good books for bright 12/13 year olds

My DD is very much into sci-fi - Hunger Games etc etc, so I have suggested some "older" sci-fi. She is currently devouring The Chrysalids, having just finished The Midwich Cuckoos.

She has also read and enjoyed The Curious Incident, The Book Thief, Anne Frank's Diary.

Suggestions from my dd:

I, Coriander by Sally Gardner
The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
The Alchemist by Michael Scott
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Wildwood by Colin Meloy

I would second Walk Two Moons and there is a study guide on it here which may have some useful ideas in it.

Refugee Boy- Benjamin Zepheniah

Walk Two Moons is a beautiful book that my DDs loved. If they're deep thinkers, maybe Sophie's Choice?

The Kite Runner and Brick Lane are both great books, but maybe a little old.

Otherwise maybe some of the classics - Jane Eyre, Emma, Great Expectations, Of Mice and Men?

"The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

What about some extra Shakespeare? "Othello", or "Macbeth", perhaps?

My publisher friend suggested suggested Monkey Island by Paula Fox and Hatchet by Gary Paulsen for this age group.

I was lucky enough to be taught by a truly inspirational English teacher at this age we read
Cider with Rosie
Catcher in the Rye
Of mice and men
A kind of loving
Jane Eyre

Haven't read the whole thead so don't know whether this has already been mentioned, but I'd suggest Michele Paver's 'Chronicles of Ancient Darkness' series.

Exciting stuff, and well written. Have just read the whole lot myself :) I think there are 6, starting with Wolf Brother.

Also, and I mention this because it's a long-standing favourite of mine, I'd suggest 'My Side of the Mountain' by Jane Craighead George. It's one of my all-time favourite books: I re-read it every few years.

DD1 (12) has just finished His Dark Materials, read all of Gerald Durrell when she was 10 and wants to read Jane Eyre. She thoroughly enjoyed LOTR too. She's going to take The Once and Future King on holiday and is reading Philip Pullman's Sally Lockhart series at bedtime now. We've started looking at adult books with her too, and our attitude to swearing in books is very like married's

And I know that she might well be reading To Kill A Mockingbird for GCSE but actually I'd like her to read it for herself before that before the inevitable analysing it to death ruins it for her. For simple entertainment I'm thinking of giving her the Belgariad. We have about 5000 books in our house, so plenty to choose from (though some are obviously not appropriate yet)

At the risk of stating the bleedin' obvious, it's worth finding out which books they are likely to study in Years 9/10 so you can avoid them! I know you said it's a middle school, but if there is a clear destination school then a quick phone call to the Eng dept might be useful. Of Mice and Men is used a lot for pre GCSE and GCSE, so that might be one to leave for later.

Ds, just finished y8, read curious incident last year in English - he really struggled with some of the homework tasks he was set around it as he has aspergers and couldn't work out what problems the narrator might have in dealing with the world .. Of mice and Men and mocking bird will almost certainly be covered in mainstream English sessions between now and GCSE so you want to do something that definitely won't be on an exam syllabus

Have you had a look at the Chaos Walking trilogy? Like many trilogies it suffers from the law of diminishing returns but the first book is brilliant for bright readers of that age

There is a new Malorie Blackman out - Noble Conflict

I've drawn up reading lists the one for Year 9 is here:

www.booksteensandmagazines.com/blog/reading-list-year-9-13--14-year-olds

the books on the list are quite varied so hopefully there will be one that appeals.

Brave new world, my O'level set book, but I don't think it is now.

I'd second his dark materials, often suggested for bright 10-12y after HP, but actually some really complex ideas especially in the Amber Spy Glass.

I just devoured adult thrillers, dick Francis, Desmond Bagly, jack Higgins (the Eagle has landed is by far the best for a book group, like wise day of the Jackal by FF. the others aren't that meaty).

Maybe post in the children's books section, peskyshowandtell? Its a very active section and generally gets good responses.

My dd is a bit younger, but has just read & really enjoyed A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge (as did I).

I wonder if also your dd might enjoy 'adult' books more now? At that age IIRC we all read lots of trashy stuff (thrillers, those awful Flowers in the Attic books, historical novels), but also things like Daphne du Maurier, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Georgette Heyer.

I am trying to restore my 13yr old (going into year 9 in Sept) daughter's enthusiasm for reading. She virtually stopped reading after she struggled to find anything that wasn't about Vampires. She adored and mopped through David Almond, Malorie Blackman, Eve Ibbotson and Gemma O'Malley, aged 10 thru to 12. I offered Wind Singer and The Hunger Games at Christmas - but not enjoyed. Any updated suggestions - she is 'top set' in all subjects, but I am very concerned her reading has dropped off. Thanks

DS (12) just read and enjoyed 'Flip' (can't remember the author)
and Dept 19 (WIll Hill?)

I have just read The Curious Incident... at long last and I'm struggling to see why it is a children's book. Just because it is told in the first person by a 15-year-old boy using rather spare prose does not automatically afford it a "kids'" stamp.

I enjoyed the book: I thought it unsentimental yet poignant. Ds read this last year when he was 12 and he took it rather at face value. I think as an adult it is easier to understand the other characters' situations and how they are affected by the narrator.

Just my opinion!

There were two versions of The Curious Incident published simultaneously: an adult and a junior.
Jonathan Cape published the Adult.
David Fickling Books published the Junior ISBN 0385605870

Anything and everything - a bright 12/13 year old should have started/be starting their adult reading.

Ha - guess what my DD requested for her 13th birthday - The Hunger Games. I'm reassured to see them recommended here, I hadn't heard of them.

And I bought Hitchhikers Guide - couldnt find the copy I'd had for years, just the other 4 of the 'increasingly inaccurate trilogy'.

No prizes for guessing Terry Pratchett... she started with the kids ones, recently started on Discworld. (oh,and Nation).

Hunger Games is a great series Fran! There are three of them and no one can put them down once they start... so maybe a good read for the holidays then!!

DN (13 yo) has recommended The Hunger Games by Susanne Collins (?).