my red bean is a voracious reader and i was challenged by her to come up with a list of my favorite books for the tween girl (she’s almost 12) that isn’t quite ready for ya. this was difficult but i came up with this list. there were plenty of others i read (sweet valley high series, flowers in the attic series come to mind) because i was largely ignored but this was the list that i felt comfortable with her reading and she has read the bulk of it.
:: Island of the Blue Dolphins (Scott O’Dell)
:: Anne of Green Gables series (L.M. Montgomery)
:: Watership Down (Richard Adams)
:: Tiger Eyes (Judy Blume)
:: Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret (Judy Blume)
:: Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself (Judy Blume)
:: The Princess Bride (William Goldman)
:: The Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank)
:: Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
:: To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
:: A Separate Peace (John Knowles)
:: Betsy-Tacy Books (Maud Hart Lovelace)
of course there are other, more contemporary books out now. harry potter series comes to mind as does the inkheart trilogy, both of which she’s read. i encouraged her to read the wrinkle in time l’engle despite the fact that i disliked it in my youth and disliked it still when i tried to reread it as an adult. i kept my dislike to myself until she came to me and said she didn’t find it remotely interesting. at least i can find comfort in knowing i’m not the only person i know to have not enjoyed l’engle.
have any favorites to add to the list?
ps: i’m happy to compile the list of suggestions into a pdf so everyone can benefit. i’ll post it sometime next week!
Enjoy it fully 
When I was her age, I loved:
~ Anything by Diana Wynne Jones
~ Dealing with Dragons, Patricia Wrede
~ The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
~ Five Children and It, E. Nesbit
~ Half-Magic, Edward Eager
~ Redwall, Brian Jacques
~ The Sword in the Stone, T.H. White
~ The Prydain Chronicles, Lloyd Alexander
~ Eight Cousins, Louisa May Alcott
I’d have to put a lot of thought into that question. My ten year old boy loves Percy Jackson and all the other books by the same author. But I had to say – Flowers in the Attic?! I’m sure I read it around that age.. but I probably shouldn’t have. Of course, I probably shouldn’t have been reading Stephen King, either.
how about the original Heidi or tom sawyer? i loved tom sayer. or for something bizarre, the phantom tollbooth?
ooo la la. loved all these and i also DID NOT LIKE Wrinkle in Time. We tried it again as a read aloud and set it down mid way thru. you are not alone. I loved a funny book called Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright…not sure what age I was, maybe a bit younger, but just loved it. Max is reading Sherman Alexis’ kids book “The Absolute True Diary of a Part Time Indian” and is laughing out loud. He also adored “Catcher in the Rye” and all of it’s awful language, which I remember being secretly thrilled by also…but would wait a bit on that one. Hope you are well, my dear!
I second E. Nesbit, and Lousia May Alcott.
I also loved Ruby in the Smoke by Phillip Pullman.
the witch of blackbird pond was one of my favorites, it still is actually. such a neat look back in time.
heather, i was going to say The Witch of Blackbird Pond!
the Dark is Rising series
all the rest of Alcott ;o) (Little Men, Jo’s Boys, Eight Cousins, etc.)
i *loved* A Wrinkle in Time and its first two sequels. ;o)
when i was that age, i read (and reread, over and over again) books like Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Pride & Prejudice, etc. Plus all of Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes…
I was just coming on here to suggest watership down and I’m so happy to see it is already on the list. Hands down my favourite book, it still is a favourite today. Also, not ashamed to say that I know the entire dialogue of the movie by heart.
I began my first read of a lot of the classics at that age too, Bronte sisters, Jane Austen etc. I remember finding the language a little difficult but still enjoyed reading “grown up” books even if understanding of a lot of the themes didn’t come until later.
Looks like my list:) (I too was guilty of loving sweet valley twins/high, and VC andrews!! haha)
I loved everything on your list!
Also…
Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great -Judy Blume
O, Pioneer! -Willa Cather
My Antonia -Willa Cather
Any Laura Ingalls
Soup Series -Robert Newton Peck
Animal Farm -George Orwell
Lord of the Flies -William Golding
Fifth Business -Roberston Davies
Any book with/about horses…
Also, a more recent publication, but “bee season” by Sue Monk Kid would be a great teen/tween book.
More contemporary – Wonder by RJ Palacio, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.
Also The Phantom Tollbooth, Harriet the Spy, the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler, Narnia, the Witch of Blackbird Pond
I could keep going!
I forgot about Judy Blume! I remember liking A Wrinkle in Time but Emory didn’t like it and I don’t think she finished it. What about any of Marguerite Henry’s books (just because I know your Red Bean likes horses too)? I find this age hard for books – too old for “kids” books but not quite ready for the content of adult novels, plus I find there’s so many “fluff” books out there for this age range.
Erin, agreed on the “fluff” books
She has read all the Marguerite Henry books and is now reading a series of books on thoroughbreds the librarian recommended.
Lindsey,
I was wondering about The Fault in Our Stars…we’ve done Narnia and the Mixed Up Files…will definitely look into the other suggestions – thank you! I think our girls are about the same age (and share a name, too) so this is helpful.
Corrabelle — Loved My Antonia and O, Pioneer!
Lori and Rebecca –
So glad you both mentioned Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, and Agatha Christie…was just recently defending my decision to let her read those to another mother who thought they were too grown up (both content and language). I’d rather them be challenged than talked down to any day!
Heathermama, not familiar with that all but I’m seeing it recommended several times. Will definitely look into it!
She loved Tom Sawyer and Huck Fin as well as Heidi. I ‘m sure the Phantom Tollbooth would intrigue her – thank you!
Ivey. We are in the minority but I’m so happy to have company
And Catcher in the Rye is fantastic, such good memories.
BTW, a letter arrived from Miss D today – exciting times around here!
Lyssa -
These are some suggestions that are new-to-me — thank you!
may i just i love this? i am dreaming of my kids devouring books one day so i’d be more than happy about a pdf list! i guess a lot of what i read (in english) at her age has been mentioned here. when i was around 12, i was very interested in (german) history, so i read many books by German authour Klaus Kordon, especially one trilogy that i must have read 7 or 8 times.
)) quite a wild mix, hee hee!
i also liked Little Lord Fauntleroy and The Little Princess, but I’m not sure at which age. oh yes and i liked the Babysitters Club Series
May i SAY i love this!! silly phone typing… Sorry!
ok, so this is weird. my first comment that i wrote on my phone was deleted (?) when i wrote my second one (see above)
oh well never mind now i raced from my sunny balcony inside here to the computer to (re)write my comment.
i am loving this! i am dreaming of my kids growing up reading and reading so i would be more than happy about a pdf list!
most of the books i read in english at that age have been mentioned already. when i was around 12 i was very very interested in german history, especially wwI and ww2. not so much politcs, more social and family life, childhood etc. i read many books by german author Klaus Kordon, especially a trilogy i still own that i must have read about 8 times.
what about Little Lord Fautleroy and The Little Princess, and The Secret Garden? not sure anymore for which age these are…
i also loved the Babysitter Club series, ahem….
It’s funny to think back on what I loved when I was that age – so different from what I gravitate to now.
There’s a few lesser-known authors whose fantasy was just my thing when I was 11 – OR Melling (The Hunter’s Moon), and Alison Baird (The Hidden World) are both amazing novelists.
I also remember loving Julie of the Wolves by Jean George, and, come to think of it, anything by Jean Little. Sorry, heavy on the Canlit, but not surprising from this English lit major!
Oh, one more on the Canlit kick – Kit Pearson. I wasn’t sure when I started typing this that I would recall all my old favourites, but there’s quite a list for you. I hope she can find some of those titles south of the border!
books i loved at that age:
Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson
The Girl Who Owned a City by OT Nelson
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
Fifteen by Bevery Cleary
The Luckiest Girl by Bevery Clearly
ust As Long As We’re Together & Here’s to You, Rachel Robinson by Judy Blume
My (now 17-year-old) girl and I both adored the Betsy-Tacy books to bits. She and I were both fans of historical fiction; we loved Anne of Green Gables too. Also the All-of-a-Kind family books, by Sydney Taylor, in which the characters grow up through the series, much like Betsy-Tacy.
I remember loving A Tree Grows in Brooklyn when I was around that age.
It’s hard to remember all my girl’s favorites at that age, but one contemporary book she loved was A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass.
Oh..that is a good list. Are your there God was an especially poignant moment in my adolescence. XO
Robin McKinley has a whole bunch of fantasy that are great (my favorite is The Blue Sword).
All-of-a-Kind Family is another series of winners and I absolutely loved Cherry Ames (they were rebound by the time I checked them out of the library and are hard to find now – she was a nurse in WWII and then some)! I’ve read everything on your list except Sally J. Freedman, I’m putting a library hold on it now. And a bunch of others! I still love YA fiction and Ellie keeps getting older every day…