10 must read fictions for your tween

Books are a doorway to unstoppable imaginations. Studies have indicated that reading from an early age help children overcome social awkwardness, builds on self-esteem, makes the child language-rich & creative. Moreover reading the right kind of books makes the child be engaged in something rather productive. Be it fiction, graphic novels, non-fiction, history books, autobiographies/biographies; each one of them has something to offer to a child. As a parent, if you are already an avid book reader, you would have boat loads of books to recommend to your tween.

Given below is a list of must-read fiction work that every child should read at least once to develop robust imagination and positive outlook; plus unlimited fun in the Utopian world of adventures is an added point…

Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll

An 1865 novel written by the English author  Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll, talks about a young girl named Alice, who falls into a rabbit hole and enters a fantasy land inhabited by peculiar characters like The White Rabbit, Mad Hatter, The Cheshire Cat, Queen of Hearts, The March Hair etc. Each of these characters plays with your imaginations which makes it famous among children and adults as well.

Heidi – Johanna Spyri

Written by the Swiss author Johanna Spyri in 1881, this book talks about a little girl named Heidi, talks about the life events while in her grandfather’s care, in the Swiss Alps. The story deals with various raw human emotions like joy, loneliness, affection, friendship, jealousy, love etc. An overall feel good book, this one is sure to bring pure happiness to your child.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain

Claimed to be one of the greatest American novels, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is told in the first person and is a direct sequel to Adventures of Tom Sawyer (another excellent read). The book is noted for its picturesque description of people and places along the Mississippi River. This book is an often scathing satire on entrenched attitudes, particularly that of racism.

Famous Five – Enid Blyton

The Famous Five is the name of a series of children’s adventure novels written by English author Enid Blyton. With a total of 21 books, this series has won over many young hearts since 1942. The novels feature the adventures of a group of young children – Julian, Dick, Anne and Georgina (George) and their dog Timmy.

The stories take place in the children’s school holidays after they have returned from their respective boarding schools. Each time they meet they get caught up in an adventure, often involving criminals or lost treasure.

Nancy Drew – Carolyn Keene (Stratemeyer Syndicate)

Nancy Drew first appeared in 1930; and over a decade 56 books appeared in this series and eventually named as ‘Classic’ Nancy Drew Series. The series narrates Nancy as a 16 year old amateur sleuth who lives in the fictional town of River Heights with her father, attorney Carson Drew, and their housekeeper, Hannah Gruen. As a teenager she spends her time solving mysteries, some of which begin as cases of her father’s. Nancy is often assisted in solving mysteries by her two closest friends, Bess Marvin (who is delicate and feminine) and George Fayne (who is a tomboy), who are cousins, and also occasionally by her boyfriend Ned Nickerson, a student at Emerson College.Nancy is well-off, attractive, and amazingly talented, something of a supergirl nature.

Hardy Boys – Franklin W. Dixon (Stratemeyer Syndicate)

Frank and Joe Hardy 2 teenage brothers and amateur detectives first appeared in 1927. However, in 1959, the books were extensively revised, largely to eliminate racial stereotypes. With a total of 66 books, this series was tailor made to meet a simple wish fulfillment of ideal American boyhood. With nerves of steel, these brothers are constantly involved in adventure and action; they live in an atmosphere of mystery and intrigue. Over the years, these characters have remained popular and extensive copies have been translated to more than 25 languages to meet the reader’s requirements.

Peter Pan – J M Barrie

Peter Pan was created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. It is a story about a young boy who can fly and never grows up; Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the small island of Neverland with his gang of ˜The Lost Boys’. J. M. Barrie first used Peter Pan as a character in a section of The Little White Bird (1902), an adult novel. He later adapted and expanded the play’s story line as a novel, published in 1911 as Peter and Wendy. Peer’s character is often described as a boastful, nonchalant and fearlessly cocky (which lands him in many troubles). His awesome adventures with his lost boys, Tinkerbell and Wendy draw young kids towards this book.

Tales from Shakespeare – by Charles and Mary Lamb

In this selection of Charles and Wendy Lamb’s classic re-telling of Shakespeare’s plays, the original plays have been tailored to engage and indulge young readers. According to the book’s preface, they have used Shakespeare’s original words as much as possible to retain the essence of the beauty of the actual plays. An ideal gift for your child to nudge her/his interest towards the world of reading.

Percy Jackson – Rick Riordan

Rick Riordan is an accomplished writer who has written many books for young adults. Percy Jackson original series has 5 books in it. Other than that, there are spin offs of the same series and the Kane series (based on the Egyptian Mythology). Percy Jackson is a demigod, the son of a mortal woman and the Greek god Poseidon. He suffers ADHD and dyslexia, allegedly because he is hardwired to read Ancient Greek and has inborn “battlefield reflexes”. His “powers” include controlling water, making hurricanes, breathing underwater, and talking to horse-like animals and fish. Percy’s powers start small and develop as the books proceed and he also becomes an accomplished sword-fighter and leader eventually. A magical world of Greek gods, monsters, demi gods; this book offers a perfect reading companion for your child.

Harry Potter – JK Rowling

Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the English author J. K. Rowling. The series narrates the life of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story concerns Harry’s struggle against the Dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who aims to become immortal, overthrow the Ministry of Magic, subjugate non-magic people and destroy anyone who stands in his way.

Other than the most obvious promise of adventure and magic, this series also subtly teaches the value of friendship, love and inner strength. Although movies are almost as good as the book, it is advisable that the child should first read the books then watch the movie series.