Challenging Reads

GREAT BOOKS FOR COMPETENT READERS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL

Click HERE for great books for 9 to 10-year olds.

There are so many great books to read, but what can you read that might offer a bit of a challenge? You can, of course, read the classics. But what if you want something different? Then try these books. Most are at a relatively high reading level. All provide a different perspective than many of the currently popular novels. Be ready to think before you start reading!

Animal stories:
Burnford, Sheila. The Incredible Journey. (AR 7.6) F Bur
North, Sterling. Rascal. (AR 7.1) F Nor
Rylant, Cynthia. Boris. (AR 4.9) 811 Ryl

Fantasy:
Cooper, Susan. Over Sea, Under Stone. (AR 5.4) F Coo
Cooper, Susan. The Dark is Rising. (AR 6.2) F Coo
Jones, Diana Wynne. Castle in the Air. (AR 6.0) F Jon
L’Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time. (AR 4.7) F Len
McCaffrey, Anne. Dragonflight. (AR 6.9) F McC
McCaffrey, Anne. Dragonsong. (AR 6.8) F McC
Nesbit, Elizbeth. The Phoenix and the Carpet. (AR 6.0)

Humorous fiction:
McCloskey, Robert. Homer Price. (AR 6.6) F McC
Robertson, Keith. Henry Reed, Inc. (AR 5.5) F Rob
Pratchett, Terry. Diggers. (AR 4.4) F Pra
Pratchett, Terry. Truckers. (AR 4.4) F Pra
Pratchett, Terry. Wings. (AR 4.2) F Pra

Historical fiction:
Aiken, Joan. Black Hearts in Battersea. (AR 6.1) F Aik
Aiken, Joan. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. (AR 6.5) F Aik
Curtis, Christopher Paul. Elijah of Buxton. (AR 5.4) F Cur
Cushman, Karen. The Midwife’s Apprentice. (AR 6.0) F Cus
Garfield, Leon. Black Jack. (AR 6.5) F Gar
Garfield, Leon. Smith. F Gar
Gilkerson, William. Pirate’s Passage. (AR 7.0) F Gil
Meyer, Carolyn. Doomed Queen Anne. (AR 6.9) F Mey
Meyer, Carolyn. Duchessina: a Novel of Catherine De’Medici. (AR 6.6) F Mey
Meyer, Carolyn. Isabel: Jewel of Castilla. (AR 6.6) F Mey
Meyer, Carolyn. Kristina: the Girl King. (AR 6.6) F Mey
Meyer, Carolyn. Patience, Princess Catherine. (AR 7.3) F Mey
Montgomery, L.M. Anne of Green Gables. (AR 7.3) F Mon
Mowat, Farley. Curse of the Viking Grave. (AR 6.5) F Mow
Park, Linda Sue. A Single Shard. (AR 6.6) F Par
Paterson, Katherine. Of Nightingales that Weep. (AR 6.2) F Pat
Smith, Dodie. I Capture the Castle. (AR 5.9) F Smi
Smucker, Barbara. Days of Terror. (AR 5.8) F Smu
Sutcliff, Rosemary. Light Beyond the Forest. (AR 6.6) F Sut
Wilson, John. The Alchemist’s Dream. (AR 6.5) F Wil
Ye, Bernadette. White Lily. (AR 6.3) F Ye

Realistic fiction:
Bondoux, Anne-Laure. The Killer’s Tears. (AR 5.3) F Bon
Bresdorff, Bodil. The Crow-girl. (AR 5.2) F Bre
Ellis, Deborah. Bifocal. F Ell
Paterson, Katherine. Jacob Have I Loved. (AR 5.7) F Pat
Smelcer, John. The Trap. (AR 6.2)
Truss, Jan. Jasmin. (AR 5.7) F Tru
Voigt, Cynthia. Dicey’s Song. (AR 5.0) F Voi
Voigt, Cynthia. The Runner. (AR 5.0) F Voi

Folklore:
Green, Roger. King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table. (AR 7.7) F Gre
Lang, Andrew. Tales from the Arabian Nights. 398.2 Lan
Lang, Andrew. Tales from King Arthur. 398.2 Lan
Grimm, J.L.C. Grimm’s Fairy Tales. (AR 9.9) 398.2 Gri

Biography:
Abeel, Samantha. My Thirteenth Winter. (AR 7.1) B Abe
Frank, Anne. The Diary of a Young Girl. B Fra
Halilbegovich, Nadja. Childhood Under Fire. (AR 5.8) B Hal
Keller, Helen. The Story of My Life. (AR 6.8) B Kel
Lappi, Megan. C.S. Lewis. B Lew
Little, Jean. Stars Come Out Within. (AR 5.4) B Lit
Macleod, Elizabeth. The Wright Brothers. (AR 6.0) B Wri
McKissack, Patricia. Sojourner Truth. (AR 7.0) B Tru
Paulsen, Gary. Guts: The True Story Behind Hatchet… (AR 6.5) B Pau

Current world issues:
Bledsoe, Karen. Global Warming. 551.6 Ble
Bledsoe, Karen E. Habitat Destruction. 574.5 Ble
Bledsoe, Karen E. Keeping our Food and Water Safe. 363.8 Ble
Eagen, Rachel. Flood and Monsoon Alert! 551.48 Eag
Milway Smith, Katie. One Hen: How One Small Loan Made A Big Difference. P M
Peppas, Lynn. Terrorism Alert! 303.6 Pep
Sanna, Ellyn. America’s Unhealthy Lifestyle: Supersize It! 614.5 San
Schlosser, Eric. Chew on This:…Fast Food. 614.5 Sch
Siddiqui, Haroon. Being Muslim. (AR 10.0) 297 Sid
Springer, Jane. Genocide. (AR 10.3) 304.6 Spr
Tanaka, Shelley. Climate Change. (AR 9.7) 363.7 Tan
Thornhill, Jan. This is My Planet: The Kids’ Guide to Global Warming. 363.7 Tho

Geography:
Lappi, Megan. Mount Everest. 915.496 Lap
Lappi, Megan. The Sahara Desert. 916.6 Lap
Roberts, Gregory G. S is for Spirit Bear. (AR 7.4) P R
Shoveller, Herb. Ryan and Jimmy and the Well in Africa…. (AR 5.6) 361.7 Sho
Watson, G. Angel Falls: Highest Waterfall in the World. 918.7 Wat
Welykochy, Dawn. C is for Chinook: an Alberta Alphabet (AR 6.5) P W

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