Parents and caregivers know the best way to help their child become a strong reader and successful at school is to read to them! But as kids get older, they may not embrace reading time as much as they did when they were younger. Reading to an older child/tween/teen can lead to great discussions, serve as an introduction to books you loved as a child, and allow a child to fully enjoy a book that is at or above their current reading level. It also can introduce you to newer releases that you would never have gotten to enjoy if you didn’t read them to your kid(s)!
Here are some of my suggestions for great family reads – let us know which ones you tried and if you and your kids enjoyed it!
Books to Read to Tweens
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo – DiCamillo’s books are well-loved by children and adults alike. Because of Winn-Dixie features Opal, her preacher father, the ugly but sweet dog she found in the parking lot of the Winn-Dixie (and thusly named after the store), and the people of Naomi, Florida, who tell Winn-Dixie and Opal their stories and begin to heal her heart.
The Track series by Jason Reynolds – Four kids, chosen for an elite middle school track team, have to find a way through their own challenges to become a team and support each other. Each book isn’t too long, which makes this a good choice for kids who want some variety in what they read! They also serve as a great gateway to Reynolds’ other books for tweens and teens.
Slacker by Gordon Korman – This book is especially good for those kids who spend all of their time on video games, because they’ll definitely relate to Cameron Boxer, who invents an imaginary club at school that supposedly does good deeds (but really allows Cameron and his friends to slack off). But when other people join the club and actually want to do good things, like rescue a beaver named Elvis, Cameron ends up way more involved than he ever wanted to be. There’s a sequel as well called Level 13.
The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart – These are big thick books that might be overwhelming for a child to tackle on their own, and it is a series that adults will enjoy as much as their children! Reynie is an orphan, and answers an ad for gifted children in the paper. He and three other kids (Kate, Sticky and Constance) are chosen for a special mission that only they can do. You will love these characters so much, and enjoy reading about their impossible missions with your children.
The Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke – Meggie’s father accidentally read an evil villain from the book Inkheart into the real world, and only Meggie can put him back and save the world. Kids will love thinking about the possibility of fictional characters crossing into the real world, and there are several other books and series about book jumping (The Land of Stories, Story Thieves, The Book Jumper, Storybound) to read as well!
Tristan Strong series by Kwame Mbalia (or any other Rick Riordan Presents series) – Action, sword battles, and strong heroes and heroines populate the books published by Riordan’s imprint at Disney-Hyperion. We love them because they introduce families to different religions, cultures, and folk tales/legends from our own country and the entire world. The Tristan Strong series is based on African American folklore, like Brer Rabbit and John Henry, and is perfect for a read-aloud.
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls – This story about Billy and his two dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann, has brought children to tears for more than 80 years now. While adults will gulp as they consider that this book is probably now considered historical fiction, kids will love the timeless story of a young boy who saves up to buy hunting dogs and finds that they are his truest friends.
Books to Read to Teens
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien –Kids might be scared off by the length of these books, which is why they are a perfect pick for a family read. Even reluctant readers won’t be able to resist the sword fights, the fantastical creatures and the comradery of the questers. You also can watch the wonderful movies after reading each one and discussing it.
We Have Always Lived In the Castle by Shirley Jackson – Gothic, creepy, yet also darkly humorous, this is one of Jackson’s best-known books, and a good introduction for a younger teen to adult horror novels. This is also a short novel, so a reluctant listener might be willing to give you the few weeks it will take to read this, a bit each night.
The Great Library series by Rachel Caine – This dystopian series of novels is based on an alternate history where the printing press was never invented, and people use a Kindle-like device to read. Paper books are rare and outlawed, making them a favorite on the black market. Jess is part of a family of black-market book dealers, and has been sent to the Great Library as a spy. You will have great discussions about powerful people controlling the narrative and the world when reading this series!
The Belles series by Dhonielle Clayton – this series, too, is dystopian in nature. Women born with gifts to grant beauty to other women are cultivated in Orléans to be Belles. Camellia wants to be the best Belle and get the most prized assignment, to tend to the royal family. But the more she learns about beauty, about the royal family, the more she questions the system and whether her abilities are a gift or a curse. This can be a great springboard to talking about what beauty means to them, and who gets to name them beautiful or ugly. Another similar series is Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.
Mary Beth Adams is the Community Engagement Librarian for Alamance County Public Libraries. She can be reached at madams@alamancelibraries.org.