My 14 year old is always reading or writing in her free time. I expect as a family we spend a good $700 a year on books. I keep receipts on the books I buy to “study” and last year they added up to about $450.

Didn’t I just read that Penguin’s sales were up 6%?

It’s good to know that kids of all ages are still reading. As a former teacher with a specialization in reading, that’s a relief. As a writer, I’m working on a children’s sci-fantasy and will keep in mind the good vs evil, mystery and adventure.

My 6 year old is an exceptional reader and loves the Boxcar Children books, but still thrives on picture books. My 8 year old is a boy and picture books are the center of his reading.

My 10 year old is a very astute reader. She reads mostly mystery books and horse books and is quick to come to me if she feels something is inappropriate. Interestingly enough, we have discovered that most of the books she finds with ‘inappropriate’ issues or scenes or behaviors are Christian books. When I saw this trend, I found it very disconcerting.

All of them have fed upon the ‘Manners’ books. My oldest is beyond that now, but my two younger ones still pull these books from the shelves.

The good versus evil themes predominate their reading choices, and I am often amazed when my kids pick up that something evil is being exalted as being good.

When I did a convocation at an elementary (I had small groups and presented according to the age group) school not long ago, I used Andy McGuire’s new series of animal books, particularly Rainy Day Games for all of them. They all laughed appropriately at his picture jokes. The whole school loved the book and rightly so.

I brought stacks of books to leave in their library, among them Stephanie’s, Wendy Lawton’s, Max Anderson’s, and several others I’m forgetting right now.

My now 25-year-old son loved Go, Dog, Go! and had it memorized as a 2-year-old. He loved anything sing-songy/lyrical and is now a song writer. Children’s books are so important and I do think story will always win out. Good post, Etta!

I am currently writing a nonfiction book about God’s creative power and how he changes our circumstances from darkness to light, emptiness to fullness, etc. While talking with my 11-year-old at lunch the other day, he quizzed, “Hey, Dad. Did you know Louise Braille developed his system of writing for the blind with the same tool that he had accidentally blinded himself with?” He had recently checked out a bio on Braille that told the tale. Guess what story I will now be working into my book? God never ceases to amaze!

They both love series — hook them in the first book, and they’ll drive us crazy to get the next one from the library or bookstore! Some favorites are Box Car Children, Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew, American Girl. They both loved Magic Tree House and Junie B when they were younger. He’s gotten hooked on the Alex Rider books this summer — the main character is a 14YO version of James Bond. But he also just devoured The Witch of Blackbird Pond for a summer reading assignment.

I’ve always heard that girls are more likely to read books with boys as main characters and that boys won’t read about girls — but my son doesn’t really seem to care. He loved Blackbird Pond! Didn’t mind the girls or Puritan setting at all. We actually sat on the porch swing this weekend taking turns reading it aloud to each other, which was wonderful.

I’m writing a middle grades novel and have found that I enjoy it more than the adult stories I worked on. From what I see with my kids, their friends, and my kids at church — as long as you have plot twists, realistic themes and characters they can relate to, they’ll read it.