7th & 8th Grade Reading List

Are you looking for reading material for your 7th or 8th grader? This list has numerous books to choose from. There is also at least one free lesson for each book included on the list. These lessons vary from book to book. Some are comprehensive unit studies or novel guides, while others are simply a set of discussion questions.

All of the lessons below are free, but you will need to obtain the corresponding books. You can borrow them from the library, purchase them used, or click/tap on a book’s cover to buy it on Amazon.

How I Created the List

When creating this list, I looked at what books several different sources recommend for each grade. Often various curriculum providers and book lists will recommend a book for different grade levels. For this list, I used the average of the different recommended grade levels. Because of this, you’ll find that other sources may recommend some of the books on this list for 6th grade or even high school instead of 7th or 8th grade.

Please note: As values, beliefs, and standards vary widely by family, I have not attempted to screen these books for appropriateness. I recommend that you read several reviews before choosing books for your child to read. This post lists several resources you can use to help ensure the books you choose are appropriate for your family.

7th & 8th Grade Reading List

The books below are listed in alphabetical order by title. For additional book options, also check out our lists for other grades.

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Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt

SparkNotes offers a multiple choice quiz on the entire book.

Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray

These lesson plans, made available by The Dock for Learning, include comprehension questions, character study, and vocabulary words.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is now in the public domain, so your child can read the book for free at the Internet Archive.

From Mercy for Marthas, this literature guide provides comprehension questions for each chapter and ideas for paper topic ideas.

NovelWise offers section worksheets, discussion questions, and activities.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

The book is now in the public domain, so your child can read it for free at the Internet Archive.

Rise to Reading has comprehension questions for each chapter.

NovelWise offers section worksheets, discussion questions, and activities.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is now in the public domain, so your child can read the book for free at the Internet Archive.

Easy Fun School provides comprehension questions, vocabulary words, and activities for each chapter.

This lesson plan, created by Helbling Readers Blog, includes comprehension questions, lessons about themes and setting, extension activities, and more. You’ll find part one of the lesson plan here and part two here.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

NovelWise provides worksheets, graphic organizers, discussion questions, and activity ideas.

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables is now in the public domain, so your child can read the book for free at the Internet Archive.

This study guide created by 7 Sisters Homeschool includes comprehension questions, vocabulary words, character analysis, writing assignments, and suggested supplemental activities.

Easy Fun School provides discussion questions, vocabulary words, and activity ideas for the book.

Bearstone by Will Hobbs

NovelWise provides section worksheets, discussion questions, and activities for the book.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Rise to Reading has comprehension questions, vocabulary words, and writing prompts for each chapter.

Scholastic’s reading guide includes questions to guide the student’s reading and discussion questions about the book’s plot, setting, theme, and characters.

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

This lesson plan, made available by Teacher Bulletin, includes comprehension questions, vocabulary exercises, grammar lessons, and extension activities.

This literature guide from Mercy for Marthas provides comprehension questions for each chapter.

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

The book is now in the public domain, so your child can read it for free at the Internet Archive.

Mercy for Marthas offers comprehension questions for each chapter.

Easy Fun School provides a list of activities for students to do as they read the book.

NovelWise provides section worksheets, discussion questions, and activities for the book.

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham

Homeschool Helper Online’s unit study includes discussion questions and activities.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

The book is now in the public domain, so your child can read it for free at the Internet Archive.

Easy Fun School provides comprehension questions and word search puzzles for the book.

NovelWise provides section worksheets, discussion questions, and activities for the book.

This worksheet set was designed to be used in conjunction with IPA Productions’ A Christmas Carol performance; however, many of the pages will work well with the book or other productions of the play.

The Clay Marble by Minfong Ho

NovelWise provides section worksheets, discussion questions, and activities for the book.

The Diary of a Young Girl  by Anne Frank

Free Unit Studies offers comprehension questions, vocabulary words, and activity ideas for the book.

At AnneFrank.org,  your child can take virtual tours of the Secret Annex and the Frank’s home they lived in before the Secret Annex. They can also read more about Anne Frank’s life and view pictures of the Frank family.

The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli

This resource, provided by The College of William and Mary, includes comprehension questions and activities.

The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

Macmillan Publishers made this teacher’s guide available. It includes discussion questions for several books written by Rosemary Sutcliff.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

This educator’s resource guide, provided by Walden Media, includes discussion questions, writing assignments, ethics discussion, debate topics, and more.

Mrs. Hilliker’s ELA & EL Website provides lessons in character perspectives, conflict analysis, making inferences, themes, plot, and more. The lessons include worksheets and videos.

This set of chapter quizzes can be found at Teachers Pay Teachers.

The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Mercy for Marthas’ guide has comprehension questions for each chapter.

Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Heidi is now in the public domain, so your child can read the book for free at the Internet Archive.

This novel study, found on Teachers Pay Teachers, provides comprehension questions for the book.

Homeschool Helper Online created this printable notebooking page that could be used for writing chapter summaries, character analysis, or copywork.

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

Woo! Jr. Kids provides comprehension and vocabulary worksheets for the book.

The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton

The Catholic High School of Baltimore has made a set of comprehension questions available.

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

Rise to Reading provides comprehension questions for each chapter of the book.

Jo’s Boys by Louisa Mae Alcott

Jo’s Boys is now in the public domain, so your child can read the book for free at the Internet Archive.

Students can listen to an audiobook of Jo’s Boys at Librivox.

This literature guide, created by Mercy for Marthas, contains questions for each chapter.

The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter

Penguin Random House’s teacher’s guide includes reading comprehension questions, discussion questions, writing activities, and vocabulary words.

Little Men by Louisa Mae Alcott

Little Men is now in the public domain, so your child can read the book for free at the Internet Archive.

Students can listen to an audiobook of Little Men at Librivox.

Mercy for Marthas’ literature guide provides questions for each chapter of the book.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women is now in the public domain, so your child can read the book for free at the Internet Archive.

Mercy for Marthas’ literature guide has comprehension questions for each chapter of the book.

Rise to Reading has comprehension questions, vocabulary words, and wiring prompts for the book.

This quiz, found on Teachers Pay Teachers, has 40 questions about the book.

Night by Elie Wiesel

NovelWise provides worksheets, graphic organizers, discussion questions, and activity ideas.

Facing History offers this teaching guide that includes discussion questions, history lessons, worksheets, a vocabulary glossary, and more. You will need to create a free account to download the materials.

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

The Library of Congress offers a printable guided reading journal for the book and resources for learning more about the Dust Bowl.

Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter

Pollyanna is now in the public domain, and you can read it for free at the Internet Archive.

The Charlotte Museum of History provides a set of discussion questions for the book.

After reading the book, your child may also like to watch the Pollyanna movie on YouTube.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

This reading guide, created by Scholastic, includes comprehension questions and lessons on plot, setting, themes, characters, and more.

Rise to Reading provides comprehension questions, vocabulary words, and writing prompts for each chapter.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Secret Garden is now in the public domain, so your child can read the book for free at the Internet Archive.

This mini-unit, created by Easy Fun School, has discussion questions, vocabulary words, and activities.

Mosswood Connections provides comprehension questions, ideas for reports & papers, vocabulary words, extension activities, and a quiz.

The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood

This discussion guide, made available by Wise Owl Factory, has questions for each chapter.

Life Beyond the Lesson Plan’s literature unit includes discussion questions, as well as history, geography, language arts, and art activities.

The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox

Books on Tape’s teacher’s guide includes pre-reading activities, discussion questions, interdisciplinary connections, and vocabulary words.

Oswego Public Library’s book guide provides background information and discussion questions.

Spring Tide by Mary Ray

Mercy for Marthas provides questions for each chapter in their literature guide.

The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss

The book is now in the public domain, so your child can read it for free at the Internet Archive.

Homeschool Helper Online offers activity suggestions for each chapter. They also have a printable unit study with worksheets for students to record what they learn. To download this, you’ll need to sign up to get access to their free resource library.

Bookroo has a short multiple-choice quiz for the book.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Treasure Island is now in the public domain, so your child can read it for free at the Internet Archive.

Easy Fun School’s unit study includes comprehension questions, vocabulary words, and activities for the book.

NovelWise offers worksheets, graphic organizers, discussion questions, and activity ideas.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Scholastic offers a reading guide for the book that includes questions to guide the student’s reading and discussion questions about the book’s plot, setting, theme, and characters.

Rise to Reading has comprehension questions and vocabulary words for the book.

NovelWise provides section worksheets, discussion questions, and activities for the book.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

This worksheet set from abcteach includes comprehension questions and vocabulary.

Continue Well in Your Home School has created a set of study questions for each chapter of the book.

The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

The Yearling is now in the public domain, so your child can read the book for free at the Internet Archive.

NovelWise offers chapter worksheets, discussion questions, and activity ideas.

This lapbook printable from Homeschool Share covers characters, setting, vocabulary, and more.

I hope your child enjoys reading these books!

More Free Reading Curriculum & Resources

Grade Level Reading Lists – These are our reading lists for 3rd grade through high school. There is a free lesson or novel study for each listed book.

Free Language Arts Curriculum – Here you’ll find curriculum for reading, literature, phonics, book guides, and poetry. There are also options for grammar, composition, spelling, vocabulary, and handwriting. There is something for every grade, from preschool through high school.

Free eBooks – This post tells where to find free eBooks for the entire family.

Free Audiobooks – This post shares where to find free audiobooks for all ages.

How to Choose Age Appropriate Books – If you need help choosing appropriate books for your children, this post includes several free resources you can use.

Note: This post was originally published on June 8, 2021, and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.