Recommended fiction books for kids ages 9-12 (not quite a teenager)

There are so many books out there for the pre-teen age group. Most libraries and bookstores have a special section just for that age group, sometimes called young adult section or referenced by age. There seems to be a little bit less to choose from in that age range of just a little too old for kids books, but not quite ready for the adult section. (and no, I don't mean adult as in X-rated adult content)

I was a more mature reader at the tender age of eleven, I started reading Stephen King's IT at that age, so it is a little harder for me to recommend great books for that age group. I do have a few suggestions, though.

If you have a pre-teen who is an avid reader, try getting him, or her, interested in some of the classics. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a great book full of history and adventure. Anything by Tolkien, or C.S. Lewis would also be a great choice for a young reader.

Other great classics for young readers include; Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Tuck Everlasting, or Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The list of great classics goes on and on. One of my favorite books from when I was around that age was Wind In The Willows, by Kenneth Grahame. I am sure all of you are familiar with Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Disney World. Mr. Toad is a character from this book. My daughter read this book recently, and she loved it.

Newer classics are being added to the list. All those books we remember reading as children...from From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler to Where The Sidewalk Ends, books from our own childhood are popping up on bookstore shelves again to entertain our own children, and someday, even our grandchildren. So, go back and look for that book from your youth that you loved so much. What did you read at that age? Chances are, your child may enjoy reading those books, as well. You may have even have held onto some of those books that meant the most to you. Dig them out, dust 'em off and pass them down.

Even some of our own favorite authors are writing books that are appropriate for, or are even aimed at, younger readers. Included in that list are James Patterson and Stephen King. I read my first Stephen King book at the tender age of 11, but I don't recommend giving a copy of IT to your pre-teen child. It scared the heck out of me, and I wouldn't give it to my daughter to read. There are other books, however, that are more appropriate.

Stephen King has several books that are appropriate for younger readers, including The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, a story of a young girl lost in the woods with only her favorite baseball star to keep her company, or The Eyes of The Dragon; a fantasy tale of kings, wizards and betrayal.

James Patterson has written a whole series of books aimed at a younger audience. The Maximum Ride series is a great series of books about a group of kids who are more than just kids, they are part bird, and the series follows the main characters through their escape, and many adventures to follow. There are four books in the series thus far.