If you know one thing about me, it’s that realistic fiction is my jam! I’ve met so many young readers recently who also love this genre, and I’m more than happy to share my favorite books with them. Because I’m always reading, many of the books I on this list of realistic fiction for 7th graders are newer releases. So if you want more backlist titles, check out my older list of books for 7th graders. If your kid is always reading up a storm like me, you’ll love this list of newer realistic fiction titles perfect for 7th graders.
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The Best Realistic Fiction Books for 7th Graders
Here are 20 of the best realistic fiction books for 7th graders:
The Hurricane Girls
Published: August 29, 2023
Greer, Joya, and Kiki are three best friends born just after Hurricane Katrina. Now 12 years after the catastrophe, they’re dealing with personal life struggles. Greer feels responsible for an accident that left her sister paralyzed from the waist down and has stopped running track–something she loved dearly before the accident, Kiki is grappling with an absentee father, and Joya is trying to help her financially strained family. Kiki decides that the three girls will sign up for a triathlon to get Greer back into running, but the plan ends up changing all three girls’ lives.
The First Magnificent Summer
Published: May 30, 2023
It’s the 90s, and Tori (Victoria) Reeves is planning the first magnificent summer with her father since he left their family over two years ago. He now has a new partner and two kids but is taking Victoria and her two siblings with his new family camping in Ohio. As the trip progresses, Victoria and her siblings realize that their father hasn’t changed much from the emotionally abusive parent he was. But will he stop Victoria from writing her own story?
Tiger Daughter
Published: August 15, 2023
Wen is a first-gen daughter of Chinese immigrants living in Australia. Her dad is angry because he hasn’t been able to re-qualify as a medical professional in Australia, and he tries to control Wen and her mother’s lives. Wen plans to go to high school far away from their town — she and her best friend at school, another first gen immigrant kid. But when a tragedy occurs in Henry’s family, Wen and her mother must step up to support him if they want to achieve their dreams.
This is a brilliant new middle grade book that is fantastic on audio. Readers should know that a child’s parents takes their own life in the course of the story.
Wink
Published: March 31, 2020
Ross Maloy just wants to be a normal seventh-grader, but he’s been diagnosed with a rare eye cancer and has to do radiotherapy to stay alive — after a surgery that makes him blind in one eye. To top things off, his best friend is moving away and he’s somehow in a band with his school bully. This book is hilarious, precious, and manages to appeal to kids and adults with Ross’s authentic voice.
Invisible
Published: August 2, 2022
Invisible is a powerful, heartwarming graphic novel about immigration, homelessness, racism, and finding your tribe.
Five different students have yet to complete their community service for a school offense and must explain why (as well as what they did) to their principal. Thus, these five seemingly socially invisible kids each share from their perspectives how they got in trouble — and readers are definitely in for a ride. There’s George, the smart kid who Latino, but can’t speak Spanish; Sara, the loner; Dayara, the tough kid, Miguel, the baseball player; and Nico, the rich kid. The story is told in Spanish and English.
Bright
Published: July 5, 2022
Marianne Blume has convinced herself that she’s not smart. She’s gotten through school so far by charming teachers out of questioning her. But her eighth-grade teacher, Mr. Garcia, isn’t easily fooled. To pull up her grades for high school, Marianne tries to win his favor by joining the school’s trivia team (which he coaches). But as the term progresses, Marianne bonds with the trivia kids and learns that there’s more to being smart than book smart — but also, she’s more intelligent than she gives herself credit for.
Jawbreaker
Published: October 24, 2023
Max Plink’s life is rough. She has a Class II malocclusion and has to wear braces, but now her dentist is saying she’ll also need headgear if she wants to avoid dental surgery and fix her teeth for good. To add to the trauma, her sister is being really mean to her, teaming up with school bullies to make fun of her. Her mom won’t stop smoking and her dad keeps drinking, which means the two keep fighting.
Through it all, Max learns the power of her voice and manages to make the best of life’s lemons. This is one the most moving, relatable books I’ve ever read. Kids who like stories with writer protagonists and realistic family dynamics will enjoy this.
Ink Girls
Published: November 21, 2023
This stunning graphic novel follows Cinzia, Avvisi writer’s apprentice living in sunny Sianerra. They write stories/pamphlets to the city with news but not everyone likes when they tell the truth. After an edition exposing the principessa for extortion, cinzia and her mestra are arrested at night and she has to join forces with the princess to fight back against censorship. This is closer to fantasy but without magical elements and set in an old-timey Italian village, so it could work for lovers of realistic fiction too.
Fox Point’s Own Gemma Hopper
Published: April 11, 2023
Fox Point’s Own Gemma Hopper follows 7th grader Gemma Hopper whose mother has left their family. Gemma lives with her dad, older brother Teddy, and their twin younger brothers. While their dad works overtime to fend for the family materially, Gemma is saddled with caring for the home and her twin siblings while also serving as a ball machine/practice partner for her brother, who’s a baseball prodigy of sorts. Understandably, she’s tired and frustrated sometimes.
Her schoolwork is also proving a bit challenging. This school year, her teacher has asked their class to create a family tree project, which Gemma is not thrilled about because of her mother. One day, while practicing with Teddy, she strikes him out with two impressive pitches, capturing the attention of some scouts from a competitive baseball team. All of a sudden, Gemma now also has star potential. Can both siblings find a way to work together? And can Gemma get through the family tree project?
Make a Move Sunny Park!
Published: August 15, 2023
Sunny Park is a socially anxious girl obsessed with her favorite K-Pop band, Supreme Beat. She has one friend, Bailey, and tries to be there as much as possible (to a fault) for her—even when it means quitting ballet which she loved.
But when Bailey drags her to audition for her school’s dance team, Sunny gets in, and Bailey doesn’t. Sunny’s mom insists that Sunny continues on the team, to Bailey’s dismay. As Sunny makes new friends, she starts to realize that maybe Bailey isn’t such a great one.
This was a fun, relatable (at times frustrating) story about standing up for oneself, dance, fandom, and finding true friends. Like Kim’s Yumi Chung, this is on the longer side, but Sunny is an engaging character who I think young readers will identify with.
Something More
Published: June 6, 2023
Something More by Jackie Khalilieh is an original, relatable, and funny young adult novel about autism, family, and coming-of-age.
Jessie is a fifteen-year-old Palestinian-Canadian who’s getting into high school soon after an autism diagnosis. She feels “abnormal,” especially as she doesn’t have a cellphone, but is determined to belong to a friend group and fall in love this school year. However, when she finds herself caught between two very different boys, she realizes that things don’t always go to plan.
The Unofficial Lola Bay Fan Club
Published: April 18, 2023
Sixth graders Iris and her best friend Leeza love singer Lola Bay. But after some mean girls take over their plan to start an official Lola Bay fan club, the girls befriend eighth-grader Dana, who says she’s starting an “unofficial” fan club. Leeza quickly gets bored and finds other interests, while Iris is delighted to be friends with an older girl. But soon, Dana’s actions start to worry Iris. She keeps hacking into websites, then she uses Iris’s parents’ credit card to buy tour tickets! Can Iris find help before it’s too late?
The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn
Published: July 11, 2023
Maudie is a sweet, autistic girl spending the summer with her dad. When her dad’s home is razed in a California wildfire, they move to the small beach town where her father grew up. Throughout the summer, as Maudie makes new friends, starts learning to surf, and enters a surfing contest, a secret tugs at her–one her mother has asked her to keep from her dad.
The Braid Girls
Published: June 13, 2023
In The Braid Girls, Maggie’s summer is off to a rocky start when her parents announce that she has a half-sister—a daughter her father never knew about until now. Callie’s presence throws off soft-spoken Maggie’s dynamic with her outspoken best friend Daija, even more when Callie joins their hair-braiding business. This is a sweet, relatable middle grade book about sisterhood, entrepreneurship, and finding your voice. This book shines in its realistic portrayal of familial complexities and the ups and downs of friendship.
Lo and Behold
Published: May 2, 2023
In Lo and Behold, Addie has reluctantly moved across the country with her dad for his summer job in the virtual reality industry. He’s working on research to use virtual reality (VR) for therapeutic purposes, such as helping people cultivate empathy. Addie is not into VR, but that starts to change when she meets Matteo another kid on campus, and tries out VR on her own. Eventually, the two find a helpful use for VR that helps other people.
The Kate in Between
Published: May 18, 2021
Kate McAllister’s life is in need of a refresh. Her mother has left town chasing the highest tier in an MLM scheme and Kate is living with her cop dad and getting driven to school in his police car. When a bunch of popular kids seems to welcome Kate into their clique, she is torn about ditching her longtime best friend, Haddie. Haddie marches to the beat of her own drum and could care less about being accepted. Things get complicated, however, when Kate is a passive participant in a bullying incident that leads to Haddie sinking on thin ice. Then, Kate is captured on camera saving Haddie, and the video goes viral.
While news outlets hail “Kate the Great” as a shining example for tweens who should not be bullying other kids, Kate continues to oscillate between craving acceptance from the popular kids and trying to keep her friendship with Haddie, all the while maintaining her public image by appearing in newspapers and on popular YouTube channels. But how long can she keep up the charade? And, is Kate great? Or is she a bad person?
Curlfriends: New in Town (A Graphic Novel)
Published: October 10, 2023
Charlie is the new kid for the umpteenth time, but this time things will be different. Her dad is no longer in the military, and this is a more permanent home, so she feels more pressure to find and impress some new friends. When she meets a cool group of Black girls with varying interests, she decides to hide her “babyish” style and hobbies to befriend them. But she soon learns that with true friends, you can be your whole self. This is cute first book in a new graphic novel series about Black hair, girlfriends, fashion, and adjusting to change.
Two Tribes
Published: August 15, 2023
Mia is part of two tribes, although she’s only known one for most of her life. She lives with her Jewish mom and stepfather in California but has always been curious about her father and his Muscogee heritage. Her mom and dad did not have an amicable divorce, so her mother doesn’t like to talk about her dad.
Eventually, Mia’s curiosity gets the best of her, and she uses her Bat Mitzvah money to travel to her father in Oklahoma, telling her mom that she’s at a Jewish camp. There, she learns about her Muscogee family and their culture. But of course, her mom finds out, and Mia is in a fix. Can she embrace both sides of herself even when she’s in California?
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Published: February 4, 2020
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder follows British teen Pippa Fitz-Amobi who’s decided to do her senior capstone project on a local murder case that was closed 5 years ago. Five years ago, high schooler Andie Bell went missing and her boyfriend Sal Singh sent his father a text admitting to the crime, after which he was found in what seemed like an apparent suicide. But Pip doesn’t buy it. With the help of Sal’s younger brother, Ravi, she investigates the events surrounding Andie’s disappearance and Sal’s murder. But the culprit won’t let her find the truth so easily. Can Pippa hack the crime?
Farewell Cuba, Mi Isla
Published: September 5, 2023
1960, Cuba. Cousins Victoria and Jackie love living in their island country with their large family. When when Fidel Castro’s communist government takes hold, things change swiftly leading Victoria’s father to relocate his family to Miami, leaving Jackie and her family behind.
As Victoria adapts to life in the US, Jackie and her family struggle in Cuba—until the family decides to send Jackie over to the States with Operation Peter Pan. But will Jackie ever see her family again. Both girls band together to bring the rest of their family to America. I really enjoyed this historical fiction release based on the author’s mother’s experience as a Cuban refugee.
There they are: 20 of the best realistic fiction books for 7th graders! Which of these books have you read and loved? Which ones are on your radar?
More Books for 7th Graders
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