Books for Age 11 - 12 and older
Copyright © Kendal A. Rautzhan 2013. All rights reserved.
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The mysterious “one shoe on the road”
We’ve all seen it: the one shoe on the side of the road. Bizarrely, that sighting has taken place more times than we could count. I can’t fathom the reason for this, so I’ll chalk it up to one of life’s (probably unsolvable) mysteries.
So there’s the rub–the mysteries of life. Some we’ll never have answers for. Others we can unravel through various means. One of those is what my friend’s father use to call “living lessons.” As a kid, those lessons didn’t mean much to him at the time, but like a mysterious miracle later in life, the words would come back to him like a shot, enabling an answer to a problem. His father called these lessons “living” because they can be changed according to the situation.
That's what I’m always looking for in kid’s books–something that will provide “living lessons” kids can draw upon now and later in life. My guarantee to you is this website features precisely those kinds of books, books with tangible value.
Don’t bother trying to figure out the mystery of the “one shoe on the side of the road” because it probably won’t alter the course of anyone’s life. But teaching kids “living lessons” will. Make that teacher you.
The Terrible Thing that Happened to Barnaby Brocket by John Boyne, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers, Alfred A. Knopf, 279 pages
Barnaby Brocket is just like any other eight-year-old except for one peculiar thing: he floats. From the moment he was born, Barnaby isn’t able to keep himself on the ground. His parents have never liked anything or anyone that is different, and so having a son that floats is a horrific embarrassment to them. Finally fed up with it all, Mr. and Mrs. Brocket come to a decision–to literally cut Barnaby loose from his family and let him float away forever.
Barnaby’s journey takes him to many distant lands where he meets all sorts of people who share their life stories and in so doing, influence Barnaby in many ways, most especially to accept himself for who he is and that being different is perfectly normal.
This fable-like story is charged with imagination, a cast of very colorful characters, and conveys important messages about accepting differences–both in others and in oneself. Perfectly complemented by the delightful illustrations of Oliver Jeffers, The Terrible Thing that Happened to Barnaby Brocket is at once profound, heartfelt, funny and quite magical.
true colors by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock, Alfred A. Knopf, 242 pages
Ten years ago, kind-hearted Hannah found a two-day-old infant wrapped in a threadbare quilt on the doorstep of her farm in Vermont. Hannah named her Blue and took her into her home, her life, and her heart. Even though Hannah was old enough to be Blue’s grandmother, the two became a family filled with love, hard work, and good values.
Blue has always wanted to know more about the mother who abandoned her, and recently she feels that need more strongly than before, discovering small clues that Blue believes will lead to being reunited with her mother. But between strained relations with her best friend Natalie, Hannah’s accident that lands her in the hospital, and a host of other events, Blue discovers a lot about herself, about others in her small community, and what family and friends and love really are.
Beautifully written, true colors is an insightful, warm novel of self-discovery, acceptance, and of what is most important in life.
Wild Boy: The Real Life of the Savage of Aveyron by Mary Losure, illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering, Candlewick, 170 pages
In 1797 there had been reports of a wild, naked boy roaming the mountains in southern France. This fascinated the residents in the nearby village of Lacaune. One year later, the boy was captured. His once solitary life was never to be the same again.
Word spread about the Savage of Aveyron, and soon he was sent to one large town after another to be studied, and was typically sheltered in orphanages. The boy was eventually given a name–Victor. There were some who were Victor’s champions and tried for years to teach him how to speak, become educated and civilized, and live among other humans, namely Dr. Itard and Madame Guérin. But despite Victor’s great fondness to these two who had done so much for him, his intense love of the outdoors and wind and rain never ceased.
A fascinating, captivating true story that brims with compassion, readers will hang on every word of this seamlessly written book.
The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats, Harcourt, 342 pages
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In the Middle Ages, Cecily’s life was unraveling. Her mother had passed away, and her father, once lord of the manor where they had lived, announced that the two of them were moving to a far outpost in occupied Wales – Caernarvon. Cecily is furious; she didn’t want to live among what she thought of as “savages.” Her only consolation was that once there, she would finally be the lady of the house.
But what Cecily anticipated was not as it turned out to be. Another young woman, Gwenhwyfar, had dreams of her own, but they, too, were dashed when the English came, waged horrible battles, and reduced the Welsh to extreme poverty and hardship. Now, Gwenhwyfar had to be at Cecily’s beck and call, and the snotty Cecily took full advantage of Gwenhwyfar and made her miserable life far worse. Little by little, Cecily’s experiences begin to soften her arrogant attitude, and when the Welsh rose up against the English, slaughtering everyone in their path, Cecily is caught in a delicate and dangerous place between life and death.
A brilliant, rich historical novel, “The Wicked and the Just” is an extraordinary read.
Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen, Wendy Lamb Books, 164 pages
Thirteen-year-old Samuel lives with his parents on the edge of the wilderness in the British colony of Pennsylvania. Samuel’s life is peaceful, and he is more at home in the wilderness than anywhere else.
All of that changes one evening when Samuel returns home after hunting to find his few neighbors savagely murdered, all houses burned to the ground, and his parents missing. The rumors had been right – American patriots had begun their battle against the English, and the war has now reached to the distant corner of Samuel’s home. The American Revolution is in full swing.
With his parents taken prisoner by the British and Iroquois, Samuel follows their trail deep into enemy territory to try and free them. Along the way, Samuel learns much about unlikely friends, war, and what it means to survive.
Alternating fiction with historical notes, Paulsen creates an outstanding, riveting novel of what it was really like to live on the frontier, the atrocities of war, and the courage and strength required to endure both.
Lost by Jacqueline Davies, Marshall Cavendish, 242 pages
On the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the early 1900s, Essie toils away in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Like most living in Essie’s neighborhood, life is hard, money is even harder to come by, and everyone works hard to make ends meet.
The day Harriet Abbot walks in as the new worker at the factory, Essie knows something is wrong. Clearly Harriet is educated and from a wealthy family, even through she tries to appear otherwise. So why is Harriet working alongside common, poor folks?
As Essie and Harriet slowly become friends, Essie learns about Harriet’s past. It seems that the two girls have much in common, and in their own separate ways, are both lost. But as events unfold, Essie learns that Harriet hasn’t been truthful with her. In fact, much of what Harriet had told her is a lie. And as Essie struggles to learn the truth about Harriet, she comes to discover truths about herself, the meaning of family, and what it is to belong.
Author Jacqueline Davies is a beautiful writer, crafting an emotionally rich, moving novel, with characters, plot and a setting so believable that readers will be whisked away to the tenements of Manhattan during this historical time in US history.
Island of Thieves by Josh Lacey, Houghton Mifflin, 228 pages
Tom Trelawney’s parents were going away on vacation and Tom was supposed to stay at his friend’s house while they were gone. But since Tom had recently (and accidentally) burned the family garage down, it was decided that Tom would stay with his Uncle Harvey. Tom barely knew his uncle and hadn’t seen him since he was a little boy, but Tom’s parents had no other choice and assumed that Tom’s week with Uncle Harvey would be the “safest” place for Tom.
As it turned out, Tom’s parents made the wrong assumption. Unbeknownst to Tom’s parents, Uncle Harvey was going to Peru and had to take Tom with him. Uncle Harvey said he had some “business” to take care of, but as one event led to another, Tom was in for the adventure of his life (if he could stay alive to call it that). In five days time, the two were to search 1,500 miles of coastline, find the Island of Thieves, and uncover buried treasure. But it wasn’t as simple as that, especially considering there were some very dangerous men after Uncle Harvey for another reason and would stop at nothing to get what they wanted.
Hold on to your seats – “Island of Thieves” is an extraordinary globetrotting mystery thriller that will take readers on a breathless journey they won’t soon forget!
The Arrival by Shaun Tan, Arthur A. Levine,130 pages
An extraordinary wordless picture book, “The Arrival” tells the tale of a man who must journey from his war-torn town to a distant land to find work and save enough money to send for his wife and child. The place he goes is foreign and mystical, and those he meets along the way share similar stories of hardship and sacrifice to find this strange and safe place to live.
Although wordless, this picture book demands careful attention to each successive illustration that “tells” the story and ignites the imagination. An excellent choice for anyone, this offering is equally suited to reluctant or struggling readers, regardless of age.
A feast for the eye and the mind, “The Arrival” is an exceptional work.
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