The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
Want to encourage your preteen to continue reading on their own? Browse this list of new and classic children's books for kids 10 to 12 years old recommended by the Quicklists Consulting Committee of the Association for Library Services to Children, a division of the American Library Association, and inspire a 'tween reader today!
The Magician's Elephant
By Kate DiCamillo; illustrated by Yoko Tanaka

Ten-year-old Peter meets a fortune teller in the market, and she tells him his sister, who is presumed dead, is in fact alive. He then begins a series of adventures as he desperately tries to find her.

Candlewick, 2009. ISBN: 9780763644109
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
One Crazy Summer
By Rita Williams-Garcia
Three sisters find themselves dropped into the midst of Black Panther San Francisco in 1968 and struggle to make sense of the time and their aloof poet mother.

Amistad, 2010. ISBN: 9780060760885
Tofu Quilt by Ching Yeung Russell
Tofu Quilt
By Ching Yeung Russell
This collection of poems provides vivid snapshots of the experiences of daily life for a young girl growing up in Hong Kong in the 1960s.

Lee & Low, 2009. ISBN: 9781600604232
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
When You Reach Me
By Rebecca Stead

2010 John Newbery Medal winner
A 12-year-old girl in New York tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.

Wendy Lamb, 2009. ISBN: 9780385737425
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
by Grace Lin

2010 John Newbery Medal honoree 
Chinese folklore and original storytelling combine with beautiful illustrations in this magical tale of a girl, a dragon and a quest.

Little, Brown, 2009. ISBN: 9780316114271
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
The Great Gilly Hopkins
By Katherine Paterson
Gilly, an 11-year-old foster child who refuses to bond with anyone, meets her match with Mrs. Trotter, a wise and kind foster mother.

Crowell, 1978. ISBN: 9780690038378
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Number the Stars
By Lois Lowry
During the German occupation of Denmark in 1943, 10-year-old Annemarie shows great courage when she helps her Jewish friend escape from the Nazis.

Houghton, 1989. ISBN: 9780395510605

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