As a mother of 4 active boys, I often struggle to find balance with family time, church, homework, sports, and the day-to-day things that just pop-up.  I recently took my boys to Kearney to stay in a hotel where they could swim and go down water slides.  This was their incentive (OK…maybe it was a bribe) for reading their books and finishing the projects for Battle of the Books.

What I realized in the months leading up to this was that I have 4 boys with very different attitudes and preferences when it comes to reading.  We downloaded a couple of the books to my iPad which my 3rd grader seemed to enjoy.  My 1st grader is in-between picture books and chapter books and isn’t quite independent yet.  My 5th grader prefers non-fiction books about cars and sports, and my littlest one just wants someone to read to him.

This list of 50 Books Kids Should Read Before They’re 12 came in my email the other day from Common Sense Media and I thought it would be a great list to share with parents who may or may not know of some age-appropriate titles for their kids.  Check it out and leave a comment below.  What are some “must reads” for kids in your opinion?  Do you have any advice for motivating kids to read?