The 50 Best Books for
7- and 8-Year-Olds
by Melissa Taylor
At seven and eight, children can concentrate for longer periods of time and are developing strong interests. It’s a significant time of growth for a child’s reading life, too. Children gain better comprehension skills, vocabulary, reading strategies, and confidence. All this happens when kids are immersed in books. Every day. For sustained periods of time.
That being said, this is also a time when learning differences show up. If your child is not improving in reading, it’s important to determine why and get help. Public schools can evaluate your child for free, or you can get a private evaluation from an independent psychologist.
As with most skills, practice makes better. We want our 7- and 8-year-olds reading books that are just right for their reading level and that they love.
So, what books will keep your children reading voraciously? Our panel of experts collaborated to find the 50 best books for 7- and 8-year-olds — great books that will spark their interest and keep them engaged.
Heading out to your local library or bookstore? You can download the full version of the list here.
-
Picture Books
Not just for little kids, picture books provide elementary-age children with meaningful illustrated stories that build background knowledge, improve vocabulary, teach valuable lessons, and inspire imagination. Try our favorite picture book selections for the 7- and 8-year-old crowd. We think your kids will love them.
-
Squids Will Be Squids
Also available from: Actual Size
Preorder from: Exclamation Mark
Preorder from: -
Battle Bunny
Preorder from: Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems
Also available from: -
Ordinary People Change the World Series
Also available from: Grandfather Gandhi
Preorder from:
-
Beginning Chapter Books
Beginning chapter books are the next step after early readers and a big deal for kids. Chapter books signify to kids that they’re becoming a “grown-up” reader. Celebrate this stage when it comes, but make sure your children are ready are ready for it. (Use the 5-Finger Test to help.)
-
Dragonbreath
Also available from: Anna Hibiscus
Preorder from: The World According to Humphrey
Also available from: -
Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel
Also available from: A Horn for Louis
Also available from: -
The Haunted Library #1
Also available from: Rickshaw Girl
Also available from: -
My Father’s Dragon
Also available from: Over My Dead Body
Preorder from:
-
Next Level Chapter Books
When your child breezes through beginning chapter books, it’s time to move on to harder selections. Books like the ones below will provide just enough of a challenge to encourage reading growth and develop literacy. Plus, they’re all excellent, kid-favorite choices.
-
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Also available from: Who Was...? Series
Preorder from: -
I Survived Series
Preorder from: -
Toys Go Out
Also available from: Charlotte’s Web
Preorder from: Ivy and Bean
Preorder from: -
Esperanza Rising
Preorder from: Beezus and Ramona
Preorder from: Jenny and the Cat Club
Also available from: -
Zita the Spacegirl
Preorder from:
-
More Challenging Books to Share with an Adult
Even books that are challenging for kids to read independently can be perfect for reading aloud. That’s because a child’s auditory comprehension is always a bit higher than their reading comprehension. Any of the books in this section can be shared at bedtime, in the classroom, or as an audiobook in the car.
-
D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths
Also available from: -
Learn more about the experts behind this reading list.
Get the printable version of the list.
Explore our 50 Best series to get great recommendations for other ages.