Selected Titles for Seventh Graders’ Enjoyment

­Lorraine Bentley. Librarian Media Specialist

St. Andrew Apostle

Magarian         BACK HOME

            Virginia Dickinson, evacuated from war-torn England at age 7 and sent to a

family in the U.S., must return “home” after five years and resume life with a family she

barely knows in a strange country .

Mazer             AFTER THE RAIN

Rachel’s grandfather is not an easy person to get along with; but, when Rachel

learns that he is terminally ill, she takes the time to get to know him.

Mazer             THE LAST MISS\ON

            Jacob Raab, age 15. uses his brother’s ID to enlist in the Air Corp during World

War II because he wants to fight Hitler.

McKinley          BEAUTY

            Beauty tells the romantic unfolding of her love of Beast.

Meltzer            STARTING FROM HOME: A WRITER’S BEGINNINGS

            Milton Meltzer describes his growing up, the son of Austrian immigrants. In a

multicultural neighborhood in the early 20th century.

Morpurgo         WAITING FOR ANYA

            Accidently discovering that Jewish children are hiding in the countryside, Michael

and his entire French village help them escape to Spain.

Myers             SCORPIONS

            When Jamal takes over the Harlem gang Scorpions. he finds himself treated with

even more respect when he acquires a gun.

Namioka          TIES THAT BIND. TIES THAT BREAK

            Ailin, a Third Sister in the Tao family. refuses to have her feet bound, breaking

the ancient tradition and leaving her with no prospect of marriage in Chinese society. After her father’s death. her uncle forces her to make a choice - to follow his command

or to find her own way.

Napoli             DAUGHTER OF VENICE

            Donata, the daughter of a 16th century noble family in Venice, disguises herself

as a boy and escapes her house in search of adventure in the streets.

Odell                MY NAME IS NOT ANGELICA

            Konje and Raisha (Angelica) and others of their Senegalese tribe are tricked and

sold into slavery in the West Indies where they become active in a slave rebellion.

O’Grady           BASHER FIVE - TWO

            Captain Scott O’Grady shares the exciting story of his survival and rescue in

Bosnia after his plane had been shot down.

Oneal             THE LANGUAGE OF GOLDFISH

            Carrie Stokes. a teenager fearful of the changes of growing up, clings to her

childhood and the time when she and her sister shared a secret language.

Oppel             SKY BREAKER

            In this sequel to AIRBORN, Matt and Kate become involved in the pursuit of the

Hyperion, a long-lost private airship that belonged to an eccentric and wealthy inventor and had disappeared 40 years earlier. Pirates are also interested in the Hyperion.

Park, B.           THE GRADUATION OF JAKE MOON

            14-year-old Jake finds himself becoming increasingly embarassed by and angry

at his grandfather’s suffering due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Park                PLAYING BEATIE BOW

            Abigan Kirk notices the little furry girl watching the children play the scany game

“Beatie Bow” and then follows her—a hundred years back in time.

Paterson         THE MASTER PUPPETEER

            In feudal Japan, a young apprentice puppeteer searches for a mysterious bandit.

Paulsen.                   NIGHT JOHN

            Nightjohn, a slave who had escaped north to freedom, risks everything to return

to the south to teach his people to read. Sarny, a 12-year old female slave on the

Waller plantation, takes a risk to learn.

Paulsen                  THE RIFLE

            In 1768 a gunsmith, Cornish McManus, creates a masterpiece, a perfect rifle that

he eventually sells to John Byam, a man who uses the rifle in the Revolutionary War. Through the years, this rifle is passed on until it comes to hang over the fireplace of a mechanic named Herv. Then, one day, the rifle discharges.

Peck                      A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO

            Joey Dowdal recounts seven summer trips he and his sister made to visit their

extraordinary grandmother in a small Illinois town. Its sequel, A YEAR DOWN YONDER. is the 2001 Newbery Award winner.

Perkins            CRISS CROSS

            In this 2006 Newbery Award winner, four 14-year-old friends living in a small

town are each facing his/her own crossroads.

Philbrick          FREAK THE MIGHTY

            Max, son of “Killer Kane,” is large for his age and learning-disabled. Freak,

suffering from a birth-defect, is 2-feet tall but brilliant. Together, Freak and Max combine forces and make a powerful team, “Freak the Mighty.” The film version, THE

MIGHTY. is excellent also.

Rees               WITCH CHILD

            When her grandmother is executed for being a witch, Mary Newbery flees

England for the New Land disguised as a Puritan. Mary’s grandmother has raised her to be an independent thinker. After settling in the colonies, she finds that her

differences make her an outcast.

Reiss             THE UPSTAIRS ROOM

            During World War 11. Annie and her sister, two young Jewish girls, are hidden

from the Germans by a Gentile farm family.

Ryan                ESPERANZA RISING

            Esperanza lives on Rancho de las Rosas in Mexico and has everything - fancy

clothes. a beautiful home, many servants, and the promise of inheriting this estate. When a sudden tragedy ends her luxurious life, she and her mother are forced to flee to

California and live in a Mexican farm labor camp.

Sacher            HOLES           

            Stanley Velnat has so much bad luck that he is not surprised when he is falsely accused and convicted of a crime and then sent to a terrible boys’ juvenile

detention center at Camp Green Lake.

Sacher            SMALL STEPS

            Three years after his release from Camp Green Lake, Armpit seems to be doing

well taking small steps to get his life back on track in Austin, Texas when a buddy from Camp Green Lake, X-Ray, comes up with a get-rich scheme.

Salisbury         EYE OF THE EMPEROR

            A 16-year-old Japanese boy from Hawaii enlists in the army and then, after Pearl Harbor, faces many race-based humiliations.

Schanzer        GEORGE VS. GEORGE: THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AS

                        SEEN FROM BOTH SIDES

            Explore both sides of the struggle, one led by King George of England and the other led by George Washington of Virginia.

Sleator             INTERSTELLAR PIG

            Barney becomes interested in a strange board game called Interstellar Pig and faces a nightmare when he discovers that the game is real.

Speare            THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND

            Puritan neighbors regard Kit Tyler with suspicion, fear, and anger when she befriends an old woman accused of witchcraft.

Spinelli             MANIAC MAGEE

            When Jeffrey Lionel Magee’s parents die, his life changed, and so did his name. And ManiacMagee became a legend!

Spinelli             STARGIRL

            Stargirl Carroway, a spirited, eccentric, new-girl-in-school, experiences popularity when her individuality and non-conformity become attractive to her classmates, but that popularity is not long-lived.

Springer          I AM MORDRED: A TALE FROM CAMELOT

            Mordred learns that his father is King Arthur and fights the prophecy that he will kill the King.

TiIlage LEON’S STORY

            Leon Tillage, custodian at The Park School in Baltimore, tells the story of his life and the hardships his sharecropping family faced in North Carolina before Civil Rights.

White   MEMORIES OF SUMMER

            13-yearuold Lyric is torn by love, anger, and embarrassment as she helplessly watches her older sister Summer suffer from mental illness.

Wisler             RED CAP

            Ransom J. Powell, age 13, leaves his home and family to join the ranks of the Union army and fight in the Civil War. Two years later, he is captured and taken to the Confederate prison at Andersonville, Georgia.

Woodson        MIRACLE BOYS

            In one weekend, three brothers must make decisions that will affect the paths their lives will take.

Yep      THE STAR FISHER

            15 year-old Joan Lee and her family find the adjustment hard when they move from Ohio to West Virginia in the 1920’s.