Books for a precocious 11 year old

[MissDollyMix]

DD (11/yr6) is an absolute voracious reader, which as a fellow reader I am very pleased about! The only problem is that she gets through books so quickly! She’s started working through my bookshelves because she’s totally bored of everything she owns and everything at the local library (I wish DH had listened to me and let me call her Matilda when she was born 😂). Anyway, she’s currently working through Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes so I don’t think she just wants to read children or YA fiction but I’m sure there are plenty of well-written, age-suitable books that are out there- I’m not necessarily wanting to push her, I just want to encourage her love of reading and her imagination! Anyone have any suggestions?

The Starfell series by Dominique Valente is fantastic.

Thank you all so much for so many inspirational suggestions!

She definitely hasn’t exhausted the local library but the books actually on the shelves are very limited and you have to order everything via an online catalogue (which is great, very comprehensive) but you need to know what to order in the first place.

Theres a really good mix of classics and new literature here too so thanks for that. I’ve been reminded of some of the books I read as a child and loved. I’ll get a few, leave them lying around and tell her whatever she does she mustn’t touch them and that’s usually a way to guarantee she’ll be nose deep in next to no time 😉

I think a Kindle will definitely be on her wish list!

I read Lady Chatterly’s lover when I was 11. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Another vote for Artemis Fowl

Terry Pratchetts Tiffany Aching series!

I still remember my mum being called in by my English teacher because me reading his discworld series as she thought it was too old for me which my Mum laughed at and ignored her 🤣

I was still reading and enjoying Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys at that age. Children's books of course but very enjoyable still.

Artemis Fowl if she hasn't read them. The H.I.V.E series is also good. CHERUB is also great BUT the themes mature quite fast (class A drugs in the second book, maximum security prison and shivs in the third) so do make sure you're happy content wise. I think I also consumed young bond and Alex rider at that age.

I also consumed all of Conan Doyle (which did take a good while even at my pace!) and Agatha Christie at that age.

Not the best quality literature but I also enjoyed the Daisy Dalrymple books and there's about 20 of them to devour. Victorian Mysteries by Robin Paige I think might also be worth a look.

Harry and the Wrinklies (really good fun) and the sequel both definitely worth a read.

The mysterious Benedict society might also be worth a look.

Oh and a quartet of books about mythical beasts, I can't remember the name, will go digging. Edit: companion's quartet, Julia Golding.

Has she read the Percy Jackson books? Rick Riordan has a variety of other series as well, all excellent.

Not all of those will necessarily stretch her, and she may well have been capable of reading them for a couple of years now but if she's anything like me she'll want a range of books, many of which are simply a leisure activity rather than needing educational purpose.

James Herriot books.

I came here to suggest Pratchett. The Tiffany books - YA - are a joy and feature the witches. The first is "A Hat Full of Sky".

If the reader happens to be Scottish, the glossary is a hoot. Pratchett was a wee bit naughty with that.

Ah so many great book! Thanks again for the continued suggestions.

She has read all the Artemis Fowl books (in 48 hours, that was great value for money! 🙄) She absolutely loved them.

Suggestions definitely don’t need to be ‘high class’ literature just, as a previous poster said, something she can engage with and enjoy. She enjoys creative writing too so she loves to be inspired by different styles and genres.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and sequels are brilliant. Also all of Ruby Redfort.

Tamora Pierce and Monica Hughes

What about non fiction. Does she have any interests that she could find out more about. When my daughter was in Year 6 they had to have a book for silent reading first thing in the morning. Everyone was reading fiction but my daughter asked if she could read David Attenborough's Life on Earth. This was fine by her teacher and she devoured several more of his books!

@Papillon23 DD who is 11 is dressing as Nancy Drew for world book day. OP my DD likes a mixture of all sorts so is currently enjoying Emma and the hunger games books. I can't remember which series it was but I do remember a sales assistant in a bookshop telling me what she was buying was aimed for an older market and being a bit snippy that I was happy for her to read them.

Phillip Pullman - The Sally Lockhart series and His Dark Materials
Maile Meloy - The Apothecary series
Miss Peregrines School for Peculiar Children - about 6 books in the series

These are all older children's books but have a bit of depth to them so should take her more than a day!
My ds1 was a similarly precocious reader at that age...sadly he's now 18 and rarely reads for pleasure but I'm hoping it will come back when he doesn't have to read so much for school. I try to tempt him with a book every Christmas...The Shawshank redemption is the only thing that's captured his interest recently.

My DD was similar. Authors she enjoyed

Philip pulman
Eva Ibbotson
Frances Hardinger
Lauren St John
Malory Blackman (Noughts and Crosses series in particular)

Older books
Traveller in Time
Little White Horse

Older authors
Noel Streatfield
E Nesbitt

I was into Michael Crichton at 12. Try the two Jurassic Park books

I remember my year 6 teacher telling me off for "still" reading them at age 11 because I should have been reading the classics/other worthier books. But I loved them and at that age I read about 15 books a week so it wasn't really limiting my scope to still enjoy Nancy Drew!

I've been debating getting them out the loft to reread recently.

Have a look here. There are a lot of excellent books. Some are for younger kids but keep scrolling, most are not.

https://www.searchgoodbooks.com/ages/eleven

I know a lot of people don't like their children reading Enid Blyton but I devoured all the boarding school series and absolutely loved them.

I'm guessing she'll have read the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, the Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, the Borrowers?

Two books I loved as a child were The Ship that Flew and the Weirdstone of Brisingamen.

Ohhh!!

I AM DAVID.

classic!!!

The Deptford Mice books by Robin Jarvis.

I’m not sure if you’re just wanting crime or if that is just an indication of the level. If it’s the latter then I’d suggest trying some ‘older’ authors, especially if you’ve already exhausted the library of newer ones. You could try:
Redwall, Brian Jacques
Rosemary Sutcliff (lots to choose from, start with Tristan and Iseult or Beowulf: Dragonslayer)
The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, Alan Garner
The Dark is Rising series, Susan Cooper
Northern Lights, Phillip Pullman
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Joan Aiken
The Stonewalkers, Vivian Alcock
The Children of Green Knowe, Lucy Boston
The Machine Gunners, Robert Westall
I Am David, Anne Holm

There are lots of great recommendations on this list of books for year 6 children, including plenty of options for higher-ability readers.