lisabees Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 I am looking for books with characters that dd can relate to... Maybe books with a coming of age theme? Maybe books with characters who overcome family upheaval (divorce)? Maybe books with strong girls as a main character? You know the kinds of books I am talking about - those that change the way you see life and yourself, especially during those middle school years. Those books that you call a friend and help create a sense of self. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waa510 Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 I would look at the recs on A Mighty Girl under the Life Circumstances tab. From there you can choose a myriad of different specifics that you'd like a book to touch on. There's also good reads' listopia...tons on coming of age books lists or lists about strong female leads. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisabees Posted September 10, 2015 Author Share Posted September 10, 2015 Thanks Whitney! I have never heard of A Mighty Girl! Thank you, thank you! Side Note: Just returned from a lovely, first-ever trip to Japan! ;) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Each of the four girls is dealing with something different - first love, divorce, dying friend..The books are more teen-themed, though, with one girl losing her virginity (nothing graphic) in the first or second book) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Hope Was Here--Joan Bauer Dicey's Song I Capture the Castle 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Seconding I Capture the Castle (obviously as I named my blog after it!). Traveling Pants and all the Joan Bauer books are also good suggestions. Also some of the Sarah Dessen books. How about Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass? At that age, I was obsessed with everything by Madeleine L'Engle, but especially A Ring of Endless Light and Camilla. Some girls that age, if they're fantasy types, get super into the Tamora Pierce books. I think you were mostly asking about "real world" books, but there's a real value in escape books too and I think a lot of kids this age want nothing more than serious good and evil fantasy in order to work out their ideas of what's right and wrong in the world. Warning, there is some very ungraphic s*x in some of them as the characters reach young adulthood. I like to advocate for them though because one of the cool things Pierce did was create female characters who all choose different paths with romance and s*x. In that fantasy vein, the Young Wizards series is another that's right for this age. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loesje22000 Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Dd likes the .... stories for girls books from the 'My story' serie from Scholastic. I love their War Stories for girls book. So for this year I planned Tudor Stories for Girls. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 I second Dicey's Song... that one and Homecoming were two that really helped me at that age. I Capture the Castle is definitely one of my favorites too. Two of my favorite protagonists! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Everything by Rebecca Stead. When You Reach Me, Liar and Spy, First Light and Goodbye Stranger. Perfect for girls this age, coming of age, thinking about your identity and how you are going to be in the world. Shannon and I just finished reading Goodbye Stranger and it was really a wonderful book. I'll ask Shannon for more suggestions when she wakes up. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisabees Posted September 10, 2015 Author Share Posted September 10, 2015 I Capture the Castle has been in my Amazon wishlist for a while! I cannot thank you enough for all of the suggestions. I have been spending a long time looking into all of them. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaplank Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Yes - Dicey's Song and the rest in that series were the first to come to mind when I read your post. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSinNS Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 Don't know if she read Little Women yet. It's old fashioned, but got me through that tough time. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 I will say my absolute #1 for that age and issues would be The Wee Free Men and the Other Tiffany Aching books!! Ocean at the End of the Lane, Coraline, I would say the Percy Jackson books (lots of missing and dysfunctional family stuff and both female and male protagonists), anything Judy Blume, Wise Child, The Secret Life of Bees, and Cinder. My teen daughter said Hunger Games, The Rithmatist, Little Women, A Year Down Yonder, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (check for maturity), Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, The Golden Compass (coming of age, parents), Gregor the Overlander (main boy protagonist but lots of girls). She wants to reiterate that Little Women is one of THE best books ever and her first recommendation here. ;) She also agrees with Tiffany Aching books, Coraline, Percy Jackson, 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 Ooh, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is great for that age, especially if she likes historical novels. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisabees Posted September 13, 2015 Author Share Posted September 13, 2015 I second Dicey's Song... that one and Homecoming were two that really helped me at that age. I Capture the Castle is definitely one of my favorites too. Two of my favorite protagonists! I swore there were old threads listing books with favorite female protagonists - I would love to hear everyone's favorites. I got Dicey's Song from the library today. Should I have gotten Homecoming instead, as that is the first in the series? I Capture the Castle is on hold and I will likely read Little Women aloud next week. I also picked up Every Soul A Star by Wendy Mass. Thanks all! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 I swore there were old threads listing books with favorite female protagonists - I would love to hear everyone's favorites. A few older threads that might be of interest ~ from 2010, Book ideas for 11dd - strong women from 2012, Books for 12 year old girls from 2008, Book recommendations needed: for 14 year old young lady from 2008, What books are your 12 yo daughters reading? Regards, Kareni 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 I would go to your local library and look up books that are biographies about girls/young women. Of course they will be inspiring, because that's why they were made into books. Real life books trump non-fiction. But I do love A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 The Breadwinner (Ellis). The Shakespeare Stealer (Blackwood) has a memorable female character. All-of-a-Kind Family (Taylor). Spunky heroine: Dealing with Dragons trilogy (Wrede). Possibilities: The Fault in Our Stars (Green) has some possibly too-mature themes. The Book Thief (Zusak)? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisabees Posted September 13, 2015 Author Share Posted September 13, 2015 A few older threads that might be of interest ~ from 2010, Book ideas for 11dd - strong women from 2012, Books for 12 year old girls from 2008, Book recommendations needed: for 14 year old young lady from 2008, What books are your 12 yo daughters reading? Regards, Kareni How did you do that? Find those archived threads??? I remember so many of them. So many book ideas I got from you and Eliana and nmoira (sigh). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisabees Posted September 13, 2015 Author Share Posted September 13, 2015 I would go to your local library and look up books that are biographies about girls/young women. Of course they will be inspiring, because that's why they were made into books. Real life books trump non-fiction. But I do love A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. :) Actually, I know she will love books like I am Malala and those like it! Thanks for the reminder. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 How did you do that? Find those archived threads??? I'd remembered recommending Tamora Pierce books in the past on similar threads. On the search page, I entered Find words: Tamora Find author: Kareni Search in: Live content (initally) and Archives (later) Regards, Kareni 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 And a few more threads that I found by searching Find words: strong Match: Only search in titles Hermione -- and other strong female characters in lit.... Strong females... (s/o of strong females in lit) What is a "strong female character"? Books about strong women... Regards, Kareni 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMD Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 I just finished pre reading The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, it has a strong, smart, loyal and courageous 12 year old female protagonist, who's father is away at war. I really loved it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisabees Posted September 14, 2015 Author Share Posted September 14, 2015 I'd remembered recommending Tamora Pierce books in the past on similar threads. On the search page, I entered Find words: Tamora Find author: Kareni Search in: Live content (initally) and Archives (later) Regards, Kareni Who knew??!! Now I can spend all day looking at threads from the old board! Thank you ever so much! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 I feel like starting a thread about Strong Boys in literature. Ds12.9 is having some emotional rough spots. Would like suggestions for some good book titles to help him. Sorry for the side track, OP. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaceful Isle Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 I like the Elizabeth Gail books. The girl goes through a host a emotional problems, but in the end, she deals well with them, and life is good. :) I just bought them on ebay for my daughter. She loved them, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 An Old Fashioned Girl is by the same author as Little Women but is more coming of age/figuring out who you are-ish. Christy is good A Girl of the Limberlost ditto Personally I'm a believer in girls reading boy books and boys reading girl books. Any story about heroic behavior and kids growing up through facing challenges would be helpful at this age. That would definitely include LOTR. There is no harm (and actually a great deal of good) in a girl identifying with the values and decisions of someone like Frodo or Aragorn, even though they are male. Ditto Harry Potter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 A Little Princess Understood Betsy (we still laugh at the "dreaded chores") maybe Heidi (Get the full version, which goes beyond Heidi's return to the mountain and into Clara visiting her and her grandfather's restoration with the village. A lot of editions stop at about the half way point.) Not exactly what you're asking for, but Swiss Family Robinson really spoke to me about resourcefulness and joy in adversity. Surviving the Applewhites Shadow Spinner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Women Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 This is not a book, but I have found with my pre-teens that Evening Primrose Oil is extremely helpful for their emotional rough patches. It's also good for women with a lot of PMS, so sometimes we all take it! We do about 500mg per night, but only a week or two per month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Don't know if she read Little Women yet. It's old fashioned, but got me through that tough time. An Old Fashioned Girl is by the same author as Little Women but is more coming of age/figuring out who you are-ish. Was just going to add this one to the list. I read and re-read all of LMA's books in junior high and high school, but an Old Fashioned Girl is my all-time favorite, though I dearly love Jo too. I related to Polly a lot though--wanting to fit in, not fitting in, figuring out that compromising one's values to fit in is not worth it... and I loved the growth in the characters over time, even characters you didn't think would change--and then also seeing that some people don't change as well. A lot of depth in that book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.