8th grade books about Growing Up
8 books commonly assigned to 8th grade students explore growing up— every title’s grade range covers 8th grade, so each is grade-appropriate by curriculum placement. Each links to its reading level, themes, and the curricula that cite it.
Reading difficulty: the typical 8th grade text-complexity band is 925–1185L (Common Core Appendix A). Of the 2 growing up titles here with a Lexile score, 1 is grade-level, 1 is more accessible, and 0 are stretch texts. Match a book to your reader’s measured Lexile rather than to the grade alone.
What this list holds: All 8 titles are cited by at least one US curriculum or award list for 8th grade, first published between 1956 and 2024. The most widely cited at this grade is Smile by Raina Telgemeier (13 lists). Themes these books most often share besides growing up: family (4), friendship (3), animals (2), courage (2).
8 8th grade books about growing up
Reading the whole 8th grade books about growing up? Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.
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Smile
Raina TelgemeierCited in 13 curricula across 11 states, taught from grade 4 to 8. Also covers friendship, self-acceptance and humor. At 410L it reads well below the 925–1185L band for this grade.
Hatchet
Gary PaulsenCited in 10 curricula across 8 states, taught from grade 5 to 8. Also covers survival, resilience and self-reliance. At 1020L it falls inside the 925–1185L band for this grade.
Old Yeller
Fred GipsonCited in 4 curricula across 8 states, taught from grade 5 to 8. Also covers family, courage and survival.
Rascal
Sterling NorthCited in 4 curricula across 8 states, taught from grade 5 to 8. Also covers nature, animals and family.
Guts
Raina TelgemeierCited in 4 curricula across 4 states, taught from grade 4 to 8. Also covers anxiety and courage.
Mid-Air
Alicia D. WilliamsCited in 3 curricula across 3 states, taught from grade 5 to 8. Also covers grief and friendship.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Ann BrasharesCited in 3 curricula across 2 states, taught from grade 7 to 10. Also covers friendship and family.
A Corner of the Universe
Ann M. MartinCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 5 to 8. Also covers family and mental illness.
Growing Up books at other grades
Kindergarten · 1st grade · 2nd grade · 3rd grade · 4th grade · 5th grade · 6th grade · 7th grade
Other 8th grade themes
Family · Friendship · Identity · Courage · Survival · History · Mystery and Detective Stories · Schools
← Full 8th grade reading list · All growing upbooks →
Frequently asked questions
What growing up books are good for 8th grade students?
8 books exploring growing up have a grade range that covers 8th grade and are assigned across US-school curricula — Common Core exemplars, AP, IB, Cambridge, and state ELA standards. Each title on this page links to its full curriculum citations and reading level.
Are these growing up books grade-appropriate for 8th grade?
Every title's grade range covers 8th grade. The typical 8th grade text-complexity band is 925–1185L (Common Core Appendix A); of the 2 books here with a Lexile score, 1 is grade-level, 1 more accessible, and 0 a stretch. Match a book to your reader's measured Lexile rather than to the grade alone.
How many growing up books are on the 8th grade list?
This page lists 8 8th grade titles about growing up, ordered by how many US curricula cite each one for this grade (ties alphabetical). The list expands as more curriculum references are verified.
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Canonical URL: https://readinglist.school/grade/8/growing-up