Reading builds empathy, increases vocabulary and helps kids escape into exciting new worlds. If kids aren’t reading, they’re likely to lose out on many important milestones.
But in 2023, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that only 14% of 13-year-olds read for fun almost every day. This is a 27% drop from 2012.
Additionally, the desire to read for pleasure declines as kids age. While 46% of kids between 6 and 8 are frequent readers, meaning they read five to seven days a week, this number drops significantly when they reach age 12 — only 18% of readers between 12 and 17 are frequent readers.
This month’s Words on the Street is focused on helping middle-grade readers find the book that will sweep them away, whether it’s a reimagining of a classic Disney movie or a deep dive into the inner workings of various species. The middle grades, between the ages of 8 and 12, are usually when reading starts to become less embedded in classroom curriculums. This range is also right before kids’ interest in reading falls drastically. If a love for reading can be established before this dropoff, it will hopefully prevent kids from putting books away permanently.
Because every reader is different, these books engage with different topics and are suitable for both developing and more advanced readers. If kids feel discouraged or overwhelmed, they are likely not going to return to reading willingly. On the other hand, if kids don’t feel challenged enough, they may disengage.
‘The Wild Robot‘ by Peter Brown (ages 7-10)
Is a robot equipped to survive the wilderness? Rozzum unit 7134, or Roz, wakes up one day and realizes she is stranded on an island without the other robots she was packed with. In order to survive, she must adapt to her surroundings. That includes befriending the animal inhabitants of the island, learning its ways and figuring out where she fits into the ecosystem as a standard labor-performing robot. It’s not until she decides to care for a newly orphaned gosling that Roz is accepted by the other inhabitants. Then, she begins to develop an identity — one that is capable of love, curiosity and pain.
Not only does this book by Peter Brown contain gorgeous black-and-white illustrations to help readers visualize both Roz and the animal species that inhabit the island, but the chapters are also short, about two to four pages each. This helps the book flow smoothly and makes reading feel less intimidating. This book also contains more serious themes, like climate change and motherhood, but short chapters that allow for frequent breaks make them easier to digest.
‘Amulet: The Stonekeeper‘ by Kazu Kibuishi (ages 8-12)
After the tragic death of their father, Emily, Navin and their mother move into their great-grandfather’s house. The remote, rundown house seems creepy, but there is more to it than meets the eye. It’s not until Emily and Navin’s mother is lured into the basement by a malicious entity and taken to the dangerous world of Alledia that the two siblings realize the house holds more power than they could have ever imagined.
This graphic novel by Kazu Kibuishi is full of adventure, and the darker illustrations are perfect for readers who naturally gravitate toward manga. The art style and story both share similar themes to manga, like the hero’s journey the siblings embark on. All of this combines to make this book perfect for kids who enjoy that genre and want to expand outside it. The characters themselves help the book come to life, especially Miskit, a pink rabbit that guides the children through this new world.
‘Ghosts‘ by Raina Telgemeier (ages 8-12)
Catrina, or Cat, doesn’t want to leave her friends and old life behind when her family moves to Bahía de la Luna, a fictional coastal town in Northern California, but she has to do so to help her younger sister, Maya. Maya has cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that results in large amounts of mucus being produced in the lungs, and the family believes the salty air will help her breathing. Cat and Maya also discover a secret about the town: It’s full of ghosts. Much to their surprise, the ghosts are celebrated by the townspeople, not shunned.
This graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier focuses on the challenges and joys of sisterhood as Cat and Maya deal with the strenuous reality of Maya’s disease. The sisters are complete opposites. Their differences are underlined by their reactions to learning about the town’s ghosts: Cat, forever worried about her little sister, wants to protect Maya from the ghosts — and therefore wants nothing to do with them. Maya, however, is ecstatic and determined to meet one with her sister in tow. The sisters’ relationship is heartwarming, and their differences in character only unite them because, even if either girl doesn’t understand why the other acts the way they do, they still feel compassion for one another. This book is perfect for fans of Disney’s “Coco” because of the warm embrace of the traditions of Día de los Muertos and the idea that death is something to celebrate, not dread.
‘Funny Girl: Funniest. Stories. EVER’ ed. by Betsy Bird (ages 8-12)
This quirky fiction anthology edited by librarian and writer Betsy Bird highlights the chaos, occasional embarrassment and necessary humor of growing up as a pre-teen girl. The reason behind this book is simple: Bird said there were no funny books for girls written by women, so she wanted to create one. The subjects of this anthology include a cat-and-dog team who offer up advice for their readers, a germ-obsessed mom who lights her bathtub on fire and a road trip that ends in chaos with a scary clown in the backseat of a car. It utilizes a variety of genres, such as comics, correspondence and poetry, and features well-known authors such as Akilah Hughes and Shannon Hale.
Short story collections are perfect for readers who may struggle to stay focused. Each story is between 10 and 25 pages, and readers who may tend to frequently pause their reading can easily finish a story or quickly catch up on what they read before. This book also encourages younger readers to laugh at their mistakes instead of dwelling on them and to embrace the messier parts of life, especially those associated with adolescence and puberty.
“A Public Service Announcement About Your Period from Sarah T. Wrigley, Age 12 ¾” by Libba Bray, for example, provides readers with tips for dealing with menstruation for the first time and presents advice in a funny, light-hearted way. It doesn’t shy away from the subject — it embraces discomfort and even gives readers something to laugh about.
‘An Immense World (Young Readers Edition): How Animals Sense Earth’s Amazing Secrets’ by Ed Yong (ages 8-12)
The way humans experience the world is different and nuanced, but there is even more diversity when we look at the animal kingdom. Ed Yong, a Pulitzer prize-winning science journalist, takes us through how different species of animals, from dolphins to dogs to bees, all perceive their surroundings differently. For example, a dog on a walk that is smelling everything in its path is processing more than our human noses ever could. Sea turtles, penguins and reef fish find food by smelling for a gas called dimethyl sulfide, or DMS. Frog embryos will hatch if they sense a snake with a sharp bite but will stay in their eggs longer during harsh weather — in both cases, because the embryos can sense surface vibrations. Every species must adapt to their surroundings using the advantages given to them, and these are just a few Yong focuses on.
This book is perfect for fans of National Geographic’s “Weird But True” series and other books that focus on lesser-known scientific facts. Yong does a great job of sharing observations about different animals without overwhelming readers with too many details. He also breaks the book into subsections. For me, the most fascinating was “Ed’s Field Notes,” where he records his travels and observations of different species.
‘The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan‘ by Jasmine Warga (ages 8-12)
This work of fiction by Jasmine Warga follows Chase and Finnegan, a cheetah and rescue dog who form an unlikely friendship. Chase, the newly orphaned cheetah cub, must train to be part of a zoo’s educational program. However, since her mother’s death, Chase is the only cheetah in the facility and lacks the confidence to perform. This is where Finnegan comes in. Finnegan, a newly rescued dog who ran away from his owner, is paired with Chase to help her gain confidence. After the two learn to trust each other, they become inseparable friends. Finnegan provides Chase with support and companionship, and Chase helps Finnegan see that his fear of storms doesn’t make him a bad dog.
Inspired by real techniques used by zoos to train cheetahs, and especially cheetahs that are alone, this book is perfect for animal lovers and those interested in learning more about the inner workings of zoos. Beyond that, this is a heartwarming story about family told through the lens of two animal characters that are easy to root for. Chase’s anxiety, which we see through her constantly questioning her mother’s death and doubting how well she can perform at the zoo, feels relatable. Chase’s experience could also be beneficial for readers who struggle with anxiety and processing their big feelings. Finnegan also teaches us the power of vulnerability. Because he is honest about his fear of being abandoned by the humans who have rescued him, readers are taught to confront their own fears head on.
‘Adventure Is Out There! A Twisted Tale‘ by Liz Braswell (ages 12+)
The Disney movie “Up” tells the story of Carl Fredricksen, a retired balloon salesman and widower who ties balloons to his house and floats to the fictional Paradise Falls. But what if it was Ellie, his deceased wife, who travelled to the South American wilderness in her youth? This book reimagines the events of Disney’s “Up” and gives us more insight into Ellie, a character we only know through the lens of her husband. In this rendition, 16-year-old Ellie is energetic, slightly impulsive and craves adventure and a life outside her hometown. When she is given the opportunity to travel to Paradise Falls and collect specimens from the South American jungle through her zoo internship, she can’t say yes fast enough. However, will this adventure be everything she dreamed it would, or will it come at a cost?
This book by Liz Braswell is one of many in the Twisted Tales series, which give us new insight into beloved characters and settings Disney and Pixar fans know well. They help us to think deeper about these beloved films, and their structure is helpful for readers who may otherwise have trouble visualizing the places and people they’re reading about. This is because they’re building on details that have already been established by the movies. Ellie is a Disney character we don’t know much about, but we do know Ellie is confident, assertive and free-spirited. Other movies the book series focuses on are “The Little Mermaid,” “Frozen” and “Beauty and the Beast.”
