Waaaay back in April of 2022, I was talking with some parents who inspired me to make a booklist. They were talking about their kiddos who are preteens but aren’t ready for “typical” preteen books – you know, crushes, school drama, and all that sort of thing. They want their kids to just be able to be kids for a little while longer, but they were stuck on what to recommend for their kiddos.
They asked me if I have any recommendations for them.
Oh, do I ever!
First, a caveat: there are certainly kids who can benefit from being able to identify with some of the middle school-age drama. And there are lots of books out there that will give them what they’re looking for!
But when I was a preteen, I was perfectly content to keep reading things that spirited me away to make-believe worlds or plopped me down somewhere in history, rather than reading about real-life middle school stuff, like the bewilderment of keeping up with who likes whom and who knows about it.
I also enjoyed books that had some “typical” drama, but not the kind that involved crushes and the popular kids and jocks, etc. Just the typical growing pains of a heavier homework load and navigating friendship changes.
If your kid is as I was, or you’d rather not expose them yet to those types of books, this series of posts is for you!
Yes, it’s going to be a series, rather than one post. Initially, I thought I’d write one quick post with a book list.
But the more I looked at my book lists from being a teacher, and thought back to books I enjoyed when I was that age, the list kept getting longer and longer.
Plus, I want to be able to give a quick blurb and a content caveat with most titles, rather than a plain list of titles with book cover images.
So today, we’re just going to start with two categories:
- Old-fashioned books
- Slightly more modern/contemporary stories. These have main storylines with sides of “real-life” middle school experiences.
In future posts, I’ll include:
(links to follow as I post)
- Fantasy: series and stand-alone books
- Historical fiction
- Cross-cultural living
- Popular books/series that I don’t wholeheartedly recommend (and why)
As with all books, you need to know your reader. Some of these books are more appropriate for younger preteens, and some for older. Many of the books, however, will appeal to students in upper elementary all the way through middle school. Some of these books may appeal more to girls than boys, though several will hold appeal for both genders.
Again, know your reader.
I hope that you (and your kiddos) will find some delightful treasures in these lists.
Wholesome, Old-fashioned books
The books in this section probably don’t feel particularly old-fashioned to adults; however, these books were written before smart phones and social media existed, so they probably seem old-fashioned to kids at certain points.
(Trust me. Kids have a hard time imagining phones that have to stay plugged into the wall to work, for example, let alone rotary phones…or no phones at all!)
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
I discovered this series of five books in 2020, and it was such a breath of fresh air! It has the whimsical, rich vocabulary of Anne of Green Gables along with the humor and relatability of siblings interacting with each other.
Each book is from the perspective of a different sibling, and the series grows with the kids. So while they start with the oldest being about twelve or thirteen, and the youngest being four, it ends with some of them being old enough to get married.
The dad is a widower, so the oldest daughter feels the pressure to mother the younger kids, who can be a handful at times. Since a deceased parent is part of the premise, there is some talk of grief.
What I appreciate most when thinking about handing these to kids is that, even with the later novels, the romance and things were more from the perspective of a sibling observing, rather than detailed romantic scenes.
It’s a squeaky clean series with fun, humor, and very relatable kid situations.
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Hopefully you already know and have read this classic series about the orphan Anne who is accidentally adopted by an older spinster and her bachelor brother on Prince Edward Island. If you haven’t, do yourself a favor and try reading it – perhaps even read it with your preteen!
This series follows Anne from the age of eleven all the way through college and beyond. While I read it and enjoyed the whole series from the age of eleven on up, I’ve found that I’ve enjoyed rereading it at different points through my growing up and young adult years, because I identify with Anne in her older stages of life too.
This is one of my lifetime favorite series, and I love that it’s accessible to younger readers, but rich enough to appeal to older readers as well. I haven’t met too many people who can resist this fiery redhead and her boundless imagination and zest for life!
Beezus and Ramona (and other Beverly Cleary books)
In this book Beezus is nine years old going on ten, and I find that upper elementary kiddos really relate to her as the older sister of a rambunctious four year-old. My students have had plenty to say about Ramona and her antics, along with a healthy critique of the apparent lack of good parenting. Either way you slice it, kids will be able to laugh, shake their heads, and relate to the sister relationship in this book.
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series by Betty MacDonald
While I haven’t read the entire series, the two that I’ve read (Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle) are enjoyable because kids can relate to the kids’ situations – though usually not so drastically! Kids will delight in the idea of never cleaning up their toys or never having to go to bed on time, until they see the result of carrying that behavior too far! And who can resist Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle who somehow innately knows how to guide parents who are at a loss of how to deal with their children’s “phases”? She appeals to kids and parents alike.
Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard
This book tells the story of Much-Afraid who is invited by the Chief Shepherd to travel from the miserable village where she lives with her awful relatives the Fearings to the High Places. Along the way she learns a lot of lessons, faces fears, makes sacrifices, etc. It has the feel of Pilgrim’s Progress in its allegorical nature and could almost be read as a Christian devotional.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
I’ve read this book with students before, and it can take awhile for them to get hooked. But once they start imagining what it would be like to run away with a sibling and hide in a big museum, they’re good to go.
There are also some deeper themes of right and wrong and finding a sense of purpose in life. For some kids, that will go right over their heads; for others, they’ll latch on and find some of those thoughts and questions helpful. We did have to talk about how money has inflated and a dollar went a lot farther at that point so the dollar amounts described made sense to the kids. 🙂
All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
I’ll admit…it’s been ages since I’ve read this, so I’m not sure what I’d think about this book today. It may even be out of print, so it may be difficult to find in libraries or book stores. However, this is a sweet story, a lá Little Women, that tells the story of a family of sisters who are growing up. There’s nothing risqué in it; it was published in 1951, so that should give you an idea of the cultural norms that will be present (or absent) in this book.
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney
Five Little Peppers is actually a series, which also may be difficult to find these days. It tells the story of the Pepper family, which is made up of a poor widow doing her best to raise her five children.
I haven’t read this since I was a kid myself, so I read some reviews on Goodreads to get a feel for what adults are thinking of it now. According to some reviews on Goodreads, it involves a bit of suspension of belief for how things turn around for them. It requires about the same suspension of belief as the first of the Boxcar Children books. I remember as a kid thinking that it was so cool how everything just worked out so that their situation got better. It definitely isn’t realistic, but it makes for a fun, imaginative story and a happy ending.
Little Women and Little Men by Louisa May Alcott
Fun fact: I actually read Little Men before Little Women. Since Little Men is the sequel, I obviously didn’t have all the back story. But it didn’t turn out to be too necessary. Little Women has a touch of romance at the end, and all of the heartwarming and sometimes frustrating antics of sisters growing up together, set in the Civil War era.
Little Men has that same “life lessons and growing up” feel, but it’s a bunch of boys, plus a couple of girls, doing the growing up, so the scrapes and mishaps are more rough-and-tumble. Nevertheless, seeing the wisdom and grace with which Jo herds these boys always made me wish I could go visit Plumfield. If I remember correctly, there is a touch of romance between a few boy-girl pairs, but very chaste and sweet.
Slightly More Modern Stories
The Word Eater by Mary Amato
I was introduced to this book by my fifth graders. They all seemed to enjoy it, so I thought I’d give it a whirl. It’s fun! This book is set in a “modern day” classroom, but has a touch of magic: a worm that eats printed words instead of dirt.
It’s a slightly easier reading level, so I recommend it for your slightly reluctant readers.
Lerner, a sixth grader, is trying to find her place at a new school where there are two main groups of kids: the cool kids and the “losers”. They try to put her in the loser group, but things change when she finds out what happens with her worm: once the worm eats the word, it disappears from the world completely. So for example, if it eats the word “paper” all the paper everywhere instantly disappears!
This book has relatable plot points when it comes to fitting in at school, but also causes kids to think a bit about the consequences of actions: are there things that we want to have disappear, but actually need to stay? Or are there some things that we’d be better off if they totally vanished? All good questions couched in a fun read.
Chasing Vermeer and The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett
These two titles are the ones that I’ve read out of this trilogy. I happen to enjoy the second book, The Wright 3 better, but Chasing Vermeer was…okay. There are a lot of layers in this book, so it’s great for kids who like puzzles of all kinds. It’s written by a former teacher, so she built all kinds of things into the story to pull kids in.
Part of the plot involves the friendship triangle of three sixth-graders – one girl and two boys. They work together (and sometimes apart) to solve some art-related mysteries.
There is a bit of slightly creepiness involved, and there are some nasty mean adults who are doing the stealing of the art; however, the kids all stay safe and good triumphs in the end. As long as your child is fine with a bit of mysterious suspense, knowing that it all gets explained in the end, they should be okay.
One other thing I appreciate about the book is that there are various types of families represented by the threesome: a single mom, working parents with one kid, and a big, loud family with a stay-at-home mom. It helps more kids identify with the story.
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Another puzzle book to figure out, When You Reach Me definitely is a mind-bender. It involves figuring out how time travel works, doing your best to work for the good of those around you, and working out changing friendships as you grow older.
Miranda is in sixth grade, and she has always been best friends with her downstairs neighbor. But things start going awry between them, and she doesn’t know how to fix it. Plus, she starts getting mysterious messages and sees some strange things happening. She realizes she has to stop something bad from happening, but has to figure out what.
Content caveat: there are a couple of cuss words – I believe “what the h**l” appears a couple of time. Also, Miranda’s mom is single and is dating a guy who appears in a couple of scenes. Nothing untoward, but it’s a different family dynamic than the “typical” one. Oh, one last thing: Miranda’s mom has no compunction about taking office supplies from her workplace. No, it’s not embezzling money, but that doesn’t make it right.
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Ally is a new student who has always gotten into trouble at her old schools. When she starts sixth grade, it seems like it will all be the same.
The reader eventually discovers (before Ally does) that she “causes trouble” because she has trouble reading. She’s in sixth grade but can’t read.
I love this book for several reasons: 1) kids with learning struggles/differences can identify SO well with Ally. 2) She makes some very faithful friends in her class. 3) We catch a glimpse of how many unique people are in her class and come to appreciate all their differences. 4) Kids love this book. 5) It teaches life lessons without sounding cliché, cheesy, or preachy.
Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
I happened upon this book on the shelves of an indie bookstore in my hometown a few summers ago. I love bookstores, but especially independent ones.
I took a chance on this unknown book, and I was glad I did. This book is good for kids who are trying to deal with grief from the death of a loved one. I realize that’s for a fairly specific season, or perhaps for a fairly specific audience. However, I wouldn’t give this to a student who hasn’t experienced losing a loved one.
Comfort is a preteen girl who attends funerals all the time, because the family business is a funeral home. She knows all about how death works and what happens to bodies afterward. However, in a few short months, she loses two elderly members of her family. All of a sudden she has to deal with the pain of loss, along with a changing relationship with her best friend. It is a strangely humorous book, given its content, but it was also cathartic and I shed a few tears as I read it, relating to how grief was portrayed. But there is hope and healing toward the end.
If a kid in your life could use a book friend to help process grief, I definitely recommend this one. It’s quirky, but honest.
Rules by Cynthia Lord
Ahh, Rules. Another book that hits the spot that few do. Like Fish in a Tree, and Wonder, this book helps normalize kids with different abilities.
Catherine, a middle schooler, gets frustrated with her younger brother, who has autism. When things don’t run on schedule, he really struggles, and she ends up having to help calm him down. Her wants often get pushed to the side because of his needs. It frustrates her, but she also loves her brother.
This book has a bit of a plot, but it involves more character development than anything. Its great for helping normalize differences in kiddos and also for helping siblings, who can often feel ignored or less important than the child with extra needs in the family, feel like they’re not alone. I think this book would also go a long way to helping a kid whose friend might have siblings with special needs, and wants to understand their lives a little better.
When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie by Erin Soderberg Downing
This quirky book, set during summer break, tells the physical and metaphorical journey of a family who starts a pie truck and tries to win a food truck contest by the end of the summer. Each sibling is given their own unique likes and dislikes, and varying chapters are from each of their perspectives, which highlights how each child sees their role in their family.
The truth is, all of them, including their dad, are still grappling with the loss of their mom/wife to cancer. It’s slightly unrealistic, but it deals with grief in a gracious and hopeful way. I think even if your preteen hasn’t dealt with a loss themselves, you could give them this book anyway. Perhaps it would help them understand a friend’s loss a bit better.
While the vocabulary and plot isn’t the richest I’ve read, the creative use of fonts and other types of writing/drawing (journal entries, etc) made it engaging to read. And perhaps its not-as-rich vocabulary would be appealing to a somewhat reluctant reader.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
I would be surprised if most of you didn’t know about/haven’t read Wonder, but it’s worth a mention. In general, I’d recommend this for the older preteens, since the chapters narrated by Auggie’s sister deal with high school and her boyfriend. But other than that, the story of how Auggie is able to make friends at a “normal” school, and how people are able to see the wonder of his brains and heart beyond his physical differences, is heartwarming, challenging, and oh so good.
I know it’s been made into a movie, but I stick by my books-are-better stance here. If you haven’t read it yourself, I recommend reading it with your preteen! Lots of fodder for book talk.
This is just the start of my list of book recommendation for middle grade readers who would like some wholesome reads. Stay tuned for more to come!
a Look at a Book 
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