Desert Island Reading Lists
Wildwood Middle School
CHLOE B.
Class of 2023
The Lunar Chronicles is a series of science fiction books filled with action, suspense and a hint of romance. It just keeps getting better and better as you read on! It is action packed and provides twists on classic Fairy Tales. It is placed years past World War Four and is intriguing and once you start reading you never want to put the books down! The series is based on classic Fairy Tales such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Snow White.
Class of 2023
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Wonderstruck is an absolutely phenomenal book full of amazing, intricate drawings and text. It tells the story of two young children, Ben and Rose, with two separate stories that eventually merge together into one. Both children have one thing in common - the desire to seek out what they are missing. Told through both pictures and words, this book is an exciting read that will keep you wanting more and always wondering what is going to happen next. The text in this book is so incredibly detailed that you can make a vivid picture in your mind of the scenes without the pictures. Each of the 460 pages drawn in this book were beautifully designed and created by the incredibly talented artist and writer Brian Selznick. So if you want a book full of adventure, that will challenge you to keep up with both stories, I encourage you to read this one.
ELIANA B.
Class of 2023
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
This book hooks you from the first sentence. It completely teleports you to another world and there isn’t a slow second. The world building is so great and well written. There’s only a little cursing and romance in it. This book takes place in a dystopian future in which people spend more time in the Oasis, a video game, than in the real world. The creator of the Oasis died and said that the first to find his hidden easter egg will get everything he owned. It’s been many years since his death and people are starting to give up hope.
ETHAN C.
Class of 2023
The Eye of Minds (The Mortality Doctrine series) by James Dashner
The Mortality Doctrine series is an intriguing YA dystopian science fiction thriller series by James Dashner. It is completely clean and is very involved. It is about a world where the virtual world plays a big role in society. This story plays with your perspective on trust, as some characters can be trusted and some cannot. There is suspense, action, many plot twists, good character development, and an element of unknown setting, similar to Inception. There is new information revealed at key points in the story, but not enough to make it predictable, so that the reader is compelled to read more. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys science fiction thrillers.
NEORAH D.
Class of 2023
Paper Things by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
Paper Things is a truly amazing book. You may have never heard of it, but this novel is something you should definitely read. It is the touching story about fifth grader Ari, whose whole life has fallen apart. This is definitely one of my favorite books. It really made me think about how many people in the world are less fortunate than I am because of Ari’s homelessness in the story and how it affected her life.
Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz
Splendors and Glooms is a spooky fantasy novel that I recommend to middle schoolers who don’t get scared easily. It is about a wealthy girl named Clara, who is turned into a puppet and kidnapped by a puppet master who turns out to be evil. Two poor kids named Lizzie Rose and Parseful try to find Clara. There are some gory deaths at the end. I loved the magical aspects of this story, and being a person who loves a little spookiness, it was just right for me.
PABLO D.
Class of 2023
La Séptima, La Vencida by Patxi Zubizaretta
La Séptima, La Vencida is an amazing book for Spanish learners. It is a fantasy book about Sultan, a hound, who is jealous about a cat who seems to get more attention than him. Sultan just wants him to go and he wants to be loved. With every life that the cat loses, Sultan is getting ready to finish the last life off. Between the story, Sultan is more accepting of cats and nicer to them. I really enjoyed this fun book and I would recommend it to whoever is learning Spanish, or learns this language to enjoy this fun adventure of love, acceptance, adventure, and laughs.
SOPHIE H.
Class of 2023
The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick
My love for this book instantly started from the moment I opened it. I read it every moment that I got the chance. The series has five books in it and I finished the first in about one week and am currently on the third book. Mainly it's about middle school, friendships, and crushes and I feel like I can totally connect and relate to it. Each book in the series starts with new year of school, starting in middle school. Obviously the first book takes place when the girls are in 6th grade. Knowing this I assume that the last two books take place in 9th and 10th grade. Each year brings new excitement for the girls. In my opinion the first book had a slow start, but it definitely gets better; you just have to keep reading and each book is better than the last! I could honestly re-read each of these books for ever and ever so that is one of the reasons that I would bring the series with me if I was going to a desert island. I highly recommend this book!
HUDSON J.
Class of 2023
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Eragon is an action packed adventure, full of magic, dragons, and wars of epic proportions. Eragon is a simple farm boy who stumbles upon a mysterious stone that ends up being a dragon egg. Little does he know that the dragon riders were hunted down by the corrupt king Galbatorix. With the help of Brom, a mysterious old man, and his wise dragon Saphira he will meet many different races and experience the emotion behind the fall of the dragon riders. Read Eragon to experience the emotional journey of a boy and his dragon.
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
The Red Queen is a thrilling novel about a world plagued by segregation and magic. The Red Queen takes place in a world where the color of your blood determines your class. The silver bloods are the magically infused elites who rule the land, where as the Red bloods are sworn to serve their betters. The main character Mare is a red who miraculously finds out that she has the powers of a silver. Watch as she finds her way through love, adventure, and betrayal throughout the book. Read the Red Queen to learn more!
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Shadow and Bone is an imaginative story that is set in the land of Ravka, an 1800’s Russia-inspired landscape that is magically influenced. Alina Starkov is a cartographer for the army. She is tasked with assisting a convoy across the Fold, a dark creature ridden space that separates the land in two. Her convoy is attacked and she ends up releasing a rare power from deep down. As the story progresses, she delves into the world of magic, while holding the key to the end of the Fold, and the worries of many.
STELLA M.
Class of 2023
Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
Everything Everything is a compelling tale about sickness and love. The main character, Maddy, battles with SCID which causes her to be allergic to almost everything. She can’t leave her room, but she yearns to see the world. A boy named Ollie moves in next door and Maddy is intrigued. The reason I recommend it is because it’s refreshing. It has ups and downs, but the book gives you hope the entire way. The poetic writing and the protagonists unique outlook on life blend together to create the perfect contemporary. Disclaimer: Light sex scene
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Throne of Glass follows a world famous assassin on her journey to freedom. Celaena Sardothien is competing to become the king’s champion in exchange for her freedom. She meets the brooding captain of the guard, Chaol, and the charming crown prince, Dorian. She must choose between doing the right thing, love, and conquering the thing she hates most, the king of Adarlan. This book is a story of love, death, betrayal, magic, and loyalty. You will love unraveling the mystery of Adarlan’s hidden evils. Disclaimer: Minor foul language and increased sex and language throughout the series.
CLARISSA M.
Class of 2023
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games is a riveting story of a girl who lives in District Twelve, Panem, and has to compete against 23 other kids to be the last one standing in the “Hunger Games.” The book is filled with anger, fear, sadness, and regret and is sure to make you think. The scenes are detailed, graphic, and is perfectly written. You get hooked so seen into the book you don’t even realize it. I believe it is a book that many can enjoy, but I must give a shout out to all the people who get scared easily because it might not be for you. I invite you to try it, because it is a truly wonderful read!Class of 2023
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is a life-changing book. The first in a phenomenal trilogy, it blends fantasy, fiction, and photography perfectly. The story follows a sixteen-year-old boy named Jacob, who, after the death of his grandfather, journeys to an island near Wales. Ransom Riggs combines love, mystery, and tragedy into a book that will leave you wanting more.