Grade 7

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Summer Reading
O N M A R T H A’ S V I N E YA R D
For Students Entering 7th Grade
New Favorites
Here are some of our newest
favorites for 7th grade!
Soar
by Joan Bauer
Masterminds
by Gordon Korman
Hoodoo
by Ronald Smith
Allies and Assassins
by Justin Somper
Josh Baxter Levels Up
by Gavin Brown
23 Minutes
by Vivian Vande Velde
Where You’ll Find Me
by Natasha Friend
Summerlost
by Allison Conde
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” -Richard Steele
Dear Parents,
Summer vacation is here (wahoo!) but it is also a wonderful time
to READ! It is important that students read books that are not too
hard and not too easy, but are right at their level. The five finger
test is a great way to determine if a book is just right -- if you can
count five words on a page that you don’t understand, it isn’t a
good fit for you.
Summer is also the perfect time for students to explore books that
they choose and are interested in. Here are some summer reading
tips for parents and students:
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Set aside regular reading / read aloud time
Visit the local library -- they have wonderful summer activities!
Read to your children and let them read to you
Parents -- read for pleasure in front of your children
Allow choice in reading
Pack a book wherever you go!
Encourage and help your child succeed with
REQUIRED READING
Mrs. Leuenberger is requiring all incoming 7th graders to read 1
book from the lists she has provided (check her webpage) and
create a poster along with a book talk. Please come prepared on
the first day of school with a finished project and book talk!
Created May 2016 by Ms. Cole, Librarian at the Edgartown Elementary School on
Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. It was influenced by ideas from the staff at the
Edgartown Elementary School, and based on an earlier version by Ms. Lambacher .
Happy reading!
Books About 7th Grade
Just as Long as We’re
Together
Space Station Seventh
Grade
by Judy Blume
by Jerry Spinelli
Two girls, best friends since
second grade, make friends
with a new girl in town and
all begin seventh grade
together.
Seventh-grader Jason
narrates the events of his
year, from school, hair, and
pimples, to mothers, little
brothers, and a girl.
It’s Not Easy Being Bad
by Cynthia Voigt
Two unpopular girls try to
break into the seventh grade
clique system, even though
they're not really sure they
want to be popular at all.
by Joan Bauer
Carlos Is Gonna Get It
I am a Genius of
Unspeakable Evil and I
Want to be Your Class
President
Tree, a six-foot-three-inch
seventh grader, copes with
his parents’ divorce and his
failure as an athlete by
helping his grandfather, a
Vietnam veteran and recent
amputee, and Sophie, a new
girl in school.
by Kevin Emerson
by Josh Lieb
Recounts the events that
occur at the end of seventh
grade, when a group of
friends plan to trick Carlos,
an annoying "problem"
student who says he is
visited by aliens, while they
are on a field trip in the
mountains of New
Hampshire.
Twelve-year-old Oliver
Watson has everyone
convinced that he is
extremely stupid and lazy,
but he is actually a very
wealthy, evil genius, and
when he decides to run for
seventh grade class
president, nothing will stand
in his way.
Stand Tall
Realistic Fiction and Humor
No More Dead Dogs
by Gordon Korman
Shug by Jenny Han
Notes From the Dog by Gary
Paulsen
The Schwa Was Here by Neil
Schusterman
Red Kayak by Priscilla
Cummings
Jeremy Fink and the
Meaning of Life by Wendy
Mass
Out of My Mind by Sharon
Draper
Funerals and Fly Fishing by
Mary Bartek
The Seventh Most
Important Thing by Shelley
Pearsall
Racing in the Rain: My Life
as a Dog by Garth Stein
Firegirl by Tony Abbott
The Face on the Milk
Carton by Caroline B. Cooney
Total Tragedy of a Girl
Named Hamlet by Erin
Dionne
Act I, Act II, Act Normal*
by Martha Weston
Emma Jean Lazarus Fell
Out of a Tree by Lauren
Tarshis
Loser by Jerry Spinelli (650)
Surviving the Applewhites
by Stephanie Tolan (820)
Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar
Goodbye Stranger by
Rebecca Stead
Historical Fiction
Roll of Thunder, Hear My
Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Kaleidoscope Eyes by Jen
Bryant
Penny From Heaven by
Jennifer L. Holm
True Confessions of
Charlotte Doyle by Avi
Woodsrunner by Gary
Paulsen
The Hired Girl by Laura
Schiltz
Summer of My German
Soldier by Bette Greene
The Marvels by Brian
Selznick
Climbing the Stairs
by Padma Venkatraman
Chains by Laurie Halse
Anderson (series)
A Long Walk to Water by
Linda Sue Park
Girls of Many Lands (series)
by various authors
Al Capone Does My Shirts
by Gennifer Choldenko
The War That Saved My
Life by Kimberly Bradley
Mystery
Nancy Drew by Carolyn
Keene
Gilda Joyce: Psychic
Investigator by Jennifer
Allison
Hardy Boys by Franklin Dixon
Trackers (series) by Patrick
Carman
The Ghost of Cutler Creek
by Cynthia DeFelice
Stolen by Vivian Vande Velde
Murder at Midnight by Avi
Time for Andrew by Mary
Downing Hahn
House on the Gulf by
Margaret Peterson Haddix
Heist Society (series)
by Ally Carter
I,Q: Independence Hall* by
Roland Smith
Something Upstairs by Avi
Stranger With My Face by
Lois Duncan
Tentacles by Roland Smith
Ruby in the Smoke (series)
by Phillip Pullman
Enola Holmes (series) by
Nancy Springer
Fantasy
Super Human (series)
by Michael Carroll
Savvy
by Ingrid Law
The Girl Who Could Fly
by Victoria Forrester
The Awakening (series)
by Michael Carroll
The Lost Years of Merlin
by T.A. Barrie
Ranger’s Apprentice (series)
by John Flanagan
Pendragon (series)
by D.J. MacHale
The City of Ember (series)
by Jeanne DuPrau
Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
The Golden Compass(series)
by Philip Pullman
Book of a Thousand Days
by Shannon Hale
Circle of Magic (series) by
Tamora Pierce
Ingo by Helen Dunmore
Powerless by Matthew Cody
Hero by Mike Lupica
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
Maze Runner (series) by
James Dashner
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
100 Cupboards (series) by
N.D. Wilson
Summer of Moonlight
Secrets by Danette Haworth
Plain Kate by Erin Bow
The Thickety: a Path
Begins (series) by J. A. White
Science Fiction
The Lost Children by Carolyn
Cohagan
Dark Life (series) by Kat Falls
Leviathan (series) by Scott
Westerfeld
The Limit by Kristen Landon
The House of the Scorpion
by Nancy Farmer
N.E.R.D.S. (series) by Michael
Buckley
Found (series) by Margaret
Peterson Haddix
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Ear, the Eye, and the
Arm by Nancy Farmer
Code Orange by Caroline B.
Cooney
A Wrinkle in Time by
Madeleine L’Engle
Uglies (series) by Scott
Westerfeld
Space Case: a Moon Base
Alpha Novel (series) by
Stuart Gibbs
Edison’s Alley by Neal
Shusterman
Maximum Ride (series) by
James Patterson
Action/Adventure
Crossing the Wire by Will
Hobbs
The Roar (series) by Emma
Clayton
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben
Mikaelsen
Stolen Children by Peg
Kehret
Stormbreaker (series) by
Anthony Horowitz
The Dangerous Days of
Daniel X (series) by James
Patterson
Threatened by Elliot Schrefer
Elephant Run by Roland
Smith
Fellowship of the Ring
(series) by J. R. Tolkein
Middleworld (series) by J & P
Voelkel
Tunnels (series) by Roderick
Gordon
Alex Rider Adventures
(series) by Anthony Horowitz
Peak by Roland Smith
Alabama Moon by Watt Key
Runaway Twin by Peg Kehret
Newbery and Classics
Kira-Kira by Cynthia
Kadohata
That Was Then, This Is
Now by S.E. Hinton
Turtle in Paradise
by Jennifer L. Holm
The Giver by Lois Lowry
A Corner of the Universe by
Ann M. Martin
Dicey’s Song by Cynthia
Voigt
Inside Out and Back Again
by Thanhha Lai
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie
Babbitt
Heart of a Samurai by Margi
Preus
Princess Academy by
Shannon Hale
The Evolution of Calpurnia
Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
The Westing Game by Ellen
Raskin
Hope Was Here by Joan
Bauer
After Tupac & D Foster by
Jacqueline Woodson
Breaking Stalin’s Nose
by Eugene Yelchin
When You Reach Me by
Rebecca Stead
Anne of Green Gables by
L.M. Montgomery
Little Women^by Louisa May
Alcott
The Crossover by Kwame
Alexander
Favorite Series
Percy Jackson and the
Olympians by Rick Riordan
Once Upon a Curse by E.D.
Baker
The Hunger Games by
Suzanne Collins
Darkwing by Kenneth Oppel
The Alchemyst by Michael
Scott
Warriors by Erin Hunter
The Name of This Book is
Secret by Pseudonymous
Bosch
Septimus Heap by Angie
Sage
Among the Hidden by
Margaret Peterson Haddix
Legend by Marie Lu
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Gone by Michael Grant
Pendragon by D.J. MacHale
Chasing the Falconers by
Gordon Korman
Radiance by Alyson Noel
The Kane Chronicles by Rick
Riordan
Maximum Ride by James
Patterson
FAVORITE
AUTHORS/
ILLUSTRATORS
Avi
Laurie Halse
Anderson
Suzanne Collins
Jack Gantos
Michael Grant
Tim Green
Margaret Peterson
Haddix
Robert Holland
Gordon Korman
D.J. MacHale
Lauren Myracle
Richard Peck
Rick Riordan
Louis Sachar
Jerry Spinelli
Jacqueline Woodson
Non-fiction
Bulu: African Wonder Dog
by Dick Houston
Bulu, a Jack Russell Terrier born in
Zambia, becomes a foster parent
for orphaned baby animals after
being adopted by Anna and Steve,
who left England to live in the
African bush.
The Boys in the Boat: the True
Story of an American Team’s
Epic Journey to Win Gold at the
1936 Olympics
by Daniel Brown
With rowers who were the sons of
loggers, shipyard workers, and
farmers, the University of
Washington's eight-oar crew was
never expected to defeat the elite
East Coast teams, yet they did,
going on to shock the world by
challenging the German boat
rowing for Adolf Hitler.
Unbroken: An Olympian’s
Journey From Airman to
Castaway to Captive
by Ellen Hillenbrand
A biography of Olympic runner and
World War II bombardier, Louis
Zamperini, who had been
rambunctious in childhood before
succeeding in track and eventually
serving in the military, which led to
a trial in which he was forced to
find a way to survive in the open
ocean after being shot down.
Afghan Dreams: Young Voices
of Afghanistan
by Tony O’Brien
Children and teens of many ages
tell their stories about their lives in
Afghanistan, intertwined by their
messages and hope for peace.
The Boys Who Challenged Hitler
by Phillip Hoose
Ashamed by adult inaction in
Denmark during the 1940 Nazi
occupation, Knud Pedersen, his
brother, and six other schoolmates
began a resistance group that
inspired the nation.
Guys Read: True Stories edited
by Jon Scieszka
It features ten stories that are
100% amazing, 100%
adventurous, 100% unbelievable-and 100% true.
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer
by James Swanson
Recounts the escape of John Wilkes
Booth, Abraham Lincoln's assassin,
and follows the intensive twelveday search for him and his
accomplices.
Spanish Books
Impress Mr. Herman in the fall by practicing
your Spanish with these recommended titles:
Agentes secretos y el mural de Picasso by
Mira Canion
Tumba by Mira Canion
Rival by Mira Canion
Las aventuras de Isabela by Karen Rowan
Berto y sus buenas ideas by Magaly
Rodriguez
Isabela captura un congo by Karen Rowan
Carl no quiere ir a Mexico by Karen Rowan
Pobre Ana by Blaine Ray
Piratas del Caribe y el mapa secreto
by Mira Canion and Carol Gaab
El nuevo Houdini by Carol Gaab
La vampirata by Mira Canion
Esperanza by Carol Gaab
Helpful Links and Websites
Summer Reading Scholastic
Programs:
Summer Reading Challenge
Edgartown Public Library
http://www.scholastic.com/summer/
http://www.edgartownlibrary.org
Read Kiddo Read
http://www.readkiddoread.com/home
Reading Games/Activities
PBS Reading Games
Reading Comprehension Games
http://pbskids.org/games/reading.html
http://www.funenglishgames.com/
readinggames.html
Scholastic Reading Games
http://www.scholastic.com/kids/stacks/
Kaboose Fun School Literature Games
games/
http://funschool.kaboose.com/arcade/
language/
FunBrain Reading Games and More
http://www.funbrain.com/brain/
ReadingBrain/ReadingBrain.html