Friends often ask me for book recommendations for young readers but rather than post the books I’ve enjoyed lately I thought it would be more useful to highlight titles that kids themselves have been excited to share or tell me about. Some of them are from my own children or their friends, but most are books that young readers have shared with me during school visits and through word of mouth.
Bear in mind there is a wide range of content in the ‘middle grade’ bracket and some of these titles are aimed at the younger end of 9-12 year-olds, some for the upper end. It’s always worth taking the time to make sure whatever book you choose is the right fit for the child you have in mind - read the back, look it up on resources like common sense media or ideally, visit your local library together. Children’s librarians are the best at helping readers find what kids might like and more besides. If possible, signing up for a library card of their own is also a great way to foster their engagement.
This page is all about helping children find books they’ll enjoy, about reading for fun, for the sheer joy of being lost in a story or discovering a new world of non-fiction knowledge. Some of the titles below are funny, some are heartbreaking, some are mysterious, adventurous, fantastical or rooted in historical events and many are windows into other worlds and cultures - but all of them have had kids turning the pages, excited to read on. Which is always a good thing.
(PS - if it’s a series, I’m only putting up the first one or two. )
Books and series that kids recommended when they were first starting to read/ early chapter books:
