Books for an 11 year old girl who loves reading

[Ladyoftheapple]

I was unfortunately never really given books as a child so am not in the know of what books are great for this age group. However, my daughter absolutely loves reading and absolutely flys through books. She particularly loves Harry Potter & Enid Blyton, it’s her birthday coming up soon and would love to buy her some books she can really get stuck into. Does anyone have any suggestions? Many thanks

Duplicate. This keeps happening.

When I was that age I went to the library and chose my own books.

Edit - and it's absolutely free.

As an 11-year old bookworm the very best present I could have been given was a trip to a good bookshop and a generous book token to spend. The joy of browsing and choosing is a gift in itself, and it ensures that you don’t end up buying her things she’s already read.

If you are anywhere near Newcastle then a visit to Seven Stories, the national centre for children’s books, would also be amazing. Had it existed when I was a kid it would have been my Mecca!

It's fun to choose with vouchers, but its also nice to have a fresh volume wrapped up as a gift.

How about the Pullman His Dark materials series? You can get some beautiful large size editions with colour illustrations which is nice for a special gift.

Otherwise the Eva Ibbotsen novels, especially Journey to the River Sea are nice - and again some lovely collectors editions.

Arthur Ransome? Good long books to get stuck into, and a lot of background info about sailing, the Lakes, Norfolk.

E. Nesbit - mix of stories about real family life, and fantasy/magic

If she likes school stories, the Chalet School. No need to buy those, they're available free on Fadedpage.com. Best read in order, at least up to Three Go.

When I was 11 my favourite books were - A Little Princess, The Children of Green Knowe, Charmed Life and The Nine Lives of Christopher Chant, Howls Moving Castle, Charlotte Sometimes, Wolves of Willoughby Chase. DS liked How to Train Your Dragon, Enders Game, The Roof toppers

Yes book token. Or look in charity shops for good condition classics. Heidi series, Little House, anything by Noel Stretfield are a few I enjoyed from about 9, 10 11 ish which have been popular with young friends and family.

Little Women

Anne of Green Gables

My middle child is around the same age and loves the books by Katherine Rundell. Especially ‘Roof Toppers’ and ‘impossible creatures’. Also anything by Michel Morpurgo went down well previously. Oh and the Artemis Fowel series by Eoin Colfer.

The Wind in the Willows is a beautiful story. In a year or two she'll be too old.

Not a fan of Alice in Wonderland, which I've always found a bit creepy, though it is superbly written (Harold Bloom and Nabokov both admired it).

The Narnia books are magnificent. Lots of people dislike Lewis, but they are astonishingly good and beautifully written. It's also interesting to read a children's book written by an Oxford professor who spoke five languages.

Roald Dahl would be my main recommendation. I especially loved his two autobiographies (which were sort of written for children).

When my son was 11, I read him the Jeeves and Wooster stories. I thought he'd be too young for P G Wodehouse, but he loved them (I exaggerated the silly voices).

I used to help in a children's library until fairy recently. Robin Stevens, Cressida Cowell, Michael Morpurgo, Katherine Rundell, Lauren Stevens, Diana Wynne Jones, Caroline Lawrence, Eoin Colfer are all a good bet.

If you want a very hefty book ( which is part of a series) Eragon by Christopher Paulini. It remains my daughters favourite book.

Black Beauty?

Anything by David Almond especially My Name is Mina and Skellig (although note some of his books suit older or younger kids better).

Charlotte Sometimes
Tom's Midnight Garden
The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

Obviously it depends on what sort of books your DD is into, but my DD (also 11) has liked these:

Skandar series
Loki series
Murder Most Unladylike series
Secrets of the Pony Club series
Enola Holmes series

I liked the H.I.V.E series and Artemis Fowl at that age. Harry and the Wrinklies. The Mysterious Benedict Society.

Maybe also Diana Wynne Jones.

Also C.H.E.R.U.B but the issue with that one is that the stories can be a bit dark but also that as the characters get older things like sex come in and if she's a voracious reader she'll want to read the whole series at once when it wouldn't all be suitable necessarily, so might need to do some pre-reading.

I also read loads of Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes at that age. And was still consuming Nancy Drew, much to my school teacher's horror (because she didn't view it as sufficiently challenging).

Try the Skandar series, Impossible Creatures series and the Greenwild series.

Digging further into my memory banks, what about Julia Golding's companions quartet (starts with the secret of the sirens). And then anything by Rick Riordan also went down well.

Sally Lockhardt series by Philip Pullman
Chalet School and Trebizon if you find them secondhand.
Anne of Green Gables box set
Jean Ure (the ones for young teens not the ones for kids)

Also, Charlotte Sometimes

His Dark Materials series - Philip Pullman
Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Blackhearts in Battersea and other novels in this series - Joan Aitken
Inkheart (or any other book by Cornelia Funke) - beautifully written and magical
Charlotte's Web
Maybe some of the more modern Nancy Drew novels

If she doesn't mind a bit of grit - Holes by Louis Sachar is stunning. The sequel Small Steps is good too. Hunger Games is great but very dark.

If she likes adventure stories and doesn't mind a male protagonist the Alex Rider series by Horowitz are addictive and Young Bond by Charlie Higson are good.

If she likes cosy quieter books, the Moomin series by Tove Jansson are highly recommended (never read them but everyone I know keeps saying I'd love them)

Agree about HIVE and CHERUB series - they are really engaging but depends how mature she is for her age.

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman is really good

DD11 loves a mystery! She started out a few years ago with Famous Five, Secret Seven, Five Find Outers and the Adventure Series (all Enid Blyton), then wanted something similar but more modern.

Some of her favourites:
Murder Most Unladylike (Robin Stevens)
Adventure Island (Helen Moss)
Kate Wolfe Investigates & Laura Marlin series (Lauren St John)

And then other books she's loved:
Skulduggery Pleasant (Derek Landy - we're reading these now)
The Train To Impossible Places (PG Bell)
Lottie Brooks (Katie Kirby)
Pages & Co (Anna James)
Varjak Paw (SF Said)

She's also read quite a few Michael Morpurgo books.

It's possible to do both. I did as a child, and I still read at 67.

OP, I think it very much depends on what her reading interests and ability are. If you aren't sure, then maybe a shopping trip (rather than a voucher) to pick, not "just a book" but something really special that may well still be on her bookshelf when she is my age. A book that is about all the memories that go with it, not just something to read. If you see what I mean. You could set a spend limit and have a fun time with her in a good bookshop. I have several such books, and my best friends son has his own collection of special edition Harry Potter books that I bought him that he now reads to his daughter.

These are more than books. Look to buy, or help her to choose, a "more than book".

I loved the Little House on the Prairie books at that age (still do).
I didn't read many of the classics until I was older but I really enjoyed A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, What Katy Did (Little Women is a bit dull).
I really like Jacqueline Wilson especially her historical books like the Hetty Feather series.

Percy Jackson if she likes Harry Potter. Modern versions of the Greek myths. Very funny and there's multiple interlinked series which will take her a while to go through.

A few thoughts beyond the obvious classics:

My kids loved the Frances Hardinge books (these are fantasy books)
Ruby Redfort books by Lauren Child (13 yr old girl detective)
They may be a little young, but Rumer Godden's children's books (eg Miss Happiness and Miss Flower) are an absolute favourite of me and by daugher.
Also the Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge.