We’re closing out our Summer Reading “For Fans Of” series with our last age group, grades 6 to 8! In our last post, we posed some questions that could ask to get kids thinking across their texts to keep their brains energized during the summer. Additional questions and probes are listed below:
- How did the authors use symbolism in their books? What were some of the symbols in the two books? Did they relate in any way? Why or why not?
- Did the main characters change over the course of the books? How?
- What big lesson did you learn from this book? How did that impact you?
See our Diverse Summer Reading List for the full list of titles from grades PreK to grade 8.
For fans of One Crazy Summer: try Ahimsa
Although they experience life during different time periods, both female protagonists demonstrate grit and resilience during critical historical milestones, such as the Civil Rights movement in the United States and the quest for independence from Britain in India. In Ahimsa, Gandhi asks for one member of each family to join the fight for independence from the British, and when main character Anjali’s mother is jailed for doing so, Anjali must step out of her comfort zone to take over her mother’s work.
For fans of March: try Grand Theft Horse
Lovers of the March trilogy will find another inspirational activist in Gail Ruffu in Grand Theft Horse. Author G. Neri shares the powerful story of his cousin, Gail, who stole a racehorse in order to save it, and ended up taking on the whole racing industry to fight for the humane treatment of animals.
For fans of The Poet X: try Under the Mesquite
Lupita, a budding actor and poet in a close-knit Mexican American immigrant family, struggles with adult responsibilities during her mother’s long illness in Under the Mesquite. Xiomara from The Poet X and Lupita of Under the Mesquite are both grappling with the realities of being a teenager, dealing with their families, and using their artistic passions in wonderful coming-of-age stories. What else do these fabulous books have in common? Both are winners of the Pura Belpré Award from the American Library Association.
For purchasing information, you can also view our complete collections from the Summer Reading List below:
Summer Reading Collection Grades PreK-2
Summer Reading Collection Grades 3-5
Summer Reading Collection Grades 6-8
More in this series:
Diverse Summer Reading Recommendations for Grades PreK-2
Diverse Summer Reading Recommendations for Grades 3-5
We hope you all enjoyed reading about various comparison titles in the different grade bands. Feel free to let us know in the comments below what diverse titles you recommend for grades 6 to 8.
