Summer Reading for Tweens (and the parents who love them and want to give the TV a rest)

Looking for some exciting tween book series besides Harry Potter and Twilight? These adventure series will keep your tween reading this summer. Adults love these too so you could even start your own family book club.

Percy Jackson and The Olympians- by Rick Riordan- A multi-award winning series about a hyper-active 12-year-old Percy Jackson who discovers he's related to Greek gods. This one has kept the TV off in my house. Start with "The Lightning Thief".

39 Clues- another one by Rick Riordan about young Amy and Dan Cahill who are on a race to find the 39 clues hidden around the world that will bring them the secret of their family's power. This is from Scholastic:

The 39 Clues books set the story, and the cards, website and game allow kids to participate in it. Kids visit the website - www.the39clues.com - and discover they are lost members of the Cahill family. They set up online accounts where they can compete against other kids and against Cahill characters to find all 39 clues. Through the website, kids can track their points and clues, manage their card collections, dig through the Cahill archives for secrets, and "travel" the world to collect Cahill artifacts, interview characters, and hunt down clues. Collecting cards helps: Each card is a piece of evidence containing information on a Cahill, a clue, or a family secret.

Yes, be prepared to purchase the card packs if your tween gets really into these books. But it is a cool idea and will keep them reading.

Artemis Fowl- by Eoin Colfer- The author describes his series as Die Hard with fairies. Intriguing.

Dear America Series- by Mary Pope Osborne (of Magic Tree House fame)- This will mostly appeal to girls. You don't have to read these in order as they are a collection of various diaries of fictional characters set in history. For example, there's "Voyage on the Great Titanic: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady" and "My Secret War: The World War II Diary of Madeline Beck, Long Island, New York 1941". These are fun and educational.

The Gallagher Girls Series- by Ally Carter- Another one for the girls. Start with "I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You". Next is "Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy" and finally, "Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover", all about Cammie Morgan who attends an all-girls spy school where she learns martial arts, chemical warfare and cracking CIA codes.

Song of the Lioness Series- by Tamora Pierce- Sorry, maybe another one for the girls, but can't leave out this veteran fantasy writer. Begins with "Alanna: The First Adventure".

Chronicles of Narnia- by C.S Lewis- Okay, here's one for the boys and the girls. Everyone should read this series. Classic.

The Time Quartet- by Madeleine L'Engle- Another classic beginning with the Newbery Medal Award winning "A Wrinkle in Time".

All of these can be purchased through Amazon. Happy Reading.

Comments

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Summer is good moment for reading.