Reading Middle Grade https://readingmiddlegrade.com/ Books for Kids and Grown Ups Thu, 05 Sep 2024 19:29:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://i0.wp.com/readingmiddlegrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/cropped-favicon-1.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Reading Middle Grade https://readingmiddlegrade.com/ 32 32 155654171 Historical Fiction Books for 7th Graders https://readingmiddlegrade.com/historical-fiction-books-for-7th-graders/ https://readingmiddlegrade.com/historical-fiction-books-for-7th-graders/#comments Wed, 04 Sep 2024 17:09:10 +0000 https://readingmiddlegrade.com/?p=57242 It goes without saying that no two 7th graders are the same, so each of these books will appeal to different kinds of readers. You'll find a graphic novel about women's basketball in the 1970s, a verse novel set in Ghana, a story about the Ukrainian Holodomor, and a story set against the background of Loving vs. Virginia.

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]]> https://readingmiddlegrade.com/historical-fiction-books-for-7th-graders/feed/ 1 57242 30+ Lovely Middle Grade Books for 4th Graders https://readingmiddlegrade.com/chapter-books-for-fourth-graders/ https://readingmiddlegrade.com/chapter-books-for-fourth-graders/#respond Wed, 04 Sep 2024 12:08:36 +0000 https://readingmiddlegrade.com/?p=9374 Finding chapter books for fourth graders is fun, because at this stage, most nine-year-olds are strong enough readers. A few of them still like to see some pictures in their chapter books, but others can handle reading up to 200 pages of fiction (or more). Whatever your fourth-grader's reading level, I'm pretty sure you'll find a couple or more books for them among these 50 chapter books for fourth-graders. I've separated those that feature illustrations from the chapter books that do not.

The non-illustrated chapter books I've chosen are technically "middle-grade books" for ages 8-12. But these picks are well suited for younger readers because they feature younger protagonists, fewer pages of text, less intense subject matter, and a "young" voice.

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]]> https://readingmiddlegrade.com/chapter-books-for-fourth-graders/feed/ 0 9374 Review & Discussion Questions for Heroes by Alan Gratz https://readingmiddlegrade.com/heroes-by-alan-gratz-review-discussion-questions/ https://readingmiddlegrade.com/heroes-by-alan-gratz-review-discussion-questions/#respond Wed, 04 Sep 2024 11:32:59 +0000 https://readingmiddlegrade.com/?p=81472 Friends and army brats Frank and Stanley live in Pearl Harbor where they deal with the usual challenges of bullying and creating comic books.. Until December 7th, 1941 when everything changes during the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor. Will the boys survive the attack? How will the war change them and their friendship? Master of middle grade historical fiction, Alan Gratz explores these in his latest novel.

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]]> https://readingmiddlegrade.com/heroes-by-alan-gratz-review-discussion-questions/feed/ 0 81472 Interview with Shifa Saltagi Safadi https://readingmiddlegrade.com/interview-with-shifa-saltagi-safadi/ https://readingmiddlegrade.com/interview-with-shifa-saltagi-safadi/#respond Wed, 04 Sep 2024 10:45:52 +0000 https://readingmiddlegrade.com/?p=81273 This summer, I curled up with Shifa Saltagi's debut middle grade verse novel, Kareem Between, hoping to read just a few pages and found myself caught up in the rollercoaster that is Kareem's life. I read the entire thing in one sitting! Today, I'm chatting with Shifa Saltagi Shafadi about the inspiration for her story, the craft choices she makes in this verse novel, and the process of creating a protagonist who makes a lot of poor choices but finds his way to redemption.

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]]> https://readingmiddlegrade.com/interview-with-shifa-saltagi-safadi/feed/ 0 81273 September 2024 New Middle Grade Books https://readingmiddlegrade.com/september-2024-new-middle-grade-books/ https://readingmiddlegrade.com/september-2024-new-middle-grade-books/#respond Mon, 02 Sep 2024 14:29:49 +0000 https://readingmiddlegrade.com/?p=82176 Welcome to September! It's a HUGE month of fall releases, no matter what genres you enjoy. This month, I have 13 recommendations, including sports books, two powerful verse novels, several graphic novels and memoirs, a couple of survival stories, and a couple of solid mysteries among others for readers ages 8-14! Remember, on these lists, I don’t just share a dump of books from publisher’s release catalogs, I share the books I’ve read, enjoyed, and wholeheartedly recommend!

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]]> https://readingmiddlegrade.com/september-2024-new-middle-grade-books/feed/ 0 82176 Historical Fiction Books for 6th Graders https://readingmiddlegrade.com/historical-fiction-books-for-6th-graders/ https://readingmiddlegrade.com/historical-fiction-books-for-6th-graders/#respond Thu, 29 Aug 2024 13:30:06 +0000 https://readingmiddlegrade.com/?p=82169 You know how I feel about 6th grade books -- I think they're the middle grade sweet spot and most middle grade authors write for this age group. It's no wonder there are so many fantastic historical fiction books to recommend to them! Many of these are set in the 1940s and 1950s but you'll find a couple set in the 80s and 90s and one set in 1911, too!

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]]> https://readingmiddlegrade.com/historical-fiction-books-for-6th-graders/feed/ 0 82169 Review | Stranded https://readingmiddlegrade.com/review-stranded-by-nikki-shannon-smith/ https://readingmiddlegrade.com/review-stranded-by-nikki-shannon-smith/#respond Wed, 28 Aug 2024 12:52:31 +0000 https://readingmiddlegrade.com/?p=80935 Ava loves nature and wishes she could spend more time in the woods instead of her family’s Manhattan apartment. Fortune seems to smile on her when her auntie Raven, who is estranged from her mom, allows her to come spend the summer in the Adirondacks with her. A summer stay turns into a year-long stay with Ava’s parent's permission. However, a miscommunication leads to Ava being stuck at the cottage in the winter and having to survive on her own before help comes.

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]]> https://readingmiddlegrade.com/review-stranded-by-nikki-shannon-smith/feed/ 0 80935 8 Sweet Books Like The Wild Robot https://readingmiddlegrade.com/books-like-the-wild-robot/ https://readingmiddlegrade.com/books-like-the-wild-robot/#respond Wed, 28 Aug 2024 11:53:19 +0000 https://readingmiddlegrade.com/?p=49202 Today’s pick is Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot, which is the first in a three-book series. This illustrated early middle grade book is perfect for even younger kids can enjoy. It's about a robot that ends up on a remote island and has to find a way to survive. I’ve chosen eight great books about robots, animals, and survival. You'll find that they have similar themes to our central book. If you or your kids loved this book, here are more books like The Wild Robot.

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]]> https://readingmiddlegrade.com/books-like-the-wild-robot/feed/ 0 49202 25 Chapter Books & Young Middle Grade Books for 3rd Graders https://readingmiddlegrade.com/chapter-books-for-third-graders/ https://readingmiddlegrade.com/chapter-books-for-third-graders/#comments Sun, 25 Aug 2024 17:59:41 +0000 https://readingmiddlegrade.com/?p=7942 Just for reference, in the States, third graders are generally about eight years old. If you're fortunate, you may already have a big reader on your hands who isn't afraid to shoot for younger middle-grade titles like some of those on this list. Typically, though most eight-year-olds prefer smaller chapter books, under 150 pages, with lots of pictures and larger fonts than the typical middle-grade book. Kids at this age also like series -- they want to remain in the same universe for as long as possible, so most of the books on this list are part of series.

These chapter books for third graders are good for independent reading and also for readalouds! All except one are heavily illustrated, and I've tried to include picks for a variety of interests.

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]]> https://readingmiddlegrade.com/chapter-books-for-third-graders/feed/ 1 7942 Ambika Vohra on The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal https://readingmiddlegrade.com/interview-with-ambika-vohra/ https://readingmiddlegrade.com/interview-with-ambika-vohra/#respond Thu, 22 Aug 2024 11:00:00 +0000 https://readingmiddlegrade.com/?p=81601 I fell in love with Amika Vohra's debut novel about an Indian-American girl stepping out of her comfort zone last month and I knew I had to chat with the author! We talked about balancing her day job as a designer with writing stories, her inspiration for this book, and why she landed on a long, but well-suited title: The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal. Enjoy the interview!

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