The liberty bell rang, letting out kids for the summer. Now what?
If you are like my family, the draw of electronics (Netflix marathons, gaming, and social media, to name a few) are hard to resist Save your battery and your kids eyesight by taking a trip to the library.
Even with a wide selection of books, it’s a challenge to find good reading material. Curse words are being slipped into children’s books that have no business being there. In hopes of helping all those 10-14 year olds, I nabbed a list from some experts in the field a.k.a. my sister and brother.
Ashlynn’s List
1. Cherry Ames Series-Helen Wells
“With a heart of pure gold and a true yearning to make a difference in the world, eighteen-year-old Cherry Ames leaves her hometown and enters nursing school, embarking on a lifetime of adventures.” Amazon Description
2. Ella Enchanted-Gail Carson Levine
“At her birth, Ella of Frell was given a foolish fairy’s gift—the “gift” of obedience. Ella must obey any order given to her, whether it’s hopping on one foot for a day or chopping off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not tamely accept her fate. She goes on a quest, encountering ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, fairy godmothers, and handsome princes, determined to break the curse—and live happily ever after.” Amazon Description
3. Nancy Drew Series- Carolyne Keene
“With her quick wits and purposeful attitude, Nancy Drew’s adventures have captivated legions of young girls since the 1930s. “Nancy’s detective instincts were aroused,” and so the teenaged Nancy Drew sets off on herfirst case.” Amazon Description
4. Sophie Series-Nancy N. Rue
“When future film director Sophie LaCroix visits Williamsburg, Virginia, her imagination sends her straight into the eighteenth century. An unlikely heroine, Sophie’s forced to use her new-found war tactics to foil a heinous plot and save a friend from impending humiliation by the popular girls.” Amazon Description
5. Summerhill Secrets by Beverly Lewis 1-2
“Join Merry Hanson, a very modern fifteen-year-old living in Pennsylvania’s Amish country, as she faces the true-to-life struggles and heartfelt triumphs of growing up to be the best she can be in God’s eyes.” Amazon Description
6. The Christy Miller Collection- Robin Jones Gunn
“It all starts the summer Christy vacations on a California beach and meets two friends who change her life forever. But after moving across the country with her family, Christy must begin her sophomore year of high school uncertain where she’ll fit in.” Amazon description
7. American Girl Books- Various Authors
8. Bliss-Kathryn Littlewood
“Rose and her siblings are supposed to keep the Cookery Booke locked away while their parents are out of town, but then a mysterious stranger shows up. “Aunt” Lily rides a motorcycle and also whips up exotic (but delicious) dishes for dinner. Soon boring, non-magical recipes feel like life before Aunt Lily—a lot less fun.”
“Kathryn Littlewood’s culinary caper blends rich emotional flavor with truly enchanting wit, yielding one heaping portion of hilarious family adventure.” Amazon Description
9. Fairest of All- Sarah Mlynowski
“There’s ‘once upon a time’ and ‘happily ever after,’ but what happens when the story ‘gets all tangled up’ in the middle? That question is at the heart of this debut title in a new fairy-tale-themed series. Ten-year-old Abby and her seven-year-old brother, Jonah, are living a normal life in a new town until they discover the mirror in the basement. When they knock on its surface three times, they’re whizzed away to fairy-tale land and find themselves at the home of Snow (yes, White).” Ann Kelly
10. The Laughing Princess of the Desert: The Dairy of Sarah’s Traveling Companion Canaan-Anne Tyra Adams
“In this second book of The Promised Land Diaries, Rhoda is orphaned and brought into Abram’s household to help his beautiful wife, Sarai. Getting used to the nomadic life of camels and goat-hair tents, Rhoda must exercise as she serves the remarkable woman who will one day become matriarch of the Jews.” Amazon Decription
John Adam’s List
1. The Vanishing Chip-Mark Delaney
“When Mattie’s grandfather becomes a suspect in the theft of a valuable computer chip, Peter, Byte, Jake, and Mattie, four high school students who consider themselves misfits, pool their talents to try to discover who really stole the chip and how.” Amazon Description
2. The Golden Door-Emily Rhodda
“When the youngest of three brothers, Rye, decides to set off to find his lost siblings (whom many presume to be dead), he leaves behind the city of Weld, the only world he’s known. As he stands before the three doors among which he must choose in order to begin his mission, Rye is joined by young Sonia, who becomes his companion—despite his best efforts to lose her. In the monster- and trickster-filled journey that awaits them behind the titular Golden Door.” Amazon Description
3. The Hardy Boys-Frank Dixon
“Come on, boys. I found a swell clue!” The Hardy Boys emerge from a 1927 time capsule, but amazingly, are unscathed. These young detectives–favorites to generations of young readers–burst into the twenty-first century.” Amazon Description
4. Rangers Apprentice Series- John Flanagan
“A strong debut in a new fantasy series. Will hopes to become a knight; instead, he winds up as a Ranger’s apprentice, joining the secretive corps that uses stealth, woodcraft, and courage to protect the kingdom. His aptitude and bravery gradually earn the respect of his gruff but good-hearted master. When the kingdom is attacked by evil magic forces, Will helps track down and defeat a couple of particularly nasty beasts.” Amazon Description
5. The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog-John R. Erickson
“Hank has been accused of murder! In a fit of despair, Hank resigns his position as Head of Ranch Security and decides to join the outlaw coyotes. There he’s known as Hunk (that’s Hank in coyote language). Hank meets Missy Coyote, sister to Scraunch — the meanest, roughest, toughest, most notorious coyote in the whole country. If Scraunch found Hank with his sister… Well, look out for trouble.” Amazon Description
6. Rifles for Watie-Harold Keith
“Jeff Bussey walked briskly up the rutted wagon road toward Fort Leavenworth on his way to join the Union volunteers. It was 1861 in Linn County, Kansas, and Jeff was elated at the prospect of fighting for the North at last.” Amazon Description
7. Iron Scouts of the Confederacy-Lee McGiffin
“This book chronicles the true adventures of two teenage brothers who grew up during the War between the States as orphans and as soldiers. The decisions they make cause them to learn a great deal about the faithfulness of God, and the horrible price the South had to pay to support their belief in States` rights. Soft 158p” Veritas Press
8. Warrior of the Son– Samuel Schiller *Content contains some violence
“Julian Antony Vorenius is both a mighty warrior and a humble servant. Although his sword dances with unerring accuracy, his heart steadfastly holds the teachings of the One True God, Iosa Christus. Fourteen-year-old Evan MacKeth soon finds his life securely bound up with Julian’s as the King seeks both of them for alleged political and religious crimes. Seeking refuge in the desolation of the Iarlaithe Mountains, time passes, bringing with it Julian’s desire to reenter the battles of his God and Evan’s vow of vengeance on those who harmed him. Their differing goals lead to their separation, yet their lives are powerfully linked together in the Lord.” Christian Warrior Books
9. My Side of the Mountain-Jean Craighead George
“Sam leaves home to fend for himself in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. For a year he lives in a hollowed-out tree, befriending animals and depending on his wits for survival.” Amazon Description
10. Encyclopedia Brown Series-Donald J. Sobol
“Leroy Brown, aka Encyclopedia Brown, is Idaville neighborhood’s ten-year-old star detective. With an uncanny knack for trivia, he solves mysteries for the neighborhood kids through his own detective agency. But his dad also happens to be the chief of the Idaville police department, and every night around the dinner table, Encyclopedia helps him solve his most baffling crimes.” Amazon Description
Try requesting these books ahead of time to ensure that you have some treasures for the summer days.
My sister and brother are always hungry for books:) If you have favorites from that age, please share and we will check them out.
Lighting a candle to read by,
~Anna
Drawn To His Light 