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Ancient Egyptian Book List for Middle Grade Readers (ages 9-12)
Every so often I’ll meet a kid who is REALLY into ancient Egypt. Students generally start learning about ancient world cultures somewhere around 6th grade, as part of a social studies unit. Some classes start a little earlier, around 4th or 5th grade. There’s a lot about ancient Egypt to interest kids– hieroglyphs, pyramids, mummies, mythology, etc.– and some kids get so into it that they develop a lifelong love of everything ancient Egyptian! *This post contains affiliate links. Read our full disclosure policy here. If you missed that phase yourself: The ancient Egyptians were a civilization centered near the Nile River, in what is modern-day Egypt. In book terms,…
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Books for teens & tweens who love Dungeons & Dragons | Reading List
Updated June 25, 2021. Dungeons and Dragons, a tabletop roleplaying game where a group of friends work through a storyline featuring adventure, action, mystery and monsters, has had a resurgence in popularity. It’s not just 40-something adults who enjoy playing the same (which started in the 1980s), but teens and even tweens are super into it. My library has a very popular monthly D&D program, and several of the schools nearby have after-school D&D clubs running. Part of the popularity amongst teens comes from sources like Stranger Things, the Adventure Zone podcast and Critical Role Youtube channel– but it’s sustained throughout the years by how FUN it is to play!…
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Scary Stories to Read in the Dark Read-Alikes (Grades 3-8) | Reading List
The Scary Stories to Read in the Dark movie comes out today, and I’m expecting it to be VERY popular. Why? Because the book has been constantly checked out since May! Some kids are REALLY into horror books, but it can be difficult to find properly spooky children’s and tween books. The Scary Stories series is probably the best, especially if you get the edition with the classic illustrations by Stephen Gammell. However, there’s some other great options for kids who really need more scary books to read. Older teens could possible try out adult horror books (Stephen King, Anne Rice, etc.) but younger kids might not be ready for…
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20+ Diary of a Wimpy Kid Read-Alikes | Reading List
Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is one of the best-loved kids book series and one of the most highly-requested in all of the public and school libraries I’ve worked in. Kids LOVE this series, and they’ll read them over and over again. There are currently 13 books in the series plus four movies, and if your kid hasn’t yet started reading them– they probably will soon. Kids who like Wimpy Kid usually like it because it’s funny, easy to read (large font and illustrations sprinkled throughout), has quirky characters who get into oddball situations, and it’s fast-paced and exciting. *This post contains affiliate links. Read our full…
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2019 Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book | Scifi & Fantasy Finalists
The 2019 Hugo Award nominees were announced earlier this week, as well as the Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book! The Hugo Awards are a set of yearly literary awards for the best science fiction or fantasy books and related works (like movies!). The winners are announced each year at a huge convention called Worldcon— this year it’s in Dublin– and the same committee also announces the Lodestar. Confusingly, the Lodestar award itself is not a Hugo award. It’s just the same people who nominate, vote, and announce the winners as the Hugos. Anyway. It’s a new award, just starting last year! Reading books from an awards list is…
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Lodestar Award Finalists & Winners Reading List
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Awesome books for Girl Scouts | Reading List
These books don’t necessarily star characters who are Scouts themselves, but they do match up with the Girl Scout mission of building girls of “courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.” Even if you’re not a Scout (or don’t have Scouts in your family), these books are sure to inspire young readers and get them interested in changing the world for the better. This reading list includes books about scientists, pioneers, sleuths, adventurers, and strong and intelligent women both real and imagined. There are non-fiction books as well as fiction, with even a few graphic novels thrown in the mix! Reading levels range from kindergarten to…
