My niece is turning 10 in November, and I would like to buy her some books (I am very comfortable with being the aunty who only buys good books as presents - they have lots of other people to buy them junk). She likes fantasy and science fiction type books; I have already given them “The Golden Compass” series, “The Chronicles of Narnia,” and I’m fairly sure they have all the Harry Potter books. Do you guys have any suggestions for more books like these (especially non-girly specific books)? Oh yeah, she is reading well above 10 years old.
If she’s read Potter, she’d probably be fine with The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix – Sabriel is the first book, teenage girl protagonist, Nix doesn’t “dumb down” for young readers. Also The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud – first book is The Golem’s Eye.
I didn’t care for Justine Labalastier’s Magic and Madness books – a bit repetitive – but she might like those.
Dust by Arthur Slade is excellent – it has a Bradburyesque thing going on. Heck, maybe she’s ready for some Bradbury – Something Wicked This Way Comes.
*Coraline*is a good one. I’ll second that, along with McKinley.
The Giver, if she’s ahead of her age group reading wise. But be prepared to field some questions or upset about infanticide. (Futuristic utopia where infants not meeting standards are disposed of by the protaganist’s scientist father.)
I still have a fondness for the Tortall serieses by Tamora Pierce. The Song of the Lioness group is my favorite set. There’s some small bit of sex in them, but it’s pretty darn tame and not at all graphic. “She learned how to be a knight during the day, and he taught her to be a woman at night” sort of stuff.
The Prydain Chronicles, by Lloyd Alexander. I read and loved those at around that age (I was also a well-above grade-level reader as a girl).
ETA: It’s a five-book series. I don’t know if you want to buy all five, or just the first one to see if she likes it; if so, it starts with The Book of Three.
How about Frances Hodgson Burnett–A Little Princess and The Secret Garden? Alice in Wonderland? Little Women?
If she likes fantasy, how about Half Magic and all of those books by Edgar Eager? or The Bridge to Terabithia (spelling?).
Is it possible to read The Book of Three and not be compelled to read the other four books?
I came in here to see if anyone had suggested the Prydain Chronicles. They were my favorite much beloved and re-read books at age 11. I recently re-read them and they still hold up over 30 years later.
I’ll second (and third) Tamora Pierce and Garth Nix, and recommend two more authors: Shannon Hale and Sharon Shinn.
Shannon Hale’s books are amazing (my favorite is The Goose Girl). My descriptions won’t do them justice, so I encourage you to check out her website, where you can read the first chapter of each book and see for yourself.
It may be the only Heinlein she reads, but I think that every child should be exposed to Have Spacesuit; Will Travel. There are parts of the story that are dated, but for a sixty-year old book it holds up remarkably well.
Patricia McKillip’s The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is also well worth reading. Though, it might count as a bit of a girly book. I don’t think so, but it’s possible.
I’d recommend Brian Jacques’ Redwall series – start with Redwall, then Mossflower, then Mattimeo. If she likes them, you’ll be buying them for her for years – he’s still writing. My grandmother has been buying them for me since I discovered them almost 20 years ago, and I get one almost every year.
Yeah, they’re formulaic, but it’s a good formula and they are well-written and entertaining!
The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau (soon to be a major motion picture). I am in love with this book, unfortunately, the sequels are nowhere near the quality of the first book, so I think you can take or leave them.
But Ember for sure. If she enjoys the theme of it, which is
“they thought the small place they were living was the whole universe, and found out they were wrong”
the Robert Heinlein novella Orphans of the Sky is also on that theme, but set in space.
As always, I always throw any attention I can towards Chinaberry to recommend excellent books that may get passed over on the bookshelves at a Major Chain Bookstore for Whatever is Trendy.
Presently, I am working through the Prydain Chronicles before I share them with my kids and liking them.
Another series is The Enchanted Forest by Patricia Wrede.
Good for you to give such an awesome gift! I only give books, too. ( and knitted items.)
Get her just a gift certificate to Chinaberry. She’ll be on the mailing list and receive about 5 or 6 catalogs a year. The catalog alone is great reading.
