Kids' Reading List: Classics for 10 to 12 Years

Recommended by the American Library Association

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

Katherine Paterson's recommended children's reads

Number the Stars
By Lois Lowry

During the German occupation of Denmark in 1943, ten-year-old Annemarie shows great courage when she helps her Jewish friend escape from the Nazis.

Houghton, 1989. ISBN: 9780395510605

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
By Robert C. O'Brien; illustrated by Zena Bernstein

When her son falls ill, Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse, seeks help from her rat neighbors and finds a secret laboratory.

Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, 1971. ISBN: 9780689710681

The Book of Three
By Lloyd Alexander

An assistant pig-keeper who longs for adventure gets more than he bargained for when his pig runs away. As he pursues her through the magical land of Prydain, he encounters an evil enchantress, deathless warrior and the mysterious, masked Horned King.

Holt, 1964. ISBN: 9780805080483

Anne of Green Gables
By L. M. Montgomery

The adventures of an 11-year-old orphan girl starts off a classic series. The story is at times funny, at times sad, and always intriguing.

Putnam, 1908. ISBN: 9780399154782

Bridge to Terabithia
By Katherine Paterson; illustrated by Donna Diamond

When Leslie Burke moves next door to Jess Aarons, he finds that she loves to run as much as he does, and the two become friends. Together, they create a secret kingdom in nearby woods and name it Terabithia. There they rule, fight giants, share stories and seek solace from the everyday world until tragedy strikes.

HarperCollins, 1977. ISBN: 9780690013597

Katherine Paterson's recommended children's reads
Try some classic books for kids 12 years and up.

* 2010 addition

Published 08/08/2008