7th Grade Reading Books: Top Books for Seventh Grade Reading Help

Supplemental Books for Seventh Graders

Reading can be enjoyable if there aren't any pressures about grades or book reports. Here are some of our favorite suggestions, including historical fiction, biography, mystery and science fiction genres.

Seventh Grade Reading List

1. When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago

If your pre-teen's English teacher mainly assigns fiction, he or she may be interested in reading something different, like a biography or memoir. When I Was Puerto Rican is a coming-of-age tale about a girl who moves from Puerto Rico to New York City at the age of 13. Seventh grade readers may be able to relate to the personal struggles she's experiencing at that age.

2. Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen

Your son or daughter may have already read Paulsen's most famous novel, Hatchet, in school. Soldier's Heart, a historical novel, is set during the Civil War. The main character is a 15-year-old boy named Charley Goddard who lies about his age in order to join the First Volunteers of Minnesota and fight in the war. The novel is based upon real people and events, but is still considered historical fiction.

3. The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney

Seventh graders who enjoy mysteries and realistic fiction should be intrigued by the plot of The Face on the Milk Carton. Fifteen-year-old Janie Johnson is living a normal suburban life until she notices that the missing child on her friend's milk carton is her. The novel follows Janie's journey to unravel the mystery of her own past. If your kid really loves this novel, he or she can also read the sequel, Whatever Happened to Janie?

4. The Artemis Fowl books by Eoin Colfer

This science fiction book series currently consists of seven novels and has become an international sensation. The Fowl novels feature a brilliant teenage criminal named Artemis Fowl II. Your sci-fi lover can follow Fowl on an exciting journey around the world and watch him interact with fairies, warlocks and even a silky sifaka lemur as he tries to pull off a variety of dastardly schemes.

5. A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin

If the author's name is familiar, it's because she's the creator of the ever-popular and ever-expansive Baby-sitters Club book series. A Corner of the Universe takes place in 1960, and is narrated by Hattie Owen, a 12-year-old girl with perceptive powers beyond her years. The novel explores Hattie's changing relationship with her mentally-challenged Uncle Adam, and will likely appeal to any seventh grader who doesn't always feel like he or she quite fits in.