To try and find some good teens books that don't push the LGBTQ agenda?

[Lifeofthepartay]

Trying to get some books for my daughter who is in S1, books are either too young or they all have a blurb that alludes to the main character's sexual preferences. Would love it if anyone could recommend something your pre-teens, or young teens are reading that don't include those topics? They already get enough information about it in school and the internet.

Sorry, but are you for real???? There are ENDLESS endless books without any LGBT focus. FFS.

I find your posts homophobic.

I am looking for advice do you have any suggestions? When I googled that the first 4-5 ones that I clicked on were all about the topic I mentioned.

Real life

Ah, the gay agenda. I heard it was Stay Fabulous!
Presumably OP, you’re in a panic because one or more of your kids is showing inklings that they may be gay?
Just FYI- banning any mention of gay people won’t stop them turning out queer. Nor can you pray the gay away.

I would prefer books that don't make emphasis in sexuality as she is only 11

What about Judy Blume? Even though they are 50+ years old they still seem very relevant. My boys loved them (and they are not readers).

BTW everyone who's been near a children's library or bookshop in the past 5 years knows what you mean by your request. You don't mean 'no gay characters' but no binders/rainbow unicorns/preaching disguised as fiction.

OP - I know what you mean and I don’t think you’re being homophobic at all.

The burst of new literature that celebrates “be different” is fab - we’re big fans of Heartstopper - but I agree there is a balance to be found and right now the amount of YA literature that explores sexuality and gender has become disproportionate.

The Laura Ingalls Wilder series is fab especially as you can discuss now how far away from our lives they were (the remoteness, the self sufficiency). Agatha’s Christie’s are pretty good for teens if you want to go classic.

Are you okay if there is a heterosexual relationship or journey in the book? For example, Anne of Green Gables has a lot about relationships and is a classic. Harry Potter has characters who date, particularly in the latter books, e.g. Ron and Hermione's relationship.

Assuming you are NOT okay with any romantic relationships journeys in books you are going to be stuck. Relationships are a pretty key part of teen life and have been reflected in creative writing since, well, writing began.

If you're okay with heterosexual but not other sexualities featuring in books then you are being blatantly homophobic.

Was also going to suggest Judy Blume

That's ok you are entitled to your opinion, I don't want to offend anyone.

Yes to Judy Blume - Deenie and Tiger Eyes are both great.

My kids were learning about and reading Greek mythology at age 11. All that love drama between those gods and goddesses - maybe I should have complained to the school about that!

My DD is a few years older but over the last few years she's enjoyed the good girls guide to murder series, which they have now made into a TV series. She likes the throne of glass series, the inheritance games series that I read as well and enjoyed. She often has a chat with the librarian or staff at Waterstones and they are always happy to talk books and recommend new titles.

I'm so glad the Cherub series is popular, I love those books, got a proof copy as a teen and have avidly read all of them since even as an adult.

DD has always been a prolific reader and we always had trouble making sure what she was reading wasn't too old for her. Here's a few that I think she read at around that age:
Robin Stevens Lady Most Unladylike series
Girl of Ink and Stars
Shadow Jumper
Katherine Rundell: The Explorer
Karen McManus: One of is is Lying series
Little Women
Good Girl's Guide to Murder
School for Good and Evil
Eva Ibbotson
Wonder
Lord of the Rings

If your DD hasn't yet read them (DD read them earlier than 11-12) then some Michael Morpurgo also suitable (some are definitely for younger children). At that age DD also re-read some books she's read when younger such as Mallory Towers and Harry Potter.

Francis Hardinge (sorry my spelling is wonky) is very good. They are fantasy but it isn’t the main focus of the books.

It's hard to find books for that age group that aren't about relationships of any kind. My boy was an avid advanced reader and outgrew many of the middle years books in terms of language but books for older children didn't interest him thematically because they often center around relationships or issues. He doesn't care if those relationships are heterosexual or gay, he just doesn't find it interesting. He started reading more science fiction and fact based books instead. Things like "What If" by Randall Munroe.

I used to love reading these:

Sweet Valley High
Point Crime
Point Horror

So wait a minute it's ok for people that are LGBTQ to prefer and demand that are books they can identify with but not ok for heterosexual people to prefer ones that have heterosexual relationships? Isn't that a bit of a double standard? Btw no my daughter has not read those books about sexual relationships or dating either. Why is it homophobic to want her to discover her sexuality naturally rather than her being confused by a ton of information she doesn't need at 11?

I loved noughts and crosses as a teen.

No, not the case. I wouldn't mind if they turn to be gay, but they are too young to have to decide or to be given more information that they need on the subject. I am assuming once the hormones kick in they will be able to decide even if they didn't read it in a book...

I used to love Judy Blume too at that age.
I was very into the American authors - Judy Blume, Paula Danziger, Caroline B Cooney, Ann M Martin.
Some might seem a bit dated in places now but they are good stories.
The Face on the Milk Carton is a good one by Caroline B Cooney. A lot of these books are out of print now but Abe Books or World of Books is good for getting secondhand copies.
British equivalent authors would be Jacqueline Wilson, Cathy Cassidy, Jean Ure, Hillary McKay.

I was merely reflecting back your own words that you think 11 is too young for books with much about any romantic relationships?

But clearly that isn't the issue at all, based on your reply to me. Heterosexual relationships are fine because you are presuming that your 11 year old is heterosexual?

And there I was thinking that reading was a way to broaden the mind and that books should reflect wider society...

My understanding is that your issue is that you are looking for books for a pre-teen with a high reading age. I read a lot of pre-20th century children's fiction at that sort of age. Lots of classics, great for vocabulary, and a more innocent childhood for longer.

There's also a lot of fantasy for that sort of age, and anything with an adventure focus.