Book Recommendations for Tweens

What's the best way to help your child's writing shine? Read, read, read!

As a previous Librarian, and with experience as an English Teacher and Bookseller behind me, I often end up having my favourite conversation with parents and kids - what book might this child enjoy reading? Below I have listed some of my favourites for 8-12 year olds with a few comments on each.

It is also worth noting that if your child is a reluctant reader there are other ways to expose them to the vocabulary and the enriching worlds of books. Reading aloud together as a family was, until relatively recently, absolutely normal. If it appeals to you, a family read aloud night could be a wonderful way to enjoy some great books together. If your kids are older than 10, I'd recommend the Northern Lights series by Philip Pullman. My family listened to that together - grandparents, parents and kids - and everyone adored it.

Audiobooks are the easiest way to expose a child who doesn't enjoy reading to all the benefits with none of the tears! You can access a service called Borrowbox through your local Library for free. This is a great idea for long car trips too.

Graphic novels, comic books and other formats (non-fiction and puzzle books for example) are another way to entice kids to enjoy reading. Don't be snobby - embrace what they love and enjoy it with them.

The list below is really a very short one. Speak with your Librarian, English Teacher, Bookseller, or have a look online for more recommendations. Every child is different, and has different needs and interests. Keep trying until you find what works for your child, both the type of book and the delivery.

Great Reads for Tweens

Cairo Jim series by Geoffrey McSkimming - full of quirky vocabulary, adventure and references to historical and mythical stories, this series is a huge hit in our home.

Tales of the Five Kingdoms series by Vivian French - oh how we love this story of Gracie Gillypot, Trueheart, and her adventures with Prince Marcus.

Morris Gleitzman's Toad series - I'll be honest and admit I don't like this series much, but my kids adore the plucky hero, a cane toad called Limpy, and love to follow his adventures.

Tom Gates series - the sibling rivalry in this series means it is not my favourite, but again, my kids love it. Tom enjoys drawing and his day to day life at school and home is documented with warmth and humour.

Treehouse series by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton - I have many friends who hate this series, and it is obnoxiously silly, but we've had so many laughs thanks to it, and very many interesting discussions too.

The Guardians of Childhood series by William Joyce. Magical and haunting, these adventure novels are wonderful to read aloud.

Harry Potter series by JK Rowling - need I say more? In our family we've agreed we won't be reading the final three books or so until the teen years, as they are very dark.