Best Books for 7-Year-Olds

By now your seven-year-old is choosing their own books. Presenting your child with as many options as possible is the best way to set them up for success at school. This is why it’s important your home library has a diverse collection of books for your child to pick from, as it will help them find books they love that are at their reading level. 

At this point in your child’s reading journey, they can focus for longer periods and may be ready for more challenging books. They’re also developing their own specific interests — and books are a fantastic way to encourage this curiosity. So whether your child enjoys stories about fantasy and magic or tales of friendship and adventure, you’re sure to find something they’ll love with our top picks. 

Best-Selling Series

When beginning readers discover a book series they love, they’ll want to read every story to find out what happens to their favorite characters. Scholastic’s early chapter book line, Branches, is aimed at newly independent readers and designed to help them make the transition from picture books to beginning chapter books. These easy-to-read titles cover a whole array of genres — from mystery to humor to wild adventure with magical creatures — and are perfect for building comprehension and confidence. 

One such series is Owl Diaries, which follows the exciting adventures of a curious little owl named Eva Wingdale. Using adorable illustrations to bring her world to life, Eva shares her experiences and thoughts on everything she does, from going to the beach to taking a trip to a pumpkin farm.   

The I Survived historical fiction series by Lauren Tarshis is a fantastic way to introduce your child to stories about history and support what they’re learning in class. Kids will relate to the main characters in high-octane adventure stories like I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001 and I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 as the protagonists recount their experiences living through life-changing events.   

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Popular Nonfiction and STEAM 

Nonfiction might not be the first genre that comes to mind when you think of fun books for seven-year-olds, but nonfiction titles create a thirst for knowledge as well as build vocabulary and fuel curiosity. 

Every cool kid has an interest in planets and the universe. Space: The Definitive Visual Catalog takes readers on an unforgettable journey through our solar system and into outer space. With incredibly detailed color photographs, this stunning book is full of incredible facts that will amaze every age group.  

For kids interested in matters closer to home, the What If You Had…? series explores what life would be like if you looked in the mirror one day and found you had an elephant trunk instead of your own nose, or if T. rex teeth had replaced your own chompers! Young readers will love using their imagination to learn about animals and understand why their body parts are just right for them.  

Top Graphic Novels 

Kids love graphic novels and it’s easy to see why: They’re often funny books! But more importantly, educators agree that graphic novels are a great way to give struggling young readers a boost. One reason for this is that the comic-book-like illustrations help children to decode text that they might not have understood. This, in turn, can help reluctant readers become avid ones. The graphic novel format can also be used to bridge the gap for children who have advanced past early readers but aren’t yet ready for chapter books.  

Kids can’t get enough of the adventures of Dog Man — the crime-biting canine from Dav Pilkey. The first book in the best-selling series introduces our part-dog, part-man hero as he scampers around attempting to bring crooks to justice. But be warned! Seven-year-olds will want to read every single title in this laugh-out-loud collection of fun books. 

Also by Dav Pilkey is the illustrated graphic novel series Captain Underpants, which tells the hilarious but heartwarming story of two friends, George and Harold, who write comics and start their own comic book company. With full color illustrations, fun dialogue, and minimal text, these epic tales will keep kids laughing and reading all the way through second grade. 

Encourage a love of reading with help from our guide, which includes book recommendations by interest, tips for getting your child to read for fun, and much more. Plus, look ahead with favorite books for 8-year-olds. 

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