Finding the best books for 8th graders to read will be a little easier with this post! These recommended books for 8th graders will work for middle and high school readers as well. I am currently teaching 8th grade, and these are the books students are adding to their favorites list. Check out my list of good books for your 8th graders to read!
Coyote Lost and Found
This book by Dan Gemeinhart is a follow up to The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, also a good book for 8th graders. In fact, The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise is one of my students’ top choices for our current book club unit on contemporary fiction.
Coyote Lost and Found is an amazing continuation of Coyote and Rodeo’s journey of healing from the loss of Coyote’s mom and sisters due to a tragic accident. Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, are joined by old friends and new as they seek to say a final goodbye.
This is a good book for 8th graders, and teenagers in general. Coyote experiences joy and pain, anger and grief, and 8th graders are mature enough to grapple with such emotion. In reality, they experience these feelings regularly. When teens see themself in a story, they feel connected. Good books do that for readers. I will admit, this book made me ugly cry- this is my fair warning for when you read it!
A First Time for Everything
My 8th graders spend about two weeks writing memoirs and I will be adding this book to our list of mentor texts.
In this graphic memoir, Dan Santat shares about his life as a middle school student, and the trip that changed everything for him. This is a good book to add to book lists for 8th graders because 13 and 14 year old students will connect to Santat’s struggles to find a place for himself. This book is realistic, creates hope for the reader, and is a window into traveling through Europe. Oh, and the graphic novel appeal is a win when it comes to books for middle school readers of all kind.
The Brothers Hawthorne
If you look at any book lists for 8th graders, you’ll definitely find a few mystery books on the list. Teenagers love them! The Brothers Hawthorne, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, is the fourth book in The Inheritance Games series.
This series has been fun to read, and this new book did not disappoint. The plot moves quickly and the characters are compelling. You want to see the Hawthorne brothers solve all of the puzzles and mysteries they continue to face while also trying to find a place for themselves in a world beyond the Hawthorne mansion.
Heroes: A Novel of Pearl Harbor
Alan Gratz does it again with his newest historical fiction book. My students have been negotiating who gets to read my copy of the book next- a good sign this book needs to be added to your classroom shelf. They are excited to read about Frank and Stanley, the main characters who find themselves stepping up as heroes during the attack of Pearl Harbor.
Gratz’s novels find themselves on lists of recommended books for 8th graders for many reasons. My students like the cliffhanger endings to each chapter, the ability to relate to the characters, and the opportunity to learn about history in an engaging way. This book delivers all of those things and more!
A Work in Progress
I had the pleasure of meeting Jarrett Lerner at a conference in the fall of 2023, and reading this book was just as enjoyable as meeting the author.
A Work in Progress should be added to book lists for 8th graders because it is so relatable. The main character, Will, experiences a life-changing moment in which he is bullied for his body size. That experience is unfortunately all to relatable for middle school students. Books like this one help those who can relate to Will feel less alone. And it can also be a window for readers who have never held those same experiences.
This book is on my recommended books list because it helps to build empathy in my 8th graders. Books like A Work in Progress are the books we need to help our middle school students become the best versions of themselves.
There are many good books for 8th graders and each of these books are great additions to your classroom library. If you are wondering how to get your readers excited about the new books that you add to your classroom, I have the perfect suggestion. Book talks are a quick way to share new books with your students and I have a free resource to help you get started. You can grab your free book talk guide by clicking here or signing up in the space below. I’ve also shared how I excite my readers with a previous blog post that you can read here.
If you are looking for more book recommendations, check out my recommended books for 8th graders from the fall. I’ll keep share book recommendations, so please bookmark my blog so you can find this again. Also, I share many recommendations on Instagram and I’d love for you to join me over there.