I not looking for SAT prep book but a list of actual high school age appropriate books/novels to help increase vocabulary for the SAT.
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Are they being home schooled?
His books may not be to everyone’s taste, but Cormac McCarthy is an absolute master wordsmith. The Road, in particular.
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I’m not sure that reading literary works helps improve SAT scores.
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No, they are in the public school system. I did however homeschool my children up until high school so I’m familiar with some of the home school curriculum and plan on mentioning Wordly Wise and the Greek & Latin Roots and Affixes Workbook.
These are my neighbors. The girls are very bright and being brought up multi lingual which is amazing but English is not spoken at home. In conversing with the girls I’ve noticed their English vocabulary is a little lacking and I’m concerned this might cause issues when it comes time for them to take the SAT.
I was hoping to suggest some books to read for recreation that would also help them improve their vocabulary.
Thanks for the suggestion, sounds like a book I might like myself! I was also thinking some of Marie Benedicts novels like the The Only Woman in the Room but was wondering if they are too mature for a 9th grader?
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The Great Gatsby
Pride and Prejudice
Heart of Darkness (Conrad)
The Sun Also Rises
The House of Mirth (Wharton)
Rebecca (Du Maurier)
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For exposure to superb craftsmanship in the English language, consider The Stories of John Cheever.
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Ok with this added context I have a few other suggestions. These all deal with subjects requiring a rich vocabulary. (Some of these might be on high school syllabuses these days)
In the Time of Butterflies (or anything) by Julia Alvarez
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
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Vocabulary used to make up most of the SAT verbal section, probably under the idea that students who read lots of advanced (for high school students) books would have larger vocabularies of words chosen for the SAT at the time. However, vocabulary has been reduced in importance since 1994.
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A 9th grade girl might like more fantasy reading:
The Hobbit --which could lead to The Lord of the Rings
The Wind in the Willows
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None of my kids prepped for the SAT. All of them were avid readers since 2nd grade. The one who “only” got a 780 on the verbal SAT announced proudly 'I’m officially the dumb one" since it wasn’t an 800.
What better prep is there for the SAT than reading?
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Whether for the SAT or not, reading is the best way to expand one’s vocabulary. Not to mention all the other good things that get expanded while reading - perspective, empathy etc.
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Anything by P.G. Wodehouse will need a dictionary in hand too 
and is hilarious.
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Excellent suggestion!
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Not a book, but The New Yorker magazine is great in so many ways.
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Amen!
The recent story (a few months ago?) about why science still can’t make synthetic blood? Wow. Made me regret all my life choices including NOT going to med school or becoming a med researcher!!! Beautifully written and made a seemingly obscure topic very vivid and engaging.
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I would add:
“To Kill a Mockingbird”
“The Diary of a Young Girl”
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I would add The Atlantic to this list. In-depth, long-form journalism, and excellent writing that doesn’t play to lower common denominators. I often recommend these kinds of magazines to students who want to elevate their reading skills and general knowledge.
My other advice: read anything. It almost doesn’t matter what it is, as long as your choices are varied. Kids who are readers will find the quality stuff eventually.
And for younger kids: spelling bee. It doesn’t matter if you never get past the school or district level. If you’re studying those word lists and word roots, you learn so much about language and culture, and it equips you to read more advanced material.
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Webster’s dictionary 
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