The 8-Course Meal is based upon the Food Pyramid.  Just like the food pyramid, reading can follow a similar proportion schedule.  There is the "bread" group, what you should eat (read) the most of, and the "fats/sweets" group, what you should eat (read) the least of.  Each student will devise their own 8-course meal based on the categories below.  They will get to choose what books they want to read the most of, which ones they want to read the least of, and choose two that they do not have to read.  (Anticipating that some students might make comics a "bread," a rule can be made where comics cannot be allowed in the bottom two rows.)
    The proportions will follow as such, going from the bottom up:
Bottom row = 8 books
Middle-bottom rows = 6 books
Middle-top rows = 4 books
Top row = 2 books