Chicks On Lit discussion

Hi, I am looking for some new ideas for my niece. She is in 7th grade and is just starting to get into reading. She loved the and . I am hoping someone has kids around the same age and has some suggestions. Thanks for your help!

I would like that info too. My son is in 6th grade and hates to read. The last thing he read voluntarily is the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

Our 12-year old grandson likes fantasy. If she hasn't tried C.S. Lewis and the Narnia series, you might try that one. The first is The Magician's Nephew. Also, a relatively new feature at Goodreads is the "related" feature, on the lower right side of the book page. I think each book page has 5 listings, so you could go to books she liked and see what might be similar.

I had never noticed that feature, Elizabeth! I'll be using it for myself! Good luck, Jodi and Lauren!

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Our 12-year old grandson likes fantasy. If she hasn't tried C.S. Lewis and the Narnia series, you might try that one. The first is The Magician's Nephew. Also, a relatively new feature..."

She has read the Narnia series and loved it. She is just at that inbetween age, seems like most books are to childish, or to mature.

In another group, someone was asking for mysteries for a 12-year old. One of the recommendations was to join a YA group and ask the question there. Since those groups are dedicated to that age, they might have some really good suggestions for you.

You might want to take a look at this list, if you haven't done so already:

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/16...

I'm a middle school English teacher and a very popular series right now is The Hunger Games trilogy:
The Hunger Games
Catching Fire
Mockingjay

I'll come up with some other books that I notice as well, hope your kids enjoy these!

The Percy Jackson series is good!

Loved the Hunger Games Trilogy

I assume she read Harry Potter?

I thought Stargirl was a good book for a young girl. (although I didn't care for the sequel)

My son in 4th grade voluntarily read and adored the David Lubar series that started with My Rotten Life. There are five books in that series. Also loved The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. He read that in one day. I see there's a new sequel... Darth Paper Strikes Back!

My daughter in 5th grade has read and enjoyed all the series that people have already suggested and for some reason I'm blanking on what else she liked.

I agree with the ones mentioned (especially Hunger Games and Percy Jackson!). Sharon Creech writes good stories, as does Laurie Halse Anderson (though some of hers may be more mature than you're looking for). A Northern Light and Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies were good books with strong female main characters. Boys are harder; beyond Percy Jackson and Harry Potter, I don't really have any suggestions for them.

I also agree with Elizabeth's suggestion. I'm co-moderator of a YA group on goodreads, you'd be more than welcome to join us or find another group with very knowledgeable readers.

You guys have had some wonderful suggestions! I really appreciate all the help. She is coming over this weekend, and I have several of the books that have been mentioned, so I think we will have a blast raiding my bookshelf. I love this age!

@Jennifer, I would love to join your group! I will send you a message now.

My daughter (just finished 7th grade) has been reading the trilogy of "Life as We Knew It", "The Dead and the Gone", and "This World We Live In" - by Susan Beth Pfeffer. She has enjoyed them so much, she's had us parents read them with her! These are YA books.

Lisa wrote: "My daughter (just finished 7th grade) has been reading the trilogy of "Life as We Knew It", "The Dead and the Gone", and "This World We Live In" - by Susan Beth Pfeffer. She has enjoyed them so mu..."

Thank you Lisa! This series looks perfect for the YA reader in my life!! The Hunger Games was a little too intense, but these look like they are more like what she would like to read. Thanks for sharing!

My high school teens loved "The Devil's Arithmetic"

I don't know if she is in to poetry, but I just picked at the library where I work. Most of the poetry is geared towards middle school aged kids, and it has a mix of classic and contemporary poetry. It also has the CD of select poems read by the author. It's a pretty good pre-teen/teen anthology.

Not sure how accessible this author is to you but Eva Ibbotson has written some fantastic books for that age group. Journey to the River Sea, Dragonfly Pool, The Star of Kazan - she has also written for younger children and adults too!
Also Malorie Blackman - her books are a little "grittier" she wrote the "Noughts and Crosses" Trilogy - again not sure how accessible they are to you. Both authors are widely known and their books available from Amazon UK

My 13 year old daughter is loving this series: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

A big 'yes' to The Hunger Games series. Also, my older daughter loved The Ranger's Apprentice Collection Books 1-3 Box Set series (which would appeal to boys as well.) Stargirl was a terrific book, as are most of Jerry Spinelli's books.

I suggest reading the hunger games before your middle schooler. My son just finished 6th grade and didn't want tor read the book. I have since read t the book and I feel that the subject is not appropriate for the.middle schoolers. It was a good book but for an older group.

I suggest reading the hunger games before your middle schooler.

That's actually a good point. My 12 yo daughter had gotten them from her aunt for Christmas, and she read them before I did. She loved the books, but when I read them, I was rather shocked. I'm fine with the fact she read them, but I wish I'd previewed them first.

Although, when I went back later and asked her about a few of the more troubling parts, she got this blank look in her eyes and asked me what I was talking about. Apparently some of those things (especially from book 3) went right over her head.

My son recommends Tony Abbott. Firegirl

The Golden Compass was and still is one of my favorites.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 is good too.
A jewel I found while working is The Invention of Hugo Cabret which also has beautiful illustrations. In the next year the movie will be released.
I also second Stargirl

The Golden Compass was and still is one of my favorites.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 is good too.
A jewel I found while working is The Invention of Hugo Cabret which also has beautiful illustrations. In the next year the movie will be released.
I also second Stargirl

That is an excellent list of books! I used to volunteer in the school library when my kids were little, and I read a lot of YA. Hugo Cabret was oustanding. I loved the pictures!

Barrie Summies' middle school mystery series is really good. It is along the lines of Nancy Drew.
I So Don't Do Famous
I So Don't Do SpookyI So Don't Do Makeup