TheGold Shelf

Friendship books for ages 9 to 12

87 award-winning books for ages 9 to 12. Making friends, keeping them, and being kind.

Babies and toddlers0–2Ages 3 to 53–5Ages 6 to 86–8Ages 9 to 129–12TeensTeen
Animals112Adventure205Fantasy and magic203Funny books85Family182Friendship87History and real people398Nature and science57Folktales and fairy tales62Poetry and rhyme48Feelings and big moments101

87 books

Cover of Magnolia Wu Unfolds It AllHonor2025Magnolia Wu Unfolds It AllChanel Miller2025 Newbery Medal Honor BookCover of The First State of BeingWinner2025The First State of BeingErin Entrada Kelly2025 Newbery Medal winnerCover of Look Both WaysWinner2021Look Both WaysJason Reynolds2021 Carnegie Medal for Writing winnerCover of BrownWinner2020BrownHåkon Øvreås2020 Batchelder Award winnerCover of New KidWinner2020New KidJerry Craft2020 Newbery Medal winnerCover of Hello, UniverseWinner2018Hello, UniverseErin Entrada Kelly2018 Newbery Medal winnerCover of The Ballad of a Broken NoseHonor2017The Ballad of a Broken NoseArne Svingen2017 Batchelder Award Honor BookCover of Adam and ThomasHonor2016Adam and ThomasAharon Appelfeld2016 Batchelder Award Honor BookCover of Roller GirlHonor2016Roller GirlVictoria Jamieson2016 Newbery Medal Honor BookCover of Mister OrangeWinner2014Mister OrangeTruus Matti2014 Batchelder Award winnerCover of The One and Only IvanWinner2013The One and Only IvanKatherine Applegate2013 Newbery Medal winnerCover of The Lily PondHonor2012The Lily PondAnnika Thor2012 Batchelder Award Honor BookCover of After Tupac and D FosterHonor2009After Tupac and D FosterJacqueline Woodson2009 Newbery Medal Honor BookCover of Nicholas and the GangHonor2008Nicholas and the GangRené Goscinny2008 Batchelder Award Honor BookCover of Criss CrossWinner2006Criss CrossLynne Rae Perkins2006 Newbery Medal winnerCover of Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster BoyHonor2005Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster BoyGary D. Schmidt2005 Newbery Medal Honor BookCover of Because of Winn-DixieHonor2001Because of Winn-DixieKate DiCamillo2001 Newbery Medal Honor BookCover of Two Hands TogetherWinner2001Two Hands TogetherDiana Kidd2001 CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers winnerCover of Collector of MomentsHonor2000Collector of MomentsQuint Buchholz2000 Batchelder Award Honor BookCover of Looking for XWinner2000Looking for XDeborah Ellis2000 Governor General's Award (text) winnerCover of Secret Letters from 0 to 10Honor1999Secret Letters from 0 to 10Susie Morgenstern1999 Batchelder Award Honor BookCover of Lily's CrossingHonor1998Lily's CrossingPatricia Reilly Giff1998 Newbery Medal Honor BookCover of WringerHonor1998WringerJerry Spinelli1998 Newbery Medal Honor BookCover of The FriendsWinner1997The FriendsKazumi Yumoto1997 Batchelder Award winnerCover of The View from SaturdayWinner1997The View from SaturdayE. L. Konigsburg1997 Newbery Medal winnerCover of Crazy Lady!Honor1994Crazy Lady!Jane Leslie Conly1994 Newbery Medal Honor BookCover of Maniac MageeWinner1991Maniac MageeJerry Spinelli1991 Newbery Medal winnerCover of Two Short and One LongHonor1991Two Short and One LongNina Ring Aamundsen1991 Batchelder Award Honor BookCover of Afternoon of the ElvesHonor1990Afternoon of the ElvesJanet Taylor Lisle1990 Newbery Medal Honor BookCover of Number the StarsWinner1990Number the StarsLois Lowry1990 Newbery Medal winnerCover of CrutchesWinner1989CrutchesPeter Härtling1989 Batchelder Award winnerCover of All We KnowWinner1987All We KnowSimon French1987 CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers winnerCover of The Moves Make the ManHonor1985The Moves Make the ManBruce Brooks1985 Newbery Medal Honor BookCover of The Sign of the BeaverHonor1984The Sign of the BeaverElizabeth George Speare1984 Newbery Medal Honor BookCover of HandlesWinner1983HandlesJan Mark1983 Carnegie Medal for Writing winnerCover of The Battle HorseWinner1982The Battle HorseHarry Kullman1982 Batchelder Award winnerCover of Bridge to TerabithiaWinner1978Bridge to TerabithiaKatherine Paterson1978 Newbery Medal winnerCover of Thunder and LightningsWinner1976Thunder and LightningsJan Mark1976 Carnegie Medal for Writing winnerCover of Philip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon MaybeHonor1975Philip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon MaybeBette Greene1975 Newbery Medal Honor BookCover of FriedrichWinner1972FriedrichHans Peter Richter1972 Batchelder Award winnerCover of The Planet of Junior BrownHonor1972The Planet of Junior BrownVirginia Hamilton1972 Newbery Medal Honor BookCover of Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, ElizabethHonor1968Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, ElizabethE. L. Konigsburg1968 Newbery Medal Honor BookCover of The Egypt GameHonor1968The Egypt GameZilpha Keatley Snyder1968 Newbery Medal Honor BookCover of The Cricket in Times SquareHonor1961The Cricket in Times SquareGeorge Selden1961 Newbery Medal Honor BookCover of Onion JohnWinner1960Onion JohnJoseph Krumgold1960 Newbery Medal winnerCover of Tom's Midnight GardenWinner1958Tom's Midnight GardenPhilippa Pearce1958 Carnegie Medal for Writing winnerCover of The Wheel on the SchoolWinner1955The Wheel on the SchoolMeindert De Jong1955 Newbery Medal winnerCover of All AloneHonor1954All AloneClaire Huchet Bishop1954 Newbery Medal Honor BookCover of Charlotte's WebHonor1953Charlotte's WebE. B. White1953 Newbery Medal Honor BookCover of The Hundred DressesHonor1945The Hundred DressesEleanor Estes1945 Newbery Medal Honor BookThe Distance Between Me and the Cherry TreePaola PerettiHonor2020The Distance Between Me and the Cherry TreePaola Peretti2020 Batchelder Award Honor BookThe Little WavePip HarryWinner2020The Little WavePip Harry2020 CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers winnerFeathersJacqueline WoodsonHonor2008FeathersJacqueline Woodson2008 Newbery Medal Honor BookRulesCynthia LordHonor2007RulesCynthia Lord2007 Newbery Medal Honor BookSamir and YonatanDaniella CarmiWinner2001Samir and YonatanDaniella Carmi2001 Batchelder Award winnerSomeone Like MeElaine ForrestalWinner1998Someone Like MeElaine Forrestal1998 CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers winnerStar of Fear, Star of HopeJo HoestlandtHonor1996Star of Fear, Star of HopeJo Hoestlandt1996 Batchelder Award Honor BookRonia the Robber's DaughterAstrid LindgrenWinner1984Ronia the Robber's DaughterAstrid Lindgren1984 Batchelder Award winnerThe Noonday FriendsMary StolzHonor1966The Noonday FriendsMary Stolz1966 Newbery Medal Honor BookThe Racketty Street GangL. H. EversWinner1962The Racketty Street GangL. H. Evers1962 CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers winnerCover of Weird Rules to FollowFinalist2023Weird Rules to FollowKim Spencer2023 Governor General's Award (text) finalistCover of The Bone SparrowShortlist2017The Bone SparrowZana Fraillon2017 Carnegie Medal for Writing shortlistedCover of Liar & SpyShortlist2014Liar & SpyRebecca Stead2014 Carnegie Medal for Writing shortlistedCover of WonderShortlist2013WonderR. J. Palacio2013 Carnegie Medal for Writing shortlistedCover of Home FreeFinalist2009Home FreeSharon Jennings2009 Governor General's Award (text) finalistCover of FriendshipsFinalist2006FriendshipsBudge Wilson2006 Governor General's Award (text) finalistCover of Up On Cloud NineHighly commended2002Up On Cloud NineAnne Fine2002 Carnegie Medal for Writing highly commendedCover of Bat SummerFinalist1998Bat SummerSarah Withrow1998 Governor General's Award (text) finalistCover of The Tulip TouchHighly commended1996The Tulip TouchAnne Fine1996 Carnegie Medal for Writing highly commendedCover of Covered BridgeFinalist1990Covered BridgeBrian Doyle1990 Governor General's Award (text) finalistCover of Riding the WavesCommended1990Riding the WavesTheresa Tomlinson1990 Carnegie Medal for Writing commendedCover of The Trial of Anna CotmanCommended1989The Trial of Anna CotmanVivien Alcock1989 Carnegie Medal for Writing commendedCover of Easy AvenueFinalist1988Easy AvenueBrian Doyle1988 Governor General's Award (text) finalistCover of The Hollow LandHighly commended1981The Hollow LandJane Gardam1981 Carnegie Medal for Writing highly commendedCover of The Fox in WinterCommended1980The Fox in WinterJohn Branfield1980 Carnegie Medal for Writing commendedCover of Storm BoyCommended1964Storm BoyColin Thiele1964 CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers commendedCover of The Latchkey ChildrenCommended1963The Latchkey ChildrenEric Allan1963 Carnegie Medal for Writing commendedCover of Choristers' CakeCommended1956Choristers' CakeWilliam Mayne1956 Carnegie Medal for Writing commendedCover of Minnow on the SayCommended1955Minnow on the SayA. Philippa Pearce1955 Carnegie Medal for Writing commendedAway with WordsSophie CameronShortlist2024Away with WordsSophie Cameron2024 Carnegie Medal for Writing shortlistedThe Worlds We Leave BehindA.F. HarroldShortlist2023The Worlds We Leave BehindA.F. Harrold2023 Carnegie Medal for Illustration shortlistedThe Song from Somewhere ElseA.F. HarroldShortlist2018The Song from Somewhere ElseA.F. Harrold2018 Carnegie Medal for Illustration shortlistedHughieDavid MartinCommended1972HughieDavid Martin1972 CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers commendedI Own the RacecoursePatricia WrightsonCommended1969I Own the RacecoursePatricia Wrightson1969 CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers commendedJamie's Summer VisitorBetty RolandCommended1965Jamie's Summer VisitorBetty Roland1965 CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers commendedThe Bus GirlsMary K. HarrisCommended1965The Bus GirlsMary K. Harris1965 Carnegie Medal for Writing commendedSeraphinaMary K. HarrisCommended1960SeraphinaMary K. Harris1960 Carnegie Medal for Writing commended