Book recommendations 10 year old girl

[TeddybearBaby]

Sorry, this is not an aibu but I’m struggling to find books that my daughter enjoys reading for herself. Wondered if anyone could recommend anything?

She’s into football and horse riding. She’s also pretty girly and into fashion.

She loves me reading to her but not to herself. At the moment I’m reading her Harry Potter. She does enjoy the David Walliams books. Any tips welcome!

www.forelock-books.co.uk/ Great horsey books for kids.

Pippa Funnell writes horse riding books that my dd enjoys a lot. Anna Sewel Black Beauty, always a classic. My dd liked War horse by Michael Morpurgo and there’s a series of other animal related books he writes.

At her age I was reading everything from Anne of Green Gables and James Herriot autobiographies to Catherine Cookson novels and the odd Shakespeare sonnet; if she hasn't found her genre (as such) yet then throw anything and everything at her! I lived in the local library and graduated myself out of the Children's section once I'd exhausted it.

I'm a writer now

My DD didn't like reading for herself at that age either. My main recommendation would be for you to keep reading to her (we carried on till she was ~14 IIRC). Also, try non-fiction - books or magazines related to her interests maybe? (Eg there may be stuff about the women's World Cup at the moment).

My daughter loved the dork diaries series

www.amazon.co.uk/Diaries-Russell-Collection-Heartbreak-Sensation/dp/1471168646/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&crid=G5KL76QHQW0R&keywords=dork+diaries&sprefix=Dork+diaries%2Caps%2C152&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1561363110&sr=8-1

Her favourite books of the moment are Nevermoor

www.amazon.co.uk/s?ref=nb_sb_ss_i_5_9&crid=1X8V7QK0EXHLC&sprefix=Nevermoor%2Caps%2C161&k=nevermoor+the+trials+of+morrigan+crow&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

And it’s sequel Wondersmith

www.amazon.co.uk/Wundersmith-Calling-Morrigan-Crow-Nevermoor/dp/1510103848?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Your dd might like these Stacy Gregg books as she is into horses

www.amazon.co.uk/Island-Lost-Horses-Stacy-Gregg/dp/0007580274/ref=sr_1_17?s=gateway&keywords=Books+for+10+year+old+girls+fiction+horses&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1561363644&sr=8-17

Anything by Jacqueline Wilson, Holly Webb, Linda Chapman, Cathy Cassidy

I was like MeSoTooSo as a kid - it was a surprise to me when my DD took after DH who reads a lot but no fiction. If I'd tried to 'throw anything and everything at her' (except by reading to her) it would have been completely counterproductive. The school 'reading challenge' which awarded badges for number of books read (but only fiction) had a negative impact, it made reading into a chore for her.

By all means take children to bookshops and libraries and let them choose when they're able to read but never forget that reading fiction is meant to be a pleasure, it's not one of the seven virtues!

Jessica Townend’s Nevermor series

At her age I devoured Elyne Mitchell’s Silver Brumby books - highly recommended for horsey girls.

Saddle Club books vary a lot in quality, but there are a lot of them.

KM Peyton’s Flambards series are classic horse stories.

Then there’s My Friend Flicka and following.

Meg Cabot’s The Princess Diaries.

Depending on her patience for slightly old-fashioned language, The Secret Garden and A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett might appeal. Ditto Anne of Green Gables.

Another classic is Elizabeth Goudge’s The Little White Horse.

There’s Misty of Chincoteague, National Velvet and Black Beauty.

Another classic series, not about horses, is Alan Garner’s Moonstone of Brisingamen. He is a wonder writer.

Susan Cooper’s Over Sea, Under Stone books are wonderful.

I should not forget Diana Wynne Jones. She writes for a variety of ages, but Howl’s Moving Castle should be bang on.

At her age I was reading everything from Anne of Green Gables and James Herriot autobiographies to Catherine Cookson novels and the odd Shakespeare sonnet

I’d read War and Peace by the time I was five. I couldn’t sleep without reading some James Joyce.

(I’m a smug stealth bragger now).

@TeddybearBaby, have you thought ‘outside the box’ in terms of kid-friendly books? Horrible Histories were my favourite, in fact even as an adult I kept a copy of one in the toilet as it’s a really fun series just to pick up and read a page of here and there. It wasn’t until my teens I found a big love for reading though, when I got into fantasy genres (Harry Potter doesn’t really get going until post book 4 itself). Once you stop reading to her, she may well pick it up herself.

@DoneLikeAKipper oh nice! Normally we get on so well. Lose 10 points.

OP my badly made point was that she may be bored by the normal children books, I hated anything with pictures. My mum died when I was 7 and I didn't have anyone to read to me, my escape was books and I had no choice but to read to myself. No boast intended.

Thanks for all your recommendations! I’m making a note of them all. I’m going to take her to the library one day after school, she enjoys that. We can look out for some of these suggestions!

I think I have to take some responsibility for her being a reluctant reader because I’m not being a great role model in that way. I love books but I haven’t really got back into reading since having children and they’re 12 and 10 now. No excuse tbh, just got out of the habit.

DD tells me that she can’t enjoy books because she’s using her brain to read the words and read correctly so much that she can’t take in the story at all so she’s basically just reading the words and having no idea what’s going on. I asked her teacher what I can do about that and she said it’s just perseverance and reading, reading, reading.

Tom Palmer Foul Play series is good (football)
Roman Mysteries series
Adventure Series by Enid Blyton
Anything by Michael Morpurgho or Jacqueline Wilson.
Jamie Johnson football series

Try graphic novels. Gives her the habit of reading and some older themes until the skills catch up.
Shannon Hale (real friends and a few others - she does younger kids ones too so check before you buy).
The babysitters club series have a graphic novel version. Drama/smile/sisters/ghosts by the same author.
The amulet series.
How Mirka got her sword. (Nice view into Jewish culture)
Monsters beware/giants beware and a third I can't recall about a feisty girl off on adventures.
Princeless. (Princess befriends dragon and reduces herself)
There's a graphic version of A wrinkle in time.

DD tells me that she can’t enjoy books because she’s using her brain to read the words and read correctly so much that she can’t take in the story at all so she’s basically just reading the words and having no idea what’s going on. I asked her teacher what I can do about that and she said it’s just perseverance and reading, reading, reading.

Hm... I think you might want to post that on the primary education board and ask for advice from teachers.
If that's the case then bombarding her with fiction where you need to work out what's going on may be unhelpful, I'd have thought? Perhaps age-appropriate graphic novels and comics might work better? (And keep reading the more complicated stories to her!)

Could you read a story to her and then let her read it on her own? That might make it easier to follow the story and the language.

It might also help to drop the level back a bit, so that she’s practicing reading without having to work quite so hard. My great niece loved Daisy Meadows Rainbow Magic Fairy books when she was 7-8 - they’re fairly short and they’re very pretty.

You could also try the Pony Pals books. Again, for a slightly younger age group, so the simpler language might help get her over the hump.

If you read the more complex books to her, to help her vocabulary, she might get impatient for the next level.

But in the end, reading well takes preactice. Do you have a pet? Reading to their pet seems to be a good way for kids to practice reading. I suppose animals don’t judge and enjoy the company. :-)

How to capture an Invisible Cat by Paul Tobin. It was part of the bedtime reading with son at that age, and I laughed so hard that I thought I would need an ambulance. Son read it on his own two or three times through.

www.amazon.co.uk/Genius-Factor-How-Capture-Invisible/dp/1408869977/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&keywords=tobin+cat&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1561367815&sr=8-1

And with things like Harry Potter or Narnia, it may help if she watches the films before reading the books.

Or she could have a go at re-reading something you've read together?

Thank you for all your ideas. I’m going to try them and I’ll try to post on the education board as well as suggested. Thank you!

Ps we do have pets so that’s definitely an option too x

If she loves horses, then she must must must read the Jinny books by Patricia Leitch.....sigh, the fact that PL has died still breaks my heart!

The Alex rider series by Anthony Horowitz. Basically teenage James bond

Jill's pony book series - old but good!

Here are two of our top-favourite books for that age (I have 2 DDs - now in their 20s)

• Penelope lively - the ghost of Thomas Kempe - just superb
• The Various Trilogy (especially volume 1) - Steve Augarde - just magical - really powered their imagination - very ‘formative’ for my youngest - it started cropping up in all her stories - we all loved this book.

How is she at school in general? By 10 I would be a bit worried if she couldn’t read fluently to herself even (as opposed to not wanting to) and would want a chat with the teacher.
My dd loves audiobooks (we have an audible subscription) especially Jacqueline Wilson.
Also Percy Jackson
The unicorn quest
Books by Lauren St. John
Dork diaries
Enid blyton school stories, famous five and secret 7
Witch wars

I’m hesitant to recommend these as they’re pure shit and a bit young for 10 but ‘magic animal friends’ series is my dd’s comfort reading when she wants something very easy and predictable.

Terry Pratchett's Wee Free Men / Tiffany Aching books.

Second a lot of others recommendations, but also Fly by night by k m Peyton, Josephine pullein Thomson s noel and Henry series, starting with six ponies, anything by hilary mckay though for a reluctant reader I'd start with dog Friday and the rest of the porridge Hall series. And how about short stories where the length is less daunting? Joan aiken's are amazing (though not the two volumes of horror a fit of shivers and a foot in the grave (?)) I've also just discovered ally Carter.