What classic book did you live when you were 13?

[Mardyface]

Hello!

Our family does a thing where we recommend a book we think someone else would like and then we rate it. It's my turn to recommend for my 13 yr old.

I'm trying to remember what I read and loved at 13. There are loads of brilliant YA books around but I think it should be one she wouldn't have come across or thought of for this exercise, and not necessarily a book aimed at children.

I've thought of Little Women and Anne of Green Gables but I know there must be loads more suitable ones!

Thanks in advance!

At 13 I loved the Little House series. I especially liked the ones where Laura was a teen (Little Town on the Prairie, Happy Golden Years).

I was all about Anne Shirley at that age. Although Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret? and Deenie and the others by Judy Blume were good (although I may have been 11 or 12)

I liked some fantasy and science fiction so Ursula Le Guin, John Wyndham (Chrysalids, Midwich Cuckoos etc) were also favourites.

Not as classic as above, but I loved the philosophy from Jostein Gaarder (sp) Through a Glass Darkly, The Christmas Mystery and Sophie's World.

DD loved I Capture the Castle at that age

Oh thank you - some great ideas! I had forgotten about the little house books @Needmorelego . And John Wyndham @CheeseIsMyPatronus ! I've just remembered scaring myself stupid reading Chocky over and over at that age.

@MichelleScarn Sophie's World is a great shout. Were you 13 when you read it? I was much older and wasn't concentrating when I read it but maybe I will try again so I can recommend it.

I also loved Anne of Green Gables and The Chrysalids by John Wyndham.

@TwoBlondes another brilliant one. I did too. Not sure why I have forgotten all these!

I think I loved Flambards at that age. Although can't quite remember as I just read the synopsis and it doesn't sound right.
I'm sure it was a girl sent to live with cousins and she eventually went away to London to become a ballet dancer which her family were against, in later books her plumper cousin followed her and did Spanish dancing and the main character loved the groundsmen son Sebastian. I'm not sure if I'm mixing two books up that I read at the same time.

Ofcourse there is ballet shoes and subsequent books if she's never read those.

But for your exercise shouldn't it be one that you have read and enjoyed?

Thank you @ItsHitTheFanNow I haven't read the Chrysalids myself but I'm really tempted to go back to John Wyndham now.

I fell in love with the Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart. It’s part of a trilogy. It’s based on the legend of King Arthur and Merlin.

The protagonist starts as a young boy and you follow his life. He is a very gentle soul so is very easily appealing to female readers.

Its full of magic and longing and whispers in the night. I still reread it as an adult.
My other favourite Book is Precious Bane, but I didn’t read that til I was an adult.

Thats a lovely family tradition you have.

Although I have always been a book lover, that wasn't an age I was reading many classics and I too would have been more Judy Blume. Little House, Anne of GG etc were more 10ish, as well as my beloved Streatfeild books.
I definitely read Flowers in the Attic around then. Maybe The Bell Jar too, not that I understood it.

Watership Down

Nvm the ballet book I was thinking of was A Dream of Saddlers Wells... Thank you Google. Perfect if your DD likes ballet and Flambards was quite horsey.

Yes it should really @Singleandproud but I'm enjoying the recommendations for ones I haven't read and have read lots of these and couldn't fish them out of my perimenopausal memory for some reason. I definitely never read Flambards but it sounds ace!

The Phantom Tollbooth

Lorna Doone - R.D. Blackmore. Fantastically well written historical fiction.

Most of my reading at that age was probably Georgette Heyer and P.G. Wodehouse, though!

All Creatures Great and Small
1984
Judy Blume

I was an eclectic teen reader

At that age I was devouring Judy Blume.

Our P7 teacher had read us the Superfudge series and then the girls in the class found Judy's teen range. Very grown up.

I used to go to the library every fortnight, stock up on books and read them listening to George Michael and Seal (easy listening). Great days.

I also loved Christopher Pile, which was teen horror.

And Sweet Valley High

I'm really enjoying hearing about everyone's favourites and I'm imagining you all reading them in your bedrooms as 13 year olds.Thankyou all.

@Everydaywheniwakeup no way am I recommending Flowers in the Attic! Though it does for the brief of something it read and enjoyed 😁

I forgot about all the horror books people were reading as young teens too. I got into Stephen King much later. DD isn't a horror lover (fast forwarded the scary bits in stranger things eg) but I wonder if she could cope with a bit of John Wyndham.

Singleandproud I think the ballet series is by Lorna Hill. No Castanets at the Wells
www.goodreads.com/book/show/6707736-no-castanets-at-the-wells

Sorry, should have refreshed before posting!

I loved Anne of Green Gables, the Katy books etc however I was more primary school age when reading them
When I was 13 I was mainly reading Lord of the Rings and eagerly awaiting your he next Harry Potter book to be released.

@Mardyface I was, devoured books at that age, makes me sad that I've lost this love of books with work, kids, general life stress, so thanks for this thread as trying to get back into it!