Passion For Middle Grade

Tweet Okay, I'll admit it. I have a soft spot for middle grade novels. I love the versatility. Middle grade books can be enjoyed by any age. From Charlotte's Web by E.B. White to Beyonders by Brandon Mull, middle grade encompasses a whole array of great reading.

What is middle grade? 

In the publishing world, middle grade usually refers to books for ages 8-12. However, most publishers like to divide it out further by adding ages 10-14 for upper middle grade to young adult. Many middle grade novels are also considered young adult like the Harry Potter Series. The Harry Potter books are a great example of a series that moves from middle grade to young adult. The main character in a middle grade novel is usually 12 years old or younger. However, sometimes the main character is 12 years old, and the novel fits closer into the young adult category. Many Newbery winners fit into the middle grade category. Early Readers and Chapter books are not considered middle grade, but fit into a category of their own.

When is my child ready for middle grade?

The beauty of middle grade is that even younger children are ready to listen to a middle grade book before the age of eight. As far as reading middle grade on their own, there are a lot of middle grade novels written for lower middle grade. These tend to be 100 pages or less. When your child has mastered the chapter book and is looking for a new challenge, it is time to move up. I don't put an age on that. I have known 8 year olds that are ready for books beyond 100 pages and are reading far beyond their age. I have also known 8 year olds that are struggling to move past the chapter book. Even for those that struggle reading the chapter book, it is still a great idea to introduce them to some of the classic middle grade literature like Stuart Little or Frindle.
Many 10 year olds are ready for the upper middle grade like the Fablehaven series.

Most importantly, don't put limitations on your child. Let them read whatever they want and provide them with good books.

Coming soon: Book lists for middle grade.

Holes by Louis Sachar - Book Review

Tweet 5 star review

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eBook

Stanley Yelnats can't hide from his family curse that began with his pig stealing great-great-grandfather. It comes as no surprise to Stanley that he is convicted of a theft he did not commit. When he is forced to choose between jail time or Camp Green Lake, he chooses Camp Green Lake. 

Camp Green Lake is no vacation. In fact, Stanley finds there is no lake at camp, only a dried up lake bed. Camp is really a detention center in where the boys are supposed to build character all day by digging holes exactly five foot wide and five foot deep.

The rattlesnake finger painting warden isn't really building character by having the boys dig the holes, but looking for a long lost buried treasure of outlaw Kissing Kate Barlow. It doesn't take Stanley long to realize the warden is using the boys for her sinister purpose. With each shovelful, Stanely tries to uncover the truth.

Louis Sachar's masterpiece  is full of dark humor, wisdom, and redemption. The novel is deserving of all of the accolades it has received, especially the greatest of all, the Newbery Award.

The book has a dark side and may be inappropriate for younger children. Recommended age is nine or older. Though written for middle grade, it's appeal will extend to young adult as well.

For parents that like their children to read the book before their children see the movie version of the book, the movie follows the book better than almost any movie version I have seen. 

Should I Buy My Child an eReader?

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Nothing says "goodnight" to me like sitting next to your child with his favorite picture book in hand waiting for the bedtime story. The feel of the glossy pages on your fingers and the array of colors jumping off the pages of a picture book are part of the reading experience. For the child who has his favorite book memorized and knows exactly which word makes it time to turn the page, it seems a gift of an eReader would be a rip off. Even the eRreaders with color can't capture the feel from the artistry of a picture book.

What about when your child is beyond reading picture books? Consider an eReader? Some of the things to think about before making the purchase are: cost, responsibility level of your child, and your child's likelihood of using an eRreader.

The costs of eRreaders can vary from $114.00 for the Amazon Kindle to $249.00 for the Nook Color and higher for some other brands. It might seem expensive at first, but when you compare it to the cost of a video game system, it is less expensive. eBooks are even cheaper than video games and if your goal is to move your child away from video games to reading, and Ereader is a great choice.

Not every child has the maturity level to be responsible for expensive things, but if you are willing to take your chances on an Ipod than why not an Ereader? Remember, your child is less likely to take an Ereader everywhere than and Ipod.

Last, what is the likelihood of your child using an eReader? Scholatic's 2010 Kid and Family Reading Report found that over half of children age 9-17 are interested in reading an eBook and a third of children age 9-17 say they would read more books for fun if they had access to an eReader. If I could get either of my sons to read a third more than what they do now, it would definitely be worth it.

Most children age 9-17 are technologically advanced enough to be able to use sites to download books and gift cards could be given to them to load up their eBook account. My teenage son loves my eReader and wants one as well. It's definitely a better investment to me than a video game system.

While I still advocate traditional books for younger children because of the beautiful artwork in the picture books, an electronic device dedicated solely to reading is an excellent choice for children nine or older.

   

Boys: Embrace the Differences

Tweet Sometimes with the pressure to be politically correct, we are afraid to admit that boys really are different than girls. Nobody wants to stereotype girls and boys. I don't want to either. It's important that we understand the differences so we can break the stereotypes. We all want our daughters to be good at math and science and we hope our sons will do well in language arts. It benefits everybody.

When my daughter was born, I gave her plenty of opportunities to choose the activities she liked. I didn't care if she chose trucks or dolls. She chose dolls and crafts no matter how much I told her she could have any car or truck she wanted.

Then her first brother came along. I tried to provide him with the same opportunities to choose dolls or trucks. He chose the trucks. I tried to get him to participate in crafts, but he wouldn't sit still long enough to finish one.

Since my son was so physically active, I wanted to make sure he didn't cross between active and violent. I swore I would not let him have a toy weapon. Guess what? Yep, every stick became a sword or a gun and my toy weapon rule went right out the window. At one point, I got out the Barbies for my son and his friend. I wanted to discourage stereotypes. Big mistake on my end. Somehow, "Ken" made war on every Barbie and by the end of the play date, every Barbie was missing a head, leg or arm. That day, Barbies were off limits for my boys and G.I. Joe magically appeared and became a well loved play toy. Funny how G.I. Joe never lost his leg or head like Barbie.

Then son number two came a long and he was totally obsessed with guns and knives. He would climb on every cupboard and every drawer looking for a kitchen knife. I couldn't turn my back for a minute. I found myself agreeing to let him enroll in a gun safety course at the age of 12 and letting his dad take him shooting at the shooting range. No matter how much older he got, my son never outgrew his fascination with weapons. I learned that teaching him weapon safety and appropriate uses for weapons did more for keeping him safe then hoping his obsession would go away.

So what did I really learn about the differences between boys and girls as a parent. First, boys learn differently. They do better when they can move. Expecting them to sit still and listen was too much to ask from my boys. Accepting they had a different learning style and adjusting their activities helped my boys tremendously. Embracing their personalities instead of trying to change them helped my boys feel loved and valued. This doesn't mean boys should be pushed toward sports instead of reading. In fact, both of my boys would cringe at the thought of playing football and my daughter is the most athletic of my children. It just means boys can't be forced to learn the same as girls.

Numerous studies have shown that boys do better in all male language arts classes. When Benjamin Wright, principal of Thurgood Marshall Elementary School in Seattle, Washington, made the change from coed classrooms to single sex classrooms in 2000, the results were staggering. The number of boys sent to his office for discipline problems dropped dramatically. Not only did disciplinary problems drop, but the boys reading level increased over 40% and their writing levels increased 30%. It is important to note that in the studies, both boys and girls were given the equal educational opportunities and the girls scores increased as well. The teachers were able to add activities in the boys classes that helped them learn by the style that worked best for them.

No matter what I tried as a parent, all three of my kids are completely different. My oldest daughter is the driven to succeed one, my middle son is the shy one, not always motivated, but loves to be alone and read. And the youngest, is the one who can't sit still, loves to have fun and always has a flock of friends around him. No matter what I did, there was no way my sons would sit and listen to Anne of Green Gables with the girls, but they would listen to the roar of a lion in Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? As the boys got older they would still listen to a book as long as they were allowed to play cars at my feet or thumb through their car magazine. As for reading on their own, the boys would do it as long as they could play outside afterward. I learned it is crucial to adapt your parenting or teaching style so that you embrace the differences in boys and girls