My Child has to read over the summer and has run out of ideas of books to read.She is in the 7th grade.Ideas?

Answer 1

Beyond the Burning Time
by Kathryn Lasky
They say something very strange is happening to some of the people of Salem. That some of the young girls have become ... troubled. And the fear is beginning to spread. Mary and her mother don't hear about the rumors right away. They don't know that many of the villagers believe that some of Mary's friends have had spells cast on them -- by witches. Or that one of the accused is Mary's mother. Now Mary and her brother, Caleb, have a decision to make: Are the villagers right? Or is their mother innocent? And if she is -- can they help her escape before it's too late?
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, 101 Stories of Life, Love and Learning
by Jack Canfield (ed.), Mark Victor Hansen (ed.), Kimberly Kirberger (ed.)
This carefully formulated collection of stories guides teenagers through one of the most difficult periods in life, offering invaluable advice on the nature of friendship and love, the importance of belief in the future, the value of respect for oneself and others, and more -- all delivered with compassion and humor. Also recommended: Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul II.

Crazy Lady!
by Jane Leslie Conly
Receiving less and less attention from his widowed father, Vernon joins with his friends as they ridicule the neighborhood outcasts -- Maxine, an alcoholic prone to public displays of outrageous behavior, and Ronald, her retarded son. Then social services tries to put Ronald into a special home, and Vernon finds himself fighting the agency.

The Hobbit
by J. R. R. Tolkien
Whisked away from his comfortable, unambitious life in his hobbit-hole in Bag End by Gandalf the wizard and a company of dwarves, Bilbo Baggins finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Although quite reluctant to take part in this quest, Bilbo surprises even himself by his resourcefulness and his skill as a burglar! Written for J.R.R. Tolkien's own children, The Hobbit met with instant success when published in 1937 and has remained a timeless classic.

Homecoming
by Cynthia Voigt
The Tillerman kids' mother just left them one day in a car in a mall parking lot. Their father had left them a long time ago. So, as usual, it was up to 13-year-old Dicey, the eldest of four, to take care of everything, make all the decisions, feed them, find places to sleep. But above all, Dicey would have to make sure to avoid the authorities who would split them up and place them in foster homes. Deep down, she hoped they could find an adult they could trust, someone who would take them in and love them. But she was afraid it was too much to hope for.

Journey of the Sparrows
by Fran Leeper Buss
Nailed into a crate in the back of a truck, 15-year-old Maria, her older sister Julia, their little brother Oscar, and a boy named Tomas endure a cruel journey across the U.S. border and then north to Chicago. There they struggle to find work -- cleaning, sewing, washing dishes -- always careful to remain "invisible" so the authorities won't arrest and deport them. Despite the family's ordeals, hope and love can be found -- in Maria's budding romance with Tomas, in the help given by a kindly midwife and priest, and most of all, in the stories Maria tells to lift the family's spirits, of a little sparrow who brings a rainbow. Starkly realistic and tenderly poetic, this powerfully moving story of the secret lives of immigrants who courageously triumph over incredible obstacles is not to be missed.

The Man Who Was Poe
by Avi
In Providence, Rhode Island, in 1848, Edgar Allan Poe reluctantly investigates the problems of 11-year-old Edmund, whose family has mysteriously disappeared and whose story suggests a new Poe tale with a ghastly final twist.

The Maze
by Will Hobbs
Stowing away in the back of a pickup, Rick, a 14-year-old foster child, escapes from a juvenile detention facility near Las Vegas and travels to Canyonlands National Park in Utah. There, he finds himself in a dead end in the surreal landscape of redrock spires and deep canyons called the Maze, and is taken in by an eccentric naturalist who is working on a project to reintroduce condors to the wild.

Myst, The Book of Atrus
by Rand Miller, Robyn Miller, David Wingrove
The ages of Myst are worlds of adventure and awe ... of mystery and beauty ... of intrigue and betrayal. You have seen only a glimpse of the picture. Now take a step further into the fictional legend of Myst. These pages are your link to the story of Atrus, son of Gehn, and the last of the race of D'Ni -- the masters of The Art, the craft of linking to other worlds through the descriptive art of writing. For most of his young life, Atrus thought the stories his grandmother told him were just strange legends. Then his time came to explore the magnificent underground realm.

Night
by Elie Wiesel
A terrifying account of the Nazi death camp horror that turns a young Jewish boy into an agonized witness to the death of his family ... the death of his innocence...and the death of his God. Penetrating and powerful, as personal as The Diary of Anne Frank, Night awakens the shocking memory of evil at its absolute and carries with it the unforgettable message that this horror must never be allowed to happen again.

Nothing but the Truth, A Documentary Novel
by Avi
A ninth-grader's suspension for singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" during homeroom becomes a national news story. In this remarkable Newbery Honor book, facts, people, actions, and reactions are presented in stark documentary style. The truth -- and nothing but the truth -- can be discovered by only one person: the reader.

Of Mice and Men
by John Steinbeck
While the powerlessness of the laboring class is a recurring theme in Steinbeck's work of the late 1930s, he narrowed his focus when composing Of Mice and Men, creating an intimate portrait of two men facing a world marked by petty tyranny, misunderstanding, jealousy, and callousness. But though the scope is narrow, the theme is universal; a friendship and a shared dream that makes an individual's existence meaningful.

Out of the Dust
by Karen Hesse
In a series of free verse poems, 15-year-old Billie Jo relates the hardships of living on her family's wheat farm in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years of the Great Depression. Powerful and moving, this Newbery Medal winner effectively depicts both a bleak historical era and one family's healing.

Redwall
by Brian Jacques
When the peaceful life of ancient Redwall Abbey is shattered by the arrival of the evil rat Cluny and his villainous hordes, Matthias, a young mouse, determines to find the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior which, he is convinced, will help Redwall's inhabitants destroy the enemy.

River Thunder
by Will Hobbs
Jessie, Troy, and the rest of the crew from Downriver have returned to the Grand Canyon for adventure on the Colorado River. In the year since they last were together, each has changed; each feels more mature. But how will they interact now that they are facing new challenges -- challenges greater than anything they've had to deal with at home? For Troy, it is a chance to prove he can be a team player, someone worthy of friendship and love. For Jessie, the river is the ultimate test. Does she have what it takes to row down the mighty Colorado? The only way to find out is to get into the raft and set off to face the thundering rapids and the powerful emotions that the river unleashes.

Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind
by Suzanne Fisher Staples
When 11-year-old Shabanu, the daughter of a nomad in the Cholistan Desert of present-day Pakistan, is pledged in marriage to an older man whose money will bring prestige to the family, she must either accept the decision, as is the custom, or risk the consequences of defying her father's wishes.

To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
"Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." That is a lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel -- a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unswerving honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence, and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina and quiet heroism of one man's struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

Where the Lilies Bloom
by Vera Cleaver, Bill Cleaver
Mary Call has true Appalachian grit. When her dying father makes her promise to keep her brother and sisters together forever on the mountain and take no help from strangers, she is determined to keep her word -- no matter what. At first Mary Call is sure she can run the family just fine on her own. Romey and Ima Dean help her gather herbs to sell in town, using the riches of the mountains to keep the family clothed and fed. But winter sets in all too quickly. As food runs low, and the tiny house begins to cave in under the weight of the snow, Mary Call learns that the land where the lilies bloom is also a cruel and unforgiving land that deems a price for her stubborn pride.

Z for Zachariah
by Robert C. O'Brien
Ann Burden is 16 and, as far she she knows, the only person left in the world. The nuclear radiation that destroyed the rest of the world has not touched the valley where she lives, and so she has remained, surviving as best she knows how, for the past year. Then, the smoke from a distant campfire shatters Ann's solitude. Someone else is still alive and making his way toward the valley: John Loomis, a scientist, protected from the radiation by a "safe-suit." He asserts his will almost immediately. And as his behavior becomes more and more extreme -- finally culminating in violent confrontation -- Ann must choose how she will live, in a world unlike any she has known.




this is a really good website for parents, teachers, and students

Answer 2

Some of my favorite young adult authors are

E. L. Konigsburg (she wrote From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and a whole lot else that's fabulous like Father's Arcane Daughter, and The Second Mrs. Giaconda.)

Lois Lowry (The Giver and Number the Stars are her famous ones, but the Anistasia Kurupnik series is really fun, and A Summer to Die is one of my favorites of all time)

Natalie Babbit (famous for Tuck Everlasting, but The Search For Delicious, The Eyes of The Amaryllis, Kneenock Rise, and pretty much everything she's written is great)

Elizabeth George Speare (The Witch of Blackbird Pond and Calico Captive are my favorites)

L. M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables is her famous series, but everything she's written is good, especially the Emily series, The Blue Castle, and A Tangled Web)

Laura Ingalls Wilder (I know the Little House books are considered children's books, but some of the later books are better as an adult. Little Town on The Prairie is my favorite, and I'm 24.)

Ursula K. LeGuin (her Earthsea Trillogy is amazing if you like fantasy litterature)

Louisa May Alcott (don't just read Little Women. Little Men is good, but Jo's Boys, An Old Fashioned Girl, Jack and Jill, Eight Cousins Or The Aunt Hill, and Rose In Bloom are usualy passed over and are fabulous)

Gail Carson Levine (famous for Ella Enchanted, but everything she's done is really cute)

Just a word of warning: While I absolutely LOVE everything that Jane Austen has written, I was in Highschool before I could get through any of it. The same with Treasure Island. They're great books but don't be surprised if they don't hold her interest right now. I also wouldn't recomend The DaVinci Code because of the sexual themes that run through the novel. I know that in Junior High, that stuff just used to make me really really uncomfortable.

I hope all this helps. Happy reading!

Answer 3

Wow! I didn't know it was possible to run out of books!!!

So, some authors to try:
Lois Lowry: The Giver, Gathering Blue, and The Messenger are all great. It's weird, but they sort of make fun of governments that are too controlling. (The Messenger is the sequel to Gathering Blue, by the way)

Tamora Pierce: All her books are great. Most are in quartets. They're fantasies. Circle of Magic and The Circle Opens quartets (in that order) go together, along with the book The Will of the Empress. The other quartets, as well as the two Trickster's books, all sort of relate to each other, but they can be read just as well on their own. One good thing about her books is that once you read one, you have so many others to choose from if you get hooked. (see www.tamorapiece.com for samples, etc)

Robert Heinlein: I know that they're older, but his books are just amazing! They're science fiction stories, all of them individual, most dealing with space travel, etc.

I don't know about your daughter's reading level, but John Grisham's Skipping Christmas is hilarious, and it's actually a really easy read. (I read it in 6th grade) The Da Vinci Code is good (if a bit controversial) and there's a movie to watch if you want to make it seem more real after she's done. The Lost Painting, a true story about the hunt for a lost masterpiece, is really exciting and intriguing as well. Also, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Pollyanna, and Heidi are all nice stories about normal girls.

I hope you have some ideas now! If not, just go to the library and walk around looking at the spines of books. A lot of times howadys, either the title or the design will tell you a little somthig about the book, so you'll be able to find some interesting stuff.

Answer 4

Here are some choices that I know are good from experience.

Any Roald Dahl Books
Sabriel by Garth Nix (also this is a series)
All Things Big and Small by James Herriot (another series)
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Velvet Room by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (my favorite Jr. High Book)
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Into the Land of Unicorns by Bruce Coville
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
ANY Lois Duncan book (particularly A Gift of Magic, Killing Mr. Griffin, or Down a Dark Hall)
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (one of the best books I've ever read)
The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkien (not the lord of the rings series which was a little two much for me at that age)
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Pig Man by Paul Zindel
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
The Diary of Anne Frank

Answer 5

Has she read the classics yet? At her age I read things like Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451, To Kill A Mockingbird, Flowers for Algernon, 1981, Treasure Island, Of Mice and Men, Gone With The Wind, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and Grapes of Wrath. Almost all of these books also have movies made of them and she will be able to compare how the work was interpreted for film. Also diversify and try some poetry, like Emily Dickenson. Not only will she probably be ahead of her class if she hasn't read them but they are extremely enjoyable novels/books that aren't read for pleasure much any more. This is a very diverse list some are for the more mature reader so if you haven't read them you might want to preview before your daughter tries to read them.

Answer 6

Of Mice and Men--John Steinbeck
Speak--Laurie Halse Anderson (has some more "adult" themed issues so you might want to check it out first since you know what your daughter can handle)
The House on Mango Street--Sandra Cisneros
The Secret Life of Bees--Sue Monk Kidd
The Bean Trees
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Something Wicked This Way Comes--Ray Bradbury
The Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood

All of the other suggestions below are good too! Good luck!

Answer 7

She would really love the two new Carl Hiassen books called Hoot (there's a movie out now based on the book) and Flush. Louis Sachar also has two books out Holes (also a movie) and Small Steps. All four are awesome. And don't forget the classics, The Chronicles of Narnia, Little Women, The Secret Garden, etc.

Answer 8

Your public library should have a website or a list that has grade appropriate books for children. There may also be a summer reading program there where the child is rewarded for reading a certain amount of books.

Answer 9

Have you tried any of the Nancy Drew series? How about the American Girl series? The new Harry Potter book is coming out in paperback next month. Also, check out Amazon.com each week for the best sellers in her age group...then go to the library and get them. Also, talk to you local librarian, they will have ideas for the childs age and reading level. Good Luck!

Answer 10

Go to the library. There is usually all kinds of books appropriate for her level & age. When I was in the seventh grade I loved O. Henry, Mark Twain, Janice Holt Giles The Anne of Green Gables series. Then there is the Jack London books.

Answer 11

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The Tarzan series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Harry Potter series.