Jan 12, 2025 Staff Reads: Three Great Books for Tweens
Three Great Books for Tweens
Reviewed by Charity, Youth Services Librarian
Is your Tween looking for their next great read? Consider one of these books written for kids in grades 4 – 6.
When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
Lily and her family have moved in with her grandmother to help care for her. While navigating a new city, new friends, and a whole new life, Lily also has a “small” problem: she keeps seeing an invisible tiger, like the ones in the stories her Halmoni has told her her whole life. When the tiger eventually communicates with Lily, she’s faced with an important but dangerous choice that could bring healing to her Halmoni … if the tiger can be trusted. This moving novel, which combines Korean folklore, magical realism, and occasional humor, tackles many important issues for tweens, including changing relationships with siblings and parents, facing death and grief, exploring the nuances of identity and personality, and facing mistakes with humility. Get in print, eBook, eAudio, or Read-Aloud.
The Greatest Kid in the World by John David Anderson
Zeke Stahls is not what you might call a “good” kid. He uses his little brother as a subject in his science experiments, he’s a regular in the principal’s office at school, and he takes every chance he can to harass his teenage sister. That’s why he was as surprised as anyone to receive a litter from the Klein Agency for the Betterment of All Mankind that he was chosen as one of the five finalists in the Greatest Kid in the World competition. Over three days, Zeke and his family, including his single mom who works long days at a department store, are filmed for the contest being their normal “great” selves, which feels like a stretch for them all. This heart-warming and hysterical novel allows readers to imagine how they would handle the pressure of vying for World’s Greatest Kid. Anderson also does a wonderful job creating realistic characters who struggle, as we all would, with having a camera pointed at them in some of their most intimate family moments. Get it in Print, eBook, or eAudio.
Popcorn by Rob Harrell
It’s picture day, and Andrew’s attempt to keep his new shirt clean and wrinkle-free before his big moment in front of the camera is soon the least of his worries. Encounters with a bully, an unfortunate incident with a basketball, and a science-experiment gone haywire have him in the nurse’s office more times than he can count. When he finds out his grandmother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, is missing, he feels the kernel of anxiety that he always struggles with is just about to pop. Rob Harrell’s humorous novel offers great insight into what it feels like to struggle with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Through both words and drawings, Harrell helps young and old readers alike see that anxiety can be manageable, especially when we allow other people to help us deal with the stress and pressures of life. Get it in print or eBook.