You may dream of reading thick literary classics, long historical novels, and scores of other great works in high school. but not all children are willing to make such decisions. some children read well but rebel against required literature. others have reading problems. others excel at nonfiction and want to keep their required books as short as possible. basically, there are many reasons why the dream of breaking into the canon of western literature may not be happening in your home as you expected.
And so I’m giving you an alternative to giving up: the short but meaty high school novel. Middle grades and young adult novels began to become tomes in the wake of Harry Potter two decades ago. but many older classics are shorter. What follows is a list of twenty books that are around 200 pages or less (the number of pages can vary greatly by edition, obviously). they all have rich themes, language, or both.
You are reading: Short books for middle schoolers
bridge to terabithia by katherine paterson pages: 143 difficulty: this book is fairly easy to understand. what’s it about: A boy befriends a new girl who lives near her and they invent an imaginary world together, where she fosters her love of art and imagination. why it’s worth reading: This book tends to sharply divide readers, which is interesting in itself. the sudden and highly jarring death of one of the main characters makes some readers feel betrayed by the quiet narrative up to that point. however, the author wrote the book that way on purpose to try to reflect her own son’s experience of the death of a friend. there are economic and class issues, as well as family relationships, all worthy of discussion, but the main theme of grief is the reason for reading this story.
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry Pages: 137 Difficulty: This is a very easy read in language and style. What it’s about: This is the story of how a Danish girl and her family help their Jewish friends escape to safety on the eve of being rounded up by the Nazis. It’s one of the gentlest Holocaust related novels you’ll find. Why is it worth the read: The writing isn’t a standout, but the themes around the Holocaust are really important ones and discussion of the true story of how the people of Denmark saved so many Jews from the Nazis is a really inspiring story. It’s told with such a child’s innocence and exploring how that innocence changes during the novel is an interesting topic of discussion.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli Pages: 186 Difficulty: This is a fairly easy read. What it’s about: A formerly homeschooled girl begins attending a suburban high school and really shakes things up. The narrator slowly develops a crush on her but has to figure out how important fitting in is to him. Why is it worth the read: The tension between conformity and individuality is basically the tension for all middle schoolers. Discussing Stargirl and Leo’s various choices is one of the meatiest discussions you’re likely to get at this age for many kids.
The Giver by Lois Lowry Pages: 208 Difficulty: This book is very much on the easy end. What it’s about: A boy grows up in a seemingly perfect society and is chosen to become the next Giver. However, as he acquires knowledge his peers and even parents lack, he may never fit in again. Why is it worth the read: The ideas and themes that are thought provoking and discussion worthy in this dystopian novel. Imagining a world without color and passion can spark discussion, as can the costs of living in a utopia where everything is orderly. What are we willing to give up for such a world? What is the value of conformity? The ending of the book is nebulous (there are sequels, though they don’t pick up the story right away) and talking about why the book ends where it does is also worth the time.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle Pages: 211 Difficulty: It’s not a hard read, but for a novel that has a great deal of plot, it also has a lot of discussion of ideas, which may not carry all readers forward very easily. What it’s about: This book is difficult to describe. In a nutshell, Meg, her brother, Charles Wallace, and her new friend Calvin, are taken by three mysterious alien women to help save Meg and Charles Wallace’s father, who is being held captive on a strange, evil planet. Why is it worth the read: There’s an amazing looking film adaptation coming soon! If that’s not enough, the ideas about good and evil are thought provoking and worth discussing. Readers may identify with how Meg often feels like she’s not the special one. Exactly what makes IT so evil, and what makes the darkness so pervasive and how we see it in our own world are all wonderful discussion topics. The science tie ins to dimensional theory and hyperspace may also hook some readers.
See Also: 53 Best Books on Indian History (The Complete Guide)
Sounder by William Armstrong Pages: 116 Difficulty: The language in this is pretty simple, but the fact that it’s slow moving in places as well as a small amount of colloquialisms and dialect can make it a little harder for some readers. What it’s about: This is a coming of age novel about a black boy in a sharecropping family. He and his dog, Sounder, survive hardships after his father is imprisoned. Why is it worth the read: This Newbery gem isn’t read like it used to be. However, its depiction of racial issues and poverty in the Jim Crow south still have a lot of resonance. Reading this book and pairing it with some modern discussion of how small tickets and fines can keep poor people always under water would be a good way to bring the issues even more to the forefront. The language is stark but beautiful, so it’s also worth a read for the writing. There are many other great books by African American authors that are commonly read in middle school, but most of them are a lot longer. This is one of the shortest books on this list.
Call of the Wild by Jack London Pages: 172 Difficulty: The vocabulary level and excellent descriptions make this a difficult read for many kids. It’s a good stretch book for middle schoolers. What it’s about: Buck is a well cared for city dog who is sent to the Alaskan wilderness and must learn to survive. Why is it worth the read: Obviously, this book is worth a read for its status as a classic. It’s a good choice for nature lovers since the power and cruelty of nature are major themes. The descriptions of the landscape are excellent, as well as Buck’s transformation as the story goes on. The whole theme of survival of the fittest is one that’s full of meaty discussion potential.
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt Pages: 132 Difficulty: This book is fairly easy. What it’s about: The Tuck family has the ability to live forever. A young girl, Winnie, joins them, but learns that their lives are not all others might imagine. Why is it worth the read: Babbitt is just a great storyteller and created a very good fable in this book. The language is easy to read but rich with metaphors. The book begs the reader to consider immortality for themselves and what they would do in Winnie’s place.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton Pages: 192 Difficulty: Some of the bygone language may throw kids off, but overall it’s not a very difficult book. What it’s about: This is a story of 1950’s era teenage gangs. When a fight leads to a death of a rival gang member, the main characters have to deal with consequences of their actions. Why is it worth the read: The themes of violence and youth are still ones that resonate today, especially with class overtones like in the novel. The extent to which people are a product of their environment and to which they can change their fates is also a theme. It’s also still just a compelling read for many kids.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Pages: 158 Difficulty: The language is somewhat old fashioned and may be difficult for some readers. The themes are definitely more adult than some other books on this list. What it’s about: In a future dystopia, the main character has the job of burning books. However, as the story goes on, he begins to question whether or not that’s right. Why is it worth the read: The themes definitely hit you over the head in this one. There’s nothing subtle about book burning as the story’s central plot. Even the melodrama in the characters’ personal lives is over the top. However, sometimes over the top is good for readers this age. And no one does over the top but thought provoking like Bradbury.
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin Pages: 183 Difficulty: The language in this is definitely a stretch for some readers. What it’s about: This is a coming of age story about a young man named Ged who becomes a wizard. He must grow up and undertake a quest to defeat a mysterious dark force that’s after him. Why is it worth the read: This story is so dripping with archetypal plots and characters that it nearly bursts at the seams with them. It’s incredibly well-crafted and the writing is strong. However, introducing students to these recurring archetypes in writing is a must and this book is one of the best for doing that. Reading it will enhance any fantasy reader or movie watcher’s enjoyment of the genre by deepening their understanding of it.
The Cay by Theodore Taylor Pages: 105 Difficulty: The old fashioned style of this book and the dialogue written in dialect may make it a slight stretch for some readers. What it’s about: A boy is shipwrecked and blinded and must turn to an impoverished West Indian man to help him survive. Why it’s worth the read: I have to admit that I’m not a huge fan of this novel, but some people really love it. Taylor does a great job of building up the adventure and survival elements of the story and those are things that many students love. The racial and class issues at the heart of the story are obviously worthy of discussion. In some ways, the story feels a little pat by today’s standards, so that’s definitely something to bring up in thinking about the book as well.
Crash by Jerry Spinelli Pages: 176 Difficulty: This is a pretty easy read. What it’s about: Crash and Penn, two seventh grade students, are opposites in almost every way. A series of events bring them together and force Crash to change his bullying attitudes. Why it’s worth the read: This book covers a great deal of ground in short time. There are references to literature, history, and religion. There is a lot about friendships and bullying as well as family relationships. Penn’s religious beliefs are worth a discussion. It’s also just a very identifiable “everyday kid” novel for most middle schoolers.
The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman Pages: 128 Difficulty: The language is very sparse and easy, however, some of the style and historical terms might throw off some readers. What it’s about: A young, homeless girl in the middle ages is taken in by a midwife and trained, but she may lose her confidence before she ever delivers a baby. Why it’s worth the read: This book has one of the most amazing, beautiful passages in a children’s book about confidence and the loss of it. While the story is from the middle ages and the details are true to life then, the author does an amazing job of making the themes feel very contemporary and very much something middle schoolers will identify with, especially girls.
See Also: Bài tập modal verb (Động từ khuyết thiếu) – IIE Việt Nam
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros Pages: 110 Difficulty: This is a surprisingly easy read, though the style is probably different from what most students are used to and smatterings of Spanish may throw some students off. What it’s about: This book is a series of short tales about a Latina girl growing up in Chicago. Why it’s worth the read: The writing is often lyrical and compelling. The story looks at coming of age issues like identity through a different lens than most other novels. Racial identity and immigration are both strong themes of the book as well as women’s roles. It’s very short, but it packs in a lot of worthwhile topics to consider.
A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck Pages: 160 Difficulty: The language isn’t too difficult, but it’s not a breeze either. What it’s about: These are short tales about a brother and sister and how they spend summers with their grandmother during the Depression. Why it’s worth the read: This is a hilarious book. I can’t think of many books better for looking at characterization and humor in writing. The writing makes a great creative writing model as well.
The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander Pages: 190 Difficulty: The old fashioned language is denser than some students may expect, though the plot is straightforward. What it’s about: Taran is an assistant pig-keeper who gets swept up in a quest and a fight against an invading bad guy with a prince when his magical pig is kidnapped. What it’s worth the read: Like A Wizard of Earthsea, this book is a classic of fantasy and reading it brings a better understanding of the conventions of the genre as well as archetypes in literatures. It’s also just a very well crafted, well-written, classic quest story. It’s a good book to read for sense of place as the writing vividly brings to life a world that only exists in imagination.
Westmark by Lloyd Alexander Pages: 184 Difficulty: The language is slightly dense. Some students may struggle with it. What it’s about: This is a fantasy story without magic. In Westmark, Theo becomes a wanted man through a mistake and ends up traveling with a con man and a homeless girl who is more than she seems. Why it’s worth the read: This series explores ideas related to the Enlightenment in a sort of fake European country of the 1800’s. It especially looks at what makes good governance, why freedom of the press is important, and how power corrupts. What people can morally do to survive when hunted by the law unjustly is also explored. This first volume of a series just touches on those issues, but it does it within a lively story and a short page count.
Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan Pages: 192 Difficulty: The writing is pretty easy in this book. What it’s about: A young girl is sent to an arranged marriage in India, but when she becomes a widow, she has to figure out how to make her own way, even though she’s still only a child. Why it’s worth the read: Whelan is really good at conveying complex historical and contemporary themes in a simple way through a straightforward story. This is no exception. Gender, religion, and tradition are all strong themes in this book. The symbolism of the title and the various homes that Koly finds are good ways to look at symbolism. It’s excellent for learning about one side of contemporary Indian life (it would be wise to pair it with something else, such as a film, that shows other aspects). There are literary allusions to the great writer Tagore and reading some of his poetry would be a good tie in for the novel.
The Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi Pages: 176 Difficulty: The language is fairly simple in this plot driven story. What it’s about: A Korean family struggles with what to do as World War II ends and their country is divided, with them on the wrong side of the line. It’s written like a novel, but it’s actually a memoir of the author’s childhood. Why it’s worth the read: This is a great look at history that has deep connections with current events today. It’s also a good story of political oppression and how individuals deal with it.
See Also: Stacy Green – Book Series In Order
See Also: Stacy Green – Book Series In Order
See Also: Stacy Green – Book Series In Order