Books for tweens

[Anonymous]

Could anybody recommend some good books for a 9 year old girl? I'm interested specifically in books with African American protagonists but am also interested in any general recommendations for the age group. Books that will engage a somewhat reluctant reader would be great. What are your kids' favorites? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Roll of Thunder Hear Me Cry series.

[Anonymous]

Anything by Roald Dahl! If she's not such a great reader, shorter books such as Fantastic Mr. Fox or The BFG. If she's a good reader, Matilda.

[Anonymous]

One way to get good ideas is to google "5th grade reading lists" (or whatever level your 9-year-old is on) and you'll have access to many schools' summer reading lists. My 9-year-old is an avid reader so I'm always looking for ideas and since she goes through a couple of books a week, I need a greater number than are on her school's reading list.

[Anonymous]

This is OP-thanks for the feedback. I got Roll of Thunder and will get the Roald Dahl. I also found the Eoin Colfer "Legend of" books and passed them along-they turned out to be a hit. I'm also googling 5th grade reading lists. She hasn't read Harry Potter so I got her those as well. If you think of anything else I'm still open to suggestions!

[Anonymous]

This isn't exactly what you were asking for- but these books engaged our reluctant reader, and now she is much more willing to pick up a novel or more serious book b/c she began to discover reading is fun with these-

Shel Silverstein poem books
Judy Blume makes may tween books- topic can be a little mature, but I was allowed to read anything as a child, and DD really enjoyed her books. They were laugh out loud funny.
There is a series of books - W.I.T.C.H. -- they are light comics, and the acronym is for the name of 5 friends, Will, Irma, etc. (I am sure I have the names wrong). Not exactly building literary skills, but they have pictures and are fun to read for a kid.

Now DD is onto Bridge to Terabithia, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and others.

[Anonymous]

PP here- I specifically recommend Judy Blume's "Blubber" - it is about a heavyset girl and her struggles. It really brought out the concept of empathy for DD, and was an excellent book to boot.

One other suggestion- we do a summer reading program, but we don't do the library program exactly. Last year if DD read 1500 minutes, she could get an ipod, and pay for half. If she read 1750, she only had to pay $25 or something, and if she read 2000, we would pay for the whole thing. Under 1500 she couldn't get one at all. It really motivated her, and by structuring it by minutes instead of number of books, she really picked out things that interested her and it wasn't a chore. Don't know that we'll do a big prize like that this summer, but we were considering letting her have one anyways, and that was a good way for her to earn it. She was SO proud of herself. I also credit having her read that much at a time with getting her into reading- sometimes it takes a while to get into a book, and kids give up before they have put enough minutes into it.

[Anonymous]

It's not great literature, but I find that books that have some connection to television are often popular with reluctant readers. For example, books based on favorite shows such as "The Suite Life of Zach and Cody" or High School Musical can be a good transition from the screen to the page. Also, magazines and comic books are popular. Finally, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" seems to be a big hit with my 9-year-old daughter and her classmates.

[Anonymous]

"Maniac Magee" - deals with race relations, serious in some ways, but funny and clever too.
"Yolanda's Genius" - main character is African American
"Holes" - very funny, kid's love it.

[Anonymous]

I'll throw out a suggestion for a recently published book with an African American protagonist. In the interests of full disclosure the author is a good friend, but I know the book has gotten some great reviews -
[/url]http://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Never-Evers-Shana-Burg/dp/0385734700/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214880094&sr=8-1[url]

[Anonymous]

One book with an African American protagonist is "Bud, Not Buddy," which won a Newbery Medal and a Coretta Scott King Award a few years ago. It's by Christopher Curtis. (The protagonist is a boy).

If she's enjoying the fantasy books, the Chronicles of Narnia are also good for this age group.

[Anonymous]

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor books were enjoyed by my 9yr old. Specially, her Boys Start the War series that alternates between the boys and the girls with each title in the series.

[Anonymous]

I just read A Wrinkle in Time

No African Americans, but a great treatment of "no one understands me," which is what my tween yells at me all the time now.

[Anonymous]

I second the recommendation for anything by Madeleine L'Engle

Also, although not specifically African-American...

there is a mystery series with a young teen girl protagonist who solves mysteries -- Trixie Belden

Nancy Drew too, of course

The "Shoes" series by Noel Streatfield (sp?) -- Skating Shoes, Theater Shoes, Dancing Shoes

A Little Princess

[Anonymous]

The Tall Poppy Club -- check out the website. Tall Poppy is an Australian saying for "overachieving kid." It's the first book in a new series about a group of 5th grade girls.