Nothing hooks a 12-year-old like a book that understands their drama. New Kid by Jerry Craft is a graphic novel about a Black boy navigating a private school where he’s one of the few kids of color. It’s funny, awkward, and painfully honest—and it won the Kirkus Prize for young readers.
24 must-read books for 9-12-year-olds
For the sensitive soul, Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan follows a genius girl who loses her parents and rebuilds her life with a chaotic new family. This book doesn’t shy away from sadness, but it wraps it in hope. Fun fact: The author based the main character’s quirks on her own childhood love of gardening.
Non-Fiction That Doesn’t Feel Like Homework
Yes, non-fiction can be a guilty pleasure. Hand them Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu—it’s a graphic novel biography of extraordinary women, from a mermaid performer to a pirate queen. The illustrations are vibrant, and each story is under four pages, making it perfect for short attention spans.
For science nerds, try Astrophysics for Young People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson. It explains black holes and dark energy in simple, digestible chunks. The secret? It uses pop culture references like Harry Potter and The Simpsons to explain cosmic concepts.
