When I was teaching sixth grade, I took a group of my students into our reading room to pick a book for our next literature circle. They unanimously voted for The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer. I have to admit, I didn’t want to read that book. It sounded weird.
But I ended up loving it, so much so that I don’t even remember the title of the book I would have chosen instead. We had so many big, juicy conversations around that story, and I learned something important: listen to the kids. They deserve good books.
Middle school is a weird yet wonderful stage of life. These kids are straddling two worlds. They are still children, truly, and yet they want to be taken seriously by adults. They start asking big and difficult questions, grappling with identity, and trying to make sense of a more complicated world. Too often, the books available to them just don’t rise to the occasion.
As a parent, home educator, and writer, I’ve spent countless hours browsing bookshelves in search of stories that will really stick with kids in this season of life. It is especially complicated when students read off grade level, whether above or below.
Kids who are gifted readers need meaty stories they can sink their teeth into without being exposed to graphically mature content. Kids who struggle with reading need engaging audiobooks and stories that draw them in. The content needs to be accessible, but not babyish. No matter the reading level, these kids need books that make them pause, think, feel, and come back for more. They need rich language and stories that reflect the messy, complicated, and beautiful world they live in. I love Glennon Doyle’s word for this: brutiful. They need books that challenge them without talking down to them.
Having my own kids has only increased my awareness of this gap. My thirteen-year-old is fully immersed in dystopian fiction but does not want the romance that is present in many young adult novels. My eleven-year-old craves epic fantasy and sword fights. Both want compelling stories that feed their curiosity.
At the same time, as their parent, I want them to read books that reflect their own experiences and open windows into the lives of others. I want them to feel seen and to build compassion through their reading.
I’ve been doing even more book hunting lately, as both kids plow through our bookshelves and beg for trips to the bookstore.
What are your middle schoolers reading and loving these days? Check out some our favorites below.
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