What does your 4th or 5th grader like to read that isn’t complete crap?

[Anonymous]

Mom of 5th.grade student who let her read junk food graphic novel books whenever she wanted...this is all she would read. I regret it. Her map scores have stagnated and now declined. We are reversing course and she can buy junk food books with her own money but otherwise reading will be chapter books. Currently she is reading and enjoying Harry Potter.

I'm concerned about the literacy level of most kids/Americans. She needs to read higher level books to improve her literacy. Not counting on trends in education to tell me what's best practice at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mom of 5th.grade student who let her read junk food graphic novel books whenever she wanted...this is all she would read. I regret it. Her map scores have stagnated and now declined. We are reversing course and she can buy junk food books with her own money but otherwise reading will be chapter books. Currently she is reading and enjoying Harry Potter.

I'm concerned about the literacy level of most kids/Americans. She needs to read higher level books to improve her literacy. Not counting on trends in education to tell me what's best practice at this point.

I feel that part of the problem is that there is soooo much crap out there and a lot of it is popular and a lot of it is pushed by librarians because they just want to see kids reading a book, any book.

My son is only 8 and very impressionable. If he sees kids reading a book or talking about Dog Man, he wants to read the whole series. Meanwhile I know he can read and enjoy more difficult classics that we grew up on. When he goes to school, visits the school library, or even the public library, the junkier books are front and center.

[Anonymous]

I also think it’s funny that we used to see Harry Potter as a guilty read and a bit junky, and now it’s being held up as an example of kid lit with literary merit. Whatever happened to EB White and others? I open those “children’s novels” now and am blown away by the language. When DD was 7 we tried Wind in the Willows as a read aloud. I though I was actually too late because I thought so many used to have this read to them at preK age. Wow was I wrong. The vocab and syntax was so difficult!

[Anonymous]

I didn’t see “Phantom Toolbooth” on here. It’s one of my kids favorites.
Also “Graveyard Book” by Neil Gaiman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mom of 5th.grade student who let her read junk food graphic novel books whenever she wanted...this is all she would read. I regret it. Her map scores have stagnated and now declined. We are reversing course and she can buy junk food books with her own money but otherwise reading will be chapter books. Currently she is reading and enjoying Harry Potter.

I'm concerned about the literacy level of most kids/Americans. She needs to read higher level books to improve her literacy. Not counting on trends in education to tell me what's best practice at this point.

I feel that part of the problem is that there is soooo much crap out there and a lot of it is popular and a lot of it is pushed by librarians because they just want to see kids reading a book, any book.

My son is only 8 and very impressionable. If he sees kids reading a book or talking about Dog Man, he wants to read the whole series. Meanwhile I know he can read and enjoy more difficult classics that we grew up on. When he goes to school, visits the school library, or even the public library, the junkier books are front and center.

This. It’s sad. What I started doing with my kids around 4th grade is I took their Lexia level from their spring MAP reading test and looked on Lexia.com for chapter books that were slightly higher or within range. They have a filter so you can select fiction/non fiction, fantasy, animals, etc or even Newberry winners. I have my kids then select from these results. They feel like they have choice, and I feel better knowing the level is appropriate

[Anonymous]

My kids at that age can choose what they want to read on their own. I still read the books I choose aloud to them. This has the added benefit of built in discussion.

[Anonymous]

Just to give some ideas, my DC was invited to participate in this book competition this year. This competition seems to have some great booklists that might be helpful for everyone looking for books to pique their kids interests. Watch out tho- there are GRAPHIC NOVELS on this list.

https://dcla.org/DCLA-Battle-of-the-Books

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also think it’s funny that we used to see Harry Potter as a guilty read and a bit junky, and now it’s being held up as an example of kid lit with literary merit. Whatever happened to EB White and others? I open those “children’s novels” now and am blown away by the language. When DD was 7 we tried Wind in the Willows as a read aloud. I though I was actually too late because I thought so many used to have this read to them at preK age. Wow was I wrong. The vocab and syntax was so difficult!

Even the original Winnie the Pooh is quite difficult. Kids books now are largely garbage, especially is they were written after 2000. I can recall reading A Little Princess and The Secret Garden in 4th grade. 4th graders now are just not interested in books like that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mom of 5th.grade student who let her read junk food graphic novel books whenever she wanted...this is all she would read. I regret it. Her map scores have stagnated and now declined. We are reversing course and she can buy junk food books with her own money but otherwise reading will be chapter books. Currently she is reading and enjoying Harry Potter.

I'm concerned about the literacy level of most kids/Americans. She needs to read higher level books to improve her literacy. Not counting on trends in education to tell me what's best practice at this point.

I feel that part of the problem is that there is soooo much crap out there and a lot of it is popular and a lot of it is pushed by librarians because they just want to see kids reading a book, any book.

My son is only 8 and very impressionable. If he sees kids reading a book or talking about Dog Man, he wants to read the whole series. Meanwhile I know he can read and enjoy more difficult classics that we grew up on. When he goes to school, visits the school library, or even the public library, the junkier books are front and center.

Kewl

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, the crap is crap. I was at the library recently and the dad specifically told his kids, no graphic novels, and I wish I had known to do the same when my kids were younger.

My kids have read some great graphic novels, you just have to find the good ones and keep them away from Captain Underpants and the like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also think it’s funny that we used to see Harry Potter as a guilty read and a bit junky, and now it’s being held up as an example of kid lit with literary merit. Whatever happened to EB White and others? I open those “children’s novels” now and am blown away by the language. When DD was 7 we tried Wind in the Willows as a read aloud. I though I was actually too late because I thought so many used to have this read to them at preK age. Wow was I wrong. The vocab and syntax was so difficult!

Even the original Winnie the Pooh is quite difficult. Kids books now are largely garbage, especially is they were written after 2000. I can recall reading A Little Princess and The Secret Garden in 4th grade. 4th graders now are just not interested in books like that

Interestingly, my 3rd grader just read the graphic novel adaptation of The Secret Garden and asked to read the actual novel, too.

[Anonymous]

Mom of 3rd grader here. DD read: Harry Potter, boxcar children, prydain chronicles, Redwall, most of Katie De Camille books. Starting on the Hobbit and Anne of green Gables. Older books are hard, lots more descriptions, exposition and less quick plot.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone mentioned The One and Only Ivan? I think it’s fairly recent but sounded better than a lot of other recent stuff DS has read to me.

[Anonymous]

John Bellair’s books are all wonderful

Anything by Avi

Kate Dicamillo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also think it’s funny that we used to see Harry Potter as a guilty read and a bit junky, and now it’s being held up as an example of kid lit with literary merit. Whatever happened to EB White and others? I open those “children’s novels” now and am blown away by the language. When DD was 7 we tried Wind in the Willows as a read aloud. I though I was actually too late because I thought so many used to have this read to them at preK age. Wow was I wrong. The vocab and syntax was so difficult!

Even the original Winnie the Pooh is quite difficult. Kids books now are largely garbage, especially is they were written after 2000. I can recall reading A Little Princess and The Secret Garden in 4th grade. 4th graders now are just not interested in books like that

Interestingly, my 3rd grader just read the graphic novel adaptation of The Secret Garden and asked to read the actual novel, too.

Because even your 3rd grader knows graphic novels are crap.