Young, Sensitive 7th Grade Reading List

[knitgrl]

Next year for 7th grade, will be following WTM's suggestions for Literature - Early Modern, and see how it goes. I am looking for a list of things for her to choose for free reading, mostly to broaden her reading horizons. After finishing the last Eragon book a few days ago, she is now reading "Class 12B Goes Wild," which is actually fairly representative of where her native tastes lie. She is still very much a kid and happily plays with siblings who are 6 and 7. She is very sensitive to reading about horrible things happening to people. I don't think she is emotionally ready for Anne Frank or Watership Down, which frequently appear on 7th grade lists. Over the past few years, she was devoured the Redwall series several times over. This year, she has also read the entire Eragon series.

This year, she has particularly enjoyed:

Henry V - graphic novel version

Cheaper by the Dozen

Beowulf, trans. by Robert Nye

High King by Lloyd Alexander

Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

Aremis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Ghost in Tokaido Inn by Thomas Hoobler

Great Turkey Walk by Kathleen Karr

Kitchen Madonna by Rumer Godden

She has also picked up Thurber's Carnival on her own and thoroughly enjoyed "The Greatest Man in the World," which is nice, because that is my favorite Thurber story.

Nonfiction suggestions would be welcome, too.

[caffeineandbooks]

I actually think the WTM early modern list has more kid-friendly titles than the medieval one.  The young, sensitive 8th grader in my life still enjoys Perrault's and Grimm's fairy tales.  Tom Sawyer.  Alice in Wonderland.  There are lots there.

Johnny Tremain is historical fiction about your time period.  Protagonist burns his arm severely at the beginning and has to leave his trade, and as a result is drawn into Revolution events.  Carry on Mr Bowditch (Latham) and Call it Courage (Sperry) would also fit the historical fiction angle. 

Have you seen the "My Story" historical novel series published by Scholastic and its subset "My Royal Story"?  They hit all eras and there are lots.  You might try this Queen (Princess) Victoria one (https://www.amazon.com/Victoria-English-Princesss-Diary-Story/dp/1407116207/ref=sr_1_10?dchild=1&keywords=scholastic+my+story&qid=1620421472&s=books&sr=1-10), or this Crystal Palace Rally one from the same time: https://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Palace-Diary-London-1850-1851/dp/0439997399/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1620421378&refinements=p_27%3AFrances+Hendry&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Frances+Hendry

There are a bunch more titles from the series in this set, although not all fit your time period: https://www.amazon.com/Collection-Workhouse-Sophies-Invasion-Trenches/dp/B009GJIP9E/ref=sr_1_13?dchild=1&keywords=scholastic+my+story&qid=1620421533&s=books&sr=1-13

Some from outside your time period that are nevertheless worth the time: the Hobbit, Tuck Everlasting, Anne of Green Gables, Banner in the Sky (protagonist's father has died long before the story begins, and this is thematically important, but nobody dies or is critically injured during the story itself).

Nonfiction: For a science angle, we are enjoying Two Truths and a Lie (https://www.amazon.com/Two-Truths-Lie-Its-Alive/dp/0062418815/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=two+truths+and+a+lie&qid=1620420399&sr=8-3).  Each chapter has three bizarre stories, of which two are true and one is not but may still contain elements of truth.  Great for discussions about reasoning, and includes sources for the reader to go research and try to find which story is the lie, as well as an "answer" section at the back that explains where the story comes from.

A glorious flip through book about the work of a select few naturalists, with loads of color plates and lucid text by David Attenborough and helpers, is Amazing Rare Things (https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Rare-Things-Natural-Discovery/dp/030012547X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=amazing+rare+things&qid=1620420490&sr=8-1)  The contributors range from 15th to 18th century, so largely fit your time period, and the plates of Maria Merian's work are an absolute feast.  Probably one to flip through rather than read every line, but a lovely intersection of history, science and art.

Newton's Rainbow by Kathryn Lasky is a long, quality picture book bio that could easily have been arranged as a short chapter book https://www.amazon.com/Newtons-Rainbow-Revolutionary-Discoveries-Scientist/dp/0374355134/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=newton's+rainbow&qid=1620421974&s=books&sr=1-1

One I don't yet own but plan to buy for my then-6th grader when we get back to early modern is Dr Jenner and the Speckled Monster by Albert Marrin (https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Jenner-Speckled-Monster-Discovery/dp/0525469222).  He writes amazing narrative nonfiction and this one fits your time period, but I haven't pre-read it and it may be too grim for your DD.

I also like the look of Accidental Archaeologists (https://www.bookdepository.com/Accidental-Archaeologists-Sarah-Albee/9781338575781).

[knitgrl]

We managed to get through the WTM medieval list. King Arthur was a bit of a slog for her, as she did not devour it all at once, but had to be prodded to keep at it. Which is really saying something, lol. We just finished watching the BBC version of Henry V, because we both decided she could not handle the one with Kenneth Branaugh. And I think we will be able to read through it before we're done with the school year. Yay!

I was aware of the "My Story" series, but did not realize there were so many of them!

13 minutes ago, caffeineandbooks said:

Some from outside your time period that are nevertheless worth the time: the Hobbit, Tuck Everlasting, Anne of Green Gables, Banner in the Sky (protagonist's father has died long before the story begins, and this is thematically important, but nobody dies or is critically injured during the story itself).

I think she's read all of these except Banner in the Sky. She might like it as her father takes her backpacking every year.

15 minutes ago, caffeineandbooks said:

Nonfiction: For a science angle, we are enjoying Two Truths and a Lie (https://www.amazon.com/Two-Truths-Lie-Its-Alive/dp/0062418815/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=two+truths+and+a+lie&qid=1620420399&sr=8-3).  Each chapter has three bizarre stories, of which two are true and one is not but may still contain elements of truth.  Great for discussions about reasoning, and includes sources for the reader to go research and try to find which story is the lie, as well as an "answer" section at the back that explains where the story comes from.

A glorious flip through book about the work of a select few naturalists, with loads of color plates and lucid text by David Attenborough and helpers, is Amazing Rare Things (https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Rare-Things-Natural-Discovery/dp/030012547X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=amazing+rare+things&qid=1620420490&sr=8-1)  The contributors range from 15th to 18th century, so largely fit your time period, and the plates of Maria Merian's work are an absolute feast.  Probably one to flip through rather than read every line, but a lovely intersection of history, science and art.

Newton's Rainbow by Kathryn Lasky is a long, quality picture book bio that could easily have been arranged as a short chapter book https://www.amazon.com/Newtons-Rainbow-Revolutionary-Discoveries-Scientist/dp/0374355134/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=newton's+rainbow&qid=1620421974&s=books&sr=1-1

One I don't yet own but plan to buy for my then-6th grader when we get back to early modern is Dr Jenner and the Speckled Monster by Albert Marrin (https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Jenner-Speckled-Monster-Discovery/dp/0525469222).  He writes amazing narrative nonfiction and this one fits your time period, but I haven't pre-read it and it may be too grim for your DD.

I also like the look of Accidental Archaeologists (https://www.bookdepository.com/Accidental-Archaeologists-Sarah-Albee/9781338575781).

Thank you for the nonfiction list! This looks great! Two Truths and a Lie sounds especially fun!