If you want them to want to read, let them read what they like (within reason, of course). Make what you think is “better” available and model reading good writing to them.

After a certain age, telling them what to read - esp banning whole genres like graphic novels - risks turning them off reading altogether or making them feel what they like is wrong and they won’t be a confident reader who knows good writing from bad.

Anonymous wrote:Here are some books that might include some of what you’re looking for, but the age is approximate and so is estimation of literary merit (or lack thereof):

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
The Westing Game
A Wrinkle in Time
Dark is Rising series
Roald Dahl
Holes by Louis Sachar
Island of the Blue Dolphins
How to Eat Fried Worms
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
The Phantom Tollbooth
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Hidden Talents by David Lubar
Narnia Series (starting with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe)
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Green Knowe series
The Secret Garden

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein (quirky poetry)

The Newberry Award books tend to be really good. Here’s a list from Wikipedia (under Recipients - scroll down below the pictures)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newbery_Medal

Love a lot of this list but I think some of them would be really heavy for a 4th grader. Dark is Rising has a pretty terrible view of the world ("might makes right and just be glad the relatively good guys end up being stronger than the really bad guys" basically) even though it's so incredibly well written. Wrinkle in Time, while much more hopeful than Dark is Rising, is great for some 4th graders but left me literally scared hiding behind a couch at that age.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know I know, the crap isn’t crap, kids should read whatever they like.

What does your 4th or 5th grader read? Please share any books that have some literary merit.

Kids should *NOT* read whatever the like. Do you let them eat whatever they like? After all, a calorie is a calorie! No? They don't let them read junk either.

You are there to guide them. They only have so much time for reading. Make it good quality reading.

+1 to this. We too subscribe to the "junk books" theory of reading.

But I let my kids read junk books sometimes, as long as the values don't contradict our values, just like I let them have cupcakes sometimes. And I work really hard to pick meat and spinach books that I think they will actually like.

Current 5th grader's reads include:

- Princess Academy series by Shannon Hale
- 100 Cupboards series by N. D. Wilson
- Greenglass House series by Kate Milford

Books at school they have read so far this year that I'd recommend (we're at a private that does whole class novels, which I love, but not all of them everyone would pick for their families):

- Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis
- The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Seriously? There’s literally no reason to limit.

Yes, there is. Graphic novels don't require the same level of focus as novels do. It's that whole Lucy Calkin thing - "just look at the pictures!" When you try to make the leap into reading books that require sustained focus, have longer sentences and no pictures to explain the plot, it's hard, particularly for older children.

Uh sure. But forcing a 9 year old to read something they are not interested in is WAY MORE damaging than allowing them to read anything for fun. You could certainly suggest novels or denser reading. But to force it will make ALL reading harder. If your kid looks forward to library time because they know they can read a silly graphic novel, that is much more valuable than forcing them to read Harry Potter in 4th grade.

My 5th grader was a reluctant reader, especially for pleasure. I have never limited her. She had read many many graphic novels. To help her, we read thicker novels together, with me doing most of the reading out loud. She loves it. And now, finally, she is picking up novel to read on her own more than graphic novels. But we are a judgement free zone about it. Her reading time is allowed to be magazines, graphic novels, picture books, the dictionary, I don't care. As long as she's turning through a book and seeing what's inside.

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.

Awful take. But pop off girl.

Anonymous wrote:Spy School Series
The Vanderbeekers series

My boy love Spy School, as well as some other Stuart Gibbs' series like FunJungle and Moon Base Alpha.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My graphic novel-loving tween is now a teen reading Enders Game for school and proceeded to talk about the plot for 20 minutes straight last night.

Let them love to read! Let them call themselves bookworms and define themselves as readers. They are kids, they don’t get to choose much of what they do in school, you probably choose most of their food—let them have choice in what they read as long as it’s appropriate.

This!! I want my kids to love reading more than I want them to only read stuff with "literary merit." If you love to read, you hoover up the graphic novels, short "popcorn books," and "literary books" alike over time. And you do develop an attention span.

My 4th grader was really into Wings of Fire 1st-3rd grades. Now loves Percy Jackson, any other books on or based on mythology, and basically any youth fantasy book with a dragon on the cover. Also Spy Kids, Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales, and "I survived."

Thank you! I work in an elementary school and many students equate reading with torture and would rather stare at a book and turn pages instead of actually trying to read and enjoy. Let these graphic novel loving kids be, they’ll become readers of all types when they get older.

Anonymous wrote:My graphic novel-loving tween is now a teen reading Enders Game for school and proceeded to talk about the plot for 20 minutes straight last night.

Let them love to read! Let them call themselves bookworms and define themselves as readers. They are kids, they don’t get to choose much of what they do in school, you probably choose most of their food—let them have choice in what they read as long as it’s appropriate.

This!! I want my kids to love reading more than I want them to only read stuff with "literary merit." If you love to read, you hoover up the graphic novels, short "popcorn books," and "literary books" alike over time. And you do develop an attention span.

My 4th grader was really into Wings of Fire 1st-3rd grades. Now loves Percy Jackson, any other books on or based on mythology, and basically any youth fantasy book with a dragon on the cover. Also Spy Kids, Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales, and "I survived."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 5th grader just read the great illustrated classics version of Little Women and absolutely loved it. She keeps asking people if they’ve read it. My husband goes “It’s a great book” (he has absolutely never read it). Try to find those books if you want your kids reading something you think is worthwhile, they make longer/heavier books more accessible for kids.

My son read a whole bunch of the Great Illustrated Classics from the school library. He has since started reading the originals of his favorites.

Nobody asked you

He also reads comic books if that makes you feel better.

Anonymous wrote:My graphic novel-loving tween is now a teen reading Enders Game for school and proceeded to talk about the plot for 20 minutes straight last night.

Let them love to read! Let them call themselves bookworms and define themselves as readers. They are kids, they don’t get to choose much of what they do in school, you probably choose most of their food—let them have choice in what they read as long as it’s appropriate.

My 5th grader absolutely love Enders Game last year, as well as the sequel from a different perspective.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 5th grader just read the great illustrated classics version of Little Women and absolutely loved it. She keeps asking people if they’ve read it. My husband goes “It’s a great book” (he has absolutely never read it). Try to find those books if you want your kids reading something you think is worthwhile, they make longer/heavier books more accessible for kids.

My son read a whole bunch of the Great Illustrated Classics from the school library. He has since started reading the originals of his favorites.

Nobody asked you

My graphic novel-loving tween is now a teen reading Enders Game for school and proceeded to talk about the plot for 20 minutes straight last night.

Let them love to read! Let them call themselves bookworms and define themselves as readers. They are kids, they don’t get to choose much of what they do in school, you probably choose most of their food—let them have choice in what they read as long as it’s appropriate.

Anonymous wrote:My 5th grader just read the great illustrated classics version of Little Women and absolutely loved it. She keeps asking people if they’ve read it. My husband goes “It’s a great book” (he has absolutely never read it). Try to find those books if you want your kids reading something you think is worthwhile, they make longer/heavier books more accessible for kids.

My son read a whole bunch of the Great Illustrated Classics from the school library. He has since started reading the originals of his favorites.

Anonymous wrote:My 5th grader just read the great illustrated classics version of Little Women and absolutely loved it. She keeps asking people if they’ve read it. My husband goes “It’s a great book” (he has absolutely never read it). Try to find those books if you want your kids reading something you think is worthwhile, they make longer/heavier books more accessible for kids.

Aww I read that same book in 5th grade and loved it too! I think it was the first book I read that was really romantic to me.

Anonymous wrote:My 5th grader just read the great illustrated classics version of Little Women and absolutely loved it. She keeps asking people if they’ve read it. My husband goes “It’s a great book” (he has absolutely never read it). Try to find those books if you want your kids reading something you think is worthwhile, they make longer/heavier books more accessible for kids.

There are several sequels to Little Women. Though they may not be part of the great illustrated classics collection, since she’s already hooked, she might want to read the others, anyway.