It is World War II and the Nazis are persecuting Jews all over Europe. Thirteen year old Anne Frank, her elder sister Margot, father, Otto, and mother, Edith are a Jewish family living in  Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. In July, 1942, when tensions rise, the Frank family goes into hiding. They hide in the Secret Annex, a three-story space of small rooms and stairways. The entrance to the Secret Annex is hidden by a moveable bookshelf. With eight people sharing limited space and supplies, quarrels are persistent in the tense atmosphere. Amidst this, Anne finds her diary as a source of comfort and shares her feelings with this friend whom she calls Kitty. Anne’s last diary entry is dated August 1 st, 1944. Three days later, on August 4th, the Gestapo arrest all the Annex members due to an anonymous tip. Read this tragic story to find out who lives on and who perishes.

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank is an intriguing book which gives a detailed insight into the struggles and hardships Jews faced during the Holocaust. Since it is in a diary form and vividly portrays the families’ day to day struggles, the reader feels as though they are in the Secret Annex. The information in the end explains to the reader about the fate of each character in the concentration camps. This can also serve as an excellent primary source in research projects about the Holocaust.

My Amazing Life in Photos by National Geographic is truly a fun, wacky, and inspirational photo scrapbook.

Snap tons of pictures in a variety of topics and paste them in these pretty backgrounds. A category of “All About Me” allows you to put pictures of you from a cute, little baby all the way to a big kid. Where do you live? Bring to life your bright, spectacular bedroom and pretty neighborhood with vivid pictures. Frame a picture of your family and don’t forget about your special pet! Put a class picture and those unforgettable moments with your friends and buddies. Don’t forget to put in all the fun stuff you enjoy doing during your free time. Also, explore your many vacations through the pictures you put on the festive pages. Celebrate with your birthday pictures flying high in balloons. Plus, there’s one whole section dedicated to your pictures in different moods.

My Amazing Life in Photos is a treasurable book in which kids can preserve a lifetime of memorable pictures. The pages have backgrounds which match up with the different themes. For example in the section where kids can put pictures of games and toys they love, there is a background of the game “Operation”. The frames add to the professionalism of this scrapbook since the section about family portraits has the traditional brown oval frames. Also, with each picture, there is a line provided to write a caption so that the meaning of the picture is saved forever. There are lots of tips provided on how to capture the best shot by playing with the zoom and light effects, which will definitely enhance your photo-taking skills.

Elie Wiesel is a 13 year old Jewish boy growing up in the village of Sighet located in Hungary. It is 1943 in the midst of the Holocaust, yet the Jewish families in Sighet believe that there is nothing to fear about Hitler and that the situation is not as bad as it sounds. But, one ordinary day in 1944, the Germans appear in Sighet and Elie knows that his life will change forever. Once at the concentration camp of Birkenau, Elie is separated from his mother and sisters, and his only family member with him is his father. Together, the two endure laborious work and starvation thrown upon them by the brutal Gestapo. Their only wish is that they do not get separated and to avoid selection. Through many tiring marches to different concentration camps, will Elie and his father manage to stay together?

The tragedy and history in Night is suitable for middle school and high school kids. Elie Wiesel brings out the inhumanity he faced in the camps, making this book a good primary source on the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel even uses lots of similes, metaphors, and foreshadowing to portray the situation. When he says, “We can’t let them kill us like that, like cattle in the slaughterhouse,” (31), I was shocked at how the mass murders occurred in the crematorium and learned that the prisoners were surrounded by death everywhere. This book truly passes the word that history must not repeat itself–genocides like the Holocaust should never happen again.

Animal Farm by George Orwell depicts true events through a group of animal’s fight for power.

Mr. Jones, the owner of Manor Farm shows apathy towards his farm animals. Soon, Old Major, a respected pig on the farm gathers all the animals on the farm and brings about the idea of rebellion. Even after Old Major dies, the rebellion continues and the animals overthrow Mr. Jones. Three pigs, Napoleon, Snowball, and Squealer, expand on Old Major’s preachings and come up with the Seven Commandments of Animalism, stating that all animals are equal and that humans are enemies. At first, all the animals are proud to follow these Commandments. However, Napoleon and Snowball soon get into heated arguments and Napoleon expels Snowball from the farm. This is the beginning of Napoleon’s absolute power and torturous rule over the animals. Slowly, the Seven Commandments change and the pigs begin acting as humans, thus betraying Old Major’s principles.

Animal Farm is an amazing book for all ages. The animal story will touch the hearts of young kids. But, actually this book uses animals as an allegory to depict the Russian Revolution of 1917. All the characters in the book have actual human counterparts such as Napoleon who represents Joseph Stalin and Snowball who represents Leon Trotsky. I enjoyed comprehending the events to understand the Russian Revolution. For example, when Snowball is banished from Animal Farm by Napoleon, it symbolizes Trotsky’s exile from Russia by Stalin. To thoroughly enjoy this book, I suggest keeping a list of all the characters’ human counterparts.

Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, is a story of friendship and hardship.

George and Lennie are two men who are best friends. Lennie, with a huge build, is not mentally sound and often acts like a little child. George, the exact opposite of Lennie, is short and straight to the point. Together they work on a ranch, hoping to gather enough money to buy their dream house – a small farm with rabbits, chickens, and alfalfa. However, Lennie, who is immature, often gets in trouble with Curley, the ranch boss’s son. As a true friend, George supports and cares for Lennie through all his hardships. However, one day Lennie takes things too far by accidentally strangling Curley’s newly-wed wife. How will George manage to help Lennie in this tragic incident?

Of Mice and Men is an amazing book for teens. It realistically portrays the two men’s friendship through good times and hard times and their everlasting support of each other until the very end. At times, the plot is dramatic and the story turns in ways I would never have expected. The unexpected ending mystified me and left me with mixed feelings. However, the author’s descriptions helped me clearly picture the plight of the ranch workers during the Great Depression.

BOOK NAME: Moon Over Manifest
AUTHOR: Clare Vanderpool

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool is one girl’s journey to learn more about her father’s
early days.

In the summer of 1936, twelve year old Abilene is sent by Gideon, her father, to Manifest,
Kansas, his hometown. Here, in a room, Abilene discovers a cigar box filled with letters, a fishing lure,
doll, cork, and skeleton key. Her mind is stuck as to whether these mementos belong to her father.
While on her quest to learn more about her father’s childhood days, she enters Miss Sadie’s divining
parlor, the Path to Perdition. Miss Sadie tells her the adventurous, yet tragic story of two boys, Ned and
Jinx, from 1918 Manifest. Still, there is no mention of Gideon. Abilene tries to make connections
between the stories and the mementos. Where is Gideon’s place in this story? Read the book to find out.

This 2011 Newbery Medal Winner is an all-star read for middle school kids. Readers will get
involved with Abilene’s adventure, and they, too, will wonder who Gideon was when he was a boy. Also,
at the end so many mysteries come together that the reader will be amazed with the contemplative
mind of the author. The author sets up the plot wonderfully by incorporating newspaper articles and
written letters. Page after page, stories, connections, and wonders build on, making the reader want to
keep reading this book.

BOOK NAME: Where the Red Fern Grows
AUTHOR: Wilson Rawls

Where the Red Fern Grows is a book that shows hard work, adventure, victory, and grief. It is a
fictional book written by Wilson Rawls.

Billy is a young adventurous boy living in Ozark country. Hunting has been his sport and he has
always longed for two hunting hounds. Billy finally gathers enough money through his hard work and
gets his two hounds. He names the smaller female dog, Little Ann, and the tougher male dog, Old Dan.
They make the best loving team of three; the dogs are a pair who will never leave each other’s side. Old
Dan has the courage to fight, Little Ann is the planner and has the common sense, and encouraging Billy
leads them into the hunt atmosphere. Soon, they participate in a big hunt competition which is having
some of the most talented coon hunters and hounds in the nation. Danger awaits them in this unfamiliar
land, but what about victory? Read the book to uncover the answer.

This book is a perfect classic read for any middle school child. It has all the ingredients to a
delightful soup. A tasty plot that has you continuously reading, conflicts that arouse, a catchy
introduction, and personal in-depth characters all add to the wonders of the meal. However, the author
overdoes the heartbreaking ending, so be ready for some tearful tragedy. There are detailed
descriptions like “It screamed its way into the cave and rang like a blacksmith’s anvil against the rock
walls” (47), painting vivid pictures in the readers’ mind. So head out to the library and enjoy a fabulous
read.

BOOK NAME: The Glory Field
AUTHOR: Walter Dean Myers

The Glory Field, a realistic historical fiction book by Walter Dean Myers, is a story of many generations of an African-American family. It shows that struggle can often lead to success.

In 1753, Muhammad Bilal is captured from Africa, put on a slave ship, and brought to a plantation in Curry, South Carolina. During the 1860′s, some of his descendants secretly run away and go off to fight for the Unions in the Civil War. Soon after in 1900, the descendants of this African-American Lewis family are free and work on the small plot of land that they own. Luvenia Lewis accomplishes her goals to succeed in a segregated country in the 1930′s. Soon after, in 1964, Tommy Lewis shows his inner courage by helping in the fight for equality. Malcolm Lewis is born in the modern equal world, but struggles to get his cousin off drugs. The whole family sticks together with family reunions in their original land on Curry–the Glory Field.

This book is well written and others should read it. The author ties in all of the important historical times for African-Americans helping me get a deeper understanding. For example, the 1860′s describes slavery and the Civil War, and the 1930′s section develops on the idea of the Great Migration of African-Americans from the South to the North. The characters change in some of the sections, but this is not confusing, because there is a timeline in the beginning to show the relationships between the characters.

BOOK NAME: Oogy
AUTHOR: Larry Levin

Oogy, by Larry Levin, is a true book about the author’s special dog. The moral of this story is that
be it animal or person, looks don’t account for love.

Oogy, a bait dog used in dog fights, loses his ear and suffers life threatening injuries in one of
the fights. He is brought to an animal hospital and is surgically treated even though his chances of
survival are very minimal. However, Oogy slowly recovers, and is adopted by Larry Levin and his family.
They love having Oogy as a pet. Passersby fear Oogy because of his distorted face, but after seeing his
playful self, they fall in love with him. For the Levin family, Oogy becomes the fifth member of the family
because he needs more care and because he is very affectionate. The Levin family and Oogy have a
loving and protective mutual relationship.

I would recommend Oogy for kids of all ages. The author really brings out his dog, Oogy, as a
symbol of hope. I like how the part about the surgery process is very descriptive, yet not gruesome and
disgusting. Also, there are many pictures at the end of the book, which help readers visualize and
connect to the different scenes. Oogy is an interesting book in which readers will experience the
different emotions and feel pity, happiness, joy, and comfort. This book really brings out the
phrase “dogs are a man’s best friend”.

BOOK NAME: Code Talker
AUTHOR: Joseph Bruchac

Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac is a memoir of one Navajo’s true life which is filled with pride, humiliation, and struggle.

Ned Begay is only a 6 year old Navajo boy when he leaves his parents to go to a boarding school, where he learns the ways of the white people. A few years later, America is whisked into World War II and bilingual Navajos are desperately needed. Courageous Ned signs up for the Marines and is engrossed with a confidential job of a code talker. He learns and helps add to a special Navajo code, on which the lives of thousands of Americans depend on during this war. Ned succeeds with this challenge and faces many dangerous battles in the Pacific while radioing back messages in the Navajo code. Ned, along with his fellow Navajo code talkers, uses his native tongue to protect his beloved country.

This amazing novel which brings out Navajo culture and traditions would be enjoyed by middle school kids. I like how this book depicts the Pacific side of World War II. The descriptions of the war scenes are detailed. However, the violence does not go too much in depth, so it is still pleasant to read. Readers will be astounded with what a big role the Navajos played in the war and how their special code worked. There are many examples of words in the Navajo code giving readers an insight into the code and elevating the excitement.