Our 7th Grade Literature Reading List

The Importance of Literature for Middle School Students 😊

Hello,

I'd like to discuss the importance of literature for 7th-grade middle school students while introducing a reading list tailored to their age group. Literature plays a significant role in the growth and education of children and adolescents. In this article, we will explore the importance of literature through all the books on the 7th-grade middle school reading list. 📚

1. "How Many Miles to Babylon?" by Jennifer Johnston

- Summary: This novel is set against the backdrop of Ireland during World War I and explores the friendship between two boys from different social backgrounds. Their friendship is tested as they enlist in the war and face its harsh realities. 🌍

- Key Themes: The impact of war, class differences, friendship, and the loss of innocence. 🤝

- ISBN-10: [0141046961](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0141046961) (Amazon.com), [978-0141046969](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/978-0141046969) (Amazon.co.uk)

2. "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck

- Summary: This book follows the story of George and Lennie, two displaced migrant ranch workers during the Great Depression in California. It delves into their dreams of owning their own land and the challenges they encounter. 🌆

- Key Themes: The American Dream, friendship, loneliness, and the struggle for personal independence. 🚚

- ISBN-10: [0140177396](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0140177396) (Amazon.com), [978-0140177398](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/978-0140177398) (Amazon.co.uk)

3. "One" by Sarah Crossan

- Summary: Told in verse, this novel explores the lives of conjoined twins Grace and Tippi as they navigate the world together and attend school for the first time, facing challenges and unexpected turns. 👭

- Key Themes: Identity, sisterhood, the challenges of adolescence, and the concept of normality. 📖

- ISBN-10: [9781408827215](https://www.amazon.com/dp/9781408827215) (Amazon.com), [978-1408827215](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/978-1408827215) (Amazon.co.uk)

4. "An Inspector Calls" by J.B. Priestley

- Summary: Set in 1912, this play revolves around the prosperous Birling family, visited by a mysterious Inspector Goole. His investigation into a young woman's death unravels the family’s secrets. 🕵️

- Key Themes: Social responsibility, class, hypocrisy, and the effects of actions on others. 🤔

- ISBN-10: [014118535X](https://www.amazon.com/dp/014118535X) (Amazon.com), [978-0141185354](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/978-0141185354) (Amazon.co.uk)

5. "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

- Summary: A touching novel about Hazel Grace Lancaster, a teenager with cancer, who falls in love with Augustus Waters, a boy from her cancer support group. It's a story about love, life, and death. 💕

- Key Themes: Coping with illness, the experience of first love, the meaning of life and death, and the impact of literature. 🌸

- ISBN-10: [014242417X](https://www.amazon.com/dp/014242417X) (Amazon.com), [978-0142424179](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/978-0142424179) (Amazon.co.uk)

6. "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville

- Summary: This classic novel narrates the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship Pequod, for revenge on Moby Dick, the giant white sperm whale that bit off Ahab's leg at the knee on a previous voyage. 🐋

- Key Themes: Obsession, revenge, the struggle between man and nature, and the limitations of knowledge. 🌊

- ISBN-10: [1514649748](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1514649748) (Amazon.com), [978-1514649749](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/978-1514649749) (Amazon.co.uk)

7. "Sophie's World" by Jostein Gaarder

- Summary: A unique blend of fiction and a journey through the history of Western philosophy, this book follows Sophie Amundsen, a teenager who begins to receive mysterious letters that take her on a philosophical journey. 🤯

- Key Themes: The history of philosophy, the nature of reality, the challenges of adolescence, and the search for identity. 🧐

- ISBN-10: [1858815304](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1858815304) (Amazon.com), [978-1858815305](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/978-1858815305) (Amazon.co.uk)

8. "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

- Summary: Set in a dystopian world, this novel follows the lives of Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth as they spend their childhood at an idyllic English boarding school. As they grow older, they must come to terms with the harsh realities of their existence. 🌌

- Key Themes: The ethics of scientific progress, the nature of humanity, love, and friendship. 👥

- ISBN-10: [9780571258093](https://www.amazon.com/dp/9780571258093) (Amazon.com), [978-0571258093](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/978-0571258093) (Amazon.co.uk)

9. "Wolf Totem" by Jiang Rong

- Summary: This novel is based on the author's experience during the Cultural Revolution, living among nomadic Mongols and observing their traditions, particularly their relationship with wolves. 🐺

- Key Themes: The clash between modernity and traditional ways of life, environmentalism, and the spiritual connection between humans and nature. 🌿

- ISBN-10: [0141027878](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0141027878) (Amazon.com), [978-0141027876](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/978-0141027876) (Amazon.co.uk)

10. "The Martian" by Andy Weir

- Summary: Astronaut Mark Watney finds himself stranded on Mars after his team assumes he is dead and leaves the planet. He must use his ingenuity and determination to survive. 🚀

- Key Themes: Survival, human resourcefulness, the spirit of exploration, and problem-solving under pressure. 🌠

- ISBN-10: [0553418025](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0553418025) (Amazon.com), [978-0553418026](https://www

.amazon.co.uk/dp/978-0553418026) (Amazon.co.uk)

11. "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury

- Summary: In a dystopian future where books are banned and "firemen" burn any they find, Guy Montag begins to question his role and society's values. 🔥

- Key Themes: Censorship, the role of knowledge in society, individualism vs. conformity, and the power of literature. 📖

- ISBN-10: [9781451673319](https://www.amazon.com/dp/9781451673319) (Amazon.com), [978-1451673319](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/978-1451673319) (Amazon.co.uk)

12. "Flowers For Algernon" by Daniel Keyes

- Summary: Charlie Gordon, a man with an IQ of 68, undergoes an experimental surgery designed to increase his intelligence. The novel chronicles the impacts of this change on his life. 🌼

- Key Themes: The treatment of people with intellectual disabilities, the complex relationship between intelligence and emotion. 🤓

- ISBN-10: [1399607766](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1399607766) (Amazon.com), [978-1399607766](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/978-1399607766) (Amazon.co.uk)

13. "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

- Summary: This classic novel follows the life of Pip, an orphan who unexpectedly receives a substantial inheritance from an anonymous benefactor. His move to London exposes him to society's class system and its impact on his life. 🎩

- Key Themes: Social class and mobility, the true nature of wealth and gentility, personal growth and ambition, and the consequences of ambition. 🏰

- ISBN-10: [014119889X](https://www.amazon.com/dp/014119889X) (Amazon.com), [978-0141198897](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/978-0141198897) (Amazon.co.uk)

14. "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe

- Summary: This novel tells the story of Okonkwo, a respected warrior in the Igbo village of Umuofia, and how his life changes with the arrival of British colonialism and Christian missionaries. 🌍

- Key Themes: Cultural clash, the impact of colonialism, the conflict between tradition and change, leadership and masculinity complexity. 🏞️

- ISBN-10: [0385474547](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385474547) (Amazon.com), [978-0385474542](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/978-0385474542) (Amazon.co.uk)

Through these diverse books, middle school students will experience a wide range of themes and stories, enhancing their language skills and nurturing their imagination. Additionally, these books tackle social issues, human relationships, challenges, and resilience, promoting higher-order thinking skills among middle school students.

Introducing students to these literary works not only enhances their reading comprehension but also encourages them to think critically, empathize with diverse characters, and explore complex themes. Reading literature at this age fosters a lifelong love for reading and nurtures a deeper understanding of the world around them. 📖🌟