Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

Original poster

Would love any book ideas for 11/12 year old girl please? - she loves reading if she has good books and trying to keep her off screens!

45 replies

HomeWorking · 30/10/2017 19:13

Hi, can anyone recommend any good books for my nearly 12 yo DD?? She has read and loved all the Harry Potters and Lauren St John and we are looking for some new ideas. If she has a good book, she doesn't attempt to go on devices all the time! I would be extremely grateful for any suggestions with her birthday and Christmas coming up - thank you!!!

OP posts:
ojell · 31/10/2017 21:45

I was about 12 when I first read Tamora Pierce’s ‘Song of the Lioness’ quartet. The first two books have just been reprinted in a single edition. They’re brilliant if she’s into fantasy and magic.

Philip Pullman would be a good next step. His Dark Materials is great, and knocks HP into a cocked (sorting?) hat, but the Sally Lockhart books (Ruby in the Smoke etc.) are also great - Victorian, slightly melodramatic mysteries with a plausible yet kick-ass female protagonist.

I discovered relatively recently Eva Ibbotson’s mittel-European adventure stories - The Dragonfly Pool and The Star of Kazan are both good (I actually ‘read’ these as audiobooks from the local library, which I would also recommend).

MoNigheanDonn · 31/10/2017 21:46

Percy Jackson series

ISaySteadyOn · 31/10/2017 21:48

Anything by Diana Wynne Jones. Also, I devoured Agatha Christie novels at that age.

oncewasawarrior · 31/10/2017 21:52

DD (11, nearly 12) has just read

  1. The fault in our stars (“best book EVER”)
  2. Noughts and Crosses (“Even better than The Fault in our stars”)
  3. The Outsiders (SE Hinton)
  4. A Monster Calls
  5. The Harlen Coben YA series about Mickey Bolitar (important to make sure it’s the YA ones!!)
HeyMicky · 31/10/2017 21:56

Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising series
Judith Kerr When Hitler Stole the Pink Rabbit and sequel

Alibobbob · 31/10/2017 22:00

Jaqueline Wilson books

Kragghooooooullllll · 31/10/2017 22:02

Artemis Fowl series and yy to Agatha Christie, I used to collect them at her age.

quirkychick · 31/10/2017 22:02

Yes, lots of these:
His Dark Materials & Sally Lockhart books
Percy Jackson series
Dark is Rising books
Shadowhunters (started reading after watching on tv)
Diana Wynne Jones
Eva Ibbotson
Judy Blume (some are more adult, though)
Warrior Cats series

GertrudeBelle · 31/10/2017 22:03

I devoured The Belgariad by David Eddings at that age. Really good fantasy page turner, and it's a series so will keep her going for a while.

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 31/10/2017 22:03

The Roman Mysteries. Patrick Ness’s Chaos Walking trilogy is fantastic. DS’s all-time favourite book is Wonder - and the film of that is coming out soon too.

Philip Pullman is a bit marmite with teens, but all the girls I have taught have loved John Green.

reynoldsnumber · 31/10/2017 22:05

Ursula le guin earthsea trilogy

C S Lewis if not already read - there's seven in that series

reynoldsnumber · 31/10/2017 22:06

And maybe try some terry pratchett if she likes fantasy type novels.

Ohyesiam · 31/10/2017 22:06

Kate Meryon books. I bought the set of five for my daughter, and she didn't go on her iPad till she has finished them . unheard of for her.

shakeyourcaboose · 31/10/2017 22:08

Have you tried Terry Pratchett Tiffany Aching series? Wee Free Men and so on? Great early feminist stuff!

user1498205994 · 31/10/2017 22:10
  • A series of unfortunate events
  • Noughts & Crosses
  • Lucas
JoyceDivision · 31/10/2017 22:15

Ruby Redfort
Mysterious Benedict Society
Hunger Games trilogy

Biscuitsneeded · 31/10/2017 22:19

DS and I just read Goldfish Boy together. Brilliant book. Had us gripped and made us both cry!

GingerPCatt · 31/10/2017 22:20

The Skullduggery Pleasant series. Fantasy (magic) lots of action and really funny. The heroine is 12 in the first book.

ItchySeveredFoot · 31/10/2017 22:22

Definitely Tamora Pierce. The Wee Free men is good. Anything but the Jaquiline Wilson books. They're awful.

twinone · 31/10/2017 22:22

The adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

SingingGoldfinch · 31/10/2017 22:24

My 12yo bookworm dd loves the Ruby Redfort books and ploughed through the all one after the other. She loved I am Malala and it made for lots of interesting discussion too. She also enjoys the Alex Rider books by Anthony Horowitz and for a really light girly read she's quite enjoyed the a Geek Girl series. She reads classics too and especially enjoyed Tom's Midnight Garden recently.

SingingGoldfinch · 31/10/2017 22:25

Oh, and she's just finished book one of The Hunger Games - she was really gripped by that!

Cathpot · 31/10/2017 22:27

I came on to say skulduggery as well- my girls ( 10 and 12) love them and there are lots of them. I also bought the books in the zoella book club this year on recommend from a friend ( she is usefully an English teacher and good on YA fiction) and they went down really well , although some are quite sad. Lemony snicket series are also brilliant- already mentioned , and my eldest likes the no 1 ladies detective agency series.

EvaTheOptimist · 31/10/2017 22:30

The Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens

Original poster
HomeWorking · 31/10/2017 23:16

Ah just logged on and found all these brilliant answers!! Fantastic - thanks to everyone who has replied, so many ideas! I am sure she will love reading these, looks like she has some great titles to read ahead of her! Thanks again.

OP posts: