For a 7-year-old who just finished
by Roald Dahl
Pick 1 of 3
by Robert C. O'Brien
Age fit: 8–12 · 780L (~4th grade) · Right at their current reading level · Middle grade · 1975
A genuinely intelligent adventure where the protagonist solves problems with her mind, not magic—the rats are neither evil nor saviors, and Mrs. Frisby's ordinary maternal courage is the entire book's engine.
Pick 2 of 3
by Ingrid Law
Age fit: 9–12 · 780L (~4th grade) · Right at their current reading level · Middle grade · 2009
A genuinely imaginative family-magic novel where the magic is actually a metaphor for discovering who you are at thirteen — tender, funny, and worth the rereads.
Pick 3 of 3
by James A. Levine
Age fit: 8–12 · 720L (~4th grade) · Right at their current reading level · 287 pages · Middle grade · 2014
A genuinely moving survival story told from a dog's point of view—Levine's sensory prose makes the street-dog experience immediate and poignant without being manipulative, and kids emerge with real empathy for urban animal homelessness.
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