50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They’re 12

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.

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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?

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