Books Kids Should Read Before Age 12
Here Are the 50 Books Your Child Should Read Before They Turn 12
Reading is an influential and big part of a child's life. Well, our friends at Common Sense Media have got you covered with the 50 books your kids should read by the time they are 12. These are definitely some of the greats.
From picture books to graphic novels, fantasy to family fun, these must-read books have the power to hook both boys and girls. Some are cultural touchstones that belong in every kid's library. Others open kids' minds to cultures beyond their own. And some are modern releases that have the timeless quality of classics — the kinds that get handed down to siblings and passed around classrooms. Whether you have a reluctant reader or budding bookworm, check out these surefire, kid-tested titles. (We've included a few rated best for 12 and up for the precocious readers out there!)
Want more? Check out the Essential Books Guide to build your kid's personal library.
1 Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
2 Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site
3 Goodnight Moon
4 The Very Hungry Caterpillar
5 Where the Wild Things Are
6 Harold and the Purple Crayon
7 The Tale of Peter Rabbit
8 The Cat in the Hat
9 Frog and Toad Are Friends
10 Madeline
11 The Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh
12 Mercy Watson to the Rescue
13 Ramona the Pest
14 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
15 Ivy and Bean
16 Stuart Little
17 Where the Sidewalk Ends
18 Charlotte's Web
19 Coraline
20 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
21 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
22 The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread
23 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
24 Anne of Green Gables
25 The Bad Beginning: A Series of Unfortunate Events
26 Big Nate: In a Class by Himself
27 Bridge to Terabithia
28 Bud, Not Buddy
29 Diary of a Wimpy Kid
30 The Hobbit
31 The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians
32 Little House in the Big Woods
33 Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
34 A Wrinkle in Time
35 Esperanza Rising
36 Hold Fast
37 I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up For Education and Changed the World
38 Inside Out and Back Again
39 My Side of the Mountain
40 Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party
41 Walk Two Moons
42 Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
43 Wonder
44 Ender's Game
45 The Fellowship of the Ring
46 The Hunger Games
47 Legend
48 March: Book One
49 The Outsiders
50 To Kill a Mockingbird
