Totally non-girly 10-year old book suggestions please

[lovecheese]

You've probably guessed that DD is not girly, but also not a tom-boy, and has exhausted the current X family library; She has done loads of Jacqueline Wilson, David Walliams, Enid Blyton, Spiderwick Chronicles etc. H Potter doesn't appeal, and she is not-so-girly that she wouldn't enjoy junior chick lit (possibly) but def no twilight/glee sorts. Anyone? Thanks

Eva Ibbotsen - particularly Journey to the river sea
Diary of Anne Frank
Michael Morpurgo
Judy Blume
....

Pippi Longstocking!

She may have read all these, but if not what about:

Philip Pullman (not just the Northern Lights trilogy)
Earthsea quartet (Ursula le Guin)
Roman Mysteries
Molly Moon series

Ah thanks both but has done all.

All of Roald Dahl, some of his adult stuff may be a bit dark but very good. I second Pullman and Le Guin.

Mr Gum?

Ramona books? Ramona the Brave etc (a series)
The Family From One End St
If she likes horses (or even if not) the Jill series by Ruby Ferguson is brill, I still re-read them now ...

Get her the JILL BOOKS!!!!

'Girls are Best' by Sandi Toksvig is a great book all about women who did cool stuff! Very readable and funny while at the same time gently giving an important 'girls can do anything' message.

Try 'The Thief Lord' by Cornelia Funke too.
Also 'The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tyler' by Gene Kemp.

My dd is/has enjoyed
the Septimus Heap series (Angie Sage)
the Otto series (Charlotte Hapte)
the Pure Dead series (Debi Gliori)
the Wolves of Willoughby Chase (Joan Aiken)

I've tried to persuade her to read
Tamora Pierce (great female characters)
Garth Nix (Mr Monday series)
Eion Cooper (especially Artemis Fowl)
Diana Wynne Jones (my personal favourite)

Most re-read in our house have been the Warrior series (Erin Hunter)

Books that I liked at that age-I loved Rosemary Sutcliffe Eage of the Ninth at that age-about a lonely centurion in the north of england. Homecoming by cynthia Voight was fab too- orphan kids travel across america-Dicey is a tomboy young girl who has to take charge of her siblings. The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enwright-1940s american kids make up their own entertainment and have bizarre adventures. Autumn Term by Antonia forest was like grown up enid blyton boarding school books.All of those were the first in a series so if liked can get more.

Now,Anything by Robert Swindells is well written,modern young adult stuff-issue led. Or

Or classics like Louisa May Alcot books or Laura Ingalls wilder-I was rereading those by 10 and still loving them.

Lucy Mangan did a wonderful colum for the guardian about childrens books-search for it.

'The Midnight Fox' and 'The Catoonist' and others by Betsy Byars
'The Deathwood Letters' by Hazel Townson
'Skellig' by David Almond

Good suggestions here, thanks all posters for responding; off for a late night, and no-doubt very expensive, trawl of Amazon...

Ali Sparkes and Lauren St John - both recent winners of the Blue Peter Book Award.

StarGirl - is a beautiful book about a girl who dares to be herself - I love it and can't wait for my dc to be old enough for it

After all the below, dip into the classics. my 11 and 9yo dds (not girly types) have enjoyed things like Carrie's war and other Nina Bawden, The Silver sword, When Hitler stole pink rabbit, the Willoughby Chase series, E Nesbit, Heidi series, Charlotte Sometimes, abridged versions of Jane Eyre and Oliver Twist, considering the full versions but not quite got the patience. Terry Pratchett. Sherlock Holmes. Ellen Renner.

At 10, I also liked the alan garner books (owl service etc), what katy did, cynthia harnett, geoffrey trease, sue barton books, biggles, and a particular favourite was the snow spider. Can't wait for my dc to be old enough for these! Oh, also the prisoner of zenda, frances hodgson burnett, monica edwards

My DD loved Stargirl as well shoppingbagsundereyes

DD devoured the Theodosia series, which is about an adventurous and clever 11 year old girl.

First book here:

www.amazon.co.uk/Theodosia-Serpents-Chaos-R-LaFevers/dp/0618999760/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304941688&sr=1-1

I would suggest The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd, Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko (there is also another one called Al Capone Does My Shirts which I would imagine is just as good) and anything by Frank Cottrell Boyce.

All non-girly, excellent books.

DD loves all the Warrior Cats series - Erin Hunter. She's 12 but she's been avidly reading them for a few years now.

"Can't wait for my dc to be old enough for these!"

Oh wearymum that is one of the sadnesses of being a mother. I wanted so much for my DC to love the books I did as a child but by and large it didn't happen. Sadly they choose their own favourties...

"Oh wearymum that is one of the sadnesses of being a mother. I wanted so much for my DC to love the books I did as a child but by and large it didn't happen. Sadly they choose their own favourties."

That is so true

Anne of Green Gables

I was into Agatha Christie by that age.

King of the Copper Mountain? The Hobbit? I would second the Percy Jackson series - v good.

Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books - "The Wee Free Men", "A Hatful of Sky", "Wintersmith" and "I shall wear Midnight".

They're basically Discworld aimed at younger readers and are great.