Challenging Compulsive Readers--Part 2
- Angela Massengale
- Nov 27, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 1, 2023
For Compulsive Readers, the key is finding books that are going to challenge their minds and imaginations, without falling into material that they may not be ready to be exposed to yet, psychologically. I love some of the huge tomes of books in the children's sections now that appeal to Compulsive Readers; these readers KNOW that this 600-page book is at least going to give them something to sink their teeth into, and characters that they can really fall in love with and become attached to. As I said in my post on Reluctant Readers, I tend to focus on series books because they allow the reader to grow with these beloved characters, so here are some options for Compulsive Readers, that are age-appropriate for 8-12-year-old boys and girls, content-wise. This partial list is primarily what is new and popular (in the last decade or so) but there are a few guaranteed classics included as well:
The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling (naturally—be cautious of the age range though. The latter books in the series contain a lot of dark material)
The Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger*
Books by Brandon Mull (Fablehaven, Dragonquest, The Beyonders, The Five Kingdoms, etc.)
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
The Copernicus Legacy by Tony Abbott
Books by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Kane Chronicles, etc.) or in the “Rick Riordan Presents” Imprint series (authors who write fantasy or sci-fi about diverse cultures and mythologies)
His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman
Warriors or Survivors series by Erin Hunter
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Stewart
The Track series by Jason Reynolds
There are also wonderful stand-alone books and authors to consider, such as Gordon Korman, Nic Stone, Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, Lois Lowry, Justin Reynolds, Katherine Applegate, R. J. Palacio, Kate DiCamillo, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Janae Marks.
I hope this helps give some direction and some options that may not be as well known to parents of elementary and middle-grade readers. The important thing to keep in mind, as I stated before, is that there is a difference between a child's reading level and their comprehension level. As much as I love the Divergent and Hunger Games trilogies (and OH HOW I LOVE THAT SERIES), they can be emotionally challenging to handle for some children under 12 years old. They can also contain subject matter that some parents might not feel prepared to tackle with their children until they are a little older.
Finally, and this is important—all of this is just advice and suggestions for helping. If you have an 8-year-old who is emotionally more mature than many others, and you feel that your child can handle content that others the same age might not, then, by all means, give it a try. Be sure to have conversations with your reader so that you know if there are questions. Encourage their love of reading, there really is an unending treasure trove of books out there for middle-grade readers these days.
*I am FANATICAL about Keeper of the Lost Cities, which has a female protagonist named Sophie and has been described as Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings with an Alice in Wonderland twist.
There are currently 9 full-length books in the series, an additional book (Unlocked, Book 8.5) that contains a novella and serves as a reference guide to the world Sophie lives in, a graphic novel adaptation of the first book just released in November 2023, a 10th and final book in the works, and a film adaptation in the pipeline with Ben Affleck himself having signed on as the producer and director. I love the world that author Shannon Messenger has created so much and highly recommend it for fantasy fans.
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