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Books Not Allowed for Class Book Assessments

[Some of these books are used as class sets in our 7TH, 8TH and 9TH  grade English classes.  Others may be considered by our English department teachers to be too “young” for you, or otherwise inappropriate as homework for a junior high class.]

Please be aware that your teacher may specify a certain genre.  For instance, if your assignment is to read a novel, you wouldn't be allowed to read a biography, and vice versa. 

A Tale of Two Cities   -- 9th grade book        

Adventures of Ulysses    -- Might be  used in 7th Grade  English.  Ask your teacher.  

And Then There Were None   -- 8th grade book

Animal Farm  -- 9th grade book

Book of Three    770L  -- 7th grade book      Ask your teacher.

Boxcar Children, any of the series -- too young

Bud, Not Buddy   -- used in reading literature class     Ask your teacher.

Call of the Wild   --    -- Might be  used in 7th Grade  English.  Ask your teacher.     

Captain Underpants, any of the series  -- too short, too young for projects

Charlotte’s Web      -- Usually has been read in elementary     Ask your teacher.

Chasing Lincoln's Killer -- 8th grade book.

Diary of Anne Frank  -- 8th grade book

Diary of a Wimpy Kid -- not unless approved by your own teacher

Getting Away with Murder -- 9th grade book or reading literature

Goosebumps, any of the series   -- too young

Great Brain, any of the series   -- too young

Great Gilly Hopkins -- too young

Gregor the Overlander (#1 and #2)  -- used in reading literature class  Phooey!  Ask your teacher.

Harriet the Spy    -- too young   

Holes      -- 8th grade book       Ask your teacher.      

Ice Story  -- 7th grade book

Invention of Hugo Cabret  -- used in reading literature class    Ask your teacher.

Left for Dead  -- used in reading literature class

Midwife’s Apprentice  -- -- Might be  used in 7th Grade  English.  Ask your teacher.      -- Midwife's Apprentice   1240L  

Mississippi Trial 1955  -- 9th grade book

Phineas Gage  -- 8th grade book

Regarding the Fountain      -- -- Might  be  used in 7th Grade  English or Reading Literature class.  Ask your teacher.  

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry  -- used in reading literature class

Romeo and Juliet  --  9th grade drama       

Stand Tall  -- -- Might  be  used in 7th Grade  English.  Ask your teacher.  Stand Tall -- 520L

Tom Sawyer -- Ask your teacher.

The Giver    -- 7th Grade book        Do not use this for individual reading.

The Outsiders       -- 7th grade book        Do not use this for individual reading.

The Whipping Boy       -- used in reading literature class    

To Kill a Mockingbird     -- 9th grade book       

Walk Two Moons    770L   -- Might  be  used in 7th Grade  English.  Ask your teacher.                

White Fang      -- 8th grade book       Ask your teacher.

Words By Heart  -- -- Might  be  used in 7th Grade  English.  Ask your teacher. 

Authors: (We don't discourage reading these, but  just not for English class use.)

Judy Blume  -- too young

Beverly Cleary -- too young

Katherine Patterson (most) -- too young

R.L. Stein (all) -- too young

Any Animorphs --These are at a second and third grade level.

Your teacher may or may not accept graphic novels.  Usually this depends on the purpose of the assessment on the book for that month.  For instance, if your assessment (test) were about how an author uses description of setting, a graphic novel probably wouldn't work.  Also, some graphic novels are just too short and simple to use for a book you're given a month to read. 

No Wimpy Kid (950L, Last Staw 970L) , Bone NC360L = doesn't fit their usual measures) or others without special permission.

Classics:  If you wish to read a classic, make sure the version of the classic is not too far above or below your own reading level.  There is a series of "Illustrated Classics" that is written for much younger children -- perhaps about third grade.  Those would not be appropriate for seventh graders unless the students have reading levels at about second or third grade, or perhaps if they are just beginning to learn the English language.

There are other simplified versions you can find that are more appropriate.  Ask a librarian or bookstore clerk to help you find them.

Literature Class books:  Ask your teacher.

Stargirl 

Witness

Esperanza Rising

Road to Memphis

Princess Bride

Gathering Blue

Pudd’n Head Wilson

Trouble Don’t Last

Keylock Man

Storyteller’s Daughter

Hoot

Surviving the Applewhites

The Dark is Rising

The Lightning Thief

The Martian Chronicles

The Hobbit

The Westing Game

Also not accepted:

Books you read for reading skills  (unless arranged with the teachers) or literature classes (or other classes), comic books, cartoon books, scriptures.

Please do not select books you have previously read.

The consequence for doing a book assessment on books “not allowed” will be a zero (no points) on the assignment.

Your teacher reserves the right to add or delete books on this list at her discretion.

Have your book approved by your teacher and parents before you start reading.