Books for a tween

[spottymoo]

Dd is 11 1/2 and has asked my parents for books for christmas I'm really struggling for suggestions so any help would be appreciated.

She's read and didn't like harry potter - hunger games and Michael mapurgo.

She likes books were the main characters are girls she liked the board school side of harry potter but would have preferred the shorty from herminoes side.

Has she read/too old for Enid Blyton St Claire's or Malory Towers series? Boarding school setting and main characters are girls.

Not done the Enid blyton but have done the Malory towers ones x

The divergent series?

I teach 13 year olds and they are all reading them, so slightly the wrong age, but not too badly.

Or books by Carrie Ryan. Post apocalyptic told from teen girl perspective

lots of chalet school by Elinor M Brent- Dyer addicts on mumsnet - can't get new but can pick up second hand on ebay. I discovered them when I was about 10 and absolutely loved them.

How about the Trebizon series by Anne Digby?

Introduce her to Diana Wynne Jones.

Howl's Moving Castle
A Tale of Time City
Chrestomanci series

To begin with.

I would love to go back in time and read all her books for the first time again

Gallagher spy school

Skulduggery pleasant

Stardust Linda chapman

Roman mysteries

Percy Jackson (like Hp, the girls aren't the lead, but they are cool)

Indigo Helen Dunmore

Did she like the Hunger Games? If so, there's a series by Marie Lu called Legend which is supposed to be similar. We both loved the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth in this house. I have bought DD (12) The Elites for Christmas by Natash Ngan and she is in love with the Matched trilogy by Ally Condie.

Her favourite books of late included the Gone series by Michael Grant. I read them and found them a bit grim, but I could definitely see the appeal. Her friends love the Morganville books, but I think they're a bit soppy for dd as she's not a great lover of 'romance' type novels, though she doesn't object to a relevant love story threading through a book that offers a bit of adventure. She too loved the Skulduggery Pleasant books. The main character is a girl who is strong and feisty and fab.

I do love the fact that my daughter likes the same kind of books as me (or is it vice versa now she's 12??). Hope you find the perfect stories for her.

Ooh...and thinking about my own childhood made me think of Charlotte Sometimes, a fantastic book by Penelope Farmer. I'm nearly 50, so it's an oldy, but good.

I'd recommend the Casson Family books by Hilary McKay - the first one is Saffy's Angel

They're about a very eccentric family, lovely stories, and most (though not all of them) are told from the point of view of one of the girls - the exception is Indigo's Star.

She might like Michelle Paver's Chronicles of Ancient Darkness trilogy - the first one is Wolf Brother. Main character is a boy but there is a strong female support.

Also Philip Pullman, Northern Lights trilogy.

Diane Wynne Jones - Witch Week or Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien

Thanks for all the great suggestions I have passed a list to my parents, I did pick one up in town today by Shannon hale ever after high the story of legends boarding school book after fairy tales children and the way the future will turn out

I've just thought of another really fun one - Beswitched, esp if she liked Malory Towers when she was younger.

Its a time-slip book with a 21st century 13 year old ending up in a 1930s Enid Blyton style boarding school, very funny.

what about naughiest girl in school series enid blyton - might be too young but remember loving them when I was younger!

northern lights trilogy - fantastic series (have read several times!) and main character is a girl.

or maybe some of the sabrina the teenage witch books (probably only able to get second hand now but loved them when I was younger)

I loved sweet valley high books when I was her age and Judy blume, you can get them on amazon still

I loved sweet valley high books I was looking for them the other week but couldn't find them

Is she too yo

Is she too young for Alan Garner's The Wierdst

Wierdstone of Brisingamen? Or The Dark Is Rising series by Susan Cooper? Also Joan Aiken's Wolves of Willoughby Chase stretches to 10 books now with a lovely strong female character in Dido Twite.

DD2 liked the carrson family books and the Cathy Cassidy ones at 10ish

At 12 DD2 reads twilight and all her big sisters other Vampires, werewolves and angels as an excuse for a love story junk.

Deeply into Maximum ride rather than history project this evening.