I’m often asked about what my kids like to read in their free time, and it’s always a bit difficult to say because each child prefers different types of books, and they all usually have multiple books going at the same time. Some like to re-read the same books over (and over and over and…) again while the others are part of the “one and done” camp. But when I went into my 10-year-old daughter’s room yesterday, I saw that she’d organized her desk, and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to give you an insider’s view of her middle grade leisure reading life.

I whipped out my phone (with her permission, of course) and snapped a shot of her book stacks. These books are a mix of her favorites to re-read, current reads, and “coming up next” selections, and I resisted the urge to remove or add anything. These are HER selections, as they were sitting on her desk. Middle grade fiction is generally intended for ages 8-12, but I’d say that most of these books are probably a better fit for 10 to12-year-olds based on reading level, content, or general interests. I also see that she has a couple of possible YA options mixed in, and those would appeal to ages 12+.

I try to pre-read my kids’ school books, but I don’t pre-read their leisure reading. Not because I don’t want to or because I’m uninterested, but simply because I can’t keep up. At some point, I realized that I’d become a bottleneck to their literary lives, so rather than stress about trying to pre-read every single thing they choose, I decided to curate our home library such that they’re free to select anything they’d like from our shelves. That doesn’t solve the issue of me being able to enter deep conversations about what they’re reading though, so I do still try to join them when I can.

Because I haven’t read many of these, I can’t call this a book list of my personal recommendations. Rather, you can consider this a snapshot of middle grade leisure reading. Use it for specific book ideas from a 5th-grade reader who loves fantasy, diverse stories, and historical fiction. or just inspiration for the variety of free-time reads that can capture the minds of our tweens as they progress from elementary to middle school. I hope you enjoy this insider’s view!

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My daughter received the desktop bookshelf for Christmas, and she said that it was her favorite gift. That made me chuckle because I threw it in as an afterthought, but it makes total sense because she takes her books seriously and likes things to look nice. Without further ado, here are her current middle grade leisure reading selections (Please note that some of the covers are different but the books are all the same):

And if you’re just curious about the other random things pictured on the desk (because I’d want to know if I saw your kid’s shelfie):

• Journal & pencil bag – All of my kids love journals. I have noooo idea where they got that obsession from 🙂
• DIY no-sew t-shirt dog toys – She makes these to donate to our local dog shelter.
• Etsy baking bracelet – Another Christmas gift because she LOVES to bake.
• Rebel’s Refinery cactus lip balm
• Trinket box & chess set – No links. These were souvenirs from family trips. She likes to keep her litle treasures displayed.

Well, that was fun! I’ll start paying closer attention when she swaps out her books, and I’ll try to post another shelfie from this same daughter or another kiddo soon. Check out 20 Middle-Grade Books: Black Girls Living Life for more examples of middle-grade leisure reading.

You can find me hanging out on Instagram @heritagemomblog. Hope to see you there!