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Children's books

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Original poster

What Deutsch or English books for dd aged 12? She is not yet ready for romance, and doesn't like fantasies.

92 replies

Nighbynight · 22/01/2009 21:37

dd is representing our town in a reading competition, in German.

She has to choose a book, ideally by a German author, and as mentioned above, she thinks kissy books are Beaughh, and fantasies are stupid. She likes real books about real people. She has had enough difficulties in her life not to like books with sad endings.

She recently enjoyed Bruder zu Verschenken ("Brothers to Give Away Free"), by Sandra Saborowski, in fact she read it in the first round of the competition.
We are now looking for something similar - it's got to be suitable from 12 years old (we suggested The Railway Children, but apparently that was too young).

any ideas??

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Original poster
Nighbynight · 12/02/2009 09:59

Thank you emkana!!!
She has chosen Der Lange Weg des Lukas B.
Phew.

As she's now very late returning the form, I am not sure whether they will refuse this choice if someone else is reading it? But we'll just have to see.

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Original poster
Nighbynight · 09/02/2009 22:41

thank you again, emkana!

the good thing is, I am realising that dd does actually love reading, and is ready to try more new things than I had thought she would

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Original poster
Nighbynight · 09/02/2009 22:40

I love the sound of both of those, and will try to find them tomorrow.

I very much want to get past the new books that are in EVERY bookshop, because fashions have changed a lot in the last 15 years or so. There is so much fantasy and romance now.

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emkana · 09/02/2009 22:26

When I took part in a Vorlesewettbewerb (many years ago) I read Tilmann Roehrig: In dreihundert Jahren vielleicht

Went down well

emkana · 09/02/2009 22:24

What about
Der lange Weg des Lukas B.?

Original poster
Nighbynight · 09/02/2009 22:11

We had a policy of not choosing anything that's been read in the previous round, which cut out loads of books. (But perhaps we are wrong about that?)

as we are in a notoriously conservative area, we decided to avoid foreign authors and war books.

dd thought that Rudi Ruessel and Rote Zora were too young to please the judges. (not sure if she is right, but she seemed very adamant)

Erich Kaestner - Das Doppelte Lottchen &
Emmy von Rhoden - Der Trotzkopf are both ab 10J on Amazon - I don't know if this is important or not, because Vorstadtkrokodil is also ab 10J, and it was the unseen text in the last round. But we were told that it should be ab 12 J.

The one that we havent found, but looks good, is Mirjam Pressler - Wenn das Glueck kommt, muss man ihm einen Stuhl hinstellen
I'll try and find it tomorrow too.

I have discovered an inner pushy mother in myself - I have even considered getting dd Speech and Drama lessions

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emkana · 09/02/2009 21:37

Sorry it's proving difficult! What did dd think about the books I suggested?

Original poster
Nighbynight · 09/02/2009 21:34

ok Karen Susan Fessel is OFF.

we have a lousy shortlist, nothign really fits the bill and we have to nominate the book tomorrow
dd is going to ask her teachers advice.

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Original poster
Nighbynight · 08/02/2009 17:53

heres another book by the same author:"Danke, ich schaff's alleine!" Die kleine Masturbierfibel für die selbständige Frau von heute.

[thunk]

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Original poster
Nighbynight · 08/02/2009 17:49

well she has chosen a book by Karen Susan Fessel "Und Wenn Schon"

I am not too keen, becuase I think the author might be a little controversial for the occasion, although the book itself looks nice (I havent read it yet).

Does anyone know this author? emkana are you around???

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Original poster
Nighbynight · 03/02/2009 12:15

I know zz - I know I shouldnt worry too much about it.
think is, we just got lucky last time, chose a book that I had picked up at a car boot sale, thinking it looked like dd's thing, she read it brilliantly.

Am thinking of Kiffe Kiffe Demain.

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ZZZen · 03/02/2009 11:34

ooh not much time, just settle on a book without weighing it up too long I think.

Original poster
Nighbynight · 03/02/2009 10:45

its in mid feb.

diary of a wimpy kid is american, it is very funny.

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Original poster
Nighbynight · 03/02/2009 10:44

She is a natural born dramatist, and is fantastic at reading out loud.
okay I admit it....I soooooo want her to win too!!
Am afraid that she will pick up on this and get nervous. In the last round, we were so laid back.

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ZZZen · 03/02/2009 10:41

Get something with an audio CD to go with it, so she can listen to it before she drops off at night maybe?

Do't know this diary of a wimpy kid. When is the Vorlesewettbewerb then? I think she has a chance NN. I think she has a fantastic chance but practice a lot and get her to read to the whole family, and then to a small group of people you know, some neighbours, a couple of friends of yours etc so she doesn't have a black-out on the day.

She can do it

YAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (I SO want her to win)

Original poster
Nighbynight · 03/02/2009 10:28

oh god. Its gonna be Diary of a Wimpy Kid. My children are already quoting it to each other.

"ds, get on with your homework. why did you write Zeitung with a small z?"

"I onwy ten"

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Original poster
Nighbynight · 03/02/2009 10:26

OMG, Diary of a Wimpy Kid is ab 12 J alt on amazon....thunk

and Oliver Twist is ab 11 JA. crazy

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Original poster
Nighbynight · 03/02/2009 10:17

also, I feel it might be tactically a good idea to get somethign that the judges might have read themselves at this age

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Original poster
Nighbynight · 03/02/2009 10:17

yes, its reading out loud.

that sounds interesting.

it is a nighmare to get something fun that dd genuinely enjoys, that looks grown up and intellectually impressive enough.

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Milkmade · 03/02/2009 10:10

If you're after greek myths Christa Wolf does retellings of both Medea and Kassandra (story of troy from her point of view). Very well retold.

Also is it a reading out load thing? Becasue if soI remember reading Christine Bruckner "DEsdemona if only you had spoken / DEsdemona wie hätten sie gesproken at that age and enjoying it.

"Contains the monologues of 11 women who speak their minds. The voices are drawn from history and fiction, ancient and modern. Some of the voices are famous because of their association with a famous man - Petrarch's Laura and the wives of Goethe and Luther, whereas others are familiar in their own right - Sappho, the Virgin Mary and Clytemnestra"(Amazon summary)

Original poster
Nighbynight · 03/02/2009 09:53

has anyone read "35 Kilo Hoffnung" by Anna Gavalda? what is it like?

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Original poster
Nighbynight · 03/02/2009 09:32

omg dd is in the local newspaper, she is competing against RS and gymnasium.
she has no chance, they will never pick a HS kid & foreigner to win - that would undermine the whole system.

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admylin · 02/02/2009 09:31

Sorry, changing the subject of your thread again but did you try to help them before you got the Hilfe? I've been trying to work with my 2 but it just doesn't seem to be working. If you want you could answer on the school thread

Original poster
Nighbynight · 02/02/2009 09:06

For a nachhilfe company, I pay 20 euros per school hour, that's 45 minutes.

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admylin · 01/02/2009 18:21

That's reasonable for 3 sessions isn't it? I was expecting more. Suppose by the look of ds's report he might need to get some help too but dd is more dringend.