7th Grade Summer Reading List Month 1

My rising 7th grader tends to struggle with reading speed, vocabulary and writing. The best solution for this is to read more. Reading more, increases vocabulary and reading speed due to word recognition. Writing skills improve due to access to a greater vocabulary to express comprehension of the text.

My child is a rising 7th grader in a public school system. Needless to say, more attention was paid to the ability to pass 6th grade standardized testing than to actual education. This summer I decided to celebrate my child's freedom from AR (Accelerated Reader) and return to the love of reading. In the 7th grade, there will be 7 different classes, all requiring a fair amount of reading. In our particular district the workload is almost double that of the surrounding school districts. In short, my child needs to read more.

For the first month of summer we began with a science fiction / fantasy theme. My house rule is, book before the movie. All the best science fiction and fantasy books seem to have been turned into movies. I want my children to read before watching the movie to develop their imagination first before seeing what someone else produces from theirs.

A Wrinkle in Time 
- Madeleine L'Engle

This science fiction classic is usually read in the 6th grade. My school district is so focused on testing and AR that books like these never make the list. I chose this book for the genre, the subject of time travel, and the importance of family to the success of the protagonists.

My child is also a Doctor Who, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking enthusiast. This novel provided for some very stimulating discussions that allowed me introduce history, science, and engineering assignments.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
- C.S.Lewis

I chose this fantasy novel as a transition from A Wrinkle in Time. The concept of time travel is replaced with a portal to another world. There are many discussions that can be held to consider if a portal to another world is a point of access to another time. How does time in this alternate world compare to time in the main setting? Are the characters different in Narnia simply because they are in a different place, or is this a different place in the same time? If one were to time travel what worlds would they expect to encounter?

There is also a continuity of certain aspects in both novels. The protagonists are all kids, siblings, and rely on each other to be successful. There are also christian themes in both novels that some parents may chose to touch on for reading assignments.

Follow The Red Housewife blog for more summer reading ideas and activities to accompany the readings.