Best Newbery books to read to a seven-year-old girl?

[pitterpatter]

I think we're going to make it a Newbery summer. Any suggestions of the best Newbery books to read to a seven-year-old girl?

 

ETA: Honor Books too!!

[nerdybird]

We did a Newbery summer last year. DD had just turned 7; DS1 was 9. It was hard to find books that really appealed to them, since we read a lot of science fiction and fantasy-type books. We have also read some of these for bedtime. Also, some Newbery books are geared towards the older side of the 8-12 spectrum, or even middle years. It can be a bit much to pick out ones that don't have relationship stuff in them that you may not be comfortable having your girl exposed to just yet.

 

Here are some that we liked:

• "Princess Academy" -- Nice book, main character is a girl. Is heavy on the "waiting for a prince" trope and includes some mushy relationship stuff towards the end.
• "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" -- Light fantasy novel set in China. MC is a girl. DS1 liked this one a lot.
• "Hoot" -- Sweet book about a group of kids who set out to save a colony of owls. Was made into a movie.
• "Bridge to Terabithia" -- Wonderful book, one of my favorite YA/Children's novels. May be a bit much for some kids due to the class and gender issues dealt with in the book. Otherwise, it's a wonderful story full of imagination. Skip the film version.
• "The Book of Three" + "The Black Cauldron" -- Awesome fantasy novels for kids. "The Black Cauldron" won a Newbery in the 60s, but it is the second book in a series. Read "The Book of Three" first. The whole series is wonderful. :D

 

Edited April 19, 2014 by nerdybird

[TheAttachedMama]

Great idea for a summer reading program!  I am subscribing so I can read some of these answers.  :)

[k8c]

We recently did A Wrinkle in Time, and When You Reach Me, which is an homage to L'Engle's work (and also won the Newbery), as audiobooks/read alouds, since my daughter is still 5.  However, the levels are about 4th grade, and both are fabulous adventures.

[MadsandLilysMom]

My girls are 6 and 7. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was one of our favorite read alouds this year. Grace Lin's second book, Starry River of the Sky did not win the Newbery, but it was also very good.

 

I read The One and Only Ivan to my girls last year and we all loved it. I did edit out a few parts about animal cruelty while I was reading it, but other then that it was a wonderful, sweet story and one that I plan to read to them again. We have also enjoyed The Tale of Despereaux and Ella Enchanted. I have Flora and Ulysses in my summer read aloud stack and I think it will be another favorite. We have enjoyed everything we have read by Kate DiCamillo.

[Lori D.]

It's not a Newberry, but I absolutely have to throw in a plug for the OOP books by Margery Sharp -- the books are sweet and funny, with charming Garth Williaams illustrations. (Disney kind of wrecked the series with a totally different tone) -- The Rescuers, Miss Bianca, The Turret, Miss Bianca in the Salt Mines, Miss Bianca in the Orient.

 

A lot of the Newberrys, esp. the more recent ones, are geared for age 12-14 as they have some really mature themes. And some of the really old Newberrys feel, well, old and kinda dated and dull. ;) BUT, here are ones that are well-written, timeless, and of interest to a 7yo:

 

Girl Protagonist

1930 = Hitty, Her First Hundred Years (Field)

1936 = Caddie Woodlawn (Brink)

1937 = Roller Skates (Sawyer)

1938 = On the Banks of Plum Creek (Ingalls)

1939 = Thimble Summer (Enright)

1942 = Little Town on the Prairie (Ingalls)

1943 = The Middle Moffat (Estes)

1945 = The Hundred Dresses (Estes)

1955 = Courage of Sarah Noble (Dalgliesh)

1978 = Ramona and Her Father (McCleary)

1982 = Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (McCleary)

1986 = Sarah Plain and Tall (MacLachlan)

2010 = Where The Mountain Meets the Moon (Lin)

2004 = Tale of Despereaux (DiCamillo)

2001 = Because of Winn-Dixie (DiCamillo)

 

Boy Protagonist:

1942 = The Matchlock Gun (Edmonds)

1944 = Mountain Born (Yates)

1948 = The Twenty-One Balloons (du Bois)

1952 = The Light at Tern Rock (Sauer)

1952 = The Apple and the Arrow (Buff)

1953 = Red Sails to Capri (Weil)

1953 = The Bears on Hemlock Mountain (Dalgliesh)

1960 = My Side of the Mountain (George)

1984 = Sign of the Beaver (Speare)

1987 = The Whipping Boy (Fleischman)

 

Animal / Group / Mixed Protagonists:

1923 = The Voyages of Doctor Doolittle (Lofting)

1929 = Millions of Cats (Gag)

1931 = The Cat Who Went to Heaven (Coatsworth)

1939 = Mr. Popper's Penguins (Atwater)

1945 = Rabbit Hill (Lawson)

1948 = Misty of Chincoteague (Henry)

1950 = Kildee House (Montgomery)

1952 = Ginger Pye (Estes)

1953 = Charlotte's Web (White)

1955 = The Wheel on the School (DeJong)

1957 = Miracles on Maple Hill (Sorenson)

1958 = Gone Away Lake (Enright)

1959 = Along Came a Dog (Dejong)

1959 = Chucaro: Wild Pony of the Pampa (Kalnay)

1959 = The Family Under the Bridge (Carlson)

1961 = The Cricket in Times Square (Seldon)

1972 = Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (O'Brien)

1973 = Frog and Toad Together (Lobel)

1977 = Abel's Island (Steig)

1983 = Doctor DeSoto (Steig)

1992 = Shiloh (Naylor)

[pitterpatter]

DD does fine with higher level books, but I definitely want to steer clear of mature themes.

 

I have Ginger Pye and  26 Fairmount Avenue on hold at the library.

 

Has anyone read Miss Hickory? I thought DD might enjoy it.

 

How about Ella Enchanted?

[Lori D.]

Not familar with 26 Fairmount Avenue or Miss Hickory.

 

Ginger Pye is sweet and fun; not much happens, but our DSs really enjoyed this one when they were around 7-8yo -- just an ordinary brother and sister and their very personable dog Ginger Pye. :)

 

I really enjoyed Ella Enchanted, reading it on my own some years back. Yes, I guess you could read it to a 7yo, but it seemed awfully modern in attitude, and more for "tween" age girls. I'd preview, and see if it's what would be of interest to you and DD. Personally, for a 7yo girl, I'd go with these lovely old-fashioned princess books instead:

 

- The Ordinary Princess (Kaye)

- A Little Princess (Burnett)

- The Princess and the Goblins (MacDonald)

- the Oz books (Baum)

- books out of this out-of-print fairytale series: The Book of Mermaids, The Book of Princes & Princesses; The Book of Kings & Queens -- OR -- the Lang fairy books, or the Mermaid collection by Mary Pope Osborne, or … ;)

[Peaceful Isle]

Okay, these are more like "twaddle" ( I hate that word) , but my girls have loved the Grimm sisters series. There are nine books in the series and can be found at the local library.

[nerdybird]

Personally, I think that 7 is a bit young for Newbery summer UNLESS your 7yo is very mature or academically advanced. Doing a Newbery summer last year with a 7yo and 9yo was difficult. Many Newbery books deal with themes that are more suitable for 10-14 than for under 10s, imo. Many characters in the newer Newberys are older as well, like 12+. Kind of hard for a younger child to identify with them.

 

If I do another Newbery summer/unit, it will be when my kids are old enough to really get into the books. I second Lori D on "Ella Enchanted". It is a fun book, but not one that I thought my DD would like. I previewed it for a bedtime story selection not long ago and was left thinking that it would be a good one in a couple of years.

 

If you are really set on doing Newberys, I'd go with Marguerite Henry's books IF your DD is into horses. My DD is big time and she LOVED them. If you are only going to do one of her books, I'd go with "Justin Morgan Had a Horse", but that's just my personal preference. "Misty of Chincoteague" and "Brighty of Grand Canyon" are good too. Heck, all of her books are good if you are into horses. :)

 

Some others that I have read and would recommend:

• "My Father's Dragon" -- Didn't realize this was on the Newbery list. Read this one with the kids twice. This is a very simple book, imo, and probably one that an average 7yo reader could read on their own.
• "Charlotte's Web" -- What can I really say about this one?
• "Along Came a Dog" -- Tightly written, animal protagonist story. DD really liked this one when read it at bedtime. Another book that a proficient 7yo reader could probably read with little or no help.

Here are few non-Newberys that I would consider including:

• "Ronia, The Robber's Daughter" by Astrid Lindgren -- A wonderfully written female MC and a great story to boot.
• "The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making" by Catherynne M. Valente -- This is a great read aloud. Would probably be a bit much for an average 7yo reader, but it is one heck of a story. ;)
• "Tuesdays At the Castle" by Jessica Day George -- A kickbutt story about a young princess who does something other than sit around and mope about princes or how hard it is be royalty.
• "Big Red" by Jim Kjelgaard -- A rare dog story where the dog doesn't die at the end. Was made into a live action Disney movie. More of a "boy" story, but DD liked it well enough.
• "A Dog's Way Home" by Bobbie Pyron -- DD picked this one up at the library because she liked the cover art. It was a pretty good story, a bit sad in parts. Ok, I teared up in a few places. This is a good read together/read aloud book.

That was more than a few. I am trying to get inspired to put together our summer reading list.... :glare:

[My3girls]

Laura Ingalls Wilder series

Charlotte's Web

The Cricket in Times Square

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nihm

Mr. Poppers Penguins

 

These were the first to pop into my head.

[Cinder]

DD does fine with higher level books, but I definitely want to steer clear of mature themes.

 

I have Ginger Pye and  26 Fairmount Avenue on hold at the library.

 

Dd enjoyed Ginger Pye at that age. She's 9yo now and we've read:

 

Hoot (edited on the fly but might be a bit mature for what you want)

A Year Down Yonder

Because of Winn Dixie

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (all the Ramona and Henry Huggins/Ribsy books are great, Socks, too)

Ramona and Her Father

The Dark Is Rising (also maybe a bit mature)

Julie of the Wolves (a current read-aloud; dh is reading this one so I'm not familiar with the maturity level)

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Rascal

The Cricket in Times Square

Charlotte's Web

Ginger Pye

King of the Wind

My Father's Dragon (she thought this one was boring)

Justin Morgan Had a Horse

By the Shores of Silver Lake (another she thought boring)

On the Banks of Plum Creek (this one she like a little more, probably because this was the first one we read in the series)

[Sherry in OH]

The following are aimed at a younger audience than most Newbery winners:

 

Millions of Cats (Gag) – picture book

ABC Bunny (Gag) – picture book, a favorite when my sons were toddlers

Frog and Toad Together (Lobel) – beginning reader

26 Fairmont Avenue (dePaolo) – first in a series of easy chapter books. My sons loved this series and were disappointed that it stopped in the middle of WWII.   

My Father’s Dragon (Gannett) – short chapter book, has 2 sequels

 

My sons (ages 6 and 8) have also enjoyed:

 

Minn of the Mississippi (Holling)

Misty of Chincoteague  (Henry) 

Charlotte’s Web (White)

The Cricket in Times Square (Seldon)

 

We have also read the first few Little House books, but have not read any of the L. I. Wilder books that won Newbery awards.

[alisoncooks]

We listened to The Cricket in Times Square on a car ride this weekend and my girls LOVED it. Very sweet story, though there are some Asian stereotypes to look out for...

[pitterpatter]

Thanks for your list...I appreciate it! DD *may* be advanced in her taste for literature. Or, perhaps she's a bit of an old sole. I don't really know. She seems to love stories of all kinds. Seems like the more archaic, complex or different a book is, the more she likes it. I read Call It Courage to her a couple of months ago as a history read-aloud and she enjoyed it...to the point of begging for me to read it when I didn't feel like it. I've read illustrated versions of Robin Hood and Ivanhoe, which she really liked. She has Secrets at Sea on audiobook, which I think is deathly boring, but she's listened to it several times.

 

I figure there are so many Newbery books that even if we get 6, 8, 10 read a summer, we still won't make it through the list. I figure there's no real harm in starting now. I'm hoping to read of mix a old and modern. Some that stretch her mind and some that are just for fun. Hoping to find a few on audiobook too.

 

 

Personally, I think that 7 is a bit young for Newbery summer UNLESS your 7yo is very mature or academically advanced. Doing a Newbery summer last year with a 7yo and 9yo was difficult. Many Newbery books deal with themes that are more suitable for 10-14 than for under 10s, imo. Many characters in the newer Newberys are older as well, like 12+. Kind of hard for a younger child to identify with them.

 

[krisandpaula]

My 7 year old girl has proclaimed the latest Newbery winner, Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo, to be her new, all-time favorite book. And we read a lot of books! I loved it too and would highly recommend it as a Newbery suitable for slightly younger kids.

[Farrar]

A number of these are ones that to me are worth saving a little bit. Not that they're inappropriate at all, just that I think A a Wrinkle in Time or When You Reach Me or even Ella Enchanted or some of the others can be better appreciated at age 9 or 10 than age 7. Of course, I'm coming from the perspective of having kids who dislike rereading, so there's that.

 

I'll add too that The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland was one we read aloud at age 7.5, but turned out to be so complex in theme and vocabulary that I really wished we had saved it.

 

Seconding some though... Most of the Kate DiCamillo books, the EB White books, the Cricket in a Times Square, the Ramona books, the One and Only Ivan, etc are all good ones for age 7.

[Alte Veste Academy]

I really enjoyed Ella Enchanted, reading it on my own some years back. Yes, I guess you could read it to a 7yo, but it seemed awfully modern in attitude, and more for "tween" age girls. I'd preview, and see if it's what would be of interest to you and DD. Personally, for a 7yo girl, I'd go with these lovely old-fashioned princess books instead:

 

- The Ordinary Princess (Kaye)

- A Little Princess (Burnett)

- The Princess and the Goblins (MacDonald)

- the Oz books (Baum)

- books out of this out-of-print fairytale series: The Book of Mermaids, The Book of Princes & Princesses; The Book of Kings & Queens -- OR -- the Lang fairy books, or the Mermaid collection by Mary Pope Osborne, or … ;)

I agree with this regarding Ella Enchanted. I read it aloud to DD around her 9th birthday. I felt like it had kind of a slow start, but then it got so good that DD started covertly reading it after I had already read to her for the night. I loved the book. It was one of my favorite read-alouds with her, but there is definitely a (sweet, appropriate) romantic aspect to it that probably would have been better suited to a 10-12 year old. DD loved it, as I said, especially the ending, but at 9 it almost seemed (the slightest bit) embarrassing for her to be reading what was obviously a romance at the end.

[Carol in Cal.]

Please preread Bridge to Terebithia before you read it to her.  If she is sensitive, the tragic and unforeshadowed death of the main supporting character might be too traumatic.  I know that it would have been far too difficult for my own DD at that age.

 

Some good books for that age for someone who likes old sentence construction are:

Ben and Me

Half Magic (and all the sequels)

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (and the sequels, but that one is the best)

The Hobbit

The Railway Children (a little more childish than the rest)

Ballet Shoes (and the others in the series)

Number the Stars  (WWII themes, but muted.  You might want to preread this one)

The Wheel On The School

Stories from the actual Bible, maybe reading the same passage in a modern translation like New English Standard Version and then repeat it in the older English King James Version

In Place of Katya (one of my favorite books)

The Diamond in the Window (my very favorite book until I read LOTR in the 7th grade)

http://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Greek-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/0440406943/ref=sr_1_sc_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398099254&sr=1-2-spell&keywords=greek+mythos+for+kids

http://www.amazon.com/Roman-Myths-Geraldine-McCaughrean/dp/0689838220/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398099276&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=roman+mythos+for+kids

Black Ships Before Troy

The Wanderings of Odysseus

In Search of a Homeland

(Those last three are gorgeous retellings of the Illiad, the Odyssey, and the Aeneid.)

If you have a copy of the old "My Book House", read it--it's a tremendous Western civ. cultural enrichment program

The Saturdays (and sequels)

Tatsinda ('younger' than the rest, but very beautiful)

 

I was an avid reader, and I raised one.  My mother was a librarian. I really do know what I am talking about here.  You will love these books.

 

[Kidlit]

I haven't read all the replies so this one might've already been mentioned, but Thimble Summer is just such a sweet, simple, entertaining (funny!) book.  Elizabeth Enright is not to be missed!

[Kidlit]

I haven't read all the replies so this one might've already been mentioned, but Thimble Summer is just such a sweet, simple, entertaining (funny!) book.  Elizabeth Enright is not to be missed!

[DesertBlossom]

Not for a 7 year old, but The Great Gilly Hopkins (Newberry Honor) is my favorite book ever. I sob throughout the end of the book every time.