Best Books for 12-Year-Olds: 2025 Picks

This 2020 Newbery Medal Nominee is a stunning start to our list. Written in verse, the novel follows Jude. She leaves her brother and father behind in Syria to travel with her mother to the safety of America.

Jude must navigate a new identity and the struggle of fitting in. It is a powerful resource for highlighting the immigrant experience. It vividly portrays what it feels like to move to a place where people treat you like an outsider.

The people of the Protectorate fear Xan the witch. They sacrifice one baby each year to keep her at bay. But Xan is actually good; she rescues the infants and nourishes them with starlight before finding them loving families.

One day, she makes a mistake. She accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight. This fills the child with uncontrollable magic. Xan decides to raise the girl, Luna, herself. When Luna turns 13, that magic erupts with serious consequences. This New York Times Bestseller is a modern classic full of twists and heart.

Percy Jackson is a hero right up there with Harry Potter. He is a regular 12-year-old boy until he discovers he is the son of Poseidon. Suddenly, he plunges into a world of demigods and monsters where he must find his courage.

Percy is sarcastic, flawed, and incredibly relatable. Rick Riordan gives kids a hero who feels like a real friend rather than an untouchable savior. This five-book box set is the perfect binge-read for adventure lovers.

Swimmers will adore this book, but the themes resonate with any tween. It tackles the messy reality of transitioning into the teenage years.

Annabelle dominates in the pool, but she struggles in the classroom. She feels shame about needing extra time for tests. To make matters worse, her friend group is drifting apart. When she gets invited to join the high school swim team, she thinks things are looking up. However, attention from an older boy forces Annabelle to figure out where her true worth lies.

Most kids start the first Harry Potter book at a younger age. However, age 12 is the perfect time to dive into the complete series. The tone shifts significantly from book four onwards, becoming darker and more complex.

Tweens are ready to process these advanced themes of loss, government corruption, and sacrifice. They will be enthralled by the lengthier novels. Harry’s journey from the cupboard under the stairs to the savior of the wizarding world remains a masterpiece of storytelling.

Flint is unpopular and bullied for his eye condition. McKell is the popular new girl. In a typical middle school hierarchy, they shouldn’t mix. But McKell hates how the other kids treat Flint, and she secretly wants to be his friend.

She takes a risk and starts hanging out with him. This is an inspiring tale of two people from different worlds finding common ground. It follows these sweet characters as they battle personal demons and learn to trust each other.

If you want a break from dragons and magic, this realistic fiction novel is a gem. The premise is sad, but the execution is heartwarming.

Jane arrives at a new foster home after her father goes back to rehab. She is determined to see him again, but as time passes, she learns hard lessons about family. She discovers that home isn’t always about blood relations. It teaches valuable lessons about community, forgiveness, and the different shapes a family can take.

Even kids who hate gym class will get sucked into Jason Reynolds’ Track series. The books examine the lives of four very different kids on a track team. Each novel is written from a different perspective: Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu.

They deal with heavy, real-life issues, like incarcerated parents or the loss of a mother. The characters are distinct and gripping. The books are fast-paced and relatively short, making them perfect for keeping a 12-year-old’s attention.

Body positivity is a crucial lesson for pre-teens. If your child struggles with self-image, this book offers tremendous support.

In this novel-in-verse, Ari faces bullying for being overweight. His mother pushes diets on him even as her marriage to Ari’s father crumbles. Through the chaos, Ari finds new friends and a path toward self-acceptance. It is a moving, necessary read for boys and girls alike.

Roll With It features a protagonist with a physical disability, written with authenticity and heart. The author, Jamie Sumner, has a child with cerebral palsy, mirroring the condition of the main character, Ellie.

Ellie is spunky, loves baking, and refuses to be defined by her wheelchair. The story focuses on what genuine friendship looks like. It also highlights the beautiful bond between Ellie and her grandparents. It’s a refreshing take on disability that doesn’t rely on pity.

If you loved The Babysitters’ Club growing up, this is the modern equivalent for your daughter. It features a crew of friends uniting for a cause.

Aster, Laine, Kat, and Ofelia band together to defend birds against a local scout group called The Floras. The book is packed with adventure, humor, and bonding. With four diverse and unique protagonists, your child is bound to identify with at least one of them.

Reminiscent of classic Jack London stories, this book explores the deep connection between a boy and an animal.

Peter rescued Pax the fox as a kit, and they have been inseparable since. When Peter’s father enlists in the army, he forces Peter to return Pax to the wild. Peter moves in with his grandfather but immediately regrets leaving his friend. He sets out on a journey to reunite with Pax, while the fox waits patiently for him. It is a warm, emotional story of companionship.

Graphic novels are a fantastic way to keep kids reading. This one comes from genre superstar Raina Telgemeier.

Guts follows a young girl dealing with the physical and psychological effects of anxiety. Based on Telgemeier’s own experiences, the story is incredibly relatable for modern kids. If your child struggles with worry or enjoys graphic novels, this is a must-have for their shelf.

Think Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but with books instead of candy. The world’s most famous game maker designs a high-tech library, and Kyle is desperate to attend the opening night lock-in.

The catch? Once the kids are inside, they can’t leave. Kyle and his friends must solve clues and puzzles to find the secret exit. It is an interactive, fast-paced mystery. Can your 12-year-old figure out the riddles before Kyle does?

Sal is a troublemaker. Gabi is a student council president. They become unlikely friends after Gabi discovers Sal has the power to reach into other dimensions.

Sal has never shared his secret before, so the two team up. Unfortunately, their experiments might just destroy the universe. The story shines because Gabi accepts Sal’s power as something normal. It weaves a subtle but brilliant message about acceptance and anti-discrimination.

This book is engaging enough that even math haters will enjoy it. A lightning strike gives Lucy genius-level intelligence. By age 12, she is technically ready for college.

However, her grandmother insists she attend middle school for one year first. Her goals: make a friend, try one new activity, and read something that isn’t a textbook. Readers will root for Lucy as she expands her world beyond numbers and learns to navigate social calculations.

Fantasy wouldn’t be what it is today without this masterpiece. J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic is a rite of passage for young readers.

Bilbo Baggins is a comfort-loving hobbit whisked away on a perilous adventure. A group of dwarves drags him along to reclaim their gold from a vicious dragon. The story offers deep commentary on greed and bravery. It teaches 12-year-olds that even the smallest person can change the course of the future.

This mystery novel balances high stakes with a sensitive look at mental health. Matthew Corbin stays inside all day due to his severe OCD.

But his isolation means he observes everything. He might be the only person who knows what happened to the missing toddler next door. To save the child, Matthew must face his fears and step outside his comfort zone. It’s a well-paced story that handles a complex subject with grace.

Genesis struggles with colorism. She hates her dark skin and absorbs the harsh criticism from her father and grandmother. She believes her life would be better if she were lighter.

After moving to a new neighborhood and joining the choir, Genesis begins to see her own worth. This is a powerful, emotional read. It tackles verbal abuse and self-loathing head-on, making it one of the most thought-provoking books for this age group.

Dozens of children respond to a peculiar ad in the newspaper. Only four pass the mind-bending tests to join the Mysterious Benedict Society.

These gifted kids are sent on a secret mission to infiltrate an institute run by a mastermind. The books are packed with brain teasers, puzzles, and plot twists. If your child likes riddles and smart protagonists, they will devour this series.

Genie and his brother leave Brooklyn to spend the summer with their grandparents in rural Virginia. They are determined to prove how brave they are, but their plans backfire spectacularly.

This coming-of-age story explores boundaries, disability, and the fear of growing up. Genie’s voice is authentic and relatable, helping young readers navigate the heavier themes without feeling overwhelmed. It’s a beautiful look at black boyhood and family dynamics.

Coyote Sunrise and her dad have lived on a school bus for five years, ever since a car crash took her mother and sisters. They drive anywhere and everywhere to avoid the pain of the past.

But when Coyote finds out a park in her old neighborhood is being demolished, she devises a plan. She has to get her dad back there in four days without him knowing where they are going. Along the way, they pick up a cast of eclectic strangers. It is a road trip filled with laughter, tears, and healing.

Charlie is autistic and struggles with the sensory overload of the world. His life gets turned upside down when his father returns from Afghanistan with a brain injury.

To get his dad to a specialist, the family embarks on a cross-country trip from California to Virginia. Charlie decides to spot all the birds he and his dad once planned to see together. He hopes it’s a sign that everything will be okay. It’s a story of sibling drama, resilience, and finding order in chaos.

This graphic novel is the first of its kind to win the Newbery Medal. It follows Jordan Banks, who loves drawing cartoons. Instead of art school, his parents send him to a prestigious private school where he is one of the few kids of color.

Jordan feels torn between his life at home and the upscale culture of his new school. If your child has ever been the new kid or felt out of place, they will relate to Jordan instantly. It’s funny, honest, and visually engaging.

Does your child love a good scare? Spirit Hunters delivers genuine chills for the middle-grade audience.

Harper moves into a new house, but the vibe is all wrong. Her younger brother starts acting strangely, and Harper suffers from bizarre déjà vu. She realizes the house is haunted and she’s the only one who can stop it. It’s perfect for horror fiends who want something terrifying but age-appropriate.

Set in the 1920s, this book blends historical fiction with the supernatural. After her father is murdered, Ophie discovers she can see ghosts.

She moves to Pittsburgh with her mother and takes a job as a maid for a wealthy family. The house is teeming with spirits, including a ghost who was treated unjustly in life. Ophie must decide if she should use her gift to help the dead find justice. It’s a gripping mystery steeped in history.

Gordon Korman is a master of school stories. In Linked, he tackles a serious subject with his signature readable style.

The quiet town of Chokecherry is upended when a swastika appears on the school wall. Then another appears, and another. Link, Dana, and Michael find themselves in the middle of a mystery that forces the town to confront its past. It teaches tolerance, history, and the power of memory without being preachy.

It is 1963 in South Carolina. Jez and her twin brother are navigating the stress of school integration. To make matters more complicated, their uncle decides it is time to train them in rootwork, their family’s African American folk magic.

Jez soon realizes her family’s magic is deeper and more dangerous than she thought. She must decide how to use her new power against both supernatural and real-world threats. The atmosphere is rich, spooky, and culturally significant.

Ellie is bullied for her weight at school and criticized for it at home. Her mother constantly restricts her food and drags her to doctors. Ellie feels like she has to shrink herself to survive.

With the help of a supportive father, a new best friend, and a therapist, Ellie learns to take up space. She creates “Starfish Rules” to help her stand up to bullies. This verse novel is a triumph of self-love and confidence.

Maisie had a plan: become a professional ballerina. But a knee injury shatters that dream and leaves her feeling lost.

During a family hiking trip, Maisie’s emotions finally boil over. She has to confront her grief and realize that it’s okay to need help. It’s an honest look at how hard it is when life doesn’t go the way you planned. This is an excellent read for kids dealing with disappointment or anxiety.

Jake is bummed that his middle school is closing. Then he eats a jar of jelly beans at his mom’s office. Surprise! They aren’t candy; they are Ingestible Information Pills.

Suddenly, Jake is the smartest kid in the universe. He might have the brainpower to save his school, but now the government is chasing him. It is a hilarious adventure packed with action and gross-out humor that 12-year-olds love.

Felix and Benji find a lost wallet belonging to a tech billionaire. After they spend $20 from it, she challenges them. She gives them over $5 million but they have to spend every penny in 30 days to keep it.

It sounds like a dream, but the boys quickly learn that spending that much cash is harder than it looks. As they rent sports cars and go to Disney World, they learn valuable lessons about privilege and friendship.

Sara Martinez is a hacker stuck in the foster care system. After getting into trouble, a mysterious man recruits her for a secret MI6 operation. She joins a team of four other kids, each with a unique skill set.

Their first mission takes them to Paris to stop a global conspiracy. This is the first book in a gripping series. It’s perfect for kids who love action movies and clever plots.

Amari refuses to believe her missing brother Quinton is dead. Her faith pays off when she finds a briefcase in his closet. It contains a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs.

Amari enters a world of magicians and monsters to find the truth. She must compete against kids who have known about magic their whole lives. This debut fantasy is absorbing, fresh, and full of heart.

Coop lives in Windy Bottom, Georgia, a town where nothing ever happens. That changes when human remains are dug up at the playground. To make matters worse, his grandfather is the prime suspect.

Coop and his friends must clear Gramps’ name. The book captures the charm of small-town life while delivering a solid mystery. It is funny, well-paced, and has characters that feel like real kids.

After her parents are killed by pirates, Bronte is left with a strange will. It contains specific instructions she must follow or face terrible consequences. She has to travel to visit all her aunts, including one who raises dragons.

What starts as an inconvenience turns into an epic journey of self-discovery. The whimsical tone and quirky characters make this a delightful page-turner. It’s funny, magical, and surprisingly touching.

Marlee is terrified of speaking until she meets Liz. Liz is bold and outspoken, and she helps Marlee find her voice. But then Liz disappears from school. It turns out Liz is Black and was passing as white.

In the segregated South of the 1950s, their friendship is dangerous. But Marlee is willing to risk everything to get her friend back. It’s an inspiring story about bravery and doing what is right, even when it is scary.

This is the true story of Malala Yousafzai. In 2012, the Taliban shot her for simply going to school. Against all odds, she survived.

She didn’t hide; she became a global voice for education and peace. This Young Readers Edition makes her powerful story accessible to 12-year-olds. It’s an essential introduction to non-fiction that highlights courage in the face of terrorism.

Alan Gratz is a master at writing historical fiction for this age group. He introduces mature content without being gratuitous.

The story follows Yanek Gruener, a Jewish boy in 1930s Poland. He survives 10 different concentration camps, enduring starvation and torture. It is a harrowing but necessary story about resilience and the will to survive the Holocaust.

This is perhaps the most famous memoir of the 20th century. Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis in a secret annex in Amsterdam for two years.

In her diary, Anne documents the fear, the boredom, and the hope of life in hiding. She writes with a voice that is strikingly relatable to any 12-year-old girl, even decades later. It is a poignant, essential piece of history.

The Golden Compass offers high fantasy that is grander and more philosophical than your average tween novel. Lyra Belacqua travels to the frozen North to save her friend Roger from child snatchers known as Gobblers.

She carries an alethiometer, a truth-telling device, and is accompanied by her daemon, Pantalaimon. The world-building is rich, featuring armored bears and parallel universes. It’s a challenging but rewarding read.

This novel proves that stories about bunnies aren’t just for little kids. A group of rabbits flees their warren after a vision predicts its destruction. They must navigate a dangerous countryside to find a new home.

The rabbits face predators, traps, and rival warrens. It is an intense, sometimes brutal, adventure that explores leadership, survival, and society. It’s a classic that sticks with you long after the final page.

Four kids compete to create the tastiest new candy in the country. The story is told from the perspective of each contestant: Logan, Miles, Daisy, and Philip.

Readers get an intimate look at the competition through four very different pairs of eyes. It’s a clever narrative structure that reveals secrets slowly. It is a sweet mystery about friendship and the fact that there are always two (or four) sides to every story.

Lucy is trying to navigate life after her mother, a shark researcher, passed away. When Lucy loses a close friend four years later, the grief resurfaces.

To cope, Lucy decides to finish her mother’s research on Great White Sharks. It’s a heavy premise, but the story is handled with incredible beauty. If your child is ready for emotional depth, this book explores healing and the natural world in a profound way.

Before the movies, there were the books, and they are hilarious. Mia Thermopolis is an awkward, socially invisible freshman. Then she finds out she is the princess of Genovia.

She has to trade her combat boots for heels and take princess lessons from her terrifying grandmother. The diary format makes it incredibly easy to read. Mia’s voice is sarcastic, honest, and laugh-out-loud funny.

Cassidy Blake’s parents are ghost hunters, but Cassidy is the one who can actually see the dead. In fact, her best friend Jacob is a ghost.

When the family travels to Edinburgh, Scotland, for a TV show, Cassidy realizes the city is crawling with spirits. She catches the attention of the sinister Red Raven and must fight for her life. The setting is atmospheric and spooky, perfect for a cozy night in.

Anita lives in the Dominican Republic in 1960. Her family is secretly working to overthrow the dictator. When the secret police begin terrorizing her family, Anita has to grow up fast.

She fights for her freedom and safety while trying to maintain some normalcy. It is a tense, emotional read that sheds light on a specific moment in history. Fans of Anne Frank will appreciate the themes of hiding and resilience.

Doug Swieteck is the new kid in town, and he is not happy about it. He has a rough home life and a reputation as a trouble-maker.

But things change when he discovers the local library and the Audubon plates of birds on display. With the help of a librarian and a girl named Lil, Doug learns to draw, and to hope. Gary D. Schmidt writes with a mix of humor and heartbreak that perfectly captures the teenage experience.

This is a crucial read for middle schoolers of all genders. Mila starts getting unwanted attention from boys at school. Her friends dismiss it as flirting, but Mila feels uncomfortable and powerless.

She joins a karate class to regain her confidence and learn to set boundaries. The book tackles the gray areas of harassment and consent in a way that is accessible for 12-year-olds. It empowers kids to say no and respect when others say it.

Four kids get stranded at an airport during a storm. Feek, Hannah, Sami, and Nora seem to have nothing in common. But when Hannah’s cat goes missing, they band together on a wild search through the terminal.

The airport setting is fun and unique. As the night goes on, they realize they are more alike than they thought. It’s a cozy story about unexpected friendships, perfect for a summer read.

Nine is a pickpocket orphan who steals a strange house-shaped ornament. To her surprise, it grows into a giant, magical house.

Inside, she meets a wizard, a troll, and a spoon that makes tea. They are all trapped by a curse, and Nine might be the key to breaking it. It is fast-paced, bizarre, and absolutely charming. If your child has a short attention span, this zany adventure will keep them hooked.