Inside: A list of good books for 7th and 8th graders who are strong readers.
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Have you got a young reader in your family? I don’t mean the kind who happily reads the books set by their teacher but would be just as happy watching the movie version. I mean a reader reader! Kids who read over breakfast, on the bus, on the toilet and under the covers at night with a torch. The sort of reader who feels connected to characters and who reads the last few pages of a good book slowly…just so it lasts.
Well then, you might relate to this problem. A parent contacted me to say that her 12-year-old daughter had a reading age of 17. The problem was, which books are thematically appropriate for a 12-year-old but sufficiently challenging? She specifically wanted novels and her daughter was not into the classics…yet!
So I turned to teaching colleagues in Western Australia. The thing about teachers is they love reading, they love kids and they love putting the two together. So here is their list. Thanks Teachmeet colleagues. Great job!
*Find out more about each book by following the links.
Series of Novels We Love
Series are great because they allow kids to build momentum in their reading. If they love the first book in a series, they are likely to be hungry for Part 2.
Tomorrow When the War Began series by John Marsden
The Hatchet Adventure series by Gary Paulsen
The Graceling series by Kristen Cashore
Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan
Magic Pens series by Tamora Pierce
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Lord of the Rings series by J.R. Tolkein
The Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
The Obernewtyn Chronicles by Isobelle Carmody
The Last Dragonslayer series by Jasper Fiorde
Once series by Morris Gleitzman
The Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan
Swallows and Amazon series by Arthur Ransome
Dragon series by Anne McCaffrey
Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist
Inheritance Cycle, also known as Eragon Series by Christopher Paolini
The Dagger Spell series by Katharine Kerr
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams
Skullduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy
House of Secrets series by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini
The Kingkiller series by Patrick Rothfuss
The Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks
Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland
Cherubs series by Robert Muchamore
Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants series by Ann Brashares
The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series by Michael Scott
Tiffany series by Terry Pratchett
Novels We Love
There are some old favourites here and some newbies.
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brien
The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Pavana by Deborah Ellis
The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkein
Silver Crown by Robert C. O’Brien
Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
A Waltz for Matilda by Jackie French
I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett
The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
Laurinda by Alyce Pung
Letters From The Inside by John Marsden
Jack and Harry by Tony McKenna
Hover Car Race by Matthew Reilly
Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah
Daintree Reflections by Anthony W. Buirchell
Other Suggested Authors
Dianna Woolfer
Fiona Wood
James Maloney
David McRobbie
I hope this list helps. If you are a subscriber to Linda’s blog, you can get a simple download of this list to tuck away for future reference. You’ll find the link in the download library at the bottom of each newsletter. If you’re not a subscriber….why not?
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Linda Stade has worked in various teaching and management roles in education for twenty-five years. She has worked in government and private schools, country and city, single-sex and co-ed. Currently, she is the Research Officer at Santa Maria College, Western Australia.
