Middle Grade Books Matter
The following post is a guest writer contribution from Wendie Ward
A Reading Life
There are many academic reasons for students to become proficient readers, but it’s the life reasons that continue to give me professional purpose. Books have taken me to places I will never physically be able to visit. I’ve met so many characters in books—people who live a life similar to mine, and people who have lives that are very different. Reading has reduced my stress level over the years. It gives me an escape hatch when I need a break from the stresses of life. It always calms me down.
I want all of those things for my students.
After 20 years as a teacher, connecting students with books and authors they love is still at the heart of all I do. Book matchmaking is one of my favorite pastimes, both in and out of the classroom. There’s nothing like the feeling of introducing a reader to their new favorite book, especially when that book is a middle grade novel.
Our Little Middle Grade Library in Room 17
Why Middle Grade?
Middle grade literature is my comfort, even after all these years. It all started in 4th grade when I read The Babysitter’s Club, and saw myself so clearly in Mary Anne Spier. It was love at first chapter. Then in middle school, I have such clear memories of my teacher reading aloud to us from Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising. It is a fantasy series where a seemingly normal kid ends up being extraordinary. It made me think that maybe I could be extraordinary, too.
It is a dream come true to spend my working life in the midst of middle grade novels. The greatest part of all is when students begin to share their favorite books with me. I get to witness the transformation from passive to active reader, and that is magical. It is one of the things that keeps me going on those long days (let’s be honest, sometimes it’s long years) when I feel like it’s hard to find the light.
A Few Thematic Middle Grade Recommendations
I of course read much more widely now as an adult. I love sharing books for grown ups on my Instagram account, too, but there’s just something about middle grade books that draw me back in every time. Part of it is nostalgia for sure. But there are also certain themes that middle grade books highlight perfectly in a way that no other books can.
Three themes that middle grade books do especially well are Friendship, Grief/Loss, and Family. I thought it might be helpful to recommend a few of my favorite books that focus on these themes.
(Amazon affiliate links included)
Middle Grade Books that Center Friendship
Blossom and Six. Kevin and Paul. Greg and Rowley. Cory and Shawn. Cher and Dionne. Pop culture is full of famous adolescent friendships, and it makes sense. Anyone who has spent any time at all with an adolescent will tell you that friendships are at the core of tween life. There are so many middle grade books that center friendship, and here are a few of my favorites.
More to the Story by Hena Khan
Jack & Louisa by Andrew Keenan Bolger & Kate Wetherhead
The Chance to Fly by Ali Stroker
American as Paneer Pie by Supriya Kelkar
Becoming Brianna by Terri Libenson
Middle Grade Books that Center Grief & Loss
Unfortunately, in middle school, it is common for grief and loss to happen to kids for the first time. Seeing a character in a middle grade novel experience grief can help kids to feel less alone. Even for students who have not experienced the pain of loss, these novels can give them a deep sense of empathy for those that have.
Love that Dog by Sharon Creech
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
Sunny by Jason Reynolds (Track & Field series book 3)
When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
Middle Grade Books that Center Family
Ahhhh, family. It’s complicated, isn’t it? Shifting family dynamics have a way of making the middle school years a challenge for some kids. And while it’s true that middle school is a time to start making small steps away from family, it can also be a time when students begin to appreciate the uniqueness of their family of origin. Middle grade books that explore these facets of family life are so important.
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis
The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
The Last Last Day of Summer by Lamar Giles
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Stand Up, Yumi Chung by Jessica Kim
Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate
Simply put, middle grade books matter. We can learn so much about ourselves through these novels. I love how the writer Anne Lamott said it when she was addressing middle grade readers in her essay from the book, A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader. She said, “Life will always have hardships, pressure, and incredibly annoying people, but books will make it all worthwhile. In books, you will find your North Star, and you will find you…”
So, teachers, here’s to helping our students find the books that help them to find themselves.
MEET OUR GUEST CONTRIBUTOR:
Wendie Ward teaches middle school ELA, history, and musical theater in Southern California. If you would like a book recommendation or if you just want to learn more about her work in and out of the classroom, follow her on Instagram @middleschoolforever
