Books for Kids are for You Too

When measuring how much one reads in the year, it's reasonable to question what "counts" as reading. Obviously we live in a text-heavy world and not everything (scrolling facebook or the news) counts toward a goal of reading more books. As an elementary teacher, we talk a lot about the kinds of reading that can be recorded toward a book goal. We always come back to the idea that "Reading is reading is reading." Rereading a favorite book is still reading, reading a graphic novel is still reading, reading a book well below one's "reading level" is still reading.

Taking things one step further, I think adults have a responsibility to read what has been written with children in mind. One of my favorite genres is middle grade, books written for 8- to 12-year-olds. These books are incredible. They're well-written and dive deeply into a variety of topics.

Sometimes reading books written for adults can be exhausting. The lives of adults are often so mundane or challenging. It's hard to read for an escape from reality when the characters are dealing with a lot of what you're dealing with. Sometimes it's fun and good for us to relate to characters that are going through what we're going through, but the power of reading about kids navigating things we maybe dealt with as kids and are still unpacking as adults is huge. Through the minds of fictional kids we can also find a window into lives completely unlike our own. All of which makes our experiences richer and our connections deeper.

The power of good writing, beautiful characterization, and thoughtful reflection can occasionally be lost on children (something beautiful in and of itself), whereas when an adult reads the same book, the impact can be so profound. Books written for kids are hopeful in a way that no other genre is.

Some of the most profound middle grade books I've read

• Finding Junie Kim - Ellen Oh

• Alone - Megan E. Freeman

• The Canyon's Edge - Dusti Bowling

• Fighting Words - Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

• The Dollar Kids - Jennifer Richard Jacobson

• More to the Story - Hena Khan

• What Happens Next - Claire Swinarski

• Wishtree - Katherine Applegate

• Prairie Lotus - Linda Sue Park

• The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise - Dan Gemeinhart

• The Line Tender - Kate Allen

• The Benefits of Being an Octopus - Ann Braden

• The Explorer - Katherine Rundell

• My Jasper June - Laurel Snyder

• Ban This Book - Alan Gratz

• Elephant Secret - Eric Walters

This list isn't comprehensive and has some representation gaps (please comment any middle grade books you think adults should read!), but all of these stories are truly beautiful and will make every reader a better person simply for having read it. Regardless of your current reading life, I dare you to prioritize reading at least one middle grade book.

-J