Looking for book suggestions for a 12.5-year-old girl who is an advanced reader BUT has not yet crossed into YA (and I’m not in a hurry for her to). She loves Keeper of the Lost Cities, Gregor the Overlander, School for Good and Evil, and The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. She liked the Hunger games and is kind of over Harry Potter. She doesn’t mind a romantic subplot but I’ve found that a lot of the books that would suit her reading level are inappropriate – I’m not super worried about censoring things but she’s still at the “grossed out” phase re. physical intimacy. She doesn’t seem to be turned off by gore or death, though…
She really likes graphic novels as well.
I loved the Xanth books my Piers Anthony at her age, so I was thinking of those. But my kids usually get quite a few books under the tree at Christmas and I would love some recommendations.
by catlivesupstairs
3 Comments
I started with the hunger games and transitioned into some of these (ranked in the order I enjoyed them. I am a male, but my sister and Mom also liked all of these). All have a similar structure to the hunger games in which there are at least 2 main characters (one male and one female) taking on the world. Some are a little graphic, and have hints of romance, but nothing over the top. I read most of these around the same age. I reread them recently and still love them!
* Enclave (razorland trilogy) – Ann Aguire
* Taken trilogy – Erin Bowman
* Legend trilogy – Marie Lu
* The Eye of Minds (mortality doctrine trilogy) – James Dashner
* Maze Runner trilogy – James Dashner
* The Sylo Chronicles trilogy – DJ MacHale
* Divergent trilogy – Veronica Roth
Here are some additional one offs I liked
* The Prey (trilogy, but only the 1st was out when I read it) – Tom Isbell
* Deadly Design – Debra Dockter
May I suggest Sir Terry Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching series?
She could read these at 12 and get one perspective, and hopefully again as an adult where she’ll get other perspective entirely. These books are fun, funny, wacky, but have strong messages too, and of course, it’s Pratchett so wit and societal critique abounds. I also liked the strong, capable, intelligent, take-no-baloney girls and women characters in these books. I can’t wait to share these with the little girl in my family.
Might be a great set to read together if you’ve never read them. They really are terrific for a wide range of readers.
Percy Jackson and all its complementing series.