Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre
By Charlotte Brontë
Read in 7th Grade
Jane lives with her detestable aunt and cousins. Her apparently lowly parents died shortly after her birth, and she was taken in by her uncle. As his dying wish, he told her aunt to take care of Jane. However, jealous of her husband's affection for Jane, her aunt only maintains her to the lowest of standards, and she is constantly bullied by her cousins. One day, a man named Mr. Brocklehurst arrives from an educational facility to take her away. There, she learns much and becomes rather content. Eventually, she finds a job as a governess at Thornfield Hall, owned by a certain Mr. Rochester. She finds that he is very rich, but is almost never home. Then one day, she meets him on an icy day when he falls off his horse, without a clue as to who she is. Although she does not realize it, he has a deep affection for her.

A Little History of the World

A Little History of the World
By E.H. Gombrich
Read in 8th Grade
Despite its title, this book is not a monotonous list of facts and dates and names. Although it is too short to accommodate every civilization and event, it goes through most major events from the Stone Age through the world wars. It provides facts in a fun way, like a journey through history. Although I had already learned about most of the events, I found it a nice, amusing review. I would highly recommend this book to students entering middle school.