Non-fiction recommendations for 11yo DD

[MargotMoon]

DD doesn't enjoy fiction very much, but was fascinated by Anne Frank's diary and wants to learn more about the history of the holocaust through reading books about real people.

She loved the Rebel Stories for Girls and also wants to learn more about slavery and African American history.

She struggles a bit with 'old-fashioned' language as she puts it, and she isn't an advanced reader. Emotionally she will find reading around these areas difficult, too, so don't want to give her anything firmly in the adult category.

Any recommendations for factual/biographical books like this would be appreciated. TIA

I haven’t any useful titles to suggest, but this might might be helpful. They have lots of good book suggestions.

www.amightygirl.com/

Oh yes I follow that on Facebook - good place to look, thank you for reminding me!

It's a difficult age, they are on the boundary between kids books and adult books. My DD1 who is 12 is very dismissive of the kid's reference books we have but isn't ready for the adult ones.

My Story: Slave Girl is fiction but based on fact.

There's a good list further down here as well.

Might be worth watching 'A House Through Time' on iplayer, the Bristol house was lived in by several sea captains at the height of the slave trade. Worth remembering the British role in the slave trade.

@CountFosco Great, thanks for these suggestions.

DD is not a big reader which breaks my heart so any interest she takes in books I am keen to find the right thing to encourage her!

Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah

I didn't realize it at the time, but my mother did something wonderful in getting me a set of biographies for children of famous women. To this day, it's the reason I know about people like Joan of Arc.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr (author of the Mog books and The Tiger who came to tea)? It's told as a story but it's based on Judith's family's flight from Nazi Germany in the 1930s, and what they did next. If she enjoys it there are 2 other books which continue the family's story, the trilogy is called Out of the Hitler Time

To state the bleeding obvious, has she got all of the Horrible Histories books? Plus Murderous Maths and whatever the Geography one is.

I’d also recommend the funny Science Museum books but can’t remember their names.

I loved biographies when I wasnt much older than her but suitable ones are hard to find. I can't remember many of them but this one sticks in my mind www.amazon.co.uk/Endless-Steppe-Puffin-Plus-S/dp/014036160X?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I would say though with anything about this sort of area if she is very sensitive it might be best to read them read yourself first or read them together. Eva Schloss which I might have spelt wrong wrote a book called Eva's story. That is worth a read. Her mum went on to marry Anne Frank's father after the war

Connie Ten Bloom - The Hiding Place. I remember that one.

@timtam23

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr (author of the Mog books and The Tiger who came to tea)? It's told as a story but it's based on Judith's family's flight from Nazi Germany in the 1930s, and what they did next. If she enjoys it there are 2 other books which continue the family's story, the trilogy is called Out of the Hitler Time

This was one of the many books I have tried to get her to read but she didn't get on with the language - "too old-fashioned" apparently. I'm a bit heartbroken as it's probably my favourite childhood book

@AintNobodyHereButUsKittens

To state the bleeding obvious, has she got all of the Horrible Histories books? Plus Murderous Maths and whatever the Geography one is.

I’d also recommend the funny Science Museum books but can’t remember their names.

Yes she loved HH books when she was younger

@nonicknameseemsavailable

I loved biographies when I wasnt much older than her but suitable ones are hard to find. I can't remember many of them but this one sticks in my mind www.amazon.co.uk/Endless-Steppe-Puffin-Plus-S/dp/014036160X?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I would say though with anything about this sort of area if she is very sensitive it might be best to read them read yourself first or read them together. Eva Schloss which I might have spelt wrong wrote a book called Eva's story. That is worth a read. Her mum went on to marry Anne Frank's father after the war

These look good - thanks!

My two enjoyed Roald Dahl's 2 autobiographies at about that age. The first one is about his childhood, and the second about his time flying during WW2.

That's a shame she didn't get on with Judith Kerr's book - although it was written a while ago so I know what she means about the language and style. Some of these suggestions are true stories or based on true stories and are aimed at children. Not sure how many are available in the UK though

I've recently bought this for my daughter. lt's similar to the goodnight stories for rebel girls, which she enjoyed www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1785925024/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_IFpBFbEMKYPSX?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

They're not non-fiction, but I wonder if the My Story series from scholastic might appeal? There's quite a few set in the war I think, and although they're fiction I believe they're written to be very true to the actual history Codename Celine is one, there's a VAD one etc. The age range would be just about spot on I'd think