Today we bring you part two of librarians’ picks for the best middle-grade fiction of 2022. Each year, the School Library Journal names its top books. We share four more of their selections for readers eight through twelve with your today. The books are presented in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. Descriptions come […]
Need help picking out books for your middle-grade reader at the library or bookstore? Who better to ask than librarians? The School Library Journal has released its list of top books for 2022. Over the next few weeks, we’ll introduce you to a dozen of their top pick for readers ages eight to twelve. This […]
With shorter days and cooler weather, it’s a great time of year to cozy up on the couch and stream a movie or series. Several shows based on middle-grade books are available now. Make an experience of it. Choose a book. Read it aloud together as a family over several nights. When you’ve finished reading […]
If you have a young reader in the house, you may have an acquaintance with graphic novels. The Oxford dictionary defines a graphic novel as “a full-length (esp. science fiction or fantasy) story published as a book in comic-strip format.” The number of illustrations and amount of text used in graphic novels varies. Just so […]
Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15-October 15 to celebrate the histories, cultures, and influence of past generations who came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. If you’d like to introduce your middle-grade reader to books that depict Hispanic characters and cultures, try these: Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs […]
“Without a strong foundation in reading, children are left behind at the beginning of their education. They lag in every class, year after year because more than 85 percent of the curriculum is taught by reading. And by the end of third grade, 74 percent of struggling readers won’t ever catch up. In fact, one […]
By nature, kids are curious. They want to know how things work. They ask ‘why’ and ‘how’ hundreds of times each day. STEAM learning starts with this natural curiosity to build understanding and critical thinking skills in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math. That’s a long-winded way of saying let’s start with the questions […]
Night Buddies Adventures star John and his not-so-furry buddy Crosley the Red Crocodile. If you enjoy stories that include animal friends, check out these titles. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo We begin our list with a classic. Ten-year-old Opal comes back from the store with a dog instead of groceries. She names her […]
Don’t know what to read or where to direct your tween in the library? Then, revisit these classic middle-grade books. These books have enchanted children for decades and are great to read aloud together. Make it a summer goal to read one or more of the books, then watch the movie version. Bonus: Many of […]
Parent’s often want to know if their children are reading at or above their grade level. Another critical question is how interested my child is in reading. Young middle-grade readers (ages eight to ten) should be transitioning from learning to read to reading to learn and be reading independently. They should be able to read […]
Have you ever wondered where the ideas for characters and stories originate? The Night Buddies Adventures series started with author Sands Hetherington and his son John dreaming up Crosley the crocodile during months of bedtime story give-and-take. They collaborated many nights on escapades starring John and Crosley until it occurred to Sands why it was that […]
March 1987 was the first designated Women’s History Month in the United States. President Jimmy Carter proclaimed the week of March 8, 1980, as the first Women’s History Week. This was followed by additional Women’s History Week observances that eventually became the month-long celebration recognizing the achievements and contributions of women. We found three books […]