books tor a 12 year old.

[seeker]

OK - dd has got no holiday homework (yippeeee!) but she has to read at least two books, at least one out of her "comfort zone" She loves books and has read a lot. She likes Hilary McKay, Karen Mcombie, Michael Morpurgo (but has read everything they have written) I think "out of her comfort zone" might be covered by a historical novel. Any ideas? I'd like to go to the bookshop with a bit of a list!

If you have a good local library you can ask them to recommend something, bigger libraries have dedicated childrens staff who know loads about books, and its free!

We normally do use the library - but we're going camping next week, and we don't take library books camping! So I'd like to buy a couple before we go!

We normally do use the library - but we're going camping next week, and we don't take library books camping! So I'd like to buy a couple before we go!

hopeful bump

Hmm.. DS is 12, so here is a list of some of the books he's enjoyed over the last year or so.

Eragon
The Ratbridge Chronicles
Peter Pan in Scarlet
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
The Dark is Rising Sequence
Skulduggery Pleasant
The Book Thief (although we are read this together)
The Boy in Striped Pyjamas (another we read together)
The Septimus Heap trilogy by Angie Sage
I Capture the Castle
Holes

HTH

Oh, just remembered.
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr is another book we read together, and has a historical theme, and is partly auto-biographical.

Susan Cooper is good for historical fiction. Victory or King of Shadows

What about Action Adventure/Spy/Sci Fi for something out of her comfort zone? Things marketed primarily at boys, but suitable for both?
HIVE
Skulduggery pleasant
Tunnels

Ds1 and I and yr7s from school have enjoyed these books. I can recommend others if you give me an idea of a genre that might be 'out of her comfort zone', but still something she might enjoy.

Molly Moon?

Secrets of the Fearless is another good historical fiction novel.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief sort of sci fi/"Harry Potter I'm different from other boys unaware of my magical powers" phenomenon/meets Greek Mythology. It's rip-roaring adventure, and easy reading.

Witch Child by Celia Rees is excellent.

Oh, I tell you who else is good for historical fiction: Theresa Breslin.
Remembrance and the Medici Seal both are rather more challenging reads than some of the earlier stuff I've mentioned.

Sara's Face hard-hitting thought-provoking on the subject of cosmetic surgery. I would recommend it for certainly any younger than 12, so handle with care if you like censoring reading!

Has she read the mallory blackman trilogy here

Thye may be a bit old for a 12 yr old ,depends on the child.

I've posted a few ideas on the basis that I may not be up before you go shopping in the morning! Have fun choosing!

Oh, just remembered, the Medici Seal does have a storyline where 2 young girls are raped. It's not actually described at all, and certainly isn't graphic or gratuitous, but it is important to the storyline.

I don't know how you stand on censorship of reading, but thought I should mention that!

There seems to be loads of 'war stuff' around if you're looking for historical fiction. Both contemporary - Afghanistan refugees that sort of thing, and WWI & II.

AK by Peter Dickinson - see also other books by him

The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

shame you need them quickly,childrens books half price here

Thank you. Is the Susan Cooper you're recommending the Dark is Rising woman?

I heard Sara's Face being discussed on the radio - it sounded a bit much for 12 - she's quite a young 12 in some ways (still loves to re read Malory Towers!) - might get it to read myself though!

Has she already read the Philip Pullman trilogy? (His Dark Materials.)
Vol. 1 = Northern Lights.

See I knew you'd be up before me

Susan Cooper is the Dark is Rising woman, but her other writing is very different. I didn't realise it was the same person for ages!

King of Shadows is about a child actor in a production of Midsummer Night's dream at the Globe in London, and he slips back in time to Shakespeare's time and has an adventure there. I enjoyed it.

I've heard programmes and such like about Sara's Face, and expected it to be more controversial than I found it when I read it. It does have some serious swearing in F*, and it's certainly not light, pleasant reading. Melvin Burgess has a reputation for pushing the boundaries for teenage fiction, but I've not read anything else by him.

Anyway, we got it out of the library, and I sent it back rather than passing it to ds1 to read if he wanted (which is very unusual for me - I don't really 'censor' him any more). So I guess it is on the 'dodgy' side. I wouldn't recommend it at school to 12 yr-olds in a professional capacity.

I think I'll go for King of Shadows - it sounds brilliant. And she's just starting to "do" Shakespeare at school and she's very excited about it, so it'll fit in nicely. Thank you.

I never thought of Susan Cooper writing anything else - I love The Dark is Rising!

What's even better about this homework is that they don't even have to write anything about the books, just talk about them. Brilliant idea - and nothing for the teachers to mark either!

Thank you for all your recommendations. I've made a list and she'll work her way through them. In the end, she chose The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak and The King of Shadows, by Susan Cooper. And then got an Ally's World for light relief! She's also having a go at The Weirdstone of Bresingamen by Alan Garner - anyone else remember being terrified by that as a child?

Yes, me. I bought two of the Alan Garner books on holiday last week (we sort of happened to take in Hay-on-Wye- great experience for both dcs!). He's great on scary moments, isn't he? Elidor is the same. Not quite so good on the logical building up of another world IMO. It's like he had these flashes of inspiration but didn't really enjoy the spadework around it. But the flashes are good.

Seeker
How did she get on?
(I got Book Thief some time back, and struggled with the first chapter, and haven't returned to it )

She LOVED "The Book Thief", roisin - I haven't read it yet. Not so keen on "The King of Shadows" but still enjoyed it (I loved it!)

She couldn't understand why I said "The Wierdstone" was so scary - to my huge disappointment, she found it a bit dull. I'll have to read it again.

Another "find" was Julia Golding's "Cat" books - very exciting historical novels. The one she's read is about the slave trade.

She's now working her way through Ann McCaffrey's Dragons of Pern series.