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.
We have some lovely giveaways planned (and you’ll need to be a member to enter, so go here), but I’m also running 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.
Mosquito Advertising (series) by Kate Hunter
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 (Read kid review)
Hetty Feather (series) by Jacqueline Wilson (Read kid review)
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
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 Song From Somewhere Else by A.F. Harrold
Because Of Winn Dixie by Kate Di Camillo
Grimsdon by Deborah Abela
Smile (graphic novel) by Raina Telgemeier
Sisters (graphic novel) by Raina Telgemeier
Ghosts (graphic novel) by Raina Telgemeier
The Improbable Theory Of Ana and Zak by Brian Katcher
Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella
My Life As An Alphabet by Barry Jonsberg
The Other Side Of Summer by Emily Gale
For more suggestions for tween girls, check out this list by tween blogger Jazzy or visit 14-year-old blogger Book Boy.
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.
For more information about my new series The Ateban Cipher, which also features AWESOME girls, go here.
(NB: Clicking the book title links will take you to Booktopia for more information and to purchase if you wish. Most of these books are also available on Amazon.)
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!