This is a list of books that young teens in our community enjoyed. The list includes Jewish books, American childhood classics, and the latest fantasy titles. Since our community is diverse and situations vary, what is appropriate for one family or child may well be unsuitable for another. Parents may choose to check which books on this list meet their standards of acceptability, knowing that the book is likely to be enjoyed by their child.
Entries (book titles, series, or lists of books) were submitted by parents and are grouped by parent in no specific order. Each entry is numbered so that visitors to the site can contact me to ask to be put in touch with the parent who submitted the book title.
Feedback on this list, including content, presentation, or additional titles, would be greatly appreciated.
#1
Mysterious Benedict Society very clean
#2
The Accidental Detective, Books 1 and 2
Wheels of Mystery
BY Times series
#4
Land of Stories series
#5
Frum Titles for Girls that my 12 year old enjoyed:
Nan’s Long Journey – Leah Fried
Serina – Ruti Tanenold
Hidden Diamonds – Eva Vogiel
Starlight- Henye Meyer
Pen of the Soul – Chani Altein
Little Sister – Ruti Tanenwald
Ticket to Life -Double Life of Chani Greenberg- Menucha Beckerman
#6
Harry Potter
Wonder R. J. Palacio
#7
Eragon series- Christopher Paoloni
#8
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Gentle Ben
Banner in the Sky – not violent or romantic (mountain climbing story)
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Johnny Tremain
Sign of the Beaver (not violent)
My Brother Sam is Dead
Some Diana Wynn Jones is clean. These are fantasy. (Chrestomanci series – but not everyone in them is nice in terms of middos)
Marcus Lehman books
E.B. White
#9
Song for a Whale, by Lynne Kelly
Fish in a Tree, by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Counting by 7s, by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Out of My Mind, Sharon M. Draper
Rain Reign, Ann M. Martin
One for the Murphy’s, by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Mockingbird, by Katherine Erskine
Shouting at the Rain, by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
The War That Saved My Life, by Kimberely Brubraker Bradley (book one)
The War I Finally Won, by Kimberely Brubraker Bradley (book two)
City Spies, by James Ponti
Seekers of the Wild Realm, by Alexandra Ott
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl, by Stacy McAnulty
Spark, by Sarah Beth Durst
Ghoulish Song, by William Alexander
Goblin Secrets, by William Alexander
A Properly Unhaunted Place, by William Alexander
the Jack Blank series (The Accidental Hero, The Secret War, The End of Infinity), by Matt Myklusch
#10
Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer
#11
Jewish books:
The Little Black Box, by Libby Lazewnick and Perel Schreiber
The Cohens of Tzfas, by Miram Stark Zakon
Saadiah Weissman, by Rabbi Bentzion Firer
Royal Challenge, by Yitzchok Solomon
Far From the Place We Called Home, by Sarah Schleimer
The Imposter, by Avner Gold
As Long As I Live, by Aharon Margalit
One Shot, by M. Wiseman
I Have an Amazing Story for You, by Rabbi Nachman Seltzer
Touched by a Story, by Rabbi Yechiel Spero
People Speak series, by Rabbi Chaim Walder
Secular books:
Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen
Smugglers Island, by Avi
Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson
Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt
[Boxcar Children Series for preteen age]
#12
Jewish Books
One Step Ahead by M.C. Millman (more girl oriented)
The Chip by Yechezkel Yudkowsky
That’s me Tzviki Green by Chaim Walder
Zero Hour by Rachel Schorr
Hidden by Rochel Istrin
all books by:
Mordechai Schmutter (Humor)
Avner Gold (Historical fiction)
Eva Vogiel (girl oriented)
On a higher level:
Books by Chaim Eliav
Books by Yair Weinstock
Books by Chaim Greenbaum
Books by Yonah Sapir
Non Fiction but easy enjoyable reading:
Incredible (1&2) by Nachman Seltzer
All For the Boss (there is a regular version and a Young Readers version)