A copy of "The Silver Chair" by CS Lewis
               "Framed" by James Ponti
               "Rescue" by Jennifer Nielsen
A notebook or folder to keep assignments and worksheets
Pen or pencil and paper for jotting notes or important thoughts

All literature is chosen from a generally recognized collection of age-appropriate, often award-winning, books. Parents are encouraged to research any unfamiliar books to be sure they are appropriate for their learner. 

Here is a synopsis for the two books in this unit:

"THE SILVER CHAIR" by CS Lewis 
"Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole are classmates at a terrible school where bullies rule the roost. To escape their enemies, Eustace suggests they call on Aslan for help. Soon the children are magically transported to Narnia, where Aslan entrusts them with the task of locating the lost Prince Rilian, son of King Caspian. The Prince mysteriously disappeared over a decade before when he went in search of the creature that killed his mother. Now Caspian is old and not expected to live much longer, so Rilian must be found quickly to take his rightful place on the throne. Eustace and Jill, along with Puddleglum, their new Marsh-Wiggle companion, take a harrowing journey through the uncharted realms of Narnia, where they encounter giants, the Earthmen of the Deep Underground Realms, and the Queen of this Underland who is not all that she seems. Can they locate Rilian and return him to Cair Paravel before his father is gone?" (publisher summary)

"FRAMED" by James Ponti
"Framed! is a fun whodunit for tweens. Florian is Sherlock Holmes without the intimidating presence, and Margaret is a perfect sidekick with the promise of becoming more involved in future books. The story is light and fun. This is a good selection for libraries (personal, school, or public) where kids need a good mystery and are ready to move on from A to Z Mysteries." (excerpt from "momreadit")

"RESCUE" by Jennifer Nielsen
"Rescue" depicts the journey of a 12-year-old girl named Meg Kenyon through Nazi-occupied France during World War II. When she learns that her father, who works as a British spy for the resistance, has been captured by the Germans, she embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue him alongside other fugitives. Throughout the story, Meg finds clues about her father’s whereabouts in his coded letter and uses her knowledge of spying techniques to overcome the challenges she encounters on the way. 

Short Stories: We will read the following classic short stories (lightly abridged):  
"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant

Each short story is standardly accepted as appropriate literature for middle school grades. There are some elements of death and danger, and parents are encouraged to read summaries of each to be sure they are appropriate for your learner. All discussions will be kept light and focused mostly on the literary elements used to create tension and mood.