To ask you for happy book suggestions

[twinsister]

I have a 12 year old DD who absolutely loves to read but this year has been tough and she’s getting easily upset and anxious. Dystopian, scary or sad books (even if they turn out ok) are too much for her right now and it’s all everyone seems to be writing. Final straw was the Divergent series.

Can you help me with happy, light, adventurous books for teenagers where no one dies (including animals!) and the world isn’t messed up and needing to be saved by brave youths???!! Do these books exist?

Pride and prejudice, northanger abbey?

I still love Emil and the Detectives though she might feel it's too young for her. So much fun though.

The Cricket in Times Square

Louise May Alcott? I always enjoyed Eight Cousins and An Old Fashioned Girl far more than Little Women and the constant religiosity.

When I was 11 or 12 I discovered Rosemary Sutcliff, and started with The Armourer's House, which is LOVELY. It's about a little girl in Tudor London and it's just gorgeous. There is a saddish tinge in parts but it's oh so lovely and is very happy by the end.

At her age I was glued to The Chalet School. Presumably nobody reads them any more.... do they?

Or maybe she needs some comedy. Maybe point her at something adult that easily accessible and very silly, like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, or some Discworld (maybe one of the Guards ones, or the first Witches one).

Adrian Mole? Not sure if they count as happy books, but definitely very funny.

Perhaps something by Sarah Dessen? I think they tend to start off with the main character being a bit sad about something, but they always seem to end on a happier note.

@PermanentTemporary

At her age I was glued to The Chalet School. Presumably nobody reads them any more.... do they?

I love the Chalet School but Jo and/or The Robin are constantly almost dying and people get stuck on perilous cliffs all the time.

My favourite happy book is Winnie the Pooh. I know it's for kids but it works so well when you're older too. It's such beautiful writing. Well, Winnie the Pooh and House at Pooh Corner.

Has she read the little house on the prairie series? They are not entirely "light" - people do die and life was hard for the pioneers (not to mention Pa deciding to live every time they got settled), but my DD absolutely loved the detail of how they lived, the lack of comfort, the hard work that all the family did and the happiness in simple pleasures. I think they are really optimistic books, and mostly a true story.

*move (not live)

Little Women - is lovely but I still cry when Beth dies.
Little House on the Prairie - is very grounded
Anne of Green Gables - also very sweet
Heidi
Alice in Wonderland - depends on what makes your child anxious I guess.
Swallows and Amazons
Tom's Midnight Garden

I am reading my mother's childhood books with her now she has dementia and I really appreciate Milly Molly Mandy. One chapter at a time is enough. Everyone is nice and the adventures are all small things and on nearly every page we find something to laugh about.

Surprising how much of an ask 'no one dies' is, as I run through possible books in my head!

I wonder if she would enjoy the Sherlock Holmes short stories - there are no deaths of people you'd be invested in, if that makes sense.

I liked Jilly Cooper when I was that age (still do) but there are quite a lot of sex scenes and dated attitudes. Very light, funny reading, though.

Adrian Mole, as above, is an excellent suggestion. The Queen & I, also by Sue Townsend, is laugh aloud funny. There is a death but the whole book is cast as a dream-sequence.

For pure comedy, the Molesworth books by Geoffrey Willans and Ronald Searle are hilarious.

Swallows and Amazons is a really good call! There's nothing negative there, just lots of fun and adventure!

All Creatures Great and Small (or any of the series of books it comprised).
The Paddington bear books.

@Polly99

Has she read the little house on the prairie series? They are not entirely "light" - people do die and life was hard for the pioneers (not to mention Pa deciding to live every time they got settled), but my DD absolutely loved the detail of how they lived, the lack of comfort, the hard work that all the family did and the happiness in simple pleasures. I think they are really optimistic books, and mostly a true story.

I adore the Little House books (so much so that I did a road trip through Wisconsin/Minnesota/South Dakota etc to visit the home sites a few years ago, omg that was amazing!) but there is a lot of down in them - Pa gets lost in the blizzard and assumed dead, the dog dies, the Long Winter is very bleak, Mary goes blind...

All Creatures Great and Small (or any of the series of books it comprised).

They are a favourite cosy read of mine too, but I fear they wouldn't meet the OP's brief of 'no animals dying'.

Gervaise Phinn's school inspector memoirs are in a similar vein to Herriot (I read them because he was described as 'the James Herriot of schools' on the cover) but without the dying animals - very funny and cosy.

When I was a teenager I like the Angus, thongs and full frontal snogging books. No idea how well they've aged but definitely a lighthearted read!

Has she read the Famous Five & other Enid Blyton books. My memory us(very) hazy & someone might correct me, but I don't recall sadness & death.

I don't think many books are without sadness/death.

Poor kiddo, hope she's feeling less anxious soon.

What about the Jeeves and Wooster books? They are funny and very silly, and definitely no deaths, just awful great aunts and mix ups about cow creamers and idiots accidentally getting engaged to three women at once.

Hilary mckay. Still my absolute go to when I need cheering up. Leave the two wartime ones (skylarks war and swallow summer). They're excellent, but not always cheerful. The casson family series starting with saffy's angel is wonderful. The exiles trilogy always make me laugh, the porridge hall trilogy starting with a dog called friday for slightly younger readers, and a time of green magic are also fab

I capture the castle?

I was always trying to foist my childhood favourites on my kids but didn't often get a positive reaction. There might be something that appeals in this list www.booktrust.org.uk/booklists/f/funny-book-older-children/
Alternatively what about The Princess Diaries, Cathy Cassidy's novels or The Wizards of Once series by Cressida Cowell. The Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke is excellent too, though has its dark moments. These BookMatch suggestions might be useful if she already has a couple of favourite authors. www.thereaderteacher.com/bookmatch

Definitely Swallows and Amazons. Still love those. Also the Chalet School is very soothing! Is she into horses at all? There’s a massive back catalogue of horsey books with no peril at all apart from who is going to win the gymkhana. Look for anything by the Pullein-Thompsons. Or Girls Gone By publishers do a lot of reprints of children’s books - old fashioned but decent writing and no dystopias!

Richmal Crompton's William books - as far as I can recall totally free of death and no serious peril either.

In a similar vein, Anthony Buckeridge's Jennings books are very funny.

Oh! I've just remembered the My Naughty Little Sister books. My god, I loved those. 12 may be a bit old though. They were all about good girl with a naughty little sister who was always getting into scrapes with Bad Harry. They're probably far too young for her and they've probably dated badly, but I bloody loved them.

Oh also The Blue Door Theatre series by Pamela Browne, if she is into theatre/drama. Again old fashioned but totally wonderful. In fact, I’m currently stuck at home with covid and going to dig those out as a comfort read….