Tweens Reading Books

It’s not easy to please picky young readers, but if you want to find a few great books and series that your tween will love and even adults will find engaging, keep reading!

I’ve always been a reader. Even as a child I loved getting lost inside a good story.  So it was only natural that when my daughter was born, reading stories to her at bedtime quickly became one of our favorite traditions. Now that she’s older, she’s much more opinionated about the types of books she wants to read – and if it doesn’t hold her interest, we won’t get past the first few chapters. The books she enjoys now are longer, more complex, and I look forward to reading many of them as much as she does!

There are so many great books for tweens available. Here are a few of our favorites, broken down by who they might most appeal to. All of these books fall into the “middle grade” category, which basically means they are great books for older readers who are ready for longer chapter books but not quite ready for Young Adult themes. These are aimed at 8-12 year olds to read on their own, though some may also be suitable for younger readers if an adult is reading to them.

Great Books for Tweens Who Love Fantasy and Myth

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan

This 6-book series brings the Greek gods and titans to the modern era, featuring a pre-teen crew of demi-gods who navigate dangerous quests, friendships and betrayals, and more mundane tween concerns like school.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief cover

Start with Book 1, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (read more about the book here), in which 12-year-old Percy first discovers that he is the son of Poseidon, and goes on a quest to help catch the thief who stole Zeus’ lightning bolt and prevent war amongst the gods.

Why your tween will love it: friendship, adventure, a dangerous quest, and a lot of very sharp, fun dialogue and descriptions.

Why I love it: Riordan clearly knows his Greek mythology, and manages to stay very true to the spirit of the original myths while keeping them fresh and updated, and age appropriate (those Greek gods could be pretty R-Rated!). I also like that despite being a demi-god, the protagonist is open about having ADHD and has “normal” problems like dealing with his mother’s not-so-great boyfriend and school trouble. The book is entertaining, fast-paced, and just really good fun. It’s also gotten both my daughter and I more interested in learning about Greek mythology.

Opportunities for learning more about: the Greek gods, Titans, and heroes, ADHD and learning disabilities

See more reader reviews at Goodreads

Great Books for Tweens Who Like Mysteries

Enola Holmes series, by Nancy Springer

There are 9 books in this series featuring the younger sister of famous detective Sherlock Holmes. Book 1, “The Case of the Missing Marquess”, begins with the disappearance of Enola’s mother, who leaves behind clues for Enola in the form of secret messages.

Why your tween will like it: Enola is witty and smart and cracks ciphers sent by her mother, as well as solves mysteries around London, all while trying to stay under the radar so that her brothers won’t find her and send her off to finishing school.

Why I like it: Enola is a smart and spunky girl at a time when women didn’t have the rights they do now. The writing is snappy and the story engaging, and I love seeing a familiar character like Sherlock Holmes play a very different role here as her brother.

Opportunities for Learning about: Ciphers, women’s rights in Victorian England, the Suffragist movement.

See more reader reviews at Goodreads

Great Books for Tweens Who Like Animals

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

Charlotte’s Web is a classic for a reason. My daughter recently started reading this for school and I immediately remember how much I loved it as a kid, and wondered if it would hold up today, or if a story about a talking pig and his spider friend would seem quaint and old-fashioned.

Why your tween will like it: Wilbur the pig is sweet and naïve, the spider is wise and caring, and they’ll be rooting for everything to work out and laughing at the shenanigans along the way.

Why I like it: The story is engaging and well-written. All the characters, including the animals, seem real. It’s a sweet and poignant story about friendship and life and growing up.

Opportunities for learning more about: farm life, animals, spiders

Read reviews at Goodreads

Great Books for Tweens Who Don’t Like to Read

Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novel series based on her life. (6 books total)

I love graphic novels – I don’t subscribe to the notion that they’re less worthy of reading than text-only books. When I volunteered for a few months at my daughter’s elementary school library, it seemed all the kids from grade 2-5 loved Raina Telgemeier’s books detailing experiences from her own life. The first in the series is Smile, where a young Raina severely injures her front teeth and goes on a long and frustrating journey with braces, headgear, and surgery while also dealing with friend drama and the usual middle school problems. Guts, my daughter’s favorite in the series, deals with her anxiety and fear of throwing up, her IBS diagnosis, and experience with therapy.

You could really read these books in any order though.

Why your tween will like it: Fresh artwork, mostly dialogue, and Raina will resonate with any kid who’s felt a little different

Why I like it: the author has personally dealt with a lot of the issues her protagonist works through in the book, so it feels very real. She writes about some very serious things in an age-appropriate and light way, but it never feels like she’s dumbing things down for a young audience.

Opportunities for learning more about: anxiety, IBS, therapy, friendship issues

Read reviews at Goodreads

Great Books for Tweens Who Love History

The I Survived Series by Lauren Tarshis

These 23 novels based on real historical events take a fictionalized account of a survivor to bring to life the story of a terrifying disaster or event. You could start with the first book, “I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic,” or pick one based on an event that interests your child. The series covers such events as the Nazi invasion, Hurricane Katrina, and D-Day. My daughter’s favorite was “I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967”, which tells the story of a girl who went camping in Glacier Park during what would become one of the deadliest season in America’s national parks. The book explains why the bears were suddenly attacking humans.

Why your tween will like it: The stories move fast and are full of danger and excitement. And they really happened!

Why I like it: What could be terrifying topics are told in an engaging and clear way for tweens, without oversimplifying but also without going into inappropriate details.

Opportunities for learning more about: different events and disasters in history, including WWII, Hurricane Katrina, Pompeii, and more.

Read about the entire series at Goodreads

There are so many more great books for tweens available. Hopefully this list will start you and your tween off on a lifelong journey of reading together!