Feldman, Jody. The Gollywhopper Games. Greenwillow Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0061214509. Ages 10-14.

Gil Goodson wants more than anything to start over in a new town with his family, somewhere where they are not constantly reminded of the Incident that ruined everything. So when the town’s Golly Toy & Game Company announces its 50^th anniversary ultimate competition, Gil sees his chance to win enough to give them that new life. As one of thousands of kids competing in the competition, Gil must solve puzzles and master trivia, as well as complete physical stunts, better and faster than all the others. But will the attention he receives from the games be too much for his family after all the bad press? And does he have what it takes to win it all? Fans of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory won't want to miss this gollywhopper of a read!

Blume, Judy. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1970. ISBN 0689841582. Ages 10-12.

A lot is changing for Margaret—a new town, new school, new friends. Lucky for her she can always talk to God about what is going on. But when her new friends start asking her about her faith, how can she explain to them that she doesn’t go to church or belong to any one religion? Soon Margaret finds herself searching for the perfect religion for her—visiting a synagogue, attending church services, and participating in confession—all the while dealing with a changing body and new feelings she feels only God can understand. This timeless coming of age story is a must-read for all preteen girls.

Beil, Michael D. The Red Blazer Girls: The Ring of Rocamadour. Alfred A. Knopf, 2009. ISBN 978-0375848148. Ages 9-12.

After Sophie sees the ghostly face in the church window next to their private school, she and her friends Margaret and Rebecca are quickly swept up in a mystery involving an eccentric old lady who has found a mysterious birthday card addressed to her estranged daughter containing the first of several clues in an elaborate scavenger hunt. With the help of some good friends and a pretty cool teacher, the girls work together to solve puzzles involving everything from religion to literature (and even math!), in the hopes of finding the treasure at the end before several other suspicious characters get their hands on it first. But will it be enough to bring a broken family together again? And can the girls do it without getting expelled—or even arrested?

Choldenko, Gennifer. Al Capone Does My Shirts. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2004. ISBN 0399238611. Ages 9-12.

It’s 1935, and one of the country’s most infamous mob bosses, Al Capone, is behind bars on Alcatraz Island. 12-year-old Moose Flanagan and his family move from Santa Monica to the island where his dad gets a job at the prison so they can send his older autistic sister Natalie to a special school in San Francisco. But when Natalie doesn’t get into the school, Moose has to give up baseball and after school activities in order to take care of her, and her eccentric and occasional difficult ways make life hard for Moose. But when he befriends the warden’s troublemaking daughter and the other children living on the island, he soon finds himself involved in an elaborate moneymaking scheme that has some surprising results.

Rennison, Louise. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. Harper Tempest, 1999. ISBN 0060288140. Ages 12-14.

In Georgia Nicolson’s journal, you’ll find out all sorts of things about this hilarious British teen. For instance, you’ll learn all about her wild cat Angus, her three-year-old sister who has a tendency to pee in Georgia’s bed, and her quest to learn all there is to know about kissing (snogging). And when Georgia’s friend Jas falls for a vegetable seller’s son, Georgia has loads to say about it, until she meets his older brother Robbie and subsequently dubs him “the sex god.” Soon Georgia is stalking Robbie’s “wet weed” of a girlfriend and stumbling through a couple of her own relationships before she realizes what she truly wants.

Nancy Drew, Girl Detective...Then and Now!

Keene, Carolyn. Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #1: The Secret of the Old Clock. Grosset & Dunlap, 1930. ISBN 978-0448095011. Ages 9-12.

Nancy Drew becomes entangled in a case to determine the true heirs to the estate of the recently deceased Josiah Crowley. Nancy’s dislike for the Topham family, a snobbish, wealthy family that has laid claim to the estate,

prompts her to look into the matter, where she meets several friends and family of Josiah Crowley who are claiming that he wrote a later will. When one of them tells her that a clue to the location of the will was hidden in an old clock before he died, Nancy finds herself on a dangerous quest to find this mysterious old clock in the hopes of finding Josiah Crowley’s true will and providing for his rightful, and more deserving, heirs.

Keene, Carolyn. The Nancy Drew Files, Case #1: Secrets Can Kill. Pocket Books, 1986. ISBN 978-0671746742. Ages 10-14.

When Nancy Drew goes undercover as a high school student at Bedford High School in order to investigate a series of thefts, she expects it to be a piece of cake. But after someone sends her a videotape warning her to stay away, and then one of her main suspects ends up dead, Nancy finds herself even more determined to get to the bottom of this case. So when the line becomes blurred between allies and enemies, and she develops feelings for someone other than Ned, Nancy realizes that if she doesn’t figure things out soon, someone could get seriously hurt…or even end up dead.

Keene, Carolyn. Nancy Drew, Girl Detective #1: Without a Trace. Aladdin Paperbacks, 2004. ISBN 068986566X. Ages 9-12.

In the first book of this modernized version of the famous girl detective series, Nancy Drew gets caught up in not one, but two mysteries. While trying to determine who has been destroying the neighborhood zucchini patches and keep the neighbors from turning on one another, she meets a new neighbor, who kindly welcomes Nancy and her friends into her home. But things take a turn for the worse when her new neighbor discovers that her priceless Faberge egg is missing! Could the two crimes be linked? With the help of her friends Bess and George, Nancy is determined to get to the bottom of both of them, no matter what!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Burton, Tim. (Director). (2005). Charlie and the Chocolate Factory [Motion picture]. United States: Warner Bros. Pictures. Ages 9-14.

Based on Roald Dahl’s classic story by the same name, this movie tells the story of a young boy named Charlie Bucket, a kind caring boy who has very little but who has a very big heart. When he and four obnoxious and spoiled children find golden tickets in their Wonka chocolate bars and win a tour of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, it is a dream come true. But the eccentric Wonka is unsympathetic when one by one, the children break the rules and lose out on the grand prize, leaving Charlie to take over the chocolate factory. And Charlie is able to give Wonka something back in return—a real family and reconciliation with his father.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory contains some violence and verbal insults from both Wonka and the Oompa-Loompas at the expense of the misbehaving and spoiled children and their parents. The film uses classic Burton style, pairing dismal blacks and grays with bright, colorful scenery, making his vision a perfect pairing with Dahl’s eccentric story. Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Wonka is first-class and stays true to the version of Wonka found in the text. While the film is entertaining, it does teach lessons about being humble and giving, not greedy and self-centered. The film is a wonderful companion to the book, and could be shown in both the age-appropriate classroom or in a library.

White, E.B. Charlotte’s Web. Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc., 1952. ISBN 978-0060845940. Ages 9-12.

When Fern discovers that her father is going to kill the runt pig in a litter, she vows to nurse him herself. Naming him Wilbur, she forms a strong bond with the pig as he moves to live on her uncle’s farm. But Wilbur soon finds out that he is meant to be slaughtered later in the year. So with the help of his newfound friend Charlotte, a spider living in a web above his pen, they become determined to make him not just any ordinary pig. This beautiful story tells of the unlikely friendship between a pig and a spider, and how through much determination and sacrifice, anything can be accomplished. Reluctant readers will definitely want to pick this one up, as this story is a wonderful bridge from transitional fiction into chapter books with its simple story and use of sporadic and detailed illustrations. This is a must read for any child who is an animal lover.

Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk. Greenwillow Books, 2001. ISBN 0688180191. Ages 12-14.

Intellectually and athletically gifted, TJ, a multiracial, adopted teenager, shuns organized sports and the gung-ho athletes at his high school until he agrees to form a swimming team and recruits some of the school's less popular students. TJ embodies many different aspects of everyday older tweens--he is multiracial, athletic, adopted, angry, and suffers from issues of abandonment. However, he takes all of these things with stride, and uses the best of them to try and save others. Many tweens will find aspects of his character that they can relate to, as well as the band of outcasts he forms his swim team with. Tweens will also be intrigued by the unconditional support of TJ's adopted, hippy parents.

Holm, Jennifer L., and Holm, Matthew. Babymouse: Our Hero. Random House, 2005. ISBN 978-0375832307. Ages 9-11.

Babymouse has quite the imagination, and dreams of being everyone’s hero. But when she must face Felicia Furrypaws in a game of dodgeball, it is up to Babymouse to save the day and win one for the team. Holm has created an incredibly normal and imaginative character in Babymouse. Set in the form of a graphic novel, younger tweens will delight in reading about Babymouse’s great adventures and delve willingly into her wild schemes and daydreams. Readers will cheer her on as she fights to stay alive in a game of dodgeball, and ends up surprising herself with what she can accomplish—finally becoming the hero she dreamed of.

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.

Dahl, Roald. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Knopf, 1964. ISBN 978-0375815263. Ages 9-12.

Poor Charlie Bucket wants more than anything to find a golden ticket in a Wonka bar, so that he can be one of the five to see Wonka’s magnificent chocolate factory. When he does, he is accompanied by four other naughty children who, one by one, lose their right to Wonka’s real intention—to find someone to replace him as the chocolate maker. Dahl’s is a tale of morals, and the consequences that must be paid when children are naughty and misbehave. But it is also a magical adventure into a world that is quite unlike anything children have ever experienced.

Christopher, Matt. Miracle at the Plate. Little, Brown, 1967. ISBN 978-0316139267. Ages 9-12.

Skeeter is the best batter on the Milky Ways, but he’s hopeless at fielding. Tommy is a decent fielder, but has no talent for hitting. When Skeeter accidentally runs over Tommy’s dog with his bike, he takes the dog to the vet without telling Tommy. But when Tommy and the rest of the team find out, Skeeter becomes worried that Tommy will finally take his place. Fans of Matt Christopher’s sports chapter books will not be disappointed with this baseball story. The book offers both exciting representations of the baseball games, as well as a moral story sure to appeal to animal lovers. While the book is geared more towards boys, girls who love sports and animals will also enjoy the story.