Great Reading: Grade Seven

Afterlife by Gary Soto

The victim of a random stabbing in a teen disco, Chuy comes back as a ghost to view his family as they carry on without him -- and to experience both deep friendship and true love.

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud.

Here's a fantasy story about an apprentice magician who summons up the wise-cracking, sarcastic djinni Bartimaeus to steal the powerful Amulet. The equally hilarious sequels are The Golem's Eye and Ptolemy's Gate .

Circle of Magic and Circle Opens series by Tamora Pierce

Fantasy stories about a group of young mages, or master magicians, full of intrigue and action. Start with Daja's Book or Magic Steps .

Cuba 15 by Nancy Osa

Violet's preparing for her quinceanera somewhat reluctantly. Her Cuban-American family wants to go all out for her traditional 15 th birthday celebration, but she sees herself as a modern American teen.

Heat by Mike Lupica

Pitching prodigy Michael Arroyo yearns to play in the Majors like his hero, El Grande, also a Cuban immigrant. Michael gets in big trouble when rumors fly that he's older than he claims – too old for his youth league. How can he produce a birth certificate? Lots of baseball action in this one – it's written by a famous New York sportswriter.

Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery by John Feinstein

School newspaper reporters Stevie and Susan have a chance to cover college basketball's thrilling playoffs in person. Stumbling on a scheme involving game-fixing and blackmail, they find themselves dealing in real journalism - and real danger.

Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli

Newbery Medal-winning author Jerry Spinelli paints a vivid picture of the streets of the Nazi-occupied Warsaw during World War II, as seen through the eyes of a curious, kind, heartbreakingly naïve orphan with many names.

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

Working in an Adirondack mountain resort in upstate New York in 1906, aspiring young writer Mattie suspects a coworker may have been murdered.

Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris

A young man with a mysterious past and a penchant for inventing things leaves the troll who raised him, meets an unhappy princess he has loved from afar, and discovers a plot against her and her father.

Perfect by Natasha Friend

Isabelle lost her dad to a heart attack, and her mom is too depressed to talk with her daughter. Now Isabelle copes by binging and purging. She makes friends with popular Ashley in her eating-disorder support group, but is the friendship worth the price?

Rag and Bone Shop by Robert Cormier

A neighbor child is dead, and Jason is the last person to see her alive. Jason's cross-examination at the hands of the police makes for intense psychological drama.

Rats by Paul Zindel

A vast population of rats has crawled out from beneath the landfill. Sarah and Mike know that their computer may contain the information needed to stop the rats from destroying the town – can they get there in time?

Rules of the Roadby Joan Bauer

Jenna has been recruited from her post as a super-salesperson in the oldest and finest shoe store at the mall to take the company's elderly owner on a cross-country journey. She soon finds that her persuasive skills and all the bravery she can muster will be needed to keep the company from a takeover by heartless profiteers.

Secret of Me by Meg Kearney

Lizzie, her loving siblings, and two of her best friends are all adopted. At home, Lizzie feels accepted and comfortable with her adoption story, but at school, it remains a secret. In a series of poems in a variety of forms, Lizzie considers a future where she could share the secret of her past and even look for her birthmother.

Shakespeare Bats Cleanup by Ron Koertge

Kevin would much rather play baseball than read or write poetry – who wouldn't? But now he's got a case of “mono” – and he's surprised to find that writing poems not only passes the time, but also helps him deal with both love and loss.

The Skin I'm In by Sharon Flake

A gripping story about 14-year-old Maleeka, a girl whose very dark skin causes her trouble at school until she becomes close to a teacher who has lived with a very visible birthmark. The sequels are Money Hungry and Begging for Change .

Spellbound by Janet McDonald

Raven and her best friend Aisha are teenage mothers headed nowhere – until Raven enters a spelling bee that just might win her a place in an intensive college-prep course. Sequels are Chill Wind and Twists and Turns , both full of humor and believable urban characters.

Swear to Howdy by Wendelin Van Draanen

When Russell moves into his new home in Lost River, he becomes instant friends with Joey. Joey however, seems prone to trouble, and each time they would swear to howdy never to tell a soul, but some secrets might just be too big to keep.

Thirteen edited by James Howe

An assortment of stories by current authors all dealing with the awkward, thrilling and sometimes funny experience of being age thirteen.

Nonfiction

Breaking Throughby Francisco Jimenez

The oldest child in a family of Mexican-American migrant workers, Jiminez deals with poverty and prejudice on his way to his dream of attending college.

Good Brother, Bad Brother: The Story of Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth by James Cross Giblin.

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln's assassin had a brother who was one of the most famous and respected actors of his day? Learn about the early days of the theater in America as you read of the brothers' strange relationship.

Killer Whales by Mark Carwardine

Lots of fascinating facts about the huge creatures, and beautiful photographs.

King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography by Chris Crutcher

The popular author of books for and about teenage boys tells his own story.

Secrets of a Civil War Submarine : Solving the Mysteries of the H.L. Hunleyby Sally M. Walker.

Divers searched for more than 130 years before finding this sub that disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 1864. Read about its excavation and the discoveries archaeologists have made in this picture-filled book.

Ask your librarian for more good books to read!

Compiled by Youth Services Department, Springfield City Library, 2007