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Recommendations for 13 year old DD...

13 replies

orangina · 23/10/2018 15:06

Hi there... am looking for recommendations for books for 13 year old dd to read.... she is in Y9, loves reading, but really doesn't enjoy the grittiness of most young adult books. Specifically, she doesn't want to engage with death or divorce, which knocks a lot of the fiction available to her out. I am struggling to find her something worth reading (ie, not rubbish) and age appropriate (not Little house on the Prairie AGAIN....). I was wondering about Agatha Christie actually, as they are not at all gory (which is another no-no...).

Does anyone have any recommendations? I am trying to get her to read "The 100 year old man who...." which she is doing slightly grudgingly....

Many thanks!

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MsJolly · 23/10/2018 15:10

My DD (same age) loves Sarah J Maas especially Court of Thornes & Roses-to the extent that she set her alarm for 6am this morning to start reading her new one that came out today (on kindle)

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DancelikeEmmaGoldman · 24/10/2018 18:37

Diana Wynne-Jones’ books for older readers, The Merlin Conspiracy; Fire and Hemlock; Enchanted Glass. Her land of Ingary trilogy which starts with Howl’s Moving Castle is great fun for any age readers.

Steve Augarde’s Touchstone Trilogy which starts with The Various.

Jessica Townsend’s Nevermoor.

You could go old-school with Nancy Drew if your daughter enjoys mysteries. There’s quite a flourishing sub-genre of YA crime and mystery fiction which is worth exploring.

If she likes animals, Elyne Mitchell’s Silver Brumby books. They were a constant in my childhood. Also Gerald Durrell’s My Family and Other Animals.

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IHaveBrilloHair · 24/10/2018 18:39

Dd and I really enjoyed, 'Love Simon'.
Also, 'Only ever yours'

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Frogletmamma · 27/10/2018 15:49

Chinese cinderella is an excellant book

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Sadik · 27/10/2018 16:11

Rainbow Rowell? Fangirl is a really fun read, I've not read Eleanor & Park but dd loves it & there are various others.

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Piggywaspushed · 27/10/2018 16:45

Has she read The Book Thief? I know it's death but it's historical.

I agree that most YA fiction shoehorns in divorce and other ishoos. Usually to its detriment.

I liked To Kill A Mockingbird and The Chrysalids at 13/14.
The Hate U Give is v popular and coming out in cinemas soon.

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Piggywaspushed · 27/10/2018 16:46

Or how about Judy Blume??

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IHaveBrilloHair · 27/10/2018 17:07

Judy Blume is fabulous, but avoid Tiger Eyes as that has death in it.

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Piggywaspushed · 27/10/2018 17:13

Deenie was my favourite!

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IHaveBrilloHair · 27/10/2018 17:22

Summer Sisters is mine.

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Nandocushion · 27/10/2018 17:41

My 13yo has just finished all the Agatha Christie books and loved them. She and her friends are quite taken with a series called Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger. I think there are six books.

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Frogletmamma · 04/11/2018 14:51

What Nando even things like N or M Destination Unknown The man in a brown suit ? What I am saying is there are an awful lot of them and some are not so easy to get hold of (unless you go for Amazon/Abe books) . I read them young as well and have been spending my adult life tracking down any oddities I may have missed.

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PepeLePew · 07/11/2018 08:41

dd (same age, same view of books) loved the Red Queen trilogy this summer, and has just finished Crazy Rich Asians. She also loved Diary of a Nobody, Jeeves, Ready Player One and Day of the Triffids (just looking at her bookshelf). Eclectic, for sure, but she really doesn’t like death and divorce either - she’s fine with mass extinction and war but a lot of YA fiction doesn’t pass her test. Jane Eyre was a hit last year, and Fahrenheit 451.

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