Parental Compass
Age group:Ages 0–4Ages 5–7Ages 8–10Ages 11–13Ages 14+

Ages 11–13

Best books for ages 11–13

Tween novels with real depth.

444 books

Safe
The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain

Peter Sís

Ages 10–14

Safe
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy

Jeanne Birdsall

Ages 8–12

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
Safe
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice

Phillip Hoose

Ages 12–18

Safe
The Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery

Graeme Base

Ages 8–12

Elijah of Buxton
Safe
Elijah of Buxton

Christopher Paul Curtis

Ages 9–12

We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March
Safe
We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March

Cynthia Levinson

Ages 10–14

Caution
The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co., Book 1)

Jonathan Stroud

Ages 11–15

Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights
Safe
Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights

Steve Sheinkin

Ages 10–14

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963
Safe
The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963

Christopher Paul Curtis

Ages 9–12

Pretties
Safe
Pretties

Scott Westerfeld

Ages 12–16

UnWholly
Skip
UnWholly

Neal Shusterman

Ages 13–17

The City of Gold and Lead
Safe
The City of Gold and Lead

John Christopher

Ages 10–14

Vortex
Safe
Vortex

S.J. Kincaid

Ages 12–16

The Little House in the Big Woods
Safe
The Little House in the Big Woods

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Ages 8–12

The Iron Giant
Safe
The Iron Giant

Ted Hughes

Ages 8–12

Bud, Not Buddy
Safe
Bud, Not Buddy

Christopher Paul Curtis

Ages 9–12

Robinson Crusoe
Safe
Robinson Crusoe

Daniel Defoe

Ages 12–18

The Swiss Family Robinson
Safe
The Swiss Family Robinson

Johann David Wyss

Ages 9–12

Sounder
Safe
Sounder

William H. Armstrong

Ages 10–14

The Incredible Journey
Safe
The Incredible Journey

Sheila Burnford

Ages 8–12

The Hound of the Baskervilles
Safe
The Hound of the Baskervilles

Arthur Conan Doyle

Ages 12–99

Kidnapped
Safe
Kidnapped

Robert Louis Stevenson

Ages 12–18

A Wizard of Earthsea
Safe
A Wizard of Earthsea

Ursula K. Le Guin

Ages 12–16

Safe
Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy

Noelle Stevenson

Ages 10–14

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