books that are emotionally challenging

[OhFlippityBolax]

That's the instructions from school But no recommendations which was helpful!

I'm after books for a bright y5 girl with a reading and comprehension age of 13+ that will challenge and engage her emotionally (and wean her off harry potter!) I'm coming up against a brick wall because they're either suitable content wise for her age or they're suitable ability wise but there doesn't seem to be a happy medium of books that do both

Thanks in advance!

The Girls in the Velvet Frame by Adele Geras - family of Jewish sisters in Israel, their brother's gone to America to seek his fortune. Lovely book, all about emotions and relationships within a family.

The Missing Link series - genetic engineering etc.

I read Skellig a bit younger but that's definitely emotionally stretching. Feather Boy, Pig Heart Boy and maybe When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit?

Also Tunnels is pretty good - sort of an adventure story too, but lots of stuff about family and friendship.

And one that I just can't get the title for... It's about a boy who's given the job of remembering - all the colours and the past etc for his community, might be a bit post-apocalyptic.. I'll come back tomorrow if I can think of the name!

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr.

Also recommend Wonder - DD was very taken with it in Y5 (also advanced reader!)
She is currently demolishing His Dark Materials.
Coraline went down well too.

Please dont give your five year old goodnight mr tom.

It is a fabulous book and she should definitely read it one day but the chapter in which Tom finds William locked in a cupboard with his dead baby sister is not something any 5 year old should read.

Isabelle Allende also has a series of good books about a pair of preteen siblings who go in wild adventures in the jungle with their granny. Good strong final characters, excellent imagination and description.

Final = female

Thanks for all the suggestions I'll definitely be picking some up!

BTW she's coming up for 10 so y5 not 5 I love goodnight mr Tom and read it in y8

I'm confused that no one has mentioned Jacqueline Wilson.
Some of other suggestions would have been too upsetting for my y5 DD.

Goodnight Mr Tom and Back Home by, I think, the same author

Goodnight Mr Tom
The Boy in Striped Pyjamas
The Diary of Anne Frank

I have read the first with DD who is in Yr 4, pondering the second and she knows all about Anne Frank but has not read the book yet.

War Horse

The child is in school year 5 so aged 9 or 10 years old.

My y5 son studied A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness last term. I thought it was too old for the class but they loved it, teacher had a tear in his eye whilst reading it and the thoughtful observations by the class were amazing.

What about some biographies/autobiographies? Pretty sure I read Roald Dahl's Boy in late primary.

Judy Bloom?

David Cox is a great Australian children's author

YY to Goodnight Mr Tom and When Hitler Stole the Pink Rabbit series

Ooh, and forgot Colin Thiele

MrsDiesel: my 10yo DD would have found some of these titles too distressing. War Horse made me cry, too.
And some of them are just dense & dull Alice in Wonderland

Silver sword - Ian serallier (sp?)
Little diddakoi - Rumor Godden also a fav

Wonder by RJ Palacio
The One and Only Ivan by Katharine Applegate

Adarajames is the author Joan Lingard?

Adarajames Kevin And Sadie series?

Whilst it is great that a child's reading is advanced it is a shame that they end up reading books before they are mature enough to really appreciate them. As an English teacher I see a lot of this, you might understand the words but the ideas and themes are only understood superficially. We start a class reader and a pupil says they have read it but show no understanding.

How any teacher can think 'A Monster Calls' is suitable for Year 5 is beyond me. A beautiful book but, if really understood, totally unsuitable for under 12. Also 'Lord of the Flies', so much of the beauty of this book is the beauty of the prose that I would imagine that a child who got bored reading Narnia would find it a struggle.

Wonder

Once - I found this emotionally challenging. It's about a Jewish orphan in Poland in Second World War.

Boy in the striped pyjamas?

The fairy rebel by Lynne Reid banks. I loved that book at that age and it really got me into reading.

MiceElf - yes, that's the ones, I googked them yesterday, may have to reread now

I suppose it partially depends if you'll re-read or not - I read some things at that age where the subtleties (or some if the jokes) went straight over my head. However I still enjoyed the stories l just understood them differently the second time around.

For instance, some of the Christian imagery in Narnia (I understood the lion and the lamb for example, but there were other bits I missed).

Unlike Jacqueline Wilson, where you get clubbed over the head with everybody's issues. (I do like some of her books, I just think it's sometimes nice to pick things up from hints rather than just be told.)

The MyHistory series might be suitable, actually. Some are dull but others well written & describe difficult situations.