Dear readers, do your children enjoy reading? At our house, our 12-year-old is a total bookworm, while his sisters are not the biggest fans of reading. We are often asked if we have any book recommendations for older children, because it takes good and exciting stories to keep pre-teens reading…
So I asked my son which books he would recommend and why. Here is a small but fine selection – maybe there’s something here for your kids too!
Jo and Jomoto (volumes 1 and 2 published so far)
What’s it about? Jo is a „completely normal“ boy who one day discovers that his greatest comic book hero, Jomoto, has suddenly left the manga and is now sitting in his wardrobe. Jo quickly disguises Jomoto as an exchange student, and together the two experience adventures and travel through the world of manga. Why did you like the book? There were lots of exciting twists and turns, and it was easy to read. I’ve never read anything from the manga world before, but it’s really easy to get into. I’m really looking forward to volume 3. (Click here to order volume one)
Frei (volumes 1 and 2 published to date)
What’s it about? Five friends who have to live in the forest for a week for a school project – without adults, without mobile phones. This is an encouraging coming-of-age story about 14-year-old Joshua, who ventures out of his comfort zone and makes friends. The second part focuses more on the helpful Nasrin, who learns to recognise her own limits. Why did you like it? I thought the five characters were really well developed. You really empathise with them and can relate to everything so well. The story is also really exciting. I think these are my absolute favourite books so far! (You can find them here: Volume 1 andVolume 2 ).
The Fort
What’s it about? It’s about four friends who have known each other since nursery school. After a major hurricane, they find a secret hatch that leads to a hidden bunker. The bunker becomes the group’s meeting place, with CJ in particular seeking refuge there from his violent father. When a group of teenagers try to take over the fort, this refuge for fun suddenly becomes a place of bitter seriousness, putting the boys‘ solidarity to the test. Why did you like it? The book was very exciting because of the bunker and everything. It’s kind of cool to have a meeting place like that. But it’s also a bit sad because one of the boys experiences violence at home, and I always thought how good it is that I don’t have to experience anything like that… (You can order the book here)
Wolf
What’s it about? A group of young people spend a week together at a holiday camp. Everyone makes friends, except for one boy. A novel about identity, bullying and exclusion. What did you like about the book? The book really made me think about how I would behave. I found some parts really sad and unfair, but it ends well in the end. (Here is the order link)
Atlas, Elena and the End of the World
What’s it about? Thirteen-year-old Elena is experiencing a fierce shitstorm on social media, with not a day going by without hateful comments and nasty bullying attacks. Her aunt’s remote farm becomes Elena’s last refuge. There she meets the secretive and distrustful Atlas…What did you like about the book? I found it shocking how quickly you can get hateful comments on social media. I don’t have a social media account yet, but now I understand better why it can be dangerous. The book was really exciting and also very relevant to the problems we face today. I thought it was great and read it really quickly. (You can order the book here)
PS: HERE you can also find an article in which Katharina’s son recommended books almost two years ago. At that time, the focus was mainly on wizards and football đŸ™‚
