Let’s talk about reading goals, shall we?
This year, my kids each set reading goals for 2026 to support their reading journey. My oldest wanted to read new genres specifically nonfiction and science fiction. My middle child, who has no natural love for reading, set a goal to read four books a month. And my youngest simply wants to read through our home library shelves.
I’m happy to report that we have an impressive collection of books they read in the month of January. I’m sharing our monthly book list for kids ages 6–11 in case you’re building your own reading goals at home.
11-Year-Old Book List (Historical Fiction + Middle Grade Novels)
My oldest loves historical fiction for middle grade readers, especially books about World War II. This is a very tough era to read about. You need strength and grit to handle these stories, and I am quite proud of her ability to get through them.
Jennifer A. Nielsen has been a new favorite author. She is also the one who wrote The Ascendance Series, which I recommended in a previous blog. She has a series called Mark of the Thief, another war-torn story set in ancient Rome. I personally have not read it yet but look forward to reading it.
Here’s her January reading list and her favorite read of all for the month was Resistance bu Jennifer A Nielsen.
If you’re looking for historical fiction for upper elementary readers, this list has some great options.
8-Year-Old Book List (CHAPTER Book Series)
My middle child does not enjoy reading independently. However, if he finds a good book series, he will gladly read it.
He is starting off the year with some excellent chapter book series for 8-year-olds, including: Harry Potter (7 books), Heartwood Hotel (4 books), The Lemonade War (3 books), Team Chu (3 books), and and he just finished his last book in the Cookie Chronicles (7 books) series.
Here’s what he read in January, and his favorite read was Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie War.
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Book 1)
- The Lemonade War (Book 1)
- Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie War (Book 6)
- Heartwood Hotel
- Team Chu and the Blackwood Arena
If you have a reluctant reader, I highly recommend finding a strong series that can build momentum and confidence quickly.
6-Year-Old Book List (Early Chapter Books)
My 6-year-old transitioned into chapter books very quickly. Many children at this age struggle to move from illustrated early readers to full-text chapter books. For some, the transition is slow and gradual. I’m thankful we had no trouble there.
We own lots of early chapter books for beginning readers, and I would love to see him read through all of them while continuing to develop reading fluency and comprehension.
He is currently working through: Magic Tree House series, Zoey and Sassafras, National Geographic early nonfiction chapter books to name a few.
Here’s his January book list.
If you’re searching for chapter books for 6-year-olds or early independent readers, these are wonderful starting points.
I love seeing how different each of their reading interests are. Different personalities. Different motivations. Different reading levels. Same family library.
If you’re setting kids reading goals for the year, I hope this monthly book list gives you some helpful ideas.
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