20 Best Books For 8Th Graders To Read (2023 Update)

From the bestselling author of the hit netflix series, virgin river! in sullivan's crossing, #1 new york times bestselling author robyn carr has created a place where good people, powerful emotions, great humor and a healthy dose of common sense are the key ingredients to a happy life. sullivan's crossing brings out the best in people. it's a place you'll want to visit again and again.dr. leigh culver loves practicing medicine in timberlake, colorado. it is a much-needed change of pace from her stressful life in chicago. the only drawback is she misses her aunt helen, the woman who raised her. but it's time that leigh has her independence, and she hopes the beauty of the colorado wilderness will entice her aunt to visit often.helen culver is an independent woman who lovingly raised her sister's orphaned child. now, with leigh grown, it's time for her to live life for herself. the retired teacher has become a successful mystery writer who loves to travel and intends to never experience winter again.when helen visits leigh, she is surprised to find her niece still needs her, especially when it comes to sorting out her love life. but the biggest surprise comes when leigh takes helen out to sullivan's crossing and helen finds herself falling for the place and one special person. helen and leigh will each have to decide if they can open themselves up to love neither expected to find and seize the opportunity to live their best lives.

Deza is the smartest girl in her class in gary, indiana, singled out by teachers for a special path in life. but it's 1936 and the great depression has hit gary hard, and there are no jobs for black men. when her beloved father leaves to find work, deza, mother, and her older brother, jimmie, go in search of him, and end up in a hooverville outside flint, michigan. jimmie's beautiful voice inspires him to leave the camp to be a performer, while deza and mother find a new home, and cling to the hope that they will find father. the twists and turns of their story reveal the devastation of the depression and prove that deza truly is the mighty miss malone.

An instant national bestseller! an indie next pick! a most anticipated in 2021 pick for oprah magazine | usa today | buzzfeed | greatist | book – page | pop – sugar | bustle | the nerd daily | goodreads | literary hub | ms. magazine | library journal | culturess | book riot | parade magazine | kirkus | the week | book bub | over – drive | the portalist | publishers weekly – a best of summer pick for time magazine | cnn | book riot | the daily beast | lambda literary | the milwaukee journal sentinel | goodreads | bustle | veranda magazine | the week | bookish | st. louis post-dispatch | den of geek | lgbtq reads | pittsburgh city paper | bookstr | tatler hka best of 2021 pick for npr“a vibrant and queer reinvention of f. scott fitzgerald's jazz age classic. . . . i was captivated from the first sentence.”—npr“a sumptuous, decadent read.”—the new york times“vo has crafted a retelling that, in many ways, surpasses the original.”—kirkus reviews, starred review – immigrant. socialite. magician. – jordan baker grows up in the most rarefied circles of 1920s american society—she has money, education, a killer golf handicap, and invitations to some of the most exclusive parties of the jazz age. she’s also queer and asian, a vietnamese adoptee treated as an exotic attraction by her peers, while the most important doors remain closed to her. – but the world is full of wonders: infernal pacts and dazzling illusions, lost ghosts and elemental mysteries. in all paper is fire, and jordan can burn the cut paper heart out of a man. she just has to learn how. – nghi vo’s debut novel, the chosen and the beautiful, reinvents this classic of the american canon as a coming-of-age story full of magic, mystery, and glittering excess, and introduces a major new literary voice.

Illusions shatter—and sophie and her friends face impossible choices—in this astonishing eighth book in the new york times and usa today bestselling keeper of the lost cities series. sophie foster wants answers. but after a lifetime of lies, sometimes the truth is the most dangerous discovery. even the smallest secret comes with terrifying new responsibilities. and sophie’s not the only one with blank spots in her past, or mysteries surrounding her family. she and her friends are part of something much bigger than they imagined—and their roles have already been chosen for them. every clue drags them deeper into the conspiracy. every memory forces them to question everything—especially one another. and the harder they fight, the more the lines blur between friend and enemy.

An unforgettable novel about finding a lost piece of yourself in someone else. khaled hosseini, the #1 new york times bestselling author of the kite runner and a thousand splendid suns, has written a new novel about how we love, how we take care of one another, and how the choices we make resonate through generations. in this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for one another and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us.

Graystripe and millie's journey to find thunderclan has only just begun when the pair is faced with a series of obstacles that seem insurmountable. getting out of twolegplace alive isn't nearly as simple as expected, and millie's unfamiliarity with life in the wild makes it a challenge for graystripe to keep them both moving forward. but just when a temporary refuge is in sight, conflict with a tribe of barn cats threatens to break the travelers apart for good! ages 10 and up.

In the war-ravaged england of 1940, lottie bromley and her best friend kitty mclaughlin are inseparable. theyt read their favorite books, they play imaginary games, and they promise to stick together, no matter what the future may bring. but that future is more uncertain than they could imagine, as lottie's scientist father has unearthed a staggering truth: time travel is real. and when this discovery attracts the attention of cruel forces, throwing the two girls into peril, lottie is faced with an impossible choice between danger and safety, between remaining with her friend or following a portal to another time and place. in a split second, lottie's life changes forever. alone and far from home, unsure of kitty's fate, she know that somehow, no matter what, she must find her way back to her friend. beautifully rendered and utterly absorbing, once was a time is an imaginative and timeless tribute to the unbreakable ties of friendship.

A #1 new york times bestseller, wall street journal best book of the year, and soon to be a major motion picture, this unforgettable novel of love and strength in the face of war has enthralled a generation. with courage, grace, and powerful insight, bestselling author kristin hannah captures the epic panorama of world war ii and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women's war. the nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in german-occupied, war-torn france—a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. it is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.goodreads best historical novel of the year – people's choice favorite fiction winner – #1 indie next selection – a buzzfeed and the week best book of the year praise for the nightingale:"haunting, action-packed, and compelling." —christina baker kline, #1 new york times bestselling author"absolutely riveting!… read this book." —dr. miriam klein kassenoff, director of the university of miami holocaust teacher institute"beautifully written and richly evocative." —sara gruen, #1 new york times bestselling author“a hauntingly rich wwii novel about courage, brutality, love, survival—and the essence of what makes us human.” —family circle“a heart-pounding story.” —usa today"an enormous story. richly satisfying. i loved it." —anne rice"a respectful and absorbing page-turner." —kirkus reviews"tender, compelling…a satisfying slice of life in nazi-occupied france." —jewish book council“expect to devour the nightingale in as few sittings as possible; the high-stakes plot and lovable characters won’t allow any rest until all of their fates are known.” —shelf awareness"i loved the nightingale." —lisa see, #1 new york times bestselling author"powerful…an unforgettable portrait of love and war." —people

The most eagerly anticipated book in history becomes the biggest paperback release of 2004! in his fifth year at hogwart's, harry faces challenges at every turn, from the dark threat of he-who-must-not-be- named and the unreliability of the government of the magical world to the rise of ron weasley as the keeper of the gryffindor quidditch team. along the way he learns about the strength of his friends, the fierceness of his enemies, and the meaning of sacrifice.

*winner of the pulitzer prize* a new york times book review top ten book* a national book award finalist* from anthony doerr, the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning author of cloud cuckoo land, the beautiful, stunningly ambitious instant new york times bestseller about a blind french girl and a german boy whose paths collide in occupied france as both try to survive the devastation of world war ii. *soon to be a netflix limited series from the producers of stranger things*marie-laure lives in paris near the museum of natural history, where her father works. when she is twelve, the nazis occupy paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of saint-malo, where marie-laure’s reclusive great uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. with them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel. in a mining town in germany, werner pfennig, an orphan, grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find that brings them news and stories from places they have never seen or imagined. werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments and is enlisted to use his talent to track down the resistance. deftly interweaving the lives of marie-laure and werner, doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. doerr’s “stunning sense of physical detail and gorgeous metaphors” (san francisco chronicle) are dazzling.

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin celaena sardothien is dragged before the crown prince. prince dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. if she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, westfall, challenging and exhilarating. but she's bored stiff by court life. things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her … but it's the gruff captain westfall who seems to understand her best. then one of the other contestants turns up dead … quickly followed by another. can celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? as the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

A new york times 100 notable books of 2019 selection from #1 new york times bestselling author stephen king, the most riveting and unforgettable story of kids confronting evil since it.in the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban minneapolis, intruders silently murder luke ellis’s parents and load him into a black suv. the operation takes less than two minutes. luke will wake up at the institute, in a room that looks just like his own, except there’s no window. and outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids with special talents—telekinesis and telepathy—who got to this place the same way luke did: kalisha, nick, george, iris, and ten-year-old avery dixon. they are all in front half. others, luke learns, graduated to back half, “like the roach motel,” kalisha says. in this most sinister of institutions, the director, mrs. sigsby, and her staff are ruthlessly dedicated to extracting from these children the force of their extranormal gifts. there are no scruples here. if you go along, you get tokens for the vending machines. if you don’t, punishment is brutal. as each new victim disappears to back half, luke becomes more and more desperate to get out and get help. but no one has ever escaped from the institute. as psychically terrifying as firestarter, and with the spectacular kid power of it, the institute is stephen king’s gut-wrenchingly dramatic story of good vs. evil in a world where the good guys don’t always win.

The first book in the worldwide bestselling fallen series is now a motion picture available for streaming! #1 new york times bestseller a usa today bestseller – more than 3 million series copies in print! dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, fallen by lauren kate is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story. there's something achingly familiar about daniel grigori. – mysterious and aloof, he captures luce price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the sword & cross boarding school in sultry savannah, georgia. he's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. – even though daniel wants nothing to do with luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can't let it go. drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her." sexy and fascinating and scary . . . i loved loved loved it!"–new york times bestselling author p.c. cast

#1 new york times bestseller – named one of the best books of the year by booklist in her now classic novel outlander, diana gabaldon told the story of claire randall, an english ex-combat nurse who walks through a stone circle in the scottish highlands in 1946, and disappears . . . into 1743. the story unfolded from there in seven bestselling novels, and cnn has called it "a grand adventure written on a canvas that probes the heart, weighs the soul and measures the human spirit across centuries]." now the story continues in written in my own heart's blood. 1778: france declares war on great britain, the british army leaves philadelphia, and george washington's troops leave valley forge in pursuit. at this moment, jamie fraser returns from a presumed watery grave to discover that his best friend has married his wife, his illegitimate son has discovered (to his horror) who his father really is, and his beloved nephew, ian, wants to marry a quaker. meanwhile, jamie's wife, claire, and his sister, jenny, are busy picking up the pieces. the frasers can only be thankful that their daughter brianna and her family are safe in twentieth-century scotland. or not. in fact, brianna is searching for her own son, who was kidnapped by a man determined to learn her family's secrets. her husband, roger, has ventured into the past in search of the missing boy . . . never suspecting that the object of his quest has not left the present. now, with roger out of the way, the kidnapper can focus on his true target: brianna herself. written in my own heart's blood is the brilliant next chapter in a masterpiece of the imagination unlike any other. praise for written in my own heart's blood " written in my own heart's blood] features all the passion and swashbuckling that fans of this historical fantasy series have come to expect."–people "another breakneck, rip-roaring, oh-so-addictive page-turner from gabaldon . . . take a deep breath, jump aboard, and enjoy the ride."–library journal "with her outlander series, gabaldon . . . successfully juggles] a sizable and captivating cast of characters; developing thrilling plotlines that borrow equally from adventure, history, and romance; and meticulously integrating a wealth of fascinating period details into the story without slowing down the pace. the result is a sprawling and enthralling saga that is guaranteed to keep readers up long past their bedtimes."–booklist (starred review)

An international bestseller over 80 million copies sold worldwide – a pbs great american read top 100 pick – a special 25th anniversary edition of the extraordinary international bestseller, including a new foreword by paulo coelho. – combining magic, mysticism, wisdom and wonder into an inspiring tale of self-discovery, the alchemist has become a modern classic, selling millions of copies around the world and transforming the lives of countless readers across generations. – paulo coelho's masterpiece tells the mystical story of santiago, an andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. his quest will lead him to riches far different—and far more satisfying—than he ever imagined. santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.

The critically acclaimed and commercially beloved novel about a young girl's murder in suburban pennsylvania and her journey for justice from the afterlife. once in a generation a novel comes along that taps a vein of universal human experience, resonating with readers of all ages. the lovely bones is such a book — a #1 bestseller celebrated at once for its artistry, for its luminous clarity of emotion, and for its astonishing power to lay claim to the hearts of millions of readers around the world." my name was salmon, like the fish; first name, susie. i was fourteen when i was murdered on december 6, 1973." so begins the story of susie salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her — her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, the lovely bones succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy.

The critically acclaimed and commercially beloved novel about a young girl's murder in suburban pennsylvania and her journey for justice from the afterlife. once in a generation a novel comes along that taps a vein of universal human experience, resonating with readers of all ages. the lovely bones is such a book — a #1 bestseller celebrated at once for its artistry, for its luminous clarity of emotion, and for its astonishing power to lay claim to the hearts of millions of readers around the world." my name was salmon, like the fish; first name, susie. i was fourteen when i was murdered on december 6, 1973." so begins the story of susie salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her — her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, the lovely bones succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy.

Winner of the newbery medal and the national book award! this #1 new york times bestselling, modern classic in which boys are forced to dig holes day in and day out is now available with a splashy new look. stanley yelnats is under a curse. a curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of yelnatses. now stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, camp green lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. there is no lake at camp green lake. but there are an awful lot of holes. it doesn't take long for stanley to realize there's more than character improvement going on at camp green lake. the boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. but what could be buried under a dried-up lake? stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment–and redemption. includes a double bonus: an excerpt from small steps, the follow-up to holes, as well as an excerpt from louis sachar's new middle-grade novel, fuzzy mud. "a smart jigsaw puzzle of a novel." –the new york times winner of the boston globe-horn book award a new york times book review notable children's book selected for numerous best book of the year and ala honors

Winner of the newbery medal and the national book award! this #1 new york times bestselling, modern classic in which boys are forced to dig holes day in and day out is now available with a splashy new look. stanley yelnats is under a curse. a curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of yelnatses. now stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, camp green lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. there is no lake at camp green lake. but there are an awful lot of holes. it doesn't take long for stanley to realize there's more than character improvement going on at camp green lake. the boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. but what could be buried under a dried-up lake? stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment–and redemption. includes a double bonus: an excerpt from small steps, the follow-up to holes, as well as an excerpt from louis sachar's new middle-grade novel, fuzzy mud. "a smart jigsaw puzzle of a novel." –the new york times winner of the boston globe-horn book award a new york times book review notable children's book selected for numerous best book of the year and ala honors

Barbara dee explores the subject of #me – too for the middle grade audience in this heart-wrenching–and ultimately uplifting–novel about experiencing harassment and unwanted attention from classmates. – for seventh-grader mila, it starts with some boys giving her an unwanted hug on the school blacktop. a few days later, at recess, one of the boys (and fellow trumpet player) callum tells mila it's his birthday, and asks her for a "birthday hug." he's just being friendly, isn't he? and how can she say no? but callum's hug lasts a few seconds too long, and feels…weird. according to her friend, zara, mila is being immature and overreacting. doesn't she know what flirting looks like? but the boys don't leave mila alone. on the bus. in the halls. during band practice–the one place mila could always escape. – it doesn't feel like flirting–so what is it? thanks to a chance meeting, mila begins to find solace in a new place: karate class. slowly, with the help of a fellow classmate, mila learns how to stand her ground and how to respect others–and herself. – from the author of everything i know about you, halfway normal, and star-crossed comes this timely story of a middle school girl standing up and finding her voice."