Media Center

We are excited to share with you the importance of reading for pleasure as a key component of your child's education. Independent reading not only enhances academic skills but also fosters creativity, critical thinking, and a lifelong love for learning. Encouraging your child to explore books they enjoy will strengthen their language abilities and broaden their understanding of the world around them.

As you may know, middle school students vary greatly in terms of reading levels, areas of interest, and maturity level. What is engaging or appropriate for one student may not necessarily be the best fit for another. We understand the importance of finding books that align with your child's unique needs and your family’s values and we are here to support you in this process.

Our media center is curated with students aged 10-13 in mind, offering a range of books suitable for their age group in terms of both vocabulary and maturity levels.  That said, we also carry a selection of books that may be slightly below or above the recommended grade level. This is to accommodate the diversity of reading skills and interests of our students. Even within the suggested age range, the appropriateness of a book can vary. Some books may have simpler vocabulary but explore more mature themes, while others may be more complex in language but lighter in content.

We encourage you to review our collection with your child and discuss which books best suit their interests and maturity level. You can explore our collection in the Destiny Book Catalog. Should you feel certain books may not be appropriate for your child, you can talk to your child about that. If you would like to let us know, please use the Media Center Materials Access Request Form, and we can note your preferences in our system. If a particular book that is on your “do not check out” list is attempted to be checked out,  a warning message will pop up to inform the media center staff to not check out the particular book to the student. As always, if you'd prefer to supplement their reading with books from your own collection or from the Hennepin County Library (HCL), we fully support and encourage that as well.