8th Grade
In eighth grade, kids will evaluate arguments in written text, interpret the use of language, grasp similes and metaphors.
Browse 8th Grade by Topic
Resources for 8th Grade
Amos Fortune, Free Man
Newbery Medal biography of an African-born man enslaved in colonial New England who bought his freedom and that of others.
Across Five Aprils
Newbery Honor novel following an southern Illinois farm family through the five Aprils of the American Civil War.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Newbery Medal novel about a Black family holding onto their Mississippi land during the Depression and Jim Crow.
Johnny Tremain
Newbery Medal historical novel following a Boston silversmith's apprentice into the events of the American Revolution.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Newbery Medal novel about a Barbados-raised girl adjusting to Puritan Connecticut in 1687 and the witchcraft accusation that follows.
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
Newbery Medal biography-novel of Nathaniel Bowditch, the self-taught sailor-mathematician who rewrote the book on navigation.
Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad
Rosemary Sutcliff's vivid prose retelling of Homer's Iliad, widely used to introduce middle-grade students to the Trojan War.
The Golden Goblet
A Newbery Honor novel set in ancient Egypt, commonly paired with ancient-history studies for grades 5-8.
The Bronze Bow
Elizabeth George Speare's Newbery Medal novel set in Roman-occupied Galilee, a mainstay of ancient-history literature lists.
The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey
Sutcliff's companion volume to Black Ships Before Troy, retelling Homer's Odyssey for middle-grade and early high school readers.
Learning How to Learn: How to Succeed in School Without Spending All Your Time Studying
Barbara Oakley's bestselling learning-science guide rewritten for ages 10-17, teaching focused and diffuse thinking, chunking, and how to beat procrastination.
The Organized Student: Teaching Children the Skills for Success in School and Beyond
Donna Goldberg's practical system for teaching organisation — binders, backpacks, planners and workspaces — for the bright student who loses everything.