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ACCELERATED READER

This is the Hightower Trail Middle School Accelerated Reader list. We currently have tests for over 6, 300 different books, including fiction, nonfiction, and biography. The books are listed alphabetically by title, alphabetically by author, and by reading levels.  Each listing includes title, author, reading level and point value.

Although the Hightower Trail Media Center continuously tries to purchase as many books as possible for which we have AR tests, some titles are out of stock at the time of ordering or are out of print. The Cobb County Library and local bookstores are excellent sources for many of these books.  We provide the Merchant’s Walk and Mountain View branches of the library, as well as local bookstores.

It is impossible for us to evaluate the content of every book for which there is a test. Although all indications are that the books on our list are appropriate for our population, inclusion in the Accelerated Reader Program does not necessarily constitute endorsement or recommendation of a specific title by the Hightower staff. We recommend that parents guide their students in their reading selections.  Please keep in mind that, as a middle school, we must provide choices for a wide variety of reading, interest, and maturity levels.  Reading ability, personal interest, emotional maturity, and family values are all factors that will influence a particular child’s book selection. 

The Accelerated Reader Program is a reading program that involves students reading a book of their choice within their zone of proximal development (ZPD) and taking a test on the computer about that book.   The ZPD is determined by testing with the STAR (Standardized Test for Assessment of Reading) program.  Accelerated Reader helps students focus attention on careful reading of books, which improves their critical-thinking skills and builds an intrinsic love of reading.

The program allows teachers to continuously match children to appropriate books within their ZPD, which assures that every student is challenged without being frustrated.  Students, with the help of teachers, set individual goals throughout the year which will govern their reading selections. 

Click on title, author, or specific level to view the tests that we currently have. All links will open as an Adobe PDF file.