What are some really good books for an 8th grader?

Question

i like alot of fantsy books(harry potter and chronicles of narnia)
but i also like books about something that happened in history(ashes of roses milkweed)

i like long booksbecause i read fast.yhanks for the ideas.

number the stars and rifka are really good.i have read them in elementeary school.

Answer 1

I highly recommend "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth Spear taking place during the Puritan times in early America. "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Forbes is a great Revolutionary War novel. "Out of the Dust" by Karen Hesse is also an excellent book that takes place during the Great Depression. I still want to cry whenever I read it! "Briar Rose" by Jane Yolen is a wonderful re-telling of Sleeping Beauty in the context of WWII and the holocaust. I never read much fantasy until I got older, but hopefully these will satisfy your craving for some great historical young adult novels. They are all favorites of mine!

Oh, and I almost forgot -- you have to read "A Great and Terrible Beauty" and its sequel "Rebel Angels" by Libba Brey. They are fantastic fantasy novels set in turn of the century England. I actually read them as an adult, but they are great stories for a younger audience and they are long too. They are some of the best books I've read this year and I read a lot!

Answer 2

Try some of these YA authors for some real good reading:
Kathryn Lasky
Isobel Bird
Cate Tiernan
Vivian Vande Velde
Lois Duncan
Lois Lowry
Lloyd Alexander
K. A. Applegate

Vivian Vande Velde, Lois Duncan, K. A. Applegate, and Lloyd Alexander are good choices for fantasies. If you liked Chronicles of Narnia, you will probably like Alexander's Prydain Chronicles or Applegate's Everworld series.

Kathryn Lasky is good for historical fiction. Especially "Blood Secret" and "Beyond the Burning Time."

Answer 3

King Fortis the Brave would be a perfect choice if you like Harry Potter And Narnia - it's about a pair of twins who are pulled into a magical world where they end up caught in a battle for control of the land. It's really a lot of fun - action-packed and funny at the same time. I'm sure you will love it!

Answer 4

I liked "Out of the Dust." I'm not sure that's an 8th grade reading level book- I read it in 5th grade but I was always a bit ahead in reading. What do 8th graders read? I also really liked Rifka when I was in middleschool, or Number the stars. they're good because holocaust books are awesome. I just really like sad books, always have. but they're educational, too.

Answer 5

YA fantasy
Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton
Here There Be Dragons by James A. Owen
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
Snow Fire Sword by Sophie Masson
The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
The Shadow Thieves by Anne Ursu
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Peter Pan in Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean
Mira, Mirror by Mette Harrison
Beast by Donna Jo Napoli
Spindle's End by Robin McKinley
Beauty by Robin McKinley
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

YA historical
Mary, Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer
Beware, Princess Elizabeth by Carolyn Meyer
Doomed Queen Anne by Carolyn Meyer
Patience, Princess Catherine by Carolyn Meyer
White Lilacs by Carolyn Meyer
Trouble Don't Last by Shelley Pearsall
Crooked River by Shelley Pearsall
Nine Days A Queen by Ann Rinaldi (Ann Rinaldi has written SO many books, I'd recommend exploring her for awhile.)

And finally some adult historical novels which I read and loved in 8th grade.

I absolutely loved Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell.
I loved Eugenia Price. Especially her Savannah series. It begins with 'Savannah.'
And I loved anything and everything by L.M. Montgomery. Especially Anne of Green Gables.
You might also be interested in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

Specifically YA holocaust books (nonfiction)
In My Hands by Irene Gut Opdyke
I Have Lived A Thousand Years by Livia Bitton Jackson
The Cage by Ruth Minsky Sender

Answer 6

These are not like Harry Potter at all, but if you like a good story, they may be for you: Last Sam's Cage - by David A. Poulsen and Loser by Jerry Spinelli. If you'd like to try some more adult-ish authors, try Stephen King's Gunslinger series (The Dark Tower). Don't be afraid to tackle something by 'adult' authors... if you can read Harry Potter, you can read anything! Just keep reading! (Just a warning: "Loser" is kinda an emotional book).

Answer 7

I can give you books all day long. Let's see what I can think of off the top of my head.

Eragon and Eldest aren't bad, but they're nice and thick. Erec Rex by Kaza Kingsley is good, too.

Magyk Book one of Septimus Heap by Angie Sage. Very thick and a page turner. Mistaken identities, magic, and kids on the run. Lots of fun.

Anything by Garth Nix, but especially the Keys to the Kingdom Series. About a boy who almost dies and ends up having to save everything by collecting the seven keys. One for each day of the week.

The Pendragon Series by Machale. A boy who's had everything taken from him to travel and save other worlds as he tries to discover what his destiny is.


Captain's Dog by Roland Smith. I haven't gotten to read it yet, but it's a historical fiction book that I recommend and that no one has ever disliked.


I just finished a book called Here There Be Dragons by James Owen that's about three men who end up having to protect a book called the Imaginarium Geographica that has maps to all the lands real and make beleive in it. It turns out that the three men are three famous authors we read now, but I won't tell you who! It's great. Lots of fun. As they go along you can see where they get ideas for their books.

I'm reading Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton right now. It's different than anything I've read but good. A blank book full of secrets, a young boy who finds it and a man who'd do anything for it. It's exciting.

I hope some of those help you!

Answer 8

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events series. I believe there are 13 books. Eragon and Eldest by Christopher Paolini are also ones my whole family enjoyed. You could also try Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series. Have you read The Diary of Anne Frank?

Answer 9

Some really good books are: The Outsiders, That was Then, This is now, Tom Sawyer, huckle Berry Fin and Summer of the monkeys, I read these in junior high school and they were great.

Answer 10

Hi there. I'm the author of a new medieval fantasy series that you might like. The title of the first episode is THE BLACKGLOOM BOUNTY. It's 445 pages of action, adventure, magic, mystery and mayhem. If you are a fan of Conan, LOTR or Harry Potter books, this is one you'll enjoy. A Hollywood producer said it was, "Like Braveheart meets Lord of the Rings." (See other comments & reviews below.)

Good luck, whatever you decide to read!

Jon F. Baxley (Author, Editor, Ghostwriter and Proofreader)

THE SCYTHIAN STONE (eBook only)
THE BLACKGLOOM BOUNTY (eBook and hard cover)
THE REGENTS OF RHUM (coming fall '07)

Major Media Reviews:

Publishers Weekly

STARRED Review. A fast pace, sly humor, amusing dialogue and a richly researched background lift Baxley's fantasy, the first of a new series set in medieval Britain. When Merlin's long-ago apprentice Kruzurk Makshare (aka the Boozer) receives a dreamlike visitation from the legendary mage, he learns he must destroy another former apprentice, the villainous Seed of Cerberus. To do so will require a visit to the demon-guarded Blackgloom Keep. Enter young Daynin McKinnon, who discovers a curious rune-covered headstone, which may be the fabled Blackgloom Bounty, and brings it to Kruz's attention. Kruz believes it will provide entry into the fortress, while Daynin hopes the sale of the stone will restore his family's fortunes. The colorful cast of good guys and ne'er-do-wells includes the Pictish ghost of Brude McAlpin liberated from his tomb, assorted pursuing Caledonians and a bemused Prior Bede, whose monastery serves as a hiding place for the Blackgloom Bounty. Suitable for fantasy enthusiasts of all ages.

Library Journal
"This series opener...is a good choice for fans of epic-style sagas and Scottish history."

Harriet Klausner, Amazon's #1 Ranked Reviewer!
"This terrific medieval fantasy...will elate readers for its fast-paced, action-thrilled story line starring a strong cast."

Nancy McCulloch, PRWEB Article, March 20, 2006
"Two thumbs up for a colorful cast of characters, nonstop, rapid-fire action and compelling storyline!"

Fantasybookspot.com Review by Tyler, Febuary 2006
"Taking place in Medieval Scotland, this tale of magic, adventure and love really captured my attention..."

My author blog: http://the-blackgloom-bounty.blogspot.com/

Blackgloom @ Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594144516

For a FREE 4 chapter eBook demo of Blackgloom, email:
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