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Any Ideas For A Good Book For A 12 Year Old??

R

Real Great Idea

New Member
I am the mother of a 12 year old girl, and I was looking for some input about some books that would be educational, yet interesting for her. Any ideas???
 
OK, 12-year-old girl. Does she like to read? What books does she like? What are her hobbies? Is she a tomboy?

You might start with the Newbery and Caldecott books. Some school systems assign these books for summer reading, so her friends may have read some of these books. You might have read some of them yourself. Do you remember any books that you read over and over when you were that age?
 
Mary Hoffman has written a series called Stravaganza. There's three books: City of Masks, City of Stars, City of Flowers. They are pretty much standalones but kept together by a common thread - stravagagating, i.e. moving through time and space. I've read the first book and it was well-written, fastpaced, interesting and heartfelt. It's about a boy who is seriously ill and who gets a notebook from his father. He falls asleep with the notebook in his hand and wakes up in Belleza, a medieval Italian city. This is not exactly Italy though, because it's a parallell universe and Belleza is the equivalent of Venice. He meets a girl and is drawn in to all sorts of adventures and dangers involving the Bellezan court. Mixed in with this is his deteriorating state of his body in this universe which he has to return to not to loose it. I loved this book and as I read it I couldn't help but wish that I could send it back to my 12 year old self.

I also like Angie Sage's Magyk and Flyte which are fantasy books reminiscent of Harry Potter in style but with a different sort of story. Very "cozy" books, something for a rainy day.

I don't know if this is any help, but if you tell us more about what she likes I can probably come up with more suggestions.
 
pink shadow said:
Mary Hoffman has written a series called Stravaganza. There's three books: City of Masks, City of Stars, City of Flowers. They are pretty much standalones but kept together by a common thread - stravagagating, i.e. moving through time and space.
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I'll second that suggestion - these are good books.
 
When I was 12, I really liked the Artemis Fowl series (and still do, by the way.) by Eion Colfer. I also liked his book, The Wish List.

Also, I would try Nancy Drew. My friend really liked them when she was younger.
 
Do you know at what level she is reading? Do you know if she has any preferences? Actually, almost all books can be made somewhat educational if you get creative - geography (whether it be understanding the general plane of a fictional creation or looking for actual places and things); history (even fiction often contains an historical reference, even if only in tone; etc.

Anyways, it really depends on her reading level as to what I would recommend. If she is reading AND comprehending at a much higher level, then the playing field is wide open! Also, what history class will she be taking next year. I might have some ideas on some great biographies that are entertaining, as well a educational.
 
There's a fun series (with 8+ books) written by Meg Cabot. The Princess Diaries. The same books that the movie was based on.

I'd hold off on giving The Princess Bride to a 12 year old. She might not be old enough to appreciate it properly ;)
 
The Giver; Number the Stars; both by Lois Lowry.
Also, Stepping on the Cracks by Mary Downing Hahn.
Judy Blume and Jean Little.

These are all books that I ADORED when I was her age, which was actually only about ten years ago.
 
The young (pre-)teen market is just huge. I'd just go to the library and ask for the top-selling books of that genre.
 
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne. About an 8 year old German boy, set in the 1940s. Certainly not aimed at 8 year old children though - more the 11 and up audience. Very serious, and well written while meeting your "educational" criteria.

Once - Marris Gleitzman. A very popular author, but this is a departure from his usual style. Again with a concentration camp theme would fit the enjoyable and educational criteria (and has been on our local secondary schools "transmission" list for year 6 kids).

Linda Newbury stuff and some of Celia Rees (Pirates!) would also be good recommendations.

Robin McKinlay's retelling of Sleeping Beauty is also well worth a read, and a bit more girly than some of the above!

HTH
 
My 12-year-old niece really enjoyed The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale. It's a fairly popular fantasy novel that was released last year (with the sequel having just come out).
 
I'm enjoying the Shadow Children series...it's sort of like Hunger Games light...same theme of oppressive futuristic gov't.

Cherub series by Robert Muchamore might be good.... but it's got some pretty mature themes and language.
 
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It really depends on your daughter's interests. My 11 year old daughter is a zombie fanatic (even writes zombie short stories) and has a higher reading age than her actual age so enjoys books that are written for people older than her. (She's a huge fan of World War Z). When she is in the mind to read books geared more to her age group she usually gravitates towards The Spooks series by Joseph Delaney.
 
I know this thread is old, but in case there are other people looking for good books for 12 year olds, 'The Phantom Tollbooth' by Norton Juster is a fun read. I read it as a kid and then again as an adult. It was great to see the progression of meaning that was gained from one reading to the next. There are tons of puns throughout the story, and it is not only entertaining, but definitely educational, with tons of themes and morals to make anyone think more critically.
 
Real Great Idea said:
I am the mother of a 12 year old girl, and I was looking for some input about some books that would be educational, yet interesting for her. Any ideas???
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My grandchildren have just got Kindles so I've bought them The Backshaw Class series through Amazon. I'm enjoying reading them myself !
I'll let you know how we get on.
 
Tom Tully said:
My grandchildren have just got Kindles so I've bought them The Backshaw Class series through Amazon. I'm enjoying reading them myself !
I'll let you know how we get on.
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I'm halfway through Anyway - the first of The Backshaw Class stories. It's a riot ! However I can't prise the Kindle off my grandchildren because they are so engrossed in the plot. Does anybody know if Kindle books can be read on an ordinary computer ?
 
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