6 Books That 6th Grade Girls Are Raving About
Sixth graders lead busy lives. With sports practice, homework, weekend debate tournaments, and walking to Starbucks with friends after school, it can be hard to find time to read for pleasure. But this...
View ArticleThe Books Kids Say They Can’t Wait to Read in 2016
As a book blogger, I get lots of emails about upcoming books from new authors that I’ve put on my 2016 TBR (to be read) list. But, perhaps not surprisingly, when I asked third through sixth graders...
View Article12 Nonfiction Books Kids Will Actually Read
Over the past couple of years, you may have noticed your child’s teachers placing greater emphasis on reading nonfiction. With the adoption of Common Core standards in many states, elementary-school...
View ArticleClass Read-Alouds Teachers and Kids Will Adore
For elementary school students, a class read-aloud can spark a love affair with books or introduce new interests and passions. For teachers, read-alouds can help support curriculum standards for social...
View Article4 Mistakes I Made Trying to Raise a Middle School Reader
As a self-proclaimed book lover, raising kids who love to read is a high priority. As soon as my son, Gabe, was born, snuggling up with a book at bedtime became an important ritual for us. He was an...
View Article10 Baseball Books Kids Say Are Home Runs
For our family, the longer days of spring and summer are synonymous with baseball. Many hours are spent cheering at little league games, playing catch in the front yard, and staying up way past bedtime...
View ArticleWhat Tweens Read When They’re Feeling Down
Last year, I shared quotes from third, fourth, and fifth grade members of my Bookopolis Book Club in a Brightly post, “Dear Mom, Dad, and Teacher: This is Why I Read,” about the role reading played in...
View ArticleSad Books Say So Much: 7 Books That Give Fourth and Fifth Graders All the Feels
When I ask kids in my fourth and fifth grade book club what their favorite genre is, a large group of them tell me, “I love sad books.” After pushing them to define what constitutes a “sad” book, I’ve...
View ArticleFitting In, Sticking Out, and Finding Yourself: 16 Books for Middle Schoolers
“You said that you didn’t even know why they had middle school, that there ought to be some government program where, as soon as kids graduated elementary school, they got scooped up and sent to a lab...
View Article12 Girls from Fiction Who Are Their Own Heroes
The days where a young maiden waits longingly in the top of the tower for someone to come rescue her are long gone. Our girls — and boys — love to read books that reflect the strong and independent...
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Brightly Family Book Club: Fish in a Tree
Welcome to the ninth installment of the Brightly Family Book Club, where we help families find engaging stories to enjoy together! This month’s book is perfect for the “back to school” season. Fish in...
View Article5 Books to Help You Raise Happy, Thoughtful Tweens and Teens
“Kids don’t come with an instruction manual” is an old adage I heard a lot when I first became a mom. But based on the vast number of parenting books and blogs that now exist, that expression may not...
View Article7 of the Best Books About Bullying, According to Kids
Learning how to navigate social dramas and issues with friends and peers is as much a part of a tween’s day at school as learning fractions or state capitals. Seeing fictional characters struggle with...
View ArticleBooks That Help Kids Walk in Someone Else’s Shoes
If you’re reading this site you probably agree that books are magical. They can transport us to mythical lands and allow us to escape the humdrum of everyday life. They can be “windows” that show us...
View ArticleBrightly’s Book Club for Kids: The War That Saved My Life
Our latest book club selection is a Newbery Honor winner from bestselling author Kimberly Brubaker Bradley that has received rave reviews from kids and adults alike. We hope you’ll find it as inspiring...
View ArticleHow to Stay Engaged with Your Reader as They Grow
The need for parent engagement and involvement in education is a hot topic these days. Building a strong home-to-school connection is important for students’ academic and social-emotional growth....
View Article10 Kid-Recommended Books Guaranteed to Make 4th, 5th, and 6th Graders Laugh
Who doesn’t love a good laugh? Funny books are a great way to keep kids reading way past their obligatory twenty minutes a night. To find out which books are guaranteed to have your fourth-, fifth-, or...
View Article13 Read-Alouds to Help You Connect with Your Middle Schooler
As a parent of a middle schooler who spends more time Snapchatting with friends than reading, I’m always looking for ways to keep him interested in books and opportunities to connect with him via a...
View Article17 New Books 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade Teachers Should Have in Their Classrooms
As the founder of Bookopolis.com, a social network where kid readers share book reviews and recommendations, I get a unique peek into what books elementary and middle school kids are loving these days....
View Article11 Baseball Books Kids Say Are Home Runs
For our family, the longer days of spring and summer are synonymous with baseball. Many hours are spent cheering at little league games, playing catch in the front yard, and staying up way past bedtime...
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