Chris in VA Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 She's re-reading right now--NOTHING new. She's read the classics for young ones--Secret Garden, Anne of GG, Heidi, etc. She's read the first 4 HP's--we are holding off on the rest, as well as on Hunger Games and that sort of dystopian stuff. She's so over historical fiction--is very well-read in that genre, and sick.of.it. So, any suggestions? Not Austen yet, and pls not "YA, issue-oriented fiction." Aaaand trying to stay away from sci fi or fantasy, as that's easy for her to pick up. I don't want a lot of violence, divorce/family angst/death/tragedy, and she hates books about animals (although she loves animals!). No horse stories. Not even Black Stallion or Nat'l Velvet. :glare::D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 She's re-reading right now--NOTHING new. She's read the classics for young ones--Secret Garden, Anne of GG, Heidi, etc. She's read the first 4 HP's--we are holding off on the rest, as well as on Hunger Games and that sort of dystopian stuff. She's so over historical fiction--is very well-read in that genre, and sick.of.it. So, any suggestions? Not Austen yet, and pls not "YA, issue-oriented fiction." Aaaand trying to stay away from sci fi or fantasy, as that's easy for her to pick up. I don't want a lot of violence, divorce/family angst/death/tragedy, and she hates books about animals (although she loves animals!). No horse stories. Not even Black Stallion or Nat'l Velvet. :glare::D Err...this is your list of things you have eliminated: new stuff, classics, dystopian, issue-oriented, sci-fi/fantasy, youth fiction, adult fiction, violence and animal books. You've sort of eliminated a *lot*, lol. Can you name a couple of books that are along the lines of what you are looking for and I'll try to list some more along the same lines? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 The Little House series The Borrowers series Cherry Ames Nurse series (oldie but a goodie) Betsy-Tacy B is for Betsy The Great Brain series The Boxcar Children books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 What about having a look at Bethlehem books? they have some nice girl series Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 (edited) These may be in the YA section of your library: Here Lies the Librarian, A Season of Gifts, and The Teacher's Funeral all by Richard Peck. (Same author of A Year Down Yonder and A Long Way from Chicago--these are also good.) Each story is about small town happenings around the early 20th century. There's always some character to liven things up! ETA: Has she read Edward Eager's Half Magic series? The stories involve magic but not in fantasy-genre sort of way. Regular kids stumble onto magic, crazy things happen to them, and they have to figure out how to remedy their situations. Edited November 5, 2011 by Cinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LidiyaDawn Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Err...this is your list of things you have eliminated: new stuff, classics, dystopian, issue-oriented, sci-fi/fantasy, youth fiction, adult fiction, violence and animal books. You've sort of eliminated a *lot*, lol. That's what I was thinking :laugh: Too bad on the 'no animals' - I'd have suggested the Cat Warriors books (dd14 loved them when she was younger) …. Hey what about some of the older fun girls series? Babysitter's Club was one that I remember loving… what else was there -- Saddle Club, Sweet Valley Twins (the girls are 12 in that, not 16 like the high school series), Nancy Drew…. Ohhh I remember these stories about a girl named - I think it was "Bookie" …she lived during the - 30s? 50s? I think…now I have to go figure out what that was…. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LidiyaDawn Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Ohhh I remember these stories about a girl named - I think it was "Bookie" …she lived during the - 30s? 50s? I think…now I have to go figure out what that was…. Aha! Booky - by Bernice Thurman Hunter … they didn't have those covers though, they've 'updated' the look of them… I remember them looking like this, this, and this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNC Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 (edited) My 12yo daughter had the same criteria last summer. :) -Chasing Vermeer trilogy -Mysterious Benedict Society trilogy -Mandie series (lots of these) by Lois Gladys Leppard http://www.amazon.com/Mandie-Collection-Cherokee-Bandits-Forbidden/dp/0764204467 -Melendy Quartet -Thimble Summer -Gone Away Lake -Return to Gone Away Lake all by Elizabeth Enright -Rules -Touch Blue both by Cynthia Lord -Louisa May Alcott (classic but maybe she missed it) -Wrinkle in Time series by Madeline L'engle (science fiction but maybe she hasn't read it yet!) Edited November 5, 2011 by LNC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwjx2khsmj Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 The Penderwicks. The Mysterious Benedict Society. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. Where the Mountain Meets to Moon. Hoot. Holes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 I second the "Betsy-Tacy" series. She'll love it! Also "Understood Betsy" is a good one. "Little Women" "Homer Price" Anything by Beverly Cleary. "Ellen Tebbits" comes to mind. The "Mary Poppins" series by P. L. Travers. I loved those at that age. The "Trixie Belden" series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Um... How about mysteries? The Westing Game? Knocking out classics, historical fiction, fantasy, animal books, issues books... Covers a lot. ;) How about... From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Walk Two Moons Chasing Vermeer The Neddiad The Penderwicks The Puzzling World of Winston Breen The Mysterious Benedict Society Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place The Willoughbys The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (unrelated to the title above) The Children of Green Knowe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 These probably don't fit your parameters but my 11 yr dd has enjoyed these: Percy Jackson series Kane Chronicles Mysterious Benedict Society a lot of Twain the John Grisham series for kids (can't remember exact name) Emmy series by Lynne Jonell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 These probably don't fit your parameters either, but: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. Island of the Blue Dolphin. Indian in the Cupboard series. Maximum ride series by James Patterson is really good. Percy Jackson Series. Kane Chronicles. The Land of Elyon series by Patrick Carman. The 39 Clues books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 The Penderwicks. The Mysterious Benedict Society. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. Where the Mountain Meets to Moon. Hoot. Holes. :iagree: My DD loved all of those. My Side of the Mountain (and the second one) Sign of the Beaver All the Percy Jackson books and the other series Bark of the Bog Owl series (Jonathon Rogers) The Wingfeather Saga - 3 in the series (Andrew Peterson) 100 Cupboards - Series of 3 Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack - Shannon Hale (Princess Academy) - graphic novels - twaddle but fun - also Book of a Thousand Days by her The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (and others in the series) HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meggie Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 I would recommend Princess Academy and Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale. They have a little magic in them, but it's pretty minor. It's more about the relationships. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 (edited) Artemis Fowl or Percy Jackson? Matilda? Nanny McPhee? The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? Five Children and It? Witches? BFG? I have to delve into the depths of my poor memory-- but wait! We have Library Thing! As I look through that, I find Mysterious Benedict Society & Mixed Up Files-- and they, along with the Penderwicks have already been mentioned. Hmmmm... Theodosia (I think there are 3- but as her parents are early 20th century archeologists, there is some talk about Ancient Egyptian curses etc) Ginger Pye (Are dogs ok?) The Book of Dragons ? The Water Horse ? (Not an actual horse) THe Secret of Platform 13 ? The Indian in the Cupboard ? Island of the Blue Dolphin ? Mary Poppins ? As with Nanny MchPee (also know to us as Matilda, which is not Dahl's Matilda) there is magic. Blue Willow The Princess Academy The Elephant's Magic ? The Reluctant Heiress (By Ibbotson-- same author as Secret of Platform 13) The Escape From Home & Beyond The Western Sea A Long Way From Chicago & A Year Down Yonder The Shakespeare Stealer & Shakespeare's Secret Betti on the High Wire (deals with adoption and race, but it is so delicate and beautifully written. We all cried here) I have a huge list of great books, but not all of the children are from intact families, or without animals or magical thinking etc. Even The Little Princess and The Secret Garden kids are parent-poor. The Indian in the Cupboard listed above is a great book but the toy indian does come to life. What's topics are the OK list? I can search our lists by topic. Are you interested in historical fiction? My dc went through a dark period of The Romanovs, Salem Witch Trials, Black Death etc., but there are others as well. Edited November 7, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 How about the Trixie Belden series? It isn't great literature, but very wholesome, and teaches a lot of interesting tidbits. I learned about things like blind cave fish and mexican american holiday traditions from those books, as she traveled. I will definitely have my daughter read them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Oh, another old series was the Cherry Ames series...about a traveling nurse. Great, and also wholesome. I loved them in 6th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Pippi Longstocking Nancy Drew Caddie Woodlawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooRho Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 you should get both Honey for a Child's heart and honey for a teen's Heart by Gladys Hunt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LidiyaDawn Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 How about the Trixie Belden series? It isn't great literature, but very wholesome, and teaches a lot of interesting tidbits. I learned about things like blind cave fish and mexican american holiday traditions from those books, as she traveled. I will definitely have my daughter read them. I hated those! :laugh: I'm not saying that to knock your suggestion ~ it just made me laugh because someone gave me a bunch of them as a kid (I guess they thought I'd like them because I read a lot and had other "girl series") and I tried to like them, I did…but they were so boring. :p [to me!] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sevilla Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 All of a Kind Family series by Sydney Taylor The Magic Bicycle Series by John Bibee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 I hated those! :laugh: I'm not saying that to knock your suggestion ~ it just made me laugh because someone gave me a bunch of them as a kid (I guess they thought I'd like them because I read a lot and had other "girl series") and I tried to like them, I did…but they were so boring. :p [to me!] WHAT?!?! I loved Trixie Belden! Could not get into Nancy Drew, though. I also agree with the 3 Penderwicks books- loved them. My goddaughter did like the Cat Warriors books, too. All of a Kind Family, the "older" Beverly Cleary books are also good suggestions. A couple I have to add are Smells Like Dog and Smells Like Treasure. There is a dog in these books, but the main character is the kid who owns the dog. We enjoyed these books tremendously as read-alouds. What about Edward Eager books- in the magic/fantasy realm, but not quite like HP or other fantasy books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 I don't know that the OP is being *too* restrictive. What I hear is contemporary realistic, upper middle grades quality books. Some of the suggestions here fit that - Elizabeth Enright, the Penderwicks, All of a Kind Family, Chasing Vermeer... I'll add a couple more - Wendy Mass, whose book Every Soul a Star is about homeschooling Phyllis Reynolds Naylor - try Faith, Hope and Ivy June Kathy Appelit - slightly fantastical, but grounded in reality Cynthia Lord - try Touch Blue Deborah Wiles - try Every Little Bird that Sings Then, if she's willing to do a little historical fiction, here are some non Austen-esque, non-frontier girl suggestions... Countdown by Deborah Wiles Jennifer Holm (her books, not her Babymouse!) One Crazy Summer (I LOVED this book) Gloria Whelan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LidiyaDawn Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 WHAT?!?! I loved Trixie Belden! Could not get into Nancy Drew, though. …and I was quite the Nancy Drew fan. :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 …and I was quite the Nancy Drew fan. :laugh: :lol: Different Strokes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Swallows and Amazons series, too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 I hated those! :laugh: I'm not saying that to knock your suggestion ~ it just made me laugh because someone gave me a bunch of them as a kid (I guess they thought I'd like them because I read a lot and had other "girl series") and I tried to like them, I did…but they were so boring. :p [to me!] LOL, they were my favorite books! I read the entire series 3 times in elementary school. I was reading two a day for a while. I wanted to be Trixie soooooo bad! I hated the Nancy Drew books though. I couldn't relate at all to jet setting around the world like she did. I knew plane tickets were expensive and that seemed totally unreal to me, in the reality i knew anyway. Trixie's life was much more like my life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 WHAT?!?! I loved Trixie Belden! Could not get into Nancy Drew, though. Agreed. Trixie was MUCH better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi @ Mt Hope Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Here is my list (many have already been suggested already) Trixie Belden (I loved those as a young girl. :)) All of a Kind Family series by Sydney Taylor Understood Betsy Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm The Saturdays (and anything by Elizabeth Enright) The Moffats (and anything by Eleanor Estes) The Penderwicks (3 books) Chasing Vermeer The Mysterious Benedict Society (trilogy) Swallows and Amazons (series) The Wolves of Willoughby Chase The Willoughbys From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler The Westing Game The Princess and the Goblin/The Princess and Curdie by George MacDonald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 (edited) Would she be willing to read any of James Herriot's books? they're more true to life than fiction. He just "happens" to be a vet dealing with animals all day long. what about Nancy Drew? Edited November 6, 2011 by gardenmom5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 This thread got me wishing Cynthia Rylant would write a series for older girls similar to her Cobble Street Cousins series. I suppose an 11 year old is too old for CSC, but they are so dear. For those of you with younger girls, try not to miss them. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 (edited) You've gotten a lot of great suggestions already, but what about: A Crooked Kind of Perfect The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series - I see this has been recommended but just had to second it! Frindle Hoot What Katy Did Masterpiece Time at the Top Edited November 6, 2011 by Mothersweets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 This thread got me wishing Cynthia Rylant would write a series for older girls similar to her Cobble Street Cousins series. I suppose an 11 year old is too old for CSC, but they are so dear. For those of you with younger girls, try not to miss them. :) We love Cynthia Rylant at our house! I have heard of this series but haven't found them at our library. I'll make it a point to find them, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 (edited) We love Cynthia Rylant at our house! I have heard of this series but haven't found them at our library. I'll make it a point to find them, thanks. I used to love reading Henry and Mudge with the children when they were little. Have you read The Islander or The Van Gogh Cafe? Love those. For those who like Rylant, I recommend author Lisa Railsback who has recently written Beti on the High Wire. Railsback is a young(ish) writer, and I think Beti is her only/first book for children. I had that same teary-eyed feeling reading Beti that I get when reading Rylant. I just checked Amazon and Railsback does have another novel for children! It Noonie's Masterpiece. Off to ILL. :) Edited November 6, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Well, Cynthia Rylant did write Missing May, which would be appropriate for an 11 yo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Well, Cynthia Rylant did write Missing May, which would be appropriate for an 11 yo. Yep. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted November 7, 2011 Author Share Posted November 7, 2011 THANK YOU!!! I don't know how to multiple quote, but let me say I felt pretty proud that dd has read many of the books you guys suggested. :D I've been able to glean 15 books from your lists, and that's exciting! Thanks so very much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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