question for moms of daughters who love to read -- 11 yo?

[Momma Aimee]

I have an 11 year old neice who loves to read.

Her family runs a CSA and they have no "modern" toys (no viedo games, eletronics and so on). The TV lives int he closet and comes out for edcuational or good family things only (they just watched the news coverage of the 50th annv of Topeka vs Board of Education).

Her birthday is coming up.

What books have your daughters loved?

I would be open to a more natural voice. Maybe a female voice?

I have asked her mom anything she is wanting. But I wanted to see what other girls out are reading and loving.

[Alkenny]

My 11 year old got on a kick w/ "girl power"....

Girls Think of Everything (about women and girl inventors)

Rabble Rousers-20 Women who made a difference

There was one about girl immigrants telling their story in their own words, and of course the Dear American books.

[spero]

My DD (10-1/2) likes the Dear America books, Ella Enchanted, Holes, The Mother Tree & Next Door to Xanadu (I bought those for her b/c they were my absolute faves when I was her age!), Caddie Woodlawn, anything by Avi, and the Little House books - including "The Rose Years", "The Caroline Years", and "The Martha Years".

[Shantimama]

Julie of the Wolves
Island of the Blue Dolphins
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Little Women
Karen
Anne of Green Gables
Beautiful Joe

[DebraBaker]

This is a good time for the Anne books.

Madeline L'Engle books (A wrinkle in time and the others in that trilogy but her more obscure books are good. Including especially "An Acceptible Time")

Lois Lowry is wonderful. Number the Stars, The Giver, Gathering Blue are great books.

Beauty (a good telling of Beauty and the Beast)

This is a good time for the Narnia series. Again CS Lewis has good obscure books.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic.

She might like Little Women.

DB

[Arduinna]

My dd loved Wise Child and Juniper by Monica Furlong.

[carrots]

good ideas already
scott o'dell books (historical fiction, lots of female leads)

[SabrinaJL]

Belle Teal by Ann M. Martin It's about a poor girl in the south whose school becomes integrated. Great book.

DD also likes the Wild at Heart series by Laurie Halse Anderson. It's about kids who volunteer in an animal clinic and help rescue animals.

[carrots]

James Harriet's "all creatures great and small" would be good too. these are great animal stories, some are quite hilarious

[Retro]

Watership Down is the book that made me stop and think what it means to be a human. Since then I have read it five times and each time it grows on me more.

It is about travelers leaving their doomed city to discover a new life.
It is about rabbits, yes they talk... but its one of the best books ever written. I just havent discovered anything like it, and it is just magical. Its not for the faint of heart however, as the rabbits are animals and they experience danger that one would expect of creatures trying to survive in the wild. Its awesome and I will never forget the lessons it taught me. Everyone who I have lent the book to thanked me, as it is a refreshing novel in this day and age.

Pick this book up before all others. It captures your interest in a way that TKAM and other classics fail to do. They come secondary to the powerhouse that is Watership Down.

[librarymom]

E.L. Konigsburg

[Celine]

the laura ingalls books?

nancy drew series? i read them all when i was young, but now i can't remember how old i was....

[lilyka]

The Heidi series (they are hard to find, the second two are out of print. they would make a nice keep sake if you can find them)
I want to second A wrinkle in time series and the narnia series. both excellent.
Ann of Green Gable and the Wizard of Oz both have great series. even if she has read the first she probably hasn't read the rest of the series and they can both be obtained for fairly inexpensive.

[Dragonfly]

Originally Posted by carrots

James Harriet's "all creatures great and small" would be good too. these are great animal stories, some are quite hilarious

These were my favorite when I was about that age. Also, "The Hero and the Crown."

[Sweeney]

Those are some good suggestions so far! Check out:
-Bridge to Terabithia
-The Great Gilly Hopkins (most of Katherine Paterson's books are awesome)
-Maniac Magee (male voice)
-Matilda
-Catherine called Birdy
-The Ramona books by Beverly Cleary
-The Secret Garden
-The Neverending Story (male voice)

[marisa724]

Some classics on here!

A newer author is Wendelin Van Draanen, she wrote Flipped along with some others that are not coming to me at this moment... Good realistic contemporary fiction. Flipped is the story of a girl who likes a boy, and a boy who's annoyed by the girl, and it goes back and forth with each telling his/her side until by the end, everything is truly flipped.

She also writes the Sammy Keyes mystery series (another female protagonist).

Just thought of another one! Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris. Just published in 2002. A fairy tale with star-crossed lovers who cannot meet; they exchange messages by "p-mail" (carrier pigeons!) Of course, she's the downtrodden princess with an evil mother and perfect sisters; he's been adopted by a troll. Kind of 'Shrek-y', but not.

[kimbalicious]

How about Tamora Pierce's books? They have strong female characters and a diverse population. They are fantasy style (i.e. some characters become female knights, there are mages, etc.). They do, however, have some slight adult content. Sexual activity is mentioned, but not described. They are wonderful books, though (I just recently found out about them and read them )