While we're on the subject of which books are most popular with middle-grade readers, I want to ask you parents, grandparents, and anyone who is around children ages eight through thirteen:
What do you children read on their own, without the recommendation of an adult?
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Do Your Kids Read Independently?
Do your kids have ideas of their own, or do their reading choices come from adults - their families, teachers, librarians, and so on?
Can We Create a List of Kids' Independent Book Choices?
I'd like to develop a list of what children says are their favorite, independently chosen books ,with one or two sentences from the children themselves as to what books they picked out for themselves and why they like those books. The list can, of course contain books that are published by small presses and "independent" publishers, and self-published, as well as books published by "traditional" publishers.
Free Book Offer
And I'm happy to give a complimentary copy of one of my own books to the first twenty children who help me with this project. You can find information about my books on this blog site and at the books' website: http://www.maggielyons.yolasite.com.
Difficulty of Finding Selections of Books Kids Choose for Themselves
It's proving difficult (and maybe impossible) to find selections of books that kids have created for themselves without the recommendations of book buying adults and publishers. Even the annual Children's Choice Awards, are based on books donated by publishers. These awards are an annual project of the Children's Book Council and the International Reading Association, which request book recommendations from publishers. About 10,000 children across the USA are asked to choose 100 books from this donated selection. But again, the kids are not given a completely free hand to choose any books they fancy; the initial selection is made for them.
What Do Your Kids Say?
I realize libraries, bookstores, peer pressure, adult monitoring - all these things - influence a child's book choices, making an objective choice very difficult to identify. But let's see if we can come up with some interesting attempts at developing a true children's choice of books. And their comments on why they like these books (not why their adult book buyers like these books) would be invaluable.
Let's get a conversation going here. And don't forget the offer of free books to the first twenty kids who participate.
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