Great Books for younger teens and preteens.

Discover the best books for younger teens and preteens! Our curated list features engaging, age-appropriate reads that inspire, entertain, and foster a love of reading.

The Two Princesses of Bamarre Cover
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The Two Princesses of Bamarre

by Gail Carson Levine

When plague strikes Bamarre, Princess Addie must fulfill an ancient prophecy. Brave and adventurous, Princess Meryl dreams of fighting dragons and protecting the kingdom of Bamarre. Shy and fearful, Princess Addie is content to stay within the safety of the castle walls. The one thing that the sisters share is their unwavering love for each other. The tables are turned, however, when the Gray Death leaves Meryl fatally ill. To save her sister, meek Princess Addie must find the courage to set out on a dangerous quest filled with dragons, unknown magic, and death itself. Time is running out, and the sisters' lives—and the future of the kingdom of Bamarre—hang in the balance.
Ella Enchanted Cover
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Ella Enchanted

by Gail Carson Levine

How can a fairy's blessing be such a curse? At her birth, Ella of Frell was given a foolish fairy's gift—the "gift" of obedience. Ella must obey any order given to her, whether it's hopping on one foot for a day or chopping off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not tamely accept her fate. She goes on a quest, encountering ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, fairy godmothers, and handsome princes, determined to break the curse—and live happily ever after.
Nory Ryan's Song Cover
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Nory Ryan's Song

by Patricia Reilly Giff

Nory Ryan's family has lived on Maidin Bay on the west coast of Ireland for generations, raising a pig and a few chickens, planting potatoes, getting by. Every year Nory's father goes away on a fishing boat and returns with the rent money for the English lord who owns their cottage and fields, the English lord bent upon forcing the Irish from their land so he can tumble the cottages and clear the fields for grazing. Times are never easy on Maidin Bay, but this year, a terrible blight attacks the potatoes. No crop means starvation. Twelve-year-old Nory must summon the courage and ingenuity to find food, to find hope, to find a way to help her family survive.
Love That Dog Cover
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Love That Dog

by Sharon Creech

Jack Room 105 -- Miss Stretchberry September 13 /center I don't want to because boys don't write poetry. Girls do. Meet Jack, who tells his story with a little help from some paper, a pencil, his teacher, and a dog named Sky.
Chasing Redbird Cover
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Chasing Redbird

 

No summary available.
Ruby Holler Cover
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Ruby Holler

by Sharon Creech

"You are now entering Ruby Holler, the one and only Ruby Holler! Your lives are never going to be the same—" "Trouble twins" Dallas and Florida are orphans who have given up believing there is such a thing as a loving home. Tiller and Sairy are an eccentric older couple who live in the beautiful, mysterious Ruby Holler, but they’re restless for one more big adventure. When they invite the twins to join them on their journeys, they first must all stay together in the Holler, and the magic of the place takes over. Two pairs of lives grow closer and are changed forever.
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[No Title]

 

No summary available.
Walk Two Moons Cover
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Walk Two Moons

by Sharon Creech

"How about a story? Spin us a yarn." Instantly, Phoebe Winterbottom came to mind. "I could tell you an extensively strange story," I warned. "Oh, good!" Gram said. "Delicious!" And that is how I happened to tell them about Phoebe, her disappearing mother, and the lunatic. As Sal entertains her grandparents with Phoebe's outrageous story, her own story begins to unfold--the story of a thirteen-year-old girl whose only wish is to be reunited with her missing mother. In her own award-winning style, Sharon Creech intricately weaves together two tales, one funny, one bittersweet, to create a heartwarming, compelling, and utterly moving story of love, loss, and the complexity of human emotion.
The Wanderer (rack) Cover
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The Wanderer (rack)

by Sharon Creech

The sea, the sea, the sea. It rolled and rolled and called to me. Come in, it said, come in. Sophie hears the sea calling, promising adventure as she sets sail for England with her three uncles and two cousins. Sophie's cousin Cody isn't sure he has the strength to prove himself to the crew and to his father. Through Sophie's and Cody's travel logs, we hear stories of the past and the daily challenges of surviving at sea as The Wanderer sails toward its destination -- and its passengers search for their places in the world.
Bloomability Cover
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Bloomability

by Sharon Creech

Set in the breathtaking landscape of Lugano, Switzerland, Bloomability is Sharon Creech at her very best.When 13-year-old Dinnie Doone is plucked out of her troubled life by her aunt and uncle and whisked away to an international school in Switzerland, her world is turned upside down. Suddenly surrounded by different cultures, languages, and beliefs, Dinnie struggles to holdon to her past life. Gradually, through friendships and experiences she could have nowhere else, she learns to trust herself and discovers the beautiful "bloomabilities" her new life has to offer. 01 Blue Spruce Award Masterlist (YA Cat.), 00-01 Young Hoosier Book Award Masterlist (Grds. 6-8), Pacific NW Library Assoc. 2001 Young Reader's Choice Award Masterlist, and 00-01 South Carolina Book Award Masterlist(Grds 6-9) Young Adult's Choices for 2000 (IRA)
A Wrinkle in Time Cover
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A Wrinkle in Time

by Madeleine L'Engle

This special edition ofA Wrinkle in Timeincludes a new essay that explores the science behind the fantasy. Rediscover one of the most beloved children's books of all time:A Wrinkle in Timeby Madeleine L'Engle: Meg Murray, her little brother Charles Wallace, and their mother are having a midnight snack on a dark and stormy night when an unearthly stranger appears at their door. He claims to have been blown off course, and goes on to tell them that there is such a thing as a "tesseract," which, if you didn't know, is a wrinkle in time. Meg's father had been experimenting with time-travel when he suddenly disappeared. Will Meg, Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin outwit the forces of evil as they search through space for their father?
A ring of endless light Cover
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A ring of endless light

 

No summary available.
The arm of the starfish Cover
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The arm of the starfish

 

No summary available.
Troubling a Star Cover
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Troubling a Star

by Madeleine L'Engle

For her birthday, Vicky receives the gift of a trip to the Antarctic, where her friend Adam Eddington is working as a marine biologist. But as Vicky meets her fellow travelers, it quickly becomes clear that some of them are not what they seem. Vicki's trip into adventure becomes a journey into icy danger.
The hollow tree Cover
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The hollow tree

 

No summary available.
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Phoenix rising Cover
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Phoenix rising

 

No summary available.
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Nancy Drew 01: the Secret of the Old Clock Cover
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Nancy Drew 01: the Secret of the Old Clock

by Carolyn Keene

Read the original Nancy Drew mystery, the first book in the iconic mystery series that introduced readers to America's favorite teenaged sleuth! The accidental rescue of a little girl who lives with her two great-aunts leads to an adventurous search for a missing will. Longtime fans and aspiring detectives alike will enjoy solving the case alongside Nancy Drew in this suspenseful, action-packed thriller.
Tuck Everlasting Cover
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Tuck Everlasting

 

No summary available.
Because of Winn-Dixie Cover
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Because of Winn-Dixie

by Kate DiCamillo

Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni describes her first summer in the town of Naomi, Florida, and all the good things that happen to her because of her big ugly dog Winn-Dixie.
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