7th Grade Audiobooks

[Sandra Grady]

TheMysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

13 hours and 17 minutes

I read this book back when I was a school librarian and have been a fan ever since. We listened to the whole 13+ hour audiobook in the car and my two older girls both LOVED it. As soon as we finished, Ella checked out the rest of the series and listened to them in a week (oh, to have that much listening time. . . ). The book begins with a strange ad in the newspaper asking super smart children to apply and when four children pass the test put before them. Now their job is to go on a secret mission at a mysterious school called the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, and puzzles, tests, and riddles will be everywhere they turn. The television series on Disney+ is also REALLY great.

The Green Ember by S.D. Smith

7 hours and 55 minutes

This series takes a fun spin on a fantastical story with lead characters Heather and Picket rabbit. They make their way through a land filled with kingdoms, tyrants, and ultimately prove that good conquers evil in the end. This is the first book in a great series!

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

3 hours and 45 minutes

This was a middle grade audiobook we listened to a few years ago and I was just completely overwhelmed by how GOOD this story about siblings that run away from home and live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art is. This woman is a master writer.

Chronicles of Narnia: Complete Audio Collection by C.S. Lewis

33 hours and 45 minutes

During World War II, four siblings are sent to the countryside of London where they are to be kept safe from the war. One of the children finds a wardrobe that has the ability to transport them to a completely different world called Narnia. This series is full of excitement and adventure and has been beloved for generations.

Tuesdays at the Castle series by Jessica Day George

6 hours and 21 minutes

My girls are OBSESSED with this series. We listened to the first one in the car and now both of my older girls have listened to the rest of the series on their own.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

5 hours and 43 minutes

This might be one of my top five all-time favorite books. When Ella read it without me, it just about killed me and then I had to go back and read it aloud to all my girls.

I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives by Martin Ganda

8 hours and 51 minutes

This is a fantastic non-fiction story of two international pen pals that start as a school project and become life long friends. I included this one on the 2018 Summer Reading Guide.

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

3 hours and 47 minutes

I only know Holm from the Babymouse series, so it was fun to read this historical fiction novel about a girl sent to live with distant relatives during the Great Depression and sets off with her cousins to find buried treasure. This book is funny, sweet, and not too long. Definitely a winner.

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

3 hours and 30 minutes

Ella listened to this whole series and loved every second of it. My sister has three boys and they are obsessed with it too. There are 13 books in the series and these stories of Vikings and dragons are fast paced and delightful.

The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo

4 hours and 19 minutes

Baby Beatryce is found in the stalls at the monastery. She is dirty, bloody, sick as can be and clinging to a goat. As the monks take care of Beatryce, they figure out she has powers the king wants and he will do anything to get his hands on the girl.

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser

5 hours and 39 minutes

We just finished this one in the car last week, and it was such a fun story about five siblings who are about to lose their beloved brownstone home in Harlem, thanks to a cantankerous (and mysterious) landlord who refuses to budge.

The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris

4 hours and 13 minutes

A street magician runs away and finds something he never expects in a sleepy New England town- friends and magic! He teams up with his new found friends to save the town from villainous B.B. Bosso!

The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson

8 hours and 19 minutes

The three gifted Igiby siblings pull together their smarts, heart, and courage to defeat the evil Fangs of Dang who have crossed the dark sea to rule the land with malice. This audiobook also includes a PDF of maps, illustrations and character guides.

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

8 hours and 14 minutes

Ella blew through the whole series and then insisted Bart listen to them too. Like a good dad he did, he started them and then loved them just as much as she did. Highly recommend!

Wings of Fire by Shannon McManus

8 hours and 32 minutes

This new middle grade fantasy fiction is a gripping tale about seven dragon tribes that have been at war for generations. A plot is hatched to finally bring an end to the fighting but the five dragonets that are at the heart have a different plan.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

3 hours and 42 minutes

Ella (like so many readers before her) was completely absorbed by this story of a boy alone in the wilderness trying to survive after a plane crash.

After a failed escape from her boarding school, Abigail discovers her school is actually an elite spy-training program! She goes through a crash course in Spy Training 101 in order to find her recently gone missing, mother, who is also a top agent!

A great survival story, Sam is so unhappy living with his family in New York City that he runs away to the Catskill Mountains. He learns about courage, danger and independence as he figures out how to survive all on his own.

Morrigan Crow was born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, and thus lives a cursed life. As she awaits her fate, she is whisked away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor. She learns that to stay in the safety of Nevermoor she has to compete in four difficult trials and discover her own extraordinary talent- or have to leave the city and face her deadly fate.

Alice, a brave young cottontail rabbit has to figure out how to work with the others animals on the farm, including some that would rather eat her, in order to save the farm from developers that would rather bulldoze it.

The Genius Files by Dan Gutman

6 hours and 8 minutes

In this fun novel, Coke and Pepsi have to evade their crazed health teacher and two guys in bowler hats by accomplishing some pretty crazy feats. Jumping off cliffs, escaping their burning school and jumping off sand dunes are just a few of the challenges they face in this thrilling tale.

This three in one audiobook is the basis of the animated movie, Legend of the Guardians. It Is the story of Soren, Gylfie, Twilight and Digger as they seek the truth, reunite with their families and protect the owl world from danger.

Genius Charlie Thorne is in the race of her life to solve a 2000 year old mystery, in which she has to fight against ruthless enemies, match wits with Cleopatra and prevent the most powerful treasure of the ancient world from falling into the hands of evil. This novel has it all and be sure to check out all the books in the series!

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

5 hours and 45 minutes

I grew up on these books (I lived in Wisconsin until I was almost 7 and we went to the rebuilt Little House in the Big Woods which I still remember very clearly) and waited my whole life to have children of my own to read them to. When Ella was in kindergarten, we read the first four books together and my girls have listened to the audio dozens of times since then.

When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson

3 hours and 42 minutes

You might think a graphic novel is really best enjoyed when you can see the . . . you know, graphics. But the audio version of this stunning book is out to prove you wrong with a full-cast narration that brings this true story of a young boy living in a refuge camp in Kenya, caring for his non-verbal younger brother and trying to attend school to life in the most stunning way. In fact, people who have listened to this audiobook tell me they feel sorry for people who read it on paper instead of getting to experience the audio version. This is a terrific one for both older middle grade readers and adults!

Matilda combines all the elements of a Roald Dahl classic: awful teachers and caregivers, brilliant kids, a ton of humor, and a little bit of magic. For decades, middle grade readers have loved rooting for whip-smart (and superpowered) Matilda as she struggles to triumph over parents who keep her down and a downright monstrous head of school, Ms. Trunchbull. The dulcet and expressive tones of actress Kate Winslet will grab listeners, as she brings the story to life with energy and warmth.

Fans of spooky stories like A Tale Dark and Grimm will love this new take on a beloved Haitian folktale. The Jumbies follows Corinne La Mer, a fearless girl who unwittingly unleashes a dangerous force upon her town the day she enters the local forbidden forest, home of the jumbies. Corinne must summon all her courage and magic to stop Severine, the beautiful and dangerous creature intent on taking over Haiti for the jumbies. Narrator Robin Miles, who has narrated more than three hundred books and who helped popularize the audiobook medium, uses her voice talent to captivate readers with the suspenseful, lyrical tale.

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