14 Best Books for 9 Year Olds to Read

Looking for some of the best books for 9 year olds to read and enjoy? These 14 children’s books are a great place to start!

Children at 9 are becoming more independent in every area of life, including the books they enjoy!

Nine-year-olds can explore more complex topics than younger kids and may start to enjoy books that ask interesting questions to get them thinking.

They may also enjoy longer series of books with long-running plots.

Despite this independence, children still love (and need) quiet time with their parents/carers at this age. Bedtime stories are still a lovely activity to enjoy, even for independent readers.

In this list of books for 9 year olds, you’ll find lovely chapter books for kids to read in quiet moments, as well as books that parents may want to settle down to read together.

14 Best Books for 9 Year Olds

Real-Life Mysteries: Can You Explain the Unexplained? by Susan Martineau and Vicky Barker

Not all children enjoy fiction, but many are curious enough to enjoy non-fiction.

If you have a child interested in the unusual and bizarre, they’ll enjoy Real-Life Mysteries: Can You Explain the Unexplained?

It presents children with several ‘case files’ of the strange, unresolved mysteries of the world: from UFOs to crop circles to the Loch Ness Monster.

There’s something for every child here, especially if they enjoy the odd spooky story from time to time.

The illustrations are vibrant and compelling, and it’s an excellent book to share as a family.

At the very least, it will lead to some interesting discussions around the dinner table!

Mr Penguin and the Catastrophic Cruise by Alex T. Smith

Aimed at readers who are 7 years old and above, the Mr Penguin series is a comforting book for 9 year olds too, especially if they’re reluctant readers or they need a little extra support with independent reading.

Mr Penguin is an Indiana-Jones-style explorer, and he goes on a series of incredible adventures with his sidekick, Colin the silent spider.

These books are beautifully designed with plenty of illustrations. They’re funny, action-packed, and full of twists and turns.

In the Catastrophic Cruise, Mr Penguin finds himself in trouble when he notices shifty behaviour on board a luxury cruise.

Mr Penguin decides to take a break from his well-earned vacation to get to the bottom of it, with hilarious and entertaining results.

Pony on the Twelfth Floor by Polly Faber

In this book, the main character Kizzy is upset because she can’t have a pony.

This a relatable problem for many kids, but Kizzy’s dreams come true when she bumps into a pony, nibbling food in the bakery aisle at her local supermarket.

Kizzy wants to keep him, but how can she sneak the pony home to her twelfth-floor flat without anyone noticing?

Kizzy, of course, comes to realise that keeping a pony in a high-rise apartment building is not the ideal scenario for anyone.

It’s a funny, sweet story with a determined main character, and Kizzy’s living situation will be relatable to many children. It would make a great gift for horse-mad kids!

The Unadoptables by Hana Tooke

In the Little Tulip Orphanage, five orphans, each with their own wildly different personalities, are struggling to find adoptive parents.

They want out of the orphanage, but how will they escape?

Pushed into action by a threatening event, Lotta, Fenna, Egg, Sem, and Milou decide to make a break for it, but soon find themselves being followed.

The Unadoptables is an incredible story, and the adventures of the orphans will have young readers on the edge of their seats.

As the kids search for the truth about their heritage, their bonds with each other will become more important than ever.

It’s a lovely story about family, friendship, and working together, and it would make a great story to enjoy together at bedtime.

The Double Trouble Society by Carrie Hope Fletcher

A spooky story ideal for kids who love Halloween, The Double Trouble Society is a sweet, exciting story about friendship and finding adventure together.

Best friends Ivy and Maggie were born at the exact same minute; they’ve been best friends ever since. Now, at the age of 12, they’re bored of living in the quiet town of Crowood Peak.

That is, until children start to disappear under mysterious circumstances.

Ivy and Maggie – aka the Double Trouble Society – decide to take on the case, investigating the possibility that the children have been taken into a creepy old mansion by a witch.

It has some spooky moments but plenty of humour, and it’s the ideal book for 9 year olds who are rapidly climbing up the book bands at school.

It’s also excellent on Audible, so if your child loves audiobooks, this is a good one to add to the wish list.

The Lottie Project by Jaqueline Wilson

A classic by a beloved children’s writer, The Lottie Project is the story of two children living very different lives.

First, there’s Charlie, a whip-smart, independent kid with a close relationship with her mother.

Charlie has a lot on her plate, from unreliable grandparents to her mum’s boyfriend, who she definitely doesn’t like.

To distract herself, Charlie throws herself into a school project about the Victorians, and she decides to write a diary about Lottie, a fictional nursery maid.

Lottie’s diary runs alongside Charlie’s musings on life, and the two girls have a lot to say about their very different circumstances.

It’s an engaging story, and the history parts are subtly woven into the story, so kids can enjoy learning about the Victorians in a natural, relatable way.

If your child hasn’t experienced Jacqueline Wilson yet, this is a good one to go for as it’s a little less hard-hitting than some of Wilson’s other works for this age group.

The Book That No-One Wanted to Read by Richard Ayoade

If you (or your kid) makes a habit of breaking book spines or folding the corners of pages, chances are they’ll feel a bit guilty after reading this book!

The Book That No-One Wanted to Read is a brilliant, funny story from the perspective of an unloved, unwanted book.

This poor book is sitting around, gathering dust, feeling sad and abandoned. That is until it finally finds a new reader.

Ayoade is hilarious, and this is perfectly pitched for the 9 – 12 year old age range.

With a silly, light sense of humour and lovely illustrations, this is a quirky book for kids with a warm, important message underneath. It’s a fun book for adults to enjoy with their children, too.

The Bed and Breakfast Star by Jacqueline Wilson

Another classic by Wilson, The Bed and Breakfast Star follows the main character, Elsa, as she pursues her dream of becoming a real comedian.

Constantly cracking jokes and making witty comments, Elsa uses humour to deflect what is happening in her family life.

Having lost their home, Elsa’s family has to live in a hotel with several other homeless families. To escape the tension, she explores the hotel and dreams up new jokes.

One day, however, disaster strikes at the hotel, and Elsa finally gets her chance to break into television. It’s a sweet story, introducing children to a family living in difficult circumstances while keeping the story light and funny.

Sheets: 1 by Brenna Thummler

One for confident readers, Sheets: 1 is aimed at the 9-12 year old age bracket; younger readers may need help understanding some of the context, but they’ll still enjoy the magical, otherworldly story and the beautiful art.

Sheets is a graphic novel series about a girl, Marjorie Glatt, who feels like a ghost. She works hard but never gets any credit, and life is a bit of a drudge.

When she meets Wendell – a real, actual ghost – her life turns upside down.

Sheets is a serious story about life and death and tells the story of two lost, lonely kids colliding in a totally unexpected way.

It deals with some heavy themes, particularly around grief, so it may be appropriate for parents to read this one first to decide if it is appropriate for their child.

Children trying to process a loss may be able to relate to the main character, and the story is beautifully told.

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

A sweet, lovely story about finding your purpose. The Wild Robot centres around a robot named Roz, alone on a remote island.

She doesn’t know who she is or what she was made for; the only thing she can do is try to survive. As she battles for her life, Roz feels at home on the island.

The question remains: why was Roz made? Where did she come from? Eventually, her origin story begins to catch up with her.

It’s a gorgeously written, descriptive book full of beautiful language about nature and technology.

With short chapters and some striking black-and-white illustrations, it’s one of the best engaging, and straightforward books for 9 year old boys and girls.

Time Travelling With a Hamster by Ross Welford

If you’ve ever read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, chances are you’ll enjoy reading this (either alone or with your kid!).

Time Travelling With a Hamster follows Al Chaudhury on his twelfth birthday. He receives an unlikely gift from his Grandpa; a time machine.

While this is a dream-come-true gift for many kids, it’s loaded with meaning for Al. He has a mission to travel to 1984 to save his father’s life.

Of course, he can’t time travel alone. His pet hamster, Alan, has to come along too.

Al and Alan must go on several daring adventures to get to the right moment in time, and the end result is a heartwarming, funny, and sweet story.

It’s a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions, but it’s a gentle way of exploring heavier topics together.

Draw With Rob by Rob Biddulph

If you were homeschooling during the recent lockdowns, chances are you’ll be familiar with Rob Biddulph.

His series of drawing tutorials captured children’s imaginations and kept many kids busy (much to the relief of parents across the globe!).

The Draw with Rob book is an excellent investment for arty kids. With step-by-step instructions on how to draw everything from penguins to bears to pugs, all in Biddulph’s fun, cartoony style.

At the end of the book, kids can fill in the certificate at the back to prove they are an ‘Ace Artist’. It’s packed with fun drawing tips and tricks and makes an excellent book for long car journeys or quiet days at home.

Ancient Egyptians by Ladybird Histories

Children will get stuck into history projects at school at 9 years old. Chances are they’ll be learning about some key historical periods, including the Romans, the Greeks, and the Ancient Egyptians.

In these books, kids can explore various topics in-depth, allowing them to delve deeper into the time periods they find fascinating.

The Ancient Egyptians book covers everything from how the Egyptians began, Egyptian writing, Gods and temples, workers and builders, home life, science, ships, trade, and more.

Everything they want to know about Ancient Egypt is contained in this book. For history lovers, these books are a must-buy. (And they’re pretty informative for adults, too!)

How to Make a Better World by Keilly Swift

Children at this age will be much more aware of the world around them; they have a keen sense of right and wrong and may start to become indignant about injustice as they start to learn about current affairs, both at home and at school.

How to Make a Better World is a great way to nurture little activists! The book is a guideline on how to make the world better.

It starts by teaching children how to love themselves, with an excellent section on self-care and how to nurture their passions.

The book then covers the environment, their local community, and humanity. It’s a great way to get kids thinking and empowers them to make a real difference in their own lives, as well as the lives of others.

The writing is engaging, and it’s beautifully designed, too. It includes a series of projects children can do alone or with their family; for example, creating an ‘all about me’ board or starting a fundraising campaign to raise money for charities.

There are so many beautiful children’s books out there, covering a whole range of topics in both fiction and non-fiction; hopefully, this has helped you to find a lovely new book for the nine-year-old in your life!

If you liked this post, check out these:
Best Books for 1-year-olds
Best Books for 2-year-olds
Best Books for 3-year-olds
Best Books for 4-year-olds
Best Books for 5-year-olds
Best Books for 6-year-olds
Best Books for 7-year-olds
Best Books for 8-year-olds
Best Books for 9-year-olds
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