LIBRARY SQUAD READING FAVORITES

GRADE 7 LIBRARY SQUAD 2017

• Emma
• Irina
• Jesse
• Julia
• Koyomi
• Minju
• Tia

AVEYARD, VICTORIA
THE RED QUEEN
In a world divided by blood--those with common, Red blood serve the Silver-blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities--seventeen-year-old Mare, a Red, discovers she has an ability of her own. To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. But Mare risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard--a growing Red rebellion--even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction.

JOHN GREEN
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS
Sixteen year old Hazel, who has cancer, meets Augustus at a kids-with-cancer support group and as they fall in love they both wonder how they will be remembered.

RICK RIORDAN
THE LIGHTNING THIEF 

 Percy, expelled from six schools for being unable to control his temper, learns the truth from his mother that his father is the Greek god Poseidon, and is sent to Camp Half Blood where he is befriended by a satyr and the demigoddaughter of Athena who join him in a journey to the Underworld to retrieve Zeus's lightning bolt and prevent a catastrophic war.

J.K. ROWLINGHARRY POTTER SERIES

Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Hero's Journey Middle School Books

THE LOST YEARS OF MERLIN by T.A. Barron

Merlin, Wizards

A young boy who has no identity nor memory of his past washes ashore on the coast of Wales and finds his true name after a series of fantastic adventure. Series

 THE DARK IS RISING SEQUENCE by Susan Cooper

 Good and Evil

A group of children in Cornwall, including the three Drew siblings, Will    Stanton, and a mysterious boy named Bran, are drawn into a dangerous battle between the forces of Light and the Dark. Series

A GIRL NAMED DISASTER by Nancy Farmer

While fleeing from Mozambique to Zimbabwe to escape an unwanted marriage, Nhamo, an eleven-year-old Shona girl, struggles to escape drowning and starvation and in so doing comes close to the luminous world of the African spirits.

THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM by Garth Nix
Mister Monday-Grim Tuesday....Series
Arthur Penhaligon, destined to die at a young age, is saved by a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock, but his survival invokes the wrath of the mysterious Mister Monday who will stop at nothing to get the key back, and Arthur is forced into a desperate quest to unravel the secrets of the key and discover his true fate. Series






MORE DIFFICULT

GUINEVERE by Sharan Newman

Tells of Guinevere's childhood when she was guarded by a majestic beast and prepared for holy sacrifice by the disciples of the Earth Mother. 

"Sharan Newman has created a portrait of what Guinevere might have been like--not a cardboard character who has been both deified and vilified over the centuries, but someone who was as bound by prophecy as Arthur and whose will ultimately was not all her own."< https://www.fantasticfiction.com/n/sharan-newman/guinevere.htm>

A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN by Betty Smith

Historical fiction, Brooklyn, Alcoholism, Family, School, Coming of Age

Note: Current 8th grade assigned book (2017-2018)

"From the moment she entered the world, Francie needed to be made of stern stuff, for the often harsh life of Williamsburg demanded fortitude, precocity, and strength of spirit. Often scorned by neighbors for her family's erratic and eccentric behavior-such as her father Johnny's taste for alcohol and Aunt Sissy's habit of marrying serially without the formality of divorce-no one, least of all Francie, could say that the Nolans' life lacked drama. By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the Nolans' daily experiences are tenderly threaded with family connectedness and raw with honesty. Betty Smith has, in the pages of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, captured the joys of humble Williamsburg life-from "junk day" on Saturdays, when the children of Francie's neighborhood traded their weekly take for pennies, to the special excitement of holidays, bringing cause for celebration and revelry. Betty Smith has artfully caught this sense of exciting life in a novel of childhood, replete with incredibly rich moments of universal experiences--a truly remarkable achievement for any writer.

Classic! This story brings Brooklyn at the turn of the century 1900, alive, but it is also an ageless story of tenderness, family, and love. Recommended for grades 8 and up. Also try the audio version as a family read.

SAVE ME A SEAT by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan

Realistic fiction, multicultural, friendship, bullies, school stories.

"Ravi has just moved to the United States from India and has always been at the top of his class; Joe has lived in the same town his whole life and has learning problems--but when their lives intersect in the first week of fifth grade they are brought together by a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and the need to take control of their lives." (publisher)

Engaging light read with a lot to think about. Highly recommend as realistic fiction through 6th grade.

IT'S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU by Jenny Han

Realistic Fiction, Romance, Grades 7 and up, Student Favorite Recommendation

It's Not Summer Without You
Teenaged Isobel "Belly" Conklin, whose life revolves around spending the summer at her mother's best friend's beach house, reflects on the tragic events of the past year that changed her life forever.
Sequel: We'll Always Have Summer

OTHER TITLES BY JENNY HAN
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Belly spends the summer she turns sixteen at the beach just like every other summer of her life, but this time things are very different as she finds herself falling for a boy she has known since childhood.

Shug
Annemarie "Shug" Wilcox, facing junior high school, disgruntled with her appearance, and confused by changing relationships, decides there is nothing worse than being twelve-years-old. 

SPORTS AUTHORS

SPORTS FANS

Sports—Fiction Popular Authors

• Matt Christopher
• Carl Deuker
• Thomas Dygard
• John Feinstein
• Tim Green
• Derek Jeter
• Mike Lupica
• Robert Lipsyte
• Jerry Spinelli

POETRY BOOKS & RESOURCES

 Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
In a series of poems, eleven-year-old Lonnie writes about his life, after the death of his parents, separated from his younger sister, living in a foster home, and finding his poetic voice at school.

Love that Dog by Sharon Creech
A young student, who comes to love poetry through a personal understanding of what different famous poems mean to him, surprises himself by writing his own inspired poem.

READING LIST: ART-SCIENCE GRADES 3-6

SERIES

Science for Kids series : Galileo, Newton, Einstein (all have activities as well as info)

Series: Masterpieces, artists and their works

NONFICTION

The boy who harnessed the wind

By Kamkwamba, William  Dewey: 621.4

The author details how he ignored naysayers and was able to bring electricity and running water to his Malawian village when he built a makeshift windmill out of scrap metal and spare parts.

The dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins : an illuminating history of Mr. Waterhouse Hawkins, artist and lecturer : true dinosaur story in three ages ....

By Kerley, Barbara  Dewey: 567.9

The true story of Victorian artist Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, who built life-sized models of dinosaurs in the hope of educating the world about what these awe-inspiring ancient animals were like.

Leonardo da Vinci : artist, inventor, and Renaissance man

By Koestler-Grack, Rachel A  Dewey: 709

Profiles the life and works of artist, sculptor, inventor, writer, and scientist, Leonardo da Vinci, and describes how much of his work became forerunners of many modern machines such as the automobile and the airplane.

Leonardo da Vinci by Barbara Witteman (biography)

Series: Masterpieces. Artists and their Work.

 Romare Bearden: Collage of Memories 
by Jan Greenberg
Recounts the life of the twentieth-century African-American collage artist who used his southern childhood. New York City, jazz, and Paris to influence his bold and meaningful art.

Starry messenger : a book depicting the life of a famous scientist, mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, physicist, Galileo Galilei

By Sis, Peter  Dewey: 520

Describes the life and work of Galileo who changed the way people saw the galaxy, by offering objective evidence that the earth was not the fixed center of the universe.

FICTION

Among the brave

By Haddix, Margaret Peterson  Dewey: -Fic-

In a society that allows families to have only two children, a group of third-borns tries to save themselves and others like them.

Beetle boy

By Leonard, M. G  Dewey: -Fic-

Darkus Cuttle has taken care of his father ever since his mother died, but his father vanished from a locked vault at the Natural History Museum, and now he lives with his eccentric uncle. One day he finds a large and unusually intelligent and self-aware beetle, and soon he and his two friends are caught up in a struggle to protect an intelligent super species of beetles

Benjamin Franklinstein lives!

By McElligott, Matthew  Dewey: -Fic-

While working on a science fair project, a Philadelphia school boy discovers both a secret laboratory in his basement and Benjamin Franklin, who comes to life after receiving a jolt of electricity.

Framed

By Cottrell Boyce, Frank  Dewey: -Fic-

Dylan and his sisters have some ideas about how to make Snowdonia Oasis Auto Marvel into a more profitable business, but it is not until some strange men arrive in their small town of Manod, Wales with valuable paintings, and their father disappears, that they consider turning to crime.

Me, Frida

By Novesky, Amy  Dewey: -Fic-

Artist Frida Kahlo finds her own voice and style when her famous husband, Diego Rivera, is commissioned to paint a mural in San Francisco, California, in the 1930s and she finds herself exploring the city on her own.

Space case

By Gibbs, Stuart  Dewey: -Fic-

"Dashiell Gibson, who lives on Moon Base Alpha, has to solve a murder of one of the moon's most prominent doctors"--Provided by publisher.

The 7 professors of the Far North

By Fardell, John  Dewey: -Fic-

Eleven-year-old Sam finds himself involved in a dangerous adventure when he and his new friends, brother and sister Ben and Zara, set off for the Arctic to try and rescue the siblings' great-uncle and five other professors from the mad scientist holding them prisoner.

Saffy's angel

By McKay, Hilary  Dewey: -Fic-

After learning that she was adopted, thirteen-year-old Saffron's relationship with her eccentric, artistic family changes, until they help her go back to Italy where she was born to find a special memento of her past.

SECRETS IN THE SNOW by Michaela MacColl

Historical Fiction (French Revolution & Britain 1700's),
Mystery, Romance, Jane Austen

264 pages; Grades 6-10

Junior Library Guild Selection

"Jane Austen's family is eager to secure her future by marrying her off. But Jane is much more interested in writing her novels, and finds every suitor lacking--until the mysterious Mr. Lefroy arrives. Could he be the one? Before Jane can find out, she must solve a murder, clear her family's name, and face a decision that might cost her true love." -The Publisher

Entertaining murder mystery with some romance that may tempt readers to discover the real Jane Austen. Writing reflects formality of the time period (the late 1700's), but is an appropriate reading level for students.

THE SUMMER I SAVED THE WORLD ....IN 65 DAYS by Michele Hurwitz

Realistic Fiction, Friendship, Families, Helping People,  Romance

265 pages; grades 5-8

Horn Book Guide (Fall 2014)
"The summer before ninth grade, Nina is adrift: she's growing apart from her best friend, and her family hardly speaks to one another. Then she decides to do one small, anonymous kind act each day, hoping to bring some good to her neighborhood. Nina is a thoughtful, inspiring hero who proves that one person really can make a difference."

Love, love this book! You have suspense, the difficulties that sometimes come with friendship, loneliness, happiness, triumph, and a lot of great characters in one small neighborhood.

Put this on your recommended list for middle school.

I AM A GENIUS OF UNSPEAKABLE EVIL AND I WANT TO BE YOUR CLASS PRESIDENT by Josh Lieb

Humor, School, Genius

302 pages; YA

"Twelve-year-old evil genius, Oliver, uses his great brain to become the third richest person in the world, and finds that overthrowing foreign dictators is easier than getting the kids in his middle school to vote him class president."
-Publisher's description

This kid is so evil. Forget role models! I couldn't stop reading it. It was grabbed up immediately by one of my students before I could finish it. He had just told me that he doesn't like to read, so if this book gets him reading, well then I love it!

OUT OF MY MIND by Sharon Draper

white Realistic Fiction, Overcoming Adversity, Assistive Technology, Friendship, Family, Courage

295 pages Grades 5-8

Starred reviews

Horn Book Guide starred (Fall 2010)
"Narrator Melody is a fifth grader with cerebral palsy. She's brilliant, but few people realize just how brilliant until she receives "Elvira," her Medi-Talker computer. Draper paints the picture of a real girl--with tantrums and attitude, problems with mean girls and oafish adults. This is an eye-opening book with an unforgettable protagonist and a rich cast of fully realized, complicated characters."

An unforgettable description of the frustration and heartache experienced by people who must cope with disabilities that cause others to stereotype and exclude them. A powerful book for class discussion or independent reading. Pair with Wonder by Palacio.