DD 11 lost interest in reading

[shebird]

Hi just wondered if any of you wise mners or teachers had any ideas to reignite DDs interest in reading.

I think with the focus on SATS this year she has lost interest in reading for pleasure. She is also finding it difficult to find books she wants to read. She says finds most of the pre teen stuff boring as its all the same either about being popular, being a nerd or misunderstood. She has read all the Jacqueline Wilson, Cathy Cassidy type books and Harry Potter. I just wondered if there was anything else I could suggest to inspire her past live for reading.

[Bananaapplegrape]

The hunger games? My 12 year old was engrossed?

[ladymalfoy]

Department 19?
The Old Kingdom Series ? Garth Nix
Both series have strong female characters.
Also try the Tiffany Aching series by Sir Terry Pratchett.
That girl kicks arse.

[nailslikeknives]

Diddakoi by Rumer Godden
My Side of The Mountain
The Breadwinner
Alex Rider Series

All loved by upper primary classes I've read them to.

[JillBYeats]

At 11 my DD and her friends were into Robert Muchamore's Cherub series.

[shebird]

Some great suggestions, hopefully I can find something of interest for her here.

[Seeline]

My Y6 DD has just read 'His dark Materials' trilogy and really enjoyed it.
She also likes the One Dollar Horse series by Lauren St John
Eva Ibbotsen books also go down well
The Young James Bond books were good too.

I think a lot of it just depends on finding something that interests them, as well as being a good story. Does your DD have any hobbies or strong interests that may be useful to link books to?

[LittleMissGreen]

At 11 I discovered Agatha Christie.

DS1 is 12 he has recently devoured the Hunger Games and Divergent series.
He also enjoyed Alex Rider and Cherub series when he was 11.

[mrsmortis]

I devoured Rosemary Sutcliffe at that age and The Little House on the Prairie books.

If you are looking for strong female characters look at the Pern books by Anne McCaffery. Dragonsong is a good place to start.

And I'd second the Pratchett and Nix recommendations above.

[Seryph]

I agree with pretty much everything above, and suggest:
Tithe, Valiant & Ironside - Holly Black
Coldest Girl in Coldtown - Holly Black (Yes this is the same Holly Black as wrote Spiderwick Chronicles but these are her older books)
Skulduggery Pleasant series are really good.
Artemis Fowl might be a bit younger, but the first three are still very good.
The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings, LotR is harder going but if she's interested in that kind of thing it is certainly worth a try.
The Mortal Instruments series is... touch and go I find, it's very much of the same pre-teen collective and the film was naff but it might be worth trying.
Hex by Rhiannon Lassiter amazed me at twelve, it might be worth a try, it's a bit older now but still.
Again thinking slightly older series, Remnants (starting with 01: Mayflower project) by K. A. Applegate is an interesting sci-fi premise. I never read Animorphs, but it's the same author and those might be worth a go too.
How about the Demon Headmaster books? And Goosebumps.

[Ferguson]

For older children I sometimes recommend what I call "Value Added" books, that is they have an aspect in addition to just reading a story.

The best one is Arthur Ransome's "Coot Club" set on the Norfolk Broads in 1930. All the places in the book are actual locations, and can be found on the Ordnance Survey 2-1/2inch map of the Broads. All the villages, rivers, lakes, pubs and windmill pumping stations can be seen on the map. Apart from some railways being closed, and there now being more main roads, little has changed. It also gives interesting insights to the social history of the '30s: the children want to contact friends in a nearby village, and say if they post a letter in the morning, it will get there by the second post in the afternoon! When they buy provisions at a riverside shop, the shop-boy carries the goods down to their boat for them.

Another book in a 'real' place, is "Watership Down". The rabbits' home threatened by development is actually on the outskirts of Newbury, in Berkshire. There are several web sites about the locations, and even guided tours sometimes to places featured in the book.

[TigerFeat]

dd (11) is currently enjoying, amongst others, Malorie Blackman, John Boyne, Ruby Redfort (Lauren Child), and John Green books. She is also revisiting Micheal Morpurgo.

Can you buy her a book voucher and take her to Waterstones/Smiths for a good old browse?

We go for a Charity Shop sweep for books about once a fortnight and just buy up what she likes the look of. She might not read them all but it's still cheaper than a regular Book shop visit.

Also, we have joined a better library in a neighbouring town and go for a whole afternoon about once a term.