# Suggestion for a 7th-grader's summer reading **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 1, 2007, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-for-a-7th-graders-summer-reading/406290 "2007-06-01T02:22:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![manx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@manx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manx)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-for-a-7th-graders-summer-reading/406290/21 "2007-06-01T13:23:13Z")
I haven’t read the Young Merlin books, but if he’s keen on Arthurian legends, you might want to try Gerald Morris’ _Squire’s Tale_ series. They’re very funny and fit nicely into the established myths. He won’t find them much of a challenge, based on the other books he’s read, but they’re a lot of fun. Same theme but in a totally different style is Susan Cooper’s classic _Dark is Rising_ series. They’re eerie books about the last great battle between the Light and the Dark, set in Wales and Cornwall (Dopers, am I right?) featuring a set of clever siblings and one Chosen boy. Otherwise you could try John Boyne’s _Boy in Striped Pyjamas_. Buy it for him, and once he’s done, read it yourself. It’s set in WW2, about a boy, Bruno, whose father is in charge of Auschwitz. Bruno is only nine, and completely fails to understand the wider implications of everything he sees, which sets the stage for a tragic, but powerful ending. I don’t know how popular they are in the States, but there’s an Australian author called John Marsden who’s written (among other things) a series of books called the Tomorrow series. The first book is _Tomorrow When the War Began_. Basically, small group of teenagers from a small rural town go tramping into a wild bit of bush for a week, and emerge to discover that Australia has been invaded by an unnamed enemy. DUN DUN DUUUNNN! The series is brilliant, with thumping action sequences, pitch-perfect characterisation and a fair bit of humour. For my money, the series declines in quality after the third book, but I was 11 when I read the first three and 21 when I finished the series, so your son may love the whole shebang. (Also, from the fourth book onwards the NZ army start saving the day, and while that’s neat, I can’t quite suspend belief so much) Gerald Durrell’s _Corfu trilogy_ is always worth reading. It’s a childhood memoir, about a family in the forties(I think. Or possibly late thirties) who relocate from damp and deary England to the Greek island of Corfu. The first book is called _My Family and Other Animals_ and that, more or less, is what it’s about. He’s got about half a dozen other books, three about Corfu and the rest about his adult work as a conservationist and collector for zoos. He was a fascinating man who did a huge amount to change the role that zoos today have in the conservation and protection of rare and endangered animals. I’ve always struggled with ‘classics’, but I devoured my parent’s Sherlock Holmes collection when I was about your son’s age. I also read the\* Clan of the Cave Bear\* series (but don’t give those to your son - they’re god-awful!), got really into the John Grisham books that were available - _The Runaway Jury_ was a particular favourite, and I read \*Dragonrider \*books by the kilo. None of which re grreat literature, but I’m glad I got to enjoy them before I became a critical reader. Okay, that’s enough for now. ---
**Author:** ![manx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@manx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manx)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-for-a-7th-graders-summer-reading/406290/22 "2007-06-01T13:35:34Z")
[QUOTE=Bridget Burke] Apparently Jane Yolen wrote the Young Merlin books–I’ve read some of her “adult” stuff. She’s also written [this trilogy](http://www.amazon.com/Pit-Dragon-Chronicles-Volumes-1-3/dp/0152057676/ref=pd_sim_b_2/104-6060729-8091140?ie=UTF8&qid=1180702927&sr=8-1). (Amazon is really good at making suggestions.) [/QUOTE] Oooh, second that! I read these in Intermediate when I read everything in the library that had “dragon” in the title or on the cover. They were great! I picked up a remainder copy of _Dragon’s Blood_ a while ago, and I was amazed at how much had stuck in my head. Jane Yolen is a very prolific writer- I don’t know how much of her stuff is in print but if you hit up your local library you should walk away with armfuls of books. Ditto Diana Wynne Jones. One last suggestion: Ursula LeGuin’s Earthsea trilogy (actually I think she’s added a couple more books to the series by now.) It’s really classic fantasy - if your son’s read _Eragon_ (and if he hasn’t, it wouldn’t hurt - it’s not the best thing I’ve ever read (a long way off from that, actually) but if I’d read it when I was the target age (10-14) I probably would have loved it.) he’ll find some of the concepts of magic familiar, but the world that she creates is amazing. I found them quite dark the first time I read them, and can’t honestly say I love them even now, but I think I’m in a minority. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-for-a-7th-graders-summer-reading/406290/23 "2007-06-01T13:49:38Z")
I am currently reading [Faerie Wars](http://www.amazon.com/Faerie-Wars-Fantasy-Herbie-Brennan/dp/0765356740/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/105-8810315-7156453?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180705422&sr=8-3) by Herbie Brennen It is very good, but does have a mature sub-story line so far regarding: Mom is having a lesbian affair. Parents relationship is stretched. Parents are worried that son might be gay. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-for-a-7th-graders-summer-reading/406290/24 "2007-06-01T14:00:41Z")
[Warrior Series](http://www.amazon.com/Warriors-Box-Set-Volumes/dp/0060891904/ref=pd_bbs_sr_5/105-8810315-7156453?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180706246&sr=8-5) is something my 9 year old son is just eating up right now. These are the first three. If he likes cats, this might be the ticket. ---
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-for-a-7th-graders-summer-reading/406290/25 "2007-06-01T15:52:57Z")
At that age (and for awhile after) I was still enjoying Madeleine L’Engle’s books _A Wrinkle in Time_, _A Wind in the Door_, and _A Swiftly Tilting Planet_. I added _The Arm of the Starfish_ and _The Young Unicorns_ about a year later. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-for-a-7th-graders-summer-reading/406290/26 "2007-06-01T16:35:37Z")
I think he’d REALLY enjoy [The Dark is Rising sequence](http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Rising-Sequence-Silver-Greenwitch/dp/0020425651/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/104-0244184-9042361?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180715426&sr=1-2), by Susan Cooper. Blends the modern day with the Arthurian legend, centering on a boy who is 11 at the beginning of the series and is just coming into his own as an Old One, a human representative of the Light (and enemy of the Dark, needless to say). It’s beautifully written, with tons of adventure and a perfectly paced build to an ultimate showdown between good and evil in the last book – with lots of great conflict and resolution along the way. Fantastic series. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-for-a-7th-graders-summer-reading/406290/27 "2007-06-01T18:35:35Z")
What about the Chris Paolini books - Eragon and Eldest ([Here’s a link to Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/Eldest-Inheritance-Book-Christopher-Paolini/dp/0375840400/ref=pd_bbs_3/002-6680989-1845624?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180722784&sr=1-3)) - my son loves them. He’s a bit older, but he’s been reading them for some time. He’s also reading another series this summer that a teacher recommended to him - I’ll ask him tonight what it’s called. ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-for-a-7th-graders-summer-reading/406290/28 "2007-06-01T19:12:23Z")
How about Terry Pratchett’s Bromeliad series? (gnomes in a department store, and then outside.) ETA: that’s _Truckers, Diggers,_ and _Wings_. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-for-a-7th-graders-summer-reading/406290/29 "2007-06-01T20:31:17Z")
> [@](#): > > There are also the good-old-fashioned boys’ adventure novels, like Kidnapped, Treasure Island, Around the World in 80 Days, and King Solomon’s Mines. It’s been said that the quickest way to teach an English boy French is to give him a copy of _Around the World in 80 Days_, with only the first half of the book translated. Believe it. That book is un-put-downable. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-for-a-7th-graders-summer-reading/406290/30 "2007-06-02T00:41:12Z")
I screwed up when I said the Young Merlin series. What he read and loved was The Lost Years of Merlin by T.A. Barron. So we’ll have to look into Jane Yolen! Great suggestions, everyone. Thanks so much. James Herriot’s books also just occured to me. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-for-a-7th-graders-summer-reading/406290/31 "2007-06-02T02:24:02Z")
I’ll suggest two books I read that summer many years ago. Herman Wouk’s [Winds of War](http://www.amazon.com/Winds-War-Herman-Wouk/dp/0316952664/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/002-6603105-6665657?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180750368&sr=8-2) and [War and Remembrance](http://www.amazon.com/War-Remembrance-Herman-Wouk/dp/0316954993/ref=pd_bbs_5/002-6603105-6665657?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180750368&sr=8-5) . They’re not easy reads as each book is over 1000 pages. Still, these are great works of historical fiction. The knowledge of World War II and the events leading up to it will give him a mastery of that era. The characters are memorable and he should be able to relate to some of them, especially Bryan Henry. I’d follow by renting the excellent DVDs of the TV miniseries. How I miss those summers of reading. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-for-a-7th-graders-summer-reading/406290/32 "2007-06-02T02:50:28Z")
If he liked Charlie Bone and Harry Potter, try the Septimus Heap books by Angie Sage. Also the Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan and the Young Wizards books by Diane Duane. Edited: Oops, you wanted synopses. Septimus Heap books are about a seventh son of a seventh son. The tone is more comical than Harry Potter, but it’s a little bit similar in feel. Not as epic-y. Percy Jackson is very mythologically oriented, quite Harry Potter-like but a bit older than the early HP. The Young Wizards books are a little more serious and real, about two kids who decide to become wizards in the modern world. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-for-a-7th-graders-summer-reading/406290/33 "2007-06-02T16:11:19Z")
If you are looking for non-fiction, I would suggest _West With the Night_ by Beryl Markham. Markham was a horse trainer and a bush pilot in Britsh East Africa – the time period is contemporaneous with _Out of Africa_ but its not all girlie and depressing. I read it at about that age, and I still have my copy. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-for-a-7th-graders-summer-reading/406290/34 "2007-06-17T22:29:24Z")
My kid (7th-grader) and I are reading _The Count of Monte Cristo_. Out loud. I read a chapter, he reads a chapter. We ought to be about a fourth of the way through when the last Harry Potter comes out and ends our streak. I think he’s interested enough in Edmond Dantes’ plight, though, that he will finish _Count._ (Edmond is in with the mad Abbe now, but the Abbe’s health doesn’t look great.) ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2007, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-for-a-7th-graders-summer-reading/406290/35 "2007-06-18T17:09:56Z")
Dweezil _loves_ the Guardians of Ga’hoole series (about owls). I think the author is named Laskey. He read most of them at or before 7th grade. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-for-a-7th-graders-summer-reading/406290/36 "2007-06-18T18:04:26Z")
_To Kill a Mockingbird_ MAYBE some of Mercedes Lackey’s books. _Take a Thief_ might be a good introduction. If he likes fantasy, he might like these. Does he like _Star Wars_? There are tons of SW books out there-I highly reccomend the _X-Wing_ series. Can’t reccomend it too highly, in fact. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-for-a-7th-graders-summer-reading/406290.md?page=1)