Grown up books for a nearly 12 year old girl

[PepeLePew]

My niece is coming to stay in the school holidays. She's a voracious reader but is flying here so won't be able to pack many books (and doesn't have a kindle). We spoke on Skype today and I said I'd go to the library and pick some books up for her if she told me what she liked. She said she's not keen on a lot of the YA dystopian fiction, and she's read almost all the children's classics we can think of. So I wondered about suitable adult books - she's very clever but not very worldly, so I don't want to alarm her. I also don't want to bore her - she said she tried Rebecca recently and found it very slow to get started.

So far, I have:
To Kill A Mockingbird
Diary of a Nobody
Emma
Love in a Cold Climate

But any suggestions for others, recent or classic, would be well received. Historical fiction, sci-fi, romance, whatever you can think of!

The Pearl
Of Mice and Men

Perfect age to start with Steinbeck.

I can remember being given Steinbeck novels to read in my first year at secondary, so definitely suitable for a 12 year old. Also, we were started off on Dickens with Great Expectations.

Moby dick?
The murder most unladylike series is good
Little women
Redwall series

I second Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier - I read that at about he same age and it remains one of my favourite books.

Philip Pullman's Sally Lockhart mysteries (YA?),
Michael Crichton's sci-fi/thrillers which are unlikely not to be in any library,
Anne McCaffrey's general works (some sexual content),
and someone I reminded myself of on another thread: Georgette Heyer, whose books could be perfect.

At 12, I think I had read all of Ian Fleming and a lot worse! Take her to the adult section of the library and let her pick her own books. If what she chooses is too hard, she'll give up but there's every chance she'll introduce you to great new writers!

Have you asked her what kind of books she likes to read?

Life of Pi
The Night Circus
Period Piece
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute. I think i read that around that age. Lots of other good suggestions on here too.

'The Big Lie' - I've just finished this, teen but really good. About a girl living in an alternate Britain in 2014 where Germany won the 2nd WW.

'We were liars' is also a great read.

This has been so helpful, thank you. I made a list of all these suggestions and short summaries and sent them over to her - she's read a few of them but there's loads she hasn't so I will make a trip to the library before she arrives and see what I can find.

How about the John Connolly Chronicles of the Invaders books? It's a trilogy about an alien race taking over Earth but they're really good on human/alien relationships and they are a brilliant read.

Another good book is Eleanor and Park which I loved.

Do you not have books in your house that she can choose from? At 12 I would think she could read most adult books, both fiction and factual.

I loved A Town Like Alice when I was young but on re-reading it seemed very dated. Loved Hitchhikers Guide as did all 3 of my dcs. Claire Baldings autobiography pleased dd2. Treasure Island?

City of Beasts by Isabel Allende is a beautiful book and a good introduction to her novels.
The children I teach love Murder Most Unladylike, as well as Ruby Redfort

At 12 I was reading:
Terry Pratchett
Anne McCaffery Pern series and others
MASH (not sure I'd recommend that one )
David Eddings
Agatha Christie
Ngaio Marsh
Orson Scott Card
Dorothy L Sayers
and basically anything else I could get my hands on.

Just reporting back. She happily worked her way through Jane Eyre and left with my copy of Wuthering Heights. We all listened to Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy on Audible on days out, and she spent a lot of time reading my children's Asterix books, and Beanos. So a success all round.

The L-shaped Room by Lynne Reid Banks. I read it aged 12 or thereabouts

From my own childhood i recommend 'missing abby' it was PERFECT. it was hip, cool and it has a slightly dark subject matter spoiler: the girl goes missing and is eventually found dead, but its not dark dark, but its the perfect coming of age book

How I live now by Meg Rossoff is good, and some of her other ones, Daphne du Maurier was one of my favourites too.

Chickpea, I read Thornbirds and Flowers in the Attic at around 12 and all the Anne Rice not long afterwards. It depends how mature you are at 12.