A Parent's Guide to Reading for 9-Year-Olds
Introduction
Reading is considered one of the building blocks of childhood, and at 9 years of age, children have been exploring more independence as a reader and more challenging materials in storytelling. The following guide is designed to help parents in the provision of the right kind of book for their children, tips to attract them to reading, and how to maximize the learning potential of books. Included below are 12 highly recommended titles for 9-year-olds; presented from MoBoo's curated collection of titles that best fit young readers.
Benefits of Reading Books to a 9-year-old
Reading offers many benefits to children, including skills acquired and strengthened through this activity. They include:
-
More Empathy and Perspective: Books like "Refugee" by Alan Gratz and "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramee expose children to different ideas and build empathy, thus allowing them to see a larger world.
-
Increased Vocabulary and Understanding: Reading many books, like "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown, introduces your child to new vocabularies. They learn how to use different words in context to enhance not just their reading but also their writing.
-
Building Confidence: When practice is built up by independent readings of books like "Raymie Nightingale" by Kate DiCamillo or "New Kid" by Jerry Craft, students gain confidence. Children feel satisfied; this satisfaction factor will gradually push them to read and read more.
-
Delving Deep into Emotions: "Juana & Lucas" by Juana Medina or "When Stars Are Scattered" by Victoria Jamieson are books in which children find narratives they can relate to. They help them in expressing their own emotions and also in understanding the emotions expressed by others.
Choose the Appropriate Book for a 9-Year-Old
Choosing the best books for your 9-year-old is an enjoyable yet daunting task. Below are some of the guidelines to follow when making selections.
-
Content Appropriateness: The content being delivered is relevant and appropriate for this age. For example, the themes expressed in the book "My Papi Has a Motorcycle" by Isabel Quintero are about family and tradition.
-
Inclusion and Representation: There are representations of diversity so that children can make sense of the surroundings. For example, texts like A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramee and The Girl in the Well Is Me by Karen Rivers draw their characters and storylines so different in experience that readers can see themselves and others.
-
Diversity and Representation: Stories and main characters that represent diverse cultures of all kinds further add to a child's view and understanding of the world. Examples include "A Handful of Stars" by Cynthia Lord and "Going Down Home with Daddy" by Kelly Starling Lyons.
-
Balanced Difficulty: Choose books that slightly challenge while not causing them to disengage. Books like "New Kid" by Jerry Craft will be great transitional stories-they will engage children while being approachable.
Books Recommended for 9-Year-Olds.
Below are some book recommendations for a 9-year-old, chosen because of their really amusing way of storytelling and educational life lessons.
The Night of the Burning: Devorah's Story
Author: Wulf, Linda Press; Wulf, Linda P
Age Range: 9 - 12
Harbor me
Author: Woodson, Jacqueline
Age Range: 9 - 14
Description: Jacqueline Woodson is the 2018-2019 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jacqueline Woodson's first middle-grade novel since National Book Award winner Brown Girl Dreaming celebrates the healing that can occur when a group of students share their stories. It all starts when six kids have to meet for a weekly chat—by themselves, with no adults to listen in. There, in the room they soon dub the ARTT Room (short for "A Room to Talk"), they discover it's safe to talk about what's bothering them—everything from Esteban's father's deportation and Haley's father's incarceration to Amari's fears of racial profiling and Ashton's adjustment to his changing family fortunes. When the six are together, they can express the feelings and fears they have to hide from the rest of the world. And together, they can grow braver and more ready for the rest of their lives. Cast of Narrators: N’Jameh Camara, as Haley Jose Carrera, as Tiago Dean Flanagan, as Ashton Angel Romero, as Esteban Toshi Widoff-Woodson, as Holly Mikelle Wright-Matos, as Amari and also featuring the author, Jacqueline Woodson, as Ms. Laverne.
Galileo and the stargazers
Author: Weiss, Jim
Age Range: 3 - 12
Description: Narrator Jim Weiss brings you inspiring true stories of heroic scientists who risked everything for the truth. This collection of true stories of brave scientists includes Archimedes and his famous "Eureka!" moment, Galileo's telescope, Isaac Newton's discoveries, and more.
Midnight blue
Author: Fisk, Pauline
Age Range: 9 - 18
Description: Bonnie's newfound happiness in a world beyond the sky is threatened by the cruel Grandbag, and although she is offered help by the ancient, elusive lord and lady of the hill, she alone must meet the challenge in the end.
Oil
Author: Winter, Jonah
Age Range: 5 - 12
Description: Follows the journey of Alaskan oil production as it's pumped from the ground and transported through pipes across the landscape to ships to be transported to refineries. Describes how one of these ships hit a reef and spilled millions of gallons of crude oil into the ocean causing irreparable damage to the environment.
Forces
Author: Diehn, Andi
Age Range: 5 - 12
Description: What keeps us stuck on the ground? What makes magnets come together? What makes one team win during a game of tug of war? Forces! Readers are encouraged to observe and consider the different forces they encounter on a daily basis. By recognizing this basic physics concept and identifying the different ways it is demonstrated in real life, kids develop a fundamental understanding of physical science and are impressed with the idea that science is a constant part of our lives.
The Adventures of the Wizard Aquarius
Author: Carol Haas, Megan
Age Range: 9 - 12
The boy who dreamed of infinity
Author: Alznauer, Amy
Age Range: 5 - 14
Description: "In 1887 in India, a boy named Ramanujan is born with a passion for numbers. He sees numbers in the squares of light pricking his thatched roof and in the beasts dancing on the temple tower. He writes mathematics with his finger in the sand, across the pages of his notebooks, and with chalk on the temple floor. Ramanujan reinvents much of modern mathematics, but where in the world could he find someone to understand what he has conceived"--Publisher.
Archaeology detectives
Author: Adams, Simon
Age Range: 9 - 14
Description: Introduces archaeology and how the science has been used throughout history to discover details about ancient civilizations, lost vessels, and artifacts.
A bear named Trouble
Author: Bauer, Marion Dane
Age Range: 8 - 11
Description: In Anchorage, Alaska, two lonely youngsters make a connection--a brown bear injured just after his mother sends him out on his own, and a human whose father is a new keeper at the Alaska Zoo and whose mother and sister are still in Minnesota.
Each title was chosen, not only for the quality it held within literature, but most importantly because it would hopefully entertain, teach, and inspire a young mind.
Suggestions to Maximize Your Child's Learning from Books
Try these tips with your child to obtain the best from their reading experience.
-
Interactive Reading: Engage your child by asking questions during reading sessions. For instance, while reading "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown, ask what they think might happen next or why a character behaved in a particular way.
-
Relating Stories to Real Life: Relate stories you are reading with real life. During "My Papi Has a Motorcycle," discuss with them some of the family traditions that are similar.
-
Make a Reading Schedule: Instruct them to read at the same time every day, like before bedtime. In this way, your child learns to include reading in their routine and incorporates it as a positive experience.
-
Visit the Library or Bookstore: When children get to choose the books themselves, such as "Skulduggery Pleasant" or "Going Down Home with Daddy," it makes them the owner of their journey and hence excited.
Why Choose MoBoo for Books for Your 9-Year-Old
MoBoo has books curated with only the young reader in mind. Here's how choosing MoBoo will prove advantageous for both parent and child.
-
Hand-picked Titles: Our selection of books has been curated by educators and reading specialists so that each title on our list meets a wide range of interests and reading levels. "Refugee" and "Raymie Nightingale" are both informative and fun to read.
-
Diversity and Inclusion: Many of the listed books present different cultures, such as "When Stars Are Scattered" and "A Handful of Stars." Let your child see their reflection and that of their peers within the pages of these books.
-
Quality Content: The recommended books are both informational and entertaining; therefore, children will be inspired to continue reading and learning about life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What Type of Book is Good for a 9-Year-Old?
A: Entertaining and educational are the best. Try adventure stories like "Skulduggery Pleasant" or have important themes like "Refugee" by Alan Gratz. Humorous books are great in keeping children engaged, for instance, "New Kid" by Jerry Craft.
Q: How to Get My 9-Year-Old to Read?
A: Reading encouragement could range from simply making books available and having them become part of your child's environment, to reading to them and discussing the story, or perhaps even making a special trip to the library for books like "A Good Kind of Trouble" that feeds into their interests.
Q: Are There any Book Series Recommended for a 9-Year-Old?
A: One highly recommended series is "Skulduggery Pleasant," as many children love fantasy and adventure. "The Wild Robot" series is also very good, especially for readers who love nature and technology.
Q: What to Do When Your 9-Year-Old Does not Want to Read?
A: If it is not the activity that interests them, vary the genre to see what would catch their eye. Maybe they would be more interested in graphic novels, like "When Stars Are Scattered." The presentation of stories to nurture the love of storytelling is supported by audiobooks.
Q: Can Reading Help get my 9-Year-Old Ready for School?
A: Of course, reading improves one's language, vocabulary, and comprehension skills which are very useful at school. Books like "Raymie Nightingale" teach children about very important social issues that are helpful in their personal life.
These suggestions and tips will help parents to find stories that 9-year-old readers will enjoy and find gratifying. Using MoBoo for book recommendations will result in some exciting, high-quality and numerous titles, thus providing an enriching experience for a young reader and supporting their development.