Children's Books for Parents and Teachers » 7th Grade (Age 12)

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

admin — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 03:25:16 +0000

A huge sea monster has attacked and wrecked several ships from beneath the sea. Professor Arronax bravely joins a mission to hunt down the beast. He goes aboard the Nautilus, a secret submarine helmed by the mysterious Captain Nemo. At first, the mission is exciting, as Nemo takes Arronax on a voyage around the underwater world. But when things start to go wrong, Arronax finds there’s no escape from the Nautilus. He is now Captain Nemo’s captive 20,000 leagues under the sea!

A Book of Coupons

admin — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:36:19 +0000

Monsieur Hubert Noël isn’t quite what his fifth-grade class expected. First, he gives all his students a book of coupons as a gift: one coupon for sleeping late, one for lost work, one for cheating, and more of the same. At first the students use them, but it’s not until they realize that Monsieur Noël is giving them more important gifts for free — books read aloud, a whole year of lessons, and out-of-the-ordinary field trips — that they stop clipping coupons. This book about a quirky teacher in an unconventional school will teach readers a lesson about one of life’s most precious gifts — the love of learning.

A Brand-New Me! (Hank Zipzer Series #17)

admin — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:58:49 +0000

It’s graduation time for Hank and all his friends— time to move on from PS 87 to middle school. Trouble is, there are tests Hank has to pass to get into the same middle schools as his friends, and his learning differences might get in the way. Luckily, a life-altering audition at a performing arts … Continue reading →

A Christmas Carol

admin — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:16:54 +0000

One of the best-loved and most quoted stories of “the man who invented Christmas”-English writer Charles Dickens-A Christmas Carol debuted in 1843 and has touched millions of hearts since. Cruel miser Ebeneezer Scrooge has never met a shilling he doesn’t like… and hardly a man he does. And he hates Christmas most of all. When Scrooge is visited by his old partner, Jacob Marley, and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come, he learns eternal lessons of charity, kindness, and goodwill. Experience a true Victorian Christmas with Barbour’s tenth anniversary Value Book edition-now on quality stock!

A Christmas Memory

admin — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 17:12:46 +0000

Seven-year-old Buddy inaugurates the Christmas season by crying out to his cousin, Miss Sook Falk: “It’s fruitcake weather!” Thus begins an unforgettable portrait of an odd but enduring friendship between two innocent souls–one young and one old–and the memories they share of beloved holiday rituals.

A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time (Magic Tree House Series #44)

admin — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:50:06 +0000

Jack and Annie are ready for their next fantasy adventure in the bestselling middle-grade series—the Magic Tree House!

Jack and Annie’s mission from Merlin the Magician? To help the famous writer Charles Dickens! In a magical whirl, the brother and sister are whisked back in time to Victorian England and the foggy streets of London.

There, Jack and Annie discover that Charles Dickens has everything he could possibly want. How can they help him? It is not until Mr. Dickens rescues them from being thrown in jail that they discover his secret past and the sad memories that haunt him. They will need all their magic—and help from three ghosts—to keep the great writer from ruining his life!

Mary Pope Osborne mixes magic, humor, history, a little spookiness, and a lot of heart to create this tale, which celebrates the joys of writing—something she knows a lot about, thanks to millions of readers all over the world!

A Little Princess

admin — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:03:11 +0000

Ostracized by the envious and less-privileged girls at Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary for Young Ladies, seven-year-old Sara Crewe is devastated when her adored, indulgent father dies, leaving her penniless and alone in the world. The story of how Sara’s fortunes change again, and how she discovers the true meaning of family, is a tale that … Continue reading →

A Long Way from Chicago

admin — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 01:36:28 +0000

This year’s Newbery Honor book is a collection of stories about a very different kind of grandmother. Each August from 1929 through 1935, Joey and Mary Alice leave Chicago to spend a week with Grandma Dowdel in rural Illinois. The life and people there, especially Grandma, are very different from anything or anyone the children encounter in the big city. In seven funny stories, one for each summer, Grandma comes across as a tall-tale hero, surprising Joey and Mary Alice with her antics.

A Smart Girl’s Guide to Friendship Troubles

cindy — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:41:24 +0000

How do you speak up when you’re afraid of hurting your friend’s feelings? What do you do after a really big fight? What if your friend leaves you for the popular crowd? Inside you’ll find tips, quizzes, and real-life stories that can help solve a girl’s most common friendship troubles. When your friendship’s in trouble, you need help — fast. Here’s the advice you need to get through the tough times and help you decide how to deal with friendship dilemmas

A Wind in the Door

admin — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 18:22:26 +0000

Meg Murry can’t help but be worried when her six-year-old brother, Charles Wallace, announces there are dragons in the vegetable garden. He’s so bright and so different from other kids, he’s getting bullied at school, and he is also strangely, seriously ill. But Charles Wallace is right about the dragons—actually a friendly entity who has come to help Charles Wallace fight his sickness. Meg and her friend Calvin O’Keefe join the dragon on a terrifying, wonderful journey into galactic space—where they must battle the forces of evil to save Charles Wallace and themselves.

A Wrinkle in Time

admin — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 22:20:06 +0000

Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg’s father, who disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government.

Abarat

admin — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 03:36:43 +0000

It begins in the most boring place in the world: Chickentown, U.S.A. Candy Quackenbush lives in Chickentown, her heart bursting for some clue as to what her future might hold. When the answer comes, it’s not one she expects. Out of nowhere comes a wave, and Candy, led by a man called John Mischief (whose brothers live on the horns on his head), leaps into the surging waters and is carried away. Where? To the ABARAT: a vast archipelago where every island is a different hour of the day, from the Great Head that sits in the mysterious twilight waters of Eight in the Evening, to the sunlit wonders of Three in the Afternoon, where dragons roam, to the dark terrors of Gorgossium, the island of Midnight, ruled over by the Prince of Midnight himself, Christopher Carrion. As Candy journeys from one amazing place to another, making fast friends and encountering treacherous foes — mechanical bugs and giant moths, miraculous cats and men made of mud, a murderous wizard and his terrified slave-she begins to realize something. She has been here before. Candy has a place in this extraordinary world: she is here to help save the Abarat from the dark forces that are stirring at its heart. Forces older than Time itself, and more evil than anything Candy has ever encountered. She’s a strange heroine, she knows. But this is a strange world. And in the Abarat, all things are possible.

Abduction!

admin — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 03:38:38 +0000

Matt is missing. Bonnie’s brother left his classroom to use the bathroom –and disappeared. A police dog traces his scent to the curb, where he apparently got into a vehicle. But why would Matt go anywhere with a stranger? Overwhelmed with fear, Bonnie discovers that her dog is gone, too. Was Pookie used as a lure for Matt? Bonnie makes one big mistake in her attempt to find her brother. In a chilling climax on a Washington State ferry, Bonnie and Matt must outsmart their abductor or pay with their lives.

Across Five Aprils

admin — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:13:31 +0000

The unforgettable story of young Jethro Creighton, who comes of age during the turbulent years of the Civil War, by the Newbery Award-winning author of Up a Road Slowly. An impressive book both as a historically authentic Civil War novel and as a beautifully written family story.

Addy Boxed Set with Game- American Girl

admin — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:05:46 +0000

Inspiring stories about growing up in 1864. Boxed set includes Meet Addy; Addy Learns a Lesson; Addy’s Surprise; Happy Birthday, Addy!; Addy Saves the Day; and Changes for Addy.

Aesop’s Fables

admin — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 18:41:17 +0000

Here’s a picture book version of Aesop’s fables that should be in every classroom. Pinkney’s watercolor creatures illustrate more than 60 tales that end with one of Aesop’s moral lessons. Try it as a crowd-pleasing read-aloud for younger grades and as a wonderful resource for older children.

Airborn

admin — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:03:13 +0000

Sailing toward dawn, and I was perched atop the crow’s nest, being the ship’s eyes. We were two nights out of Sydney, and there’d been no weather to speak of so far. I was keeping watch on a dark stack of nimbus clouds off to the northwest, but we were leaving it far behind, and it looked to be smooth going all the way back to Lionsgate City. Like riding a cloud. . . .

Matt Cruse is a cabin boy on the Aurora, a huge airship that sails hundreds of feet above the ocean, ferrying wealthy passengers from city to city. It is the life Matt’s always wanted; convinced he’s lighter than air, he imagines himself as buoyant as the hydrium gas that powers his ship. One night he meets a dying balloonist who speaks of beautiful creatures drifting through the skies. It is only after Matt meets the balloonist’s granddaughter that he realizes that the man’s ravings may, in fact, have been true, and that the creatures are completely real and utterly mysterious.

In a swashbuckling adventure reminiscent of Jules Verne and Robert Louis Stevenson, Kenneth Oppel, author of the best-selling Silverwing trilogy, creates an imagined world in which the air is populated by transcontinental voyagers, pirates, and beings never before dreamed of by the humans who sail the skies.

Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart

admin — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:38:43 +0000

Amber and Essie are sisters. Amber was brave. She wasn’t afraid of climbing up into high places. Essie was smart. She could read very hard library books. Together they make a good team. Their father is in prison, their mother works long hours, and there is little money to pay the bills. Through a series of interconnected poems, Williams presents Amber and Essie’s sad, funny, and moving tale. Full-color portraits of the girls precede the story, and an album of dramatic moments closes the book. Black-and-white pencil drawings are interspersed among the poems.

Americana Adventure

cindy — Sat, 16 May 2009 14:30:23 +0000

Celebrate the Fourth of July in a vibrant seek-and-find adventure. This fun-filled ode to America brims with patriotic spirit and more than 200 hidden objects to find. Tommy awakes on July Fourth to find a note from his eccentric Aunt Jeanne, promising a spectacular surprise if he unravels clues she has hidden for him. Tommy’s clues lead him on a magical cross-country trip through America’s great places and iconic traditions. From Times Square to Mount Rushmore, from a Mississippi riverboat to the Golden Gate Bridge.

An Indian Winter

admin — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:15:12 +0000

In 1833 German prince Maximilian and Swiss artist Karl Bodmer traveled through the Missouri River Valley to study Native Americans. Their detailed journals and artwork are the basis for this account of their travels. Freedman describes the customs, social structure, and artifacts the two men encountered as well as their friendship with the Mandan and … Continue reading →

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

admin — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:06:06 +0000

No one ever told Margaret Simon that eleven-going-on- twelve would be such a hard age. When her family moves to New Jersey, she has to adjust to life in the suburbs, a different school, and a whole new group of friends. Margaret knows she needs someone to talk to about growing up-and it’s not long before she’s found a solution. Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret. I can’t wait until two o’clock God. That’s when our dance starts. Do you think I’ll get Philip Leroy for a partner? It’s not so much that I like him as a person God, but as a boy he’s very handsome. And I’d love to dance with him… just once or twice. Thank you God.

Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel

admin — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:43:57 +0000

In 2001, audiences first met and fell in love with a twelve-year-old criminal mastermind named Artemis Fowl. Since then, the series has sold over seven million copies in the United States alone. Now, this phenomenally successful series is being translated into a graphic novel format. Eoin Colfer has teamed up with established comic writer Andrew Donkin to adapt the text. For the first time, rabid fans will be able to see what Foaly’s tin hat looks like; discover just how “Beet” Root got his name; and of course, follow their favorite criminal mastermind as he plots and connives in action-packed, full-color panels.

Atherton: The House of Power

admin — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:09:15 +0000

From the creator of the Land of Elyon comes a riveting adventure set in an extraordinary satellite world’created as a refuge from a dying Earth’that begins to collapse and forever change the lives of its inhabitants. Edgar, a gifted climber, is a lonely boy scaling the perilous cliffs that separate the three realms of Atherton: a humble fig grove; a mysterious highland world of untold beauty and sinister secrets; and a vast wasteland where he must confront an unspeakable danger that could destroy the people of Atherton. When Edgar discovers a book which contains the history of Atherton’s origins and ultimate apocalypse, his world’quite literally’begins to turn inside out.

Babe: The Gallant Pig

admin — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 03:44:46 +0000

When Babe arrives at the Hogget farm, Mrs. Hogget’s thoughts turn to sizzling bacon and juicy pork chops. It looks as if the little pig is destined for the dinner table-until he reveals a surprising talent for sheepherding, that is. Before long, Babe is handling Farmer Hogget’s flock better than any sheepdog ever could. Babe is so good, in fact, that the farmer enters him in the Grand Challenge Sheepdog Trials. But the crowds can’t believe this sheep-pig is for real. Will it take a miracle for Babe to win?

Bad Case of Stripes

admin — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 01:38:02 +0000

Camilla Cream loves lima beans, but she never eats them. Why? Because the other kids in her school don’t like them. And Camilla Cream is very, very worried about what other people think of her. In fact, she’s so worried that she’s about to break out in…a bad case of stripes!

Barack Obama: Our 44th President

admin — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 02:04:02 +0000

President Barack Obama’s early involvement with politics was inspired by his mother’s interest in the controversial social issues of her times — a passion that she passed on to her son. As the first African American editor of the Harvard Law Review, the first African American presidential nominee of a major political party, and eventually the first African American president of the United States, Barack Obama has consistently shattered barriers — barriers that some people thought could never be overcome.

However, life has not always been easy for President Obama. Born to a Kenyan father and an American mother, Barack grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia, where he faced discrimination and struggles with his own racial identity. Despite these obstacles, Barack persevered and had a successful political career before his historic win in the 2008 presidential election, with his daughters and wife, Michelle, standing firmly by his side. His election has energized a nation, and President Obama will continue to lead the charge for change over the next four years.

This is the children’s biography about the forty-fourth president of the United States. Containing up-to-the-minute information, including President Obama’s November victory, this is essential reading for every young student of American history.

Barfing in the Backseat: How I Survived my Family Roadtrip (#12)

admin — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:31:21 +0000

Hank’s dad has decided to enter a crossword-puzzle tournament, and he wants to make a family road trip of it! So the family piles into the car—along with Frankie and Katherine the iguana (Hank and Emily each get to bring a “friend”). When they reach their destination, they’ll get to spend the day at a roller-coaster park during Hank’s dad’s tournament! The only caveat is that Hank has a homework packet to finish before they get there . . . which he somehow manages to lose at a stop along the way. Suddenly, Hank doesn’t feel so good . . . Can Hank and Frankie rescue the lost packet and get Hank on a roller coaster?

Because of Winn-Dixie

admin — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 18:51:29 +0000

Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni has no idea what’s in store for her when she moves to a new town — least of all that she’ll adopt a big, ugly dog and name him after a supermarket. This young-adult novel brings a community’s integrity and diversity to life.

Brian’s Return

admin — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:04:53 +0000

For more than a decade, readers and reviewers everywhere have praised Gary Paulsen’s exciting stories about brave Brian Robeson. In the Newbery Honor book Hatchet, 13-year-old Brian was stranded in the Canadian wilderness with only the clothes on his back and a hatchet to help him survive. The River brought 15-year-old Brian back to the wilderness for a government project — where he was left with a wounded partner and a rapid river to navigate. An alternative sequel, Brian’s Winter, posed the question: What if Brian had not been rescued? Now comes Brian’s Return — the final, gripping conclusion to Paulsen’s extraordinary saga.

Bridge to Terabithia

admin — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 18:04:44 +0000

All summer, Jess pushed himself to be the fastest boy in the fifth grade, and when the year’s first school-yard race was run, he was going to win.But his victory was stolen by a newcomer, by a girl, one who didn’t even know enough to stay on the girls’ side of the playground. Then, unexpectedly, Jess finds himself sticking up for Leslie, for the girl who breaks rules and wins races. The friendship between the two grows as Jess guides the city girl through the pitfalls of life in their small, rural town, and Leslie draws him into the world of imaginations world of magic and ceremony called Terabithia. Here, Leslie and Jess rule supreme among the oaks and evergreens, safe from the bullies and ridicule of the mundane world. Safe until an unforeseen tragedy forces Jess to reign in Terabithia alone, and both worlds are forever changed. In this poignant, beautifully rendered novel, Katherine Paterson weaves a powerful story of friendship and courage.