Middle School Summer Reading

The Winchester Thurston Middle School Summer Reading Program consists of two main components: Advisory Summer Reading and Required Summer Reading for Academic classes. You will find all of the needed information on this page for both components, so be sure to review the information for Advisory Summer Reading and any required reading for your classes based on your grade level.

All reading requirements must be completed before August 25, 2026, the start of the 2026-2027 school year.

All Middle School Students

Middle School Advisory:

This summer the entire Middle School Community will be engaging in summer reading that will connect to our Advisory theme of the 2026-27 School Year: Perseverance. Each student chose a book from a curated list, and they will read the novel over the summer, thinking about the ways that perseverance played a role in the story.

A copy of the selected book was provided for all. If you are new to our Middle School Community, be sure to get a copy from the Admission office. When we return to school in the fall, we will host book talk discussions and other fun activities! Find additional resources to guide your reading, like sample reading calendars, ways to access audiobooks, and guiding questions in this guide.

Although students already chose the book they would like to read, you can find the complete list of options here:

The Running Dream - Van Draanen
Ten Thousand Tries - Makechenie
Take Back the Block - Giles
New From Here - Yang
Focused - Gerber
Sparkle - Wilson
Paradise on Fire - Rhodes

Sixth Grade

English Requirements

Modern Languages Requirements

For Spanish:

Students in Spanish should choose at least one of the summer reading options listed below. Before reading, be sure to check out Señora Hartung’s tips and suggestions .

Option 1: Las Aventuras de Miguelito by Fabiola Canale
Option 2: Sebas en el patio by Nicole Hartung

For French:

Students going into seventh grade French much read one book on Flangoo and take quizzes after each chapter. Students are encouraged to engage with additional reading. Suggestion are found here.

For Mandarin:

Students in Mandarin will read three short stories or chapters in DuChinese over the summer. After finishing each story, complete this short survey to get credit for that reading. (You will fill this out three times.) Happy reading!

Eighth Grade

English Requirements
Modern Languages Requirements

English Requirements

All students must read The Hunger Games (Collins) AND choose one title from the list below:

House in the Cerulean Sea - Klune
Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows - Calejo
Elatsoe - Badger
Children of Blood and Bone - Adeyemi
Unwind - Shusterman
The Beasts We Bury - Taylor
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky - Mbalia
The Kingdom - Rothenberg
Renegades - Meyer
The Last Dragon on Mars - Reintgen
Snow Globe - Park

Modern Languages Requirements

For Spanish:

Students in Spanish should choose at least one of the options listed below. Before reading, be sure to check out Señora Hartung’s tips and suggestions.

Option 1: Armando el alpaca aventurera by Teryn Henderson
Option 2: El camino de Samuel by Penny Dean

For French:

Students going into eighth grade French must read one book on Flangoo and take the quizzes after each chapter. Students are encouraged to engage with additional reading. Suggestions are found here.

For Mandarin:

For questions, contact Middle School Librarian, Kira Senedak.

Additional Resources

Some of our favorite books are listed below. Of course, there are many other great reads for your family to explore this summer! For additional suggestions, ask your local librarian or click on the following links:

Association for Library Services for Children 2026 Summer Reading Lists

American Library Association Youth Media Awards for 2026

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Graded Booklists

School Library Journal’s Best Books of 2025

Download the Middle School Summer Reading Guide Here