At El Rancho, we pride ourselves on fostering self-discovery. Whether it be in our classrooms or outside of them, we want each of our students to find out what interests them on their own terms.

One way our students, as well as our faculty and staff, like to do this is through reading. It’s why we created a book club where students can discuss a book as a group, away from any pressure felt from the ordinary classroom setting. And a designated reading period so they can focus on what they are reading on their own.

This year, we took our love for a good book further by participating in Read Across America, an international awareness day where students get to hear one book start to finish throughout the school day.

We chose to read as a school Crossover written by Kwame Alexander. It follows two African-America twin brothers that share a love for basketball but find themselves drifting apart as they head into junior year of high school. It confronts race, hardship, family and, ultimately, resilience in the teenage years.

To encourage our students to continue to read and find what fits best with their interests, we’ve put together a few books that we think they may like. Check out this list for a few ideas on what your middle schooler can read next:

  • The Music of Dolphins
    • A girl raised by dolphins must choose between two worlds in this critically acclaimed novel by Karen Hesse about what it means to be a human being. We recommend this book because it focuses on the value of family and identity – two very important things in a maturing child’s life.
  • Counting by 7’s
    • This novel, written by Holly Goldberg Sloan, introduces Willow Chance, a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7’s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life. We chose this book because it helps children deal with and understand death and grief.
  • Wishtree
    • This book, written by K. A. Applegate, introduces Red, an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood “wishtree” – people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red’s branches. Along with a crow named Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red’s hollows, this wishtree watches over the neighborhood. We like it for its message about inclusion, friendship and religious tolerance in a time of turmoil.
  • The Hundred Dresses
    • This 1945 classic is a novel written by Eleanor Estes about the effects of bullying. When students begin targeting a classmate who wears the same dress to school each day, she claims that she has 100 dresses at home. The bullying intensifies until the girl is pulled from school. Dealing with bullying, peer pressure and racial discrimination in a relatable way, we think this book is a good read for middle school students.
  • Legacy and the Queen
    •  Written and created by Annie Matthew and Kobe Bryant, this novel focuses on a 12-year-old girl in a kingdom ruled by a mysterious queen who dreams of attaining her sport’s highest prize. This fantasy series mixes magic, dystopia and tennis with a strong, determined heroine. We chose it because it revolves around empowering young women to be passionate and determined and proves anyone can get through tough times.

See a book that looks interesting to you or your child? You can speak with our librarian, Carol Anne McGuire who can help you find it for free at our El Rancho library.