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Ten Great Books and Hooks for Grandchildren Ages 9-12
By Kathy Bjorklund
As a grandparent, you want to encourage reading in your grandchildren. If he/she is very young, this might take the form of reading to the child. However, even middle grade students love being read to, though we often don’t realize the calming effect and the need for chapter reading to these children ages 9-12. Often grandparents are at a loss as to which books are appropriate and engaging for these young people. Here is a list of books to buy or borrow from the library for your grandchild ages 9-12. Also included with the books are summaries and “hooks,” or questions which would encourage the child to become interested in the plot of the book by drawing him/her in. Ideas for using these books with your grandchild or other special young person are:
The Missing Manatee (ages 9-12)
By Cynthia DeFelice
Farrarr, Straus and Giroux, 2005
181 pages
Skeet finds a dead manatee shot through the head and floating in the water while he is riding in his skiff off the Florida coast where he lives. He knows that a manatee would never hurt anyone and that they are the most gentle of creatures. He reports the incident to the sheriff, but when he goes back to investigate, the body of the manatee is gone. Skeet feels he must find out who did this terrible thing. This is a coming of age book in which a boy learns that things are never as simple as they seem and that you must always look for the best in people.
Hook: What would you do if you discovered that someone had killed an innocent animal for no purpose near where you live?
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (ages 9-11)
By Kate DiCamillo
Candlewick, 2006
200 pages
Edward is the three-foot china rabbit owned by ten year old Abilene Tulane. She adores him, but he cannot seem to return this emotion. As they are on a ship with Abilene's parents, Edward is pitched overboard and begins a series of adventures which lead him to a softening of his heart.
Hook: This is a story about a child who lost a precious toy. What was your most precious toy? Have you ever lost an item you truly valued? How did it make you feel?
La Linea (ages 11-12)
By Ann Jaramillo
Roaring Brook, 2006
125 pages
Miguel leaves his village in Mexico to join his parents in California. But his sister Elena tags along after him dressing in men's clothing and foils his plans. They are caught, thrown off of a bus heading north, robbed in a village, and then nearly die in the desert trying to cross La Linea. Is there really paradise north of the border? Is it worth leaving all they know and love behind?
Hook: How would it feel to be a young boy or girl facing danger to cross the U.S. border from Mexico, leaving all which is familiar behind you to follow a dream?
Someone Was Watching (ages 9-12)
by David Patneaude
Albert Whitman, 1993
220 pages
Chris does not believe his three year old sister drowned as everyone else does. When the psychiatrist tells him to watch the videotape he made of that day to confront his fears, he sees things on it which make him believe she was abducted. He goes in search of her as his parents are still mourning her.
Hook: What if everyone else believed your baby sister had drowned but you believed she was still alive?
Zach’s Lie (ages 10-12)
By Roland Smith
Hyperion, 2001
212 pages
Jack's father was arrested for drug trafficking. In order to stay out of jail, he testified against the drug lords and he and his family had to go into the witness protection program. Jack had to move away from his friends to a small town in Nevada and become Zach.
Hook: How would you feel if your parents were in the Witness Protection Program and you suddenly had to change your identity?
Leaving Protection (ages 11-12)
By Will Hobbs
HarperCollins, 2004
192 pages
Sixteen year old Robbie gets his dream job in Alaska working on a fishing boat for Captain Tor. But Tor has more on his mind than salmon. He is hunting buried treasure and Robbie thinks that he may know too much to ensure his own survival.
Hook: What would it be like to work on a fishing boat off the Alaska coast?
The Young Man and the Sea (ages 9-12)
By Rodman Philbrick
Blue Sky, 2004
192 pages
Skiff's dad has been lying on the couch drinking since his mom died. All Skiff wants is to go fishing on their boat off the Maine coast. But then the boat sinks from lack of repair. Can Skiff repair the boat and land the big one that will save his family?
Hook: What would happen if you were in a small boat in the ocean and caught the “big one?
Cryptid Hunters (ages 9-12)
By Roland Smith
Hyperion, 2005
352 pages
Marty and Grace are in boarding school in Switzerland when they learn that their scientist parents are missing in a plane which went down in the Amazon. They are sent to stay with an uncle they have never met in Washington State; he lives on a mysterious island off the coast and investigates cryptids, creatures which science cannot prove exist. Suddenly they are off to an adventure to look for a lost dinosaur in the Congo.
Hook: Are there mysterious creatures on earth which science has not discovered yet?
A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray (ages 9-12)
By Ann M. Martin
Scholastic, 2005
192 pages
Told from the point of view of a stray dog, this engaging book has more to say about human nature than it does about animals. The narrator dog is born and endures her entire life as a stray. She observes humans with a non-judgmental eye until finally in her old age, she finds an old woman named Susan who takes her in as a companion. Both the dog and Susan find the company they crave at this time in their lives. This is a touching story for adults and children alike.
Hook: What would it be like to be born a stray dog, to scavenge for food, to be dependent upon the good nature of people and to suffer from the unkindness of cruel humans at times?
The Mysterious Benedict Society (ages 9-12)
By Trenton Lee Stewart
Little, Brown, 2007
486 pages
Four highly intelligent but lonely children pass tests which lead them into a quest designed by Mr. Benedict. He sends them on a mysterious mission to save the world from a man who is trying to control the world through mind messages sent out through the media. They learn teamwork and also belief in themselves.
Hook: Would you like to be one of four children who go on a mysterious mission to save the world from certain disaster?
Future articles:
About the author of this article: Kathy Bjorklund was a teacher and librarian in the public schools of Washington State for 30 years. Since retirement in 2005 she has devoted her time to a website dedicated to reviews of current young adolescent lliterature:
www.middlebooks.com
.