Great books for children 8 to 12 years old

Children ages 8-12 love “chapter books”. Book series are good choices for this age group. Sometimes your child will want to read alone. Other times he will still like you to read to him. Let your child choose the story or book that he wants to read. Books should be imaginative and filled with wonder. Children at this age want to react with a laugh, a cry, a shiver, or a gasp. They need the thrill of walking in a character’s shoes for an adventure. They want to feel the delight that comes from hearing playful language. Above all, reading for this age group must be fun.

Great books for 8 to 12 year olds

1. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
4. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
5. Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
6. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
7. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
8. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
9. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
10. Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
11. The Giver by Lois Lowry
12. James and the Giant Peach: A Children's Story by Roald Dahl
13. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
14. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
15. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien
16. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
17. Four Fudge Books (Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, Fudgeamania, Superfudge, and Tale of a 4th Grade Nothing) by Judy Blume
18. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
19. The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
20. Matilda by Roald Dahl
21. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
22. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
23. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
24. Stuart Little by E. B. White
25. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
26. The Book of Three (The Prydain Chronicles) by Lloyd Alexander
27. Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan
28. Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
29. The Boggart by Susan Cooper
30. Phantom Toll Booth by Norton Justin

Adapted from materials from the National Education Association, www.nea.org/readacross/, and from Choose the Right Books for Kids.

Questions?

To learn more about reading readiness, call Rehabilitation Services at 595-3621 or St. Jude School Program at 595-2364. If you are outside the Memphis area, call toll-free 1-866-2ST-JUDE (1-866-278-5833), extension 3621 or 2364.