Books for pre and teen girls please

[janeite]

DD1 is 13 and dd2 11; both very good readers but struggling to decide which books they might like next.

Dd1 has just read "Twilight" and the second one and has asked for the next ones; she also recently enjoyed the "Noughts And Crosses" series by Malory Blackman and the Japanese warrior series by Lianne Hearn.

Dd2 recently enjoyed "Marianne Dreams" and "Dragon Rider" but generally still tends to stick to re-reading books which I now think are too young for her - Charlotte's Web, the How to Speak Dragonese series, Famous Five etc.

Any ideas much appreciated please. I'd like to get dd1 reading some more "adult" books (although so far she has refused to try "Pride And Prejudice"!!!) or more well-written teen fiction; and dd2 to be reading things which are more challenging for her. Tia.

[Ellbell]

My dd is quite a bit younger than your dd2 (she's 8.5) but reads well above her age. If your dd liked Dragon Rider then she might also like other Cornelia Funke books, like Inspell and Inkheart (the third book in the trilogy, Inkdeath, is due out about now IIRC), which I think are a bit more complex than Dragon Rider. Has she read Helen Dunmore's Ingo series? Those are also good. Dd1 is also currently enjoying the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series, but I'm not sure if those would be a bit young for your 11-year-old.

[janeite]

They've both read the other Cornelia Funke's, thanks but I've not come across Helen Dunmore, so will have a look at those.

[slayerette]

Your dd2 must be in Year 6 or 7 - yes? Has she tried David Almond yet? I teach Skellig as a class reader with my Yr 7s and it goes down well with girls and boys. Some of the girls enjoy the Philip Pullman books (although a little challenging perhaps); most love the Princess Diaries/Jacqueline Wilson stuff. A number enjoy going back to the classics - Noel Streatfeild, Frances Hodgson Burnett and co - and others move from the Famous Five to the St Clare's/Malory Towers series which she might enjoy if she's a Blyton fan. Michael Morpurgo is also very popular with this age range. And what about Celia Rees?

[janeite]

Year 7 yes. She's not fond of David Almond, unfortunately (though she did enjoy "Heaven Eyes"), nor Michael Murpurgo. As an English teacher too, I find that these books, whilst good for teaching, are actually a bit "worthy" when tbh dd just likes to use books as escapism. A shame as, at their best, these two writers are excellent.

The Princess Diary books are a good suggestion; she'd like those I think. She had a JW phase which she's now grown out of. I know she writes for older girls too but they do all get a bit samey.

She would LOVE the Malory Towers books I think - thanks for reminding me about those.

[christywhisty]

DD 11 has read recently

Stargirl- Jerry Spinelli (she adored this book)

Chinese Cinderella

Meg Cabot - Princess Diaries, Avalon High, How to Be Popular

Harry Potter

St Clares

Windsinger -William Nicholson

Her other favorites are Jacqueline Wilson (just started the teen ones), Michael Morpego, Inkheart

I don't think Famous Five is really too young for any age, remember they were written about teenagers.

[janeite]

Thanks Christy. "Star Girl" is lovely, isn't it? I'd forgotten about "Windsinger" - dd1 has read it but dd2 hasn't.

[Trafficcone]

Anything by Paula Danziger!

[janeite]

Thanks.

Any more please?

[fishie]

agatha christie
m r james
judith kerr

how fast do they read? can they go to library and choose their own?

[janeite]

They read very quickly. We go to the library every couple of weeks as a minimum. But I want to order some as Christmas pressies too.

[christywhisty]

A sequel of Stargirl has come out which DD has just read. It's called Love Stargirl

It is written as year long diary/letter from Stargirl to Leo after she has moved away.

[ellceeell]

What about looking at a collection from The Bookpeople? At this sort of price it doesn't matter if they don't like half of them! www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10051_129678_100_48107__category_

[janeite]

Thanks. I've ordered the Princess Diaries set and the Enid Blyton set.

[LadyGlencoraPalliser]

DD1 has recently loved The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson and Girl Missing by Sophie McKenzie. She is reading Emily of New Moon at the moment, having worked her way through the Anne of Green Gables series over the summer.
And I am sorry to say but on the escapist rubbish front she has read the first Georgia Nicholson book and loved it. I've bought the set for her from Book People/Red House (can't remember which) and put it away for Christmas.
She also loves the Trebizon books, but they are no longer in print AFAIK so I have had to pick them up secondhand.

[Takver]

What about Flambards and the various other K M Peyton teen books?

[janeite]

Thanks. Georgia Nicholson diaries - dd1 has read them; dd two has to wait until she is 12. They've both read "The Star of Kazan" and "Girl Missing" already. They are both a bit funny about "old" books unfortunately, although dd1 did enjoy "I Capture The Castle". At 13 I was reading Stephen King, George Orwell and Virginia Andrews, but she's turned her nose up at all of those!

KM Peyton could be worth a try I think. Thanks

[Takver]

Ah, another thought (more for your older DD). Does she like fantasy? David Eddings and the like often seem to go down well with teenagers, and also Mercedes Lackey is good as crossover teen/adult fantasy. Arrows of the Queen is one of the best I think although its one of her earliest and randomly it seems to be out of print. If you don't know them, they are very 'sound' IYKWIM, lots of young women heroines overcoming sexism, family problems etc, and a bit on the sentimental side, but good pageturning stories.