Get weekly tailored book recommendations for tweens ages 8-14, from Afoma Umesi, the founder of Reading Middle Grade.
| Platform |  | Pricing | Freemium | Publishes | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues | 103 | Founded | 2 years ago | Last Issue | 3 days ago |
| Active | |||||
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The Kid Cover Test: September 2026
Welcome to the September edition of The Kid Cover Test, where kids ages 8-14 rate six covers and explain whether or not they’d pick up a book based on its cover alone.
This month’s test was eye-opening in so many ways, but especially abou...
19 September middle grade releases we recommend
A true embarrassment of riches.
Welcome to fall in publishing, y’all! This is traditionally when alllll of the books come out and especially books from the most renowned authors. It’s the same for adult and children’s publishing and we’re...
Ask Afoma (and Paige): The rising 4th grader who loves spooky books
This girl doesn't scare easily -- she likes Goosebumps and The Wild Robot.
I consider myself a fairly adventurous reader and I’ve tried almost all the genres at least once. Still, there are a few genres I wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole...
Five Kids, One Book: The Shrew Detective #1 (The Case of the Pilfered Pearls)
This post is free to read through September 9, 2026. Our Five Kids, One Book posts are usually exclusive to paid subscribers, but I’m opening it up so you can get a full taste of the series, and because The Shrew Detective is our September...
Book Trailer of the Week: Doubles by T.Z. Layton
A few weeks ago, I RAVED about Layton’s The Academy series and then shared that he has a volleyball series coming this fall. (If you missed that post all about soccer books with actual sports action, it’s here.)
Since then, I’ve read the...
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Authors
The writers behind this newsletter.
Helping parents match their tweens ages 8-14 to books they actually want to read. I also share book lists and reviews on the Reading Middle Grade website.
Children's book recommendations from a mother, teacher, writer, and unabashed lover of everything kid lit.
Librarian, educator, mom, bibliophile.
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