50 Best Books for 11-Year-Olds: 2024 Picks

Comparable to the Percy Jackson series, this wonderful story is a must-read.

It follows a young boy named Charlie Hernandez, who loves his Latin American culture and heritage. Although he enjoys the folklore, he doesn’t believe his culture’s magical tales are true until he begins to experience them first-hand.

He finds himself right in the middle of a mystical war between light and dark. With the help of his crush and his grandmother’s stories, he has to save his parents, himself, and the world.

Here’s another diverse story that’s highly revered. It tells the tale of a 14-year-old boy named Ahmed, who is stuck as a Syrian refugee in Belgium. Lost, alone, and with no one who can help, Ahmed loses hope that life will get better.

He then meets Max, a homesick American boy. With an exciting discovery, their lives intertwine. Together they face the world and learn what it means to be brave.

It’s a beautifully written story that will restore some of your faith in humanity.

Diverse literature for 11-year-olds is on a serious roll! This is a must read that will warm your soul.

Mia Tang is not like other girls. For one, she lives in a motel and manages its front desk. Also, her parents hide immigrants in the hotel and her family could be in big trouble if they’re ever caught.

Mia wants to be a writer, but her mother won’t allow it. This is Mia’s story of her secret life. Your child will learn about immigration while being encouraged to follow their dreams.

The Rangers have a frightening reputation for practicing dark magic and Will has always feared them. When he turns 15, he is chosen to become their apprentice.

He learns that despite the stories, the Rangers actually protect the kingdom. They need his help in a looming battle between good and evil.

Your child will learn many a life lesson, like facing your fears and not judging books by their covers. If they enjoy this book, they’ll be thrilled to discover 16 in the series!

This moving story reached number one on the New York Times bestseller list and won the Newbery Honor.

Set during World War II, 10-year-old Ada is housebound and has never experienced the outside world. She’s not allowed to because her mother is too ashamed of her misshapen foot. When her brother is deployed in the war, Ada seizes the moment and sneaks out to join him.

She’s taken in by a woman who has no choice but to care for her. Ada’s life takes on a new route as she learns about war and the world. This book gives your child a look into different family dynamics, disability, and history.

R. L. Stine’s genre-defining spooky stories for children have stood the test of time. They’re fun, easy to read, and will give your 11-year-old the perfect dose of the chills.

This book is the first in the Goosebumps series. If your child is looking for something outside of stereotypical kid’s stories (and if they have a taste for scary stories), you can’t go wrong with these. They’re harmless fun, and there are dozens in the series!

The Vanderbeekers have always lived in their family home, and they have no intention of leaving. When their unpleasant landlord blindsides them by not renewing their lease, they decide to fight for what’s theirs.

Five siblings use wit, charm, and cunning determination to prove that 141st Street is where they belong. But they only have 11 days to convince their landlord that they should stay. This book is a delightful, feel-good read for kids who want a contemporary novel that feels like a classic.

This enchanting urban fantasy plunges us into the world of Elizabeth Somers, an orphan. Her mean aunt and uncle ship her off to the spooky Winterhouse Hotel against her will.

But when she arrives there, she discovers she likes it. Charmed by it, she stumbles upon a magical book of puzzles that open up a mystery surrounding the hotel. She learns that she’s the only person who can break an old curse.

First, she has to solve a mystery and sacrifice what she holds most dear. This is sure to stimulate your child’s imagination. I think the mystery and adventure are exciting enough to delight any pre-teen!

The Crossover has many honors, including the Newbery Award. It’s realistic and moving, and I recommend it for adults too.

Josh and his twin brother are skilled on the basketball court. But Josh has a passion for music too. He tells us about life on and off the courts, brotherhood, and family.

Did I mention the entire story is told in verse? Not only will your 11-year-old enjoy the poetry, but they’ll also learn about some serious themes, including death, family, and playing by the rules.

Malu, 12 years old, is half Mexican and half punk-rocker. She’s not afraid to express herself, but her school (and mother) don’t approve. She chooses to follow her father’s advice: be yourself.

She rallies up some misfits, and together, they start a band to fight against an anti-punk regime. Your 11-year-old will be inspired by Malu’s independence (and could learn about music, too!).

This book is so good that it spent two years on the New York Times bestseller list.

Melody is an 11-year-old with cerebral palsy. She can’t walk, talk, write or do any of the things typical children can. She has a gift, though: she can’t forget anything.

She’s the smartest kid in her whole school, but because of her disability, no one knows. She’s determined to show them what she’s truly capable of.

This book is important for children; it explores disability while inspiring children to treat others respectfully, even if they are different from us.

Don’t let this book’s sad theme deter you. It’s a must-read in today’s world.

It’s told through the eyes of a 12-year-old ghost, Jerome. He was shot and killed by a police officer after his toy gun was mistaken for a real one. As a ghost, he witnesses what his death has done to his family and community.

He meets another ghost named Emmet, a boy who died under similar circumstances at a different time. Emmet helps Jerome come to terms with what happened.

Now, more than ever, stories like this are important. It covers uncomfortable themes in a way that’s suitable for children. Its impact will give them a better understanding of discrimination and the cruelty that comes with it.

Here’s a fiction story that is unlike any other. Nicki Demere, an orphan, is invited to join a family (mom, dad, and son) who are hiding from the country’s most infamous criminals. They’re looking for a family with one child, so adding Nicki is the perfect cover.

Join Nikki as she adjusts to her new life and identity, and uncovers some secrets in her own past. This exciting espionage story is gripping and will teach your child about family values in an unconventional format.

Taking a break from stories about people, let’s turn our attention to animals. This sweet story won a Newbery Medal and is in league with “The Wind in the Willows” and “The Cricket in Times Square.”

Mrs. Frisby is a widowed mouse with four small children. She has to move her family for their own safety, but her youngest son is too ill to go anywhere. Enter the rats of NIMH, brilliant creatures who offer a clever solution to her problem.

If your child loves animals, I think they’ll adore this book.

This is a sweet story that will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

Iris is a tech whiz, but people think she’s stupid because she’s deaf. She relates to a whale named Blue 55, who can’t communicate with other whales. She makes it her mission to find a way to sing to him, but he is 3000 miles away.

Sign language interpreter Lynne Kelly wrote this inventive story. Once again, the emphasis on diversity will fascinate and educate your child. They’ll love the whale and the element of adventure.

Alex is space-obsessed and dreams of nothing more than to follow in Carl Sagan’s footsteps. He sets out to document a story that he will then launch into space so that if extraterrestrial life finds it, they’ll understand life on Earth.

He meets a number of good hearts on the way and learns valuable lessons about life, family, and humanity. This work of art will inspire your children to dream more and teach them that life here on Earth is beautiful.

The middle school has a superhero running rampant in its halls and Janey is eager to uncover who’s behind the mask. In doing so, she not only befriends Captain Superlative, she becomes her sidekick too.

Together they fight off bullies and protect the school. When Janey discovers what’s at stake, she learns the true meaning of bravery and friendship.

Kids can learn lessons, including standing up for the underdog and for heroes too. You can’t go wrong with this one.

If your young one loves stories about princesses, this Newbery Honor winner stands out for its quirks.

Miri lives in a simple village until the King deems it the home of the next princess. In a year, the prince will choose his new bride: one of the village girls. Now Miri has a chance to become what she’s always dreamed of.

First, she’ll have to attend the princess academy and face the brutal competition it brings. She’s determined to succeed, but if she does, she’ll have to leave her home behind.

I read this as an adult and it immediately became one of my favorite books. This Newbery Award winner tells a unique story that will stay with you for a long time.

Jonas lives in Utopia, or so he is forced to believe: everyone’s the same, everyone’s happy, and the world lives in peace. When he’s given a unique title in his community, he learns the truth about the dark side of humanity. Through his journey, he learns the true meaning of happiness and freedom.

This enthralling tale will show your child that not all that glitters is gold. It’s an important story for all ages.

Every now and then, we need to allow children to indulge in silliness for the sake of it. This is a great example of how books are fun.

Miles is the best prankster in his hometown, so when he reluctantly moves to a new home, he has to prove himself. Only, there’s already a capable prankster there, and a war between the two breaks out to see who is best.

They then realize that two pranksters are better than one. Joining forces, they plan to unleash the biggest, craziest prank the world has ever seen.

Tommy (a sixth grader) launches an investigation into his classmate’s mysterious Yoda finger puppet. His peer, Dwight, is the opposite of Yoda, but when he voices Yoda, he is suddenly wise, prophetic, and a genius.

This is a funny and exciting book that many 11-year-olds will enjoy, whether they’re Star Wars fans or not. If they are Star Wars fans, you’ll get bonus points.

I guarantee that your 11-year-old will find this graphic novel relatable.

On Peppi’s first day at her new school, she embarrasses herself in front of the school’s mean kids. In her attempt to rectify the mess, she ends up competing with the one (good) person who has noticed her.

I love the illustrations, and I think kids will enjoy the story of awkwardness, friendship, and competition.

When Rafe enters middle school, he comes up with a plan for the best year ever: break every rule. Soon his game catches up with him, and Rafe learns that winning isn’t everything and that some rules aren’t meant to be broken.

This book has cool illustrations and is a great choice for teaching your child about consequences.

Readers may have had their hearts broken by this story, but they still find it an uplifting and important book, especially for children. The story follows four children who have fled their homes to escape their past.

But when they face illness, monsoon season, and losing their safe haven, they have to decide whether to seek the help of adults or continue their life of precarious freedom. If you want to share messages of bravery, disability awareness, and found family with your child, then this is the one to choose.

When his cousin dies, Jimmy’s mother asks him to speak at the funeral. As a 13-year-old with a pocketful of bad memories about his cousin Patrick, Jimmy isn’t sure what to say.

I appreciate the author’s boldness with this book that deals with grief, humor and what it’s like to be a 13-year-old boy. It’s both sensitive and bold, creating a one-of-a-kind middle-grade book.

As the 2019 Newbery Medal Winner, you know this one will be good. If you think back to your experience as a sixth grader, you’ll remember how awkward it can be. And this book captures just that through the eyes of Merci Suárez.

She’s a bit of an outsider in her fancy private school since she and her brother are scholarship students. They don’t have the same luxuries as other kids, and they have to earn their tuition through community service. In this funny and wise story, the author delves into the realities of being a middle schooler and what it means to find connection.

Touching on similar themes as To Kill a Mockingbird, this is a great one for teachers to introduce to their classrooms. Kids can take away so much from studying this story which has won multiple awards.

Annabelle has lived a peaceful life until Betty Glengarry joins her class. She’s a mean bully who targets a World War One veteran named Toby. Can Annabelle stick up for Toby, even without the backing of her peers? I would choose this one if you want to teach children about justice, judging others, and history.

Told entirely through letters from a daughter to her late mother, The Night Diary captures Nisha’s story. After the British separate India into two countries (India and Pakistan), she and her family must flee to find somewhere safer.

This book is highly emotional and heartwrenching, but it’s absolutely stunning, beautifully written, and a very important story about the importance of family. While it’s aimed at pre-teens, I think older readers and adults will enjoy it, too.

This delightful fantasy follows Cordelia, whose family tree is full of magical hatmakers. When her father gets lost at sea, Cordelia goes on a mission to find him, but it all becomes complicated by a looming war. Cordelia has to find out who is behind the threats and why.

Featuring illustrations, fantastic world-building, and gorgeous writing, this is a magical book that I think most 11-year-olds will love, even if they’re not big into fantasy.

Natalie’s mother is depressed, and so she enters an egg drop competition in hopes of winning prize money and flying her mother to see the Cobalt Blue Orchids, flowers that manage to survive despite the odds. Through the journey, Natalie starts opening up to her friends about her mother’s depression and soon realizes that a problem shared is a problem halved.

This fantastic coming-of-age book highlights a mother-daughter relationship and how parents can also struggle. Not only that, but it’s a sensitive exploration of Korean heritage and mental illness.

This short and illustrated book is a fantastic resource for teaching children about Juneteenth: the end of slavery in the US. On June 19, 1865, enslaved people in Texas learned about their freedom. To this day, this is a very important date that is widely celebrated across the US.

Teach young ones all about it in this accessible and wonderfully-illustrated picture book.

Written by one of the youngest Holocaust survivors, Leon Leyson accounts his life from when he was 10 years old, as he went through a series of horrors. He witnessed the Nazis invade Poland and was forced to flee with his family. Through a miraculous series of events and a wonderful man named Oskar, Leon and his entire family were saved.

If your child is interested in history, particularly World War Two, then I think they’ll find this memoir especially moving.

Enjoy this vibrant setting that reflects the coziness and excitement of summer camp in this amazing middle-grade debut. It follows Ryanna, who receives a letter from her grandparents inviting her to stay with them for the summer. She hasn’t spoken to them since her mother died, but this is the perfect opportunity to learn more about her mother, especially since she has so many relatives on that side of the family!

Taking place during one summer, kids will love diving into this mysterious and immersive book that explores Ryanna’s past, present, and future.

At this age, 11-year-olds might be looking for more action-packed books. In that case, I recommend this book about Jessie, who embarks on a dangerous mission to save the children of Clifton who are dying of diphtheria. Working against the clock and uncovering secrets her mother kept from her, can Jessie save the children — and herself — before it’s too late?

Mila hasn’t settled into her new home, but she does feel at peace when she’s at her dad’s Filipino-Indian food truck. But when a celebrity chef opens a restaurant nearby and steals her dad’s recipe, it’s Mila’s time to shine! With the help of her friend Ajay, they investigate the new restaurant and even turn to a little folk magic in order to fix the mess.

While this book is exciting and gripping, it’s also a fantastic exploration of culture, being true to yourself, and how far we go to fit in.

Graphic novels are great for 11-year-olds who aren’t super keen on chapter books or kids who want a break from more complex stories. This graphic novel follows Wren and her monster companion, Pebble. She teaches Pebble about life on earth as a human in this funny and adorable story of an unlikely friendship.

This is one for readers who have ever felt alone. When 12-year-old Maddie wakes up from a sleepover with her friends, she finds that she’s completely alone in her desolate town. Everyone has left, and she can’t get in contact with her friends or family.

With only her dog, George, and a collection of books, Maddie learns how to survive on her own. After months of surviving nature’s ways and wild animals, Maddie realizes that her biggest enemy is loneliness. Will she be able to survive?

Told through verse, this is a stunning book that follows a dimensional main character. You’ll never be bored through this thrilling story of survival.

This heartbreaking but poignant story follows Zoey, who finally has a stable enough home, living in her mom’s boyfriend’s trailer. When she gets roped into the school debate club, she starts to realize that life isn’t always fair. Will she be able to speak up about the cultural and classist divides that she faces?

Be aware that this isn’t a happy book; it deals with many heavy topics, including gun violence. But it’s an important book that many teachers and educators deem necessary for kids today.

If your child wants to know more about historical events but finds complex chapter books overwhelming, I recommend the I Survived Graphic Novels series. It depicts real-life events in a graphic novel that’s gripping and thrilling for young readers.

This particular one in the series follows the shark attacks of 1916 along the Jersey Shore. Chet Roscow has heard all about them, but he experiences it firsthand when he comes face to face with a hungry shark in the creek!

The next installment in the New Kid series is here, and this time we’re following 8th grader, Drew Ellis. As a young Black boy, he knows he will have to work twice as hard to get the same opportunities as his white peers.

But as friendships split and opportunities are missed, can Drew fix what’s broken while being able to accept who he truly is? Find out in this heartfelt and honest graphic novel.

If you feel your 11-year-old is ready for a complex story about grief, life, race, and sexuality — this is one to choose. This lyrical and beautifully-written book is filled with raw emotion on every page, and I think it brings hope to queer children of color.

After Khalid unexpectedly dies, his brother wishes he could speak to his best friend, Sandy. But Khalid had previously warned Kingston to stay away from Sandy, as he might be gay. When Sandy disappears, King searches for him.

When he finds Sandy, they escape from his abusive father and create their own paradise, where King must go on a journey of self-discovery and grieving his brother.

There are many helpful books about puberty for girls, but it’s hard to find a good one for young guys. This one is written by Dr. Cara Natterson, a pediatrician who has also written books for young girls. This illustrated book contains information on emotional and physical changes, healthy eating, hygiene and more.

This novel-in-verse is well-suited for kids who enjoy a fast-paced and thrilling adventure that’s still packed with emotion. Nora and her father go on a desert adventure, hoping it will bring them peace and closure after a family tragedy. But when a flash flood sweeps away her father and their supplies, Nora is suddenly alone in the desert.

Facing scorpions, snakes, dehydration, and her own demons, can Nora survive, find her father, and uncover the peace she so desperately needed? Find out in this one-of-a-kind tale.

Bold, funny, exciting, and magical: the first book in the Nevermoor series is an 11-year-old’s dream! When Morrigan is born on an unlucky day, she is given a curse that means she will die at midnight on her 11th birthday.

But she gets a second chance when a man whisks her away to Nevermoor: a secret and magical place. There, she has the opportunity to join the Wundrous Society, but she must pass four dangerous trials. If she can succeed, she can stay in Nevermoor’s safety forever.

But if she fails, she will have to return home, where her curse will come true.

Now is a great time to introduce your child to Nancy Drew: a teenage detective who unsolves many exciting mysteries. In the first book of the series, she is on the search for a missing will after the Topham family inherits a man’s massive fortune instead of his own family.

As a kid, I loved Nancy Drew books and enjoyed the many different stories in the series. Nancy Drew is a compelling character to follow, and the format allows children to solve the mystery alongside her.

If your child enjoys this one, there are 175 books in the series!

One gloomy night, Meg, her brother, and mother head downstairs for a midnight snack when they stumble upon a bizarre stranger in their home. He tells them about a tesseract: a wrinkle in time. If your child enjoys fantasy stories that touch on themes of time travel and space, then this might become one of their new favorite reads.

It’s the first in the Time Quintet series, a collection of five exciting books that have earned many awards between them, including the 1963 Newbery Medal.

Anne has been one of the most beloved children’s characters since 1908. Although over a century has passed since her debut, she’s still as feisty and enchanting now as she was then.

The story begins with Anne’s arrival at a farm called Green Gables. As an 11-year-old orphan, Anne has come to live with the Cuthberts, who asked for a boy orphan, but instead got Anne: a girl with a grand imagination and a desperation to be loved.

Few books have stood the test of time in the same way as The Little Prince. Published originally in 1943, this book proves to be a cozy comfort for readers of all ages.

This book is about a pilot stranded in the desert when he meets a small boy who asks him to draw a sheep. He begins to draw, and the story begins, teaching readers the secret of what really matters. Complete with beautiful artwork, this book might make you cry, but it will also speak to you in ways that not many books can.

I’ve found a fantastic book for kids on the hunt for a more complex read that demands their undivided attention. Sixteen people are invited to the reading of a rich man’s will. All of these people have the chance to inherit Samuel W. Westing’s multi-million fortune, but first, they must take on his final game.

Battling blizzards, bombings, and burglaries, this fun book is full of puzzles, wordplay, and much more. Get ready for a funny and engaging story that’s great for independent reading or as a family read-aloud.