Children’s books which are generally suitable for children age nine to twelve
Published: 1988 Theme: Survival Best for: boys 11 and up "...he learned the most important rule about survival, which was that feeling sorry for yourself didn't work... the self-pity had accomplished nothing." About a third of the way through the book, when it became clear this was really about survival in it's truest sense, I was hooked on the mesmerizing story.
Published: 1999 Theme: Resilience Best for: 9 and up "We were all standing in line waiting for breakfast when one of the caseworkers came in and tap-tap-tapped down the line. Uh-oh, this meant bad news, either they'd found a foster home for somebody or somebody was about to get paddled." Humor, pathos, drama, history, and emotion create an intensely beautiful and impactful piece of children's literature...
Published: 1995 Theme: Family Best for: 11 and up ""Lona, what you teach these babies up North? Don't they know how to give no one a proper hug?" Grandma Sands reached up over Byron's head. "A little short on hair but we gonna get on just fine, what you think, By?" Country kids meet city kids. Northern kids meet life in the South, circa 1963. Sibling rivalry. Delinquency. Parental decisions. The ground this book covers is astounding...
Published: 2003 Theme: Protecting the Environment Best for: 11 and up "Mrs. Stark's classroom was an unlikely place to meet a rebel. So when we opened our literature books to a new chapter on Monday I was shocked to see a person who actually looked interesting. Henry David Thoreau was standing at the bottom of the page..." For anyone who loves the transcendentalists, and especially teaching children about them, this children's book is a treasure.
Published: 1954 Theme: Wonder and Hope Best for: 8 to 12 "We can't think much when we don't know much. But we can wonder!..For sometimes, when we wonder, we can make things begin to happen." With a wise teacher at their helm, five young children in the Netherlands begin to wonder, and act. And through that, the town changes, all for the better.
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: 1949 Theme: Dragons Best for: ages 9 and up "The next day the dragon moved to the neighboring village of Quercetum... He ate not only sheep and cows and one or two persons of tender age, but he ate the parson too. Rather rashly the parson had sought to dissuade him from his evil ways." I was delighted to come across a 50th anniversary edition of this short and funny children's book by Tolkien. It's a terrific and funny dragon tale...
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: 1998 Theme: Peace at all costs Best for: 9 and up "There they go," a voice said. "There go the cowards." Samuel Russsell clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white but he did not look around..."Cowards", that was what many people called him and his father and all his people." This very informed historical fiction children's book depicts an actual event involving the Quakers in New York State, and their encounter with French Canadian Indians, told through the eyes of two young boys.
Published: 2007 Theme: Power of Silence Best for: 9-12 "Because he wasn't talking, Dave had focused all on his energy on listening. Listening at the lunch table, really listening, was a brand-new experience for him. Because most of the time Dave was a loudmouth." If you love education, students, teachers, and the dynamics that happen in a middle school, this children's book is a must. For kids themselves, it's superb...
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