This blog is designed to be a selection resource for children between the ages of 9-14, as well as a reader's advisory tool for both current and future librarians.
PLEASE NOTE: An appropriate age range is given for each title, however this is merely a suggestion. Children, especially tweens, read at many different levels which cannot be determined simply by age or grade level. Therefore, it is important to assess each child's reading level before suggesting titles. In addition, since this blog is designed for tweens only, some titles listed may also be appropriate for children older or younger than ages 9-14, but these ages will not be listed.
Ages 9-12: Elementary school level (Grades 3-6) Ages 12-14: Middle school level (Grades 7-8)
Ingrid Levin-Hall’s life couldn’t be better. She gets to play club soccer and lands the lead role of Alice in the Echo Falls production of Alice In Wonderland. But then her world seems to fall apart. After being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Ingrid realizes that she may be the only one who can solve the recent murder in town. Searching for clues like her favorite detective, Sherlock Holmes, Ingrid gets closer and closer to the truth. Echo Falls, once her quaint and simple little town, is now one full of forgotten history, scandals and secrets. But there are dangerous players involved as well, and it is only so long before Ingrid realizes she may have gotten in over her head. Read this first book in the Echo Falls Mystery series to find out whodunit!
Artemis Fowl is not your typical twelve-year-old. He’s a genius, for one, as well as a criminal mastermind. With his family’s wealth at his disposal, Artemis embarks on a mission to increase their fortune by exploiting the magical world of fairies and other creatures, known simply as the People. But Artemis is soon in over his head when he threatens the very balance between the People and the Mud People (humans) by kidnapping Captain Holly Short, a fairy and member of the LEPrecon Unit. How will his plan turn out? Read the book that started it all, and don’t miss the other six in the Artemis Fowl series, as well as the graphic novels based on the books.
When orphan Reynie Muldoon answers the newspaper ad looking for gifted children, he never imagined the adventure he was signing himself up for. Together with three other bright and parent-less children--Sticky Washington, Kate Wetherall and Constance Contraire--Reynie embarks on a dangerous mission for the mysterious Mr. Benedict. As Mr. Benedict's secrets agents, they go undercover as new students at The Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, a special school on Nomansan Island with sinister intentions that only they can put a stop to.
When Samuel Westing is found dead, sixteen people are brought together unexpectedly for the reading of his will, and are challenged to a contest to determine which of them is his murderer—the winner of which will inherit his millions.Chaos ensues as they are divided into pairs and given different sets of clues, clues that will lead them one step closer to a killer.More questions arise when bombings and burglaries threaten to end the game for some.Who killed Mr. Westing?Which team will solve the mystery first?And do you have what it takes to figure it out before anyone else does?Gather the clues and find out!
Jonas lives in a world untouched by war or famine, fear or pain.When children reach the age of twelve, the Elders ceremoniously give each child their assignment for life.A great honor, Jonas is bestowed with the assignment of receiving training from The Giver, the only one to hold the memories of how the world used to be.This knowledge does not come without a heavy price, for Jonas must be given all the memories, no matter how painful or frightening, before The Giver retires and Jonas takes over.But when the truth is too much for Jonas to bear, he must make the ultimate sacrifice in order to set things right.
In this Wild West retelling of the fairy tale Rapunzel, curiosity gets the best of the title character as she yearns to peek over the great wall surrounding her luxurious villa. What she finds is a barren wasteland of desert and slaves, populated by all those who live in fear of Gothel, the woman she thought was her mother.After escaping from the tall tree Gothel imprisons her in, Rapunzel meets up with a mysterious outlaw named Jack and they make their way back to the villa to put a stop to Gothel’s reign of terror and free Rapunzel’s real mother from slavery.
Fone Bone, along with his cousins Phoney and Smiley are chased out of Boneville after Phoney gets caught doing one too many shady deals. After getting separated, they each make their way to a forested valley where they meet Thorn and her cow-racing Gran’ma Ben. As they search for one another, they encounter many different creatures, including terrifying rat creatures and a dragon that has the uncanny ability to keep Fone Bone out of trouble. But the most terrifying one of all, known as the “Hooded One,” has other more permanent things in store for the Bone cousins. Read the rest of the Bone graphic novel series to find out what happens.
Thirteen years ago a plane full of babies appeared out of nowhere, then later disappeared without a trace. Now Jonah and his friend Chip, who are both adopted, are getting anonymous messages and warnings telling them they are “one of the missing.” Along with Jonah's sister Katherine, they vow to solve the mystery. Were they two of the babies from the plane? And if so, where did they come from? And who is sending the mysterious messages? Find out in Found, the first book in Haddix’s exciting new series—The Missing.
Greg Heffley is a not so popular seventh grader whose mother gives him a journal (NOT a diary).Readers follow Greg through the school year as he and his best friend Rowley scheme and barrel through one adventure after another.But when Greg and Rowley decide not to be friends anymore, Greg realizes he is left with only one unbearable choice for a replacement. Young readers will love this "novel in cartoons," and can continue the journey in Kinney's sequels as well as with the recent release of the film version.
Siblings Carter and Sadie Kane have grown up apart since their mother died six years earlier. But when their Egyptian archaeologist father sacrifices himself to bring the ancient gods back into power, they are forced to work together to defeat the evil god Set who has imprisoned their father and seeks to destroy the world. Along the way, Carter and Sadie develop allies and defeat enemies with the help of the gods Horus and Isis who have taken host within them. So begins an adventurous race from New York to Phoenix, AZ where two siblings must sacrifice everything they hold dear for the greater good. And as an even greater, unseen enemy stirs, Carter and Sadie come face to face with a sacrifice neither was prepared to make.
The first book in the Kane Chronicles, The Red Pyramid does for Egyptology what Percy Jackson and the Olympians did for Greek mythology. Chock full of history and mythology, Riordan entices young minds with a what-if scenario where ancient Egypt collides with modern day society—where magic is real and the fate of the world lies in the hands of young children. His juxtaposition of Carter, an awkward, dark-skinned 14-year-old, with Sadie, a bitter and abandoned, fair-haired 12-year-old, makes their ultimate journey of becoming a team that more rich and rewarding. Because at the heart of the story are two children who have lost their parents, and turn to one another for support and friendship when all seems lost. That alone would feel like the end of the world, but our heroes find the strength within themselves and one another to do what is right, and not what is easy. This series should speak to tweens much like Riordan’s previous works, offering strong characters who are easy to root for, and more importantly relate to.
Three people receive the same mysterious letter, a curious book shows up, and a Vermeer painting is stolen.Coincidence?Not according to Calder Pillay and Petra Andalee.Then the art thief challenges the world to take a closer look at Vermeer’s work, but for Calder and Petra, there are more personal reasons for solving the mystery.Using secret codes and intuition, the unlikely pair forge a friendship and are determined to get to the bottom of things—no matter how dangerous things may get.Because neither can rest until Vermeer’s A Lady Writing is returned where she belongs. Readers can also find an interactive mystery in the book's illustrations. Read Balliett's The Wright 3 and The Calder Game for more adventures with Calder and Petra.
