Trending Secondary Classrooms Make Your Novels Come Alive for Middle Schoolers with Book Pairings
Every fall, you pick the novels, order the class sets, and map out the reading schedule. You're ready to go.
But the novel is only half the work. The other half is what surrounds it: the resources that build knowledge and bring your unit's themes to life.
A short story that mirrors the same conflict. A nonfiction piece that fills in the history behind the setting. These give your students something to compare and argue about, and that's the difference between reading a novel and studying one.
That's what CommonLit's Book Pairings do: bring knowledge and themes to the forefront. Here are the 10 middle school novels teachers are pairing most right now, plus how to find them on CommonLit.org.
New to CommonLit? Book Pairings are free with an educator account. Go to CommonLit.org, click "Sign Up," choose "I Am an Educator," and confirm your school email. You'll get full access to the Text Library, including every pairing below
What's in a Book Pairing?
A set of short lessons (a story, poem, or nonfiction piece) matched to a specific novel. Each Book Pairing includes a handful of aligned CommonLit lessons, along with:
- A one- or two-sentence summary of each text
- A "When and How to Pair" note that tells you exactly where in the novel to introduce a lesson, and what to ask students
You're not handed a stack of "related" texts and left to figure out why. Each pairing tells you why this text, why now, and what question it's meant to raise.
Finding a Pairing
Open CommonLit's Search & Filter tool, select "Book Pairings" under Content Type, and search your novel's title. You'll get the full pairing list with grade level, genre, and instructions for each text.
The 10 Most-Paired Middle School Novels
If your novel isn't here, search the full library—it's probably there, too!
- The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
- The Giver by Lois Lowry
- A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
- Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
- The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
- Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
- Ghost by Jason Reynolds
- Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
- Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
- Wonder by R.J. Palacio
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Ponyboy Curtis and the "greasers" fight the wealthier "Socs" for turf and respect. Before reading, pair Gwendolyn Brooks's "We Real Cool" to raise the tension between gang life and mortality.
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Jonas inherits his community's memories and learns what they gave up for a "perfect" society. After students finish the novel, pair Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" to discuss the transformation Jonas makes.
Be sure to check out our full-length CommonLit 360 unit for The Giver to access chapter-by-chapter reading questions, vocabulary lessons, grammar lessons, discussion lessons, and a culminating task all tied to the novel.
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
This novel weaves together two true-to-life storylines set in Sudan: Salva, an 11-year-old who becomes one of the "Lost Boys" fleeing civil war in 1985, and Nya, a girl in 2008 who walks hours each day to fetch water for her family. The two threads meet in an ending built around resilience and access to clean water. Once students finish the book, pair Aesop's fable "The Crow and the Pitcher" to discuss resourcefulness in both Salva's and Nya's stories.
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson survives a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a hatchet. Partway through, pair Sandburg's "Wilderness" to mark the shift once Brian starts mastering his surroundings.
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Twin brothers Josh and Jordan let basketball and growing up pull them apart, told in verse. Midway through, pair Piri Thomas's short story "Amigo Brothers," which puts a boxing rivalry between two friends alongside Josh and JB's basketball rivalry.
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Also written in verse, this novel takes place over 60 seconds in an elevator, as 15-year-old Will rides down to avenge his brother's murder and is confronted by the ghosts of people from his past. Before starting the novel, the pairing suggests Clint Smith's poem "Counting Descent" to open a discussion on how generational cycles get created and broken.
Please note: This popular novel deals directly with grief and gun violence, so many teachers preview the content with students and families before assigning it.
Ghost by Jason Reynolds
Castle "Ghost" Cranshaw discovers a talent for running that gives him a way to process his father's absence and channel his anger into something else. First in Reynolds's Track series, it's a strong entry point for reluctant middle-grade readers. After chapter 3, the pairing suggests Reynolds's own short story "First-Day Fly" to compare tone and character across two of his works.
Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
After losing everything in Mexico, Esperanza adjusts to farm labor in Depression-era California. Early on, pair Sandra Cisneros's "Eleven" to explore the link between age and life experience.
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
An experimental procedure raises Charlie Gordon's IQ, told through his own changing journal entries. Partway through, pair "How Do We Tell Right From Wrong?" to give students background on moral development as Charlie's understanding shifts.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Auggie Pullman, born with a facial difference, starts public school in fifth grade, told from multiple perspectives. After finishing, pair Aesop's "The Bear and the Two Travelers" to discuss what real friendship looks like.
FAQ
What is a Book Pairing on CommonLit?
A Book Pairing is a set of supplemental lessons, each built around a short story, poem, or nonfiction text, that CommonLit's team has matched to a specific novel. Each entry includes a summary and instructions for when and how to introduce it during the novel unit.
Are Book Pairings available for more middle school novels?
Yes. CommonLit has Book Pairings for dozens of novels commonly taught in grades 6 to 8, including The Outsiders, The Giver, Hatchet, and Wonder.
Can I print Book Pairing texts instead of assigning them digitally?
Yes. Every text lesson in a Book Pairing can be assigned digitally through CommonLit or printed for offline use, so teachers can build a unit around whichever format fits their classroom.
How do I know which text to pair with which part of the novel?
Each entry in a Book Pairing includes a "When and How to Pair" note that tells you where in the novel to introduce the text and what question or comparison it's meant to support.
Next Steps
Teachers: Sign up free at CommonLit.org with your school email here. Once your account is set up, search your current novel in Book Pairings and pick two or three lessons that match the skills you're targeting with the novel.
Administrators: Planning novel studies across grade levels this year? Talk to the CommonLit team about how Book Pairings and the full Text Library can support your ELA department.
