2024 Summer Reading!
Upper Moreland Middle School
Dear Families,
Upper Moreland Middle School's theme for summer reading is “Books as Windows, Mirrors and Sliding Glass Doors,” a phrase coined by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop. She elaborated this idea by stating:
“Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created and recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience.” (1990, p. ix)
Students are encouraged to choose books with this “windows, mirrors, and doors” theme that are of interest to them. When students are engaged in reading books they choose, reading becomes an empowering part of their lives.
The list below is a recommended collection of inclusive titles. While this list includes many great options, your middle schooler can also choose another book in which they are interested. We suggest that you and your middle schooler review the selections to make the right choice for your family.
Happy Reading!
Fiction Book Recommendations 📚
New Kid by Jerry Craft
Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez by Adrianna Cueves
Millionaires for the Month by Stacy McNulty
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
Eleven by Tom Rogers
Alone by Megan Freeman
A High Five for Glenn Burke by Phil Bidner
Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatraman
Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan
The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste
Roll With It by Jamie Summer
A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée
Stand Up, Yumi Chung by Jessica Kim
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
Rea & the Blood of the Nectar by Payal Doshi
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood
One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Starfish by Lisa Fipps
Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac
Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Crossover by Kwame Alexander
The Last Wild by Piers Torday
The Pearl by John Steinbeck
The Running Dream by W. Van Draanen
The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Refugee by Alan Gratz
The Skin I’m In by Sharon G. Flake
A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat
Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman
King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender
The Canyon’s Edge by Dusti Bowling
Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee
The Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
Nonfiction Book Recommendations 📚
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Bomb by Steve Sheinkin
Sachiko by Caren Stelson
All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat
El Deafo by Cece Bell
Born a Crime (Adapted for Young Readers) by Trevor Noah
How They Croaked by Georgia Bragg
Not So Different: What You Really Want to Ask about Having a Disability by Shane Burcaw
I Am Malala (Young Readers Edition) by Malala Yousafzai
Poison: Deadly Deeds, Perilous Professions, and Murderous Medicines by Sarah Albee
Accidental Archaeologists: True Stories of Unexpected Discoveries by Sarah Albee
Kid Athletes: True Tales of Childhood from Sports Legends by David Stabler
The Epic Athletes series by Den Wetzel
The Boys in the Boat (Young Readers Adaptation) by Daniel James Brown
Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid by Mikaila Ulmer
I Am Not a Label: 34 Disabled Artists, Thinkers, Athletes and Activists from Past and Present by Cerrie Burnell
When Stars are Scattered by Omar Mohamed and Victoria Jamieson
The Hazardous Tales series by Nathan Hale
Hidden Figures (Young Readers' Edition) by Margot Lee Shetterly
Maker Comics: Draw a Comic! by Jp Coovert
Reading in the Community ☀️
- Don't forget to visit the UM Public Library or Union Library of Hatboro this summer! Check out their awesome programming and summer events.
- Did you know you can use your UM Public Library card, not only to borrow physical books, but also to download audio and eBooks? If you don't have a card, click here to learn how to easily sign up!