If you’ve made your way to this article, you’re no doubt wondering what books your seven-year-old should be reading; after all, it’s only natural to want to pay close attention to your child’s reading development and do everything you can to further their reading skills as they progress through school.
The above questions, however, can be interpreted in two ways, namely: are there any specific types of books your child should read when they’re aged seven, or is there a what level of reading books should my child be reading throughout their seventh year.
Ultimately, it’s actually quite difficult to provide an absolute answer to either of these questions, given that reading ability varies wildly – even amongst children of the same age. In reality, any child should read books that both match their current ability and are slightly above their current ability, as this will help them to build confidence and improve their reading skills.
To expand on this slightly, however, when choosing books for your seven-year-old, there are three things to take into account:
Humor: Let’s face it, all seven-year-olds think they are the funniest human being in existence…so books with silly storylines, joke books, hilarious poetry, and the like will typically always go down well. At the end of the day, kids like fun, and what’s more fun than silliness when you’re seven? Not much!
Age-specific: By the age of seven, your child may have started to outgrow their favorite books, so it’s time to put the kindergarten classics aside and focus more on more age-appropriate books. As mentioned above, it’s essential to challenge your child’s reading skills in order for them to improve, so don’t be afraid to pick up the odd difficult read from time to time.
Variety: Now is the time to introduce variety into your child’s library. Fiction, non-fiction, and poetry should all be introduced to ensure your seven-year-old progresses as well as their ability allows. Remember, the key to improving is by challenging their reading skills, which you can achieve by offering various book types.
Now we’ve looked at the three main factors you should consider before buying books for your seven-year-old; let’s explore some of what we feel are some fantastic book choices to continue your child’s reading development while having fun at the same time!
11 Books Perfect For Seven-Year-Olds
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
At around the age of seven, your child will be introduced to poetry, so why not get them poetry books to enjoy at home? Shel Silverstein is a popular author, and this brilliantly-illustrated poetry book is a sure-fire way to get your child interested in poetry! The poems are hilarious, which makes it fun for children and adults alike – so you’ll have plenty of laughs when you sit down together to read this poetry book, that’s for sure!
Katie Fry, Private Eye: The Lost Kitten by Katherine Cox
If you’ve considered introducing a book series to your little one but aren’t sure they’re quite ready for chapter books yet, the Katie Fry: Private Eye series by Katherine Cox is the perfect choice. Aimed at children who are currently at level two phonics, this series takes your seven-year-old on a mystery-solving adventure with the child detective, Katie Fry. We’ve specifically identified the first book in this series as it’s perfect for the reading level of seven-year-olds…plus, it’s so much fun, too!
How Things Work: Inside Out by National Geographic Kids
As we mentioned above, introducing children to a wide variety of book types and genres is key to enhancing their reading skills, as well as their overall development. Most books that children read during their earlier school years will typically be fiction; however, seven is a great age to introduce your little one to non-fiction, particularly if they’re interested in the world around them.
This book by National Geographic Kids shows children how things work (as you can probably tell from the title!) and is a fantastic way to help them understand everyday life objects and what goes on in the world. When I showed this book to my seven-year-old, I could almost hear the cogs whirring around inside his head!
The Never Girls Collection by Kiki Thorpe
If your seven-year-old is becoming a confident and proficient reader, it’s high time to introduce them to a chapter-based series of books, as it’s the perfect way to improve their comprehension further. The ‘Never Girls ‘ series takes place in Peter Pan’s backyard – good old Neverland – and focuses on Tinkerbell and her friends’ adventures. The great thing about a book series is that if your child gets hooked, they’ll want to keep reading and reading and reading, which is the best way to become even better!
Just Joking by National Geographic Kids
Brimming full of silly jokes, tongue twisters, limericks, riddles, and other forms of hilarity, this book by National Geographic is the best choice for seven-year-olds who love to be silly and have a laugh! My seven-year-old found it so funny that we had to stop using it as his bedtime storybook as he laughed himself awake. Seriously! We, as parents, know how important having fun is both in life in general as part of education and learning, so joke books like this one really will help your child’s development on so many different levels.
Ivy & Bean Boxed Set by Annie Barrows
The Ivy and Bean boxset perfectly illustrates how unlikeable friendships can blossom from a single gesture, something that is an important life lesson for children. However, this collection of books about two best friends won’t just teach your seven-year-old about life lessons; it will also help them to excel where reading is concerned, too! We like to recommend book collections and series as if your child likes the first book, their desire to keep reading will grow, which will be highly beneficial for them.
Dog Man by Dav Pilkey
Alongside non-fiction and poetry, comics are another form of reading material that is great for combining learning with fun – and Dog Man is a whole heap of fun! Written by Captain Underpants’ creator, Dav Pilkey, you can be rest assured that this will be hilarious and educational all rolled into one. Although many parents view comics as being lowbrow and non-educational, this comic is far from both of these. It will certainly help to boost reading comprehension…in the most fun way possible!
The Best Seat in Second Grade by Katherine Kenah
Although this book’s cover isn’t exciting as many other children’s books (what’s that saying again? Something about judging a book by its cover…?!), it’s a superb choice for second-grade students. Why? Because the storyline will keep them engaged and fully absorbed and engrossed in what’s happening, which is what you want from a book, right? This particular story follows a young fellow called Sam who is super excited to sit in the best seat in the class – the one right next to the class pet. However, Sam decides to take things a step further and take the class Hamster on a school trip. I won’t spoil the ending, but I’m sure you and your little one will not stop reading until you find out what happens!
The Best Chef in Second Grade by Katherine Kenah
Another book from the ‘I Can Read Level 2’ series…and another exciting page-turner that won’t disappoint! Meet Ollie, a young boy who is convinced he’s terrible at everything in life – even cooking, which is something he absolutely loves to do. When Ollie finds out a famous chef is visiting his town, he works extra hard to pull out all the stops and impress. But will he…? You’ll have to read to find out! It is a wonderfully exciting yet relaxing read that will have your seven-year-old hooked from the first word to the last.
The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz
As we’ve yet to include a bedtime story in this list, it’s about time did – and what better way to do it than with this beautifully illustrated bedtime book by Laura Amy Schlitz?
The Night Fairy follows a night fairy named Flory who loses her wings and her ability to fly, quickly learning just how scary the big wide world around her can be – something that many children will feel themselves when they’re at school or simply going about their everyday life surrounded by adults and lots of big, scary things!
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Leading on from the book above, The Tale of Despereaux also focuses on feelings that a seven-year-old (and children of all ages) may experience as they’re growing up, namely feeling small and not feeling brave. However, once they read about a brave little mouse called Despereaux, your little one might suddenly feel filled with bravery and confidence!
Books for Seven Years Old: A Few Final Thoughts
When your child reaches the age of seven, it’s common for them to feel much more confident when reading, which means they’ll often be happy to take on new challenges and try new books – even if they’re a little too advanced for them. Now is the time to broaden their reading horizons, trying out new book types and genres, and doing everything you can to expand their reading material. Even if your child’s reading isn’t perhaps as advanced as some of their classmates, it’s still important to challenge them, as it is the only way to improve their skills. Learning to read is a long and bumpy road, but one that must be embraced – and hopefully, the books listed above should help your child learn and have fun all at the same time!