Children’s books for the early teen years, not yet young adults, but no longer little ones
Published: 2001 Theme: Queen of England Best for: 12 to 14 "So my sister was now queen. And because she had triumphed, I was next! This was the moment, standing in the knot garden, when I realized that someday I, too, would become queen of England..." In this historical fiction children's book, we get a very good look at the way power can corrupt even the best of people...
Published: 2012 Theme: Forgiveness Best for: 9 to 12 "It is better to light a lantern than to bemoan the darkness," Madame Change said softly to herself, as if in a dream. "Can't we light more lanterns, then?" Peiyi said eagerly, "to make up for the light of the moon?" In another lovely children's book, Grace Lin deftly weaves a dramatic story of forgiveness around the retelling of classic Chinese tales.
Published: 2014 Theme: Accepting Differences, Autism Best for: 11 and up "I hear lots of things I'm not supposed to hear, and lots of things nobody else is able to hear, because my hearing is very acute, which is part of my diagnosis of high-functioning autism..." This entire work of fiction is written in the voice of an autistic child, displaying all her unusual tendencies, such as obsession with homophones and prime numbers...
Published: 2012, 2014 Theme: Fantasy Exploring Best for: 12 and up "We Explorers have always been redrawing the maps. That map was no less correct when it was made than the ones made by Ortelius or Mercator. A map of the world isn't a fixed thing. We know only what we can see." This series is superb. The adventures, the dangers, the daring, the unstated metaphors to today's warped political world, are both disturbing and important...
Published: 2013 Theme: Power to Create Best for: 8 and up "[The Gods] did tell one another what they would make once they got back to work, if only they had the energy, and if only they had the time, but in truth their world was still unfinished, still had many gaps and spaces in it, and there was still much making to be done." This book has a profound message for all ages - within each of us is the power of the Gods to create our world, and... we must be responsible...
Published: 2014 Theme: Faith Best for: 11 and up "Everyone in Chile has an explanation for earthquakes. I say that the earth has the right to yawn and stretch just as I do in my bed when I don't want to wake early for school, and also has the right to sneeze as we all do when covered in dust." Profound and poetical are the best two words to capture the new children's book by Chilean author Marjorie Agosin about a young girl forced into exile from Chile...
Published: 2014 Theme: Friendship and Love Best for: ages 11 and up "The present is here and here and here, a sky full of light, a path under your feet, your hair lifted by wind, the smell of flowers, green grass, red rocks, all of it tumbling toward summer, and all of it yours. All you have to do is set fear aside and stretch out your hand." This children's book offers so many messages - about hope, friendship, the Quaker ideals of peace, and the power of the present moment, and does so amidst a very contemporary drama...
Published: 2005 Theme: Middle School Anxieties Best for: 6th grade and up "Hero smiled at him. Her father was always clueless about her real life. She felt a strange mixture of pity and gratitude. It was good to be home, in the bright, safe kitchen... her parents bustling obliviously just a few feet away." An unusual stew of elements - adjusting to a new school, bullying, a missing diamond, and Shakespeare's real identity - create an interesting story.
Published: 2009 Theme: Beyond Stereotyping Best for: 12 and up "We're supposed to talk about real differences and perceived differences, and...I just don't know. Sadness feels the same, whether it's in Lexington or here in Thunder Creek." This beautifully written, heartfelt children's book gives us a direct experience that caring for others not only yields the greatest happiness, but transcends social class...
Published: 2004 Theme: Trust and Loyalty Best for: 12 and up "The world was so beautiful in those days, Annika. The music, the flowers, the scent of the pines..." "It still is," said Annika. "Honestly, it still is." Filled with unexpected twists and turns, with terrific characters, and with a cliff-hanger, but happy, ending, this children's book is terrific from start to finish.
Litkidz 