My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Join in for children's book recommendations.

Children's books

ideas for nearly 13 year old girl please.

103 replies

goingtobefree · 26/08/2013 15:39

She has finished Shelter,seconds away by Harlan Coben. I have bought her gunslinger by Stpehen King,what next?
Any suggestions?

OP posts:
Report
lljkk · 27/08/2013 09:28

The better Dick Francis books, Grisham thrillers. Martin Beck series.
I read a lot of Dashiel Hammet at that age, Agatha Christie.

Report
goingtobefree · 28/08/2013 07:12

She has read theodre Boone by JG. I have gor her A time to kill, thanks for your advice

OP posts:
Report
booksteensandmagazines · 28/08/2013 15:03

The Bodyguard series by Chris Bradford

Dead Time by Anne Cassidy

Girl Missing by Sophie Mckenzie

Report
BlueChampagne · 28/08/2013 16:32

Ursula le Guin

Report
lotsofdirections · 29/08/2013 17:08

I would be wary about 'A Time to Kill', horrible rape of a little girl which left me feeling sick. I'd read it yourself to see if it is too disturbing ( at the start of the novel). My DC would not have coped with it at 12, the stuff of nightmares.

Report
goingtobefree · 01/09/2013 22:28

On no, thanks about A time to kill. I did not remember it all, must have been ages.
She clearly is not ready for it.
I will have to delete it from her kindle.
She is still reading Gunslinger and is half way through Jane Eyre.

OP posts:
Report
Suzie70 · 13/09/2013 14:05

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet for breaking our Talk Guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

anaotchan · 13/09/2013 15:04

in the fantasy genre, I would suggest Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Finnikin of the Rock. Two "young adult" novels I have found to be beautifully written, and generally way above average. (maybe more for a 14 year-old, though... depends how mature your daughter is)

Report
tywysogesgymraeg · 13/09/2013 15:12

City of Ember, and the other three books in the series.
Black Beauty
What Katy Did
Anne of Green Gables
Little Women and the other three books
Holes
The Hunger Games series
The Boy in Striped Pyjamas
The Uglies/Specials series

Report
tywysogesgymraeg · 13/09/2013 15:14

Has she read the Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit?
Watership Down is good too.

My DD enjoyed Room, but she might have been a little bit older.

If she likes history, you could try her on Phillipa Gregory and other authors of that ilk.

Report
InMySpareTime · 13/09/2013 15:16

Does she have an ereader? If so, try The Strangeling's Tale, it has great reviews and my DCs love itSmile.

Report
anaotchan · 13/09/2013 15:19

oh, and if she likes history indeed - two French classics accessible to teenagers: The Three Musketeers, and Queen Margot (a little bloodier), both by Alexandre Dumas. Sweeping historical epics, and teach you an awful lot about history!

Report
marzipanned · 13/09/2013 16:07

At that age I was massively into Grisham and Stephen King. I read A Time to Kill then, it didn't phase me but I was quite a grown up 12 year old! Maybe go for the Client which obviously has the child witnessing suicide but he is a very strong child character if that makes sense!

If she likes The Gunslinger then some other Stephen Kings are good are not too scary e.g. Different Seasons (has Shawkshank Redemption and the Body in it), IT, The Stand. Hmm, maybe I was just very morbid :)

Report
PedantMarina · 13/09/2013 16:09

I'm sure I won't be the only one suggesting, the the Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett.

More to mention, but had to get that one in!

Report
JugglingFromHereToThere · 13/09/2013 16:11

My dd has really enjoyed the Lemony Snicket books - A series of unfortunate events

Report
PedantMarina · 13/09/2013 16:18

The Little House on the Prairie series might be a bit junior for her tastes, but is brilliant for learning how life was lived in Ye Olden Times (I say this as DP to a secondary school teacher who is having trouble convincing his students that there was a time when mobile phones didn't exist). Better, in fact, than the Little Women series, and not as soppy.

There was this brilliant book called "Claudia" from when I were a lass. Can't remember the author, but it was about a bit-of-a-tomboy girl who was having some typical hitting teens/puberty problems (one friend ostracising her, another she's not allowed to play with, bullies in school).

The Judy Blumes, of course, although maybe hold off on Forever for a few years.

Never too early to start on Douglas Adams!

Report
goingtobefree · 13/09/2013 16:18

Twy - apart from what Katy did, she has read all your suggestions
She has Jane Eyre and the gunslinger on the go now.
She did not like LOTR or the Hobbit, may be tried it when she was young.
Read Lemony snickett and did enjoy it as well.
I was suggesting Dracula when she finishes Jane Eyre.

OP posts:
Report
JoinYourPlayfellows · 13/09/2013 16:19

Oh oh

When You Reach Me - Rebecca Stead
The Underneath - Kathi Appelt

She's nearly 13, so I guess maybe she might be a bit beyond them, but I think the are really brilliant books and enjoyed them both very much in my 30s.

Books I loved at 13:
Wuthering Heights
The Grapes of Wrath

Report
marzipanned · 13/09/2013 16:26

Dracula's a great pick, also Frankenstein as a very accessible classic.

What about Steinbeck? Of Mice and Men would be a good one to start on.

Pedant that has just made me remember a VERY dog eared copy of Forever being passed around my year 7 classroom with all the relevant pages earmarked! :)

Report
PedantMarina · 13/09/2013 16:27

Ooh! Ooh! That reminds me, I was reading Gone with the Wind then.

Report
goingtobefree · 13/09/2013 16:27

I have seen when you reach me in the library, was interesting.

OP posts:
Report
PedantMarina · 13/09/2013 16:29

LOL, Marzipan - those were the days when that was the "porniest" we could find...

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

rubyfoz · 13/09/2013 18:58

Has she read Maggie Stiefvater- Raven Boys etc? My DD13 loved all of her books.
Also all of Cassandra Clare's - The Mortal Instruments series and also 2 other series which she really enjoyed.

Has she read Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy? That would be my highest recommendation if not.

Or Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl books? They are our family-favourite, DD2 just reading for the first time, so DD1 is re-reading them all so they can discuss them.

ps I still have my copy of Forever, still complete with earmarked pages!

Report
buggyRunner · 13/09/2013 19:57

anything by Paula Danzigger- makes you feel good in your own skin- positive messages for your dd

Report
unlucky83 · 13/09/2013 20:27

My DD 12.5 (and a cathy cassidy/jaqueline wilson et al fanatic) has just enjoyed a book by Catherine McPhail - called 'fighting back' - just ordered her a couple more by same author from library ...hoping I can start weaning her off chick lit...
She does like Lemony Snicket too ...
She has lots of books (little women etc) mentioned - on her shelf - just waiting for her to show any interest ...Sad (Hated the Hobbit - which is my favourite book of all time SadSad )
(I should say haven't read the Catherine McPhail though - maybe I should - she did ask me what a knuckle duster was Hmm - hopefully they are more suitable than the Life of Riley books she picked up on an offer for kids books in WH Smiths - where main character is supposed to get the morning after pill for her friend and wishes her parents were cool and would discuss blow jobs at the dinner table like her friend's parents ShockHmm)

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.