What I Learned from Books in Middle School

6th grade (I don't remember the titles of most of these books, which is kind of sad)

* Trivia contests lead to strong friendships and a deep student-teacher bond.

* Being blind and stranded on an island with a stranger sucks at first, but in the end you become really insightful.

* WWII really, really, sucked for Japanese civilians. (So Far From the Bamboo Grove)

* Utopian societies have a very high potential to squash human rights. (The Giver)

* Being away from home is sad. (The Little Prince)

7th grade: 

* Pirates are really mean, but generally let preteen wannabes join them. (Treasure Island)

* People can change after being scared half to death by visions three ghosts. (A Christmas Carol)

What else did I read that year? I really don't remember. We spent a lot of time learning grammar through Schoolhouse Rock videos.

8th grade:

* Greed is a powerful thing. (The Pearl)

* WWII really, really, sucked for European Jews. (Friedrich)

Those are the only two books I remember reading (and there must have been more… we were an honors class). We did a lot of poetry reading/writing, had a Holocaust unit for 1-2 months, and had a biography project at the end of the year, so maybe that took up the rest of class time?