Looking for book recommendations for 12-13 year olds who hate reading.
As the title states, I’m looking for book recommendations for 12-13 year olds. Some series they’ve enjoyed in the past are:
-Hardy Boys
-Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Bonus points if these series are also published in French!
The Michael Vey Series is what got me into reading in middle school. I know alot of kids who didnt like reading and still dont but love the series.
Dragloncon on
Misunderstanding. Ignore this post.
Appropriate_Thing362 on
I survived series is super popular. Anything by Alan Gratz. Percy Jackson, especially with the new show coming out soon on Disney+. Hatchet is an oldie but still a good one. Basically anything survival/adventure is usually a pretty easy sell for that age group!
Appropriate_Thing362 on
Oh and Five Nights at Freddy’s if they like horror.
georgegorewell on
My daughter absolutely loves the Wings of Fire series, especially the graphic novels. We listen to the audiobooks on long drives.
Pigsfly13 on
WeirDo books (much like diary of a wimpy kid)
Dork Diaries
The Treehouse series (they go up in 12s, they were in
at least the 100s by the time i stopped reading but they’re probably well past it now)
Alice Miranda
The rainbow fairy books (there’s hundreds)
any david walliams books
The bad guys books
real pigeons books
Hey Jack books
captain underpants
Ella and Olivia
The floods books (really enjoyed these)
mittwash_58 on
The only book I liked around that age was The Giver. I didn’t read again for another decade lol
dirkdiggler1618 on
The Pendragon series really got me into reading around that age.
CreativeMountain1914 on
Percy Jackson! Really anything by Rick Riordan.
Metriculous on
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (we read it in school when I was 13)
Euphoric-Winter-4234 on
Percy Jackson, Harry Potter
random_bubblegum on
Graphic novels are also very good to make teenagers read.
I remember our French teacher making us read Adèle et la bête from the series Adèle Blanc-Sec. I found it super cool to read a bande dessinée at the time. With all the Belgian and French ones you should have enough choice.
Kingreptar007 on
My weird school
CarlHvass on
At my school the Neil Peel series is very popular with the reluctant readers of that age because of the cheeky humour. It’s about a boy who always tells the truth starting at his new school, facing bullies etc. A thrilling adventure ending and they’re hilarious. Not in French, but there is a chapter in a French lesson and a half French main character. The Heroic Truths of Neil Peel is the first one.
Rebuta on
Terry Prachet books
Snoo-15125 on
What do they like to do or what are they interested in? I always recommend getting books on topics kids like. Like sports books for kids who like sports or dinosaur books for the kids who likes dinosaurs. Biographies on people interested or in fields of study they enjoy. It may just spark something.
The I Survived Series is a good one geared towards 8-12 year olds. It’s historical fiction set during different disasters/calamities from a kid’s perspective. There’s also a few graphic novels.
Dog Man and Captain Underpants is pretty much adored where I work, the older kids will reach for them for a quick read.
The Giver has been mentioned but its also more than one book. It has pretty heavy themes which a lot 12-13 year olds will understand and like to read about, especially since it makes them feel older and more in the know, if that makes sense. It’s also such a good book.
Wonder is also solid. I have seen it awaken something in even the most reluctant of readers.
Gail Carson Levine is a great author for those who love fairy tales.
Kate Dicamillo’s body of work is just amazing. Sometimes I think preteens tend to move away from books like her’s because they see them as “childish,” (which hello, you’re still a kiddo but I get it, adolescence is hard) but they adore her works once they get going.
And since the Hardy Boys were well-received, the Sammy Keyes series or Nancy Drew would be other good ones to try.
Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novels are also really popular. The Smile Series, Drama, and Ghost are almost always off the shelves where I works Alongside the graphic novel adaptations of The Baby-sitters Club.
Top_Ad_8104 on
Harry Potter, Fear Street
DaughterofAstraea on
Percy Jackson, the Amulet series (graphic novel), Smile (graphic novel), Out of my Mind, Hunger Games, Furia
Jaded-General4110 on
I don’t know your gender or what you identify with when reading but I’ll give you a few I loved at your age. Dork diaries was amazing I read them all in a few day same thing with diary of a wimpy kid. I also loved Judge and Jury by James Patterson which is a bigger read but if you like heavy plot this is a great book. If self harm doesn’t trigger you Girl in Pieces is an amazing book. I personally want to read the second in the “series” but it’s heavy drug use and fir now I can’t read it because of my brother’s addiction and death. Don’t push yourself to read books you mentally can’t take.
Krillins_Shiny_Head on
Redwall!
MercurysNova on
Dragons Bait by Vivian vande velde.
Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
The Martian by Andy Weir
theindomitablefred on
At that age I was begrudgingly reading Jules Verne lol
Maybe Enders Game and some of the apocalyptic YA series of the 2010s such as The Hunger Games
TheOriginalVampire_ on
Books by Roald Dahl def like The Witches, The Twits, George’s Marvellous Medicine, Fantastic Mr Fox, The Enormous Crocodile, Matilda and so on
jimbles_neutronbo1 on
percy jackson!!
andeargdue on
Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan!
moonjoke on
There’s a french book that I absolutely adored as a kid (and realized later it on it was a trans allegory) : tout amour est extraterrestre. It’s about a girl who has a human mom and an alien dad. She grew up with her mom, grandma and great grandma.
The alien part (where she discovers who her dad is) is that they are all born as women but at the 16th birthday they change to a dude, and it’s a whole story about self acceptance and finding who you are.
I first read that book when I was in elementary school with a program that send like each month a new book (that how I first read Dracula too)
Fit-Assist-9567 on
Series of unfortunate events!!
It is so fun and if they like it there are 13 books hahaha
sugasofficial on
Nancy Drew as well!
Also im not sure about their genders but they could also read the Sweet Valley series!
Wildburrito1990 on
The True Meaning of Smekday.
Lion Boy.
The Black Cauldron.
The Eye, The Ear and the Arm.
The Wild Robot.
Short-Work-8954 on
School for Good and Evil has some Harry Potter vibes. Percy Jackson maybe?
Eragon is a dragon, fantasy series that’s good.
PersonRobbi on
My brother loved The Rangers Apprentice series around that age
ex__nihilo_ on
Look into mangas ! Most mangas are also published in French as it’s a big industry in France. Shonens are appropriate for that age.
themostbluejay on
A series of unfortunate events!! I hated books as a kid, but I read the whole series
avidreader_1410 on
Don’t know if they’re published in French, but both Andy Lane and Shane Peacock wrote series featuring a teen Sherlock Holmes.
mswas on
Tintin!
He may have already read these since they were originally published in French. They are wonderful adventures, with lots of puns and wordplay. Don’t go by the Spielberg movie though. These are great.
pandasneez on
– Harry Potter… Made a whole generation of people start reading when they were in their early teens.
– Robison Crusoe by Daniel Dafoe
– The Sherlock Holmes Books or Agatha Christie
rosemary_sprig on
Jonathan Stroud books are great. The Lockeood & Co series is fun and was made as a series on Netflix (though canceled after 1st season–books 1-2). Might be a fun to read and watch, only to keep reading to finish the stoylryline.
38 Comments
Dog Man
Holes
Books by Gordon Korman
The Michael Vey Series is what got me into reading in middle school. I know alot of kids who didnt like reading and still dont but love the series.
Misunderstanding. Ignore this post.
I survived series is super popular. Anything by Alan Gratz. Percy Jackson, especially with the new show coming out soon on Disney+. Hatchet is an oldie but still a good one. Basically anything survival/adventure is usually a pretty easy sell for that age group!
Oh and Five Nights at Freddy’s if they like horror.
My daughter absolutely loves the Wings of Fire series, especially the graphic novels. We listen to the audiobooks on long drives.
WeirDo books (much like diary of a wimpy kid)
Dork Diaries
The Treehouse series (they go up in 12s, they were in
at least the 100s by the time i stopped reading but they’re probably well past it now)
Alice Miranda
The rainbow fairy books (there’s hundreds)
any david walliams books
The bad guys books
real pigeons books
Hey Jack books
captain underpants
Ella and Olivia
The floods books (really enjoyed these)
The only book I liked around that age was The Giver. I didn’t read again for another decade lol
The Pendragon series really got me into reading around that age.
Percy Jackson! Really anything by Rick Riordan.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (we read it in school when I was 13)
Percy Jackson, Harry Potter
Graphic novels are also very good to make teenagers read.
I remember our French teacher making us read Adèle et la bête from the series Adèle Blanc-Sec. I found it super cool to read a bande dessinée at the time. With all the Belgian and French ones you should have enough choice.
My weird school
At my school the Neil Peel series is very popular with the reluctant readers of that age because of the cheeky humour. It’s about a boy who always tells the truth starting at his new school, facing bullies etc. A thrilling adventure ending and they’re hilarious. Not in French, but there is a chapter in a French lesson and a half French main character. The Heroic Truths of Neil Peel is the first one.
Terry Prachet books
What do they like to do or what are they interested in? I always recommend getting books on topics kids like. Like sports books for kids who like sports or dinosaur books for the kids who likes dinosaurs. Biographies on people interested or in fields of study they enjoy. It may just spark something.
The I Survived Series is a good one geared towards 8-12 year olds. It’s historical fiction set during different disasters/calamities from a kid’s perspective. There’s also a few graphic novels.
Dog Man and Captain Underpants is pretty much adored where I work, the older kids will reach for them for a quick read.
The Giver has been mentioned but its also more than one book. It has pretty heavy themes which a lot 12-13 year olds will understand and like to read about, especially since it makes them feel older and more in the know, if that makes sense. It’s also such a good book.
Wonder is also solid. I have seen it awaken something in even the most reluctant of readers.
Gail Carson Levine is a great author for those who love fairy tales.
Kate Dicamillo’s body of work is just amazing. Sometimes I think preteens tend to move away from books like her’s because they see them as “childish,” (which hello, you’re still a kiddo but I get it, adolescence is hard) but they adore her works once they get going.
And since the Hardy Boys were well-received, the Sammy Keyes series or Nancy Drew would be other good ones to try.
Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novels are also really popular. The Smile Series, Drama, and Ghost are almost always off the shelves where I works Alongside the graphic novel adaptations of The Baby-sitters Club.
Harry Potter, Fear Street
Percy Jackson, the Amulet series (graphic novel), Smile (graphic novel), Out of my Mind, Hunger Games, Furia
I don’t know your gender or what you identify with when reading but I’ll give you a few I loved at your age. Dork diaries was amazing I read them all in a few day same thing with diary of a wimpy kid. I also loved Judge and Jury by James Patterson which is a bigger read but if you like heavy plot this is a great book. If self harm doesn’t trigger you Girl in Pieces is an amazing book. I personally want to read the second in the “series” but it’s heavy drug use and fir now I can’t read it because of my brother’s addiction and death. Don’t push yourself to read books you mentally can’t take.
Redwall!
Dragons Bait by Vivian vande velde.
Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
The Martian by Andy Weir
At that age I was begrudgingly reading Jules Verne lol
Maybe Enders Game and some of the apocalyptic YA series of the 2010s such as The Hunger Games
Books by Roald Dahl def like The Witches, The Twits, George’s Marvellous Medicine, Fantastic Mr Fox, The Enormous Crocodile, Matilda and so on
percy jackson!!
Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan!
There’s a french book that I absolutely adored as a kid (and realized later it on it was a trans allegory) : tout amour est extraterrestre. It’s about a girl who has a human mom and an alien dad. She grew up with her mom, grandma and great grandma.
The alien part (where she discovers who her dad is) is that they are all born as women but at the 16th birthday they change to a dude, and it’s a whole story about self acceptance and finding who you are.
I first read that book when I was in elementary school with a program that send like each month a new book (that how I first read Dracula too)
Series of unfortunate events!!
It is so fun and if they like it there are 13 books hahaha
Nancy Drew as well!
Also im not sure about their genders but they could also read the Sweet Valley series!
The True Meaning of Smekday.
Lion Boy.
The Black Cauldron.
The Eye, The Ear and the Arm.
The Wild Robot.
School for Good and Evil has some Harry Potter vibes. Percy Jackson maybe?
Eragon is a dragon, fantasy series that’s good.
My brother loved The Rangers Apprentice series around that age
Look into mangas ! Most mangas are also published in French as it’s a big industry in France. Shonens are appropriate for that age.
A series of unfortunate events!! I hated books as a kid, but I read the whole series
Don’t know if they’re published in French, but both Andy Lane and Shane Peacock wrote series featuring a teen Sherlock Holmes.
Tintin!
He may have already read these since they were originally published in French. They are wonderful adventures, with lots of puns and wordplay. Don’t go by the Spielberg movie though. These are great.
– Harry Potter… Made a whole generation of people start reading when they were in their early teens.
– Robison Crusoe by Daniel Dafoe
– The Sherlock Holmes Books or Agatha Christie
Jonathan Stroud books are great. The Lockeood & Co series is fun and was made as a series on Netflix (though canceled after 1st season–books 1-2). Might be a fun to read and watch, only to keep reading to finish the stoylryline.