For a 13 year old?

[sunshineoutdoors]

My niece is 13 in February. As part of her birthday present I'd like to get her a good book. For Christmas I bought her To Kill A Mockingbird. I went into out local bookshop and explained this and said I'd like something in a similar vein, i.e a good, classic, important book that will stay with her for life. Bookshop lady said that was quite hard going for a 13 year old and pointed me towards Jacqueline Wilson's books. I think my niece was reading these a couple of years ago.

Do you think she was right and I did give an inappropriate book? My thinking was I'd rather give her a book she can grow into rather than one she's grown out of. Do you have any suggestions of books I can give her? Bookshop lady also pointed towards Goodnight Mr Tom which seemed better but I'm still not sure if a bit young. I'd love some input and ideas for a good book present for a 13 year old girl, preferably a 'classic' that would be on a 'books I'm glad I have read' list in the future, not keen on a j. Wilson or similar (no offence meant) iyswim.

our local bookshop

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith - just fab.

What about The Diary of Anne Frank? And I second "I Capture the Castle" - fantastic book!

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas.

Skellig.

Of Mice And Men.

My dd has just turned 13 and loves to read. She is bright and good at English. Last term she enjoyed reading The Chrysalids by John Wyndham as a class reader, but at home she still loves Jacqueline Wilson, and has just finished Sapphire Battersea. Some of the suggestions above are worthy, but possibly a bit grim. Nothing wrong with a bit of escapism. Goodnight Mr Tom is fab for all ages, but also sad. How about Noughts and crosses by Malory Blackman - another quite grim, but amazing book.

We read To kill a mockingbird in 1st year secondary. Certainly read Goodnight Mr Tom etc before then.

What about more general books? Tolkien, Pratchett, Ffordde, Dickens (a lot around this year as it's his bicentenery) etc.

Does she have a wishlist on amazon (can be helpful as a way to let relatives know interests for potential pressies)

Or I always loved getting book tokens - the joy of spending an hour in a bookshop, choosing!

Goodnight Mr Tom is more primary age I think, my dds have read it as one of those primary ww2 literature suggestions.

What about Jane Eyre, Catcher in the Rye, the Book Thief, Frost in May, the Colour Purple? They're all what you might call starter adult books.

Noughts & Crosses is brilliant.

As is The Hunger Games

And The Outsiders

My 14 year old DD lves the vampire diaries and was an avid fan of the twilight series.

She also likes Terry Pratchett and quite grown up chick flit books.

DD did Animal Farm in English last term (year 8). Or you coudl try Flowers in the Attic (you may remember this from your youth!) or the Inkheart trilogy, or maybe the Northern Lights trilogy?

I like the sound of Catcher In The Rye and Animal Farm. Why didn't I think of those?

DD13 did animal farm in English, she was very taken with it. Bored me witless at the same age.
The pigs representing communists in Russia was so obvious to a child of the cold war. DD, of course, was born after the fall of the Berlin wall etc. so it's new to her.

I know why the caged bird sings - maya Angelou - we did it in school and it has always stayed with me

Ooh, that's another good one! Thanks

I'd advise against Animal Farm because just about everyone seems to do it at school. To Kill a Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye also very popular with schools, as are the Diary of Anne Frank, and the Grapes of Wrath.

I'd be more likely to give a teenage girl I Capture the Castle, Bilgewater (Jane Gardam) or one of the more recent things like the Hunger Games (DS has read and enjoyed those).