The Fellowship of the Ring
by J.R.R. Tolkien
Young adult · ages 12–18 · grades 7–12 · 1050L · 432 pages · 2012
Why we'd hand it over
The foundational fantasy epic — dense prose and a sprawling cast will test a 12-year-old's stamina, but kids who can stick with it experience the architecture of an entire imagined world and the rare pleasure of a book that respects their intelligence.