Seventh Grade Reading List


The Dark is Rising
by Susan Cooper – J COOPER

Will Stanton discovers that he is the last of the Old Ones, destined to stand against the forces of evil and seek the six magical Signs.

The Cay
by Theodore Taylor – J TAYLOR

In 1942, 11-year-old Phillip Enright lives with his parents on the Dutch island of Curaçao, but when the war moves too close for comfort, his mother decides to travel with him back to the safety of Virginia. When their boat is torpedoed, however, Phillip is blinded and finds himself adrift on a life raft with an old black man and a cat.

I, Juan de Pareja
by Elizabeth B. De Trevino – J TREVINO

Novel based on the true story of the slave, Juan de Pareja, who was willed to Velazquez and whose relationship with the great Spanish painter evolved into one of friendship and equality as he becomes an accomplished artist in spite of the prohibition against a slave learning to paint.

The Land
by Mildred D. Taylor – YA TAYLOR

In this prequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, life is not fair, hard work doesn't always pay off, and the good guy doesn't always win. That's because these are the stories of an African American family in the Deep South during and after the Civil War, a time of ugly, painful racism. The Logans are the only black family to own farmland, while most of their black neighbors are sharecroppers on white-owned land. Where did this valuable legacy come from?

A Step From Heaven
by An Na – YA NA

When four-year-old Young Ju and her parents emigrate from Korea to California by plane, the child, who knows that God is in the sky, concludes that America is heaven. "A step from heaven," her uncle corrects her after they arrive. However, life proves to be far from that for the family.

Woodsong
by Gary Paulsen – YA 796.5 PAULSEN

An autobiographical account of author Gary Paulsen's life in Minnesota and Alaska as he prepares his sled dogs and himself to race the grueling Iditarod. In each chapter of the book, Paulsen tells about one of the many dogs he has owned with care and humor.

Walk Two Moons
by Sharon Creech – J CREECH

After her mother leaves suddenly, thirteen-year-old Sal and her grandparents take a car trip retracing her mother’s route. Along the way, Sal recounts the story of her friend Phoebe whose mother also left.

Mary, Bloody Mary
by Carolyn Meyer – YA MEYER

The story of Mary Tudor's childhood is a classic fairy tale: A princess who is to inherit the throne of England is separated from her mother; abused by an evil stepmother who has enchanted her father; stripped of her title; and forced to care for her baby stepsister, who inherits Mary's rights to the throne. Believe it or not, it's true.

Wild Man Island
by Will Hobbs – YA HOBBS

When 14-year-old Andy slips away from his Alaskan Adventure kayaking group, he believes he has planned his escape carefully. He's an experienced kayaker, and his destination, the place where his father died nine years ago, is only two miles away. He reaches the falls and leaves a tribute for his father, but disaster strikes on his return trip.

Beauty
by Robin McKinley – J MCKINLE

Retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast. Beauty selflessly agrees to inhabit the Beast's castle to spare her father's life. Beauty's gradual acceptance of the Beast and the couple's deepening trust and affection are amplified in novel form.

Incident at Hawk’s Hill
by Alan W. Eckert – J ECKERT

Based on an actual incident, this novel tells an unforgettable story of lonely, six-year-old Ben who survived in the wilds for most of a summer, adopted, protected and cared for by a female badger.

The Sight
by David Clement-Davies – YA CLEMENT

In Transylvania during the Middle Ages, a pack of wolves sets out on a perilous journey to prevent their enemy from calling upon a legendary evil that will give her the power to control all animals.