I hope everyone is enjoying the summer and has had a chance to catch up on some reading (my favorite summer activity). Read whatever you want (and not because your teacher told you to)! I have read lots of nonfiction this summer, and I compiled a list I thought middle school students would enjoy. There's a wide variety of topics to choose from, including history, biographies, fashion, animals, science, and sports. I just finished a memoir called Popular: Vintage Wisdom by a Modern Geek by Maya Van Wagenen. Maya was an 8th grade student who considered herself to be just about the least popular kid at school. She stumbled upon a popularity guide for teens published in the 1950's, and she decided to try the tips in the book to see if they would help her become more popular. Some of the tips in this experiment were helpful, while others... not so much. The book includes many photographs of Maya during this time period, including one of her wearing
