Classics for 12 year old dd?

[SolidGold]

Dd (12) loves reading, but prefers girlie stuff like Cathy Cassidy. I'd like her to start reading more varied stuff including some classics. Any suggestions what she could start with that would catch her attention and make her want more?!

She enjoyed The Little Princess and The Secret Garden, I can't persuade her to read The Hobbit though.

I was going to say Murder at the Vicarage too! I was not a Poirot fan, but I loved, loved, loved Miss Marple.

The London eye mystery

Cs Lewis
Antonia Forrest
The more cheerful Hardys, ie not Jude but the woodlanders, trumpet major, FFTMC.
Sherlock Holmes
John meade Falkner, moonfleet, the nebuly coat
Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series
The didakoi
My friend Flicka
The longest journey
Durrell
The voyage of the kontiki
Any travel books, I read masses at that age
Cranford

If she likes miss marple .she will like miss silver

D l sayers, prob murder must advertise.
Mary Renault

Starball, that's what I'm trying to avoid.

I loved Jane Eyre and My Family and Other Animals around that age. Also loved the James Herriott books.

Fantastic suggestions here.

Definitely get her Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry - its an incredibly moving story about a Black girl in the US South in the 1930s. I buy it for my friends' children.

How about A Long Way from Verona, by Jane Gardam. Its about a quirky 12-year-old living in the North East during WW1. Its fab. In fact I might go and read it again now.

She might also like Hons and Rebels by Jessica Mitford. Its got the whole amusing Mitford aristocratic, wacky childhood, then she runs off to join the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War.

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler - E. L. Konigsburg

Elizabeth of the Garret Theatre - Gwendoline Courtney (if you can find it...)

In travel: Freya Stark is absorbing - and empowering.

Great suggestions A long way from Verona sounds good

Bonjour Tristesse by Francoise Sagan - in translation of course unless 12-year-old is particularly poncey.

Just finished Carrie's War with my ten year old and we both loved it. I second The Silver Sword and When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit - been on bit of WW2 thing.

I remember reading Carrie's War too, will try and find that for dd as well.

The Kevin & Sadie series by Joan Lingard - I read them when I was around 11 or 12 (about 30 years ago so they may have reached the status of modern classics!)

The Runaways trilogy by Victor Canning - again I read these aged 11/12

Sherlock Holmes
Black Beauty
Cider with Rosie
Gerald Durrell

Another vote for The Little White Horse, The Dark is Rising, and Green Knowe series. Plus anything by Joan Aiken.