Both of my girls love to read, but their tastes couldn’t be more different. This means our library hauls regularly consist of twenty or more books at a time.
Their unique personal preferences also mean that when friends of mine ask for book recommendations for their kids, I always have a few ideas.
My kids developed their love of reading with series that had easy-to-read handwriting fonts and lots of pictures: Dork Diaries, Last Kids on Earth, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, to name a few.
Here are some favorites they’ve been reading in the last year or so.
Sunday’s Favorites
Sunday (twelve years old) will read almost anything, and she tends to gravitate towards non-fiction (think books about animal facts and the Almanacs). She also loves creative non-fiction like the I Survived series. She’s particularly drawn to the graphic novel adaptations of The Witches, Spy School, Wings of Fire, Animorphs, and Babysitters Club.
Her other favorites are anything by Raina Telgemeier and other character-driven books like Cardboard Kingdom, Roller Girl, and Button Pusher.
Jade’s Favorites
It took Jade (twelve years old) a while to discover which books she was most interested in. Recently, she’s gone deep into the world of anime, and it’s not uncommon for her to devour a book in less than an hour.
She was initially drawn to Chi’s Sweet Home because she loves cats and slice-of-life stories. After asking the librarian for some recommendations, she found some series that quickly became her favorites: Black Clover, Naruto, Spy X Family, Fullmetal Alchemist, Blue Exorcist, My Hero Academia, and Demon Slayer.
Both
Something both my kids agree on is that they like stories with humor, mischief, and adventure, as well as scary stories. They both dove into WolfWalkers, Goosebumps, Big Nate, and Five Nights at Freddy’s. They also enjoy the comic collections that feature Calvin and Hobbes and Garfield.
🌄 If you want some New Mexico-themed books for kids, check out our faves. 🌄
Tips to Encourage Reading
Visit the library.
Our local library is almost a second home. Not only do they have engaging events and activities, but we visit so often that most of the librarians know my kids by name. The librarians are always happy to help find books for my kids to read and enjoy. You can also sign up for summer reading programs and get your kids their own library card.
Fill your house with books.
When my kids were younger, I found tons of picture books and board books at thrift stores for as little as $1 each. Garage sales and Facebook Free Groups are another great place to find gently used books.
Let them see you reading.
Audiobooks and E-Books are great, but when it comes to setting a good example for our kids, sometimes a physical book is best.
Make it a part of gift-giving.
Books are my favorite thing to gift as well as to receive. For birthdays and holidays, we always gift our children a book or two, and they love to get gift cards to our local bookstore so they can pick out a few of their own.
I hope this has inspired you with ideas for your tweens, and if you’re looking for more ideas, check out some more tips to reinvigorate your reading life.
