Children's book lists go from Snuggle Puppy to The Stand. That's fine, but as an auntie, it's hard to know where in the spectrum a particular child might fall. So this list is of books you or children you know loved at around age twelve.

As part of this series:
Books for one-year-olds
Books for two-year-olds
Books for three-year-olds
Books for four-year-olds
Books for five-year-olds
Books for six-year-olds
Books for seven-year-olds
Books for eight-year-olds
Books for nine-year-olds
Books for ten-year-olds
Books for eleven-year-olds
Books for twelve-year-olds
Books for thirteen-year-olds
1

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4.47 avg rating — 11,669,586 ratings
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2

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4.02 avg rating — 1,385,875 ratings
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3

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4.12 avg rating — 2,870,103 ratings
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4

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4.20 avg rating — 4,282,664 ratings
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5

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3.97 avg rating — 1,304,627 ratings
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6

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4.35 avg rating — 10,153,337 ratings
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7

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4.33 avg rating — 1,141,345 ratings
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8

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4.34 avg rating — 1,136,912 ratings
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9

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4.20 avg rating — 631,936 ratings
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10

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3.88 avg rating — 353,507 ratings
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11

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4.31 avg rating — 3,520,259 ratings
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12

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4.18 avg rating — 2,514,522 ratings
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13

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4.28 avg rating — 27,134 ratings
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14

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4.17 avg rating — 1,324,120 ratings
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15

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4.43 avg rating — 4,613,016 ratings
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16

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4.03 avg rating — 1,636,316 ratings
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17

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4.36 avg rating — 4,273,311 ratings
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18

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4.30 avg rating — 4,567,761 ratings
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19

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4.10 avg rating — 511,787 ratings
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20

by
4.03 avg rating — 161,813 ratings
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21

by
4.94 avg rating — 71 ratings
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22

by
4.19 avg rating — 311,451 ratings
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23

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4.35 avg rating — 1,215,646 ratings
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24

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3.77 avg rating — 338,174 ratings
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25

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4.06 avg rating — 619,051 ratings
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26

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3.95 avg rating — 259,360 ratings
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27

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3.80 avg rating — 461,225 ratings
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28

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3.99 avg rating — 239,395 ratings
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29

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4.94 avg rating — 65 ratings
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30

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4.28 avg rating — 718,238 ratings
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31

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4.15 avg rating — 1,662,128 ratings
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32

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4.08 avg rating — 118,147 ratings
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33

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4.30 avg rating — 5,969 ratings
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34

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4.29 avg rating — 959,500 ratings
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35

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4.24 avg rating — 3,202,446 ratings
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36

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4.03 avg rating — 579,836 ratings
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37

by
3.93 avg rating — 446,266 ratings
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38

by
3.81 avg rating — 264,009 ratings
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39

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4.06 avg rating — 599,421 ratings
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40

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4.21 avg rating — 2,086,302 ratings
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41

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4.15 avg rating — 569,796 ratings
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42

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3.97 avg rating — 1,970,781 ratings
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43

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4.13 avg rating — 447,620 ratings
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44

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4.02 avg rating — 426,333 ratings
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45

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 175,204 ratings
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46

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4.14 avg rating — 180,679 ratings
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47

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3.83 avg rating — 1,348,014 ratings
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48

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3.56 avg rating — 67,998 ratings
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49

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4.17 avg rating — 945,087 ratings
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50

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it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 39 ratings
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51

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4.32 avg rating — 212,261 ratings
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52

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4.11 avg rating — 118,322 ratings
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53

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4.26 avg rating — 7,041,277 ratings
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54

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3.86 avg rating — 163,165 ratings
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55

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4.11 avg rating — 20,029 ratings
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56

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3.76 avg rating — 516,232 ratings
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57

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4.17 avg rating — 34,219 ratings
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58

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4.23 avg rating — 333,868 ratings
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59

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3.99 avg rating — 16,670 ratings
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60

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3.83 avg rating — 6,273 ratings
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61

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3.86 avg rating — 126,528 ratings
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62

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3.98 avg rating — 802,535 ratings
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63

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3.88 avg rating — 434,454 ratings
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64

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4.01 avg rating — 228 ratings
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65

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3.86 avg rating — 88,746 ratings
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66

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4.41 avg rating — 3,210,894 ratings
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67

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4.46 avg rating — 867,033 ratings
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68

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 26,817 ratings
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69

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3.73 avg rating — 17,159 ratings
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70

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3.93 avg rating — 529,838 ratings
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71

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3.92 avg rating — 1,036,352 ratings
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72

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 128,700 ratings
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73

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3.67 avg rating — 627,087 ratings
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74

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4.39 avg rating — 2,945,595 ratings
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75

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3.99 avg rating — 139,014 ratings
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76

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4.02 avg rating — 44,883 ratings
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77

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4.01 avg rating — 66,296 ratings
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78

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3.74 avg rating — 43,433 ratings
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79

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4.14 avg rating — 19,068 ratings
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80

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4.12 avg rating — 5,827,739 ratings
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81

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4.45 avg rating — 1,192,980 ratings
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82

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4.10 avg rating — 431,717 ratings
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83

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3.85 avg rating — 550,408 ratings
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84

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4.16 avg rating — 95,008 ratings
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85

by
4.11 avg rating — 284,029 ratings
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86

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 302,243 ratings
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87

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4.38 avg rating — 22,614 ratings
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88

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4.28 avg rating — 463,840 ratings
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89

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3.85 avg rating — 16,260 ratings
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90

by
4.31 avg rating — 9,766 ratings
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91

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4.25 avg rating — 77,550 ratings
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92

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4.29 avg rating — 10,107 ratings
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93

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3.70 avg rating — 3,276,120 ratings
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94

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3.99 avg rating — 1,263,168 ratings
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95

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4.34 avg rating — 38,205 ratings
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96

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4.08 avg rating — 8,293 ratings
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97

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3.75 avg rating — 35,064 ratings
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98

by
3.96 avg rating — 680 ratings
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99

by
3.90 avg rating — 2,909,794 ratings
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100

by
4.12 avg rating — 12,774 ratings
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1,745 books · 1,236 voters · list created July 29th, 2008 by Crystel (votes) .
119 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Crystel 261 books
105 friends
Collin 111 books
6 friends
Sarah 227 books
171 friends
Emily 1560 books
21 friends
Stephy 3402 books
13 friends
Seth 18 books
11 friends
Julia 334 books
32 friends
Susanna - Censored by GoodReads 3388 books
850 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-7 of 7 (7 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Barringer (new)

Barringer Publishing Malia & Teacup: Awesome African Adventure Malia & Teacup Awesome African Adventure by Molly Barrow Exciting adventure book about a 12 year old girl and her little dog traveling to Africa to find her dad.


message 2: by Lukia (new)

Lukia A lot of the books on this list are wonderful but are more breathtaking for younger readers. I think many people underestimate the capability of a 12 year old. Some forget to realize that we are almost teens, and are ready to gain advanced knowledge of the world. Classics and light teen books are the way to go. My personal recommendation for a tween (twelve) is The Book Thief. I think it really opens your mind to a different perspective and I got a lot out of it. (My mom loved it too) Lovely list though!


message 3: by Sam (last edited Feb 17, 2014 06:42AM) (new)

Sam Schenström I think it's really hard to say what is fit for a 12-year-old, because people are so different in that age. While some are still like children, others may already have read huge amounts of books and are way into their puberty, and they would want to start reading adult books and classics. That's how I was. But at the same time, I never lost my appetite for children's books. I read The Witches by Roald Dahl when I was 12, and I loved it!

The one book I would want more grown up 12-year-olds to read is Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. It deals with very serious issues, but I think people need to learn about these issues much earlier, and the narrator of the book has to deal with them from the age of 13.


message 4: by ~☆~Autumn (last edited Dec 30, 2023 08:03PM) (new)

~☆~Autumn When I was 12 I read Jack London's The Call of the Wild and White Fang which I loved. I also read Gone with the Wind and my sister who was younger read Great Expectations but I don't think these are appropriate for 12 year olds today!


message 5: by ~☆~Autumn (new)

~☆~Autumn Many of these books are NOT appropriate for 12 year olds! No 12 year old should be reading Dracula!!! I am shocked.


message 6: by Rachel (new)

Rachel No one under the age of 18 should be reading Punk 57. What in the absolute hell is this list? Are you all high?????


message 7: by Georgina (new)

Georgina Warren These picture books should be removed because they are for readers much younger than 12.

A Hero Named Nikki

I Can't Believe They're Gone: A kid's grief book that hugs, helps, and gives hope

Moos, Mud, Mayhem!


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