Intermediate+Books

Jeff Kinney
 * Diary of a Wimpy Kid**

This hilarious story is written from the perspective of middle school student Greg Heffley. Greg is not exactly the most popular kid in school. It seems that everything Greg does, he always messes it up. He and his friend, Rowley, come onto some hard times when Rowley refuses to list Greg as one of the creators of Rowley’s comic strip. After taking the fall for Rowley and getting dubbed as the guy who has “the cheese touch,” Greg and Rowley become good friends again. This book is awesome for middle school kids. I think that it really sounds like things that a lot of middle schoolers could go through. It puts a comedic emphasis on a time in some kids’ lives that is quite difficult and stressful. I laughed a lot reading this book. - LP   Patricia Reilly Giff
 * Pictures of Hollis Woods **

This book tells the inspiring story about a young, orphan girl named Hollis. Hollis has been bounced from many different foster homes and has been a huge amount of trouble for her social worker. She finally gets placed with an old woman named Josie who makes Hollis feel comfortable and happy. Life with Josie is very different. Josie is an artist, and is a big fan of doing things that are out of the ordinary. After Josie continuously starts forgetting things, Hollis knows that she and Josie must run away or else Hollis would be taken away from Josie forever. They run to a family that Hollis had been staying with, the Regans, and Hollis is not only able to reconnect with a family that she had fallen in love with, but also learns what it means to be part of a real family.

This is a very touching story that I would love to have in my future library in my classroom. Even though it is sad, I think it is important for children to read stories that may be unfamiliar to them. The reality is, these situations happen every day to some children and I think it is important to read about.- LP

Jen Bryant 5th grade- 8th grade   “Pieces of Georgia” by Jen Bryant is a realistic fiction story about a quiet middle school aged girl named Georgia. She is considered on the “At Risk” list at school because she is being raised by her father in a tiny trailer on a farmer’s land. Georgia’s mother, who was an artist, passed away a couple of years before. Georgia’s school counselor asks Georgia to in a journal, and suggests that she writes to her mother. The book is set up in the format of journal entries, and letters to her mother about her life and what she is experiencing in life. Georgia talks about a gift she got from an anonymous person to visit the art museum for free. Like her mother Georgia also loves art, but she is afraid to share that information with her silent father because she is afraid it will upset him. “Pieces of Georgia” is a delightful and easy read that gives some insight into the life of a young girl who has lost a parent. - EP
 * Pieces of Georgia **

Judy Blume 3rd- 5th grade
 * Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing **

Peter Hatcher is a fourth grader with a big problem. His problem is not his mom or his dad but his little brother Farley, or as they call him Fudge. Fudge is into everything! Of course, because Fudge is the baby in the family Peter feels that he is favored. His parents give into a lot of his temper tantrums. Now that Peter has a pet turtle named Dribble, he becomes increasingly worried that Fudge will do something to Dribble. Things get ugly when Peter finds out that Fudge has swallowed his pet turtle! He put up with ruined posters and getting blamed for not watching his brother in the park, but this makes him furious. - EP

Wilson Rawls
 * Where the Red Fern Grows **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Where the Red Fern Grows” is a beautiful story about a young boy and his two hound dogs. Billy desperately wants two hound dogs. He finally is able to earn enough money to by some dogs. He calls the male hound Old Dan and the female hound Little Ann. Billy trains his hounds to hunt coons. Billy and his dogs are able to get many coons, and even won a coon hunting contest. The book keeps the reader wanting to read more, and has a beautiful ending that will leave the reader in tears.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think this would be a great book to read to a class. It is a classic story that I think every student should read. He tells a beautiful story about a boy and his dogs, and does a great job with connecting the reader to the story and the characters in the book. - LP