From The Mixed Up Files

As recently covered in the fascinating Vox article “The promising race to get kids reading again” by Constance Grady, kids read and read and read up until about age 9, when they drop off a reading cliff. There are plenty of theories for this, as outlined by Grady, including: Middle-grade books getting too long, due in part to the success of the billion-page-long Harry Potter series. Kids having less free time to sit and read because they are more scheduled than earlier generations. Covid-19 threw off reading habits, along with access to libraries and books...

As recently covered in the fascinating Vox article “The promising race to get kids reading again” by Constance Grady, kids read and read and read up until about age 9, when they drop off a reading cliff. There are plenty of theories for this, as outlined by Grady, including: Middle-grade books getting too long, due in part to the success of the billion-page-long Harry Potter series. Kids having less free time to sit and read because they are more scheduled than earlier generations. Covid-19 threw off reading habits, along with access to libraries and books in school. Potential readers putting...

What better way to greet students as we head back to school than with an amazing classroom library! Whether you are building a classroom library or reorganizing one, here are a few ideas for you to consider. Building a Classroom Library A well-stocked, high-quality classroom library can generate interest and...

            Jump into the world of color and light with this month’s book list!   The Illuminating World of Light with Max Axiom, Super Scientist (Graphic Science) written by Emily Sohn This engaging graphic science resource brings complex concepts about light and energy to life...

Interview with Middle Grade Author Jamie Sumner Karen Reeder: Thank you for joining us today. Can you tell us a little bit about Wish You Well? Jamie Sumner: Absolutely. I’m Jamie Sumner, and I write middle grade novels. Some are in verse, some are in prose, and I have a...

What better way to greet students as we head back to school than with an amazing classroom library! Whether you are building a classroom library or reorganizing one, here are a few ideas for you to consider. Building a Classroom Library A well-stocked, high-quality classroom library can generate interest and...

Author Interview with Maire Roche Today’s author interview is with Middle Grade author Maire Roche. If you like monsters and retellings, then then buckle up for a fun read! So, without further ado…. KATE: Our Mixed-Up-Files readers would love the inside scoop on your latest book, Little Monsters! Can you...

A question I hear often from kid readers is “How can you write for us when you’re an adult?” There’s a lot of reasons why this question pops up, but one of the biggest is the fact that adults simply aren’t kids. In their minds, we don’t look like them,...