Middle School

Share a book or have kids choose one to read independently. Suggestions:

• Pass It On by Henn - Here's a fun idea: When you laugh or smile--pass it on! A story about giving, sharing, and joy. 

• Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor by Valdez - A picture book biography of Joan Procter, an English woman who loved reptiles and, while a curator of reptiles at the London Zoo in the 1920s, worked with Komodo dragons.

• Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Yeboah by Thompson - In 2001, with one strong leg, Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah bicycled 400 miles around Ghana to spread the message that "being disabled does not mean being unable".

• Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music by Engle - Follows a girl in the 1920s as she strives to become a drummer, despite being continually reminded that only boys play the drums. 

• The Right Word: Roget and his Thesaurus by Bryant - If only all the ideas in the world could be found in one place."With this in mind, chronic list-maker Peter Mark Roget wrote his Thesaurus, published in 1852.

• Trombone Shorty by Andrews - A picture book autobiography by Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, who hails from the Treme neighborhood in New Orleans' 6th Ward. By the time he reached six, this prodigy was playing trumpet and trombone in a jazz band led by his older brother.

• Rescue and Jessica: A Life Changing Friendship by Kensky - When he is paired with a girl who has lost her legs, Rescue worries that he isn't up to the task of being her service dog.

• Nya's Long Walk: A Step at a Time by Park - When her little sister, Akeer, becomes sick as they are returning home from the water hole, Nya must carry her and the water back to their village, one step at a time.

• It Began With a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way by Maclear - Presents an illustrated biography of American illustrator and children's book author, Gyo Fujikawa.

• Wilma Unlimited by Krull - A biography of the African-American woman who overcame crippling polio as a child to become the first woman to win three gold medals in track in a single Olympics.

• Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Sanders - Traces the [history] of the Gay Pride Flag, from its beginnings with social activist Harvey Milk and designer Gilbert Baker to its spanning of the globe and its role in today's world.

• Malala's Magic Pencil by Yousafzai - As a child in Pakistan, Malala made a wish for a magic pencil. She would use it to make everyone happy, to erase the smell of garbage from her city, to sleep an extra hour in the morning. But as she grew older, Malala saw that there were more important things to wish for. She saw a world that needed fixing. And even if she never found a magic pencil, Malala realized that she could still work hard every day to make her wishes come true.