So I have some audible credits I want to use so I can cancel my membership.  I'm reading the Dresden File books.  I noticed that it has a bunch of the Codex books. 

My question is would these be ok for an 11 yr old?  My daughter loves fantasy type books.  I know the Dresden File books are not appropriate for her but I was wondering about the Codex books.  I might use my credits on something else if these are going to be too grown up.

what i can tell you is that there's a lot of political infighting and outright war going on throughout the series, so it does get dark and grim.  without any kids of my own i'm not a great judge of what is & isn't appropriate or too grown up, but i'm not sure *i* would have found these very interesting at 11.

OK thanks for the info.   She likes fantasy type stuff.  She loved the Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander, the Harry Potter books, the Cupboards books by N.D. Wilson.  So these looked like something she might like. But knowing how he writes the Dresden books I wasn't sure about them.  Sounds like they might be too violent.

Mary, try "The Dark is Rising" series by Susan Cooper.  They are excellent! There are five titles: "Over Sea, Under Stone", "The Dark is Rising", "Greenwitch", "The Grey King" and "Silver on the Tree."  She also might enjoy the Pendragon books by D.J. MacHale...there must be 10 or 12 of those, if not more.  

I think its a pretty big step from harry potter.  The series is much more sophisticated and has a level of intrigue that may be beyond her.

I think anything by Butcher would be too old for an 11 year old. Look and see if any of Libba Bray's books are available, her new series is being hailed as the Harry Potter for girls.

Yup, Butcher is too mature for kids that age.  I wouldn't let my kids read it.  However, my kids LOVE the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan.  They also love the Pendragon series by MacHale.

Thanks for the recs.  I knew Dresden was definately too old for her: but sometimes people write very differently for different series. 

I'll look into those other ones. 

We are reading Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander together right now.

Mary I would probably hold off on those codex books. I do remember there being some soft sensual scenes. (nothing graphic). I just remember that detail since there was an interview where butcher's wife is a hard romance writer (with alot of descriptive intimacy scenes) and while Butcher don't really do that sort of thing. he did touch very very lightly on that in the codex series.

I agree with the general consensus that Butcher is probably a bit too much for an 11 year old.  I have recently read some really good YA fantasy series that I can recommend though it your daughter is in to Harry Potter.

The Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull is spectacular.  As is Percy and the Olympians by Rick Riordan.  The Last Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney is awesome too, and so are the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and the Larklight series by Philip Reeve.  Not sure if you were looking for some other recommendations...but there you go :-)

I gave up on Furies of Calderon after 300 pages.  It was very strange...I thought it was written in a simplistic style for young adults at points, but some of the scenes I thought bordered on X-rated. 

I am currently reading Sabriel by Garth Nix, which I would recommend for young adults (it does mention male anatomy in a non-sexual way, but that's the most "mature" bit I've come across).  I don't tend to like YA fiction, but this one is very good. 

I'd also recommend The Riddle of the Wren by Charles de Lint. 

I second the endorsement of Rick Riordan's young Olympians series...it's a good read for a pre-teen (and for me, too!)...

There are some YA books by Elizabeth Haydon of the Symphony of Ages books (starts with Rhapsody) called the Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme.  I haven't read them yet, as I was waiting to get the third, now I hear it will be a quartet.  I suppose I should start reading them soon.  Your daughter may like those.

I started on my mom's Pern books at 13, so I'm not entirely sure anything I read while I was a teen may be appropriate - I was reading Tolkien for the second time by the time I was 15.  Perhaps the original Shannara trilogy by Terry Brooks as well?  Definately the Magic Kingdom of Landover books.  I don't recall much of the Mallorean and Belgariad by David Eddings as being inappropriate.

And I really hope she's read all of the Narnia books.  I got those when I was 9.

If she likes Harry Potter she should try Diana Wynne Jones.  I would start with the Lives of Christopher Chant.  Her Chrestomanci series is excellent.