Does anyone have any suggested reading for my 13-year-old daughter? Any genre, religious or not.....just anything! Chapter books. Something that your kids liked at that age. I'm trying to encourage my dd to read more, so would love any suggestions anyone has.

Hi, my daughter is almost 10, but she really likes Peter & the Starcatcher series by Dave Barry.    She also likes the Rowan Hood series by Nancy Springer.  She checks these out from the library over and over again.  She did enjoy Redwall.  Anyway, not sure if those suggestions help or not.  Anna's kind of picky in what she reads, but once she finds something she will devour it.  She likes the Nancy Drew series also.  She's read a lot of different books, but these are the ones she re-reads.

Kristine

Kristine,

Your daughter sounds just like mine..picky but reads the same books over and over.  I loved Nancy Drew when I was a child but she won't even touch them.  Must have something to do with the fact that she (is 12) and still thinks she is a boy!  lol

Emily,

Does she like fantasy?  My children loved these series:  The Door Within Trilogy by Wayne Thomas Batson; Book 1: The Door Within,  book 2: The Rise of the Wyrm Lord, book 3: The Final Storm.  Also this series:  Dragons in our Midst by Bryan Davis.  Book 1: Raising Dragons; book 2: The Candlestone; book 3: Circles of SEven and book 4: Tears of a Dragon.

Does she like Redwall by Brian Jacques?  Here is another like it The Mistmantle Chronicles by M.I. Mcallister;  book 1: Urchin of the Riding Stars;  book 2: The Urchin and the Heartstone; book 3: The Heir of Mistmantle (may not be out yet)

I know there are more but I can't think of them right now.  There is always the Chronicles of Narnia series.

Jenny

Ok, Let me think a bit about what dd read at that age:

Shakespeare Stealer

Enchantress from the Stars

Nothing But the Truth

The Wave (by Strasser)

Shane (a western but she likes it)

Adam of the Road

Aragon and Eldest

Dragonrider

Airborn

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (he's wordy)

My Side of the Mountain

The Phantom Tollbooth

Hatchet

Storyteller's Daughter

Hope this helps, Nina

Eragon, Eragon

So sorry. The smacking sound you hear is my daughter hitting me with a wet noodle. She really liked the book.

Emily,

It would help to know what her interests are. Does she like movies and books that portray life in different times and places, or is she a thoroughly modern miss, to whom everything must be "relevant" to her current life to have any purpose for existing?

Some of my 3 daughters' favorites at that age have been:

Laura Ingalls Wilder - Little House on the Prairie, etc

 The Ellie's People series, set among the Amish     http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/author/Mary+Christner+Borntrager

By 13 they were also reading Beverly Lewis, Janette Oke, and one of my favorites - Eugenia Price. These might be a little daunting for her if she is a reluctant reader though...

Beverly Lewis does have a series about a modern teen girl that my 14 yo is still reading - The Holly's Heart series.

The Mandies Mysteries - http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/author/Lois+Gladys+Leppard

Adventure of the Northwoods series - http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/author/Lois+Walfrid+Johnson

Although a lot of Lee Roddy's books are written for boys, my girls enjoyed every one we ever got a hold of, especially The American Adventure series. http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/author/Lee+Roddy

Anne of Green Gables and others by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Some of these have been made into chapter books. I have most of the Story Girl ones on my bookshelf, because one of my first swaps was to get the originals. The Road to Avonlea TV series was based on the Story Girl stories.

The American Girl books - about different girls at different points in our country's history. Also Dear America and Royal Diaries.

There was a similar discussion on the Christian Book forum, so you might want to check there for ideas too.

My youngest daughter has recently cleared several of her shelves, and they are posted on my bookshelf here, including a bunch of Animal Ark books. Emily, if your daughter sees some children/YA books there that she likes, PM me and we can discuss a deal on them.

How about:

Anne of Green Gables

Emily of New Moon

Caddie Woodlawn

Nancy Drew

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Dicamillo

The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread  also by Kate Dicamillo

The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright  (there are at least 4 of these books)

Little Women

The Tail of Emily Windsnap

The Secret Garden

Little Princess

Artemis Fowl

The Golden Compass

My favs are Anne of Green Gable series, I can't wait until my 7year old is ready for them!

Girl in Buckskins by Dorothy Gilman

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle (and sequels)

Catherine, Called Birdy and The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman

Beorn the Proud, The Red Keep, and Madeline Takes Command, all published by Bethlehem Books

Oh, and:

The Small Woman (about Gladys Aylward in China)

The Mars Chronicles by Sigmund Brouwer

The Princess and the Goblin by George McDonald

I'd second Eragon and the rest of the series. 

My daughter also likes the Saddle Club Collection.

I liked the Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy series at that age. 

Also anything with horses. 

If I remember correctly and from talking to the librarian and other moms, series books seem to be a hit with that age. 

Do you have a good relationship with the local librarian?  They can usually tell you what is being check out by certain age groups etc and most enjoy being asked.

I think fantasy is a big hit with this age because there is so many changes and emotions going through them that it is fun to escape from the real world.

Also, if you can get a copy of Gladys Hunt's Honey for a Teen's Heart it would probably be a great resource to help locate books she'd be interested in.

Sometimes getting a book on tape will get them interested in reading other books by that author or the rest of a series if it is a series one.

Good Luck.

I liked The Moorchild Author: Eloise Jarvis McGraw, listed on my shelf

And The Midwife's Apprentice.

Depending on how mature she is, a grown-up book like, I Capture the Castle Author: Dodie Smith  or The Bean Trees Author: Barbara Kingsolver(also on my shelf) might work. My son read Bean Trees in 9th grade at school.

He liked The Old Man And the Sea in 8th grade when I homeschooled him. I think that might be more of a boys book.

My last suggesstion is one of my all time favorites as a girl/teen/adult. It is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Author: Betty Smith That one you probably have to wish list. Be forewarned- it is a long book.

Good Luck,

Raising a reader is the biggest educational gift you can give a child

Jill