Here is an official list of books from a school librarian, so that your child never has to wonder what to read next. We’ve divided this grade-wise, but feel free to cross over to the higher grades, if your child has advanced reading skills. We recommend you read along as well, for double the fun!
By Deepika Mehta
Reading list for kids in GRADE 6
Land of Stories by Chris Colfer
Chris Colfer’s books are so popular that there is a scramble for them all the time. Every sixth grader wants to read the entire series to learn what happens in the next adventure.
In the words of one of our sixth graders, Suhani, “It’s almost as if you are forced to read the next book. When I read Harry Potter, I had to see the movie to relate to the images but in the Land of Stories, the picture is instantly in your mind and it’s as if we, ourselves, are going on a most exciting adventure.”
SOME MORE RECOMMENDED SERIES:
Enid Blyton’s: The Naughtiest Girl, Malory Towers, St. Clare’s, Five Find Outers and Secret Seven, Ruskin Bond(s), Roald Dahl(s), Narnia(s), The Unfortunate Events and Scholastic Horrible Histories, Geography, Science(s).
Reading list for kids in Grade 7
A Little Piece of Ground by Elizabeth Laird
It’s the story of two Palestinian friends who loved to play football and when the curfew is lifted (during the war with Israel), how they play football on a little piece of ground where a deep and poignant friendship forms between the two boys. This book stays with you long after you have finished reading it.
Another must-read by the same author is Oranges in No Man’s Land. It’s an extremely moving story about a sick grandmother and her grandchild during the Israeli war and how the grandchild risks her life to get the grandmother her medicine.
SOME MORE RECOMMENDATIONS:
Adventures with Feluda by Satyajit Ray
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Letters from a Father to a Daughter by Jawaharlal Nehru
The Diary of Anne Frank (Autobiography)
Reading list for kids in Grade 8
What Can I Give by Srijan Pal Singh
This is a memoir of Dr A P J Abdul Kalam by his closest student, Srijan Pal Singh, who had given up a very lucrative job offer in the beginning of his career, straight after his studies, to become Dr Kalam’s protégé. Theirs was a very special, unforgettable bond and a journey together, which he relates so vividly that one can almost hear Dr Kalam talking while sharing his intimate thoughts, knowledge and wisdom, with a foresight and intuition far ahead of his time. It is on the lines of the book, Tuesdays with Morrie but having read both, I feel each book has carved its own way to reach you and most definitely a must-read.
SOME MORE RECOMMENDATIONS:
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
Agatha Christie(s)
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
The Gita by Roopa Pai
The Moghul Series by Alex Rutherford
Reading list for kids in Grade 9
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
A modern masterpiece from Italy’s most popular author, this is a heart-warming story about two friends, Elena and Lila, as well as the story of a nation and a tribute to friendship.
The story begins in the 1950s, and through these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighbourhood, a city, and a country as it is and proves herself yet again to be one of Italy’s great storytellers with its gripping masterplot and delightful narrative style.
MORE GRADE 9 RECOMMENDATIONS:
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Illusions by Richard Bach
PG Wodehouse(s)
Stories of Hope and Courage by Harsh Mander
What Can I Give by Srijan Pal Singh
The Gita by Roopa Pai
Reading list for kids in Grade 10
Calling Sehmat by Harinder Sikka
It’s about a young Kashmiri college girl, Sehmat, who follows her father’s footsteps and transforms from an ordinary girl into a deadly spy.
She then gets married to a well-connected Pakistani General’s son with a mission to regularly pass on information to the Indian intelligence. She does this with extreme courage and alacrity till she stumbles on information that could destroy the Navy of her country. Inspired from real-life events, Calling Sehmat is a spy thriller that brings life to the story of this unsung heroine of war.
MORE GRADE 10 RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelo
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery
Despite Stolen Dreams by Anita Krishan
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
Homo Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
Sita by Devdutt Pattanaik
Reading list for kids in Grade 11
Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
The journey of an ailing Professor and his student and sharing his life’s lessons with his student to empower him to understand the world at large in a bigger and better way—a masterpiece!
MORE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR GRADE 11:
Roots by Alex Haley
What Can I Give by Srijan Pal Singh
Rumi – A New Transalation by Farrukh Dhondhy
Shall We Tell the President? by Jeffrey Archer
God Explained in a Taxi Ride by Paul Arden
When Breath becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
The Pearl that Broke its Shell by Nadia Hashimi
Looking Away by Harsh Mander
The Book of Ram by Devdutt Pattanaik
Embrace the Chaos by Bob Miglani
Reading list for kids in Grade 12
The Origin by Dan Brown
In the words of an ardent Dan Brown fan, “The book Origin is a very bold answer to mankind’s oldest questions: Where do we come from? Where are we going? With actual places and events, it’s yet another intriguing tale and what if the premise of this book was true? It would alter so many paradigms…”
MORE GRADE 12 RECOMMENDATIONS:
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Have A Little Faith by Mitch Albom
What Can I Give by Srijan Pal Singh
The Prophet by Khalil Gibran
First Among Equals by Jeffrey Archer
Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari
Looking Away by Harsh Mander
Jaya by Devdutt Pattanaik
Embrace the Chaos by Bob Miglani
(The writer is TGT Librarian at Shiv Nadar School, Gurugram.)
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