Grade 7 Summer Reading List
Purpose: The summer reading program supports our conviction that a student’s vocabulary and power of expression improve with reading. The English department is providing this book list, which is continually reviewed and updated to provide appropriate reading and to stimulate interest in reading for all students.
Reading and Writing Requirement: Choose ONE book to read from the Summer Reading List and complete the Summer Reading Graphic Organizer (link here). In September, you will participate in a Socratic seminar and writing assignment related to this book. These assignments and your graphic organizer will be part of your first quarter grade. Please bring the graphic organizer (and a copy of the book, if possible) to class on the day that you will complete the summer reading assessment.
Extra Credit – Read a second book from this list and complete a second Summer Reading Graphic Organizer. You will be asked to participate in two Socratic seminars.
When Stars Are Scattered
by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed Year Published:
A National Book Award Finalist, this remarkable graphic novel is about growing up in a refugee camp, as told by a former Somali refugee to the Newbery Honor-winning creator of Roller Girl. Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day
Amari and the Night Brothers
by B. B. Alston Year Published:
Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good. So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton—if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real.
Amari and the Night Brothers
by B. B. Alston Year Published:
Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good. So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton—if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real.
The Parker Inheritance
by Varian Johnson Year Published: mystery
When Candice finds a letter in an old attic in Lambert, South Carolina, she isn't sure she should read it. It's addressed to her grandmother, who left the town in shame. But the letter describes a young woman, an injustice that happened decades ago, a mystery enfolding its writer, and the fortune that awaits the person who solves the puzzle. With the help of Brandon, the quiet boy across the street, she begins to decipher the clues. The challenge will lead them deep into Lambert's history, full of ugly deeds, forgotten heroes, and one great love; and deeper into their own families, with their own unspoken secrets. Can they find the fortune and fulfill the letter's promise before the answers slip into the past yet again?
Stones in Water
by Donna Jo Napoli Year Published: historical fiction/adventure
When Roberto sneaks off to see a movie in his Italian village, he has no idea that life as he knows it is over. German soldiers raid the theater, round up the boys in the audience, and pack them onto a train. After a terrifying journey, Roberto and his best friend Samuele find themselves in a brutal work camp, where food is scarce and horror is everywhere. The boys vow to stay together no matter what. But Samuele has a dangerous secret, which, if discovered, could get them both killed.
Wolf Hollow
by Lauren Wolk Year Published: historical fiction
Annabelle lives in a rural Pennsylvania community in 1943. The continued fighting of World War II haunts everyone, but life is mostly peaceful—until Betty Glengarry's arrival. Betty is cruel and threatening and thrives on inflicting pain. At first, Annabelle is slightly comforted to know that Toby is watching out for her. Toby is a local vagabond, a World War I veteran of few words. Despite the jaded feelings that come with witnessing unjust persecution, the heart of this story is ultimately one of hope and empathy. Vicious bullying is also a highly relevant topic, and this aspect is sure to spark important conversations.