Middle Readers v. Young Adult Literature

Whenever I speak to a group of middle school parents, I let them know that one of the best resources for learning about their emerging adolescent child is to read books about their world. Middle readers and young adult literature (YAL) have so much to say.

For example, I just finished the book Eleanor & Park, a YAL book that takes you on a journey of a relationship between two 16-year olds.

Check out the Sunday NYTimes Book Review section to see the best selling list for both categories. Age-appropriateness is listed for each book. It is important to keep in mind that there is a definite distinction between middle readers and YAL.

If you want to learn more about the differences, read the middle reader Wonder and the YAL book The Fault in Our Stars.