Families who loved The Place at the Edge of the Earth by Bebe Faas Rice often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your child is feeling like an outsider, whether due to a family move, a new stepparent, or the middle school social gauntlet. It is a dual-layered story that addresses the modern frustrations of a thirteen-year-old girl named Jenny, who is struggling to adapt to a military base, while weaving in a poignant historical ghost story about a young Lakota boy from a 19th-century boarding school. Parents will find this an excellent bridge for discussing empathy and the weight of history. It handles the 'blended family' transition with realism, showing that while new beginnings are hard, they also offer the chance to right old wrongs. Ideal for ages 10 to 14, it offers a sophisticated mix of spookiness and social justice.