Schultz, John. (Director). (2011). Judy Moody [Motion picture]. United States: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Ages 9-12.

School is out and summer is finally here! But the excitement doesn’t last long for Judy Moody as she learns her two best friends are going away for the summer and her parents are leaving Judy and her brother Stink with their crazy Aunt Opal. There’s got to be a way to salvage this bummer summer! Then Judy comes up with a super contest to see who can have the most “thrilladelic” summer ever, but it’s hard to compete with one friend in Borneo and the other at circus camp. No matter... with Stink, Opal and her nerdy friend Frank, Judy discovers that the real thrills come from the unexpected experiences, as well as the people you share them with. Based on the series of books by Megan McDonald.

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.

Levithan, David. Boy Meets Boy. Alfred A. Knopf, 2003. ISBN 0375832998. Ages 12-14.

In "this" school, the gay kids and the straight kids all get along just fine, the quarterback is a cross-dresser, and the cheerleaders ride Harleys--yet the road to true love is still a strange and winding path, as Paul discovers when he meets the boy of his dreams. While the idealistic peace between gay and straight students at Paul's high school is just short of utopian, the relationships and problems of the teenagers there are very real and believable. The story is a true study of love and relationships in an environment without hostility, and all older tweens will enjoy the variety offered in this simple tale.

Lindgren, Astrid. Pippi Longstocking. Puffin Books, 1950. ISBN 978-0142402498. Ages 9-12.

When Pippi Longstocking returns from sea to live on her own at Villa Villekula, it is much to the delight of Tommy and Annike, who are taken to Pippi immediately. For while she may refuse to act and behave like a normal child, that is what makes her special. The three embark on many adventures, including avoiding policemen, going to school, climbing trees, and saving the day. There are very few characters that can live up to Pippi’s legacy, for she is certainly one of a kind. Though the book leans slightly in favor of girls, the gender neutral plots and wild adventures are sure to appeal to both boys and girls.

Estes, Eleanor. The Hundred Dresses. Harcourt, Brace and Co., 1944. ISBN 978-0152052607. Ages 9-12.

Wanda Petronski is different—she has a different name, she is plain and poor, and she is shy and quiet. But Peggy, Maddie, and the other girls tease her because she claims she has one hundred dresses, even though she wears the same drab one every day. Maddie wishes they wouldn’t tease her, but does not speak up until it is too late and the Petronskis leave due to their poor treatment. Written for younger tweens, even reluctant readers with little experience reading chapter books will sail through this simple story. Girls may identify with the story more, and can learn about the cattiness and bullying that often occurs between them in real life. All readers will take away from the story the moral that just because someone is different does not make it right to tease and bully them.

Columbus, Chris. (Director). (2010). Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief [Motion picture]. United States: Fox2000 Pictures. Ages 11-14.

Percy Jackson has always felt different—his ADHD and dyslexia keep him from ever feeling like anything but a failure. But after being attacked by a Fury looking for Zeus’s lightning bolt, he discovers that he is the son of Poseidon—a demi-god. Sent to Camp Half Blood to train, Percy soon embarks on a great adventure with Grover (his satyr protector) and Annabeth (daughter of Athena) to find the lightning bolt and stop the gods from waging an all-out war. Based on the first book in Rick Riordan’s bestselling series.

Harrison, John Kent. (Director). (2003). A Wrinkle In Time [Motion picture]. United States: Disney. Ages 9-14.

When their father goes missing, Meg and Charles Wallace are certain that he is somewhere and needs to be found. Together with a neighbor friend named Calvin, they embark on a magnificent journey through the universe and time in search of him, with the help of Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which. They find him on a distant planet controlled by IT, a pulsating brain-like creature living beneath the surface. But when Charles Wallace is taken under IT’s control, it is up to Meg to save Charles Wallace and bring her family back together again. Based on the Newbery medal-winning book by Madeleine L’Engle.

Kwapis, Ken. (Director). (2005). The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants [Motion picture]. United States: Alcon Entertainment. Ages 11-14.

When a single pair of jeans fits four lifelong friends (who couldn’t be more different) perfectly, it must be magic. So the girls form their sisterhood on the eve of going their separate ways for the summer—the pants being the perfect way to keep in touch and chronicle each of their experiences. While Carmen faces a new stepfamily in the states, Lena travels to Greece to meet her extended family and finds love as well. And as Tibby witnesses a young girl’s brave fight with leukemia, Bridget battles her own demons while making trouble at soccer camp. But in the end, the pants bring them back together, where they are there for each other after a summer none of them will forget. Based on the first book in the bestselling series by Ann Brashares.

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Little, Brown and Company, 2007. ISBN 978-0316013680. Ages 12-14.

Amateur cartoonist Junior leaves his troubled school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Though his intent is to get a better education, he endures prejudice and bullying both from the kids in the new school where he sticks out like a sore thumb and from the reservation he has chosen to abandon. Despite suffering through these circumstances as well as other personal tragedies, Junior finds solace and humor in his artwork, as well as basketball, and begins to make a life for himself. And in turn, he learns what it means to define his culture, instead of letting it define him.

Westerfeld, Scott. Uglies. Simon Pulse, 2005. ISBN 978-0689865381. Ages 12-14.

In Tally’s world, no one wants to be an Ugly. So that’s why she can’t wait to turn sixteen so she can have the operation that will turn her into a Pretty. But then she meets Shay, an Ugly who would rather run away and rough it on the outside then be turned into a Pretty and move into their superficial world. Soon they meet a whole society of Uglies who inform them about the true intentions behind the Pretty operation. And when they get caught, Tally must make a life-changing decision—turn in her new friend or stay Ugly for the rest of her life.

The author's story provides a social commentary on the need to be flawless in today's society in the style of other dystopian works. Tween readers will initially be intrigued by the idea of becoming a Pretty, but will soon realize that there is more to life than image and that the power of the mind is more important and not something to be given up lightly.

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow. Scholastic, 2005. ISBN 0439353793. Ages 10-14.

This collection of photographs and experiences tells the history of the rise of Hitler and World War II from the perspective of the youth of Germany. From the millions of children who joined the Hitler Youth, to those who opposed Germany’s tyrannical leader and paid for it with their lives, to the German Jews who fought their own battle in the concentration camps—Bartoletti paints the entire picture of what it meant to be a tween or teen growing up in the shadow of Adolf Hitler, and the years of guilt and anguish they have lived with in the aftermath.

Thought provoking and heart wrenching, this unique perspective of World War II places tweens and teens at the heart of history, enabling them to experience it in a way they never have before. Centering on themes of peer pressure and conformity, it celebrates the actions of those who took a stand for what they believed was right. It also gives tweens and teens a sort of empowerment, showing them that they can make a difference in light of any circumstance. Hitler Youth are juxtaposed with staunch protestors and Jewish victims of the war, giving the history of such a troubling time a well-rounded feel. Paired with gritty, untouched photographs and firsthand accounts, this book is a must-read for any history or World War II enthusiast.

Spinelli, Jerry. Stargirl. Alfred A. Knopf, 2000. ISBN 0679886370. Ages 10-14.

Stargirl is one of a kind. From the moment she enters Leo Borlock’s life at Mica High, he is completely enchanted by her. And so are the rest of the students at the school, until one day everyone turns against her for being exactly who she always has been—different. Now Leo is desperate to hold on to both his relationship with Stargirl and his status at school. So he asks her to do the one thing that might just save them both—be normal. But when Stargirl dies and Susan takes her place, everything changes in a way Leo never expected.

This book is a perfect commentary on the social structure of school and the roles tweens and teens play in them. When Stargirl does not fit into any conventional role, she is at first admired and then shunned simply because no one understands her. Her refusal to conform illustrates the importance tweens and teens place on popularity, and how unimportant it really is when compared to everything else in the world around us. Add in a charming tale of a budding first love, and Stargirl offers a high school experience most everyone can relate to.