Gripping books to enthuse able but reluctant reader? (13 yo dd)

[NoonarAgain]

i'm looking for ideas of books to enthuse my 13 yo dd. she is bright and a fairly good reader but doesn't really read for pleasure. any ideas for a really compelling book that i could read aloud (initially)to her and maybe to her 10 yo sister (who is very bright but not ready for more adult/ teen themes)? my older dd is sensitive and easily scared / upset by violent supernatural themes. any ideas?

she seems to fall between teen and older child genres in terms of themes/ genre. they're either too young, too adult or too scary!

I've aimed for books that might appeal to both of your dds:

Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve - a future dystopian world, very imaginative, beautifully written, not scary but with some fighting

Murder Most Ladylike by Robin Stevens - in the style of Agatha Christie Aimed more at 10/11 year olds but a good and fun read

Gods and Warriors by Michelle Paver - beautifully written set in Bronze Age Greece. Perhaps a bit young for a 13yr old though

Geek Girl

Girl Missing

She is not Invisible Marcus Sedgwick

the Sally Lockhart series by Phillip Pullman - the review makes it sound supernatural, but it's more like a pacy Agatha Christie/ Arthur Conan Doyle with an excellent heroine.

thanks so much! dd1 just bought the robin stevens book, actually, so maybe I'll suggest we read that together.

i've downloaded geek girl onto her kindle already but she wasn't keen.

and bought her girl missing.

both of these were bought last year, though. maybe she was too young... she said that girl missing made her feel anxious. she's such hard work!!

A Dog Called Homeless is rather lovely, and I would think would appeal to both a 10 and 14 year old. It's real life, not fantasy, but doesn't spill over into teen romance as so many do.

If you wanted a book for just your 14 y/o, Fangirl is very good, also real life and no dark & scary bits (unless you consider facing a cafeteria full of strangers scary, which the heroine does!) but not really suitable for a 10 y/o.

Skullduggery pleasant

Alternatively, turning the idea on its head, what about some gentle adult books. I'm thinking of the Constable series by Nicholas Rhea, which the series Heartbeat was based on, or the Fairacre books by Miss Read, about her time as a school teacher in a quiet village. Ds seems similar to your DD, though a less able reader, and I have recently introduced him to these type of books as audio books, which he seems to be thoroughly enjoying. As family reading we go for something less relaxed (currently at the of Harry Potter book 5) but this gives us an opportunity to talk about his fears and anxieties in a safe way (I do censor where I finish reading each night so that scenes I think he will need support with or thinking time on happen at a weekend)

Maybe Kati in Italy - an all time favourite but it was a little bit dated when I got it, so might be like another planet for a 13 y.o now. Lovely though, I must say.

Try some Gerald Durrells (if they like animals) - not necc My Family and Other Animals, but Birds, Beasts and Relatives was one I held in a position of affection.

I Capture the Castle is a good/unforgettable one too.

Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell?
www.amazon.co.uk/Rooftoppers-Katherine-Rundell/dp/0571280595/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425412442&sr=1-1&keywords=rooftoppers

Another plug for Skulduggery Pleasant. They are a fairly easy read but lovely dark humour and strong teen girl heroine.

The Darling Buds of May series by H E Bates. I was a v sensitive teen, and LOVED them.

How about Wonder by R Palacio?

Although for a younger reader I know I would still have liked these at 13 - the most gripping books I read in childhood were Island of the Great Yellow Ox, Redwall (does have a snake and mild peril, but only woodland creatures) and Weirdstone of Brisingamen.

You could also try Boy/ Going Solo. I loved those! Anne of Green Gables series too, perhaps. I actually got back into reading (new things anyway) around age 12 after reading The Body in the Library... I obviously wasn't too sensitive as I went through a stage of loving all Christie's books. But it's hard to know what's going to upset individuals; they involve murder but are obviously quite removed from reality!

The Neverending Story
The Strangeling's Tale
The hitchhikers trilogy

Does she like historical? If so, Eve Edwards/Julia Golding tells a good story, and Eva Ibbotson is gentle.

How about Cowgirl great read, winning awards this year!

Plus, the fabulous[[http://www.mybookcorner.com.au/listings/872-the-secret-hen-house-theatre Secret Hen House Theatre]] ... and it's sequel The Farm Beneath the Water.

Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell is just brilliant.

The Children of the King by the wonderful Sonya Hartnett

The Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett's (Wee Free Men, A Hat full of Sky, Wintersmith, I shall wear Midnight), His Dark Materials trilogy by Pullman. Or maybe some non fiction? What If? by Randall Munroe explores all kinds of weird and wonderful thought experiments.