# Book recommendation for 11 year old girl? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 21, 2002, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220 "2002-12-21T13:41:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/1 "2002-12-21T13:41:29Z")
I’m Christmas shopping for my niece at the moment, and I’m not inspired by her wish list. Specifically the books, she asked for Junie B Jones and Judy Moody. Looking at the Amazon descriptions, the reading level seems a little low for her age (11), as she’s a pretty smart kid. Anyone have recommendations for some good books for girls age 11-14? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/2 "2002-12-21T14:45:26Z")
People Might Hear You. Some Judy Blume. Also try Gordon Korman- hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/3 "2002-12-21T14:46:48Z")
Based on the books she wants, I’d recommend the \Alice\ series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. The first book in the series is \The Agony of Alice\. While the plot is about the fairly comic adventures of a 6th grader, the writing is quite good. \Love From Your Friend, Hannah\, by Mindy Warshaw Skosky, is also pretty good. This one takes place in the 1930s, and is told in the form of letters from Hannah to various people she knows, and in some cases, doesn’t know at all (like President Roosevelt). ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/4 "2002-12-21T14:57:20Z")
Two of my favorites are ‘Holes’ and ‘Ella Enchanted.’ Depends on her reading level, though. ---
**Author:** ![as\_u\_wish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@as\_u\_wish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/as_u_wish)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/5 "2002-12-21T16:57:10Z")
If she hasn’t read the Harry Potter series, these are excellent–but I expect she has. Silver Wing and Sun Wing are a fun series about some sentient bats. The Wayside School books (Way side School, Way side School is Falling Down, Way side School gets a little stranger) are very funny stories about a school built vertically instead of horizontally. If she’s an advanced reader and likes fantasy, Anne McCaffrey’s Harper Hall series (Dragon Singer, Dragon Song, Dragon Drums) are good for pre-teens. The balance of McCaffrey’s books are definitely early high school. ---
**Author:** ![Fatwater\_Fewl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@Fatwater\_Fewl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatwater_Fewl)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/6 "2002-12-21T20:32:32Z")
I’d suggest the [His Dark Materials](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0345448898/ref=pd_sr_ec_ir_b//002-4393450-3916044?v=glance&s=books) series by Phillip Pullman. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/7 "2002-12-21T20:56:36Z")
**How about where the Red Fern Grows** … Great bookt with tons of hidden messeges and even teachings on growing up, coming of age and death. Wonderful book. ---
**Author:** ![Hazel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Hazel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazel)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/8 "2002-12-21T21:14:07Z")
Agree with Fewl, His Dark Materials would be a good choice. Also any book for kids by Dianna Wynn Jones. One of my favorites is Archer’s Goon. ---
**Author:** ![auliya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/90db22/32.png) [@auliya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auliya)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/9 "2002-12-21T22:32:54Z")
I agree with Hazel, Diana Wynn Jones is excellent. Also the Hobbit, if she hasn’t read it. LOTR itself if she is an advanced reader. Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea trilogy (+one) or CS Lewis’s Narnia books. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/10 "2002-12-21T23:08:07Z")
Junie B. Jones and Judy Moody are good books, but you’re right, those are quite young for an eleven year old. I recommend Elizabeth Enright’s _Four Story Mistake_, and its sequels, which I loved at that age. Also, anything by Zilpha Keatley Snyder, especially _The Egypt Game_, or Susan Cooper’s _The Dark is Rising_ series. You can get that one in a boxed set, so that might be convenient. It might be a little older (the characters are 14), but I also loved loved loved Jerry Spinelli’s _Stargirl_. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/11 "2002-12-21T23:42:05Z")
Lloyd Alexander wrote a five book series that I’m not sure is still in print. Disney did a version that combined the first two books. They are (1)The Book of Three, (2)The Black Cauldron, (3)The Castle of Llyr, (4)Taran Wanderer, (5)The High King These are works of heroic fantasy, rooted somewhat in the Celtic traditions. I started reading them at about the age your niece is now. Try them if you can get them. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/12 "2002-12-21T23:43:35Z")
“A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” I hope you caught the reference. ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/13 "2002-12-21T23:47:44Z")
I’d like to agree with _His Dark Materials_. _Bridge to Terabitia_ is a good book (warning though: it’s the saddest book in the world) as is _Jacob Have I Loved_ by the same author (Katherine Paterson?). I started reading Anne McCaffrey at her age. _The Dark Is Rising_ series by Susan Cooper is a goo choice as well. _The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm_ by Nancy Farmer is a really good book too, and I think it’s at the right reading level. ---
**Author:** ![Calliope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Calliope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calliope)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/14 "2002-12-22T00:03:21Z")
My 11-year-old _loves_ the Lord of The Rings trilogy, and the Hobbit, et. al. She has read and re-read them numerous times. If you think that is above her reading level, try the Lemony Snicket _Series of Unfortunate Events_ and the Edith Nesbit books–_Five Children and It_, etc. ---
**Author:** ![ForumBot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee59a6/32.png) [@ForumBot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ForumBot)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/15 "2002-12-22T00:12:11Z")
Another vote for Harry Potter. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/16 "2002-12-22T00:31:23Z")
Vote number 3 for Harry. Since I haven’t r…no wait, I have - I reccomend just about any (and all) roald dahl books. (I was going to say I haven’t read any childrens books other than HP but then I remembered - I used to **be** a children. I mainly read roald dahl when I was a children) ---
**Author:** ![HomeSlice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9d8465/32.png) [@HomeSlice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HomeSlice)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/17 "2002-12-22T00:39:05Z")
The Belgariad by David Eddings. If she’s into that genre. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/18 "2002-12-22T00:43:36Z")
Tamora Pierce has several excellent series’ out: \*Song of the Lioness Series: Alanna the first Adventure In the Hand of the Goddess The Woman who rides like a Man Lioness Rampant The Immortals: Wild Magic Wolf Speaker Emperor Mage In the Realms of the Gods Protector of the Small: First Test Page Squire Lady Knight\* Those three are her Tortallan series - there are two additional series (one is not yet complete) _Circle of Magic Sandry’s Book Tris’ Book Daja’s Book Briar’s Book The Circle Opens_ (same kids as the first series, a little older) _Magic Steps Street Mage Cold Fire Shatterglass_(not yet published) All of them are excellent, but if you went with some of the Tortallan books, I might get all of the Immortals books - they’re all available in paperback. The Protector of the Small ones are also excellent, but the last one is only available in hardcover so far. I also agree with _A Tree Grows in Brooklyn_, but I think it might be a little too advanced for her, at least for the next 2-3 years. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/19 "2002-12-22T01:01:34Z")
You might try “Harriet the Spy” by Louise Fitzhugh. It’s about a girl who spies on her friends and neighbors and writes her thoughts about them in her notebook. Trouble arises when her friends get ahold of the notebook and find out what she’s been saying behind their backs. “The Wolves of Willoughby Chase” by Joan Aiken is also pretty good. It involves a couple children in 19th century England whose evil cousin is planning to take over the family estate by murdering their parents and sending them to an orphanage. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220/20 "2002-12-22T01:11:14Z")
Madeleine L’Engle’s _A Wrinkle in Time_ series. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-for-11-year-old-girl/144220.md?page=2)