Booklists for Middle School
		Inspiring Reading

Tell Me Everything by Carolyn Coman Y C
After loosing her beloved mother, Roz wonders if talking to God and the boy her mother saved before she died will help her make sense of the tragedy. Her journey of discovery opens up truths and ultimately sets her free.

Heaven by Angela Johnson Y J
When she discovers that she is adopted, 14-year-old Marley struggles to understand who she is and what makes a family. Her journey makes clear to her that there are different kinds of family, and love is what matters most.

Pharaoh's Daughter: a Novel of Ancient Egypt by Julius Lester Y L
Moses and his sister Almah struggle to understand their spirituality and discover who they are and who they choose to be in a novel that explores identity, faith, and destiny in ancient Egypt.

Gideon's People by Carolyn Meyer Y M
When 12-year-old Isaac, an Orthodox Jew, and Gideon, a 16-year-old Amish boy meet, the differences in their family traditions are apparent. However, they both face living within the confines of a strict religious tradition, and discovering their place there.

The War of Jenkin's Ear by Michael MorpurgoY M
Toby's faith is tested when Christopher, the new boy in Redlands School, arrives and becomes a peacemaker between the village boys and the prep school boys. Rivalries, sports, and first loves are explored under the influence of God and faith.

Send Me Down a Miracle by Han Nolan Y N
Being the preacher's daughter, fourteen-year-old Charity is expected to be perfect and follow in her father's footsteps. When Adrienne Dabney, a New York artist, returns home to find inspiration for her painting, Charity finds herself torn between her father and the artist, and her faith is tested.

Preacher's Boy by Katherine Paterson Y P
Robbie Hewitt is not the most reliable preacher's son, and his loose temper causes a near tragedy that forces him to rely on his conscience to lead him toward redemption. Set at the end of the last century, Robbie struggles to discover what he believes about God and religion.

What I Believe: Kids Talk about Faith by Debbie Holsclaw Birdseye J 200.83 B
Six middle school kids talk about their own faiths, and the place religion has in their lives.

Be Not Far from Me: the Oldest Love Story: Legends from the Bible retold by Eric Kimmel J 221.9505 K
Favorite biblical tales are woven together with lesser-known Midrash to retell the dramatic stories of twenty heroes and heroines.

Let My People Go: Stories Told by a Freeman of Color to his Daughter, Charlotte, in Charleston, South Carolina, 1806-16 by Patricia C. McKissackle J 221.9595 M
Retellings of stories from the Old Testament are intertwined with stories of African American slaves lives and show the courage and strength that they found in the Bible.