What Are They Looking For?

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

Middle-schoolers tend to be in search mode about everything. They are trying to find their way in a big world. So how do we help them without them actually knowing? What are their interests, their escapes, their motivations? How can we guide them in a Godly path without pushing? Maybe through reading choices. 

So what are middle schoolers looking for in a book?  How about a book with:

• pets
• relationships with friends, boy/girl, parents, God
• multicultural
• adventure
• mystery
• medical issues
• blended families
• parent in jail
• child abuse

All of these are things middle schoolers care about, but does it all have to be in one book?

No, but it can be if you’re Colleen Coble, master storyteller, who can reach the hearts of kids with the Truth and the reality of the twenty-first century.

When I read Rock Harbor Search and Rescue I hoped – thought perhaps, my granddaughter who is thirteen, might enjoy it for her summer reading. Like all teens, she’s a tough sell. She devoured it! It was a book she could relate to. Even though she isn’t in all of the same situations (thankfully), she has friends who are.

So, what’s it about?

• pets – training a search and rescue puppy
• relationships with friends, boy/girl, parents, God – trust/mistrust
• multicultural – Native Americans and their superstitions/beliefs
• adventure – helping in a rescue
• mystery – who stole it and why am I being blamed
• medical issues – juvenile diabetes
• blended families – children of divorce and the baby from a new marriage
• parent in jail – mom
• child abuse – fears/nightmares in the aftermath of abuse

It’s a great girl book and I’m looking forward to reading more of Colleen’s novels, but first I’m on the hunt for a great mid-grade boy novel. I think I may have found one. Hopefully, I’ll be ready to share it in September.

Hey, Kids of all ages:

 What attracts you to a book? What do you like to see on a cover? 

What do you like to read about? 

Do you have a favorite author or a favorite book? 

Please share your thoughts with us. You may see some of your answers in the next blog, but I won't reveal your name.