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.

Nix, Garth. Sabriel. HarperCollins, 1995. ISBN 0060273224. Ages 12-14.

Sabriel, daughter of the necromancer Abhorsen, must journey into the mysterious and magical Old Kingdom to rescue her father from the Land of the Dead. In this first book of the trilogy, readers are introduced to Sabriel and the Old Kingdom as she fights to save her father. Tweens will identify with her need to discover who she truly is and be drawn in to her quest to fight evil and find the only man who can truly give her those answers and show her what she is to become.

Bray, Libba. A Great and Terrible Beauty. Delacorte Press, 2003. ISBN 0385732317. Ages 12-14.

After the suspicious death of her mother in 1895, sixteen-year-old Gemma returns to England, after many years in India, to attend a finishing school where she become aware of her magical powers and ability to see into the spirit world. The author creates a seamless blend of historical and fantasy fiction, drawing readers into a world where powerful young women are deeply contrasted against the role of the Victorian woman. Unlike the society in which she lives, the Realms allow Gemma the ability to control and shape her destiny, and use her power to change the fates of others. Tween girls will relate to the story's four young women and find a little piece of themselves in each of them.

Vaughn, Matthew. (Director). (2007). Stardust [Motion picture]. United States: Paramount Pictures. Ages 12-14.

To win the heart of beautiful but shallow Victoria, Tristan journeys beyond the stony wall into the fantasy kingdom of Stormhold to recover a fallen star. There, a dying king sets his four surviving sons on a quest for the crown, and the witch Lamia seeks the heart of the star. While the book this film was based on was originally written for adults, the story of Tristan speaks to older tweens who have ever felt the need to go to the ends of the earth for the one they love. It also tells of a boy who is eager to find out what his purpose is in life and what his true origins are, something that affects many tweens today. They will also enjoy the film's magic and adventure that accompany Tristan on his journeys.

Paolini, Christopher. Eragon. Alfred A. Knopf, 2003. ISBN 978-0375826689. Ages 10-14.

In Alagaesia, a fifteen-year-old boy of unknown lineage named Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters. This is an epic tale of a boy whose simple life falls apart with the discovery that he is meant to be more than he could have ever imagined--a Dragon Rider. Tweens who love fantasy will love this first book in a series full of action and adventure, and identify with Eragon's solitary quest to discover who he truly is and what he is meant to do with his newfound abilities.

Miyazaki, Hayao. (Director). (2004). Howl’s Moving Castle [Motion picture]. United States: Walt Disney Home Entertainment. Ages 9-14.

After being cursed by the Witch of the Waste and turned into an old woman, young Sophie turns to the handsome young magician Howl and his band of misfits as she joins him on his four-legged walking “castle” as the new housekeeper. Befriending the fire demon Calcifer who is bound to Howl, Sophie is determined to find a way to break the witch’s spell and enlists his help. Soon Sophie is whisked across a magical world filled with wonderful sites and senseless war. And she soon realizes that in her quest to break her own spell, she may be able to break Howl’s as well. Based on the enchanting novel by Diana Wynne Jones.

Claus, Richard. (Director). (2006). The Thief Lord [Motion picture]. United States: Twentieth Century Fox. Ages 10-14.

After Prosper and Bo’s mother dies, Prosper rescues Bo from their evil aunt and uncle and they run away to Venice (their mother always told them it was a magical place). There they run into the Thief Lord, who turns out to be a wealthy boy named Scipio who has taken in a band of orphans. These orphans normally help him steal from the rich, including his neglectful father, but when a mysterious job is offered to the Thief Lord for a large sum of money, Scipio and his gang are plunged into an adventure involving a magical carousel capable of altering time itself. Based on the bestselling book by Cornelia Funke.

O’Haver, Tommy. (Director). (2004). Ella Enchanted [Motion picture]. United States: Miramax. Ages 9-14.

When Ella was born, she was given the gift of obedience by her fairy godmother. Now as a young girl, she finds that the gift has become more of a curse. For when her mean-spirited stepsister finds out about Ella’s “gift,” she tortures her for the fun of it. But even that is tolerable when she falls in love with Prince Char. Unfortunately, Char’s evil uncle has different plans for the two, and decides to use Ella’s unfortunate gift to secure his role as King once and for all. This modern retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale is based on the Newbery Honor book by Gail Carson Levine.

West, Jacqueline. The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2010. ISBN 978-0803734401. Ages 9-12.

Olive is just an average girl (with above-average parents), but when her family moves into the old McMartin home she discovers a house full of mystery and adventure. After finding an old pair of spectacles, she soon realizes that they enable her to enter any painting in the house. But the fun does not last long as she begins to recognize a sinister darkness about the paintings, and a tragic tale for those trapped within them. With the help of the house’s guardians—three cats named Horatio, Leopold and Harvey—and a boy named Morton, Olive fights to release the paintings and their inhabitants from the evil clutches of old man McMartin.

Scott, Michael. The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. Delacorte Press, 2007. ISBN 978-0385733571. Ages 10-14.

Josh never expected so much excitement and adventure when he took a job at Nick Fleming’s bookshop. One minute he’s searching for a book on the shelves, and the next minute he discovers his boss is the famed Alchemyst Nicholas Flamel. Soon he and his twin sister Sophie are caught up in a whirlwind of magic, creatures and immortal beings, and follow Flamel on a dangerous path to rescue his wife from the clutches of the evil John Dee, as well as discover their true magical potential.

Softley, Iain. (Director). (2009). Inkheart [Motion picture]. United States: New Line Cinema. Ages 9-14.

When Meggie finds out her father is a Silvertongue, her whole world becomes like a fairy tale adventure. A Silvertongue can bring characters off the page of a book just by reading the story out loud. But for every character that comes out of the book, another must take its place. Thus Meggie and her father, along with both real and fictional friends, must fight the evil Capricorn in order to rescue her mother from the pages of a book. Literature fans will recognize elements from great stories like The Wizard of Oz, Arabian Nights, and more. Based on the first book in the bestselling series by Cornelia Funke.

Bosch, Pseudonymous. The Name of This Book is Secret. Little, Brown and Company, 2007. ISBN 978-0316113663. Ages 9-12.

Cass and Max-Ernest follow a trail of clues to discover what happened to a missing magician and his Symphony of Smells. Encountering danger and adventure everywhere they go, Cass and Max-Ernest must battle the evil Dr. L and Ms. Mauvais as they infiltrate the Midnight Sun Sensorium and Spa and save their classmate from a horrible death. But their investigations turn up far more clues than expected, and many more adventures lie in store for them in Pseudonymous Bosch’s exciting, and quirky, new series.

Stephens, Sarah Hines, & Mann, Bethany. Show Off. Candlewick Press, 2009. ISBN 978-0763645991. Ages 10-14.

AMAZE others by faking a fall or twirling a drumstick! INVESTIGATE the use of morse code or invisible ink! CREATE a catapult or silhouette portraits! EXPLORE the outdoors by predicting a rainstorm or building a dam! COOK up some homemade fortune cookies or a Jell-O city! MOVE by freezing your own ice rink or rigging a zipline! Learn how to do all 224 of these awesome tricks and activities with Show Off's simple step-by-step instructions.

Colfer, Eoin. Artemis Fowl. Hyperion Books, 2001. ISBN 978-1423124528. Ages 10-14.

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.