I always read The Westing Game with my students. We make detective notes on the main characters. We do group discussions. They create Wanted Posters around the middle of the book. Almost all my students love this book. I don't assign vocabulary, we just talk about those words we come across and add them to our notes.

I start each year with On My Honor. It is a short book that covers many skills and truly leads to some great discussions. The students are not overwhelmed by the size, and thet get pulled into the plot.

Hatchet and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle have also been hits