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Children's books

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Original poster

Challenging (but not too adult) books for an able 11yr old reader...

36 replies

FifiVonEpstein · 04/09/2014 21:25

Dd is a good reader (always come up as a few years older than her actual age - not stealth boasting, just trying to give you a level for her Grin) and now she has started secondary school she wants to read more challenging books. A number of girls in her class have read 'the fault in our stars' - have any of you read it? Is it age appropriate?

She's at a tricky age of wanting to read more difficult books but I am concerned that although I don't want to baby her, she is only just 11yrs and possibly not ready for full on teenage fiction.

Any other suggestions?

OP posts:
gamescompendium · 04/09/2014 21:33

What about some classics? Jane Eyre, Great Expectations, Pride and Prejudice, The Moonstone, Frankinstein etc. There are obviously some adult themes and complex stories but written from a Victorian viewpoint so nothing explicit if you are worried about sex or drugs. I think some 'teen fiction' is adult in plot but not necessarily in language so wouldn't really begiven her what she needs.

LadyIsabellaWrotham · 04/09/2014 21:39

Frances Hardinge is good for challenging books which are definitely for children - Fly By Night is great.

Which children's classics has she read? E Nesbit? Jennings? Just William?

Which modern children's fiction has she read? Has she read all the obvious thriller series? Artemis Fowl is probably the best of them IMO.

Terry Pratchett is good. Pretty much anything except Nation and I Shall Wear Midnight (both a bit grim for more sensitive children) would be mind expanding. And The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, while it has some questionable content, went down a storm with my 10 year old.

Original poster
FifiVonEpstein · 04/09/2014 22:00

We've just started dd on Terry Pratchett with an audio book which she has enjoyed, I'll give her one of the books soon. I don't like his children books as much as his adult ones (which I LOVE) so I might carry her on with the discworld ones (we have started with Guards Guards) . She's read The Secret Garden, goodnight Mr Tom, Anne of Green Gables but couldn't get into Three men in a boat. I'll try her on Hitchhikers, good idea! She has read the obvious series (Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket etc) - not sure whether she got to Artemis Fowl. She loved Wonder by RJ Palacio (sp).

DH and I struggle to read 'the classics' (despite both being avid readers) - they don't light my fire at all so I'm loathe to start dd on them too early and put her off too Grin

OP posts:
SixImpossible · 04/09/2014 22:08

Little Women
5 Children and It
The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles
Hello God, It's Me, Margaret
The Borrowers series
The Green Knowe series
The Antonia Forest boarding school stories
The Pratchets aimed at younger readers (nothing wrong with the Discworld books, but I think you enjoy them more with a bit more knowledge of the wider world and familiarity with the themes he is mocking. Similarly with the Hitchhiker's Guide series.)

Allalonenow · 04/09/2014 22:14

Anything by Rosemary Sutcliff would be ideal, well written and interesting plots and characters.

Takver · 04/09/2014 22:23

I would definitely second Frances Hardinge - amazing use of language, fabulous books.

Fantasy: has she read (she probably has but just in case) the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series & also the Eragon series? DD also enjoyed the Dragonsinger trilogy by Anne McCaffrey (most of the Pern books are aimed at adults, but that trilogy is written for YA).

DD also really enjoyed The Misfits, Totally Joe and Addie on the Inside by James Howe which don't seem so well known in this country.

Allalonenow · 04/09/2014 22:24

She might like "The Silver Sword" by Ian Serrallier.

Allalonenow · 04/09/2014 22:27

Or the "Wizard of Earthsea" series by Ursula Le Guin

Oakmaiden · 04/09/2014 22:31

Susan Cooper's Over sea and Under stone series.

AgadorSpartacus · 04/09/2014 22:31

Has she read the Divergent series? Or The Hunger Games series which is similar? Ds is 12 and a ferocious reader he loved these.

Funnily enough we started on Discworld a few months ago. We read Guards Guards together and have moved on to Mort. He adores them.

Oh the Skullduggery Pleasant books are great. Excellent dry humour and adventure pitched just right for 11/12 yrs and early teen.

AgadorSpartacus · 04/09/2014 22:34

We're reading the Discworld together because there is some sophisticated humour and complicated themes that I can explain.

Original poster
FifiVonEpstein · 04/09/2014 22:35

Fantastic! Thanks so much for the recommendations. Just as an aside, just ordered a Frances Hardinge book - Fly by night. I was going to get it for her kindle but it was cheaper to buy a secondhand copy. When are they going to sort out the price of ebooks - bloody ridiculous (this wasn't that expensive but just on principle generally).

DD tried a Tiffany Aching Pratchett one but didn't like it (this was a while ago) - I read it and didn't like it as much as the discworld ones too. Will give that one some thought. Don't want to put her off them, picking up a discworld book is like snuggling into a warm dressing gown on a winter's evening. Sam Vimes is my hero Grin

I'm going to have a google through those others suggestions. I'll put dd on the case at the weekend and she can choose the ones she fancies trying. Thanks everyone Thanks

Oh and has anyone read the fault in our stars? She's keen to try that one peer pressure.

OP posts:
exexpat · 04/09/2014 22:36

DD is 11, and in the last year or so has read and enjoyed some John Green (Fault in our stars and others), Hunger Games, Wonder, some of the Eva Ibbotson books aimed at older children, The Book Thief, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (& the sequel), lots of things by Sophie McKenzie, all the Robert Muchamore books and loads of others.

As far as classics go, she liked Alice in Wonderland/through the looking glass, and What Katy Did and What Katy Did Next, but I haven't managed to interest her in much else.

I am not sure that Hitchhiker's Guide is a great pick for this age - they could certainly read it, and there is nothing very inappropriate, but I think they would get more out of the humour with a bit more life experience. I tried DS on it at around 11 or 12, but he was a bit bored by it. He picked it up again by choice this summer, aged 16, and was laughing out loud for a couple of days. It seems a shame to 'waste' such a fun book by trying to read it too early.

Allalonenow · 04/09/2014 22:46

Or Lian Hearn "Tales of the Otori" trilogy, starts with " Across a Nightingale Floor"

catsofa · 04/09/2014 22:48

How about Philip Pullman, the Northern Lights trilogy or the Sally Lockhart ones? Very well written, strong female lead characters, gripping plots and I think fine for an 11 year old content-wise.

123rd · 04/09/2014 22:53

Yes, I have read it. I'm not sure I would want my daughter reading it. It was quiet upsetting :-(

YeGodsAndLittleFishes · 04/09/2014 22:57

Ingo (starts off easy but the whole series is intriguing and 11 would be a good age, imo) Ballet Shoes, The Little Grey Men, The Bogwoppit...

My 16yo says 'the fault in our stars' would be ok for 12 up, and not so bad really but I haven't read it myself. She likes the author's other books.

Allalonenow · 04/09/2014 22:58

YY to Susan Cooper, I love "The Dark is Rising" especially when read during December.

FanSpamTastic · 04/09/2014 23:02

I have read FioS and so have my 12 and 11 year old dd's. They both loved it. The book is sad. No happy ending. But it is interesting and quite different.

Not sure if these were in the lists above but my 2 have enjoyed:-

  • the boy in the striped pyjamas
  • holes
  • wonder
  • Alex rider series
  • divergent series
  • hunger games series
Cataline · 04/09/2014 23:06

His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman,
Mister Monday by Garth Nix and the following six books are superb.
Also the Windsinger trilogy by William Nicholson.
Lastly, Back Home by Michelle Magorian (goodnight mr Tom) is a fabulous book.

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 04/09/2014 23:12

Eva Ibbotsen ones are good, The Secret Countess, A Company of Swans etc.(although I'd probably leave The Morning Gift a little while).

Agree with the Sally Lockhart ones too - I loved them. It took me a few goes to get into Northern Lights, I found the lady taking children absolutely terrifying.

My Family and Other Animals (all the Gerald Durrell ones really).
Tamora Pierce maybe.
Inkheart, Inkspell and Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke
Eragon
The Hermux Tantamoq series.
Wolf Brother etc.
The Printer's Devil
Garth Nix (there are a couple of series, the rainbow one is probably the youngest, the the days of the week one).
Uglies/Pretties etc.
Bootleg by Alex Shearer(might be a bit young)
The Little White Horse
The Fire Within (although I thought the series went a bit far-fetched and rubbishy after the first few. The first one's well worth reading though.)

Also, there are lots of the classics free or very cheap on the kindle - I'll have a look and post some more tomorrow.

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 04/09/2014 23:14

Cataline is that the one about Rusty? I haven't read that for years, but loved it.

Cataline · 04/09/2014 23:15

It is Polkadots! My favourite childhood book Grin
I still have my original copy and reread it at least once a year!

Laquila · 04/09/2014 23:19

Had she read any Joan Aitken? Midnight is a Place, Tis, Wolves of Willoughby Chase

Allalonenow · 04/09/2014 23:23

There is also a follow up to Louis Sacher's Holes, it's Small Steps, a bit darker with rather more adult themes.