In need of a last-minute gift for a tween reader this holiday season? Here are 9 binge-worthy suggestions!
The Whatever After series by Sarah Mlynowski
In the latest installment of The Whatever After series, Seeing Red, it's over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go! Abby and Jonah are off to visit their Nana, who knows ALL about fairy tales. But things go wrong when the siblings wind up in the classic fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood. Will they escape the big, bad wolf in time? Hijinks, hilarity, and lots of girl power are guaranteed!
The Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland
The seven dragon tribes have been at war for generations, locked in an endless battle over an ancient, lost treasure. A secret movement called the Talons of Peace is determined to bring an end to the fighting, with the help of a prophecy—a foretelling that calls for great sacrifice.
Five dragonets are collected to fulfill the prophecy, raised in a hidden cave and enlisted, against their will, to end the terrible war.
The Upside-Down Magic series by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, and Emily Jenkins
Nory Horace is nine years old. She's resourceful, she's brave, she likes peanut butter cookies. Also, she's able to transform into many different animals. Unfortunately, Nory's shape-shifting talent is a bit wonky. And when she flunks out of her own father's magic academy, Nory's forced to enter public school, where she meets a group of kids whose magic is, well, different.
This new, offbeat series from hit authors Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, and Emily Jenkins chronicles the misadventures of Nory and her oddball friends, who prove that upside-down magic definitely beats right side up.
Dactyl Hill Squad by Daniel José Older
It's 1863 and dinosaurs roam the streets of New York as the Civil War rages between raptor-mounted armies down South. Magdalys Roca and her friends from the Colored Orphan Asylum are on a field trip when the Draft Riots break out, and a number of their fellow orphans are kidnapped by an evil magistrate, Richard Riker.
Magdalys and her friends flee to Brooklyn and settle in the Dactyl Hill neighborhood, where black and brown New Yorkers have set up an independent community, a safe haven from the threats of Manhattan. Together with the Vigilance Committee, they train to fly on dactylback, discover new friends and amazing dinosaurs, and plot to take down Riker. Can Magdalys and the squad rescue the rest of their friends before it's too late?
The Griffin’s Feather by Cornelia Funke
It's now been two years since Ben and Firedrake defeated Nettlebrand and rescued the silver dragons. Both boy and dragon have finally found homes, but they must live hundreds of miles apart and can only see each other every once in a while. During one such visit, news reaches Ben, the Greenblooms, and their friends that the last Pegasus in the world has been discovered. The legendary horse has three unhatched eggs with him, but the only way they'll ever hatch — and continue the survival of this incredible magical species — is to place them under a griffin's feather. But griffins are the most dangerous creatures in the world, and their mortal enemies are dragons...Ben has vowed not to tell Firedrake about his quest, to protect him. But as he and the Greenbloom team set off for a remote island where the terrible griffins are rumored to live, he may just need the help of his best friend and dragon...
The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta
On the morning of her twelfth birthday, Kiranmala is just a regular sixth grader living in Parsippany, New Jersey, until her parents mysteriously vanish and a drooling rakkhosh demon slams through her kitchen, determined to eat her alive. It turns out that there might be some truth to her parents' fantastical stories — for example, that Kiranmala is a real Indian princess who comes from a secret place not of this world.
To complicate matters, two crush-worthy princes ring her doorbell, insisting they've come to rescue her. Suddenly, Kiran is swept into another dimension full of magic, winged horses, moving maps, and annoying, talking birds. There she must solve riddles and battle demons, all while avoiding the Serpent King of the underworld and the Rakkhoshi Queen, in order to find her parents and, essentially, to save New Jersey, as well as her entire world and everything beyond it.
The Lotterys More or Less by Emma Donoghue
Sumac Lottery is the keeper of her family's traditions — from Pow Wow to Holi, Carnival to Hogmanay, Sumac's on guard to make sure that no Lottery celebration gets forgotten. But this winter all Sumac's seasonal plans go awry when a Brazilian visitor overstays his welcome. A terrible ice storm grounds all flights, so one of her dads and her favorite brother can't make it home from India. And then the power starts going out across the city... Can Sumac hang on to the spirit of the season, even if nothing is going like a Lottery holiday should?
Top Elf by Caleb Huett
The elves can't be kept on shelves in this hilarious middle-grade debut about what happens when Santa opens a contest to find his successor. These elves are off the shelves. Ollie and Celia think they know what the life of an elf is supposed to be like: Make toys. Help Santa. Make more toys. Help Santa. Try out a new ice-cream flavor. Help Santa.
But then Santa rocks the North Pole with a surprise announcement! He's decided this is going to be his last year in the Big Red Suit. Instead of letting his oldest son, the unfortunately named Klaus Claus, take over, he's opening up the job to any kid who wants to apply, Claus or elf.
The Santa Trials have begun! Ollie and Celia enter the contest, having no idea whatsoever that they'll soon have to squeeze through impossible chimneys, race runaway sleighs, sweet-talk a squad of rowdy reindeer, and consume cruel amounts of cookies and milk. It's both an adventure and a survival test, far beyond what any elf or Claus has been asked to do before. But whoever rises to the top will get a reward even bigger than Christmas...
Clementine for Christmas by Daphne Benedis-Grab
The holidays are Josie's favorite time of year. She and her dog, Clementine, volunteer at the local hospital. Josie dresses up in silly costumes, sings carols, and helps to prepare for the big Christmas Festival. That is, until this year's festival gets canceled.
Meanwhile, Oscar's parents are fighting more and more, and so is he. He gets into trouble at school, and his punishment? Volunteer hours at the hospital.
Gabby's life seems perfect. She's stylish and smart, and everyone looks up to her. But Gabby has a secret, one that could ruin everything.
Then Clementine disappears, Oscar's parents separate, and Gabby's secret is uncovered. Together, can Josie, Oscar, and Gabby find a way to save the holiday, or will this be the worst Christmas ever?
