SummerTime and The Reading is Easy
Grade 7
DeStefano, Lauren. Perfect Ruin.
On Internment, you can be anything you dream—as long as you follow the rules. A city
surrounding by trains, placed on a chunk of land suspended in the sky high above the
Earth, Internment seems like the ideal safe haven for its residents. But sixteen year old
Morgan knows how dangerous thinking about the world beyond Internment can be—she’s
seen the way one peek over the edge has ruined her talented brother’s life. But when a
teenage girl is murdered—the first murder on Internment in recent memory—Morgan’s
doubts and daydreams begin to take on new meaning.
Chmakova, Svetlana. Awkward.
As the new kid starting her first day at a new school, Pepe just wants to blend in and find her
space. But then she literally crashes into quiet science nerd Jaime in the hallway and
immediately attracts stares and taunts. Desperate to escape, Pepe gives into her worst
instinct: she shoves him away and runs. Now, having finally found her place in art club, Pepe
is still incredibly guilty but unable to get up the courage to apologize. But when the art and
science clubs suddenly have to battle for a spot at the clubs fair, Pepe won’t be able to avoid
Jaime much longer.
Lai, Thanhha. Listen, Slowly.
It’s the summer before her thirteenth birthday and Mai is looking forward to hanging out at
the beach with her best friend and finally getting to know the boy she’s had a crush on for
months. So she’s horrified when her parents inform her that instead Mai will be spending the
summer accompanying her grandmother to Vietnam in order to follow up on new clues about
her grandfather, who disappeared during the Vietnam War years ago. While she begins the
trip determined to be displeased and miserable, Mai slowly finds herself warming up to the
situation as she makes friends and grows increasingly close with her grandmother and her
own previously unexplored heritage.
Stead, Rebecca. Goodbye Stranger.
When she was 8 years old, Bridget was hit by a car while roller skating. As she was making
her semi-miraculous recovery in the hospital, one of her nurses told her: “You must have
been put on earth for a reason, little girl, to have survived.” Starting middle school beside
her two best friends, Bridge wonders more than ever what that reason might be. Bridge,
Tabitha, and Emily became friends since 4th grade and they have only one rule: no fighting
with each other. But between Tab’s recently discovered sense of social justice, Em’s
almost-boyfriend & their increasingly confusing texting-based relationship, and Bridge’s
unexpected connection and friendship with quiet Sherm Russo, the three girls find their
bond put to the test.
Engle, Margarita. Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir.
Growing up as a Cuban-American in Los Angeles during the 1950’s and early 1960’s,
Margarita Engle often felt torn between two worlds. The summers that she spent with her
mother’s family in Cuba, young Margarita felt connected, inspired, and uniquely herself. But
as a girl born and raised in California, she clearly identified as American. After Cuban
Revolution, Margarita feels more conflicted than ever as the changing political situation
between Cuba and the United States further divides her family and her world.
Hardigne, Frances. Cuckoo Song.
Life since her brother died in the Great War has been sad and a little strange but slowly
Triss and her family seem to be reaching a new kind of normal. But then Triss fell into a
pond during their family vacation and ever since, Triss has been horribly aware that
something is very wrong. She’s suddenly developed an insatiable appetite, pages have
been torn out of her journal, her little sister seems afraid of her, and inanimate objects
like dolls not only speak–they scream. Triss is truly not herself and she must journey into
strange and bizarre worlds within, beyond, and beneath her world in order to discover
what’s happened to her and her broken family.
Noyes, Deborah. Ten Days A Madwoman: The Daring Life and Turbulent Times
of the Original “Girl” Reporter, Nellie Bly.
When most female journalists were still limited to the fashion and society pages, “girl”
reporter Nellie Bly pioneered investigative “stunt” journalism, using her writing to
reveal injustice and corruption. Nellie’s professional adventures often involved such
amazing feats and dramatic situations that her life story might sound like fiction—but
it’s all fact. From her ten days spent in an insane asylum to reveal the mistreatment of
its patients to her successful quest to become the first women to travel around the
world unaccompanied and in under 80 days, Nellie Bly blazed a new path for young
women in journalism—and beyond.
Venkatraman, Padma. A Time To Dance.
Veda lives and breathes dance. She has been studying classical Indian dance for years
and already her teachers say that she is a bharatanatyam prodigy. But when a car
accident results in the below-knee amputation of one of her legs, Veda is angry,
despondent—and utterly lost. However, she slowly begins to adjust to her prosthetic leg
and decides to reclaim her dream, joining a new studio and starting over in the beginner’s
dance class. Veda also meets Govinda, a young man who approaches dance as a spiritual
pursuit and encourages her to discover what dance truly mean to her, beyond trophies and
contests.
Hartman, Rachel. Seraphina.
Despite forty years of peace, the kingdom of Goredd exists as land divided between
dragons and humans. Dragons fold themselves into human shapes to act as ambassadors
and scholars in the human world. Now, with the anniversary of the peace treaty
approaching, the capital is buzzing with anticipation. Seraphina, a brilliant young musician
recently hired by the royal court, is especially worried, for both professional and private
reasons. When a member of the royal family is killed and the evidence points towards a
dragon as the culprit, Seraphina joins the investigation led by Prince Lucian. But in the
process Seraphina must delve deep into the secrets of her own past and face unsettlingly
truths about her future.
Seraphina’s journey continues in the sequel, Shadow Scale!
Priest, Cherie. I Am Princess X.
Libby & May were best friends who created their very own superhero, Princess X. But
when Libby died in a car accident three years ago, May assumed the Princess died with
her. When May discovers that Princess X has been reborn in an increasingly popular
webcomic, all her dreams of Libby’s miraculous survival come flooding back. But the more
May digs into the mysterious Princess X comic, the more she suspects that her best friend
really is alive—and she desperately needs May’s help.
Crowder, Melanie. Audacity.
After escaping the vicious attacks on Jewish communities in Russia, Clara Lemlich and
her family have arrived in New York City and Clara cannot help but feel sure that America
is her chance at a new life. Instead Clara quickly ends up working in the dangerous
sweatshops of the city's garment industry. But unlike many other mistreated workers,
Clara refuses to remain silent and joins the growing labor rights’ movement. Clara must
face stark realities for her new life as an activist: is she willing to sacrifice her dreams of
education to work for a larger purpose? Can she bear to disappoint her family’s
expectations? Can she survive to the brutal treatment and abuse awaiting her if she
continues down this road?
Benjamin, Ali. The Thing About Jellyfish.
Since her best friend Franny drowned last summer, Suzy has slowly but surely stopped
talking. Franny was a strong swimmer and Suzy feels certain that there must be another
explanation for her friend’s sudden death. While other students dive into middle school life,
Suzy becomes obsessed with proving that Franny was stung by a rare jellyfish. But as
Suzy’s search for answers grows increasingly complicated and reckless, she risks missing
the possibilities for healing and friendship right in front of her
Smith, Sherri L. Flygirl.
Ever since her daddy taught her to fly his beloved plane, Ida Mae Jones can’t stop dreaming
about flying. But now that Daddy is gone, Ida must keep her feet firmly planted on the ground
to feed her family. Besides, it’s unlikely that a young black woman will be allowed to become
a pilot. Then the U.S. enters World War II and announces the formation of the Women
Airforce Service Pilots. Even though the WASP is only for white women, Ida’s determined to
get back in the air and, with her light skin, she might just be able to pass. Now, she just
needs to keep her secret--and survive.
Smith, Jennifer E. The Geography of You and Me.
Solitary bookworm & native New Yorker Lucy and grief-stricken, recent city transplant
Owen find their lives unexpectedly colliding when a city-wide blackout strands them in the
elevator of their apartment building. Following their rescue, Lucy & Owen explore the
powerless city’s strange wonderland together. But when the power returns, their very
separate realities come rushing back, tugging them apart. Lucy’s globe-trotting parents
move her to Edinburgh just as Owen and his father decide to hit the road, searching for a
new life in the wake of his mother’s death. But Lucy & Owen can’t shake their connection
and through postcards, emails, text messages, & attempted reunions, the two teens
navigate life, love, and the true meaning of home.
Titles selected and annotated by K. Dickinson based on various professional reviews, May 2016.