12 Books to Read Before You're 12

1. Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone

by J. K. Rowling

€7.99 €11.60

*Join Harry Potter as he sets out on the magical journey of a lifetime in the first book in J.K. Rowling's multi-award-winning series. Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin! J.K. Rowling's internationally bestselling Harry Potter books continue to captivate new generations of readers. Harry's first adventure alongside his friends, Ron and Hermione, will whisk you away to Hogwarts, an enchanted, turreted castle filled with disappearing staircases, pearly-white ghosts and magical paintings that flit from frame to frame. This gorgeous paperback edition features a spectacular cover by award-winning artist Jonny Duddle, as well as refreshed bonus material including fun facts exploring the origins of names such as Albus Dumbledore, Hedwig and other favourite characters. This is the perfect starting point for anyone who's ready to lose themselves in the biggest children's books of all time. SORTING - SPELLS - SECRETS Seven magical stories, one epic adventure. *Please note: The book cover and spine design you receive may vary slightly from the image shown.

2. Matilda

by Roald Dahl

€8.99 €11.60

The much-loved Roald Dahl story, updated for a whole new generation of readers with an exciting new interior design and cover look. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: you are not alone. Matilda is a brilliant child with a magical mind. But her parents have decided she's just a nuisance who wastes too much time on reading and stories. And her headmistress Miss Trunchbull is a terrible bully, who thinks children are rotten and awful and should be locked up. Now it's time for Matilda to find the power to change her story, and show them just how extraordinary children can be . . . The text in this edition of Matilda was updated in 2022 for young independent readers.

3. Skulduggery Pleasant

by Derek Landy

€8.99 €13.05

Meet the great Skulduggery Pleasant: wise-cracking detective, powerful magician, master of dirty tricks and burglary (in the name of the greater good, of course). Oh yeah. And dead. Then there's his sidekick, Stephanie. She's. well, she's a twelve-year-old girl. With a pair like this on the case, evil had better watch out. "So you won't keep anything from me again?" He put his hand to his chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die." "Okay then. Though you don't actually have a heart," she said. "I know." "And technically, you've already died." "I know that too." "Just so we're clear." Stephanie's uncle Gordon is a writer of horror fiction. But when he dies and leaves her his estate, Stephanie learns that while he may have written horror, it certainly wasn't fiction. Pursued by evil forces intent on recovering a mysterious key, Stephanie finds help from an unusual source - the wisecracking skeleton of a dead wizard. When all hell breaks loose, it's lucky for Skulduggery that he's already dead. Though he's about to discover that being a skeleton doesn't stop you from being tortured, if the torturer is determined enough. And if there's anything Skulduggery hates, it's torture. Will evil win the day? Will Stephanie and Skulduggery stop bickering long enough to stop it? One thing's for sure: evil won't know what's hit it.

4. Percy Jackson and the lightning thief

by Rick Riordan

€10.43 €10.99

The first book in the bestselling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Now with a new cover look! Discover the story behind the Disney+ series. HALF BOY - HALF GOD - ALL HERO. Look, I never asked to be the son of a Greek god. I was just a normal kid. . . until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. Percy Jackson is having a bad week. His life has gone from totally normal to monsters-from-Greek-mythology-randomly-appearing kind of strange. Worse still, the king of the gods thinks Percy has stolen his all-powerful lightning bolt - and it seems making Zeus angry is a very bad idea. Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to catch the true lightning thief and stop all-out war from erupting on Mount Olympus. . . What could possibly go wrong? Return to the World of Percy Jackson in the best-selling, brand-new adventure featuring the original hero in Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Chalice of the Gods - out now! And don't miss the trio's next adventure in Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Wrath of the Triple Goddess, coming soon!

5. The hobbit, or, There and back again

by J. R. R. Tolkien

€10.43 €13.05

The Hobbit is the unforgettable story of Bilbo, a peace-loving hobbit, who embarks on a strange and magical adventure. A timeless classic. Bilbo Baggins enjoys a quiet and contented life, with no desire to travel far from the comforts of home; then one day the wizard Gandalf and a band of dwarves arrive unexpectedly and enlist his services - as a burglar - on a dangerous expedition to raid the treasure-hoard of Smaug the dragon. Bilbo's life is never to be the same again. Seldom has any book been so widely read and loved as J. R.R. Tolkien's classic tale, 'The Hobbit'. Since its first publication in 1937 it has remained in print to delight each new generation of readers all over the world, and its hero, Bilbo Baggins, has taken his place among the ranks of the immortals of fiction.

6. Under the hawthorn tree

by Marita Conlon-McKenna

€8.99 €9.99

The first book in the famine trilogy Under the Hawthorn Tree is Ireland's top selling children's book and a classic for young readers worldwide. Ireland in the 1840s is devastated by famine. When tragedy strikes their family, Eily, Michael and Peggy are left to fend for themselves. Starving and in danger of the dreaded workhouse, they escape. Their one hope is to find the great aunts they have heard about in their mother's stories. With tremendous courage they set out on a journey that will test every reserve of strength, love and loyalty they possess. Also available on DVD .

7. Coraline

by Neil Gaiman

€9.27 €11.60

The bewitching classic children's novel by Neil Gaiman, featuring spellbinding illustrations from Chris Riddell and an exclusive new introduction by the author 'I was enthralled ... a marvellously strange and scary book' Philip Pullman 'A masterpiece' Terry Pratchett There is something strange about Coraline's new home. It's not the mist, or the cat that always seems to be watching her, nor the signs of danger that Miss Spink and Miss Forcible, her new neighbours, read in the tea leaves. It's the other house - the one behind the old door in the drawing room. Another mother and father with black-button eyes and papery skin are waiting for Coraline to join them there. And they want her to stay with them. For ever. She knows that if she ventures through that door, she may never come back. This deliciously creepy, gripping novel is packed with glorious illustrations by Chris Riddell, and is guaranteed to delight and entrance readers of all ages.

8. Holes

by Louis Sachar

€9.27 €11.60

WINNER OF THE NEWBERY MEDAL AND NATIONAL BOOK AWARD ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST YA BOOKS OF ALL TIME The iconic, multi-million bestselling novel, in a 25th anniversary edition with exclusive new material inside. An unmissable modern classic. Stanley Yelnats' family has a history of bad luck, so when a miscarriage of justice sends him to Camp Green Lake Juvenile Detention Centre (which isn't green and doesn't have a lake), it's not exactly a surprise. Every day he and the other inmates are told to dig a hole each, five foot wide by five foot deep, reporting anything they find. Why? The evil warden claims that it builds character, but this is a lie. It's up to Stanley to dig up the truth. A masterpiece of storytelling that combines sly humour with irresistible, page-turning writing. New 25th anniversary edition includes exclusive material from author Louis Sachar, a foreword from acclaimed author Phil Earle and brilliant readers' notes from Scott Evans (The Reader Teacher). 'A witty, moving read that grabs you and never lets up' Daily Telegraph

9. Howl's moving castle

by Diana Wynne Jones

€9.27 €11.60

'Quite simply the best writer of magic there is' Neil Gaiman 'Truly magical . Guaranteed to leave you gasping' The Bookseller 'She is the best writer of magical fantasy for children' Evening Standard In this beloved modern classic, young Sophie Hatter from the land of Ingary catches the unwelcome attention of the Witch of the Waste and is put under a spell. Deciding she has nothing more to lose, Sophie makes her way to the moving castle that hovers on the hills above her town, Market Chipping. But the castle belongs to the dreaded Wizard Howl, whose appetite, they say, is satisfied only by the souls of young girls. There Sophie meets Michael, Howl's apprentice, and Calcifer the fire demon, with whom she agrees a pact. Her entanglements with Calcifer, Howl and Michael and her quest to break her curse come alive with Diana Wynne Jones's unique combination of magic, humour and imagination. From one of the most beloved, bestselling and award-winning fantasy writers of all time.

10. The explorer

by Katherine Rundell

€9.27 €11.60

Go on an adventure with Katherine Rundell ... _______________ Winner of the Children's Book Prize Winner of the Costa Children's Book Award 2017 Winner of the London Book Fair Children's Travel Book of the Year _______________ 'I loved The Explorer ' - Jacqueline Wilson 'Rundell is now unarguably in the FIRST RANK' - Philip Pullman 'Read everything she writes' - Daily Mail _______________ From his seat in the tiny aeroplane, Fred watches as the mysteries of the Amazon jungle pass by below him. He has always dreamed of becoming an explorer, of making history and of reading his name amongst the lists of great discoveries. If only he could land and look about him. As the plane crashes into the canopy, Fred is suddenly left without a choice. He and the three other children may be alive, but the jungle is a vast, untamed place. With no hope of rescue, the chance of getting home feels impossibly small. Except, it seems, someone has been there before them .

11. The London Eye mystery

by Siobhan Dowd

€9.27 €11.60

'A whip-smart puzzle with unforgettable characters' Robin Stevens, bestselling author of Murder Most Unladylike 'Compulsive Reading' Independent 'Thoroughly gripping' Sunday Telegraph A story about family, self-belief and bravery, The London Eye Mystery is a brilliantly inventive crime-caper perfect for fans of Enola Holmes, High-Rise Mystery and A Kind of Spark . 11.32 a.m. Ted and his sister Kat watch their cousin Salim get on board the London Eye. The pod rises from the ground, high above the city. 12.02 p.m. The pod lands and the doors open. Everyone exits - everyone but Salim. Has he spontaneously combusted? (Ted's theory.) Has he been kidnapped? (Aunt Gloria's theory.) Is he even still alive? (The family's unspoken fear.) Ted doesn't see the world like most people he knows and is sure that with his "unique operating system" of a brain he can uncover the truth about Salim's disappearance. So, teaming up with Kat, Ted sets out to do just that - following a trail of clues across London. But with time ticking dangerously by, can Ted solve the mystery before it's too late? A multiple award-winning novel with over 150k copies sold in the UK alone, The London Eye Mystery is a true modern classic that's not to be missed - now featuring an introduction from Robin Stevens. Don't miss Ted's second detective adventure, The Guggenheim Mystery !

12. Wonder

by R. J. Palacio

€9.27 €11.60

'Has the power to move hearts and change minds' Guardian 'Tremendously uplifting and a novel of all-too-rare power' Sunday Express 'An amazing book . . . I absolutely loved it. I cried my eyes out' Tom Fletcher Read the award-winning, multi-million copy bestselling phenomenon that is WONDER in this new tenth anniversary edition. 'My name is August. I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.' Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things - eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary - inside. But ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren't stared at wherever they go. Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he's being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted - but can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all? A funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut - and a true global phenomenon - to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page. Discover more from the World of Wonder : White Bird , a graphic novel *Soon to be a motion picture!* Auggie & Me 365 Days of Wonder We're All Wonders And read more from R. J. Palacio with Pony, an unforgettable new story!