<p>My little brother is going into 6th grade and needs some good books to read. I kind of want books that aren't that shallow but with some maybe profound themes or something. Some thing that a 8th-9th grader would read since he has a high reading level. I was thinking like "of mice and men" but I'm not sure if he'll take anything out of it, besides its plot. </p>
<p>Any recommendations for a mature middleschooler? I can't really give any since the books I read in middleschool (in class) sucked, and I didn't read much in middleschool.</p>
<p>I loove dickens but I think “great expectations” is probably too much for a 6th grader, even though he’s pretty smart. Maybe “a christmas carol” ?</p>
<p>Ok, seriously though, there are a few books that he can appreciate at that grade.
At about 7th or 8th grade he could read The Outsiders and I’ve heard The Hunger Games is pretty good too</p>
<p>Thanks for all the books!! I’m trying to stray away from those nonsense dystopian fiction books that have no real purpose (though some are fine, the real good ones)</p>
<p>^Twilight would probably not be the best for a middle school boy.</p>
<p>I would recommend:
-The Pendragon series by DJ MacHale. Teenage boy travels to worlds through portal to fix things that are going wrong.
-Hidden Talents by David Lubar. A funny and touching story of boys who, for various reasons, end up at bad kid school. The main character starts to discover something odd about each of them. Seriously, this is funny and interesting even for a high schooler, though it is written at a middle school level.
-TIM, Defender of Earth by Sam Enthoven. This is a very actiony light sci-fi book. A boy and genetically altered lab-made T-rex have to fight to save the earth. It sounds cheesy, but it was actually pretty good.
-The Wednesday Wars by Gary D Schmidt. This seventh grader is forced by his teacher to read Shakespeare. This book is set during the Vietnam War, so a lot of issues with that are also explored.
-The View from Saturday by EL Konigsburg. This tells the story of a middle school scholastic bowl team. Touching and funny.</p>
<p>Those bat books, like Darkwing, Sunwing, etc.
Artemis Fowl and Harry Potter’s (if he hasn’t already read them.)</p>
<p>Some books I read in Grade 9:</p>
<p>The Great Gatsby
Diary of Anne Frank
Catcher in the Rye
Londonstani (Probably not for him, though)
Nineteen Eighty-Four, similar themes and views of Animal Farm and the same author
The Prodigal Daughter
Atonement
To Kill a Mockingbird (semi-boring)
Lord of the Flies (boring)
Huckleberry Finn</p>
<p>I thought of some more. I can’t describe all of them, so here’s a list for you to check out:
-Feed by MT Anderson
-Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes
-Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl
-The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
-Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
-Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements
-Lord of the Flies by William Golding
-The Giver by Lois Lowry</p>
<p>Sorry if I repeat some titles already mentioned, but I’m just seconding them :]</p>
<p>Flipped by Wendelin van Draanen
Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
The House of Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
The Book Thief
The View From Saturday
The Janitor’s Boy, The School Story, Frindle, The Landry News - all by Andrew Clements
A Year S
Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L Konigsburg
The Outsiders by S.E Hinton
Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
The Crispin: Cross of Lead by Avi
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Eragon
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L Konigsburg
Bridge to Terabithia
The Devil’s Arithmetic
The Watsons go to Birmingham
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Shiloh</p>
<p>Well, I read Roots in 5th grade for my first time, and I’ve read it periodically since then.
It’s my favorite book ever. It defined what I like about literature.
He might not get everything in it at first, but he’ll be able to follow it. The beauty of the book is that you pick up on things with each reread since you’ll have experienced more of the world in between each time :).</p>
<p>But, I second all of the Orwellian stuff.
Also…
The Keys to the Kingdom series I remember I liked
Bah, I JUST packed up all my old books, so I can’t go back and check which there were T.T
OH Tamora Pierce’s series: The Lionness Quartet, The Immortals, Protector of the Small (those three quartets go together). Also, Trickster’s Choice+Trickster’s Queen are in the same world as the three quartets. Then…The Circle of Magic, The Circle Opens.
Finally, the HP series is a classic.</p>
<p>If only because my username was inspired by a character from that book. It’s pretty short, too, I read the entirety of it on a flight from Las Vegas to Boston.</p>
<p>^AMAZING book. I read it this year (10th grade). However, I don’t think he’ll get the real significance and symbolism of it… the themes are truly amazing though. I loved separate peace. We all have a gene and finny in all of us :)</p>
<p>“The Giver” and “Messenger” by Lois Lowry
“The Chosen” by Chaim Potok
“Night” by Elie Wiesel
“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
“Exodus” by Leon Uris</p>
<p>This is what I read in 7/8 grade with my teacher.
She pushed us really hard in English, all the way to college/AP level.
Like, seriously o.O
That’s what all her former students say.</p>