Staff Picks
Great Books for Ages 9-10-11
- Morgan R.
- Friday, January 11, 2019
Collection
Hand selected by the Children's Room staff, these books are sure to appease the late elementary students who are wading their way to middle school. Be sure to ask your local librarian for even more suggestions. You can check out 60 books with your library card!
The One and Only Ivan
Published in 2012
When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.
The Question of Miracles
Published in 2015
Unhappy about moving from sunny California to rainy Corvallis, Oregon, and grieving over the death of her best friend, sixth-grader Iris looks for a miracle and may find one in new friend Boris.
The Wild Robot
Published in 2016
Roz the robot discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island with no memory of where she is from or why she is there, and her only hope of survival is to try to learn about her new environment from the island's hostile inhabitants.
Finding Langston
Published in 2018
Discovering a book of Langston Hughes' poetry in the library helps Langston cope with the loss of his mother, relocating from Alabama to Chicago as part of the Great Migration, and being bullied.
Nikki and Deja
Election Madness
Published in 2011
When Carver Elementary holds school-wide elections for the first time, third-grader Deja puts all her efforts into running for school president, ignoring her best friend Nikki's problems.
Garvey's Choice
Published in 2016
Preferring science and reading to the sports his father wants him to play, Garvey comforts himself with food and endures bullying before joining the school chorus, where he learns how to accept himself and bond with his father.
Real Friends
Published in 2017
When her best friend Adrienne starts hanging out with the most popular girl in class, Shannon questions with whether she and Adrienne will stay friends, and if she is part of the clique.
Zita the Spacegirl. Book One, Far from Home
Published in 2010
When young Zita discovers a device that opens a portal to another place, and her best friend is abducted, she is compelled to set out on a strange journey from star to star in order to get back home.
Full Cicada Moon
Published in 2015
In 1969 twelve-year-old Mimi and her family move to an all-white town in Vermont, where Mimi's mixed-race background and interest in "boyish" topics like astronomy make her feel like an outsider.
The Third Mushroom
Published in 2018
When thirteen-year-old Ellie's Grandpa Melvin, a world-renowned scientist in the body of a fourteen-year-old boy, comes for an extended visit, he teaches her that experimenting--and failing--is part of life.
Viminy Crowe's Comic Book
Published in 2014
When Wylder Wallace spills his lunch on Addy Crowe at ComicFest then discovers that her uncle is a steampunk comic artist, Wylder embarks on a series of adventures with Addy involving the loss of her pet rat and the unfolding of a comic book story.
Masterminds
Published in 2015
"A group of kids discovers they were cloned from the DNA of some of the greatest criminal masterminds in history for a sociological experiment"-- Provided by publisher.
The Frog Who Croaked
Published in 2013
Paired together after a veteran detective retires, Platypus Police Squad members Rick Zengo, a hotshot rookie, and Corey O'Malley, a hard-nosed old-timer, struggle with their differences while tackling their first case involving a missing schoolteacher and a duffle bag filled with illegal fish.
Switch
Published in 2015
"Gypsy Beaumont's magical savvy switches to its opposite when she learns that her mean and decidedly non-magical grandma has Alzheimer's and is going to move in with her family"-- Provided by publisher.
The Season of Styx Malone
Published in 2018
Caleb Franklin and his younger brother, Bobby Gene, spend an extraordinary summer with their new, older neighbor, Styx Malone, a foster boy from the city.
Merci Suárez Changes Gears
Published in 2018
Merci Suárez begins the sixth grade and knows things will change, but she did not count on her grandfather acting strangely, not fitting in at her private school, and dealing with Edna Santos' jealousy.
The Notations of Cooper Cameron
Published in 2017
At the family cabin by the lake where his grandfather died two years ago, eleven-year-old Cooper Cameron spends the summer trying to rid himself of the rituals that allow him to cope with his grief and fear.
Wonder
Published in 2012
Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunting and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.
Hatchet
Published in 1987
After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce.
Pax
Published in 2016
"After being forced to give up his pet fox Pax, a young boy named Peter decides to leave home and get his best friend back"-- Provided by publisher.
The Fog Diver
Published in 2015
"In this futuristic high-stakes adventure, humanity clings to cities on the highest mountain peaks above the deadly Fog, and airships transport the pirates of the skies. Daring 13-year-old tetherboy Chess and his salvage crew must face the dark plans of Lord Kodoc and work to save their beloved Mrs. E"-- Provided by publisher.
The Shadow Cipher
Published in 2017
In an alternate history of New York, three kids try to solve a modern-world puzzle and complete a treasure hunt laid into the streets and buildings of the city.
Fuzzy Mud
Published in 2015
"Two middle-grade kids take a shortcut home from school and discover what looks like fuzzy mud but is actually a substance with the potential to wreak havoc on the entire world"-- Provided by publisher.
Spell & Spindle
Published in 2018
Eleven-year-old Chance accidentally helps Penny, a lonely marionette who cannot remember who she is or where she came from, discover the truth of her past.
The Sand Warrior
Published in 2017
"A story that explores new worlds packed with amazing adventures; ancient mysteries; the unlikely bond of a clumsy dancer, a boy from the poorest slums, and a superstar athlete--and their quest to save one small, distant galaxy from the forces of evil"-- Provided by publisher.
Maniac Magee
A Novel
Published in 1990
After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.
Flipped
Published in 2001
In alternating chapters, two teenagers describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and their families have changed over the years.
President of the Whole Fifth Grade
Published in 2010
To gain leadership skills needed to run a cupcake-baking empire when she grows up, Brianna runs for president of the fifth grade--expecting little competition--until a new girl enters the race.
Wolf Hollow
A Novel
Published in 2016
"Twelve-year-old Annabelle must learn to stand up for what's right in the face of a manipulative and violent new bully who targets people Annabelle cares about, including a homeless World War I veteran"-- Provided by publisher.