My Favorite Books for 8th Graders

Nothing makes my English teacher heart happy like picking out books for my 8th graders. As I’m sure you can relate, sharing the joy of reading with my 8th graders is the best part of teaching ELA. I also take it as a personal challenge to help each one of my students find a book they love by the end of the year.

Whether you’re looking for a new class novel or want to add new books to your classroom library, I wanted to share my favorite books for 8th graders. These are books that my students really enjoy, and that I personally like as well.

The Outsiders – Fiction

This classic novel is about a 14 year old boy, Ponyboy. He sees two groups of people in society: the greasers and socs. When his friend Johnny kills a soc, Ponyboy is battling a ton of emotions, and he learns some important lessons about pain.

I love using the Outsiders as an 8th grade class novel. My students enjoy it every year, and honestly, so do it. With this book, I am able to dig deep into every ELA standard. We engage in socratic seminars and have deep discussions. I’m getting excited just typing about it! If you want to explore my Outsiders Novel Unit, you can find it here.

The Hate You Give – Realistic Fiction

This powerful novel is about a teenage girl, Starr Carter. When her best friend is shot by a police officer, she is the only person who really knows that happens. Starr is trapped between two narratives. Starr shows the importance of finding your voice and standing up for justice.

I always hear rave reviews from my students about this book. It’s definitely a book for 8th graders and up because it has some tough themes. However, it speaks to a lot of the issues students are seeing today. They are able to make connections to the world.

The Crossover – Verse Novel

Josh and Jordan are twins. Basketball used to be something that brought their family together, but the rules on the court started to take new meaning off the court. When family tragedy strikes, Josh and Jordan find themselves at a crossroads.

You can find The Crossover in a novel or graphic novel form. With my students, I like to read the verse novel version. I think this is a great novel study for introducing socratic seminars to students. I like to use it at the beginning of the year. I created a novel study for The Crossover with several lessons and guiding questions for socratic seminar, which you can check out here.

I am Malala – Autobiography

Malala tells a brave story as the survivor of a Taliban attack in 2012. When education was taken away from girls in Pakistan, Malala spoke out – but not without consequence. This book tells of her journey to recovery after being brutally attacked, and her refusal to be silenced.

When I see one of my 8th graders pick up this novel, I know they are going to have a lot to talk about. They often find it a hard story to believe at first. Malala’s bravery is so remarkable, it leaves them stunned.

The Giver – Fiction

Jonas, a 12 year old boy, has been assigned as The Receiver of Memory. While his community lives in bliss, he holds the dark, complex secrets of the world. Jonas has to reconcile what he learns about the world with the community he grew up in.

My 8th graders love this novel! It is probably one of their favorites every year. When we do a novel study with The Giver, it leads to really powerful conversations about the complexity of the world. I am also able to dig deep into theme and plot with this book.

A Long Walk to Water – Narrative Nonfiction

This novel begins as two stories: Nya, a girl from Sudan, and Salva, a refugee. The story takes place during the second Sudanese Civil War. The novel tells of young people facing hardship, and the two stories intersect in a powerful and moving way.

I always love the discussions I am able to have with my students when we read this novel. Of course, I had to create a novel unit for this A Long Walk to Water because there is way too much good content to not dive into.

Stargirl – Realistic Fiction

Stargirl used to be homeschooled. She is quirky, unique, and completely herself. Leo is popular, which often comes with conformity. When Stargirl and Leo become close, and then begin to like each other, the delicate balance of popularity hangs in the air. But what is the price of not conforming?

This book recently became a movie, which is a great way to lure in a reluctant reader. I think this book is also incredibly relatable for students who are overtly aware of the social dynamics at school. Definitely a must-read!

The Finest Hours – Literary Nonfiction

In 1952, New England was hit by a brutal nor’easter. In the middle of the storm, two oil tankers found themselves facing a ferocious sea. The book tells the true story of the rescue of the men who were doing all they could to survive at sea.

This is an engaging and thought-provoking novel that I use often for whole class novel studies. I like using this novel unit because I can do more than just touch on nonfiction ELA standards. I can really dig deep and use the novel as mentor text for several skills. You can find The Finest Hours novel unit here.
If you want more books for 8th graders, I have a ton of novel units. You can find them all here! No matter what you read with your students, the most important thing is that they can find joy in it! That’s the best way to cultivate life-long learners.