9-12 is a wonderful age for children who like to read, as there is a huge range of fiction and information books published for this age range. By the age of nine, many children will have started to read full-length novels with character development (usually with a main character who is a couple of years older).
Adventure and fantasy are very popular, but children age 9-12 tend to be open to reading different types of books so it’s a great time to introduce diverse voices and different genres. As with readers of any age, 9-12 year olds love to recognise themselves in books whilst also expanding their world through reading. Books can definitely be a part of children’s growth and development, making them think about feelings such as empathy, courage and hope through characters they read about and the situations those characters find themselves in.
9-12 year olds often enjoy book series, and sometimes reread the ones with their favourite characters over and over again. We keep up to date with popular book series for 9 year olds, 10-11 years olds, and 12 year olds. If you want to get the children in your life started on something else for variety, why not pick something to read aloud and catch their attention that way? Even after children have started to read independently, many still love being read to.
Many 9-12 year olds are still reluctant readers. We have interviewed authors who suggest scary books and horror (preferably with a good dose of humour), science fiction and verse novels to engage those kids who think that books are not for them. Graphic novels are popular, too.
Some children may have developed a dislike of reading due to dyslexia (or single word decoding and spelling difficulties). Remember that audiobooks are another brilliant way to access stories. More and more of the children’s books recommended on Five Books have an audio version, often published at the same time as the print book.
Experts have discussed a huge range of books for 9-12 year olds, both fiction and non-fiction, so there will be something for everyone in the recommendations below. The experts explain their choices in an interview: