❤Top 30 Children's Books for 9-12 Year Olds - Boys & Girls
Explore a curated list of top children's books suitable for 9-12-year-olds in this article, which is based on my in-depth study and extensive research in this field.
Some unforgettable reads for the 9-12 age range include here: Kay's Marvellous Medicine, The Great Dream Robbery, The Primrose Railway Children, Pony, Daughter of the Deep, and Frostheart, Unlocking the Universe, Becoming, To the Lighthouse, The Catcher in the Rye.
Below, you'll find 30 stories designed for readers with detailed descriptions of these outstanding resources.
1. Kay's Marvellous Medicine by Adam Kay & Henry Paker
The brand-new, hilarious book from bestselling, record-breaking author Adam Kay.
The olden days were pretty fun if you liked wearing chainmail or chopping people's heads off but there was one TINY LITTLE problem back then . . . doctors didn't have the slightest clue about how our bodies worked.
It's time to find out why Ancient Egyptians thought the brain was just a useless load of old stuffing that might as well be chucked in the bin, why teachers forced their pupils to smoke cigarettes, why hairdressers would cut off their customers' legs, and why people used to get paid for farting. (Unfortunately, that's no longer a thing - sorry.)
You'll get answers to questions like:
- Why did patients gargle with wee?
- How did a doctor save people's lives using a washing machine, a can of beans, and some old sausages?
- What was the great stink? (No, it's not what doctors call your bum.)
If you're sure you're ready, then pop a peg on your nose (there was a lot of stinky pus back then), pull on your wellies (there was a lot of poo there too), and wash your hands (because they certainly didn't) and explore this gross and gruesome history of the human body!
2. The Great Dream Robbery by Greg James, Chris Smith & Amy Nguyen
Radio 1 broadcasters and bestselling authors of KID NORMAL - Greg James and Chris Smith - are back with a mind-bending adventure you won't want to wake up from . . .
Have you ever had a really strange dream? Maya Clayton definitely has. Last night she dreamt that her dad, the brilliant but slightly odd Professor Dexter, had been trapped in a nightmare by his evil boss Lilith Delamere!
But it's not just a dream - it's real and Maya and her new friends the Dream Bandits must rescue the Professor before it's too late! All they need is a bit of courage and a LOT of imagination.
3. The Primrose Railway Children by Jacqueline Wilson & Rachael Dean
Phoebe Robinson loves making up stories - just like her wonderful, imaginative Dad.
When he mysteriously disappears, Phoebe, Perry, Becks, and their mum must leave everything behind and move to a small cottage in the middle of nowhere.
Struggling to feel at home and missing her Dad terribly, Phoebe's only distraction is her guinea pig, Daisy. Until the family discovers the thrilling steam trains at the railway station and suddenly, every day is filled with adventure.
But Phoebe still can't help wondering, what is Mum hiding, and more worryingly is Dad okay?
4. Pony by R. J. Palacio
Twelve-year-old Silas is awoken in the dead of night by three horsemen, who arrive unannounced to take his father away. Silas is left shaken, scared, and alone, except for the presence of his companion, Mittenwool . . . who happens to be a ghost.
But when a pony shows up at his door, Silas knows what he has to do. He will set out on a perilous journey across a vast American landscape to find his father—a journey that will ultimately connect him with his past and future, and the unfathomable mysteries of the world around him.
R. J. Palacio spins a harrowing yet distinctly beautiful tale about the power of love and the ties that bind us across distance and time.
For readers who love the poignant depth of War Horse and the singular voice of True Grit, this is one of those rare books for readers of all ages with the makings of a modern classic.
5. The Christmasaurus and the Naughty List by Tom Fletcher & Shane Devries
The Christmasaurus is back! Get ready for the magical NEW festive adventure from bestselling author, Tom Fletcher!
You know about the Naughty and Nice List, right? Santa's top-secret tracker that he ALWAYS checks twice? Well, this year, the Christmasaurus is on a mission to track down children who have found themselves on the Naughty List to help them put wrongs to rights, naughty to nice!
This is a story about mischievous kids learning the error of their ways, but it's also about sharing the true spirit of Christmas and realizing that sometimes things aren't quite as they first appear...
6. Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan
Ana Dakkar is a freshman at Harding-Pencroft Academy, a five-year high school that graduates the best marine scientists, naval warriors, navigators, and underwater explorers in the world.
Ana's parents died while on a scientific expedition two years ago, and the only family she's left is her older brother, Dev, also a student at HP. Ana's freshman year culminates with the class's weekend trial at sea, the details of which have been kept secret.
She only hopes she has what it'll take to succeed. All her worries are blown out of the water when, on the bus ride to the ship, Ana and her schoolmates witness a terrible tragedy that will change the trajectory of their lives.
But wait, there's more. The professor accompanying them informs Ana that their rival school, Land Institute, and Harding-Pencroft have been fighting a cold war for a hundred and fifty years. Now that the Cold War has been turned up to a full boil, the freshman is in danger of becoming fish food.
In a race against deadly enemies, Ana will make amazing friends and astounding discoveries about her heritage as she puts her leadership skills to the test for the first time.
7. Frostheart: Rise of the World Eater by Jamie Littler
After escaping the towering city of Aurora and fighting for the safety of Solstice--the secret sanctuary of misunderstood Song Weavers--Ash has the battle of a lifetime ahead of him. A battle for his freedom.
For the freedom of Song Weavers in every Stronghold. And even for the leviathans, the giant beasts that lurk under the snow, but who may be just as poorly understood as the Song Weavers who can communicate with them.
But a battle is the last thing Ash wants ever since he's come face to face with the person he has been tirelessly searching for his mother.
And yet the two of them are up against a common enemy, the largest, most ferocious ancient leviathan called the Devourer, known by local legend as the World Eater for the way it consumes anything and everything in its path.
In a fight that will take the pathfinders, yeti, Song Weavers, and even Leviathans working together, how can Ash get them all on the same side when he and his mother can't even agree on how to defeat this beast?
If Ash and his ragtag crew of friends aboard the Frostheart can't stop the Devourer, Ash's family reunion will be short-lived.
8. Unlocking the Universe by Stephen & Lucy Hawking
Although the introduction of "Unlocking the Universe", is positioned as a "popularization model of advanced theoretical physics", for most adults (such as me) and children, opening this book really requires courage.
But as an ordinary child who is interested in time and space, "Unlocking the Universe" is really friendly. In fact, as an adult, I can also get the knowledge I want to know from it. . If you are like me, then my choice is "recommended".
We all know that Hawking's "Unlocking the Universe" is generally incomprehensible, but this children's version of "Unlocking the Universe", in which he collaborated with his daughter Lucy and more than a dozen of the world's top scientists, is much more friendly, not only contains many Reflections on the universe, time, also adds genetics, parallel universes, and new articles on black holes.
In addition to maintaining a consistent scientific nature, a lot of philosophical thinking has also been added.
9. The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks by Katie Kirby
Lottie Brooks is 11 ¾ and her life is already officially over - not only is she about to start high school without any friends or glamorous swooshy hair, she's just discovered she's too flat-chested to wear A BRA!
She might as well give up now and go into hibernation with her hamsters Sir Barnaby Squeakington and Fuzzball the Third.
Lottie navigates the many perils of growing up in this fantastically funny new illustrated series for a 9-12 audience, filled with friendship, embarrassing moments, and plenty of lols.
Hilarious, relatable, and full of heart, for fans of funny and chaotic family stories.
10. Becoming: Adapted for Younger Readers by Michelle Obama
I have been thinking about this book a lot over the past year, especially the time before the author graduated from law school to the White House. It was very moving.
Impressive points:
First, Michelle never thought that she would give up her career as a lawyer before she met Obama. If she hadn't met him, she might have been a successful female partner who achieved a class transition step by step.
It can be said that Obama's words and actions influenced her, made her think about what she and others were going through, and ultimately changed the trajectory of her life and career. Michelle spent a whole year looking for a job in her last year at the law firm, and some of her inner thoughts are very real and sincere.
The second is Obama, the Obama in Michelle's writing/or eyes, even if he didn't become president, in the end, the young man who "walks around in peace and detachment, but never far from a stronger sense of responsibility" is really charming.
As the president of magna cum laude and HLR, he was originally a SCOTUS clerk, but obviously, his firm self-confidence and political enthusiasm led him to another path: he declined many job offers after graduation, wrote a book, and then I went directly to the nonprofit law firm.
It seems that the two of them have lived in a small apartment that Michelle rented (?) for many years. Michelle said that Obama often escaped into a small room and read a lot of books day and night. Book.
The third is when Obama worked in the community and participated in local elections. According to Michelle, he has failed many times, and not many people know him outside that small place. Before the last election, Michelle said that he couldn't be so poor anymore.
If he couldn't make a name for himself this time, he would go to work for the foundation. What he did was still meaningful, and at least he could earn some money. Obama said yes. Fortunately, this time it did not fail, and then it started to take off. These conversations, these struggles, are all too real.
The CEO of Goldman Sachs said in his speech that he likes to read biographies the most because the most attractive thing about biographies is that the characters in the book at the beginning of his life, that is, in the first fifty pages, would not know that he/she will be in the first 50 pages. It was successful at three hundred pages.
11. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
12. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
13. To Kill a Mockingbird by Nelle Harper Lee
14. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
15. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
16. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
17. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
18. Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
19. Educated by Tara Westover
20. Normal People by Sally Rooney
21. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
22. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
23. Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder
24. The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
25. The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
26. Childhood by Maxim Gorky
27. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
28. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
29. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
30. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
Honorable Mention: Books for 9 to 12-Year-Olds
"The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
- Explore themes of love, loss, and redemption.
- Delve into the magical world of the Woods, where humans coexist peacefully with mythical creatures.
- Follow Xan, a swamp monster who must learn to embrace her true identity.
"The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Embark on Bilbo Baggins' epic adventure to reclaim treasure stolen by dragons.
- Immerse yourself in Middle Earth's rich lore and diverse cultures.
- Experience the fellowship of dwarves, elves, wizards, and golems.
"A Series of Unfortunate Events" by Daniel Handler (series)
- Join Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire on their misadventures after losing their parents in a tragic fire.
- Grapple with Count Olaf's schemes to steal their inheritance.
- Discover the secrets hidden within the mysterious Volunteer Fire Department.
"Dracula" by Bram Stoker
- Enter the dark realm of vampirism and supernatural horror.
- Meet iconic characters like Jonathan Harker, Mina Murray, Van Helsing, and the infamous Count Dracula himself.
- Engage in a thrilling battle between good and evil.
"The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1)
- Follow the Baudelaire siblings as they navigate a series of unfortunate events after their parent's death.
- Meet the eccentric and villainous Count Olaf, who will stop at nothing to steal their inheritance.
- Explore themes of resilience, family, and the power of knowledge.
"Camp Half-Blood" by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)
- Join Percy Jackson on his journey to discover his true identity as a demigod.
- Explore the world of Greek mythology and meet iconic characters like Zeus, Poseidon, and Medusa.
- Experience the thrill of adventure, friendship, and self-discovery.
"The School for Good and Evil" by Soman Chainani
- Follow Sophie and Agatha as they navigate the mysterious School for Good and Evil.
- Explore themes of identity, friendship, and the nature of good and evil.
- Discover the secrets hidden within the school's walls and the true meaning of fairy tales.
"The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)
- Join Percy Jackson on his quest to retrieve Zeus' stolen lightning bolt.
- Explore the world of Greek mythology and meet iconic characters like Medusa, Hades, and Poseidon.
- Experience the thrill of adventure, friendship, and self-discovery..
"The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster
- Join Milo on a whimsical journey through the Kingdom of Wisdom.
- Encounter memorable characters like Tock the Watchdog and the Whether Man.
- Explore thought-provoking themes of knowledge, language, and the joy of learning.
"Big Friendly Giant" by Roald Dahl
- Follow Sophie as she befriends the gentle giant who refuses to eat children.
- Immerse yourself in the magical world of dreams and the land of giants.
- Experience the power of friendship, courage, and standing up for what is right.
"Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling
- Join Harry, Ron, and Hermione on their epic adventures at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
- Immerse yourself in the richly detailed world of magic, spells, and mythical creatures.
- Experience the timeless themes of friendship, bravery, and the battle between good and evil.
"Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great" by Judy Blume
- Follow Sheila as she confronts her fears during a summer vacation in the countryside.
- Explore themes of self-discovery, friendship, and overcoming challenges.
- Experience the humor and relatable experiences of growing up.
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