|
Users viewing this topic:
none
|
|
Login  | |
|
Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/17/2008 8:53:23 PM
|
|
|
cherish405
Posts: 32662
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: The Land Down Under
Status: online
|
Can anybody give me any suggestions for some good books for 12-14 year old girls?
_____________________________
*** If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then only give him two of them.
- Phil Pastoret ***
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/18/2008 8:51:10 AM
|
|
|
uncabeeil
Posts: 5554
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: Joisey. Got a problem wit dat?
Status: offline
|
Robin Jones Gunn's Christie Miller series. My niece loved them.
Nancy Drew still works for that age group, too.
_____________________________
I don't recall all of the details
But I know life is better when shared. -Jon Troast
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/18/2008 12:01:59 PM
|
|
|
cherish405
Posts: 32662
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: The Land Down Under
Status: online
|
I loved Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys when I was growing up.
_____________________________
*** If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then only give him two of them.
- Phil Pastoret ***
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/20/2008 9:36:17 AM
|
|
|
stateofgrace
Posts: 1952
Joined: 4/12/2005
Status: offline
|
I think some of you are suggesting books that would be too young for 12-14 yo girls...my girls were reading Nancy Drew by second or third grade!
So, here's my suggestions, which are more firmly in the YA market (YA is a really challenging market - there are some fantastic books in this market which I love as an adult, and there is a lot of utter trash as well!).
Madeline L'Engles Time Quartet..although I suggest pre-reading "Many Waters" as it deals with some adult topics.
In Christian market books: Bryan Davis is a Christian fantasy YA author who has three series out - my 15 yo DD thinks they are better written than Harry Potter! Also, in a similar vein, Donita Paul's fantasy series. And both Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker have YA series.
At the older end of the age range (14), perhaps the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. But I suggest pre-reading those as well, especially the second and fourth books in the series.
And...there's another mass market author...Lulurene McDaniel...she writes books with Christian elements, they involve love stories and family stories, many of them are tearjerkers (just be forewarned about that).
< Message edited by stateofgrace -- 10/20/2008 9:43:34 AM >
_____________________________
America Needs Revival. Will you commit to pray for it?
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/20/2008 10:35:39 AM
|
|
|
cherish405
Posts: 32662
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: The Land Down Under
Status: online
|
Aww, we still love you, Bill.
Thanks Grace. Yeah, I remember being younger than 12-14 when I was reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Actually, I think I was still in primary school when I was reading the 'Famous Five' and 'Secret Seven' series' as well. Still good books though.
_____________________________
*** If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then only give him two of them.
- Phil Pastoret ***
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/20/2008 11:18:32 AM
|
|
|
Auben
Posts: 1606
Joined: 4/13/2005
From: Where pines tower and cranberries float
Status: online
|
Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys is a bit young for this age (although I think I was still reading Trixie Beldon and Cherry Ames).
This is actually a hard age to make general suggestions. Some readers are ready and willing to make the jump to the adult section..at least some of the time. I was reading Lord of the Rings, Jane Eyre, and Uncle Tom's Cabin part of the time. Other readers are still catching up with reading Judy Blume's whole catalog. Some get into Stephen King because it seems both adult and interesting.
I think LEngle's Time Quartet was a good suggestion by StateofGrace.
For the younger side I like Caddie Woodlawn, Dinotopia, The Door in the Wall, Series of Unfortunate Events, Watership Down, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, The Secret Garden, Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet, Wind in the Willows, The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler, The Pushcart War, Across Five Aprils, The Phantom Tollbooth, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, Dr. Doolittle, Incident at Hawk's Hill, The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, The Day No Pigs Would Die, Anne of Green Gables, Alice in Wonderland, Tom Sawyer, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Little Pilgrim's Progress (a paraphrase of the original), Black Beauty, novels about horses and dogs, biographies of famous women (I had a fascination with Helen Keller at this age).
On the older side I like The Princess Diaries, Catherine Called Birdy, The Midwife's Apprentice, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Coraline, The Call of the Wild, Treasure Island, The Giver, To Kill a Mockingbird, Arthur Conan-Doyle (Sherlock Holmes), The Good Earth, A Seperate Peace, The Red Pony, The Pearl, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Three Musketeers, and a slow and steady beginning into more adult-level books. At this age finding an interesting subject is almost more important than the level. Each child will be unique. Some really love non-fiction. Others are fascinated by science fiction. Still others will want to read adventures in the paranormal, horror, or sexy soap opera situations.
There's a lot of curiosity at this age, but often they don't think they're ready to do the hard work of adult novels. They want to be entertained still. The best thing is to pick a lot of books and read along with them if you're concerned about sex or worldview.
_____________________________
Tamara
~Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time~
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/20/2008 11:29:07 AM
|
|
|
cherish405
Posts: 32662
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: The Land Down Under
Status: online
|
Auben, thanks for the suggestions. Most of those titles I haven't heard of before.
Do you think Christy by Catherine Marshall would be appropriate?
_____________________________
*** If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then only give him two of them.
- Phil Pastoret ***
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/20/2008 11:35:41 AM
|
|
|
stateofgrace
Posts: 1952
Joined: 4/12/2005
Status: offline
|
Yes, I think Christy by Catherine Marshall would be appropriate for 12 to 14 yo girls.
Auben had a lot of wonderful, literate choices! Some kids will get more into reading classics than others. Mine weren't all that interested at this age, and often had to be pushed into it (a school assignment or the like) but DD #1 discovered she really liked Shakespeare when she was a junior and senior in high school. And I really credit encouraging her to read - period - with that happening. Both my girls have certain classics that they really love. So my personal POV is to encourage them to read about what they enjoy, perhaps throw in a few classics as suggested leisure reading, but if that doesn't take off with them at 12 to 14 yo, don't overly push it. School is a different thing, whether what is required reading for classes or for homeschooling.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/20/2008 11:35:49 AM
|
|
|
cherish405
Posts: 32662
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: The Land Down Under
Status: online
|
Thanks for trying anyway, Bill.
_____________________________
*** If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then only give him two of them.
- Phil Pastoret ***
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/20/2008 11:39:07 AM
|
|
|
cherish405
Posts: 32662
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: The Land Down Under
Status: online
|
The girls are good readers already and I just want to encourage reading for pleasure. I'll leave the school stuff for the school to sort out.
_____________________________
*** If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then only give him two of them.
- Phil Pastoret ***
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/20/2008 3:49:34 PM
|
|
|
Auben
Posts: 1606
Joined: 4/13/2005
From: Where pines tower and cranberries float
Status: online
|
Christy is a wonderful book. Very appropriate, but at this age it may seem too long. Again, it depends on the child. Some take one look at the thickness and turn off.
Sometimes missionary biographies like Bruce Olson (Bruchko), Corrie Ten Boom (The Hiding Place) or Elisabeth Elliot (Through Gates of Splendor) can be interesting as well. I think all of those would be appropriate for the middle or end of that age range. I read Bruchko at 13 and it really gave me a heart for world missions and other cultures.
For the older part of the age range and maturity scale something like Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa/Shadows on the Grass or Elspeth Huxley's The Flame Trees of Thika (both about early 20th century immigrants to Kenya). Edgar Allen Poe's Tales or Nathaniel Hawthorne's Wonder Tales and Twice-Told Tales tend to be darker. For science/speculative fiction something like Alas, Babylon (survival after nuclear war), Fahrenheit 451 (future censorship), The Martian Chronicles (colonization of of Mars), The Day of the Triffids (battling large hungry plants), The War of the Worlds, CS Lewis' Out of the Silent Planet trilogy, I, Robot and many others.
_____________________________
Tamara
~Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time~
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/20/2008 9:36:28 PM
|
|
|
barbhuff
Posts: 100
Joined: 4/11/2005
Status: offline
|
Teenreads.com
This is not a Christian website, but a great place to find out about YA books.
_____________________________
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.
~Benjamin Franklin
www.barbhuff.com
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/20/2008 11:15:44 PM
|
|
|
cherish405
Posts: 32662
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: The Land Down Under
Status: online
|
Thanks for the suggestions and the link.
_____________________________
*** If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then only give him two of them.
- Phil Pastoret ***
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/21/2008 9:07:45 AM
|
|
|
stateofgrace
Posts: 1952
Joined: 4/12/2005
Status: offline
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: cherish405
The girls are good readers already and I just want to encourage reading for pleasure. I'll leave the school stuff for the school to sort out.
What are their interests? Which genres do they like to read?
_____________________________
America Needs Revival. Will you commit to pray for it?
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/21/2008 10:25:39 AM
|
|
|
cherish405
Posts: 32662
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: The Land Down Under
Status: online
|
Have been told that they'll read anything.
_____________________________
*** If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then only give him two of them.
- Phil Pastoret ***
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/21/2008 11:02:46 AM
|
|
|
stateofgrace
Posts: 1952
Joined: 4/12/2005
Status: offline
|
Ha! Although I suppose there are a few young people like that, I think most find some topics that are of more interest, and some that are of less interest. I don't expect a 12 yo will have much interest in a college accounting textbook, for example!
If they are really, really avid readers, it might be possible that anything you get them is something they've read before. There was a time with my oldest that we'd been through almost everything of interest that was not trashy in the YA section of the bookstore.
When you look at really popular stuff like the Twilight series...if the girls 1) live in the US, 2) have much contact with other 12-14 yo girls, 3) are avid readers, and 4) their parents have allowed it, they've likely read at least some of them.
A bookstore gift card is a really nice option. Everyone in my family enjoys those.
_____________________________
America Needs Revival. Will you commit to pray for it?
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/21/2008 4:14:53 PM
|
|
|
rae_of_light
Posts: 3050
Joined: 2/15/2007
From: The true North strong and free!
Status: offline
|
I wouldn't really recommend the Twilight series. I know they are REALLY popular with that age bracket (the library I work at has a loooong waiting list for them!), but they aren't good in a literary sense, and they aren't exactly books I think impressionable young christians should be reading.
I personally LOVED Jane Eyre when I was that age (still do!). The Sword of Lyric is a good series if she likes Christian fantasy. Brian Jacques writes awesome books, his "Castaways of the Flying Dutchman" series is still a favourite of mine. I have tons more, but unfortunately not enough time to type them all up! Maybe later...
_____________________________
I don't need to swear to get my point across
I don't have to change who I am to be cool
I don't have to drink to have a good time
...And you're asking me what MY problem is?
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/21/2008 5:10:31 PM
|
|
|
barbhuff
Posts: 100
Joined: 4/11/2005
Status: offline
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: rae_of_light
I wouldn't really recommend the Twilight series. I know they are REALLY popular with that age bracket (the library I work at has a loooong waiting list for them!), but they aren't good in a literary sense, and they aren't exactly books I think impressionable young christians should be reading.
I personally LOVED Jane Eyre when I was that age (still do!). The Sword of Lyric is a good series if she likes Christian fantasy. Brian Jacques writes awesome books, his "Castaways of the Flying Dutchman" series is still a favourite of mine. I have tons more, but unfortunately not enough time to type them all up! Maybe later...
Have you read Twilight?
_____________________________
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.
~Benjamin Franklin
www.barbhuff.com
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/22/2008 9:13:05 AM
|
|
|
stateofgrace
Posts: 1952
Joined: 4/12/2005
Status: offline
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: barbhuff
quote:
ORIGINAL: rae_of_light
I wouldn't really recommend the Twilight series. I know they are REALLY popular with that age bracket (the library I work at has a loooong waiting list for them!), but they aren't good in a literary sense, and they aren't exactly books I think impressionable young christians should be reading.
I personally LOVED Jane Eyre when I was that age (still do!). The Sword of Lyric is a good series if she likes Christian fantasy. Brian Jacques writes awesome books, his "Castaways of the Flying Dutchman" series is still a favourite of mine. I have tons more, but unfortunately not enough time to type them all up! Maybe later...
Have you read Twilight?
I kind of wondered that too. As a parent, I would want to discuss some of the issues in the Twilight series with a young teen (for example, Bella's depression and self-destructive behavior in the second book)...but I think this is a good example of taking something that is popular and using it as a springboard to discuss issues with your teen. And Stephenie Meyer (a Mormon) wrote this series from the perspective of waiting till marriage for intimacy, and also celebrating intimacy in marriage, I think that is one really good aspect of the series (there aren't many romances or fantasy/romances or urban fantasy books out there, either YA or adult mass market, that have that message).
As far as the books not being "good in a literary sense" - they may not be Jane Eyre, but they are head and shoulders above a good 80% of the other books in the YA market. Not every 12 to 14 yo girl is going to get into classics...however, Twilight could be a springboard to an interest in other SF&F series or classic books with romantic elements like Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice.
_____________________________
America Needs Revival. Will you commit to pray for it?
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/22/2008 9:47:02 PM
|
|
|
JustSmurfy
Posts: 6
Joined: 7/21/2006
Status: offline
|
At that age I remember reading Christy, Zlata's diary, the diary of Anne Frank, number the stars, Alice in wonderland, the secret garden, the chronicles of narnia, Rebecca, Jamaica inn, anything by lurlene mcdaniel, sarah plain and tall, sherlock holmes, sweet valley high, baby island, emma, agatha christie
in addition to those I would reccomend Marley and Me, Princess diaries, All American girl (by the author of the princess diaries) and for the older end sisterhood of the traveling pants. Diary of a teenage girl by Melody Carlson.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/22/2008 9:54:56 PM
|
|
|
Trusting.in.Him
Posts: 14
Joined: 10/16/2008
Status: offline
|
I read a LOT when I was that age...and since that hasn't been too terribly long ago, I can still remember a BUNCH of the ones I absolutely LOVED.
Dee Henderson books, particularly the O'Malley series.
Christy Miller, Sierra Jensen, and Katie Weldon series, by Robin Jones Gunn (previously mentioned)
I read the Left Behind Series when I was 13...looking back, I think I would have gotten a bit more out of them had I waited a few more years...but I still enjoyed them
Some of Karen Kingsbury is good for that age...LOVED the redemption series at 14
Terri Blackstock is GREAT. I'd recommend starting with Cape Refuge...SO good...
Lori Wick
I read the Mitford series by Jan Karon when I was 12, absolutely LOVED LOVED them. If I were to read them for the first time now, as a young adult, I don't think I'd enjoy them quite as much as I did then.
Flabbergasted trilogy by Ray Blackston....HILARIOUS.
I'll let that be it for now...I highly recommend all of those!
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Good books for 12-14 year old girls - 10/22/2008 10:16:57 PM
|
|
|
TN_Aubie
Posts: 6
Joined: 9/17/2008
Status: offline
|
Bethlehem Books publishes wonderful books for young people. Many of them are living history books. My daughter read many of them when a young teen and older and loved them all. Here is the link to their website.
Bethlehem Books
_____________________________
Blessings,
TN Aubie
|
|
|
|
 New Messages |
 No New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/ New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/o New Messages |
 Locked w/ New Messages |
 Locked w/o New Messages |
|
 Post New Thread
Reply to Message
Post New Poll
Submit Vote
Delete My Own Post
Delete My Own Thread
Rate Posts |
|
|
Forum Tools
Printable Version
