Middle school.
lt’s awkward,
self-conscious
students finding
out what vibe
really fits them &
not their friends,
so of course
it has its own
age category
when it comes
to literature.
Enter middle grade books.
Some eighth graders are more into video games than their grades. (I was one such teen). Some fifth graders are experimenting with makeup. Some seventh graders, meanwhile, still haven’t had their first crush. The landscape of middle grade books is similarly hilly and confusing.
Books that would be perfect for the high school student next door might also be a great fit for your bookish sixth grader. Other middle schoolers can’t stomach anything that’s not a graphic novel or the newest volume of a manga. Some older students love a simpler, nostalgic read that might be technically below their “reading score” but reaches parts of them that Lexile numbers can’t.
Every generation likes to make jokes about “the kids these days.” It’s practically a rite of passage. Truth be told, the kids these days have more activities competing for their attention than ever before. There are screens everywhere they turn, their parents are busier, their friends are in more clubs, and the homework doesn’t stop. Encouraging them to slow down with a book helps to calm their racing, oversaturated minds.
In this era of podcasts, YouTube videos, and other multimedia content, audiobooks can be a great way to connect your middle schooler with storytelling. Audiobooks still count as reading. They’re not cheating! Try listening to an audiobook in the car during a road trip. You could even encourage time away from the screen with a graphic audiobook or another innovative way to tell stories that might catch your child’s interest.
Finding books that your kids enjoy, helping them to nurture a love of reading, is often more important than reaching a goal page count. Especially in the precarious middle school years of grades five through eight.
I asked Middle Grade Librarian Marianna Ciccia and Teen Librarian Carter Lubelski to help me out with this month’s book list. You’ll notice that there are a range of ages that each book is appropriate for. This is based on the book’s complexity and content. You know your child best; what might be right for one child might not be right for another.
If you need any help choosing books for the kids in your life, our children’s librarians are happy to help you!
Grace Downey
Readers’ Services Librarian
