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Original poster

A short but engrossing novel for a 14yr old girl who HATES reading?

40 replies

FormerXibishonist · 15/02/2012 20:41

She's bright and wants to do well at school, but she hates reading anything at all. She is an amazing swimmer, however, and spends 15 hours a week at the pool.

Does anyone know of any unputdownable books for her? They must be short! Perhaps something to do with swimming?

Help please.

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GinPalace · 27/03/2012 15:48

At her age I loved The Slambash Wangs of a Compo Gormer (translation: The Fighting Fantasies of a Teenage Hero) - cos it was about adventure and great for a not keen reader as it creates its own language as it goes along so uses loads of words which aren't real or official!

IndridCold · 27/03/2012 15:41

This might be of interest, graphic novel set in a swimming pool.

I was going to suggest The Woman in Black too.

cloudbaby · 27/03/2012 15:15

Sorry, rubbish at links thepraminthehall.blogspot.co.uk/2008/06/childrens-books.html

cloudbaby · 27/03/2012 15:12

There are teen recommends here too: thepraminthehall.blogspot.co.uk/2008/06/childrens-books.html

chocolateyclur · 21/03/2012 14:33

Yes to the Hunger Games - the first one especially is brilliant.

I recommend any teenager 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' - Stephen Chbosky - but you may want to have a look yourself as there are themes of drugs and sex.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 21/03/2012 14:16

The Woman in Black is fairly short, well I'm not a quick reader and managed it in a couple of days.

No 1 Ladies Detective Agency is a good, easy read too.

Does she like Twilight?

cocolepew · 18/03/2012 15:16

My DD loves the Angus, Thongs..... series of books.

Hunger Games, Time Riders and Percy Jackson are also faves.

bruffin · 18/03/2012 15:13

The chrysalids by john wyndom is not too long.

smokeandglitter · 18/03/2012 15:05

Room by Emma Donaughue
One Day by David Nicholls.
The Hanged Man by Francesca Lia Block.
A catcher in the rye by JD Salinger.

I guess they're not too short (well, Block's books are) but not daunting either. I used to love the Megan series about a young mum and those were short.

elijah13 · 18/03/2012 12:42

I too didn't like to read. I could read well so didn't see the point of reading when i disliked doing so, so I started reading graphic novels instead.

IAmSherlocked · 13/03/2012 18:56

Persepolis is really thought-provoking and interesting - and is told from the perspective of a young girl growing up so is a narrator she can identify with.

Jenny Downham's Before I Die is sad but engrossing.

Some of my Year 11s (so slightly older) have read and really enjoyed Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper.

sassytheFIRST · 13/03/2012 18:50

Lots of great suggestions here. I'd also recommend graphic novels - there are great retellings of classic novels as well as sci-fi types.

Oh and To Kill A Mockingbird is marvellous and brilliant, but short, it ain't. About 33 chapters of quite complex writing. Wonder if the poster means Of Mice and Men? That is short, but if you are thinking Steinbeck, I'd recommend The Red Pony or The Pearl as OMAM is on the gcse syllabus.

ragged · 13/03/2012 18:25

The Book Thief, Twilight series, Darren Shan.

joanofarchitrave · 12/03/2012 16:36

Or try Dick Francis? Start her off on Dead Cert.

joanofarchitrave · 12/03/2012 16:36

The Fortunate Few by Tim Kennemore. It's quite sardonic, and it's about gymnastics not swimming. But very memorable.

elleroses · 12/03/2012 16:33

A series of unfortunate events are great books xx

notnowImreading · 26/02/2012 08:43

Not sure about short, but The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins has been the biggest sure-fire hit with my reluctant (although not particularly weak) readers. If she gets into it, there are three, with a film coming out soon so it may get her going.

goingtobefree · 26/02/2012 08:29

Alex by Tessa Duder. It about Alex, who is a teenage girl and how she trains for Newzealand Olympic swimming team.

wordfactory · 25/02/2012 18:18

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime?

Amaretti · 25/02/2012 14:22

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

CharminglyOdd · 25/02/2012 14:19

Persepolis is great but involved. How about a book of short stories by Roald Dahl (his adult ones, like Henry Sugar) or Daphne Du Maurier. Another that I felt went past quickly was Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. Second Adrian Mole.

My favourite quick reads (but it depends on how mature she is/how it fits into her other reading) are the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, which I started reading at her age. They've made me laugh until I cry.

I don't know about swimming unless she's read Swallows and Amazons? But they are quite dated.

holyShmoley · 25/02/2012 14:07

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

gothicmama · 17/02/2012 17:41

If she likes avril lavigne or maybe even if she doesn't her graphic books are good. WH Smith had a whole display of quick reads which looked good when I was in there earlier in the week

acsec · 17/02/2012 17:13

The Cat Royal books, by Julia Golding. The first is called The Diamond of Drury Lane - an engrossing read and if she likes it there are 7 in total I think.

I really liked Sharon Creech when I was her sort of age.

BackforGood · 17/02/2012 17:10

Agree about 'The Outsiders' - I've just re-read it funnily enough, and then my ds (15) and my dd(13) both read it and thought it was great.
Animal Farm is a very short book too if you are looking for a classic.
I've recently read 'The Tent, the Bucket and Me' by Emma Standing, which I found to be really, really hilarious. Again, my dcs read it and both thought it was funny too - not especially short though.
What about 'The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 and 3/4' by Sue Townsend - she's just at the right age to appreciate it.

Sorry, don't know any about swimming.

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