What are 12 year old girls reading?

[Alan Medic]

Sorry admin for posting this in two places.

Folks, I've been asked to get a book for my 12 year old niece who has lived in France since she was 4. It's to help her keep up with English as she uses it less and less, but it got be something that's, to quote, 'cool' for a girl of her age.

Any ideas please?

[womanofdulwich]

Maybe Harry Potter? Its always good to read something when you are familiar with the subject- assuming she has seen the films in French?

[Alan Medic]

Thanks for the suggestion WOD but they must be a bit old hat now? She has good English but it's a case of keeping it on the boil as it were. I wonder do any girls read any more with so many other things to do.

[Naomi-n]

The Hunger Games!!!

[womanofdulwich]

Is that right?Hunger Games? isn't that a bit scary?

When my family read The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings etc they were not brand new.But they were 14 ish? I know what you mean about old hat but they are age appropriate- Noughts and crosses by Mallory Blackman?

The Eoin Colfer books are really good for that age - I think.The Artemis Fowl series but there are others- especially with strong girl characters.

[Alan Medic]

I have to say I can't remember what it was like to be a 12 year old boy never mind a girl. I went through a stage of reading Famous Five and Secret Seven and stumbled across some of my Dad's old books of Still William (as I called them) which I thought were brilliant.

I loved the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings but I think I was a bit older. I remember reading the Narnia books too but I don't know at what age.

I guess I'm looking for something contemporary and considered 'cool'. Anyone got a 12 year old who reads?

[Ondine]

I've just looked in my 12 yr old daughter's kindle and her recently read books are:

The demon headmaster series - Gillian Cross

dizzy - cathy Cassidy

Face - Benjamin Zephaniah

The gone novels by Michael Grant - she LOVES them and re-reads the whole series obsessively!

HTH

[Ondine]

And ps yes I agree the Hunger Games are good for this age - my older one was around 12 when she read them and both DDs loved them

[Alan Medic]

Thanks for the idea's guys. You must be pleased your daughter reads so much, Ondine.

[Bellenden Belle]

http://m.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/may/12/best-childrens-books-twelve-years-over?cat=books&type=article

This list looks really helpful. I was also thrilled to see Judy BLume mentioned - she was my go-to author around this age - perhaps a little earlier

Working at a children's theatre where we are often on the lookout for books to adapt it often surprises us how 'adult' some of the books being read by this age range actually are. But when I look back at my own reading habits at this age, I remember reading some shockingly inappropriate books like S E Hintons The Outsiders that I read simply because I was in such a hurry to grow up.

Kindles are fantastic for this age group. Nearly all books on kindle offer a sample copy for free so you can try a chapter before you buy - really important to give this age group choice.

[vesti]

Kids I work with -

London Eye Mystery - Siobhan Dowd

Long Lankin - Lindsey Barraclough

Wolf Blood - N M Browne

Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli (the first one)

Wolf Brother (and the rest of the series) - Michelle Paver

The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman

A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness, Siobhan Dowd, Jim KAy

Twilight series (I forget the author)

Greyhound of a Girl - Roddy Doyle

Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror - Chris Priestly

Lots still in to Jaqueline Wilson and many now into Agatha Christie!

[Otta]

howl's moving castle

[Jeremy]

vesti Wrote:

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> A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness, Siobhan Dowd, Jim Kay

I'll second that recommendation. I don't know much about kids books, but I know about this one because Jim's a good friend of mine. It's a pretty dark subject but ultimately positive, with amazingly atmospheric illustrations...