Romance Anyone?
When I think of book titles with the theme of Romance and Love, I could only compile a short list. Has anyone read a great romance book that is appropriate for grades sixth, seventh or eighth graders? Check out the books I have read and leave me some suggestions to read. Happy Reading!
Romeo and Juliet Together (and Alive!) At Last by Avi - This is a laugh out loud book!
Summary: Pete Saltz has fallen hard for Anabell Stackpoole, and she likes him too. But both are much too shy to do anything about it. It’s Pete’s friend Ed Sitrow to the resuce, as he and other eighth graders at South Orange River School cook up a scheme to give the budding romance a boost. It’s a school production of Romeo and Juliet, with the bashful pair in the leading roles and everybody’s waiting for the kissing scenes. What they get is more action than Shakespeare ever imagined, in the funniest, most disastrous and most romantically successful production ever! You will love this one. Humor and romance all in one great book!
Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix - This teen romance is set in medieval times. Margaret Peterson Haddix reconstructs the Cinderella legend without the magic.
Summary: Overcoming many obstacles, Ella goes to the ball and sweeps Prince Charming off his feet. While she awaits her marriage, Ella realizes her future would now be full of lessons, restrictions, and boredom. Breaking her engagement proves to be more difficult and dangerous than escaping her step-mother’s tyranny. Don’t miss this one!
Absolutely Normal Chaos by Sharon Creech This is the same author that wrote Walk Two Moons and The Wanderer.
Summary: Mary Lou Finney is less than excited about her assignment to keep a journal over the summer. Boring! Then cousin Carl Ray comes to stay with her family, and what starts out as the dull dog days of summer quickly turns into the wildest roller coaster ride of all time. How was Mary Lou supposed to know what would happen with Carl Ray and the ring? Or with her boy-crazy best friend Beth Ann? Suddenly a boring school project becomes a record of the most exciting, incredible, unbelievable summer of Mary Lou’s life. But what if her teacher actually does read her journal? This is another great book by Sharon Creech.
Listen For Rachel by Lou Kassem If you enjoy reading historical fiction and romance, this is a must read.
Summary: Rachel wonders if she will ever be happy again. Her grandparents are loving and wonderful, but the mountains of Tennessee are a strange and lonely place for a young orphaned girl from Nashville. Would she ever fit in among the people who believe that at fifteen, Rachel should prepare for marriage? As the Civil War rages in the land, romance comes into Rachel’s life with all the happiness and anguish. It is then she knows that her heart belongs to both the Yankee soldier she loves and to the people of the beautiful mountains that have become her home.
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
Summary: In alternating chapters, two teenagers (Eighth graders) describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and their families have changed over the years. This is a book that I recommend for some seventh and eighth graders. Great realistic fiction!
