pleasedMIDDLE SCHOOL LIFE
Sixth Grade Secrets by Louis Sachar
Define "Normal" by Julie Anne Peters
The Encyclopedia of Me by Karen Rivers
My So-Called Family by Courtney Sheinmel
Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis
Tallahassee Higgins by Mary Downing Hahn
Drama by Raina Telgemeier (graphic novel)
Hershey Herself by Cecilia Galante
The Girls by Amy Goldman Koss
The Misfits by James Howe
Multiple titles from Scholastic's Candy Apple imprint
Multiple titles from Aladdin's MiX imprint
HISTORY AND CLASSICS
Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
White Fang by Jack London
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Lawson
Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller by Sarah Miller
MYSTERY AND INTRIGUE
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
A Doll in the Garden by Mary Downing Hahn
Behind the Attic Wall by Sylvia Cassedy
Various books by John Bellairs
FAMILY DRAMA
The Steps by Rachel Cohn
- Sequel: Two Steps Forward by Rachel Cohn
See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles
Rules by Cynthia Lord
Where I'd Like to Be by Frances O'Roark Dowell
The Face on the Milk Carton series by Caroline B. Cooney
A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin
The Maggie Valley Trilogy by Kerry Madden
Kimchi & Calamari by Rose Kent
Homecoming (and the rest of the Tillerman Cycle) by Cynthia Voigt
The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
(NOTE: Homecoming and The Rules of Survival are much "heavier" that the other titles listed above.)
IN AND OUT OF CONTROL
Snap by Alison McGhee
Tru Confessions by Janet Tashjian
Multiple Choice by Janet Tashjian
A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass
FIRST CRUSHES
The Wedding Planner's Daughter series by Coleen Murtagh Paratore
- The Wedding Planner's Daughter
- The Cupid Chronicles
- Willa at Heart
- Forget-Me-Not
- Wish I Might
The Agony of Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
- Note: This is the first in a series of books which follows Alice through middle school and high school, along with prequels which take place in elementary school. Younger readers should stick to the first few books in the series and wait until they themselves are in the appropriate upper grades to read the older books in the series.
Shug by Jenny Han
SUPER SUPERNATURAL SERIES
The OutCast quartet by Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski
The Uglies books by Scott Westerfeld
The Midnighters trilogy by Scott Westerfeld
The Keys To The Kingdom series by Garth Nix
Since the customer's daughter is an athlete, I would also refer her to my booklist called Hey There, Sports Fan.
Sophie asked specifically about the book Ida B., so I wanted to recommend additional books of a similar nature:
LOSS OF PARENTS
So B. It by Sarah Weeks
With You and Without You by Ann M. Martin
Amalee by Dar Williams
- Sequel: Lights, Camera, Amalee
Pictures of Hollis Wood by Patricia Reilly Griff
Hugging the Rock by Susan Taylor Brown
Pieces of Georgia by Jennifer Bryant
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass
Related Booklists:
Middle School Must-Haves
If Then for Middle School
Quick Reads and Short Stories
Suggested Sets
Tough Issues for Teens