Book ideas for 12yo DD please!

[JoanCallamezzo]

I'm a bit stumped for ideas for my 12yo DD.

She’s just starting to get into YA/young teen stuff but is still quite young emotionally and isn’t ready for anything too intense, so I don't think things like The Hunger Games are right.

She loves books set in the real world rather than fantasy and doesn’t like anything scary, dark or upsetting.

Biggest hit by a LONG way recently is the Geek Girl series – she tore through all 6 books over the last month and now nothing she reads is as good!

Other successes include the Murder Most Unladylike books, Girl Missing, Wonder and, to a lesser extent, Girl of Ink and Stars, but basically she just wants more of the same ilk as Geek Girl and something that is gentle and fun (who doesn't want a bit of comfort reading in January?!)

I'd really welcome any suggestions!

Anyone?!

Anne of Green Gables
My Family and Other Animals
Ruby Redfort

The Antonia Forest books. I used to love them when I was her age. It’s a school series - like Mallory Towers but more grown up.

Also how about:
Life of Pi
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

She might like Gregor the Overlander series by Suzanne Collins (who wrote the Hunger Games).

It's aimed at a slightly younger audience.

It is set in the real world and fantasy "underland".

I know you didn't really ask for fantasy but both DSD and DS loved this series at that age.

I read the books myself and think they are brilliant.

It's about a young boy, Gregor in NYC whose struggling since his father disappeared a year ago.

He (and his baby sister) fall down a vent in the laundry room and discover the Underland - a place that was colonised hundreds of years ago by people from the surface.

The underlanders have adapted over time (translucent skin for example) and live in a world they share with giant talking creatures (spiders, bats, cockroaches, rats) some of whom are allies (the bats with whom they bond for life and fly with) and rats (who they have been locked in a war for territory for many many years).

The underlanders believe in a series of prophecies written by the Founding Father of the underland and it becomes clear that Gregor is central to these - leading to the start of many adventures.

My children weren't fantasy fans but really loved these books and all the brilliant characters.

Philip Pullman’s Sally Lockhart quartet. Victorian mysteries with a touch of melodrama and a kick-ass female protagonist.

I really enjoyed Tamora Pierce at that age. I started with the Song Of The Lioness quartet. It's about a girl who swaps places with her twin brother and disguises herself as a boy so she can learn to be a knight. It's a good strong female lead.

Thanks so much – lots here that I don't know so I will have fun researching further!

I hadn't thought of those Philip Pullman books - I've been keen for her to start the Northern Lights trilogy but it's really not her sort of thing, but Sally Lockhart sounds right up her street.

Book clubs
Has anyone joined a book club where you pay a one of payment to be sent books each month which you read and review and leave feedback?

The children I've taught have always enjoyed the Percy Jackson series of books. They may be slightly different to what your daughter has read before but I've always found they've been received well

Thanks Ljgstorm, yes my son enjoyed the Percy Jackson books a year or so ago when he was about 8/9. They're definitely not the sort of thing my DD enjoys reading, although she quite liked the films.

DD is currently reading The Island at the End Of Everything and enjoying that if it helps anyone else! I'm going to get her the first Sally Lockhart to read next and I've seen that there's a new Robin Stevens mystery coming soon too.

And I also like the sound of Antonia Forest - I missed out on those when I was her age!

Lorna Hill?
They are a tad dated, but are set in real life so to speak.
She wrote about horsey people (for want of a better term) and ballet dancers - her characters often appear in other books so they all know each other iyswim.

Tuck Everlasting
The Princess Diaries

Are historical novels any good? I read a fair amount of Jean Plaidy about that age.

Also Lillian Beckwith.