This month, the Your Kid’s Next Read Facebook group celebrates its first anniversary – as well as its 2000th member! Oh my, but it’s been a big year.
I’m arunning a series of posts collating fantastic book lists that correspond to some of our most popular and recurring questions.
Today, a doozy.
I have a young friend, just turned 13, who has struggled to find books she likes over the last couple of years (so, grade 5 onwards). She’s a reluctant reader, who really enjoyed Ruby Redfort, but her mum would like to offer her a broad smorgasbord to see where her tastes might settle.
My suggestions included ‘Withering-By-Sea‘ (Judith Rossell) and ‘The Lost Sapphire’ (Belinda Murrell).
She is not keen on fantasy, not interested in ‘Anne of Green Gables‘ (L.M. Montgomery) and other classics, and her mum has been keen to keep her out of YA romance territory.
Thoughts?
Of course, the group came through with myriad quality suggestions, listed below in no particular order.
Star of Deltora (series) by Emily Rodda
The Hunger Games (series) by Suzanne Collins
Tomorrow, When The War Began (series) by John Marsden
The Flyaway Girls by Julia Lawrinson
Hetty Feather (series) by Jacqueline Wilson
The Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Saffy’s Angel by Hilary McKay
A Single Stone by Meg McKinlay
The Naming Of Tishkin Silk (Kingdom Of Silk series) by Glenda Millard, ill. Caroline Magerl)
The Matilda Saga (series) by Jackie French
Raymie Nightingale by Kate Di Camillo
Lighthouse Girl by Dianne Wolfer, ill. Brian Simmonds
The Lost Twin (Scarlet and Ivy series) by Sophie Cleverly
Murder Most Unladylike (series) by Robin Stevens
Girls Who Rocked The World by Michelle Roehm McCann and Amelie Welden
Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo
Willow Bright’s Secret Plot by A. L. Tait
The Secret of Nightingale Wood by Lucy Strange
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
The Ratcatcher’s Daughter by Pamela Rushby
Girl Online (series) by Zoe Sugg
The Last Word by A. L.Tait
The Song From Somewhere Else by A.F. Harrold
Because Of Winn Dixie by Kate Di Camillo
Smile (graphic novel) by Raina Telgemeier
My Life As An Alphabet by Barry Jonsberg
The Other Side Of Summer by Emily Gale
The First Summer of Callie McGee by A. L. Tait
The Book Of Chance by Sue Whiting
You’ll find 24 books for tween boys with ‘nothing to read’ here and some great lists of recommend reads for kids 10+ here.
And if you’d like some suggestions for books for boys featuring AWESOME girls, go here.
Other book lists you might find useful
What 13 year olds are reading right now
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog!
I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of 11 middle-grade novels, including adventure fantasy series such as The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries, and contemporary stories including THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE, WILLOW BRIGHT’S SECRET PLOT, DANGER ROAD and THE LAST WORD.
You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
If you’re looking for book recommendations for young readers, join the Your Kid’s Next Read Facebook community, tune in to the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast and sign up for the Your Kid’s Next Read newsletter.
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Great list! I loved Katherine Rundell’s ‘The Rooftoppers’ as well as Cathryn Contable’s ‘The White Tower’ and ‘The Wolf Princess’. Hilary McKay’s ‘Binny’ series is also a lot of fun.
Thanks Linsey!