Book Heroes Your Tween Will Love

From The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Why your tween will love them: The Pevensies step through a secret portal in their wardrobe, leading them to the world of Narnia. They find out they’re actually kings and queens about to lead good forces in a battle against an evil witch. Your tween will discover the childlike magic that results from being royalty in a mythical world.

Why you’ll love them: Age is just a number for these kids. In Narnia, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are given major power and responsibility despite their years. You’ll love heroes that will encourage your tween believe in his own abilities.

From The Giver by Lois Lowry

Why your tween will love him: Jonas’s world is entirely different from your tween’s. While your tween will have the freedom to choose her job, Jonas is assigned his occupation. While she’s encouraged to be herself, Jonas must conform to his society’s “sameness.” Your tween will enjoy exploring a new world through Jonas’s eyes and feel more connected to him when he finally figures out his society’s fatal flaws.

Why you’ll love him: You want your tween to feel confident in discerning right from wrong, even if that means stepping away from the crowd’s established norms. Jonas learns which rules are worth breaking, and that’s a valuable lesson for any age.

From A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket

Why your tween will love them: Three orphan siblings team up to defeat their new guardian, who is out to steal the fortune their wealthy parents left behind in this 13-book saga. Whether it’s big-sis Violet’s problem-solving technique or middle-child Klaus’s bookworm streak, your tween will find something to relate to in the main characters of this series.

Why you’ll love them: For children’s books, you’ll find plenty of black comedy and laugh-out-loud hilarious scenarios. And as protagonists, Violet, Klaus and Sunny manage to tap into their strengths to extract themselves from bad situations.

From Beastly by Alex Flinn

Why your tween will love him: A magical classmate casts a spell on Kyle Kingsbury for publicly embarrassing her. She gives him a life sentence to live as a hairy monster unless he can find someone to truly love and love him back in two years' time. In the beginning, your tween will probably like seeing that the bully doesn’t always win—and yet by the end, she’ll see there’s often a heart waiting to change its ways.

Why you’ll love him: Kyle loses the tools he would otherwise use to forge a relationship with Lindy in this modern-day adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. In using kindness and his other, non-superficial qualities to win Lindy’s heart, he finds out that he is capable of giving and receiving the best kind of love.

From the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Why your tween will love him: When he’s just 1 year old, Harry’s parents are killed by Voldemort, the most powerful dark wizard in the world—but he survives. Voldemort vanishes and Harry becomes famous, known as The Boy Who Lived, but he’s now the main target in Voldemort’s path as the dark wizard seeks immortality. Harry eventually learns he must defeat him, or everyone will be subject to Voldemort’s reign of terror. Watch out, because Harry’s adventures at Hogwarts and beyond will keep your tween up late into the night.

Why you’ll love him: Harry learns how to put others before himself and stand up for what’s right, even if it costs him his life. Along the way, he relies on his friends and accepts instruction from many mentors.

From The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Why your tween will love her: Macy is a 16-year-old dabbling in young love. She’s caught between her Type-A boyfriend, Jason, and her budding attraction to mysterious good guy Wes. And although she’s accomplished, Macy definitely does not have it all figured out. She could be your tween’s relatable, literary BFF.

Why you’ll love her: This piece of realistic fiction is packed with lessons for Macy. She’s learning how to step out from under the pressure of her mother’s expectations. She’s learning how to cope with her father’s unexpected death. And she’s learning how to truly let her guard down and fall in love.

From the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series by Rick Riordan

Why your tween will love him: The only time your kid might be truly engaged in his monotone history teacher’s lecture is while discussing the fantastical aspects of Greek mythology. Percy learns he is the son of Poseidon and must travel cross-country to help recover Zeus’s lightning bolt. Your tween will long to step into Percy’s shoes, fighting minotaurs and furies with his best friends.

Why you’ll love him: Percy is labeled a “loser,” a smart-aleck kid who’s been kicked out of many prep schools. But when he finds out about his lineage, he realizes he’s more powerful than he knew. Any mom who’s seen her child go through challenges will love seeing Percy’s transformation.

From Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Why your tween will love her: Chances are, your tween still has a thing for fairy tales (don’t we all?), but this grown-up version of Cinderella will appeal to her older sensibilities. Cursed with obedience by an ignorant fairy who thinks it’s a gift, it causes her to do absolutely everything she is told. But Ella doesn’t take her plight lying down, setting off on a quest to reverse the curse. Your tween will admire her independent spirit.

Why you’ll love her: A strong-willed, smart, independent girl who won't wait around for her luck to change? You’ll love Ella for the same reasons as your daughter. Sure, there’s a handsome prince and a big ball involved, but Ella’s still keen on saving herself.

From the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld

Why your tween will love her: Three hundred years in the future, Tally is a 15-year-old girl waiting around for her next birthday—but not for a car or more independence. She is waiting to turn pretty. In this sci-fi novel, 16 is the age everyone is bestowed physical perfection with an operation, and Tally can’t wait to get there. Your tween will see much of herself in Tally, as the protagonist deals with skin-deep insecurities on the road to big choices.

Why you’ll love her: As Tally comes to find out, being pretty isn’t so pretty after all, and the operation is for a much darker reason than people in their society know about. With the help of her friend David, who has managed to remain an “ugly,” she learns what makes a person truly beautiful.

From Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Why your tween will love her: As far as young adult characters go, Stargirl has genuine flair. Her eccentric behavior at her new high school is so completely off-the-wall that it’s bound to make kids giggle. And it should keep them just as enthralled with her persona as the rest her classmates—and narrator Leo—become in the book.

Why you’ll love her: Where peer pressure, bullying and conformity can often run rampant inside the walls of middle and high school, Stargirl isn’t afraid to be herself. You want your tween to remember that it’s OK if she doesn’t blend in. In fact, she was born to stand out.