Anne of Green Gables
A timeless classic that rewards patience; the prose is dense but the character work on identity and belonging is unmatched for this age group.
What parents said
The first one is my fave, but it's fun to read all the way through the series (there are so many books, she will love them).
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We Are Totally Normal
by Rahul Kanakia
Middle grade · ages 9–12 · 820L · 2020
A genuinely funny, unsentimental book about two boys figuring out that 'normal' is a lie — reads like a conversation with a smart friend, not a after-school-special.
Princess Academy
by Shannon Hale
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 770L · 2015
A genuinely moving coming-of-age novel disguised as a fish-out-of-water story—Hale uses the academy setting to explore class, belonging, and the courage it takes to be yourself, and the prose is lovely without being flowery.
Brewster
by Mark Slouka
Middle grade · ages 10–14 · 820L · 2013
A genuinely funny, unsentimental novel about middle-school friendship and self-discovery; Slouka writes with real tenderness about awkward kids finding their people.