seventh grade homework

• Number Charts
• Multiplication
• Long division
• Basic operations
• Telling time
• Place value
• Roman numerals
• Fractions & related
• Add, subtract, multiply,   and divide fractions
• Mixed numbers vs. fractions
• Equivalent fractions
• Prime factorization & factors
• Fraction Calculator
• Decimals & Percent
• Add, subtract, multiply,   and divide decimals
• Fractions to decimals
• Percents to decimals
• Percentage of a number
• Percent word problems
• Classify triangles
• Classify quadrilaterals
• Circle worksheets
• Area & perimeter of rectangles
• Area of triangles & polygons
• Coordinate grid, including   moves & reflections
• Volume & surface area
• Pre-algebra
• Square Roots
• Order of operations
• Scientific notation
• Proportions
• Ratio word problems
• Write expressions
• Evaluate expressions
• Simplify expressions
• Linear equations
• Linear inequalities
• Graphing & slope
• Equation calculator
• Equation editor
• Elementary Math Games
• Addition and subtraction
• Math facts practice
• The four operations
• Factoring and number theory
• Geometry topics
• Middle/High School
• Statistics & Graphs
• Probability
• Trigonometry
• Logic and proof
• For all levels
• Favorite math puzzles
• Favorite challenging puzzles
• Math in real world
• Problem solving & projects
• For gifted children
• Math history
• Math games and fun websites
• Interactive math tutorials
• Math help & online tutoring
• Assessment, review & test prep
• Online math curricula

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7th grade reading & vocabulary

Unit 1: trailblazing women, unit 2: mysteries of the past, unit 3: living tongues.

• Main Idea Worksheets
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7th Grade Reading Comprehension Passages

Reading passages, questions & answers - seventh grade.

Below you’ll find 7th grade reading comprehension passages along with questions and answers and related vocabulary activities. These printable worksheet activities include original excerpts from short stories and books as well as high-interest informational topics.

The History of Juneteenth

Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19th, is a significant day in American history that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The name “Juneteenth” is a blend of “June” and “nineteenth,” marking the day in 1865 when Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, arrived in Galveston, Texas…

Hallowe’en in America

The Book of Hallowe’en was published in 1919 and described Halloween customs around the world. This passage is about how the holiday was celebrated then. —————————————————- While the original customs of Hallowe’en are being forgotten more and more across the ocean, Americans have fostered them, and are making this an…

Naturalist John Muir went to Alaska in 1879 to explore the area. He was joined by Rev. Young who had a small black dog named Stickeen. Stickeen was a quiet, independent, and intelligent dog. Early one morning Muir went to explore a nearby glacier. Stickeen followed him, and together they…

When Aiden asked me to accompany him on a camping trip to the mountains, I envisioned a log cabin with a crackling fireplace, hot cocoa, and bunk beds. Imagine how my rustic, yet comfortable image of camping became a nightmare when Aiden and his older brother, Lebron, showed up with…

With great big brown eyes And a heart pure and true, She wagged her long tail, While she looked at you. Let’s go for a walk, She tried to say. But you stared at your phone, And the dog went away. She brought you a toy, Trying to get you…

Primary Source: The 1896 East St. Louis Tornado

On the afternoon of May 27, 1896, a Category 4 tornado hit St. Louis, Missouri and East St. Louis, Illinois. It is the third deadliest tornado in U.S. history, and one of the rare ones to hit a large urban area. Below is a report from The Illinois State Journal…

In the Old Graveyard

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is the story of Tom, an orphan boy living with his aunt in Missouri in the mid-1800s. Tom is a little wild and full of mischief, but his friend Huckleberry Finn is more wild and more mischievous. In the passage, Tom and Huck sneak out…

The Homesick Connecticut Yankee

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court is the story of Hank Morgan, a 19th century Connecticut man, who suffers a blow to the head and is transported back centuries to the time of King Arthur. Once there he has many adventures while he struggles to apply 19th century American…

The Mayflower Compact

The Mayflower Compact  was a document written and signed by the Pilgrims as they arrived in the New World in 1620. The group had originally planned to go to the Hudson River area, which was part of the Virginia Colony. Bad weather, however, put them farther north, near the coast of Massachusetts. Since they…

Arachne’s Web

What had seemed like a good idea two weeks ago was turning into one of the most stomach-churning experiences of Katie’s life. She cautiously peeped through the heavy black curtains and then quickly yanked her head back into the backstage gloom. “She’s out there,” Katie breathed to Mila and Renee.…

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Seventh grade language arts

IXL offers more than 100 seventh grade language arts skills to explore and learn! Not sure where to start? Go to your personalized Recommendations wall to find a skill that looks interesting, or select a skill plan that aligns to your textbook, state standards, or standardized test.

Reading strategies

A. main idea.

• 1 Determine the main idea of a passage
• 1 Match the quotations with their themes
• 2 Determine the themes of short stories

C. Author's purpose and tone

• 1 Identify the author's purpose
• 2 Which sentence is more formal?
• 3 Compare passages for tone

D. Author's perspective

• 1 Determine the author's point of view

E. Text structure

• 1 Compare and contrast in informational texts
• 2 Match causes and effects in informational texts
• 3 Match problems with their solutions
• 4 Identify text structures

F. Literary devices

• 1 Identify sensory details
• 2 Interpret the meaning of an allusion from its source
• 3 Recall the source of an allusion
• 4 Interpret figures of speech
• 5 Classify figures of speech
• 6 Analyze the effects of figures of speech on meaning and tone

G. Analyzing literature

• 1 Identify the narrative point of view
• 2 Draw inferences from literary texts
• 3 Analyze short stories
• 4 Label the rhyme scheme

H. Analyzing informational texts

• 1 Read about animals
• 2 Read about science and nature
• 3 Read about history

I. Analyzing arguments

• 1 Trace an argument

J. Novel study

• 1 Analyze passages from A Long Walk to Water : Part 1
• 2 Analyze passages from A Long Walk to Water : Part 2
• 3 Analyze passages from Anne of Green Gables : Part 1
• 4 Analyze passages from Anne of Green Gables : Part 2

K. Nonfiction book study

• 1 Analyze passages from Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl : Part 1
• 2 Analyze passages from Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl : Part 2
• 3 Analyze passages from A Night to Remember : Part 1
• 4 Analyze passages from A Night to Remember : Part 2

L. Comparing texts

• 1 Compare information from two texts
• 2 Compare two texts with different genres

M. Visual elements

• 1 Compare illustrations of literary and historical subjects
• 2 Read graphic organizers

Writing strategies

N. expository writing.

• 1 Order topics from broadest to narrowest
• 2 Organize information by topic
• 3 Remove the sentence that does not belong

O. Persuasive and opinion writing

• 1 Distinguish facts from opinions
• 2 Identify thesis statements
• 3 Choose evidence to support a claim
• 4 Identify counterclaims
• 5 Identify appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos in advertisements
• 6 Classify logical fallacies

P. Descriptive and creative writing

• 1 Use personification
• 2 Create varied sentences based on models
• 3 Revise the sentence using a stronger verb

Q. Identifying text evidence

• 1 Identify supporting details in informational texts
• 2 Identify supporting details in literary texts

R. Writing clearly and concisely

• 1 Transitions with conjunctive adverbs
• 2 Use parallel structure
• 3 Remove redundant words or phrases

S. Editing and revising

• 1 Use the correct frequently confused word
• 2 Correct errors with frequently confused words
• 3 Correct errors with signs
• 4 Correct errors in everyday use
• 5 Suggest appropriate revisions

T. Research skills

• 1 Identify relevant sources
• 2 Evaluate newspaper headlines for bias
• 3 Recognize the parts of a Works Cited entry (MLA 8th–9th editions)
• 4 Use in-text citations (MLA 8th–9th editions)
• 5 Identify plagiarism

U. Prefixes and suffixes

• 1 Words with pre-
• 2 Words with re-
• 3 Words with sub-
• 4 Words with mis-
• 5 Words with un-, dis-, in-, im-, and non-
• 6 Words with -ful
• 7 Words with -less
• 8 Words with -able and -ible

V. Greek and Latin roots

• 1 Use Greek and Latin roots as clues to the meanings of words
• 2 Use words as clues to the meanings of Greek and Latin roots
• 3 Determine the meanings of Greek and Latin roots
• 4 Determine the meanings of words with Greek and Latin roots

W. Synonyms and antonyms

• 1 Choose the synonym
• 2 Choose the antonym

X. Homophones

• 1 Use the correct homophone
• 2 Which definition matches the sentence?
• 3 Which sentence matches the definition?

Y. Word choice and usage

• 1 Describe the difference between related words
• 2 Positive and negative connotation

Z. Analogies

• 1 Analogies
• 2 Analogies: challenge

AA. Context clues

• 1 Find words using context
• 2 Determine the meaning of words using synonyms in context
• 3 Determine the meaning of words using antonyms in context
• 4 Use context to identify the meaning of a word
• 5 Use academic vocabulary in context: informational

BB. Domain-specific vocabulary

• 1 Determine the meaning of domain-specific words with pictures

CC. Reference skills

• 1 Alphabetical order
• 2 Use guide words
• 3 Use dictionary entries
• 4 Use dictionary definitions
• 5 Use thesaurus entries

Grammar and mechanics

Dd. sentences, fragments, and run-ons.

• 1 Is the sentence declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory?
• 2 Identify the complete subject or complete predicate of a sentence
• 3 Identify the simple subject or simple predicate of a sentence
• 4 Identify the compound subject or compound predicate of a sentence
• 5 Is it a complete sentence or a fragment?
• 6 Is it a complete sentence or a run-on?
• 7 Is it a complete sentence, a fragment, or a run-on?

EE. Phrases and clauses

• 1 Is it a phrase or a clause?
• 2 Identify appositives and appositive phrases
• 3 Identify dependent and independent clauses
• 4 Is the sentence simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex?
• 5 Combine sentences using relative clauses
• 1 Form and use plurals: review
• 2 Form and use plurals of compound nouns
• 3 Identify plurals, singular possessives, and plural possessives
• 4 Form the singular or plural possessive
• 5 Identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns

GG. Pronouns and antecedents

• 1 Identify pronouns and their antecedents
• 2 Use the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent
• 3 Identify vague pronoun references
• 4 Identify all of the possible antecedents
• 5 Correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person

HH. Pronoun types

• 1 Choose between subject and object pronouns
• 2 Compound subjects and objects with "I" and "me"
• 3 Compound subjects and objects with pronouns
• 4 Choose between personal and reflexive pronouns
• 5 Use reflexive pronouns
• 6 Is the pronoun reflexive or intensive?
• 7 Use relative pronouns: who and whom
• 8 Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, and that

II. Verb types

• 1 Identify transitive and intransitive verbs
• 2 Identify linking verbs, predicate adjectives, and predicate nouns

JJ. Subject-verb agreement

• 1 Correct errors with subject-verb agreement
• 2 Correct errors with indefinite pronoun-verb agreement
• 3 Use the correct verb – with compound subjects

KK. Verb tense

• 1 Irregular past tense: review
• 2 Simple past, present, and future tense: review
• 3 Identify and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense
• 4 Form the progressive verb tenses
• 5 Form the perfect verb tenses
• 6 Identify gerunds and their functions
• 7 Identify infinitives and infinitive phrases

LL. Adjectives and adverbs

• 1 Identify adjectives
• 2 Order adjectives
• 3 Identify adverbs
• 4 Choose between adjectives and adverbs
• 5 Is the word an adjective or adverb?
• 6 Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives
• 7 Good, better, best, bad, worse, and worst
• 8 Form and use comparative and superlative adverbs
• 9 Well, better, best, badly, worse, and worst

MM. Prepositions

• 1 Identify prepositional phrases

NN. Direct and indirect objects

• 1 Is it a direct object or an indirect object?

OO. Conjunctions

• 1 Use the correct pair of correlative conjunctions

PP. Misplaced modifiers

• 1 Misplaced modifiers with pictures
• 2 Select the misplaced or dangling modifier
• 3 Are the modifiers used correctly?

QQ. Restrictive and nonrestrictive elements

• 1 What does the punctuation suggest?
• 2 Commas with nonrestrictive elements
• 1 Commas with series, dates, and places
• 2 Commas with compound and complex sentences
• 3 Commas with direct addresses, introductory words, interjections, and interrupters
• 4 Commas with coordinate adjectives
• 5 Commas: review

SS. Semicolons, colons, and commas

• 1 Use semicolons and commas to separate clauses
• 2 Use semicolons, colons, and commas with lists

TT. Dashes, hyphens, and ellipses

• 1 Use dashes
• 2 Use hyphens in compound adjectives
• 3 Decide whether ellipses are used appropriately

UU. Capitalization

• 1 Correct capitalization errors
• 2 Capitalizing titles

VV. Formatting

• 1 Formatting titles
• 2 Formatting and capitalizing titles: review
• 3 Formatting street addresses
• 4 Formatting quotations and dialogue

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Printable 7th Grade Math Worksheets

Reading Worksheets, Spelling, Grammar, Comprehension, Lesson Plans

7th Grade Reading: Informational Text

For seventh graders, this Common Core area helps students gain mastery of the deeper tasks involved in reading a non-fiction text. No matter what they are reading, the standards require students to increase the complexity in the texts they read and deepen their understanding of the connections within and between texts. Among the complete standards for this grade, seventh graders will be asked to: support a textual analysis with multiple direct citations and textual inferences, analyze the structure that authors use within a text to convey meaning, understand how an author has structured their writing to distinguish their meaning and analysis from other texts on the same subject, begin to analyze how stories change when presented in audio, video or multimedia versions of the text, read text appropriate to grade level while increasing in the level of text complexity throughout the year.

Active and Passive Transport

Week 5 Reading Comprehension (E-5). This reading segment describes how a membrane allows things to move in and out of the cell. Cross-Curricular Focus: Life Science.

Bartering for Basics

Week 6 Reading Comprehension (E-6). A passage about early Native American Indian groups and how they bartered for goods. Cross-Curricular Focus: History / Social Sciences.

Customs and Traditions

Week 3 Reading Comprehension (E-3). Reading passage and questions about the customs and traditions of native American Indian groups in rth America Cross-Curricular Focus: History / Social Sciences.

Drawing a Conclusion

This worksheet on drawing conclusions will take your student into the realm of fantasy.

Main Idea Organizer

Teach your students how to organize their writing with this helpful Main Idea Organizer. Students will be asked to complete the worksheet by writing their own main idea, three details, and a summary. This will help your students better understand how to organize their ideas for writing in the future, especially when writing an essay!

Understanding the Author’s Language: Across the Plains

Sometimes it is difficult to know what the author means when you read his writing. Figurative language can be hard to understand. Here is a free worksheet with an excerpt fom Across the Plains to print out. After your students read it, they will answer questions on what the author meant when he said certain things.

Water Cycle

Week 25 Reading Comprehension (E-25). A reading passage about water’s three different forms or states: solid, liquid, gas. Cross-Curricular Focus: Earth Science.

What’s in Your Cells?

Week 2 Reading Comprehension (E-2). This passage describes how living things are made up of cells, and cells have specific structure Cross-Curricular Focus: Life Science.

Biography of Abraham Lincoln

Your student can read about the life of Abraham Lincoln and write a short summary in this worksheet.

Coyote: the Survivor of North America

Your student will read a short informational passage about the coyote and then practice finding supporting evidence.

Draw a Conclusion: Visual Details

Your student will use visual clues to make inferences about a group of pictures in this worksheet.

Earthquakes

Your student will determine the contextual meaning of words in this informative passage about earthquakes.

Grand Canyon

Your student will learn about the Grand Canyon and determine the meanings of words in the passage.

Inference Practice 2: Where Am I?

Here’s some inference practice for your middle school student.

Main Idea Graphic Organizer

Staying organized can be difficult, especially when you are trying to keep your writing and ideas well organized. With this printable Main Idea Graphic Organizer, students can keep their thoughts and ideas organized and separated based on their order of importance.

Susan B. Anthony and the Right to Vote

Susan B. Anthony was very important in women’s right to vote. Here is a exercise for students to read and then answer related questions.

The Attack on Pearl Harbor

In this worksheet, your student will be asked to analyze the influence of the attack on Pearl Harbor on Americans.

• Chess (Gr. 1-4)
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• The Pony Express (Gr. 2-6)
• Wintertime (Gr. 2-6)
• Reading (Gr. 3-7)
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• Worst Game Ever? (Gr. 4-8)
• Carnivorous Plants (Gr. 4-8)
• Google (Gr. 4-8)
• Honey Badgers (Gr. 4-8)
• Hyperinflation (Gr. 4-8)
• Koko (Gr. 4-8)
• Mongooses (Gr. 5-9)
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• Garbage (Gr. 5-9)
• Maginot Line (Gr. 5-9)
• Asian Carp (Gr. 5-9)
• Tale of Two Countries (Gr. 6-10)
• Kevlar (Gr. 7-10)
• Tigers (Gr. 7-11)
• Statue of Liberty (Gr. 8-10)
• Submarines (Gr. 8-12)
• Castles (Gr. 9-13)
• Gutenberg (Gr. 9-13)
• Author's Purpose Practice 1
• Author's Purpose Practice 2
• Author's Purpose Practice 3
• Fact and Opinion Practice 1
• Fact and Opinion Practice 2
• Fact and Opinion Practice 3
• Idioms Practice Test 1
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• Figurative Language Practice 1
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• Figurative Language Practice 3
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• Figurative Language Practice 7
• Figurative Language Practice 8
• Figurative Language Practice 9
• Figurative Language of Edgar Allan Poe
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• Genre Practice 1
• Genre Practice 2
• Genre Practice 3
• Genre Practice 4
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• Genre Practice 6
• Genre Practice 7
• Genre Practice 8
• Genre Practice 9
• Genre Practice 10
• Irony Practice 1
• Irony Practice 2
• Irony Practice 3
• Making Inferences Practice 1
• Making Inferences Practice 2
• Making Inferences Practice 3
• Making Inferences Practice 4
• Making Inferences Practice 5
• Main Idea Practice 1
• Main Idea Practice 2
• Point of View Practice 1
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• Text Structure Practice 1
• Text Structure Practice 2
• Text Structure Practice 3
• Text Structure Practice 4
• Text Structure Practice 5
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Ereading Worksheets

Free reading worksheets, activities, and lesson plans., site navigation.

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This page features 20 of my favorite short stories with questions. These reading activities are perfect for classroom use. Written by some of the greatest authors in history, these stories are short enough to cover in a single class period, and rich enough to warrant study. I tried to select stories that students would find […]

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Posted by Mr. Morton on 2016-04-19 15:56

https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-worksheets/short-stories-with-questions/

The setting of the story is the time and place that it occurs. Every story has a setting. The setting helps to create the mood of the story. It influences how readers feel about the text. Here is an example of what I mean. How Does Setting Affect Mood? Imagine a story about a girl […]

Posted by Mr. Morton on 2014-09-03 09:45

https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-worksheets/reading-comprehension-worksheets/setting-worksheets/

Making predictions is a basic reading skill that requires higher level thinking. To make a good prediction, readers must consider available information and make an inference. Good readers make predictions based on textual evidence. If you use evidence to support your predication, you can justify it whether you are right or wrong. I designed these […]

Posted by Mr. Morton on 2014-08-28 11:35

https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-worksheets/reading-comprehension-worksheets/making-predictions-worksheets-and-lessons/

What would a story be without a conflict? It would be boring. Perhaps that is why all stories worth telling have a problem. Most scholars agree that there are six basic types of conflicts in literature. I will define each of these. Then I will provide PowerPoint lessons and worksheets that reinforce these ideas. Use […]

Posted by Mr. Morton on 2014-08-15 11:18

https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-worksheets/types-of-conflict-worksheets/

Ereading Worksheets provides teachers, parents, and motivated students with high-quality reading worksheets, activites, and resources aligned with Common Core State Standards. This website uses a skill focused approach, where each activity targets a specific set of skills. The resources on this website cover a broad range of reading, writing, and language arts skills and everything […]

Posted by Mr. Morton on 2014-01-16 11:52

https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-worksheets/literature-units/lord-of-the-flies/lord-of-the-flies-activities/prereading-group-activity/new-home-page-test/

Summarizing is one of those skills that may seem very easy to a teacher but can be difficult for students who have not been properly taught how to summarize. For many years I did not even teach my seventh and eighth grade students how to summarize. I would just ask them to summarize texts and […]

Posted by Mr. Morton on 2013-09-07 14:42

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Students need to gain lots of practice working with nonfiction passages. This prepares them for more advanced course work. Here are some nonfiction reading passages, worksheets, and online practice activities to give students practice. I recommend using the online versions of the activities if you have access to technology in your classroom. It will save […]

Posted by Mr. Morton on 2013-09-02 13:43

https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-worksheets/reading-comprehension-worksheets/nonfiction-passages-and-functional-texts-worksheets-and-online-practice/

New and Improved Ereading Worksheets

If you’ve been coming to this site for a while, you may be familiar with my Ereading Worksheets. These are interactive online versions of my worksheets. Students complete these online and are instantly graded on their results. At the end, students can print out a score sheet indicating their success. These Ereading Worksheets were pretty […]

Posted by Mr. Morton on 2013-08-23 18:23

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Poetry is a rich source of figurative language. Though there are examples of figurative language to be found in all genres of literature, perhaps none more than in poetry. Good poets pack worlds of meaning into tiny little lines. These lines evoke emotions, thoughts, and at times social change. One of the ways that poets […]

Posted by Mr. Morton on 2013-04-05 22:27

https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/figurative-language/figurative-language-poems-with-questions/

Reading Units and Lesson Plans Aligned with Common Core

I received an email from a teacher working in a situation similar to mine: students who are deficient in basic skills, a lack of useful resources in the classroom, misdirection or no direction from the top. This teacher found the resources on this website to be a tremendous help in reaching her instructional goals, but […]

Posted by Mr. Morton on 2013-03-21 21:21

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7 th Grade Math Worksheets

Free, Printable Math Worksheets for at-home Practice

A Parent’s Guide to Seventh Grade Math + Practice Worksheets

Download this informative guide to learn how to best support your seventh grader as they learn and master important seventh grade math concepts.

Free Practice Worksheets

Choose a Grade

Click on a concept below to try a sample question

Ratio & Proportion

Number system.

Probability

Why 7th grade math worksheets are important.

A stated objective of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is to standardize academic guidelines nationwide. In other words, what Seventh Graders learn in math in one state should be the same as what students of the same age are learning in another state. The curricula may vary between these two states, but the general concepts behind them are similar. This approach is intended to replace wildly differing guidelines among different states, thus eliminating (in theory) inconsistent test scores and other metrics that gauge student success.

An increased focus on math would seem to include a wider variety of topics and concepts being taught at every grade level, including Seventh Grade. However, CCSS actually calls for fewer topics at each grade level. The Common Core approach (which is clearly influenced by “Singapore Math”—an educational initiative that promotes mastery instead of memorization) goes against many state standards. Many states mandate a “mile-wide, inch-deep” curriculum in which children are taught so much in a relatively short time span, that they aren’t effectively becoming proficient in the concepts they truly need to understand to succeed at the next level. Hence, CCSS works to establish an incredibly thorough foundation not only for the math concepts in future grades, but also toward practical application for a lifetime.

How Our Seventh Grade Math Worksheets Reflect Common Core Standards

In Seventh Grade, CCSS recommends that instructional time should focus on four critical skills. Thinkster worksheets for seventh grade have been designed to cater to these skills:

• Developing understanding of and applying proportional relationships
• Developing understanding of operations with rational numbers and working with expressions and linear equations
• Solving problems involving scale drawings and informal geometric constructions, and working with two- and three-dimensional shapes to solve problems involving area, surface area, and volume
• Drawing inferences about populations based on samples

7th Grade Math Worksheets: Critical Areas of Focus

Seventh grade is very much a transition year for math. Much will be expected this year from students—after all, this is middle school, and the level of instruction, as well as the level of expectations, has increased. Yet, seventh graders will also discover that their hard work in previous years has left them well-prepared for this year’s math. For example, the concepts of ratio and unit rates introduced in seventh grade evolve into calculating the constant of proportionality in tables, graphs, equations, and diagrams in seventh. Here are four critical areas of focus, straight from Common Core, that will be emphasized in seventh grade:

Proportional Relationships

As already stated, ratios and proportions are a fluency requirement for seventh grade. Some of the focus will include real-world situations such as tax, discounts, tips, and other percentage problems. Students will solve problems about scale drawings, will graph proportional relationships and learn about slope, and distinguish proportional relationships from other relationships.

Rational Numbers, Expressions and Linear Equations

Students will understand that fractions, decimals, and percentages are different representations of rational numbers. Furthermore, they will extend their mastery of the four basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) to rational and negative numbers as well as expressions and equations involving one variable.

Scale Drawings, Informal Geometric Constructions, and Cross Sections of Twoand Three-Dimensional Shapes

Seventh graders will continue to work with area, including circumference and the surface area of three-dimensional objects. Congruence and similarity are on the horizon in Grade 8, and to prepare for that, students will reason about relationships using scale drawings and informal geometric constructions, as well as the relationship between angles and intersecting lines. They will also work with three-dimensional figures by examining two-dimensional cross sections, and they will solve real-world problems involving area, surface area, and volume.

Drawing Inferences on Populations Based on Samples

Having previously worked on single data distributions in Sixth Grade, seventh graders will compare two data distributions and answer questions about the differences of the populations. Also, they informally will work with random sampling to generate data sets and learn about drawing inferences based on representative samples. Seventh Grade : Introduction, Common Core State Standards Initiative. -->

Overview of Seventh Grade Math Topics

Though they may have seem detailed, the four areas of focus presented in the previous section are more just starting points of what seventh graders can expect during this crucial school year. From those areas, teachers and students will delve into more specific concepts that will prepare kids for eighth grade math and beyond. The five topics presented here, taken directly from CCSS 4 itself, include some details on what kids will be taught in seventh grade.

Ratios and Proportional Relationships

• Analyze proportional relationships and use them to solve realworld and mathematical problems. By the end of seventh grade, students will become experts in ratios and proportions. The concepts and activities in store for them include:

• Computing unit rates of ratios associated with fractions. For example, if you swim 1/4 of mile in 1/10 of an hour, a complex fraction of 1/4 / 1/10 miles, or 2.5 miles, per hour can be computed.
• Deciding whether two quantities are in a proportional relationship. This can be achieved by testing for equivalent ratios in a table or graphing on a coordinate plane and looking for a straight line through the origin.
• Identifying the constant proportionality—the unit rate—in tables, graphs, equations, diagrams, verbal descriptions, and word problems.
• Representing proportional relationships by equations. For example, if the total cost (t) of something is proportional to the number of items purchased (n) at one constant price (p), the relationship between the total cost and the number items can be described as t=pn.
• Explaining what a point (x,y) on a graph of a proportional relationship means in terms of the situation, especially to the points (0,0) and (1,r) in which r is the unit rate.
• Using proportional relationship to solve multi-step real-world problems. For example, if you paid $50 at a restaurant, and that total included a 20 percent tip, how much did you just pay for dinner itself before tipping?

Seventh Grade: Introduction, Common Core State Standards Initiative.

The Number System

• Apply and extend previous understandings of operations with fractions. Rational numbers also are emphasized with this topic, and students will understand how the additive property intertwines with this concept. Some areas taught include:

• Adding and subtracting rational numbers (any number that can be written as a simple fraction, in which the denominator is not 0), and, from students’ understanding of fractions, applying these operations by using a number line.
• Describing situations in which opposite quantities combine to make 0, which is an additive inverse. For example, spending $50 to pay off a negative account balance of -$50 to reach 0.
• The knowledge of absolute value is extended: Understanding that p+q as the number located a distance |q| from p in a positive or negative direction (depending on if q was positive or negative).
• Understanding that subtracting rational numbers is the same as adding the additive inverse. For example, 7 - 4 = 7 + (-4).
• Dividing and multiplying rational numbers, and understanding that (-1)(-1)=1 and that -(p/q) = (-p)/q = p/(-q).
• Converting a rational number to a decimal using long division, and the concept of repeating decimals.
• Solving real-world problems involving rational numbers using the four basic operations.

Expressions and Equations

• Use properties of equations to generate equivalent expressions. Students will apply properties of operations to add, subtract, factor, and expand linear expressions with rational coefficients. Also, they will discover that rewriting an expression or equation in a different form (for example, x + 0.1 = 1.1x is the same as increasing a number by 10 percent and is the same as multiplying by 1.1) can lead them to a better understanding of the problem at hand

• Solve real-life mathematical problems using numeric and algebraic expressions and equations. The algebra continues. Seventh graders will learn to:

• Solve multi-step word problems with positive and negative rational numbers in any form (fractions, decimals, and whole numbers), and convert between forms when necessary (for example, if a business saw its profits increase by 10 percent in a year, it made 1/10 more money than last year).
• Solve word problems that lead to equations such as px+q=r or p(x+q)=r, in which p, q, and r are rational numbers. Student s will also learn to compare the algebraic solution to an arithmetic solution and identify the series of operations in each approach—for example, if a rectangle has a perimeter of 30 inches and a length of 10 inches, what is the area?
• Solve word problems involving inequalities; for example, a word problem that leads to the equation 2x + 5 < 25, so x < 10. Also, seventh graders will graph solution sets for inequalities—for example, if a pizza delivery driver makes $100 a week plus $2 per pizza, a student could graph how many pizzas the driver would need to deliver to make $175

• Draw, construct, and describe geometrical figures and describe the relationship between them. Students will solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, will draw geometric shapes (by hand, with a ruler and compass, and with technology) with given conditions, and will describe two-dimensional figures resulting from slicing three-dimensional figures such as pyramids and rectangular prisms.

• Solve real-life and mathematical problems involving angle measure, area, surface, and volume. Seventh graders will master the formulas for area and circumference of circles and use this knowledge to solve problems. They will also work with different types of angles (supplementary, complementary, vertical, and adjacent) and solve problems involving volume and surface area of two- and three-dimensional objects composed of triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, cubes, and right prisms.

Statistics and Probability

• Use random sampling to draw inferences about a population. Students will understand that statistics can be used to gain information about a population, and they will also be taught about random sampling. Furthermore, seventh graders will gather data from a random sample to draw inferences about a population with an unknown characteristic. For example, if a classroom has three more girls than boys in it, make an estimate about how many more girls are at the entire school.

• Draw informal comparative inferences about two populations. Simply put, students compare two groups and arrive at conclusions, including inferences based on variability. For example, if one cross country team averages 9-minute miles during practice and a second team averages 10-minute miles, what will happen if a runner logging 7-minute miles switches from the first team to the second?

• Investigate chance processes, and develop, use, and evaluate probability models. Though it may not appear so at first glance, probability nicely ties in to many other topics seventh graders are being taught. Among the concepts explored:

• Understanding that the probability of an event lies somewhere between 0 and 1— with near 0 being unlikely, around 1/2 as about even odds, and near 1 as likely.
• Collecting data to approximate the probability of a chance event. For example, rolling a die 300 times and estimating a 6 will come up about, but likely not exactly, 50 times.
• Developing a model for probability and explaining its results and discrepancies.
• Using organized lists, tree diagrams, tables, and simulation to arrive at probabilities of compound events. For example, if half of the students in a classroom have brown eyes, what is the probability that if you pick a random eight kids, five will have that eye color?

Surviving Middle School Math

Junior high is a crazy time for many students. Many self-contained middle schools (schools that aren’t K-8) present unique challenges academically and socially. The homework load is greater, the routines are completely different, and kids that seemed so young just a couple years earlier are now ... teenagers. Moreover, 67 percent of middle school teachers feel that math is the toughest subject for students to re-engage in after summer break, and 50 percent added that kids' math skills regress more than any other school subject. Combining these factors creates a situation daunting for students and parents alike. And perhaps nowhere is the challenge more acute than with middle school math. However, there’s no reason why students can’t thrive during these two critical years. What follows are several tips for middle schoolers and their parents to help them through this part of their math education.

Middle School Study Tips

• Be cool If you have been looking through this guide at the topics you can expect to learn for this school year, you may be understandably intimidated. However, the way Common Core is designed, you will get plenty of instruction, practice, and reinforcement with one concept before moving on.

Furthermore, you will discover that becoming good at a certain topic sets you up to succeed at the next. In many previous math curricula, teachers would move onto the next concept before many students felt they had mastered the last one. With Common Core, you can be confident you’ll be ready for whatever lies ahead.

• Practice When You Are Not Tired The homework loads of many students increase in middle school. However, your math capabilities are better suited for when you are most alert and less tired. Therefore, try to work on math homework in the later afternoon or early evening when you are at your freshest after school. Getting all your homework completed is important, but reading a book for a literature class won’t require the computing power from your brain that math will.

• Read the Question You might encounter math problems that appear intimidating, both on first glance and after you’ve read the question. No need to worry: Almost everything being thrown at you is stuff you have learned or are currently learning. Clear your mind and read the question again. Break down the problem by writing all the given information and relevant numbers. From there, work your way through the question on your path to the answer. Once you master this process, all those intimidating problems won’t seem so frightening.

• Check Your Work One helpful aspect of solving algebraic equations is that checking your work is easy: Simply plug in the answer into the variable of the original problem and do the math. This is a good habit to start with your homework because if you made a mistake, you have time to figure out what went wrong, which will help you all the more in the future. Furthermore, once you are proficient in checking your work accurately and quickly with your homework, you will naturally do the same on tests, possibly (and hopefully!) resulting in better grades because you are catching your mistakes before handing the test in.

• Keywords, Keywords, Keywords! One math strategy you likely learned in elementary school is to look for keywords when solving word problems. Keywords are simply clues within a word problem that guide you toward a solution. This strategy is just as applicable in middle school as it was when you were younger, maybe even more so as you work to solve multi-step problems. Moreover, with new concepts you are learning, a new set of words will be entering your math vocabulary. Look for terms such as save, rate, per, proportion, percentage, and compare in middle school word problems.

• Skip the Calculator You will encounter plenty of math in the coming years (especially in trigonometry and pre-calculus) that will require the use of a calculator. At this level, however, you should know how to perform almost every required operation without technological help. Skipping the calculator and figuring out problems by hand (for example, computing circumference by multiplying by 3.14) keeps your skills sharp, shows the teacher you are taking time to solve problems instead of taking a shortcut, and prepares you for tests on which a calculator isn't allowed.

• Math Everywhere Much of the math you are learning now can extend to rest of your life. Look for opportunities to practice your skills outside of school. For example, if you are watching a football game and see that a quarterback has completed 15 of 24 passes, try converting that number to a fraction and a percentage. Or, figure out what percentage a $5 tip on a $27 haircut is. Your math skills will help your realworld skills that when sharp, will improve your in-school math skills in turn.

• Ask for Help If you find yourself struggling with a specific concept or with math in general, by all means, seek help from your teacher. Educators want you to succeed, and they will do whatever they can to help you do so … but sometimes, you have to ask. Also, don’t be afraid to tell your parents that you are having a rough time. Most adults remember how challenging middle school math was, and your parents can provide encouragement, work with you and your teacher, or explore other options to get the help you need to succeed.

Parent Tips

Parenting a 12, 13, or 14 year old is already quite a task. Navigating middle school math only increases the challenge, as well as your possible level of stress. Arguing with your child about school work is counterproductive, so staying calm and working positively with him or her is essential, no matter how frustrated you may get. The time parents get with their growing children is short enough; you don’t want to spend the middle school years in a constant battle with your kids. Take a deep breath—you will survive math during these years. Here are some tips to keep your sanity along the way:

• Be cool This is sage advice for parents as well as students. The level of math education you and your child encounter in middle school is unlike anything you may have experienced before. Yet, students this age are ready to take their learning to another level the curricula wouldn’t include such content if they weren’t capable. Though there may be bumps along the way, your child can still reach the destination.

• Relearn the Math One reason parents are apprehensive to engage their middle schooler with his or her math homework is that they might be a few decades removed from the math itself. Most parents remember how to multiply, but they might not have a clue how to solve two variable inequalities. Middle school math isn’t so difficult that adults can’t relearn the concepts. Many websites are available that describe a variety of math topics, or if you can sneak in 20 minutes here and there, read your student’s textbook (just don’t let your kids catch you!). Once you understand the math a little more, you will be better able to help your child when he or she is struggling.

• Understand Common Core Irrespective of your opinions about Common Core, more than likely, your kids are learning in a curriculum following the standards. Therefore, understanding the goals, guidelines, and structure of CCSS ultimately will help as you support your middle schooler through these years of math. For example, your child may be learning methods and strategies to solve a problem that you have never encountered. Your first inclination might be to dismiss these approaches and not offer any support. However, knowing that Common Core aims to provide multiple methods so that students achieve a well-rounded mastery will give you clarity on why your child is learning something a certain way … and it may inspire you to learn this new strategy as well.

• Drill for Skills Find opportunities for your middle schooler to practice math outside of his or her schoolwork. Challenge your daughter to compute tips. Direct your son to figure out what percentage of a gallon of gas is tax (the tax price is usually on the pump). If you are stuck in traffic or driving to an afterschool activity, rapid-fire some problems and equations, such as converting fractions to decimals. A couple extra minutes here and there keeps kids’ minds actively focused on math skills, which will be sharpened for when they are testing or doing homework.

• Become Involved If you are concerned with how Common Core is being implemented at your school, the amount of homework being given, or anything else in the math classroom, then you should absolutely get involved. Talk to teachers and administrators. Attend committee meetings. Research the subject that has you concerned. Parents naturally will have opinions about the quality of their children’s education. Those opinions can affect dialogue and solutions, but only if you take action. Your middle schooler is working hard to get the best education possible. There’s no reason you shouldn’t do the same for your child.

• Seek Help for Your Child If your middle-schooler is consistently struggling with math, your first step should be to talk to his or her teacher, who can provide guidance on how those struggles can be overcome. From there, another step you might consider is finding outside help your child. Several online resources provide math tutelage, including worksheets and sample tests that conform to Common Core standards. Tutoring might be an option, too. Innovative iPad-based math software has emerged that combines the personalized approach of a tutor with today’s technology. These revolutionary programs also may feature a curriculum based on Common Core, thus ensuring your child’s learning at home is aligned with what he or she is learning at school

Tips for Helping Your Seventh Grader with These Seventh Grade Math Worksheets

In addition to the grade-specific standards it sets forth, Common Core also emphasizes eight “Standards of Mathematical Practice” that teachers at all levels are encouraged to develop in their students. Here are descriptions of these eight practices—designed to improve student performance—and how they apply to middle schoolers:

Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them

Students explain the problem to themselves and determine ways they can reach a solution. Then, they work at the problem until it’s solved. By middle school, for example, many word problems are multi-step, requiring more than one operation on the way to an answer. Students must take care to determine what these steps are, decide what strategies (including correspondences between equations, verbal descriptions, graphs and tables, and looking for regularity and trends) will be necessary to solve the problem, and work toward the solution.

Reason abstractly and quantitatively

Students decontextualize and contextualize problems. By decontextualizing, they break down the problem into anything other than the standard operation. By contextualizing, they apply math into problems that seemingly have none. Middle-schoolers who are decontextualizing may envision a fraction or decimal into unit rates—for example, a student working with the fraction 3/8 might picture three squares across a chessboard—to help solve a problem. Students who are contextualizing might break a polygon into several smaller shapes in order to compute the total area.

Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others

Students use their acquired math knowledge and previous results to explain or critique their work or the work of others, analyzing and using counterexamples as necessary. Most middle-schoolers have already learned how to work with classmates to achieve a goal. Students might be encouraged not only to work with a group to solve a particularly challenging math problem, but also to present and explain their solution to the teacher and the class.

Encourage them to show their work

This suggestion can be read two ways. First, students will be encouraged to show how they arrived at an answer, especially within Common Core. Second, ask your children to show you their homework, particularly the challenging stuff. Explaining how a problem is solved is a basic CCSS tenet, so if your kids can be confident in explaining their work to you, they will carry that confidence into the classroom when the teacher asks for those same explanations.

Model with mathematics

This is just like it sounds: Students use math to solve real-world problems. For example, a national department store chain offers sales either in the form of percentages off retail price and by a flat dollar amount savings (and sometimes both). Middle-schoolers can use their knowledge of ratios and percentages to determine from which sales method they will save more.

Use appropriate tools strategically

Another self-explanatory practice: Students learn and determine which tools are best for the math problem at hand. For older kids, the tools may seem obvious—pencil, paper, calculator, protractor, and so on—but knowing when to use what is important. For example, graph paper can be a big help when solving variable inequalities.

Attend to precision

Students strive to be exact and meticulous—period. The math vocabulary introduced to middle-schoolers rapidly expanding, so students must be precise in their words as well as their numbers. Consider this example: An equation (x=1) is different than an expression (x-1) and an inequality (x>1). Middle-schoolers who know these definitions will have an easier time when working with the corresponding concepts.

Look for and make use of structure

Students will look for patterns and structures within math and apply these discoveries to subsequent problems. Take the equation x +5=10; to get an answer, 5 must be subtracted from both sides. This basic algebraic structure will apply to almost all equations middle-schoolers will encounter, no matter the operation or the number of variables. Once students recognize and master this structure, they will automatically think about both sides of the equation when solving.

Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

Students come to realizations—“aha” moments is a good term for these realizations—about the math operations that they are performing and use this knowledge in subsequent problems. For example, middle-schoolers may discover that tipping 15 percent is an easy computation: Figure out 10 percent of the bill, then take half of that and add to get 15 percent. In no time, they will want to figure out the tip when you are at a restaurant. 6 Standards for Mathematical Practice, Common Core State Standards Initiative. -->

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Home » Reading lists for Middle School children » 7th grade reading books for children aged 12-13

7th grade reading books for children aged 12-13

Books for grade 7 – this list of suggested reading books for grade 7 has been curated and compiled for middle and high school students aged 12-13. There is a range of exciting and thought-provoking books to suit all abilities in the 7th Grade, including easy readers and more difficult texts. This list of 7th grade reading recommendations includes titles by Lois Lowry, Lana Krumwiede, Markus Zusak, Kwame Alexander and S.E. Hinton.

Books for Grade 7 – our recommendations

Starfish by lisa fipps.

Using free verse, 12-year-old Ellie tells the reader about her swimming pool safe place where she can escape a world that fat shames and bullies her. With the help of her new neighbor, her dad, and her therapist, Ellie grows in confidence. An inspiring, empowering, and personal story that will appeal to less confident readers. Perfect for book club discussion.

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed

Amal’s dreams of being a teacher when she’s older are put on hold when she has to look after her siblings instead of going to school in rural Pakistan. But her hope is further shattered when she is forced into working for a rich family to pay off a family debt. The corruption she sees and the enemies she makes put her in grave danger. Will she be able to save her family and realize her dreams? A sparkling story of bravery, resilience, justice, and revenge.

The Glass Town Game by Catherynne M. Valente

To keep themselves from thinking about being sent away to boarding school, Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne Brontë create a game to pass the time. But in a spectacular story of enchantment, their Glass Town game comes alive, their toy soldiers have real weapons, and there’s a magic potion to be found and fought over. Highly recommended, this is a highly original and imaginative fantasy.

Small Town Pride by Phil Stamper

When 13-year-old Jake comes out, his family and his friends at middle school are supportive. But the same cannot be said for the small-town mindset of Barton Springs, Ohio. When Jake’s father shows his support by planting an enormous pride flag in their front yard, the townsfolk feel threatened and raise concerns with the Mayor. But Jake is not deterred and becomes determined to organize a town pride parade. In an era of book bannings and veiled homophobia, this heartwarming and positive book is a breath of fresh air.

New Kid by Jerry Craft

Jordan loves to draw – especially cartoons. Denied the chance to go to art school by his parents, he is sent to an upmarket academic school away from his friends. Jordan has to find a new path and adapt to his new surroundings. A graphic novel – this will appeal to reluctant middle school readers.

A Place to Belong by Cynthia Kadohata

An insightful chapter book that covers a less well known period of history. A Japanese / American family released from internment after WW2 are pressured to revoke their US citizenship and return to Japan. Bewildered hurt, and confused over her identity, young Hana finds herself living near Hiroshima with her elderly grandparents. Starvation, disease and the difficulty of coping with an unfamiliar Japanese culture awaken Hana to the realities of war.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

When 12-year-old Jonas is appointed the Receiver of Memory he starts to uncover and understand the buried secrets held by the people he lives amongst. The first in a gripping quartet.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

When Winnie Foster stumbles upon a fountain of eternal youth she thinks all her prayers are answered. But then she meets a family who drank from the spring water. Will she decide to live forever? Will she keep the magic water secret? A modern classic and an ideal seventh-grade group reader.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

When millionaire Samuel Westing dies, he leaves a will like no other. Sixteen people will have to play a cunning game to inherit his vast fortune. A cracking page-turner which will appeal to young adults.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D Schmidt

Told over the course of one year between 1967 and 1968 in Long Island, this novel follows Holling, a seventh-grader who juggles his home life, getting into trouble at school and growing up amid the backdrop of the Vietnam War. Great to read in one sitting.

Watership Down by Richard Adams

An atmospheric quest story about a group of rabbits fleeing from danger to danger in search of a peaceful and safe life. When Fiver, Hazel, Bigwig, and friends think they’ve found the perfect location, events take a turn for the worse. An ideal 7th grade reading book for more advanced students.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

A stunning story, set entirely in verse, about two brothers who compete against each other in life and on the basketball court. Gripping and ideal for reluctant readers.

Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen

When Cole Mathews commits a terrible crime, the judge gives him an unusual choice: jail time or a rehabilitation program on a remote Alaskan wilderness island He chooses the latter and soon has to fight for his life in a captivating story of survival and iron will. A great addition to a 7th grade reading bookshelf.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

A captivating and gripping story – told from the eyes of death – and set in Nazi Germany in 1939 which follows Liesel, a girl who steals books. A surprising friendship develops which allows her to read the vast library of a local dignitary. Her view of the world changes completely. A challenging and thought-provoking book for a 7th grade reading list.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

A multi-award-winning middle-grade fantasy novel about Xan, a girl who breaks a sacred tradition and feeds a baby bound for sacrifice with moonlight. As a result, the child grows to become extraordinarily powerful with dangerous magical abilities.

Snow White by Matt Phelan

A highly engaging graphic novel film noir style retelling of the Snow White tale. Set in 1930s New York, Samantha White has come home after years of exile, protected by seven street urchins. With vibrant artwork, this book is great for reluctant seventh-grade readers.

Trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan

Cast down from Mouth Olympus by his angry father Zeus, Apollo finds himself fending for himself as a regular teen boy in New York. A regular teen with no superhuman powers. Can he ever make it up with his father and return to the gods?

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

After years of saving and waiting, Billy buys two pups, Old Dan and Little Ann. Soon he feels invincible, exploring the Ozarks with his stellar hunting dogs. But danger lurks just around the corner. This modern classic is a perfect easy reader for 7th grade.

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D Schmidt

A startling and moving story about family and sacrifice. 12-year-old Joe narrates the story of his friend Joseph, a father at the age of 13, but he has never seen his daughter and will do anything to find her. A gripping page-turner for more mature seventh-grade readers.

The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer

An epic fantasy series about Alex and Conner, twin brothers who find themselves embroiled in adventures in a fairy tale world after reading from a strange and magical book. This is an addictive and enthralling set of books which is bound to appeal to reluctant readers in grade 7.

Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer

The year is 793 in a quiet Saxon settlement. When Viking Berserkers appear from the mist and kidnap 11-year-old Jack, he and his sister are thrown into an epic quest with Olaf One-Brow.

The Pigman by Paul Zindel

When a practical joke goes badly wrong the unforeseen consequences last longer than high school friends John and Lorraine could ever have imagined. Perhaps their only chance of redemption is for them to tell the story of Pigman. A classic young adult novel ideal for more advanced readers.

Brian’s Winter by Gary Paulsen

In a sequel to Hatchet, Gary Paulsen asks the question – what if Brian hadn’t been rescued? What if he had to survive long enough to face the dangers of winter? Will he survive? Find out in this thrilling and exciting adventure.

The Girl with the Ghost Machine by Lauren DeStefano

A fun and easier read for children in grade 7. When Emmaline’s mother dies suddenly, her father Monsieur Beaumont tries to build a ghost machine. But when he spends longer and longer on the machine, Emmaline decides she must either destroy it or make it work herself. An ideal book to use in class when discussing loss or grief.

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

When Marty finds a stray dog in the woods, the beagle soon becomes the most important part of his life. But when he discovers who the dog ran away from, will the dangerous secret become too much for Marty to bear? A moving story that is perfect for less confident readers.

Tex by SE Hinton

A thought-provoking and a character-driven novel about carefree Tex and his tense home life in the care of his resentful older brother. When their often absent father returns, Tex runs away and events spiral out of control. An ideal novel for 7th-grade book clubs.

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

Sophie and Agatha are sent to the school for Good and Evil where students are trained to be heroes and villains. A highly original and enchanting series of stories where which intertwine characters into fairy tales from which they must try to escape. Fast-paced – these books are ideal for less confident readers.

Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt

When four siblings are abandoned by their mother in a parking lot they have to use their wits and luck to trek across America’s East Coastal Highway from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Crisfield in Maryland where their grandmother lives. A more challenging read for seventh-grade students.

Counting by Sevens by Holly Goldberg Sloan

A story of triumph in the face of adversity. When introverted Willow’s parents both die tragically in a car accident she finds herself completely alone in a world she already finds challenging. Will she ever be able to connect with people and have a normal family life? A great book for group discussion.

Nothing by the Truth by Avi

Philip is left out of the track team due to his English grades but Philip is convinced it is all because of his unfair teacher Miss Narwin. However, when he stages a rebellious protest, he isn’t prepared for what follows when it goes viral…

River Thunder by Will Hobbs

In this high-octane sequel to Downriver, each one of the teenage crew has something to prove. Can Trey learn to work with other people? Is Jessie brave enough? Can the crew survive the perilous rapids? A stimulating book that is ideal to provoke 7th-grade reading discussions.

Crown of Three by JD Rhinehart

Tarlan, Elodie, and Gulph are triplets with superpowers who have never met each other. Events conspire to force them together in this epic tale of good and evil in a magical land filled with danger. Will they fulfill the ancient prophecy and bring peace and harmony to the world?

Where the Lilies Bloom by Vera & Bill Cleaver

A classic historical drama that examines poverty and hardship in rural America. Mary Calls stops at nothing to carry out her dying father’s last wish to keep the family together. An uplifting tale of survival against the odds.

Loot by Jude Watson

March’s father’s dying wish is for his son to find his long lost twin sister – Jules. But there’s no happy ending when he finds her – both are soon kept under lock and key in a dark orphanage. Will they find a way to escape and pull off the life-changing robbery their father had planned?

Redwall by Brian Jacques

A despotic rat called Cluny the Scourge threatens to invade and conquer an enclave of peace-loving mice in Redwall Abbey. Seemingly, nothing can stop the rat army unless unlikely alliances can be made. A tale of good versus evil and an easier reader for children in the seventh grade.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Thomas knows who he is, but that’s it. Finding himself trapped in a walled encampment he has to choose friends and alliances carefully to survive the dangers of the maze. Thrilling and edgy, this story will appeal to reluctant readers. A captivating read for any 7th-grade reading group.

The Absolute Value of Mike by Kathryn Erskine

Mike wants to relate to his dad, but that’s hard when his dad is obsessed with math. When Mike agrees to stay with relatives for the summer vacation to appease his father, he cannot imagine the adventure that awaits. A great story about the human condition.

Freakling by Lana Krumwiede

In this dark dystopian fantasy, Taemon unexpectedly loses his power to move objects with his mind – a power everyone in his world has. Faced with shame, discrimination and worse, how can he stop people from finding out? Or will the exile he fears turn out better than he could have imagined? An ideal novel for 7th-grade book clubs and class discussion.

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

High fantasy adventure with Bilbo Baggins joins Gandalf on an epic quest to the Lonely Mountain where vast treasure and the fierce dragon Smaug await them. The prequel to The Lord of the Rings.

Click the buttons below to purchase all of the books in this 7th grade book list, as well as classroom sets of any of these books and many more, from Bookshop.org. Or buy the 20 most popular titles from this list from Amazon – ideal for gifts or stocking your school library. If you are ordering from outside the US, have a look at our ‘worldwide orders’ page which makes this process easy.

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Reading & Writing: Discover a vast collection of free printable worksheets for Grade 7 students, carefully crafted by Quizizz to enhance their reading and writing skills in a fun and interactive way.

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Reading worksheets for Grade 7 are essential tools for teachers to help their students develop and enhance their reading and comprehension skills. These worksheets are specifically designed to cater to the needs of Grade 7 students, focusing on various aspects of reading, such as vocabulary, grammar, and understanding the context of the text. Teachers can utilize these worksheets to create engaging and interactive lessons that not only improve students' reading abilities but also help them develop critical thinking skills. By incorporating Reading & Writing exercises into their lesson plans, teachers can ensure that their Grade 7 students are well-equipped to tackle more complex texts and writing tasks in the future. Reading worksheets for Grade 7 are, therefore, a valuable resource for educators who want to see their students excel in their language arts curriculum.

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100 Best Books for 7th Graders (12 Year Olds)

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There are so many upper middle grade books for 7th graders in middle school ages 12 and 13, so how do you find the best book reading choices for your 7th grade student or child?

Using my background as a teacher, parent, and book reviewer, I’ve written a curated list of my top book picks with reviews for 7th graders to help you find good middle-grade books for 7th graders with different interests, topics, and genres!

I update this book list on a monthly basis to include the newest releases. Last updated November 2023!

Top 7th Grade Fantasy Books

• Amari and the Night Brothers  by B.B. Alston
• The Ruins of Gorlan: Ranger’s Apprentice by John A. Flanagan
• Willa of the Wood  by Robert Beatty
• Once There Was  by Kiyash Monsef
• An Ember in the Ashes  by Sabaa Tahir
• Barren Grounds: The Misewa Saga  by David A. Robertson
• Legend of the Dream Giants  by Dustin Hansen 
• Unwanteds  by Lisa McMann

For a bit easier books, read the  Best Books for 6th Graders, 11 Year Olds . Also, look for the label SHORT by the genre tag to find books that are shorter reads.

For short nonfiction books, which I love giving to readers,  try this book list .

Best Coming of Age Books for 7th Grade Boys and Girls

• How to Stay Invisible  by Maggie C. Rudd
• The Probability of Everything  by Sarah Everett
• The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn  by Sally J. Pla
• Rain Rising  by Courtne Comrie 
• A Monster Calls  by Patrick Ness
• House Arrest  by K.A. Holt (verse)
• Starfish  by Lisa Fipps
• No Place Like Home  by James Bird
• Orbiting Jupiter  by Gary D. Schmidt
• Rare Birds  by Jeff Miller
• Across the Desert   by Dusti Bowling 
• Maybe He Just Likes You  by Barbara Dees
• Sara and the Search for Normal   by Wesley King
• Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel  by Jason Reynolds 

What if my 12 year old needs harder books?

For more challenging books, check out my  Best Book for Teens list   or  Challenging Books for Young Advanced Readers .

Get a PDF download of the top books from this 7th grade book list!

What are the best book series for 7th graders.

• Best Book Series for 7th Graders

Best Books for 7th Graders (12 year olds)

Amari and the Night Brothers  by B.B. Alston FANTASY   Fantastic fantasy world-building, excellent writing, a strong Black female heroine, and a surprise plot twist ending are just a few reasons you’ll love this book.  Amari’s beloved older brother has vanished but she gets a virtual message from him revealing that she’s a magician and will get to attend a secret magician school. At the school, she discovers she’s actually an outlawed dark magic magician. Amari knows she’s not evil and is determined to prove it and stay in the school so she can find her missing brother who used to attend there.

How to Stay Invisible by Maggie C. Rudd REALISTIC A heartbreaking and hopeful survival story . Raymond’s neglectful parents abandon him completely so he takes his dog Rosie, and they set up camp in the woods behind his middle school. There, he survives on his own, foraging in dumpsters and fishing for food as he continues to attend school. When a playful coyote hurts Rosie, he meets an old man who helps them both — which is especially significant because it’s over the Christmas break when he can’t get dumpster food from school. Raymond doesn’t want to tell anyone, including the old man or his two friends at school, what he’s surviving, but the truth comes out when another boy discovers his campsite and a snake bite almost kills him. HOW TO STAY INVISIBLE is a powerful story of grit, survival, and longing for family.

Allies  by Alan Gratz HISTORICAL FICTION Written from many different voices about one day in history, readers easily can see the massive amount of cooperation, planning, and troops from different countries involved in D-Day  (when the Allies invaded France at Normandy.) We hear from an American teenage soldier who was born in Germany, a French Algerian girl whose mom who is a recently captured spy,  a Canadian paratrooper who lands in the wrong spot, and an American black medic. It’s violent and disheartening yet despite terrible losses, racism, and injuries, the fighters persist despite everything to accomplish their goal — to take back the area for the Allies. What an incredible retelling of this day!

Ali Cross  by James Patterson MYSTERY ADVENTURE If you want an enthralling adventure & mystery book for 7th graders that you can’t put down, read this one next.  It’s Christmas Eve. Ali’s friend Gabe is missing, his FBI-agent dad is falsely accused of murdering an old man, and someone broke into their house while they were at church and stole his dad’s service weapon. Ali knows he has to try to fix things, starting by finding his friend Gabe. Don’t miss book two,  Like Father, Like Son .

The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett REALISTIC (For this book review, I’m not going to tell you too much about the story– because it would spoil your reading experience.) Kemi adores her close-knit family, her African American artist mom, her baby sister, a baby sibling on the way, and most of all, her beloved Nigerian dad. When an asteroid threatens everyone on Earth with imminent death, Kemi and her family leave for her cousins’ house, where she starts a time capsule. The exceptional storytelling is emotional (I cried SO MUCH) and important with themes of family, racism, and values. A must-read, must-experience-for-yourself-kind-of book.

The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity written by Nicholas Day, illustrated by Brett Helquist NONFICTION You will love the incredible writing, the fun illustrations, the biographical information about the curious, brilliant, and distractable Leonardo Da Vinci, the other art heists from the poorly guarded Louvre (one involving Pablo Picasso), the burgeoning science of fingerprints to replace France’s ear-measuring methodology and the surprising, eventual discovery of the Mona Lisa. Interestingly, the Mona Lisa wasn’t a well-known painting until this art heist in 1911. And the Louvre wasn’t well-attended until after this dramatic theft. The theft was dramatic because the thief simply walked out with the stolen painting tucked under his shirt. Highly recommended!

Louder Than Hunger  by John Schu REALISTIC   VERSE After facing relentless bullying, middle schooler Jake’s mean Voice is the loudest thing he hears. Soon, Jake trusts the Voice and listens to it when it tells him he needs to be thinner, he shouldn’t eat, he shouldn’t trust anyone, and nobody loves him.  His  anorexia  gets so bad that he’s hospitalized with the Voice sabotaging him every step of the way. But after months of struggle, Jake finds a glimmer of hope and it makes all the difference.  The writing is exquisite  — every word, every line break, every capitalization, every bit of dialogue brings us on this painful journey.

Rain Rising  by Courtne Comrie  REALISTIC RAIN RISING is a multilayered story about mental health , racism, family, friendship, and self-love — with a main character that you’ll cheer on through her complicated growing-up journey.  Rain’s older brother Xander gets brutally attacked and barely speaks anymore. Rain can barely cope. In an after-school group, she starts to make new friends, and she slowly finds her way back to health through therapy and group support. Intense and heartbreaking and heart-putting back together, This good book for 7th graders is important, beautiful, and hard to put down.

Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II  written by Adam Gitwitz HISTORICAL FICTION Max is a super-smart  Jewish  boy living in Germany during World War II. He loves his family and tinkering with radios. Then,  his parents send Max to safety on the Kindertransport.  He’s joined by two personality-filled (grumpy) mythical creatures, a dybbuk and a kobold, living on his shoulders. Once in England, Max’s sole focus is returning to Germany to help his parents. His clever tactics impress the British spies, and the government agrees to recruit Max if he can pass their rigorous spy training. Brilliant, exciting, and funny!

A Monster Calls  by Patrick Ness, illustrated by Jim Kay MAGICAL REALISM Worth reading and rereading because there are layers of meaning, skillful writing, and a haunting truthtelling that resonates with us all.  Ever since Conor’s mom got breast cancer, a wild, ancient tree monster visits Conor’s nightmares.  The monster demands that Conor admit the truth about his mother, but Conor refuses. In the awake world, Conor moves in with his cold, unfriendly grandmother. The metaphorical nightmare echoes Conor’s real-world experiences as we journey with him into pain, loss, and eventually, healing. Astonishing and powerful, this is one of the best books I’ve EVER read.

Gone to the Woods  by Gary Paulsen MEMOIR This is a compelling, disturbing, and hopeful childhood story of hardship and survival  with moments of kindness and time in nature that sustain the neglected, determined young boy. I highly recommend this book for 7th grader book clubs and 12-year-olds who like  survival stories .

What Happened to Rachel Riley?  by Claire Swinarski REALISTIC / SEXUAL HARASSMENT Stunning, thought-provoking, and anger-inducing,  this is a superbly written story about an ostracized middle school girl and the new student determined to figure out why…It’s about sexual harassment and negligent teachers,  girls touched without consent, and the path out of that shame toward justice and empowerment. I highly recommend this middle grade book for middle school  book clubs  and everyone!

The Last Cuentista   by Donna Barba Higuera  SCIENCE FICTION Petra is on a spaceship traveling to a new home after the Earth is destroyed.  When Petra awakens, she learns that her parents have been killed and her brother is missing, plus all the other humans’ memories have been erased. Except for her’s! Petra is determined to foil the sinister Collective’s plan to control everyone, but she plays the part of a mind-controlled teenager and secretly shares Mexican cuentos with the other Zetas. Her determination will save not only the Zetas but possibly an entire civilization of settlers. Petra is a brave, fierce girl who shows us that we are less than human without art, music, and stories.  Había una vez…

And Then Boom  by Lisa Fipps REALISTIC /  POVERTY  /  VERSE Joe experiences so many bad things that his first person narration takes us on an emotional, difficult journey that sometimes is hard to read.  And then, boom! Even more bad things happen. (IKR?) When his mom abandons him again, he lives with his grandma in her trailer home where he’s happy and finally has food. Until,… I’m not going to spoil it for you. But Joe finds kindness from his friends, the manager of the trailer park, and the dog that he rescues. Written in first person verse,  And Then, Boom!  takes readers on an emotional journey of heartbreak to hope about poverty, friendship, family, kindness, and love.

The Night War   by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley HISTORICAL FICTION When the French in Paris round up the Jews for Nazi prison camps, Miri and her neighbor’s baby escape with the help of a Catholic nun.  To help them survive, Miri is renamed and sent to a Catholic school for safety and her “baby sister” is adopted by a Catholic family. At the school, Miri begins to help other Jews flee Nazi-controlled France and is helped by the complicated ghost of Catherine de Medici, who thinks Miri is her gardener. But when Miri finds out that her little sister is about to be baptized, she plans their escape for the next day. Miri is a heroic main character with an emotionally compelling story.

A Duet for Home  by Karina Yan Glaser REALISTIC /  HOMELESSNESS A powerful story with complex, three-dimensional characters about grief, family, community, and homelessness. When their family becomes homeless after her dad dies, June helps her little sister and non-speaking mom get settled at Huey House.  Despite the shock of their new situation, June finds kindness from many of the people at the shelter. But when Mrs. G, their social worker gets fired for not agreeing to the city’s new homeless policies, June helps organize a protest and discovers that home isn’t a place and family isn’t always blood.

The Brave  by James Bird REALISTIC When Collin, a neurodiverse boy, gets kicked out of another school, his neglectful father sends Collin to live with his mom.  Collin has never met his mother but he’s curious to meet her and live on the Ojibwe reservation. Living with her is a totally different experience than his previous home — because with his mother, he’s welcomed and not judged. He befriends the neighbor girl who teaches Collin how to be brave. Which he needs. And so does she because she’s going to be a butterfly soon…

Maybe He Just Likes You  by Barbara Dees REALISTIC Middle schooler Mila is feeling trapped— a group of basketball-playing boys is getting too close, grabbing her, touching her, and then telling her that she’s imagining it.  Ignoring doesn’t stop the behaviors, neither does telling an adult, telling her friends, or wearing baggier clothing. Now her toxic friend Zara is acting mad and jealous that Mila’s getting the boys’ attention. Unexpectedly, Mila finds her strength when she starts karate classes. That helps her find what works to put a stop to the harassment.  This is one of the essential books for 7th graders; it should be shared widely with middle school boys and girls. 

House Arrest  by K.A. Holt REALISTIC You’ll feel so many emotions reading this tender, heartwarming story that shows a brave boy who feels anger, fear, worry, and love over his challenging situation.  Timothy is under house arrest for the next year, living with a brother who needs constant medical care, and feeling so much pain over his big life changes.  Part of his year-long punishment is to meet with a probation officer, meet with a therapist, and write in a journal which is the book we’re reading. When his little brother gets assigned an abusive new nurse, Timothy feels like even if he gets thrown in juvie, he must do something drastic to help his brother. Written in poetic verse , this great book speeds along and pulls your heart along with it.

Enemies in the Orchard written by Dana VanderLugt HISTORICAL FICTION If you love reading the poetry of a novel in verse, you must read this lovely middle-grade historical fiction story about a time during WWII when German Prisoners of War were shipped to the U.S. to become laborers . 13-year-old Claire’s dad needs help with their orchard for the apple harvest, so he hires the enemy POWs. Narrated in dual points of view, Claire forms a tentative relationship with a German teenager named Karl, a boy who struggles with his Nazi past, wants to do better, and dreams of life after the war. Claire dreams of continuing her education to become a nurse and hopes her brother will return home safely from the war. VanderLugt deftly weaves reckoning, relationships, grief, and forgiveness through this heartfelt narrative. Highly recommended!

Sona and the Golden Beasts  written by Rajani LaRocca FANTASY In a world divided by race, Sona rescues a forbidden but sacred wolf pup with golden ears chased by a hunter. He’ll stop at nothing to kill the pup and steal its gemstone. To save the wolf, Sona flees to her grandmother’s after learning that she’s an illegal child of both the ruling class and the persecuted class. To save her sick grandmother from the goldstorm, Sona and her mistrustful cousin travel across the country to find the sacred drops that are only given to the worthy and give them to her grandmother.  It’s an exciting adventure in a unique world reminiscent of India’s history in which our heroine faces moral quandaries, the complexities of humanity, and the power of forgiveness and kindness. 

I’m From Here, Too  written by Kashmira Seth REALISTIC ,  VERSE This first-person verse novel about a 13-year-old Sikh boy who is bullied at school and struggles with anxiety will tug at your heartstrings.  As you read, you’ll feel the challenges he faces, learn about his culture and religion, and admire the way he leans into his faith to grow and accept himself.

The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival   written by Estelle Nadel, Sammy Savos, and Bethany Strout, art by Sammy Strout HISTORICAL FICTION In this true story of the  Holocaust , Enia lived a carefree life of family and singing in Poland.  But everything changed when she was seven years old, and the Nazis came. The Nazis took her father, who was never seen again and the rest of her family fled into hiding. Kind neighbors hid Enia’s family in an attic, but soon, it was only Enia and her brother in hiding for several years. Despite deaths, betrayal, and years of hiding, Enia’s survival instincts carried her through. This is a beautifully crafted historical fiction graphic biography for ages 10+. It’s  an emotional journey of survival, love, and hope  in the most harrowing times. I highly recommend this  graphic novel , now more than ever.

Hands  by Torrey Maldonado CONTEMPORARY (SHORT) Trev thinks a lot about throwing hands.  He starts learning how to box so he can protect his mom and sisters when his stepdad gets out of jail. But when his Uncle Larry, Quick and Uncle Frankie all ask him why and encourage him to use his brain, Trev sees how fighting could make things even more of a mess. And that if he wants to have a future, he can use his hands differently than fighting, including for his drawings. Maldonado writes shorter books so keep that in mind if your 7th grader is looking for a short book.

The Ruins of Gorlan: Ranger’s Apprentice  book 1 by John A. Flanagan FANTASY Will is apprenticed to become a Ranger, a job he’s unsure about. But as he develops a relationship with his master and learns what being a Ranger is all about (spying for the kingdom,) and comes to embrace his new life. When an old enemy of the kingdom sends out dangerous beasts to attack Will’s master, Will is instrumental in getting help and killing the creatures.  Action, fantasy, adventure, friendship, excellent writing — this book series has it all!   Ranger’s Apprentice  is a must-read, mesmerizing epic fantasy.

Starfish  by Lisa Fipps REALISTIC / BODY IMAGE & SIZE /  VERSE Heartbreaking and inspiring, this poignant book for 7th grade readers in verse shows a girl who learns, after years of fat-shaming and bullying, to define herself  not  based on what others say but on who she really is.  Ellie’s mom won’t buy her new clothes because she thinks it encourages Ellie’s weight gain and is pushing for a dangerous gastro-bypass surgery. Fortunately, Ellie gets support from an understanding therapist who helps her move from powerless to powerful — and accept herself as she is–beautiful and worthy. 

Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston REALISTIC FICTION A deeply moving story of 12-year-old Sharkita, who has been in and out of  foster care  since she was three and is the primary parent for her two younger siblings , one of whom has special needs. Returning home from foster care, Sharkita hopes things will be different but is waiting for her mama to be herself again, leaving them alone for days and drinking too much. When her best friend convinces Sharkita to go out for twirling with the cool new Vice Principal coach, it’s the first time she’s done something for herself and not her siblings. Then, when the unthinkable happens, Sharkita’s life of constant crisis and debilitating anxiety is revealed…and  maybe the worst thing ever will lead to something better.

Code Name Kingfisher  written by Liz Kessler HISTORICAL FICTION WWII Written from four points of view (which WHAT A FEAT!), this  middle grade historical fiction novel is moving, well-written, and fascinating. In the present day,  Liv gets a school assignment to research her family history, but her Bubbe, who is in a nursing home, won’t talk about her past. When Liv and her classmate clean out Bubbe’s attic, they discover pieces of Bubbe’s secret past. In the past, Bubbe aka. Mila is a Jewish girl in Holland sent with her sister to live with a Christian family for safety. Mila’s sister writes diary entries about joining the resistance and taking dangerous risks to save Jewish children. Learning about her heritage and how her Bubbe and her sister stood up to the Nazi bullies gives Liv the courage to do the same in the present day. Incredible.

Telephone of the Tree  written by Alison McGhee REALISTIC / LGBTQ+ Tear alert–this book will make you cry SO HARD! Ayla always relied on her friendship with her nonbinary best friend Kiri who is gone. Ayla is waiting for Kiri to get back. When a telephone appears on her tree, she wonders if it’s magic. It seems to help people who stop to talk to their loved ones who have died. Ayla refuses to use the telephone for a long time. When she does accept what happened,  it’s heartbreaking to witness her grief.

The Songbird and the Rambutan Tree  by Lucille Abendadon HISTORICAL FICTION Set in the Dutch East Indies during World War II, this is a stunning based-on-a-true story about friendship, survival, grief, prejudice, and equity.  Emmy’s best friend is Bakti, a Javenese boy whose mom cooks for Emmy and her dad. She’s shocked to learn Bakti’s angry because he can’t go to school and his support for the Japenese invasion. When the Japanese invade, they separate Emmy from her dad, and she’s sent to a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp for several years. As she survives the camp’s death and starvation and befriends her former enemy, she learns what’s important. It’s a moving story with an interesting history that I couldn’t put down!

Willa of the Wood  by Robert Beatty HISTORICAL  FANTASY Set in the time of early American settlers, this is  a beautiful story of love about a night spirit who is still connected to the powerful wood magic of her ancestors . When Willa accidentally discovers that her clan is keeping human captives and forbidden technology, her Faeran clan leader wants her dead. Fleeing the danger of her home, Willa cautiously observes a human man, slowly learning to trust him. When she realizes that one of his children was one of the human captives she saw, Willa knows she must return to her clan and make things right.

No Place Like Home by James Bird REALISTIC / HOMELESSNESS / OJIBWE Beautiful character development, vivid details, and a strong narrative voice draw you into this story about homelessness, Ojibwe culture, growing up, family, and the love of a dog. Based on James’ childhood, Opin is a sweet, hopeful boy who lives with his mom and his older brother in their car, traveling from city to city. He adores his mother, but he’s scared of his angry, violent older brother, who comes and goes as he pleases. When Opin finds a hurt dog, the love of a dog fills a friend void for Opin–until his brother takes the dog away. Despite the challenges of Opin’s life, beauty and joy are threaded throughout this compelling story that is one of the best of 2023. *Sensitive readers, there are a few swear words.

Rare Birds by Jeff Miller REALISTIC / SAD 288 pages Graham’s mom moves them to Florida to wait for a heart transplant. When his mom gets approved, Graham stays with his mom’s friend and his angry son. Fortunately, at the hospital, he befriends a girl named Lou. When he finds his mom’s rare bird journal, Lou helps him search for the last bird on the list–the Snail Kite. But because there’s prize money for finding the bird, bully kids not only thwart them but endanger them–stranding Lou and Graham in a swamp with a giant alligator and no cell service. The friends’ search is filled with challenges, which they face with bravery and determination, including the truth about Lou. I loved the two-page chapter lengths and the emotionally resonate story of friendship and family that will make you cry.

Free Lunch  by Rex Ogle REALISTIC / MEMOIR Powerful, memorable, and beautifully written for mature readers,  Ogle writes about surviving his poverty and violence-filled childhood. It’s sixth grade, and every lunch, Rex must loudly announce to the hard-of-hearing lunch ladies that he gets free lunch. Not only is Rex shamed by free lunch but also his outfits and constant hunger and violent home life. It’s ultimately a story of survival that may be relatable to some readers and will build empathy in others.

Ghost Boys  by Jewell Parker Rhodes REALISTIC This book brilliantly  addresses the very real issue of police violence against black children , but it does not vilify or stereotype. The author shows us the complexity of issues and the humanity of a police officer from the perspective of his daughter. After Jerome is shot by her father, he becomes a ghost. Sarah, the policeman’s daughter, is the only one who can see and talk to him except for the other ghost boys who were also killed in racially motivated violence. It’s a well-written, fast-paced read but one that is going to stay with you as you ponder the important topics it addresses.

Lockwood & Co The Screaming Staircase  by Jonathan Stroud GHOST ADVENTURE Dangerous ghosts and spirits are appearing everywhere in London, but only certain kids can see them.  Teens Lucy, Anthony, and George badly need money for their ghost-hunting agency, Lockwood & Co., so they take a perilous job that, if the ghosts have their way, may just be their last. It’s also a  book made into a Netflix show !  BOXED SET.

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus  by Dusti Bowling REALISTIC Aven Green is used to making up creative stories for why she doesn’t have any arms. Especially now in Arizona where her parents are the new managers of a rundown theme park. She befriends a boy at school who, like her, feels different and isolated from the other kids. His name is Connor and he has  Tourette Syndrome. Together, he, another new friend named Zion, and Aven investigate a mysterious storage shed that connects to Aven’s past.  This story is about restorative friendship,  facing your fears , and discovering your true (significant) potential.  

Once There Was  by Kiyash Monsef FANTASY This brilliant book mesmerized me from the first page with layered storytelling, plot twists, and surprises. Marjan’s alone and the owner of her dad’s veterinary practice since he died, even though she’s only a sophomore in high school. When asked to help a sick gryffin,  she’s shocked to discover her father’s secret job as a mythical creature vet.  She tries to unravel the lies and secrets in her father’s life, including if he was murdered, but the world of magical creatures is confusing and filled with trickery. Marjan isn’t sure if she can trust her instincts about right and wrong…and she feels like she’s missing part of herself. Woven within the narrative story are her father’s Iranian folktales about mythical creatures. Worth every page!

Black Bird, Blue Road  by Sofiya Pasternack  HISTORICAL FANTASY Set in the historical Turkic Jewish empire of Khazaria, Ziva’s beloved twin brother with leprosy continues to deteriorate , and she learns he’ll be taken by her uncle, so she steals him away to search for a cure. Along their journey, they meet a half-demon boy who tells them about a mythical city where the Angel of Death can not enter. They journey toward the city and Ziva clings to the hope that the city will be the answer to everything. She’ll bargain and beg with Death, but ultimately, she’ll have to accept that in life, we all must die. This feels like an epic adventure and will sure to be a favorite new book.

An Ember in the Ashes  by Sabaa Tahir HISTORICAL / FANTASY Part historical (ancient Rome) and part fantasy, Elias and Laia live in a world that enslaves them both in different ways — Elias with fighting and Laia with serving and spying.  This is an epic page-turning series with lots of mystery, action, and a hint of romance.  It’s SO good that it’s one of the most popular YA books right now but one that could be read by younger readers in 7th grade.

The Fort  by Gordon Korman (his 100th book!) REALISTIC Tension-filled, disturbing, and powerful, this story alternates the points of view of a group of boys who are each dealing with their own struggles including poverty, OCD, bullying, and domestic abuse.  When the boys discover an abandoned bomb shelter in the forest, they make it their fort, which becomes a special and safe place. When one boy, the outsider who isn’t friends with everyone yet, figures out what’s happening with the abused boy who is secretly sleeping in the fort, all the friends try to help him, but it’s tricky and complicated.

Barren Grounds: The Misewa Saga  by David A. Robertson FANTASY /  INDIGENOUS CULTURE Foster  kids with Indigenous heritage , Morgan and Eli, discover a portal in the attic leading to a magical world of Cree language and mythology.  It’s a world with talking animals who walk on two legs and need their help. Ochek, the Fischer, asks the kids to end the starving community’s forever winter by finding the human man who stole all the birds and, with them, summer. Their dangerous quest triggers Morgan’s memories of her mother and a new perspective on who she is. The children travel far with their new friends and experience danger and trials in order to save this beautiful world.

How To Find What You’re Not Looking For  by Veera Hiranandani HISTORICAL FICTION In a beautiful story of family, love, and forgiveness, a Jewish girl named Ariel’s older sister falls in love and runs away to marry a Hindu boy after the Loving vs. Virginia verdict.  Ariel misses her sister terribly, but her parents refuse to talk about her sister or let Ariel have her sister’s contact information. Meanwhile, Ariel’s  teacher thinks she has a learning disability called dysgraphia but Ariel’s mom  refuses to consider it. Her  teacher encourages her to write poetry  which helps her express her feelings.

Legend of the Dream Giants  by Dustin Hansen  FANTASY Gorgeous, sensory writing fills the pages of this beautifully-crafted story about a young, naive giant named Berg who is searching for his place in the world.  He doesn’t want to be like the monstrous but because he’s so innocent, he’s tricked and becomes a prisoner of a town. This one of my favorite books for 7th graders about trust, hope, belonging, friendship, and truth.

Steelheart  by Brandon Sanderson SCI-FI I love this unique world with its plot twists and turns. E pics are super-powerful, evil god-like creatures who control the world’s cities . Because David’s father was killed by Chicago’s Epic named Steelheart, David wants revenge. He joins the rebel group, the Reckoners, to learn how to assassinate Steelheart– a next to impossible feat for a regular human like him. This is a page-turning, mesmerizing YA book series.  Boxed Set HERE .

Children of the Fox  by Kevin Sands  FANTASY ADVENTURE Callan’s a gaffer who joins a group of kids who are hired by a Weaver to steal something magical called the Eye. It’s a tricky job with not enough time to plan and all the kids know it’s dangerous but the monetary reward is too tempting. The misfits use their individual skills including climbing, mapping, acrobatics, and knife throwing to plan a heist in less than a week.  It’s an exciting, complex, and unexpected plot involving magic and mythological gods from the stories with themes of problem-solving, friendship, and trust that ends with both an amazing resolution  and  a cliffhanger. 

Escape from Atlantis  by Kate O’Hearn ADVENTURE Don’t miss this wildly inventive, exciting, and thought-provoking adventure.  Riley, her dad, her cousin, and her aunt are sailing in the Bermuda Triangle when they’re attacked by a leviathan. Riley and her unpleasant cousin, Alfie, wake up on an island with overly friendly, rule-centered people including half-animal people. They soon learn the sinister truth of the rule-centric community and are determined to escape. What a great book for 7th graders!

Across the Desert   by Dusti Bowling  REALISTIC  / DRUG ADDICTION Across the Desert   is a stunning story about a brave girl who has been secretly dealing with her mother’s opioid addiction. Jolene is the only person who knows that her only friend Addie has crashed her ultralight plane alone in the middle of the desert. So Jolene steals her mom’s phone and credit card to takes the bus as close as she can to Addie’s location. On the bus, she meets a kind and helpful teenager named Marty who, despite Jolene’s reluctance and mistrust, helps Jolene.  The story is about trust, relationships, boundaries, addiction, survival, and family; it’s also an emotional journey of inner and outer strength that leads to hope and healing. 

Taking Up Space  by Alyson Gerber REALISTIC  / BODY DYSMORPHIA & EATING DISORDERS Sarah’s mom’s dysfunctional relationship with food is affecting Sarah– who now thinks that her slowness in basketball is related to eating too much or too many “unhealthy” foods, instead of being from the normal growing pains of puberty.  She’s confused, starving herself, and stressed out. Finally, a friend pushes Sarah to get help…and, help is just what Sarah needs to understand the truth about her body, what health truly is, and how her mom’s disordered eating has affected her.  EXCELLENT!

The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla Maudie is an autistic girl staying with her father for the summer but a California fire forces them from their cabin. She and her dad head south to where her dad grew up. A friend sets them up in an old camper at a campground near the beach. While her dad looks for work, Maudie works up her courage to ask an older surfer woman for lessons. She spends the summer worrying about her big secret and learning to surf, hoping to win the beginning surfer competition at the end of the summer. Maudie makes a new friend who is friendly and neurodiverse like her. All of these things help her consider that she is more than what her mom and her abusive stepdad think of her. This is a moving coming of age story of a girl who learns to thrive instead of survive.

96 Miles  by J.L. Esplin SURVIVAL “ Dad always said if things get desperate, it’s okay to drink the water in the toilet bowl. ” Isn’t this a great first sentence? An apocalyptic event has happened, there’s no electricity, the brothers are alone, and all their dad and their survival supplies are stolen at gunpoint. Now John and Stewart are on the road trying to get to a friend’s ranch for their supplies. It’s not going well–they’ve picked up a girl and her little brother, not to mention Stewart is nonstop fighting with John.  If you like survival stories, sibling stories, and adventure, this is a great choice.

Attack of the Black Rectangles  by A.S. King  REALISTIC Multi-layered and compelling with themes of censorship, family, crushes, and growing up…  6th grade Mac lives in a town that bans Halloween, pizza delivery, bright house colors, and staying out past curfew. At school, his book group notices that certain words and phrases are blacked out in  The Devil’s Arithmetic  by Jane Yolen. Mac and his friends Denis and Marci decide to find the original and fight back.

A First Time for Everything  by Dan Santat MEMOIR   In this memoir,  Dan describes a transformative trip during the summer before high school that helped him grow from awkward and insecure to confident and outgoing.  The trip gave the students lots of freedom. He tries beer and cigarettes. He meets a cute girl and finds the courage to get to know her, even sharing a kiss. He falls in love with the cultures and languages, too. Readers will probably want their own European experiences, too. Although, I hope that the kids would be better supervised than Dan was!

Omar Rising  by Aisha Saeed REALISTIC A superb book of determination, resiliency, and community set in  Pakistan .  Omar gets a scholarship to attend a prestigious Pakistani boarding school, a step in fulfilling his dream of becoming an astronomer and buying his mom a house. But, his hopes are dashed when he’s told that scholarship students must work, must get A+ grades, and can’t do sports or clubs. Omar is grateful for his new friends and teachers but he’s worried he’ll lose it all, so he studies all the time, even asking for tutoring help from the strict headmaster. Despite his efforts, his grades aren’t enough and he gets kicked out. Until, his classmates support him with a walk-out and the headmaster gets the board to change their mind, and the rules.

The Door by the Staircase  by Katherine Marsh, illustrations by Kelly Murphy  FANTASY / FAIRY TALE Middle schoolers will LOVE this  fantastic  Baba Yaga story about a brave and smart orphan girl, Mary,  who wants a home, even if it’s with Baba Yaga.  She just has to figure out how to be sure Baba Yaga won’t eat her, and she does so with help from her friend Jacob and MAGIC!

Orbiting Jupiter  by Gary D. Schmidt REALISTIC Joseph is an abused boy with a violent father, a parent at age thirteen, and is now living as a foster kid with Jack’s family on their organic farm . As he learns to trust them, we slowly learn about Joseph’s deep love for a rich girl named Maddie, his daughter named Jupiter, who he’s never seen, and his shattering heartbreak. This is an amazing story– painful yet filled with redemption and hope — beautifully written and one that will give readers so much to ponder.

Front Desk  by Kelly Yang REALISTIC Mia and her parents have struggled ever since moving to America from China. When her parents take a new live-in job at a motel, they end up working around the clock for very little pay. Mia helps out by working at the front desk. She befriends the weekly tenants and uses her English skills to write letters advocating other people in tough spots— like her uncle whose sweatshop boss has taken his passport and weekly, Hank, who needs a letter of recommendation to get a job.  This book is more than a memorable coming-of-age immigrant story, it’s also about tolerance and diversity and a must-read story you won’t soon forget.

Winterhouse  by Ben Guterson, illustrated by Chloe Bristol MYSTERY Elizabeth, an orphan, is unexpectedly sent to a large, stately hotel with a kind, grandfatherly proprietor for Christmas vacation. There,  she discovers a magical book, a sinister couple, a family mystery , and a new friend who loves puzzles as much as she does. The writing is mesmerizing, the mystery is fascinating, and the characters are enchanting.

See You in the Cosmos  by Jack Cheng REALISTIC Luminous and heartfelt, 11-year-old Alex Petroski’s story will grab your heart and expand it.  His dream is to launch a rocket into space with his iPod of recordings about life on earth. The story is a transcription of what he records on the iPod — his solo journey to the rocket convention, the interesting people he befriends on the way and there, his trip Las Vegas to find information about his deceased father, and his unique, innocent perspective that tries to make sense of the world.

Unwanteds  by Lisa McMann FANTASY In this society, you are sorted as Wanted, Necessary, and Unwanted. Alex is an Unwanted and is sent to die.  But instead of death, Alex is rescued by a magician who has created a secret, magical haven for the Unwanteds where they live and train to use their magic skills. I love the creative magical characters in this world, like Alex’s art teacher — an octagator! Here’s the problem — Alex is a twin whose brother is a Wanted. Alex risks the safety of his new home to see his twin in the old world. His actions reveal the secret world and war breaks out.

Sara and the Search for Normal   by Wesley King REALISTIC /  MENTAL ILLNESS Sara wants to be cured of her mental illnesses and be “normal” like other kids so she makes rules for herself.  She hates her out-of-control brain but begins group therapy where she makes a friend; a friend who is covered in hidden bruises. Sara and Erin think of themselves as Star Children, kids wth alien DNA. It’s profoundly sad to witness Sara’s self-loathing. For readers, it’s a valuable opportunity to see inside Sara’s mind and how painful it is to have an invisible disease. 

The Van Gogh Deception  by Deron Hicks MYSTERY  /  ADVENTURE Written like an adult suspense novel, this is one of the best edge-of-your-seat mystery books for middle grade that I’ve ever read.  The author jumps around, showing various incidents and people. You’ll have no idea what is going on or what will happen next. A boy with no memory is found at the National Gallery staring at a Degas sculpture. Strangely, this boy does know a great deal about art and artists. Soon we learn he’s being hunted by a team of professional bad guys. The boy, Art, and his foster sister escape from several kidnapping attempts and begin to unravel who he is and what’s going on.

Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel  by Jason Reynolds  REALISTIC / GRAPHIC NOVEL An illustrated version of Jason Reynolds’ free verse book about Will, a teenager who witnesses his own brother get shot.  He needs to follow The Rules and take revenge on the killer. But, as he travels seven floors in an elevator, each level provides an encounter with a deceased person, and their conversations halt Will’s plans and reveal to him the bigger story of what really happened with his brother. 

Bomb  by Steve Sheinkin, illustrated by Nick Bertozzi HISTORY / GRAPHIC NOVEL Three major storylines depict the significant historical events around the making of the atomic bomb : the Germans breaking the atom, the spy who was caught after giving the Russians the American plans for a nuclear bomb, and the American scientists working in New Mexico at a secret site to develop the atomic bomb. The stories are fascinating, more so because they’re based on actual events, but I did get bogged down with some of the science. Sheinkin and Bertozzi successfully capture the urgency scientists felt to compete with other countries and their singular focus.  *some bad language

Bloom  by Kenneth Oppel SCI-FI Get ready for a wild ride of suspense, action, adventure, science fiction, and coolness!!  Bloom tells the story of three kids who are not affected by the strange-looking plants that appear out of nowhere and take over land all over the world, covering houses and streets, swallowing animals and people but doing nothing to these kids. Scientists figure out that the plants are an alien invasion…and think these kids may be the only chance they have to stop them. To avoid spoilers, I’ll just tell you that it’s an AWESOME story…and ends on a crazy cliffhanger.

Sky Full of Song  by Susan Lynn Meyer HISTORICAL FICTION Shoshana, her mom, and her siblings flee Jewish persecution in Ukraine in 1905 for North Dakota to a mud house on the plains with her father and brother.  But being Jewish isn’t always accepted, even in this new country. And Shoshana wants to fit in so much that she agrees to participate in the Christmas activities. Ultimately, Shoshana learns (with a little help from her sister Libke) to be proud of being Jewish, even when others don’t accept her. Stunning writing with a loveable main character makes this a middle grade book that you won’t want to miss.

The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman REALISTIC Set in India, Viji writes this story as letters to you, her little sister Rukku who has intellectual disabilities. Viji tells how the two of them ran away from an abusive father to the big city where they met two friendly brothers and lived with them under a bridge, scrabbling to survive by collecting trash. Their lives are hard but made easier by the two boys, their new “brothers.” When Rukku gets a terrible cough and fever, so does one of the brothers. And what happens next almost destroys Viji. Ultimately, it is the kindness of her new “family” that helps her to see more than misery in the world. It’s an honest, eye-opening story that reveals the plight of many homeless children in India and yet, finds a way to be hopeful, too.

Booked  by Kwame Alexander REALISTIC Alexander skillfully writes about the teenage human condition — he just gets it!  12-year old Nick struggles with his parents’ separation, a school bully, and the awkwardness of a first crush.  The only thing that feels right is soccer. That is until he gets injured and can’t play. Written in free verse, this is a lyrical, fast-paced story that feels honest and relatable.

Wink  by Rob Harrell REALISTIC / CANCER A funny cancer memoir for kids who like humorous but emotion-filled stories.  When Ross is diagnosed with a rare kind of tumor, he immediately starts radiation treatment. His eye is goopy, he has to wear a hat, and his hair starts falling out in clumps– made funny with his cartoon drawings. A goofy, kind-hearted radiation tech gets Ross interested in alternative punk music, and in order to impress a girl, Ross asks the tech for guitar lessons. Turns out, the guitar and his new music, help Ross both express his frustrations and find his joy, leading to some surprising results.

Not an E asy Win  by Chrystal B. Giles REALISTIC Lawrence has been beaten up by a group of bullies, blamed for the fighting, and kicked out of the mostly-white school. His Granny tells him he can’t stick around the house. A kind, older neighbor takes Lawrence to his work at the local rec center where Lawrence helps out while doing online school and learning to play chess. P Through the wisdom of his neighbor and learning to focus on chess, Lawrence finds purpose and inner fortitude that leads to his success in life and in chess.  

Before the Ever After   by Jacqueline Woodson REALISTIC / VERSE Written in verse with precise text, this is an important book to bring awareness to CTE as well as show families in grief.  ZJ’s professional football player dad is changing. He’s stopped playing, gets terrible headaches, surprising anger outbursts, and forgets ZJ’s name. ZJ contrasts this with memories of his dad before the ever after; the before dad who played with ZJ, made him breakfast, and treated his friends like family. Now, there are a lot of doctor’s appointments and not much hope. It’s real, raw, and profoundly sad to watch ZJ slowly lose the dad he once knew. 

Invisible  by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, illustrated by Gabriela Epstein REALISTIC  /GRAPHIC NOVEL Spanish-speaking kids are thrown together to complete before-school community service hours. When the kids notice the  homeless mom and her child living  in a van, they try to help with leftover food. But they get into trouble with the mean cafeteria lady who thinks they’re stealing and watches them like they’re delinquents.  This is a story about kindness, racism, differences, and marginalized individuals — both non-English speakers and homeless individuals.  It’s excellent, and I love the Spanish dialogue written first with English-translated text second.

Violets Are Blue  by Barbara Dee  REALISTIC  /  DIVORCE  / ADDICTION Wren’s mom is skipping work, sleeping more, and not eating. Despite her mom’s strange behavior, Wren finds purpose in doing special FX makeup. At school, her new friends convince her to do the makeup for the school musical, Wicked. Then, her mom’s situation reaches a breaking point and Wren discovers the secret her mom’s been keeping — she has an opioid addiction. As usual,  Dee writes about difficult topics, in this case, addiction and divorce, in a compelling, relatable story with complex, sympathetic characters, and an interesting plot.

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks  by Jason Reynolds REALISTIC (SHORT) Ten  short stories tell about the lives of different kids after their middle school  day ends. With complex backstories and incredible depth of character development, Reynold’s fiction feels truthful… so much so that I’m so very glad that I’m not in  middle school  anymore. What kinds of topics are these kids dealing with? Bullying , fear of dogs, parents who have cancer, stealing, comedian goals, OCD, skateboarding, and friendships. Some stories are funny, some are serious, and all ring true.

Snow White: A Graphic Novel by Matt Phelan GRAPHIC NOVEL / FAIRY TALE In this reimagined Snow White story, set in New York City in the 1920s, Snow White’s dad is a Wall Street king, her stepmother is a Zigfield Follies star, and her seven small protectors are street kids. It’s SO interesting how Phelan uses this historical setting to animate a familiar fairy tale. The black and white illustrations set the tone for this dark story with a happy ending

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Danger and Other Unknown Risks by Ryan North and Erica Henderson review by Jemma Taylor ADVENTURE / GRAPHIC NOVEL This book is genuinely one of my new favorite graphic novels EVER. The world collapsed on New Year’s Day of the year 2000, but not because of technology; because magic became real. Billions died, electricity became a thing of the past, and everyone had to rebuild their lives in the new post-apocalyptic society. Everything sucks, but Marguerite is the chosen one who will save the world. (Or is she?) With visually stunning art, a creative setting, and a fantastic story, I cannot recommend this book enough.

Night Raven: The Moonwind Mysteries written by Johan Rundberg, translated by A.A. Prime HISTORICAL MYSTERY An excellent, page-turning mystery set in 1880s Sweden about an orphan girl named Mika whose survival skills include an eye for detail, connections, and deductions! After an abandoned baby is dropped into her arms in the middle of the night, a police detective recruits her to assist him in identifying a dead body and then investigating a prison cell — all in pursuit of a copycat serial killer. But Mika realizes it’s not a copycat. In a dangerous game of cat and mouse, she and the detective need to avoid the corrupt prison officials and the serial killer. This observant heroine is my favorite kind — resourceful, aspirational, and interesting. I can’t wait for more books in the series. (Sensitive readers: Includes the word cr*p.)

Sweep  by Jonathan Auxier HISTORICAL MAGICAL REALISM Set in Victorian London, this is a beautiful, bittersweet story about a plucky girl and her protector  golem .   When another sweep tries to burn Nan alive, a charcoal golem emerges to save her life. She and her protector golem find a new place to live but must stay vigilant so her old master doesn’t find them. On their own, they are helped by a street boy and a kind Jewish teacher. This is an irresistible story that will expand your heart.

Boy, Everywhere  by A.M. Dassu IMMIGRATION Sami’s family flees from modern Syrian life to detention in England and a new home in England with hateful relatives.  We feel Sami’s emotions every step of this journey — from thinking about playing  video games  and soccer to his worry about capsizing in an overcrowded boat in the ocean and to blaming himself for his mom and sister being at the mall when it was bombed. In sharing his experiences, readers will see how much they can relate to Sami who is just a regular kid trying to be safe.

Mockingbir d  by Kathryn Erskine REALISTIC Caitlin’s brother Devon is killed in a school shooting, leaving Caitlin, who has Aspergers, to make sense of the world on her own, without his compassionate and understanding guidance.  Her father isn’t helpful, he’s lost in his grief. So when Caitlin reads about grief and closure, she decides to go after closure in a literal, hands-on way. And it will help both her and her father build their relationship and let go of Devon. This is one of the best books I’ve ever read — so powerful and honest.

The School for Good and Evil   by Soman Chainani FANTASY Two girls are selected to attend the school for villains and school for heroes. Only all your stereotypes will be blown out of the water with which girl goes where.  This book series for 12 year olds will make you think deeply about what makes someone good, friendship, and love.    Boxed Set HERE .

Book Lists By Age

Easy Reader Books for 5- and 6- year olds  Beginning / Easy Chapter Books for 6- and 7- Year Olds Books for 3rd graders, 8-year olds Books for 4th graders, 9-year olds Books for 5th graders, 10-year olds Books for 6th graders, 11-year olds Books for 7th graders, 12-year olds YA Books

Book Lists By Genre

Adventure Books for Kids Fantasy Books for Kids Funny Books for Kids Historical Fiction Books for Kids Mystery Books for Kids Nonfiction Books for Kids Realistic Books for Kids Science Fiction Books for Kids ALL Picture Book Reviews

Melissa Taylor, MA, is the creator of Imagination Soup. She's a mother, former teacher & literacy trainer, and freelance education writer. She writes Imagination Soup and freelances for publications online and in print, including Penguin Random House's Brightly website, USA Today Health, Adobe Education, Colorado Parent, and Parenting. She is passionate about matching kids with books that they'll love.

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27 Comments

Thanks for this great list! Have you read My Life As A Potato? It’s a fun one for this age too.

I have seen it but not read it. Sounds like I should! Thanks, Kim!

I love reading so much! I have not seen a majority of these books. I feel that it is has a great variety of books listed. I can’t wait to read these!

I hope you find lots of books that you love!

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Reading Middle Grade

Books for Kids and Grown Ups

The Best Books for 7th Graders

You’ll notice that the best books for seventh graders tend to veer into upper middle-grade territory. That’s the case with the books on this list. I have so many beloved upper middle-grade books and I’ll link to the full list at the bottom of this post, but this list also has several books I have never recommended on the blog before.

Seventh graders are on the brink of teenage life, and may relate most strongly to books about body image, crushes, and things like that. They’re also more able to tolerate tastefully done stories about sexual harassment, domestic violence, addiction, serious mental illness and other harsh, unpleasant realities of life. On this list, you’ll find books that hit all of these themes. Of course, as always mentioned, seventh graders can always read up or down. They can read and enjoy many of the books I’ve recommended for 6th graders and 5th graders , as well as books for 8th graders .

Excellent Books for 7th Graders to Enjoy

Here are some of my favorite books for 7th graders:

Genesis Begins Again

Published: January 15, 2019

Thirteen-year-old Genesis grapples with intense self-hate worsened by her father’s verbal abuse and her grandmother’s backward ideologies about skin color. Readers first meet Genesis when she brings her “friends” home for the first time. In an embarrassing turn of events, they arrive to meet all her belongings in the street. The landlord has put Genesis’s family out because her gambling, alcoholic father defaulted on the rent,  again . Things seem to look up for their family when they move into a posh neighborhood. Genesis makes new friends, joins the school choir, and even gets a helpful math tutor. Yet, her self-hate follows her. This is a remarkable middle-grade debut with a strong message about colorism, self-love, and  the power of music .

The Wrong Way Home

Published: April 2, 2024

This book is mind-blowingly good. Fern and her mother have been living on The Ranch, under the thumb of a charismatic leader named Ben. But her mom has been acting off, and Ben has put her on a water fast to help her get readjusted. One day, Fern’s mother wakes her in the middle of the night and takes her across the country from NY to CA, where they live in a motel in her mother’s teenage neighborhood and adjust back to normal life. There’s only one problem: Fern hatches a plan to return to The Ranch because she thinks her mom has made a mistake. I loved the way this book explores cults in an accessible way for tween readers, and Fern is a highly realistic character I think will resonate with a lot of kids. Readers should know that one side character in this book is gay and another is non-binary.

The Liars Society

Published: February 6, 2024

Weatherby is a new kid at a Boston private school. She’s at the school on a sailing scholarship and immediately is thrust into a world she knows nothing about. Old school phone booths, scrambled phone service at school, friends with kids who go to the country club, and a boy who seems to hate her guts. Jack is a rich kid at the school who is also on the sailing team and is constantly pressured by his father to be the best. When the money for a famed school trip is stolen, Jack, Weatherby, and some of their friends are invited to play a high-stakes secret game that leads to the revelation of shocking family secrets. This suspenseful mystery, told from Jack’s and Weatherby’s perspectives, is fast-paced and high-stakes, perfect for the upper middle-grade crowd.

Twin Cities

Published: July 19, 2022

Twins Luisa and Fernando find their paths diverging as they enter sixth grade. Luisa will attend middle school in the US just across the border from Fernando’s school in Mexico. There, they face different but equally pressing challenges that threaten to tear them apart. Twin Cities  is a fascinating look into Mexican culture, life as a twin, and finding your own identity.

Saint Ivy: Kind at All Costs

Published: May 18, 2021

Thirteen-year-old Ivy needs to be good to people, even when it’s bad for her. That’s why she pretends to be okay with her mom being a gestational surrogate, a kid at school asking her to let him copy her homework, and never sharing her problems with her friends. But can she keep up the pretense? With a touch of mystery and plenty of heart, this is a thought-provoking novel about people pleasing and being true to oneself.

Life in the Balance

Published: February 16, 2021

Veronica’s life seemed like it was on track until her parents announced that her mom is going to rehab for alcoholism. Her mom who was a softball player when she was younger, her mom the lawyer, her mom who was supposed to help her and her friends practice for softball tryouts. Veronica is frustrated, sad, worried, and even angry at her mom for being unable to stop drinking. She also worries that things will never be the same again. So she throws herself into softball — their family sport — even though she isn’t sure she’s all that into it anymore. At the same time, she’s afraid to share her family’s secret with her best friend (whose parents are getting divorced). Will Veronica ever find a balance? This is a rare portrayal of alcoholism, addiction and rehabilitation in the family — especially in a parent.

All You Knead Is Love

Published: March 30, 2021

All You Knead Is Love  follows 12-year-old Alba whose mother forces her to move from NYC to Barcelona, Spain where her grandmother lives. Alba is gender non-conforming, which means that she doesn’t like the typical “girly” dresses or frilly tops her parents often want her to wear. She’s happiest in her jeans and t-shirts. Alba’s father is physically abusive, especially towards her mother, and generally treats Alba with disregard. When Alba arrives Barcelona, she’s quickly drawn in by the vibrant city and its warm people, one of whom is her grandmother. But just when Alba begins to get comfortable, Toni’s bakery is threatened with closure because it just isn’t earning enough money. Alba needs to find a way to save the hub of her newfound community. This is a heartwarming middle-grade novel about identity, family, community, and, of course, food.

We Dream of Space

Published: May 5, 2020

Siblings Cash, Fitch, and Bird move through the daily trials of pre-teen life in the 1980’s. Fitch and Bird are twins who are now in the same grade as their older brother, Cash — because Cash was held back in the seventh grade. Bird is a space aficionado and dreams of being an astronaut. Fitch has anger issues and hates that he’s getting crushed on by a girl he doesn’t like — and whom his best friends consider unattractive. Cash feels lost and cannot seem to find his place anywhere. It doesn’t help that the situation at home is tense, with parents who are constantly bickering and a family that cannot seem to make time to talk as a unit or nurture their children. Bird is eagerly anticipating the Challenger launch and is a huge fan of Judith Resnik — the Challenger’s Mission Specialist. This novel follows the siblings until the ill-fated launch day which changes their relationship forever. This character-driven slice-of-life novel shows how different families can be, addresses the struggles of navigating sibling relationships, and highlights what difference an enthusiastic teacher can make.

Maizy Chen’s Last Chance

Published: February 1, 2022

Maizy and her mother have returned to Last Chance, Minnesota, because Maizy’s grandfather is ill. Maizy’s mom had her with the help of a sperm donor, and she seems to have taken a less traditional, unexpected career route since her parents expected her to take over their historical Chinese restaurant, The Golden Palace. However, Maizy’s grandparents love her, and Maizy quickly bonds with them, especially her grandfather. One day, she sees pictures of several young Chinese men, and when she asks her grandfather about them, he begins to tell her a sprawling story about their family’s history in Last Chance, which is interwoven with love, racism, and community. At the same time, The Golden Palace experiences a hate crime, and Maizy is shocked to discover who the perpetrator is. This is a spellbinding middle grade book about one Chinese family’s heritage and the granddaughter who ties it all together. 

More to the Story

Published: September 3, 2019

More to the Story  is a modern middle-grade novel inspired by the classic novel,  Little Women. Four Muslim-American sisters, Jamee la, Maryam, Bisma, and Aleeza, are distraught when their dad has to go abroad for six months for a job. Thirteen-year-old Jam, as she is fondly called has just become the features editor for her school’s newspaper. She’s determined to impress her dad with her first story. At the same time, a family friend’s nephew, Ali moves from the UK to Atlanta. As Jam and Ali’s friendship blossoms, one of her sisters receives devastating news about her health. This is a heartwarming, charming middle-grade novel about sisterhood, family, and following your passion, perfect for fans of books like Little Women .

Published: September 7, 2021

In the aftermath of her little brother’s death, Lucy and her parents move to a small town that is still healing from a school shooting four years ago. It’s jarring for Lucy to be around all these kids who lost friends when they were in the third grade, but it’s even harder because, unlike the situation in her home, the kids talk a lot about the shooting, their grief, and seeing therapists. But in all their sharing, the students have cast the shooter’s younger sister and their classmate, Avery — whom Lucy befriends — as an outsider. Will Lucy ever find her place and deal with her grief? Aftermath  is a powerful, heartbreaking, and hopeful middle grade book about the impact of school shootings, grief, and friendships.

Partly Cloudy

Things are looking partly cloudy for Madalyn Thomas and her family. After being out of work for the last 7 months, her dad has found work in another state and her mom’s schedule as a social worker has become more packed from taking on overtime. Madalyn’s parents send her to live with her Great Uncle Papa Lobo during the week to allow her to attend school in a different district because of security issues at her former school. But as the  only Black girl in class , Madalyn faces a new set of challenges at this new school. Partly Cloudy  is an insightful middle grade story about family, community, and handling microaggressions in middle school.

Counting Thyme

Published: April 12, 2016

I loved this story about a family dealing with a cancer-fighting child and finding the balance to be good parents to all three of their kids. If you love books that tackle hard situations with a hopeful lens and sibling stories set in NYC, you’ll adore Conklin’s debut.

Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero

Yusuf Azeem is not a hero like his dad who talked down a gunman in their small-town A-Z Dollar Store. But his dad’s heroism doesn’t prevent him from getting worsening hateful notes in his locker telling him to “Go Home.” Yusuf and his friend Danial had expected that this would be their year — their entry into middle school and a chance to compete in a robotics contest. However, when some of the townspeople, including a group called the Patriot Sons try to stop the construction of their town’s mosque and begin to target Yusuf and other Muslims in the community, they are forced to take a stand. This is a poignant  look at the impact of 9/11 on Muslim communities  in America.

Published: October 18, 2022

Five kids form an unlikely friend group at the start of a new school year with surprising results. Lucas is processing his older brother’s death and his mom leaving his dad and him, Robbie is the group goofball with his own challenges, Finn is the walking encyclopedia, Cat is the star athlete, and Anna is the popular girl whose drawn to the group. As the kids play sardines (reverse hide-and-seek), they learn about each other’s most wanted wishes and plot to help each one get them. But when it’s Lucas’s turn, he’s afraid to bare his soul. Can he get past the fear and make his own wish come true? Sardines  is a heartwarming middle grade novel about friendship, mental health, bullying, identity, and community. 

The Prettiest

Published: April 14, 2020

Eve, Sophie, and Nessa are three different girls in Ford middle-school whose lives are changed when their names appear on “ The Prettiest ” list posted online by someone called “LordTesla.” Sophie is the Queen Bee of middle school, and Eve is the bookworm and poetry aficionado who’s started wearing her brother’s sports jerseys to hide her changing body. Nessa is a plus-sized theater geek with a melodious voice who experiences a slew of emotions — indifference, annoyance, disgust at beauty standards — when she realizes her name didn’t even make the list. The three girls band together in an unlikely friendship to find the person who made the list and make him face the consequences of his actions. This a powerful look at female objectification and sexual harassment in middle school.

How to Find What You’re Not Looking For

Published: September 14, 2021

This book follows 12-year-old Ariel whose life is upturned when her big sister (the best of them all), Leah, elopes with her Indian-American boyfriend after the  Loving vs. Virginia  ruling. Ariel’s parents are upset, Ariel is struggling with being able to write well at school, and she can’t stop thinking about her sister and everything happening in the world. How to Find What You’re Not Looking For  is a poignant, moving, and brilliantly written middle grade novel about family, identity, and love.

Averil Offline

Published: February 13, 2024

Averil’s mom and several parents of kids in her school and neighborhood use an app called Ruby Slippers to track their kids’ location, request video and photos from them on demand, and generally monitor their behavior and actions all day and Averil and her classmate Max are sick of it. Especially when they find out that the app will be updated soon to let parents remotely turn on their kids’ cameras at will. Both kids make a plot to ditch a camping trip and find the original app developer, Rider Wollybeck, in hopes of asking him to rescind the update. This hijinks-filled story is reminiscent of classic stories where kids run away to save the day as Max and Averil stay on their town’s college campus, eating at the cafeteria and sleeping in the library for the 2-3 days needed to accomplish their plan. I love the gentle mystery, STEM angle, and theme of childhood autonomy this book explores. I think it has major kid appeal — and it’s only 208 pages long!

That’s What Friends Do

Published: January 28, 2020

Sammie and David are best friends who first met at Little League. As the only girl on the baseball team, Sammie enjoys being one of the guys, and she and David get along excellently. She’s convinced herself that she’s just better at being friends with the boys. Things are great until a new boy, Luke, moves into the neighborhood. Luke is taller than David and keeps trying to flirt with Sammie even though it obviously makes her uncomfortable. While Sammie looks to David for support, David — who has a crush on Sammie — is preoccupied with being jealous of Luke’s seemingly “smooth” skills. As a result, David starts to focus on making his affection known to Sammie, just as Luke seems to be doing. Eventually, an incident on the bus between David and Sammie jeopardizes their friendship and forces Sammie to re-examine the meaning of true friendship. I loved everything about this wonderful, wholesome story.

Violets Are Blue

Published: October 12, 2021

12-year-old Wren lives with her mom after her parents’ divorce. Her dad has moved to New York City and married his lover (with whom he was unfaithful to her mother), who is now expecting twins. Wren is also a special effects makeup aficionado. Caught up in a new school, navigating new friendships, and balancing her relationships with her parents — whose relationship with each other is strained — Wren notices her mom has begun behaving strangely. Violets Are Blue is an engaging middle-grade book with a relatable, creative protagonist dealing with parental substance abuse.

12 to 22 (POV: You Wake Up in the Future)

Published: August 16, 2022

On her 12th half birthday, her parents surprisingly gift her their approval to post on social networks. Thrilled, Harper starts posting TikTok videos like her idol, Blake Riley. Her first video goes viral and brings her closer to the popular crew in her school who only befriend her so she can teach them her edits. Their interest in her creates a rift between Harper and her best friend Ava. In the midst of the chaos, Harper tries a TikTok filter, which, combined with a wish to be 22, suddenly makes her 22! Unfortunately, her future is much different than she imagined. Is being 22 as great as she imagined? Or will she just want her old life back? And can she even get it back? Or is it too late? This is a charming, light,  feel-good story  about  time travel , social media, and treasuring friendships.

Across the Desert

12-year-old Jolene has a tough life. Her mom is misusing opioids and can barely care for her. She’s mocked at school for wearing too-small clothing and looking haggard. Jolene’s only bright spot is a tween pilot she watches via livestream at the library, “Addie Earhart.” Addie and Jolene gradually form a warm friendship and encourage each other through life’s hardships. But one day during the livestream, Addie crashes her plane. No one but Jolene is watching the stream, and Addie’s mom doesn’t know she even flies planes. It’s up to Jolene to save her, but she’s a kid with no money — and Addie’s is stuck miles away in the Arizona desert. This is a heart-pounding middle grade novel about self-worth, friendships, and the struggle of a parent with addiction.

A Perfect Mistake

Published: July 12, 2022

Max and his community are reeling from a night out gone wrong. Max and his friends Joey and Will went out with two older boys, but Will ended up unconscious and in a coma, and Joey won’t speak to Max anymore. Max also has ADHD and is over six feet tall at 11, which means he stands out in his class. Frustrated that he can’t figure out what happened to Will, Max teams up with an inquisitive classmate, but the truths he unravels aren’t pretty. Can Max get to the bottom of this mystery? A Perfect Mistake  is a pitch-perfect  middle grade mystery  about honesty, peer pressure, and standing up for what’s right. 

Published: July 5, 2022

Marianne Blume has convinced herself that she’s not smart. She’s gotten through school so far by charming teachers out of questioning her. But her eighth-grade teacher, Mr. Garcia, isn’t easily fooled. To pull up her grades for high school, Marianne tries to win his favor by joining the school’s trivia team (which he coaches). But as the term progresses, Marianne bonds with the trivia kids and learns that there’s more to being smart than book smart — but also, she’s more intelligent than she gives herself credit for. Bright  is a deeply insightful book about labels, persistence, and self-belief, featuring themes like sisterhood, female friendships, and family.

Wishing Upon the Same Stars

This debut middle-grade novel by Arab-American author Jacquetta Nammar Feldman follows young Palestinian-American Yasmeen Khoury, whose parents move from Detroit (which has a thriving Arab-American community) to San Antonio, Texas, where there are few to no other Arab-American families. But just before Yasmeen despairs, she discovers that their next-door neighbors are Arab-Americans too — only, they’re Israeli-American, not Palestinian-American. She befriends their daughter Ayelet, but her father is not pleased, especially with the current Palestinian-Israeli tensions. On top of adjusting to a new school and finding her place in the world, can Yasmeen help her dad see beyond the differences? This is a moving, poignant exploration of finding common ground despite differences and strife.

Coming Up Short

Published: June 21, 2022

Bea is winning at being a shortstop, finally making headway with her crush, and is excited to go to summer camp with her friends when her dad’s legal license is suspended in a town scandal. Suddenly, she develops a case of the yips and begs her parents to send her to another softball summer camp on Gray Island, where her mom grew up. Throughout the summer, Bea learns more about her parents’ previous marriages and other secrets.  Coming Up Short  is a sporty, summery, and serious coming of age story about a girl dealing with difficult emotions and circumstances. 

The Bridge Home

Published: February 5, 2019

This heartbreaking middle grade novel follows sisters Viji and Rukku, who flee an abusive home situation into the streets of Chennai, India, where life isn’t so much better. Faced with hunger and homelessness, the sisters befriend two other kids in the same situation and keep trying to find respite until a tragedy upends their lives. This is great for readers looking for more books about poverty and homelessness or stories set in India.

The Road to Wherever

Published: May 11, 2021

11-year-old June (Henry Junior) Ball’s mother sends him off on the road with his adult second cousins after his father disappears without a word. Cousins Thomas and Cornell are “Ford Men” traveling throughout the US to fix people’s old Ford trucks for free. The Ford owners only have to buy spare parts. As the road trip progresses, the men teach June about Ford trucks, fixing cars, and being kind. June also processes his father’s absence while expanding his heart by meeting just as many broken humans as Ford trucks. This is a heartfelt  road trip adventure story  about family,  community , and purpose. 

Golden Girl

Published: February 22, 2022

Afiyah has a problem with taking things (seemed like kleptomania) even when she tries really hard not to. Fortunately, she’s often remorseful and returns the stolen items. She’s shaken when her father is wrongfully arrested for embezzlement at the airport during a family trip. The situation puts a strain on her family and moves Afiyah to strongly examine her tendency to steal — especially after she gets caught in the act. Golden Girl  is a touching, realistic coming-of-age story about trying to break bad habits and dealing with a  family crisis . 

Best Friends, Bikinis, and Other Summer Catastrophes

Published: May 17, 2022

Alex is looking forward to spending the summer (as she’s always done) with her best friend, Will. Will’s mother runs the concession stand at their community pool, and both kids have spent several summers playing games at the pool. This summer, though, a schoolmate named Rebekah has eyes for Will — and him for her! As Rebekah and Will begin a tentative crush-friendship, Alex feels threatened and ropes Will into a big summer project (building their treehouse), for which they’ll need several summer jobs to afford building supplies. Surprisingly to Alex, Rebekah also wants to be her friend too. Can Alex get over her jealousy and other issues in her life to figure out this summer friendship drama? This is a terrific  summery middle grade book  about  evolving friendships , growing up, and adjusting to changes.

Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone

Published: April 26, 2022

Tae Keller’s newest middle grade book,  Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone , opens with new girl Jennifer Chan declared missing at her middle school. As whispers begin, her next-door neighbor Mallory Moss worries that Jennifer may have been abducted by aliens (which Jennifer believed existed). Mallory reunites with two former friends begging them to help her find Jennifer following clues from her time with Jennifer and the diary Jennifer left behind. The story alternates between past and present as readers discover that Mallory’s search is also motivated by an ulterior motive: the need to prove that she and her popular friends didn’t run Jennifer Chan out of town with their bullying. Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone  is a razor-sharp, realistic portrayal of kids mismanaging their insecurities and coping by  bullying others .

Falling Short

Published: March 15, 2022

In  Falling Short , we meet Marco and Isaac. They’ve been besties for as long as they can remember and now they share one pain in common: both their dads aren’t in their lives as they’d like. Isaac’s dad is attentive but currently struggling with alcoholism. Marco’s dad wishes Marco were more athletic, instead of nerdy. At the start of middle school, both boys decide to help each other reach their goals. For Isaac, it’s getting better at more than just basketball — getting better grades and being more responsible. And for Marco, it’s learning a sport: basketball. Can they reach their goals? And will their friendship survive it? I loved this look at a warm friendship bond between boys. 

Everywhere Blue

Published: June 1, 2021

When Madrigal’s (Maddie) older brother, Strum, goes missing from his college campus, her musical family loses its harmony. Her French mother is distraught — broken for the first time as Maddie has never seen her. Her piano-playing father doesn’t even touch his instrument, and her fiery sister retreats into a rebellious funk, drinking and partying, even though she’s only 16. Maddie tries to keep everything together: focus on her oboe lessons and compulsive counting that calms her mind. But when her parents leave to look for Strum and Maddie is left with Aria, things seem hopeless. Maddie continues trying to manage school work, friendships, practicing her instrument, and maybe joining a new eco club at school. Eventually, though, with all leads looking dead-ended, Maddie just might have what it takes to find Strum. But can she find her way to him? Everywhere Blue  is a poignant, moving  middle grade verse novel about family ,  mental health , music, and  caring for the environment .

The Kate in Between

When a bunch of popular kids seems to welcome Kate into their clique, she is torn about ditching her longtime best friend, Haddie. Things get complicated, however, when Kate is a passive participant in a bullying incident that leads to Haddie sinking on thin ice. Then, Kate is captured on camera saving Haddie, and the video goes viral. While news outlets hail “Kate the Great” as a shining example for tweens who should not be bullying other kids, Kate continues to oscillate between craving acceptance from the popular kids and trying to keep her friendship with Haddie, all the while maintaining her public image by appearing in newspapers and on popular YouTube channels. But how long can she keep up the charade? And, is Kate great? Or is she a bad person? The Kate in Between  is a timely, complex, and engaging middle grade book about identity, popularity,  bullying culture , and going viral.

Those Kids from Fawn Creek

Published: March 8, 2022

This book follows 12 seventh-graders in Fawn Creek’s middle school. These kids have grown up together in their small factory town and know each other in and out. They’ve formed semi-permanent cliques and it’s tough for them to break out from the general expectations of their peers. The story is told by multiple narrators, including the new girl Orchid Mason (who says she’s from New York and has grown up in cities around the world), shy girl Dorothy, and her best friend (and the only person she talks to) Greyson. Cousins Janie and Abby have recently become a duo since their “Queen Bee,” Rennie Dean, moved away to a nearby town but still tries to keep tabs on them and control their actions. When Rennie and her crew find out about Orchid’s seemingly exotic background, they’re at once jealous and convinced that she’s lying. But is she? Those Kids from Fawn Creek  is a gorgeously written, character-driven, slice-of-life middle grade  book about bullying  and the power of kindness.

Published: March 9, 2021

Starfish  features Ellie, a fat girl who has been bullied for her weight since she wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash in the pool. Even her older brother and sister make fun of her weight. Her mom controls her diet, monitoring her portions and choosing lackluster “healthy” alternatives. Ellie is feeling more disheartened because her friend Viv who is also plus-sized is moving away. Thankfully, after Viv moves, Ellie finds a friend in her new neighbor Catalina and her family. The family loves food and welcome Ellie with open arms, never judging her for her weight. At school, bullying intensifies when a chair breaks after Ellie sits on it. Her mom is also pushing for gastric bypass surgery for Ellie. Eventually, her father gets her mother to ease off by taking Ellie to a therapist who helps her accept her body and defend herself against bullies. Starfish  is a powerful, fat-positive middle grade  verse novel  about a girl who is learning that she deserves to take up space.

No Fixed Address

Published: September 11, 2018

12-year-old Felix Knuttson is a sweet kid whose brain soaks up trivia like a sponge. His mom Astrid (whom he calls by her name), is loving but unreliable and can’t seem to hold on to a job or a house. When they lose their apartment in Vancouver, Astrid “borrows” a camper van from an ex and moves them in there “just for August” until she finds a job. But September comes, and there’s still no job or house, and Felix needs an address to enroll in school. Astrid figures out a way to do that, but Felix can’t tell anyone about their home situation. At the new school, he makes two new friends and finds out about a trivia contest that might change their housing situation. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned. This is a compelling, realistic, and funny middle grade  book about homelessness, poverty , friendship, and mental health.

Violet and the Pie of Life

12-year-old Violet wishes that math could solve all her problems — and she does try to use her math. Unfortunately, her parents are fighting more and more. Her mom seems to nag constantly while her dad is the fun one who does things like buying them fried chicken for dinner. Eventually, after a heated argument one night, her father moves out and her mom won’t tell Violet where he’s gone. At school, her best friend Mackenzie seems to make fun of just about anyone, but especially the nice, pretty girl in their class, Ally. So when Violet gets cast as the Lion in the Wizard of Oz play and Mackenzie gets a small role, while Ally plays Dorothy, Mackenzie asks Violet to quit the play with her. Violet refuses. That and a budding friendship with Ally put a strain on her friendship with Mackenzie, adding to Violet’s overall stress. Violet and the Pie of Life  is a realistic portrayal of the impact of  parental separation  on a child.

A Song Called Home

Published: March 15, 2022

Lou and her sister Casey have to move from the city to the suburbs to live with their new stepfather, Steve, leaving behind their old schools and Lou’s best friend Beth Tsai. Forming this new family is hard on Lou and Casey for different reasons. Lou feels like she’s leaving their alcoholic father behind and Casey worries that Steve is being too nice and the “real Steve” will show up soon. On the day before their move (which is also Lou’s birthday) Lou finds a guitar right outside their old apartment addressed to her. Convinced it’s from her dad, she starts learning to play guitar to maintain that bond with him. As they all navigate the blending of their families, Lou learns about herself and what family truly means. A Song Called Home  is a realistic, heartrending depiction of the process of  blending a family  while dealing with the trauma of having an alcoholic parent.

Farewell Cuba, Mi Isla

Published: September 5, 2023

1960, Cuba. Cousins Victoria and Jackie love living in their island country with their large family. When when Fidel Castro’s communist government takes hold, things change swiftly, leading Victoria’s father to relocate his family to Miami, leaving Jackie and her family behind. As Victoria adapts to life in the US, Jackie and her family struggle in Cuba—until the family decides to send Jackie over to the States with Operation Peter Pan. But will Jackie ever see her family again? Both girls band together to bring the rest of their family to America. Farewell Cuba Mi Isla  is a moving, authentic book chronicling the impact of Fidel Castro’s communist regime in Cuba.

Published: March 31, 2020

When Ross is diagnosed with a rare lacrimal gland cancer (in his eye), it’s like a new trial for his seventh-grade existence. Add to that the fact that his mom died from cancer years before, he’s going blind in one eye, his best friend is moving away soon, and mean kids at school are making terrible memes about his illness, and you have a dumpster fire of a year waiting to happen. Or is it? Wink  by Rob Harrell is a brilliant, funny, and thoughtful middle grade book about navigating a cancer diagnosis in 7th grade.

Kyra, Just for Today

Published: March 5, 2024

In this companion to A Song Called Home , Kyra’s mother is an alcoholic in recovery. She could always count on having her best friend, Lu — until now. Lu has new friends and splits her time between both friend groups, eventually asking Kyra to join them sometimes. Kyra is also getting bullied for being bigger than most other 13-year-olds. Already, Kyra does so much at home: cooking, and even helping her mom out with her cleaning job. But then her mother starts acting weird, leading Kyra to believe that she’s relapsed. I loved how the author shows readers that recovery is not linear and I enjoyed watching Kyra feel safe in her own skin. Hand to fans of Sumner’s Maid for It and readers who love books featuring food and cooking.

Fox Point’s Own Gemma Hopper

Published: April 11, 2023

7th grader Gemma Hopper’s mother has left their family. Gemma lives with her dad, older brother Teddy, and their twin younger brothers. While their dad works overtime to fend for the family materially, Gemma is saddled with caring for the home and her twin siblings while also serving as a ball machine/practice partner for her brother, who’s a baseball prodigy of sorts. One day, while practicing with Teddy, she strikes him out with two impressive pitches, capturing the attention of some scouts from a competitive baseball team. All of a sudden, Gemma now also has star potential. Can both siblings find a way to work together? This is an engaging graphic novel about family (absent mothers), baseball, and  sibling relationships . 

The Braid Girls

Published: June 13, 2023

In  The Braid Girls , Maggie’s summer is off to a rocky start when her parents announce that she has a half-sister—a daughter her father never knew about until now. Callie’s presence throws off soft-spoken Maggie’s dynamic with her outspoken best friend Daija, even more when Callie joins their hair-braiding business. This is a sweet, relatable middle grade  book about sisterhood , entrepreneurship, and finding your voice.

No Matter the Distance

  Published: February 21, 2023

This book centers on young Penny, a middle schooler with cystic fibrosis. Penny has to take digestive enzymes and do her breathing treatments to help her lungs get rid of mucus that affects her breathing. While her CF case is relatively mild-moderate, she still struggles with being chronically ill. One day a dolphin shows up in the lake near their house and Penny feels a strong connection with the animal. It turns out the dolphin (whom Penny names Rose) is also sick and needs to return to her pod to get better. Penny may be the only one who can help the scientists take Rose back. But can she do that, when she feels so drawn to the animal? No Matter the Distance  is a beautiful  middle grade verse novel  about living with cystic fibrosis and finding belonging in community.

Morning Sun in Wuhan

Published: November 8, 2022

I’ve had  Morning Sun in Wuhan  on my radar for a long time because it’s set in the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic (and mostly because of the cover). 13-year-old Mei loves cooking and playing a cooking video game with two of her friends. She lives with her physician dad and is still grieving the loss of her mother. Her life suddenly turns upside down when a new virus starts killing people in her hometown Wuhan. Her dad is stuck working at the hospital and leaves Mei at home when the city is locked down. Can Mei cope with the pandemic — and find a way to help others around her? Morning Sun in Wuhan  is a fascinating, insightful middle grade account depicting the genesis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan. 

Absolutely Positively Natty

  Published: May 9, 2023

Reeling from the impact of her mother’s depression on their family, Natty decides she’s going to be “Good Vibes Only.” She even starts a pep rally club in her cheerless new town. But her pursuit of positivity wears on her friendships and her–until the facade starts to crumble. An insightful exploration of toxic positivity and how kids can manage tough situations instead.

The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn

Published: July 11, 2023

Maudie is a sweet, autistic girl spending the summer with her dad. When her dad’s home is razed in a California wildfire, they move to the small beach town where her father grew up. Throughout the summer, as Maudie makes new friends, starts learning to surf, and enters a surfing contest, a secret tugs at her–one her mother has asked her to keep from her dad.  The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn  is a vivid, triumphant, and authentic coming-of-age story about discovering one’s inner strength.

A Work in Progress

Published: May 2, 2023

Will feels like the only chubby kid in his class and feels insecure about his weight. Add to that the bullying he faces and his observations of his mother’s attitude toward food, and he falls into a pattern of disordered eating and over-exercising. Thankfully, a budding friendship with a new classmate changes his view. This is a great book about body image issues, and it’s done in an illustrated verse format that I think kids will love.

The Wildly Unknown Myth of Apple and Dorothy

Published: September 19, 2023

Apple and Dorothy are half-gods, descendants of the Greek gods Zeus and Hera and Pandora, respectively. When Dorothy’s mother refuses to return to Olympus one solstice, she becomes a full human and is soon killed in a car accident, leaving Dorothy and her father grieving. Motivated by a promise she made to Dorothy’s mother, Apple befriends Dorothy. But when the gods rule that all half-gods must return home to Olympus and take their place as gods or remain human, Dorothy chooses Earth, to Apple’s dismay. Apple’s fear of losing Dorothy leads her to make a decision with terrible consequences. As a non-fantasy reader, I loved this book — how clever, creative, and profound it is, especially in the way it approaches friendship and grief. I think fans of  Greek mythology  will love it.

There they are: 50 of the best books for seventh graders! I hope you find something appealing for your kids. If you’d like more upper middle-grade book recommendations, here’s my list of upper middle grade books .

Which of these books for seventh graders have you read and enjoyed? And which other ones would you recommend?

More Book Lists

• Realistic fiction for 7th graders
• Mystery books for 7th graders
• Historical fiction for 7th graders

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• About Afoma Umesi

Afoma Umesi is the founder and editor of Reading Middle Grade where she curates book lists and writes book reviews for kids of all ages. Her favorite genre to read is contemporary realistic fiction and she'll never say no to a graphic novel.

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Reader Interactions

What do you think leave a comment cancel reply.

November 16, 2020 at 2:53 pm

The only one I’ve read here is Amal Unbound. So good! 🙌

November 17, 2020 at 4:57 pm

Another handy list! I’ve read a few of these and a few are new to me. I should really check out The Prettiest. The Story That Cannot Be Told caught my eye. (BTW, you have the description for One Last Shot underneath Serena Says).

November 18, 2020 at 4:10 pm

Hi Jenna! Thank you so much for your kind comment. Yes, you’ll love THE PRETTIEST! And thanks for the heads up, I’ve fixed that mistake now 🙂

November 21, 2020 at 12:40 pm

There are so many amazing books on this list! And a few I haven’t read yet!

June 14, 2022 at 7:00 pm

Bookmarking this post! Love it!

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Want to see how Tennessee measures third grade reading? Try a TCAP practice test

The standardized Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program tests, also known as TNReady or TCAPs, kick off this week statewide.

Last year's rollout of a controversial third grade reading and retention law placed the TCAP under intense scrutiny. As the law took effect in 2023, the sole measurement of reading proficiency was each third grader's score on the English language arts section of the TCAP. But experts, teachers and education leaders argue it's not a reading proficiency test but rather a test of reading comprehension.

State lawmakers added a provision to the reading law to allow universal reading screening assessments to be considered in decisions on holding children back or not.

So what exactly does the English language arts section of the TCAP entail for third graders? A practice test, available online through the Tennessee Department of Education offers some insight.

Want to try your hand at one? Here's a look at what was on the spring 2023 English language arts section of the TCAP for third graders.

(Quick note: We've adapted the format of the practice test so it fits better here. None of the reading materials, questions or multiple choice answers have been changed.)

Part 1: Rory's funny story

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

"Rory's Funny Story" by Janice Graham

1 Everybody in Rory’s class had a Funny-but-True story to tell. The teacher, Mrs. Evans, had the best Funny-but- True stories of all. On Monday she told about her cat playing the piano. On Tuesday she told how she found a nibbled-on piece of bologna in the toe of her red high-heeled shoe. On Wednesday she told about a mysterious truck dumping a mountain of rocks in her driveway. The neighborhood kids climbed and played on it until the truck came back to move the mountain to the right address.

2 Mrs. Evans had a million funny stories. But Rory couldn’t think of even one to tell.

3 “It’s time again for our Funny-but-True stories,” announced Mrs. Evans on Thursday. “Who has one today?”

4 Rory slumped in his chair.

5 “I have a Funny-but-True!” cried Dana, waving wildly. “My big sister lost her new diamond engagement ring. She was really worried. My mom looked in all the places my sister had been. And there it was in a basket of laundry, sparkling in the dirty socks!”

6 The class smiled, and some people chuckled. Rory leaned forward and plopped his chin on his desk. Nothing funny ever happened to him.

7 Friday’s Funny-but-True was the best one yet. Tad told how his sister had found a hairy black tarantula the size of her hand in the bathroom medicine chest. After she was through screaming her head off, she decided to keep the spider for a pet. Rory sighed. The class would laugh about that one all through lunch recess. Somewhere in his life there had to be one Funny-but-True story. But Rory knew his weekend would be just the same old boring thing.

8 Rory’s dad promised they would try out the new dome tent in the backyard Friday night. “Just my luck,” thought Rory when a lightning storm blew up. He shuffled into the house to find his dad had turned it into a campground. The new tent filled up the living room like a big blue elephant. “What next?” thought Rory.

9 On Saturday, Rory’s four-year-old sister decided to see if her baby bunny could swim. Just in time Rory saved the soggy bunny from a bucket of water. While Mom gently blow-dried the little rabbit, he explained to his sister that bunnies can’t swim. “Silly kid,” thought Rory.

10 On Sunday Rory and his family piled into the car and headed for Grandma’s house. Passing drivers stared and pointed. When they got there, Rory discovered that their cat, Tiger, had ridden to Grandma’s on the roof of the car. “Dumb cat,” thought Rory.

11 “Time for Funny-but-Trues!” said Mrs. Evans on Monday. Rory looked around the room. He was sure Dana or Tad had another great story, but nobody spoke up.

12 “Rory, how about you?” asked Mrs. Evans.

13 Rory shook his head. “Nothing funny ever happens to me.”

14 “Oh, I bet funny things happen all the time,” said Mrs. Evans.

15 “Tell us about your weekend.”

16 Rory told about sleeping in a tent in the living room. The class looked surprised. He saw a few smiles. Next he told about the bunny’s swimming lessons. A few people giggled. When he told about Tiger riding on the roof of the car all the way to Grandma’s house, the class broke into roars of laughter.

17 Rory tried, but he couldn’t stop laughing either.

The following item has two parts. Answer Part A and then answer Part B.

Part 2: Tatenda teaches his town

"Tatenda Teaches His Town" by Cecil Dzwowa

1 Like many families in Sanyati, a small countryside town in western Zimbabwe¹, Tatenda’s family does not have a television. One day after school, Tatenda arrived home tired and decided to rest on the sofa. But just before he sat down, he noticed something unusual in the house. “At first, I thought Dad had bought a television set, but when my mother said it was a computer, I was disappointed.”

2 It’s not that Tatenda didn’t like computers; he just didn’t know how to use them.

3 For almost two weeks, the gift lay idle in the house. Tatenda and his father didn’t even know how to turn it on. “Nobody in our neighborhood knew how to operate a computer,” Tatenda said.

4 But things changed when Amina, a young family friend, came from Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital city, to visit. Amina knew all about computers and was a good teacher, too.

¹Zimbabwe: a country in Africa

Pressing the Wrong Buttons

5 At first, Tatenda and Amina were frustrated as Tatenda struggled to learn. “I was always pressing the wrong buttons,” Tatenda remembered. “But I kept on going because I was eager to learn.” Amina realized then that she could not keep Tatenda away from the computer. After three weeks, Tatenda mastered some computer basics, such as opening and closing files. But he was taking a long time to learn.

6 Tatenda kept on practicing after Amina left. His speed slowly improved. By the time Amina returned, Tatenda felt comfortable with the computer.

7 Meanwhile, Tatenda’s friends wondered what had happened to him. Tatenda had not told them about his new gadget. He no longer played soccer after school like he used to. “Even if he came, he did not spend much time with us. He always had an excuse for going back home,” his friend Saidi said.

8 Tatenda’s friends worried. Were Tatenda’s parents preventing him from playing with them? Did one of them do something wrong? Did Tatenda have new friends?

9 One day, Saidi, along with two other friends, Themba and Solomon, surprised Tatenda at home. When they arrived, Tatenda was so busy on the computer that he did not hear them. His mother opened the door and let his friends inside. They couldn’t believe what they saw — a computer and Tatenda operating it.

10 “It was too late,” Tatenda recalled. “My secret was out.”

Master of the Keys

11 But it was a new beginning for the three friends. After that surprise visit, they came to see Tatenda work on the computer. Then Tatenda let them press a button or two and shake the mouse for fun. Slowly, he taught them how to use the computer. Saidi took about three months to learn the basics; Themba, about four months; and Solomon, a year.

12 It wasn’t long before the neighborhood kids wanted to learn, too! “There were so many kids coming to see him that we had to move the computer out of his room into a bigger room,” his mother said.

13 And even more kids came. Tatenda worried. The computer began to experience problems because the kids were pressing too many buttons. So he came up with a plan. He began charging for lessons. But this did not stop more kids from coming. Those whose parents did not have money paid with chickens or goats.

14 Tatenda has taught computer skills to 30 students from his local school, and the number continues to grow. There are 600 students there and no computer. Two of the teachers at his school are also his students. “He is a bright kid and a good teacher,” said Mrs. Magumise, one of Tatenda’s schoolteachers.

15 With the money earned from teaching, Tatenda has bought a television and radio for his family. And he plans to buy a new computer. He also plans to keep on teaching. The people of Sanyati couldn’t be more pleased. Tatenda has single-handedly introduced computers to his town and is simply known there as “Teacher.”

This item has two parts. Answer Part A and then answer Part B.