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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 ink garden of brother Theophane
By Millen, C. M
Description: In a monastery in the mountains of Mourne during the Middle Ages, one young monk struggled to focus on his task: copying the Bible and other scholarly books with plain brown ink made from wood bark in plain brown books in his plain brown robe at his plain brown desk. Brother Theophane was soon transferred from the scribe's room and assigned to make the ink that the brothers used. With his natural curiosity, Theophane discovered that inks could be made from other plants besides the wood bark. Berries and leaves produced other beautiful colors. And soon, the books the monks made were illuminated with colors and drawings. C.M. Millen's charming story of a young monk who defied the discipline of the monastery and found his own way to express the beauty of the world will inspire young readers to explore their own world and find their own voices. Andrea Wisnewski's illustrations, inspired by the illuminated letters that the medieval monks created in books like the Book of Kells, bring to life the colors and beauty that surrounded Brother Theophane amidst the plain world of the monastery.
Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas: From the Creator of Captain Underpants (Dog Man #5)
By Dav Pilkey
The case of the toxic mutants
By Vernon, Ursula
Description: When an unusual mystery involving mutants, toxic sludge, and a pair of giant dentures presents itself, Danny Dragonbreath decides to investigate and uncovers a startling series of events.
The day it all blew away
By Cinar, Lisa
Elizabeth leads the way
By Stone, Tanya Lee
Description: Simple text describes how Elizabeth Cady Stanton became an educated woman and worked to reform laws so that women would have just as many rights as men, including the right to vote.
Who could that be at this hour?
By Snicket, Lemony
Description: Before the Baudelaires became orphans, before he encountered A Series of Unfortunate Events, even before the invention of Netflix, Lemony Snicket was a boy discovering the mysteries of the world.In a fading town, far from anyone he knew or trusted, a young Lemony Snicket began his apprenticeship in an organization nobody knows about. He started by asking questions that shouldn't have been on his mind. Now he has written an account that should not be published, in four volumes that shouldn't be read. This is the first volume.
Anya and the Nightingale
By Pasternack, Sofiya
Description: The adventure continues in this exciting sequel to Anya and the Dragon in which a dangerous monster lurks beneath the city and only Anya can keep him from taking her friends' magic--and their lives. Perfect for fans of The Girl Who Drank the Moon. It's been a year since a violent Viking terrorized the small village of Zmeyreka and Anya and her foolish friend Ivan saved a friendly dragon from being sacrificed for his magic. But things still aren't safe in the kingdom of Kievan Rus'. After embarking on a journey to bring her papa home from war, Anya discovers a powerful forest creature terrorizing travelers. But she soon learns that he's not the monster the kingdom should fear. There's an even greater evil that lurks under the city. Can Anya stop the monster, save her papa, and find her way home? Or will the secrets of Kiev leave Anya and her friends trapped beneath the city forever?
Carter G. Woodson
By Haskins, James
Description: A biography of the son of former slaves who received a Ph.D. in history from Harvard and devoted his life to bringing the achievements of his race to the world's attention.
The illustrated dinosaur dictionary
By Sattler, Helen Roney
Description: A dictionary with entries for all known dinosaurs, about 300 at last count, and other animals of the Mesozoic Era, as well as general topics relating to dinosaurs, from Acanthopholis to Zigongosaurus.
Helen Keller
By Sullivan, George
Description: The fascinating life of one of the most popular historical figures is told through images -- most rarely, if ever, seen -- from the American Foundation for the Blind and The Perkins School for the Blind. The images trace Keller's life from birth, to childhood with Annie Sullivan in the cottage, to college, and on to her many years as a dedicated social activist and spokesperson. We get a glimpse of her sense of humor, her experiences as a lecturer on the vaudeville circuit, her many pets, and her last quiet years in Connecticut.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.