隨著2020-2021年度美高申請工作進入尾聲，新世界留學的老師已經把眼光放到幫助未來一兩年準備到美國讀高中的學生。最近一系列留美利好的外部消息在各個社交平臺不斷湧現，但是「打鐵還需自身硬」。對於有興趣和有志向的同學，與其不斷糾結外部條件，還不如在提高自己的競爭力上多下工夫。我們在以前的文章中提到英文在美高申請中的重要性。英文！英文！英文！重要的事情說三遍，英文在美高申請中無比重要。而大量閱讀英文書籍， 無疑是提高英文語感和寫作水平的一個有效手段。在今天的文章裡，我們就來推薦一些英文書籍給七，八年級的初中學生。
在開始之前，先講幾句「題外話」。一直有家長問我們什麼是行之有效的美國高中留學規劃。對此我們的回答是（一）保持良好的學校成績（GPA）; (二) 找到發展的主軸/強項；（三）彌補自己的短板。美國學校錄取從來不是以分數決定一切。除了GPA/託福成績，學校還要看推薦信，文書寫作和面試。我們一直建議早規劃，早準備，就是要在各個方面加以充實。有些活動是需要長期的積累和努力的，而學校也正是要看學生在這個過程中是如何克服困難，展現出堅韌的毅力的。
好了，言歸正傳，回到我們今天的主題。美國學校，特別是私立學校對寫作有很高的要求。而好的寫作離不開大量的閱讀。我們在下面推薦了十幾本適合初中生的書籍，前兩篇文章也把我們學生寫的讀書報告分享一下，希望對大家的英文水平的提高有幫助。這些讀後感和簡短的小介紹雖然是英文的，但是並不是很難，希望您的孩子讀了之後能夠被這些書籍吸引並愛上英文閱讀，從而開啟他們在英文書海中的奇幻之旅。
Michael Vey Series
This is a 7 book sci-fi series that has Michael Vey as the main character. Michael Vey, a seemingly normal boy, has a very mysterious background. He lives with his mother and his father is dead. He has one good friend, whose name is Ostin. Ostin is adopted and he is very smart. The book starts to get interesting when Michael Vey figures out that he has electric powers. Michael Vey doesn't like people to know about this, so he doesn't really tell anybody. The only people that know about his power are Ostin and his mother. This all changes when Michael gets into a fight. Michael ends up having to electrocute the people he was fighting very lightly. But, one person sees his powers unsuspectingly. Taylor, a very popular girl at the same school Michael goes to, sees that Michael has electric powers. She wants to know all about this, and soon we find out why. Michael and Taylor both have electric powers, just in different ways. As they do more research together, they find out that both of them are born at the same hospital, in the same window of time. What's significant about this is that there were also many babies born in that window of time, but a vast majority died without many reasons. There were only a few babies that survived, and Michael and Taylor were two of them. They find out that there could be more children with these same powers. Well, what caused their powers? Coincidentally, a company by the name of Elgen Inc. tested a new scanner and then stopped after. Michael, Ostin, and Taylor think that there is a connection between the electric powers, major death count, and this machine. But then, the next day, Michael and Taylor get an invitation from an academy. What's the name of this academy you say?
Elgen Academy!
As the story goes on, many exciting things happen and there are evil powers that need to be fought. If you're interested in this, you try reading it and see how you like it!
The Kane Chronicles
These three exciting fantasy books tie back into Greek Mythology. If you don't know a lot about Greek Mythology, it might be confusing. But, this could also be a good learning opportunity. Two siblings, Carter Kane and Sadie Kane, are near strangers. Sadie lives with her grandparents in London, while Carter travels the world with his father, who is an Egyptologist, Julius Kane. One night, Julius brings Carter and Sadie to a museum, where he hopes to set things right for the family. Instead of doing so, he unleashes a powerful Egyptian god Set, who banishes Julius and scares the children away. Soon, Carter and Sadie figure out that the gods are awakening and that they're targeting their family. In order to stop them, these two siblings have to work together to reveal the secrets of their family's past, and possibly uncover the future of their family too.
Greek Mythology is a great topic to look into, and if you're interested, you can learn some things too. I didn't know much Greek Mythology before I read this book, but I learned many key things along the way.
The Giver
The Giver, the 1994 Newbery Medal winner, has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. This movie tie-in edition features cover art from the movie and exclusive Q&A with members of the cast, including Taylor Swift, Brenton Thwaites and Cameron Monaghan. -Very angsty.
Harry Potter
Classic. Everyone knows about Harry Potter so this is going to be quick. Orphan treated terribly, finds out his parents were witches and wizards, goes off to Hogwarts. Finds friends and fights evil. - Would recommend even for those who have read it in other languages.
The Diary of a Young Girl
Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank's remarkable diary has become a world classic — a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit.
A Wrinkle In Time
A Wrinkle in Time is a young adult novel written by American author Madeleine L'Engle. First published in 1962, the book has won the Newbery Medal, the Sequoyah Book Award, the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, and was runner-up for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. It is a story of time travel, science fiction, and fantasy.
Ella Enchanted
At birth, Ella is inadvertently cursed by an imprudent young fairy named Lucinda, who bestows on her the "gift" of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey. Gail Carson Levine's examination of traditional female roles in fairy tales takes some satisfying twists and deviations from the original. Ella is bound by obedience against her will, and takes matters in her own hands with ambition and verve. Her relationship with the prince is balanced and based on humor and mutual respect; in fact, it is she who ultimately rescues him. Ella Enchanted has won many well-deserved awards, including a Newbery Honor.
Number the Stars
Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It's now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are "relocated," Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen's life. A story of war, loss, and perseverance.
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
Narnia… the land beyond the wardrobe door, a secret place frozen in eternal winter, a magical country waiting to be set free. Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the professor's mysterious old house. At first her brothers and sister don't believe her when she tells of her visit to the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund, then Peter and Susan step through the wardrobe themselves. In Narnia they find a country buried under the evil enchantment of the White Witch. When they meet the Lion Aslan, they realize they've been called to a great adventure and bravely join the battle to free Narnia from the Witch's sinister spell.
Are You There God? It's Me Margaret.
Margret is an almost 12 year old girl. She likes long hair, tuna fish, the smell of rain, and things that are pink. She has a lot of friends. But none of them can believe Margaret doesn't have religion, and that she isn’t going to the Y or the Jewish Community Center. What they don’t know is Margaret has her own very special relationship with God. She can talk to God about everything—family, friends, even Moose Freed, her secret crush.
Stargirl
A celebration of nonconformity; a tense, emotional tale about the fleeting, cruel nature of popularity--and the thrill and inspiration of first love. Leo Borlock follows the unspoken rule at Mica Area High School: don't stand out--under any circumstances! Then Stargirl arrives at Mica High and everything changes--for Leo and for the entire school. After 15 years of home schooling, Stargirl bursts into tenth grade in an explosion of color and a clatter of ukulele music, enchanting the Mica student body. In a celebration of nonconformity, Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the fleeting, cruel nature of popularity--and the thrill and inspiration of first love.
The Golden Compass
Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal--including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world. Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want--but what Lyra doesn't know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other.
Ender's Game
Andrew "Ender" Wiggin thinks he is playing computer simulated war games; he is, in fact, engaged in something far more desperate. The result of genetic experimentation, Ender may be the military genius Earth desperately needs in a war against an alien enemy seeking to destroy all human life. The only way to find out is to throw Ender into ever harsher training, to chip away and find the diamond inside, or destroy him utterly. Ender Wiggin is six years old when it begins. He will grow up fast. His 2 brothers are also part of this experiment. But they failed. So driven by their jealousy, his 2 brothers also shape the future of the world through computers. But their will be no future if Ender fails.
Eragon
One boy… One dragon… A world of adventure. When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands.
好了，今天的話題就講到這，如果您的孩子有意願在未來挑戰美高名校，歡迎加微信與我們聯繫（微信號NewWorldUS)，我們會竭盡所能，提供詳實客觀的信息，幫助您和您的家庭做出對孩子最有利的決定。
歡迎您繼續關注我們的平臺，我們會在下面繼續推出文章介紹如何提高自己的競爭力，謝謝！
聯繫方式：
電話：+1 267-888-8569 （美國聯繫人 Rachel老師）
電話：+86 13717612609 （中國聯繫人 Peter 老師）
郵件：newworldpaus@gmail.com
微信號：NewWorldUS
歡迎您繼續關注我們的平臺
文字 | Rachel 和 Tracey 老師
新世界留學服務
請長按關注我們！