A Book List for Later Elementary to Middle School Age
One of my favorite things to see, as a parent, is my children curled up on the sofa, or sitting outside on the porch swing, or numerous other places reading from our book list! And let me add to that- reading without me telling them to go read….reading because they want to! These wholesome books for middle school and elementary are tried and true books.
So, as I’m thinking about Christmas gifts (or birthday gifts, etc.) for my kids or nieces and nephews, I love to include BOOKS as part of their present.
Reading is one of those wonderful pastimes that is the same as it was 100 years ago. You find a book and you read it. (granted, I suppose you could be reading it on a kindle or ipad or something, now) 🙂 And, it is just as beneficial as it ever was. It stimulates the imagination, it feeds you with knowledge, it broadens your scope of life and history by learning of others’ experiences, it inspires through achievements and endeavors of people before us, it sharpens your spelling skills and builds your vocabulary without ever having to pull out a textbook to do so. What a great gift!
So, with Christmas shopping underway, perhaps you will enjoy this little list of some of my kids’ favorite books to read. I love book lists because they help me narrow down my options instead of having to search through the thousands of children’s books out there and not knowing where to start. There’s a lot of trashy books out there too, so I appreciate lists that give me good, wholesome choices.
We actually used several of these titles for school reading. I buy several books at the beginning of the year and then let the kids choose which ones they will read. When they’ve finished that book, they go back to those options and choose again. They really like handling it this way, as it allows them to have some say in what they read for school.
So, here you go:
Book List for approximately grades 4-8 or ages 9-13
Grandma’s Attic Series– This was my favorite series when I was a little girl! Then, with my own children, I read this whole series to them,out loud; then my daughter read all of them, and now my son just finished them up, too. You’ll probably have to look on Ebay or used on Amazon to find some of the later titles, as they are out of print. But, the earlier titles are readily available.
- In Grandma’s Attic
- More Stories from Grandma’s Attic
- Still More Stories from Grandma’s Attic
- Treasures from Grandma
- Sixteen, and Away from Home
- Eighteen and on Her Own
- Nineteen, and Wedding Bells Ahead
- At Home in North Branch
- New Faces, New Friends
- Stories from the Growing Years
On the Far Side of the Mountain
Old Nancy Drew Mysteries (these were the books that finally sparked the love for reading in my daughter. They are very easy to find used and cheap!)
Centerburg Tales: More Adventures of Homer Price
The Story of Thomas Alva Edison
Albert Einstein: Young Thinker
America’s Struggle to Become a Nation
Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse (this one includes an audio version, too!)
Little House on the Prairie books (we have used these more as family read-alouds. The kids love for me to read to them in the evenings)
Who Was, What Was Books– my son loves this series and has learned a lot of facts about famous or notable people and events through them. . Not all the titles are about people I find to be admirable or someone I want my child learning about- so just use wisdom and pick and choose titles you do like. Also, sometimes there are slightly slanted ‘political views’ in the way something is presented, but so far it hasn’t been anything drastic. I just remind my kids, often- with any book- to be a discerning reader. Some of his favorites in this series are:
- Who was Ronald Reagan
- Who was Babe Ruth
- What was the Great Depression
- Who was Walt Disney
- Who was Dr. Seuss
- Who Was Winston Churchill
- What was the Lewis and Clark Expedition
- What was the Gold Rush
Enjoy the book list of wholesome books for middle school and new adventures with your kids.
You might also enjoy this popular book too. True or False? Signers of the Declaration
- My Kids’ Favorite Books: a book list for later elementary to middle school - October 16, 2019
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- 7 Favorite Learning Resources Under $20 for Ages 3-5 - January 26, 2017
I loved Nancy drew books as a child, but I am more particular now about what my kids read. I purged quite a few of the Nancy Drew books from my collection because of occult references.
I have the first 4 Grandma’s attic books but had no idea there were more. I’ll be looking for those.
Another favorite read out loud series in our home is The Five Little Peppers. The kids are hardworking, like each other, and are quick to obey their widowed mother. There are quite a few books in the series but the first two are the easiest to find.