Popular K-12 Books
Instilling a love of reading into a younger student isn't that hard; a lot of times, all you need to capture their attention is colorful artwork or repetitive phrasing. However, it can be hard to hold an older reader's attention- here are some books that your older K-12 student will not be able to put down.
- The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy (author: William Boniface)
In this book, Ordinary Boy is the only "normal" person in a city inhabited by those with super powers. He has friends such as Plasma Girl, Halogen Boy, Stench, and Tadpole. - Fantastic Mr. Fox (author: Roahl Dahl)
Roald Dahl is known as a quirky, fanciful writer, who wrote many stories like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". In the abovementioned book, the characters are foxes; Mr. Fox tries to keep his family safe from two farmers who are trying to get rid of them. - Stormbreaker (author: Anthony Horowith)
The Alex Rider series is popular with older boys, and that series begins with this particular book. In it, teenager Alex works as a spy for the M-16 intelligence agency in Great Britain. - Diary of a Wimpy Kid (author: Jeff Kinney)
The troublemaking hijinks of the main character in this book aren't exactly popular with parents, but kids can't seem to get enough. In the "Wimpy Kid" books, kids get to read about other kids doing things that would surely get them in trouble, and there are mischievous siblings that every kid can relate to. - The Indian in the Cupboard (author: Lynne Reid Banks)
In this favorite, a toy statue of an Indian comes to life. Young Omri finds an old cupboard and the Indian figure, and soon he finds that he can bring him to life. However, it becomes more serious than that- the Indian is a real person, with feelings and a family in danger. - Frindle (author: Andrew Clements)
This book has elementary-aged kids giving different names to ordinary objects. 10 year old Nick Allen and his friends do just that, and things get pretty crazy at the end. - Because of Winn-Dixie (author: Kate DiCamillo)
Almost every child can relate to being the new kid in town and the lonely feelings that brings. For India Buloni, her situation starts to turn around when she is sent to the grocery store to get macaroni and ends up bringing home a dog that sneezes. This story is great for K-12 readers who love animals.
These are seven children's books that older K-12 readers will absolutely adore. Most are recommended for the 8-12 age, and all the authors listed have written more than one book, so if your reader likes one book, they may end up reading all the books by that author.