October 23, 2025

Rick Riordan and Katherine Rundell Explore the Middle School Reading Crisis

38 minutes

We knew that reading levels were in fluctuation, but we had no idea there was a Middle School reading crisis. According to the NWEA (The Northwest Evaluation Association which measures academic and student standards) only 30% of 8th graders are reading at grade level or above. Why? How did we get here and how do we get back on track raising great readers who love literature? We are joined by Miah Daughtery,

VP of Academic Advocacy at HMH, NWEA’s parent company, to talk about their policy recommendations. We also talk to Rick Riordan and Katherine Rundell, two of the bestselling MS writers in the world about how to write for Middle Schoolers and why they think this audience needs attention. Join us for this important discussion (which expands on our GMA piece that aired on October 10th).

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

The Court of the Dead by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell

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