Welcome to TweenCity!
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)
Tuesday, March 29
Willard, Nancy. A Visit to William Blake’s Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers. Illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1981. ISBN 978-0152938239. Ages 9-12.
Sunday, March 27
Williams, Vera B. Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart. HarperCollins, 2001. ISBN 978-0060294601. Ages 9-12.
Wednesday, March 23
Silberling, Brad. (Director). (2005). Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events [Motion picture]. United States: Paramount Pictures. Ages 9-12.
Monday, March 21
DuPrau, Jeanne. The City of Ember. Random House, 2003. ISBN 978-0375822735. Ages 9-12.
241 years ago, a city was created to save a race of people. A city designed to last 220 years. Now Ember is a dying city, threatened by eternal darkness as the city’s decrepit electric system begins to fail. With food and supplies becoming scarce as well, and a corrupt mayor who likes his position a little too much, it seems as though there is no hope. So when Lina finds her baby sister chewing on a piece of paper that looks like directions out of the isolated city, she teams up with her friend Doon to try and decipher the few words and letters that are still legible on the page. Together they discover the city’s long lost history and secrets regarding the purpose of Ember and why the Builders designed it. But can they really find a way out and save the citizens of Ember, and is it possible with the mayor and his guards watching their every move?
Friday, March 18
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Scholastic, 2008. ISBN 978-0439023481. Ages 12-14.
In the future, the United States has been replaced by Panem, a collection of 12 different districts ruled over by the Capitol. As punishment for districts rebelling in the past, Panem holds an annual televised reality show called the Hunger Games. Here, each district must send one boy and one girl to compete to the death, for only one teen can survive and win the game. District 12’s Katniss finds herself competing after volunteering to take her little sister’s place, and things get complicated when Peeta, District 12’s other competitor, confesses his love for her.
Monday, March 14
Miyazaki, Hayao. (Director). (2001). Spirited Away [Motion picture]. United States: Walt Disney Pictures. Ages 9-14.
While moving to their new home, a sullen Chihiro and her parents stumble upon what looks like an old amusement park. Suddenly her parents are transformed into pigs and Chihiro discovers that they are trapped in a resort spa for traditional Japanese gods and spirits. Chihiro meets a young boy named Haku who encourages her to get a job from Yubaba at the spa if she wants to transform her parents back to normal. There she meets a series of characters who challenge and befriend her, and as she matures she finds the strength and love within herself to aid Haku and save her parents from a terrible fate.
Sunday, March 13
MacDonald, Betty. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. HarperCollins, 1947. ISBN 978-0064401487. Ages 9-12.
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, with her upside-down house and wild imagination, is the love of children everywhere. But it is the grown-ups who turn to her in their time of need to find the cures for all of their children’s bad habits—something only she seems to know how to do. Like other famous nanny characters, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is no-nonsense when it comes to certain things, and full of fun and imagination when it comes to others. Younger tweens will respond enthusiastically to her ability to balance discipline with entertainment, and parents will love the underlying message of each individual story.
Friday, March 11
McDonald, Megan. Judy Moody. Candlewick Press, 2000. ISBN 978-0763612313. Ages 9-10.
Judy Moody is starting third grade, and she is not in a good mood about it at all. She gets stuck next to the annoying boy who likes her and eats paste, she doesn’t have the right clothes, and her brother Stink is such a bother. But when her teacher asks each of the students to make a “Me” collage, Judy finds she has a lot to say about herself, and a lot to learn about others in the process. Like so many of the other spunky and unforgettable female characters created, Judy Moody is certainly unforgettable and McDonald has created a character that is both endearing and hilarious. Reluctant readers and those bridging the gap between transitional fiction and regular chapter books will enjoy the occasional illustrations and manageable chapter lengths as well.
Wednesday, March 9
Meyer, Stephenie. Eclipse. Little, Brown and Company, 2007. ISBN 0316160202. Ages 12-14.
Bella must choose between her friendship with Jacob, a werewolf, and her relationship with Edward, a vampire. But when Seattle is ravaged by a mysterious string of killings, the three of them need to decide whether their personal lives are more important than the well-being of an entire city. In this third book in the series, the author satisfies readers by bringing Edward and Bella together again as they continue to fight off Victoria and her new coven of vampires. Continuing on from the previous book, she further develops the triangle between them and Jacob. Older tween readers will find themselves torn between Edward's old-fashioned, gentleman ways and Jacob's passionate advances.
Sunday, March 6
Meyer, Stephenie. New Moon. Little, Brown and Company, 2006. ISBN 0316160199. Ages 12-14.
When the Cullens, including her beloved Edward, leave Forks rather than risk revealing that they are vampires, it is almost too much for eighteen-year-old Bella to bear. But she finds solace in her friendship with Jacob; that is until he is drawn into a "cult" and changes in terrible ways. In the author's second book in the series, we find Bella falling apart after the loss of her true love, but picked up and put back together by a new love interest, Jacob Black. This installment introduces the werewolves, and forces older tweens to choose between their loyalty to Edward and their interest in Jacob. Tweens will also be intrigued by the introduction of the Volturi and be further drawn into the world of vampires.
Thursday, March 3
Meyer, Stephenie. Twilight. Little, Brown and Company, 2005. ISBN 0316015849. Ages 12-14.
When seventeen-year-old Bella leaves Phoenix to live with her father in Forks, Washington, she meets an exquisitely handsome boy at school for whom she feels an overwhelming attraction and who she comes to realize is not wholly human. The author's story creates a world so real that even the supernatural elements seem possible. She creates a love story that most older tween romantics will fall for because it tells of a world where even the awkward girl gets the boy. But tween readers will also identify with themes of being different and overcoming all obstacles in order to be with the one you love.