Skip to Main Content (Press Enter)

Middle Grade Books

Growing Reader

Tween

5 Favorite Female Sleuths from Middle Grade Mystery Books

I love middle grade mysteries and capers — they are the reason I fell in love with books. To celebrate the genre, and the lovely leading ladies within it, here are five of the most fantastic female sleuths in tween reads.

Read More

All Ages

The Children’s Books We’ll Remember Most from 2016

As 2016 draws to a close, we asked the Brightly contributors, who spend so many of their days and nights surrounded by children’s books, to reflect back on the stories that stuck with them.

Read More

Growing Reader

Tween

Books That Help Kids Walk in Someone Else's Shoes

Kids highly recommend these books that build empathy and understanding of our diverse world by allowing readers to walk in someone else’s shoes for a while.

Read More

Growing Reader

Tween

How Fantasy Novels Help Kids Explore the Messiness of Real Life

In kids’ literature, fantasy is interpreted as a “safe zone” for young readers, where the author leaves the icky messiness of real life outside the wardrobe door. But not only is leaving out the icky messiness of real life unwise, it’s pretty much impossible. The icky messiness is what it’s all about.

Read More

Pre-K

Growing Reader

Tween

Helping Kids Think Like Writers: A Talk with Frindle Author Andrew Clements

Andrew Clements has dozens of titles to his name, from picture books to novels to early reader chapter books, including Frindle, a middle grade novel about the power of language and invention.

Read More

Growing Reader

Tween

Exploring Furthermore, Fantastical Worlds, and Fashion with Author Tahereh Mafi

Tahereh Mafi is the author of Furthermore, a spellbinding middle grade novel about two kids on an epic and magical adventure.

Read More

Tween

Teen

Marie Lu’s New Favorite YA and Middle Grade Reads

Bestselling author Marie Lu shares some of the new teen and middle grade books that she’s loving right now and thinks readers will too.

Read More

Tween

The Real Reason Why Kids Love Mystery Books So Much

I never really thought about why I liked mysteries as a kid so much until my readers began to pose the question to me. After much thought, this is what I came up with...

Read More

Growing Reader

Tween

7 of the Best Books About Bullying, According to Kids

Tweens highly recommend these books as being both engaging and providing practical lessons on dealing with bullies in everyday life.

Read More

Tween

The 50 Best Books for 9- and 10-Year-Olds

What are the best books to keep 9-year-olds and 10-year-olds reading, learning, and coming back for more? We asked the experts to find out.

Read More

Growing Reader

Tween

Great Minds Don’t Think Alike: The Real-Life Inspiration Behind Fish in a Tree

Lynda Mullaly Hunt shares the learning difficulties she faced as a young student and how she overcame the feeling that "the other kids were just better."

Read More

Growing Reader

Tween

Helping Kids See Beyond Their Failures: A Chat with Fish in a Tree Author Lynda Mullaly Hunt

We chatted with Lynda Mullaly Hunt about her own struggles with reading as a child, the real-life teacher who changed her perception of herself and her path forward, and what we can all learn from our encounters with failure.

Read More