Books for 11 year old girl

[theneverendinglaundry]

My eldest is in a bit of a reading rut at the moment. She has read a couple of Harry Potter books but wants to take a break from them. Has declared David Walliams and Roald Dahl too baby ish (sigh). Reslly enjoyed Dork Diaries a couple of years ago but has read all of them.

Does anyone have any recommendations? I was wondering if perhaps she is ready for something a bit more "grown up". She likes the idea of Hunger Games after I told her about it, but not sure if she is still too young for it?

My daughter is about to turn nine but has a very advanced reading age (not a stealth boast, just a fact.) she absolutely devours books but also finds David Walliams and Roald Dahl a bit babyish. She's just finished the Harry Potter series and is hankering after some other similar series books.

For her birthday and Christmas I've bought her the His Dark Materials collection, Tales of Beadle the Bard, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them and the new Ben Miller book. My mum has also bought her Little Women, for her birthday.
I'm also looking at the Percy Jackson collection.

I was considering The Hunger Games but decided that she was just too young for the subject matter.

I've also looked at Darren Shan books and they look rather good, so maybe I'll add those. The Works have some great collections of books.

Murder Most Unladylike series?

my 12 yr old loved the Noughts & Crosses series + Hunger games

Wildwood series is good if you want less mature themes but still lots of pages to keep an avid reader busy.

DD (11) adored the hunger games, now reading the Fallen/Torment etc books. She went through all of the typical pre teen books and didn’t enjoy them because of the childishness of them

@parietal Noughts and Crosses was one of my favourite series as a teen, though I do remember sobbing my heart out over them!!

DD has just turned 11 and she loves the Murder Most Unladylike series, the Scarlet and Ivy series, the Ruby Redfort series and the Pages & co books.

Most children who like to read seem to go through Hunger Games at around 11. My DD absolutely loved the Percy Jackson books at that age, they have a less disturbing premise than HG and there are dozens of them to read, plus spin offs, if she does get into them.

Second Murder Most Unladylike
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Anne of Green Gables
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (next step from Dork Diaries)
Rooftoppers

There is the Cogheart series, www.peterbunzl.com/books/cogheart/ and the Brightstorm series, www.amazon.co.uk/Brightstorm-Sky-Ship-Adventure-Vashti-Hardy/dp/140718170X?tag=mumsnetforu03-21 both of which my daughter loved at that age.

Do books need to be for girls?
DS was recently frustrated about being given a school reading book about football for the third time even though he has no interest in it.
It’s a shame that we’re still socialising children to have certain interests based on gender. I assume the girls are given stories about ponies and ballet then!

Sorry, slightly derailing the thread.

• Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend - clearly inspired by Harry Potter but better imo!
• Huntress Trilogy by Sarah Driver - Icelandic saga style world full of magic, fantastic female characters
• Sky Song by Abi Elphinstone

• and another vote for the Murder Most Unladylike series. Great fun!

@HomerRoberts

Do books need to be for girls? DS was recently frustrated about being given a school reading book about football for the third time even though he has no interest in it. It’s a shame that we’re still socialising children to have certain interests based on gender. I assume the girls are given stories about ponies and ballet then!

Sorry, slightly derailing the thread.

Totally agree with you. All the books I'm recommending above are for both genders obviously and have brilliant, diverse female and male characters in them.

No @HomerRoberts you're right, I agree with you. I mentioned that she was a girl but did not specifically request books 'for girls'. In fact she has told me she doesn't like anything 'girly'!

Thanks for all the recommendations. I'll have a sit down with her and go through them all, see what takes her fancy.

(And my son would hate football books too!)

@sillyunmurphy I have the His Dark Materials series so may see if she likes it. Trouble is it's a massive book (all 3 in 1) so may be a bit cumbersome for her. If she likes it I could buy them individually....

[quote theneverendinglaundry]@sillyunmurphy I have the His Dark Materials series so may see if she likes it. Trouble is it's a massive book (all 3 in 1) so may be a bit cumbersome for her. If she likes it I could buy them individually.... [/quote]
I bought my DD the three in one of His Dark Materials too. She loves the challenge of a hideously thick book

My Daughter loved Hunger Games age 11 and has also read some of Sarah Crossan's books (Toffee and Moonrise). Is starting to read Noughts and Crosses but struggling to get into it. Also liked Alex Rider Series. Has she read Wonder? We loved that one - read age 10 but would easily suit an older child. She also loved A Fault in Our Stars.

I second the dark materials trilogy or anything by Pullman. Also anything by Katherine rundell and Abi elphinstone.

Murder most ladylike books are good but a bit same same.

Boy at the back of the class is excellent.

Good girls guide to murder

Hunger games is good too.

My 11yr old adored the Noughts and Crosses series.
Since then she’s read -
Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie
Good Girls Guide to Murder
The Magpie Society - a new one that just came out last month
And she’s got ‘One of us is Lying’ lined up to read next.

We use the local library, order online and collect. Saves a fortune!

My DD, 11, is loving the "A Pinch of Magic" by Michelle Harrison series at the moment. She's also loved Eva Ibottson and The Five Realms series by Kieran Larwood.

I second Wonder too! She read that a year or so ago and adored it.

Well I managed to get in to my favourite charity shop today and found all 3 Hunger Games books and Maze Runner. Hopefully will get her started!

Thanks for all the recs, will look at them all I promise!