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

Another vote for Frances Hardinage. I think The Lie Tree was a particular favourite. Also Kiran Millward Hargrave.

At that age (I am now 52 for reference) I adored the following

• When Hitler stole Pink Rabbit' - Judith Kerr
• The Jill pony books by Ruby Ferguson
• The Jinny at Finmory series by Patricia Leitch
• I still loved the Worst Witch series- but probably a bit young if she has read Harry Potter which are alot more complex
• A Little Princess / Secret Garden
• Little Women I read and tried to like but thought they were all too worthy. But it is a good solid read and classic if her tastes go that way
• A book called Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry which I have not seen around much but found engaging. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roll_of_Thunder,_Hear_My_Cry

Mine have loved The Skandar series, Crookhaven, murder most unladylike, Lottie brooks, and the London Eye mystery. Sure there’s more but I’d have to go and look through their bookshelves!

When I was that age I went to the library and chose my own books.
Edit - and it's absolutely free.

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

Yes. I'm older than you. I was a frequent visitor to the library, but I still have books I was given by various relatives as a child and teenager - The Christopher Robin Verses, Little Women, AOGG, Pride and Prejudice. I had to replace A Child's Garden of Verse and The Nine Tailors because they fell apart.

When I was older and could afford it, I bought my own copies of many of the books I had from the library as a child - Narnia, Arthur Ransome, E.Nesbit. Still have them too.

The Moomins are fabulous. They are cosy but also have adventure, and they are the sort of book that is ostensibly a children's book but in fact talks more deeply under cover.

I loved historical adventures at that age and they don't date in the same way as contemporary adventures.
The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliffe is a good one

DD is 11 and a book lover. Her dream would be a clothbound classic (the Puffin ones are a lovely children's alternative to the Penguin ones!) and a book voucher!

Books/series she's loved recently:

A Little Princess
Little Women (and the sequels)
The Lottie Brooks series
Goodnight Mr Tom
Malory Towers & St Clares (longstanding favourites!)
Bletchley Park mysteries
Murder Most Unladylike (her all time favourite!)
Anything by Robin Stevens, for that matter

Its all lottie brooks for dd and peers. Before that Dork Diaries. Not very highbrow I'm afraid

A Traveller in Time by Alison Uttley

My childhood copy disintegrated and I recently bought a new one. Just as good now as I remembered!

The Train to Impossible Places by PG Bell (and the rest of the series)
The White Giraffe series by Lauren St John
Any of Frank Cottrell Boyce's books - my kids liked Broccoli Boy
Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens
The Umbrella Mouse (and its sequel) by Anna Fargher
The Sinclair's Mysteries series by Katherine Woodfine

My 11 year old is currently enjoying Alex Rider. She also loved Alice Oseman's novels (already a big Heartstopper fan but has moved onto Solitaire, Loveless, Radio Silence). Percy Jackson, Skandar, some Jacqueline Wilson. Her big sister has just handed off Murder Most Unladylike as well.

But as a bookworm child I agree a book token would've been the best gift!

At that age mine loved Cressida Cowell books - The Wizard of Once and How To Train Your Dragon, which are completely different to the TV series/film and are also great audio books narrated by David Tenant.
They also really liked Michelle Paver Wolf Brother series and the Percy Jackson books. In Y6, they both got into dystopia particularly The Hunger Games, The Knife of Never Letting Go series, Divergent and Legend.

I suspect this is an unusual suggestion: Non-fiction.

When I was about that age, my mother gave me a batch of biographies of famous women. A friend of mine said he was once given a book about architecture that wasn't even a children's book, and it made a huge difference in his life.

Lots of good recommendations.
I may have missed them already being mentioned, but I'd add:
Nina Bawden (I discovered her at 11 and devoured everything I could get my hands on)
Terry Prachett's Tiffany Acheing books
Agree on the biography suggestion, she may be old enough for Anne Frank's diary
Michelle Magorian's Goodnight Mister Tom

My 10yo bookworm who loves Harry Potter also loves:
The Percy Jackson series and other associated books (Rick Riordan)
The Lottie Brooks series (Kate Kirby)
A Kind of Spark; Keedie; Like a Charm (Elle McNicoll)
The Final Year and The First Year (Matt Goodfellow)

My older daughter at that age also loved:
The 1000 year old boy (Ross Welford)
The Book of Stolen Dreams (David Farr)