The 12 Days of Bookish: Everything In-beTWEEN

Buying gifts for "tweens" (those young, middle-school-aged people who aren't quite teens, but are more mature than kids in grade school) can put the gift giver in a pickle. Their reading abilities are probably fairly solid and they are likely interested in young adult books that have made their way into pop culture, like the ubiquitous Hunger Games books. You don't want to offend them by selecting titles that are "for little kids," but you also don't want to upset any parents who might find a book's subject matter too mature for their tween.

From left to right, top to bottom...
1. Sidekicked by John David Anderson // For tweens who enjoy debating which superpower is best.
1. I Represent Sean Rosen by Jeff Baron // For tweens who would love to work in the movie biz.
3. Doll Bones by Holly Black // For tweens who love to get a little creeped out.
2. Jinx by Sage Blackwood // For tweens who love fantasy adventures filled with magic and danger.
10. The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani // For tweens who wish life was more like a Disney movie.
11. Magic Marks the Spot by Caroline Carlson // For tweens who crave adventure.
12. Force Out by Tim Green // For tweens who love sports above all.
6. Battling Boy by Paul Pope // For tweens who gobble up comics.
5. The House of Hades by Rick Riordan // For tweens who've been reading these Riordan books for-ev-er.
9. The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two by Catherynne M. Valente  // For tweens who love fairy tales and epic adventures.
7. Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool // For tweens who read to find out who they are and who they could be.
8. Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voigt // For tweens who love mysteries.