and into new territory.

If You Were Me . . . series by Carole P. Roman
If You Lived . . . series by various authors

Both of these series are fun and informational. They take the reader back in time (or in at least one case – forward in time) to a different place or culture. The reader gets to learn about clothing, food, housing, customs, military, rulers, and more for the place that is visited. The If You Were Me series takes you there as a child of that place. The If You Lived series answers a bunch of questions that the reader might have. Both of these are informative, almost to a fault. Some of the books get so deep that they begin to lose the reader. However, they are great for some independent research and are fun to read aloud, as well. While they are not novels for middle schoolers, the information makes them invaluable resources for research or unit studies.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

This is an immigrant story of a young girl who comes from Vietnam. While her childhood was spent in Saigon amid the markets, family, traditions, and friends, it comes crumbling down when she is forced to flee. When the Vietnam War arrives in her home area, they board a ship to get away and to search out hope. They arrive in America and the girl has to learn, adjust, and change.

This is a story told in verse and is based on the author’s own personal experiences. Miss L recommended this book and holds it in pretty high regard. She has read it several times and finds it very interesting.

Perhaps something in this little list strikes your fancy or you see something that one of your readers would enjoy. From read alouds to personal research, there is quite a little variety here and we hope you enjoy reading about them.

Blessings,
At Home.

The ABC linkup is not up for this week yet but when it is you can find it hosted by Hopkins Homeschool, DoodleMom’s Homeschooling Life and Biblical Womanhood.

My previous posts in the series:

A – All-of-a-Kind Family and Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse
B – Ballet Shoes and A Bear Called Paddington
C – Counting by 7s and Cheaper By The Dozen
D – Door In The Wall & D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths
E – The Endless Steppe & Ella Enchanted
F – Family Tree & Fog Magic
G – Great Turkey Walk & The Great Brain
H – Half Magic & Horse Diaries

 

Tagged: ABC blogging, books, Middle School