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 a hat, skirt, and white gloves (this look did not translate too well from the 1950's). An interesting (and true!) social experiment that reads like fiction.
Another book I enjoyed was called Shipwrecked! The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy by Rhoda Blumberg. Back in 1841, five Japanese fishermen were stranded on a remote island after a violent storm. One of the castaways was Manjiro, a fourteen-year-old boy who was fishing to support his family. Manjiro was rescued by an American whaler, who brings him to the United States. At the time, the Japanese had very strict laws about leaving the country, fearing that foreigners were dangerous. If you left the country, you were not allowed back. So Manjiro became the first Japanese person to set foot in the United States. It was fascinating to see how quickly he picked up the English language, and how much he learned about fishing and American ways of life. The illustrations documenting this young boy's life (many drawn by Manjiro himself) really added authenticity to his story.
Made You Look: How Advertising Works and Why You Should Know by Shari Graydon gives an interesting look at the world of advertising. It includes information about how the world of advertising has changed over the years, from posters to radio and TV commercials to pop-up ads on the Internet and product placement in movies and TV. It includes advice on how to be more aware of advertising tricks of the trade, such as posting ads on social media that a company knows will appeal to you (based on what websites you have visited). Colorful illustrations and comics make the book very readable and entertaining.
Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March is a memoir by Lynda Blackman Lowery, who was 15 when she marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, to fight for equal rights. Before her fifteenth birthday she was sent to jail nine times standing up for civil rights and the right to vote for all people. It was truly inspiring to read how Lynda and other young people dedicated themselves to marching for the rights of black people, mainly because adults who protested often lost their jobs. Teachers and parents encouraged teenagers to represent them, and it demonstrated how people of any age can make a difference. Photographs and illustrations of events leading up to the historic march and straightforward text make this book informative and interesting to read.
Here is the entire list (let me know which ones you enjoyed!):
Nonfiction books for Middle School Students
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 a hat, skirt, and white gloves (this look did not translate too well from the 1950's). An interesting (and true!) social experiment that reads like fiction.
Another book I enjoyed was called Shipwrecked! The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy by Rhoda Blumberg. Back in 1841, five Japanese fishermen were stranded on a remote island after a violent storm. One of the castaways was Manjiro, a fourteen-year-old boy who was fishing to support his family. Manjiro was rescued by an American whaler, who brings him to the United States. At the time, the Japanese had very strict laws about leaving the country, fearing that foreigners were dangerous. If you left the country, you were not allowed back. So Manjiro became the first Japanese person to set foot in the United States. It was fascinating to see how quickly he picked up the English language, and how much he learned about fishing and American ways of life. The illustrations documenting this young boy's life (many drawn by Manjiro himself) really added authenticity to his story.
Made You Look: How Advertising Works and Why You Should Know by Shari Graydon gives an interesting look at the world of advertising. It includes information about how the world of advertising has changed over the years, from posters to radio and TV commercials to pop-up ads on the Internet and product placement in movies and TV. It includes advice on how to be more aware of advertising tricks of the trade, such as posting ads on social media that a company knows will appeal to you (based on what websites you have visited). Colorful illustrations and comics make the book very readable and entertaining.
Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March is a memoir by Lynda Blackman Lowery, who was 15 when she marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, to fight for equal rights. Before her fifteenth birthday she was sent to jail nine times standing up for civil rights and the right to vote for all people. It was truly inspiring to read how Lynda and other young people dedicated themselves to marching for the rights of black people, mainly because adults who protested often lost their jobs. Teachers and parents encouraged teenagers to represent them, and it demonstrated how people of any age can make a difference. Photographs and illustrations of events leading up to the historic march and straightforward text make this book informative and interesting to read.
Here is the entire list (let me know which ones you enjoyed!):
Nonfiction books for Middle School Students
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