{"id":59828,"date":"2024-12-14T03:37:47","date_gmt":"2024-12-14T07:37:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readingmiddlegrade.com\/?p=59828"},"modified":"2024-12-16T09:28:01","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T13:28:01","slug":"books-for-12-year-old-girls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readingmiddlegrade.com\/books-for-12-year-old-girls\/","title":{"rendered":"25 Fabulous Books for 12 Year Old Girls"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Most 12-year-old girls are happy to read any good book, whether or not it has a female protagonist. So on this list of great books for 12-year-old girls, you’ll find a mix of romance, fantasy, coming-of-age, and graphic novels — including upper-middle-grade and young adult options. A few of them also feature male protagonists. In addition to the books on this list, I recommend the classics: think Jenny Han, Sarah Dessen, The Hunger Games,<\/em> Divergent<\/em> series, and books by Alan Gratz! The options on this list are perfect for supplementing those classics and introducing young readers to newer authors.<\/p>\n\n\n

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25 Books for 12-Year-Old Girls to Read<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of my favorite books to recommend to 12-year-old girls:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the Jenny Han Enthusiast<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Got a reader who loves the romance, boisterous families, and angst of Jenny Han’s novels? Try these readalike options!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My Sister\u2019s Big Fat Indian Wedding<\/h2><\/div>
By Sajni Patel<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Published: April 19, 2022<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zurika Damani plays the violin with a sprinkle of hip-hop and has just been rejected by Julliard. Her current options are to go to college for pre-law or compete in a contest judged by major college scouts (including Julliard scouts). The only problem is that the contest is during her big sister\u2019s week-long Indian wedding. Thankfully, her cousins band together to help her disappear during the ceremony without being discovered. But things get complicated when Zurika finds out that the group\u2019s South African cousin is a fellow contestant. This is a rambunctious, chaotic story about family and music and featuring a swoony enemies-to-lovers romance. No language or sexual content.<\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Love Match<\/h2><\/div>
By Priyanka Taslim<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Published: January 3, 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zahra Khan is a new high school graduate who\u2019s saving up for college\u2014which she\u2019s had to defer because her mom can\u2019t afford to send her just yet. Her mother, though? She thinks their family\u2019s way out is an arranged marriage to a wealthy family. Too bad the family\u2019s son, Harun Emon, doesn\u2019t care for Zahra. Zahra herself is falling for a new waiter in the cafe where she works. So Harun and Zahra band together to make their parents call off the courtship. But we all know that love doesn\u2019t quite play by the rules, don\u2019t we? This is a romantic, tender, feel-good Pride and Prejudice<\/em> retelling with lots of insight into Bangladeshi culture, arranged marriages, and Bangladeshi film history. It’s really good on audio and free of sexual content or language.<\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Listen to Your Heart<\/h2><\/div>
By Kasie West<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Published: May 29, 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kasie West books are the perfect romance for this age group and this one is my favorite of the lot so far. It\u2019s about a girl who becomes a podcast host and starts doling our relationship advice. When a boy who she thinks likes her best friend starts asking for advice, she\u2019s invested in helping him out. Soon, though, her helpful feelings begin to feel more like attraction.<\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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For the Advanced Reader<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These stories are longer, and tackle more advanced themes like mental health and sexism while still remaining appropriate for mature 12-year-olds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Queens of New York<\/h2><\/div>
By E. L. Shen<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

 Published: June 6, 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jia, Everett, and Ariel are high school besties whose summer plans could not be any more different. Jia is a Chinese-American helping out at her family\u2019s restaurant in Chinatown while looking after her little sister and grandmother. Everett is a Vietnamese-American off to theater camp in Ohio, while Ariel, the genius Korean-American, is in pre-college grieving the death of her older sister months before. As the summer progresses, all three girls will need their friendship to anchor them through the waves of grief, first loves, and standing up for themselves. I LOVED the depiction of friendship in this book and the way the author brings cities and characters to life. If you loved The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and can\u2019t get enough of emotional, fast-paced YA stories \u2014 this book is for you! Nearly no language and no sexual content.<\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Gloria Buenrostro Is Not My Girlfriend<\/h2><\/div>
By Brandon Hoang<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Published: June 27, 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gary Vo is a Vietnamese-American soon-to-be junior high schooler. Gary and his friend Preston have been at the bottom of the social totem pole forever, and Preston is determined that this is the summer they rise up the ranks. So when they\u2019re approached by two popular classmates with an offer to join their group, the boys are all ears! The task is to steal a bracelet from Gloria Buenrostro (a popular, but mysterious A+ student) so the boys can add it to their collections of tokens from \u201cthe hottest girls\u201d in school. Easy enough, no? That is until Gary Vo befriends Gloria and realizes that there\u2019s more to her than meets the eye. This is a richly layered, relatable teen novel about what it means to be a man and how to be a good friend.<\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Noh Family<\/h2><\/div>
By Grace K. Shim<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

 Published: May 3, 2022<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chloe Chang lives a boring life in Oklahoma \u2014 with her busy single mom and her two best friends \u2014 where she loves watching K-dramas. But when her best friends gift her a 23-and-me test kit for her birthday, things take a dramatic turn. She finds out that her father was a son of the Noh family, a prestigious family in Seoul, South Korea and before she knows it, she\u2019s off to meet them for the first time. Unfortunately, she\u2019s thrust into a web of lies as she realizes that the family might have ulterior motives for reaching out to her. This is a suspenseful, dramatic, and highly engaging YA book about Korean high society, family drama, and finding your voice.<\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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For the Romance Fan<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hand these stories to the girls who unabashedly love a great romance. These books have a sweet romance at the center of their plot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bubble Trouble<\/h2><\/div>
By Wendy Wan-Long Shang<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

 Published: July 18, 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since her mom died during the COVID-19 pandemic, it\u2019s been just Chloe and her dad. She worries about their finances, so when she has the chance to go on a school trip to Broadway, she\u2019s hesitant to tell him. On a good note, there\u2019s a boy she maybe likes? He works at a boba tea place in her neighborhood, and things go well until an altercation at the shop ends, with Chloe banned from the boba tea place. What unfolds is a string of chaotic, surprising, and satisfying events, including a boba-making business, two lost lovers reuniting, and a new furry family member. Bubble Trouble<\/em> is a lighthearted, feel-good middle grade romance \u2014 the exact kind constantly sought out by kids in this age group.<\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Keeping Pace<\/h2><\/div>
By Laurie Morrison
Published: April 9, 2024<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Half-marathon training brings overachieving friends-turned-rivals Grace and Jonah together during one life-changing summer. This young romance is swoony with authentic dialogue and a powerful message about perfectionism and ambition. <\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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