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Character Counts
Books for Middle Schoolers

These books can be found in the fiction section of the Kids' Library,
shelved by authors' last names, unless otherwise noted.


Trustworthiness
Be honest - Don't deceive, cheat or steal - Be reliable - Do what you say you'll do - Have the courage to do the right thing - Build a good reputation - Be loyal

That Horse Whiskey! by C.S. Adler
The Return of Gabriel by John Armistead
Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Blackwater by Eve Bunting
Wanted... Mud Blossom by Betsy byars
The Cheat by Amy Goldman Koss
Slake's Limbo by Felice Holman
Flight of the Fisherbird by Nora Martin
The Winter Room by Gary Paulsen
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Wringer by Jerry Spinelli
Deathwatch by Robb White


Respect
Treat others with respect - Follow the Golden Rule - Be tolerant of differences - Use good manners - Be considerate - Don't threaten or hurt anyone - Deal peacefully with disagreements

Stand Tall by Joan Bauer
The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Curtis
The Cat Ate My Gymsuit by Paula Danziger
The Misfits by James Howe
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Petey by Ben Mikaelson
Won't Know Till I Get There by Walter Dean Myers
Define "Normal" by Julie Anne Peters
Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
Bat 6 by Virginia Euwer Wolff
The Pigman by Paul Zindel


Responsibility
Do what you're supposed to do - Persevere - Do your best - Use self-control - Be self-disciplined - Think before you act; consider the consequences - Be accountable for your choices

Where the Lilies Bloom by Bill Cleaver
One-eyed Cat by Paula Fox
My Louisiana Sky by Kimberly Willis Holt
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Flour Babies by Anne Fine
Old Yeller by Frank Gipson
Over the Joshua Slope by Lyman Hafen
Shadow Boxer by Chris Lynch
The Haymeadow by Gary Paulsen
The Same Stuff as Stars by K. Paterson
The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
Chicago Blues by Julie Reece Deaver
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein
Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt
Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff


Fairness
Play by the rules - Take turns and share - Be open-minded; listen to others - Don't take advantage of others - Don't blame others carelessly

Tangerine by Edward Bloor
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Can You Sue Your Parents for Malpractice? by Paula Danziger
The Robber and Me by Josef Holub
Anastasia Has the Answers by Lois Lowry
Taking Terri Mueller by Norma Fox Mazer
Thunder Rolling in the Mountains by Scott O'Dell
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
Under the Blood-red Sun by Graham Salisbury
Cat Running by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
There's a Girl in My Hammerlock by Jerry Spinelli


Caring
Be kind - Be compassionate and show you care - Express gratitude - Forgive others

What Hearts by Bruce Brooks
Crazy Lady by Jane Leslie Conly
Yolanda's Genius by Carol Fenner
Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Giff
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
Destiny by Vicki Grove
Phoenix Rising by Karen Hesse
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt
Toning the Sweep by Angela Johnson
Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright by Ron Koertge
The Silent Boy by Lois Lowry
Taking Care of Terrific by Lois Lowry
After the Rain by Norma Fox Mazer
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
Crash by Jerry Spinelli
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Colt by Nancy Springer
Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S.Tolan
Belle Prater's Boy by Ruth White
A Begonia for Miss Applebaum by Paul Zindel


Citizenship
Do your part to improve your school and community - Protect the environment - Cooperate - Stay informed - Vote - Be a good neighbor - Obey laws and rules - Respect authority

Nothing But the Truth by Avi
Smuggler's Island by Avi
Flight #116 Is Down by Caroline B. Cooney
Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman
Whirligig by Paul Fleischman
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
Just Ask Iris by Lucy Frank
The Missing 'Gator of Gumbo Limbo by J. George
Hello, My Name is Scrambled Eggs by Jamie Gilson
The Day They Came to Arrest the Book by Nat Hentoff
The Big Wander by Will Hobbs
The Maze by Will Hobbs
Cages by Peg Kehret
Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith
California Blue by David Klass
Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman
The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill
Lyddie by Katerine Paterson
Downsiders by Neal Shusterman


Heroes and Superheroes

The Lost Years of Merlin by T.A. Barron
Of Heroes and Villains by Mark Delaney
The Last Warrior by Suzanne Pierson Ellison
The Man in the Ceiling by Jules Feiffer
Prince Valiant (series) by Hal Foster
Boston Jane: An Adventure by Jennifer L. Holm
The Adventures of Blue Avenger by Norma Howe (for older readers)
Into the Wild by Erin Hunter
Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques
Hero of Lesser Causes by Julie Johnston
Pendragon: The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale
Eggs in One Basket by Kathy Mackel
The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley
Red Midnight by Ben Mikaelsen
Sabriel by Garth Nix
Hero's Song by Edith Pattou
The White Fox Chronicles: Escape; Return; Breakout by Gary Paulsen
First Test by Tamora Pierce
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Girl in a Cage by Jane Yolen


Biographies

These biographies can be found under the Dewey Decimal number J 921, followed by the last name of the subject, unless otherwise noted.

Peace and Bread: The Story of Jane Addams by Stephanie McPherson
Alexander Graham Bell: Making Connections by Naomi Pasachoff
An Eye on the World: Margaret Bourke-White, Photographer by Beatrice Siegel
Jimmy Carter: On the Road to Peace by Caroline Lazo
The Life and Death of Crazy Horse by Russell Freedman
Sky Pioneer: A Photobiography of Amelia Earhart by Corinne Szabo
Marian Wright Edelman: The Making of a Crusader by Beatrice Siegel
Gandhi: Great Soul by John B. Severance
Langston Hughes by Milton Meltzer
Sky: A True Story of Resistance During WWII by Hanneke Ippisch (J 940.53492 Ipp)
I Have a Dream: The Life and Words of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Jim Haskins
Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman
Dear Dr. Bell... Your Friend, Helen Keller by Judith St. George
A Young Patriot: The American Revolution as Experienced by One Boy by Jim Murphy (J 973.3 Mur)
Barbara McClintock by Mary Kittredge
With Heroic Truth: The Life of Edward R. Murrow by Norman Finkelstein
Heart and Soul: The Story of Florence Nightingale by Gena Gorrell
Rosa Parks: My Story by Rosa Parks
Within Reach: My Everest Story by Mark Pfetzer (J PB Pfetzer)
Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery by Russell Freedman
In Kindling Flame: The Story of Hannah Senesh, 1921-1944 by Linda Atkinson
Harriet Beecher Stowe and the Beecher Preachers by Jean Fritz
Mother Teresa by Amy Ruth
Raoul Wallenberg: The Man Who Stopped Death by Sharon Linnea