Below I’ll give you my selections for the best Preteen books by a few categories. I will cover these and other great books more in depth later.
- Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul: Stories of Changes, Choices and Growing Up for Kids Ages 9-13 (Chicken Soup for the Soul) (2012)
- Tween You & Me: A Preteen Guide to Becoming Your Best Self (2009)
- Girl Time: A Mother-Daughter Activity Book for Sharing, Bonding, and Really Talking (2016)
- Growing Strong Girls: Practical Tools to Cultivate Connection in the Preteen Years (2017)
- On Becoming Pre-Teen Wise: Parenting Your Child from 8-12 Years (2001)
- Chicken Soup for the Girl’s Soul: Real Stories by Real Girls About Real Stuff (2012)
- The Girl with the Silver Eyes (2011)
- Instant Bible Lessons for Preteens: Equipped for Life (2009)
- The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls, Revised Edition (American Girl Library) (2012)
- Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul 2: Stories About Facing Challenges, Realizing Dreams and Making a Difference (2012)
- The Feather Chase: (The Crime-Solving Cousins Mysteries Book 1) (2014)
- Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just for Preteens: 101 Stories of Inspiration and Support for Tweens (2011)
Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul: Stories of Changes, Choices and Growing Up for Kids Ages 9-13 (Chicken Soup for the Soul) (2012)
Written by and for preteens, this uplifting collection of stories touches on the emotions and situations they experience every day: making and losing friends, fitting in while keeping their personal identity, discovering the opposite sex, dealing with pressures at school including violence, and coping with family issues such as divorce.
Tween You & Me: A Preteen Guide to Becoming Your Best Self (2009)
Dear Tween, Have you ever felt as if no one understands the way you feel? Do you sometimes worry that you don’t fit in? You’re not alone! In this positive and empowering book, Deb Dunham, tween self-esteem expert and mentor, provides the tools you need to feel really good about yourself.
Girl Time: A Mother-Daughter Activity Book for Sharing, Bonding, and Really Talking (2016)
Sometimes it’s hard to talk with your mom about feelings and situations that tween girls these days have to deal with—like stress, frustration, feeling in control, and being bored. Girl Time is full of fun activities that you can do with your mom that will also show you great ways to calm down, chill out, express yourself, feel positive, and become really confident!
Growing Strong Girls: Practical Tools to Cultivate Connection in the Preteen Years (2017)
Girls today face an astounding degree of pressure to grow up fast. They yearn to connect, but sometimes this yearning turns into negative, even destructive behavioral patterns such as gossiping, being passive aggressive or mean, becoming screen-addicted, or disengaging from school.
On Becoming Pre-Teen Wise: Parenting Your Child from 8-12 Years (2001)
The middle years, 9 to 12 years of age, are perhaps the most significant attitude-forming period in the life of a child. It is during this time that the roots of moral character are established. From the foundation that is formed, healthy or not-so-healthy family relationships will be built.
Chicken Soup for the Girl’s Soul: Real Stories by Real Girls About Real Stuff (2012)
From Barbies to your first bra, from holding your teddy bear to slowdancing with your first boyfriend, from knowing everyone in elementary school to trying to make new friends in middle school. . . . When dealing with these changes, it's no wonder preteen girls can freak out from time to time. This collection of stories from other girls just like you can be your survival guide!
The Girl with the Silver Eyes (2011)
Katie Welker is used to being alone. She would rather read a book than deal with other people. Other people don’t have silver eyes. Other people can’t make things happen just by thinking about them! But these special powers make Katie unusual, and it’s hard to make friends when you’re unusual. Katie knows that she’s different but she’s never done anything to hurt anyone so why is everyone afraid of her?
Instant Bible Lessons for Preteens: Equipped for Life (2009)
Fully-Reproducible Kids’ Bible Lessons for Preteens (Ages: 10-12). Features 8 all-inclusive lessons with over 60 flexible Bible activity options. Perfect for Kids Sunday School, Christian Home School Curriculum, kids church, youth groups, and more! Length: 96 pgs. Being a preteen isn’t always easy, but these reproducible Bible lessons will show your kids how to trust God.
The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls, Revised Edition (American Girl Library) (2012)
Our best-selling body book for girls just got even better! With all-new illustrations and updated content for girls ages 8 and up, it features tips, how-tos, and facts from the experts. (Medical consultant: Cara Natterson, MD.) You’ll find answers to questions about your changing body, from hair care to healthy eating, bad breath to bras, periods to pimples, and everything in between. Once you feel comfortable with what’s happening, you’ll be ready to move on to the The Care & Keeping of You 2!
Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul 2: Stories About Facing Challenges, Realizing Dreams and Making a Difference (2012)
Filled with relevant, inspiring and fun stories written mostly by kids, this new volume features a unique, innovative chapter, “Rockin’ Our World”, that highlights real kids achieving real dreams, helping less fortunate people, starting your own business, and utilizing your unique abilities.
The Feather Chase: (The Crime-Solving Cousins Mysteries Book 1) (2014)
They start chasing a mystery—then it chases them. Twelve-year-old cousins Sophie and Jessica don't have much in common. Sophie loves hiking and her small town. Jessica would rather be shopping in a city. The only mystery is how they'll be able to spend the summer together.Then . . . they find a briefcase in the forest with a surprise inside.
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just for Preteens: 101 Stories of Inspiration and Support for Tweens (2011)
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just for Preteens helps readers as they navigate those tough preteen years from ages 9 to 12 with its stories from others just like them, about the highs and lows of life as a preteen. It’s a support group they carry in their backpack!Being a preteen is harder than it looks! School is more challenging, bodies are changing, relationships with parents are different, and new issues arise with friends.
Best Preteen Books that Should be on Your Bookshelf
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some preteen books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive for Preteens
Author(s): Amy Newmark
ID: 3598610, Publisher: Chicken Soup for the Soul, Year: 2020, Size: 12 Mb, Format: epub
The Parents' Practical Guide to Resilience for Preteens and Teenagers on the Autism Spectrum
Author(s): Yenn Purkis; Emma Goodall
ID: 3581402, Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Year: 2018, Size: 485 Kb, Format: epub
Growing Strong Girls: Practical Tools to Cultivate Connection in the Preteen Years
Author(s): Lindsay Sealey
ID: 3383670, Publisher: LifeTree Media, Year: 2017, Size: 649 Kb, Format: epub
Please note that this booklist is not absolute. Some books are really record-breakers according to USA Today, others are written by unknown authors. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant links you could recommend? Leave a comment if you have any feedback on the list.