Victorian or 1930's book

[marilynmonroe]

I want to get a book for my daughter. She is 10 and a reluctant reader. She is interested in the Victorian era as well as the 1930's.

Can anyone recommend a good book? She's watched Hattie feather so won't be interested in the book.

Thanks.

Far From Home by Berlie Doherty.
The Secret Diary of Jane Pinny
The Adventures of the New Cut Gang
Gaslight by Eloise Williams
The Campion Mysteries

Water babies.
Secret Garden.
What Katy did.
The Railway children.

The secret garden and The little princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

I’m not sure that some of those suggested above are good for reluctant readers, though she could give them a go. Can you give us an idea of the sort of books she has liked, if any? One of my DC was a reluctant reader and never read anything by choice. Mine wouldn’t have read any of those books above, or indeed anything, despite coming from a family of book lovers.

We have the secret garden and she didn't take to it. She's not read much. She likes the usual wimpy kid, Tom gates and David walliams. But she is very reluctant. I want something that is Easy to read and will fire her imagination. I'm not asking much am I?

I’ll have a think. Mine wouldn’t have read any of those books you’ve listed, so you’re ahead there!

Moondial by Helen cresswell

I loved Midnight is a Place by Joan Aiken at that age, although I can't remember much about it now apart from the Victorian setting.
Also Thursday's Child by Noel Stretfeild
Hetty Feather by Jacqueline Wilson?
I also liked Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park about a girl who time travels into Victorian times, but it might be for slightly older children

What about school stories like the St Claire's and Mallory Towers series by Enid Blyton or The Chalet School series by Elinor M Brent Dyer ?

I also liked The Swish of the Curtain and Ballet Shoes at that age.

Sorry, I have cross posted with you, I don't know if any of those are easy to read in a David Walliams type way. Hetty Feather perhaps the most accessible?

Sorry completely missed the Hetty Feather comment in the OP, ignore me!

Maybe some of Jacqueline Wilson’s other historical ones? Opal Plumstead, about a Suffragette, and there is a WW2 one and maybe more- I haven’t kept up!

Not sure if they’d be good for a reluctant reader, but the pre-war William books by Richmal Crompton

What about the Little House on the Prairie series? You don’t to read them in order. Plum Creek would be a good one to start.

Some of Rumer Godden’s books? The Diddakoi might be good, though not Victorian. The Story of Holly and Ivy is lovely. Though aimed at younger ones, I re-read it now.

Journey to the River Sea. - Edwardian orphan sent out to the Amazon.
I Coriander - set in Puritan times.
War Horse - and other Michael Morpurgo books. I Was A Rat is fun.
Some short stories? Hans Christian Anderson?

My reluctant reader wouldn’t have read any of these, though. Would non fiction be better?

Elizabethan rather than Victorian but as a kid I loved 'Traveller in time'. Read it over and over, certainly inspired my imagination

I Was A Rat is by Philip Pullman, actually.

Ballet Shoes is 1930s if your DD has any interest in ballet. Even if she doesn't, it's a cracking read (I've never been interested in ballet and loved it). If she liked it there are many other Noel Streatfeilds she could move on to. There are also film and TV versions of Ballet Shoes if she is the sort of person who finds her way into a book via watching it first.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Family from 1 End Street by Eve Garnett
Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild (anything by her actually)
Mary Poppins by PL Travers
101 Dalmations by Dodie Smith (or I Capture the Castle in a couple of years)

Agree that many actual Victorian novels are quite challenging these days and a lot are rather dodgy. However the Edwardian period was a bit of a golden age for children's literature so might be good for stories to read to your daughter. If she is a reluctant reader then still reading to her will help her if she finds a novel challenging.

What about the Little House on the Prairie series? You don’t to read them in order. Plum Creek would be a good one to start.

I would disagree. As Laura gets older the books get more complex so read Little House in the Big Woods first.

Final one! The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aikin. Set in an alternative 19th century during the reign of James III. One of those books that I started reading to DD1 and then she finished herself. It's the first in a very long and loosely connected series. Think I read to DD1 when she was 8 or 9 so probably good for a 10yo reluctant reader. Not too challenging but a rollicking read.

Anything by Noel Strefeild. Ballet Shoes is my all time favourite book and a couple of her others have the Fossil sisters pop up.

The Lottie Project by Jacqueline Wilson.

Usbourne books have a series of books called "The Historical House" one or 2 of them are set in Victorian Times. They have various authors.

Anne of Green Gables. I don't actually know when that is set though. ?

Pink Rabbit series by Judith Kerr.

The Greatest Gresham
Ballet Shoes
What Katy Did
Moondial
Chalet School books (dated and formulaic but not too challenging)

Phoenix and the Carpet/Five Children and It!!

Lucy Worsley’s book My Name is Victoria is a really good story based on the childhood of Queen Victoria. Age 10 is probably the lower end of the reading age for it but it’s a very nice read.

I agree re Joan Aiken - The Wolves of Willoughby Chase is a great story as is Midnight Is a Place.

Murder Most Unladylike and the rest of that series are really fun, set in the 1930s

Yes - Noel Streatfield is great. Ballet Shoes, Thursday's Child (set in Victorian times), White Boots. As she likes Victorian stuff, I'd go for Thursday's Child.