The Next Best Book Club discussion

I'd be interested to know what are your favorite YA books, especially those with a strong female character as I have a twelve year old girl.

Therese wrote: "I'd be interested to know what are your favorite YA books, especially those with a strong female character as I have a twelve year old girl."

Hello Therese,

If you think your daughter would like literary fiction--Southern Gothic, I'm looking to receive honest and objective opinions/suggestions for my novel, Raised by Hand, Lifted by the Tides--A Southern Child's Memoir. Think To Kill a Mockingbird and/or The Secret Lives of Bees. If your daughter likes either of these, I'm sure she'd like my novel. If you want to check it out, I can send you a mobi file or epub or pdf.

Here's the Amazon link.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009KEXEQO

All the best,
Willett

Willett,

I just bought it on Kindle and will check it out. Thanks so much for responding. I look forward to reading it and seeing how my daughter responds to it.

Therese

Therese wrote: "Willett,

I just bought it on Kindle and will check it out. Thanks so much for responding. I look forward to reading it and seeing how my daughter responds to it.

Therese"
Great, Therese. I really would like to get your thoughts. Thanks!

Therese,

Does your daughter like to read already? Does she have any favorites? I would like to know what she enjoys so I can recommended some things she would love!

Almost anything I have read by Tamora Pierce ranks high of the books I put in my grade 7 classroom library after reading them myself.

Brittany wrote: "Therese,

Does your daughter like to read already? Does she have any favorites? I would like to know what she enjoys so I can recommended some things she would love!"

Brittany wrote: "Therese,

Does your daughter like to read already? Does she have any favorites? I would like to know what she enjoys so I can recommended some things she would love!"

Brittany,

She has read and enjoyed all the Twilight, Maze Runner, Harry Potter, and Maze Runner books.

Connie wrote: "Almost anything I have read by Tamora Pierce ranks high of the books I put in my grade 7 classroom library after reading them myself."

Thanks, Connie. I'll check it out.

I would definitely recommend Divergent, Matched, Delirium, Unearthly, and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. There are so many great YA books out there. I hope this helps :)

Thanks so much. I will check them out!

Therese wrote: "I'd be interested to know what are your favorite YA books, especially those with a strong female character as I have a twelve year old girl."

My favorite YA books were 'To Kill A Mockingbird','Summer of My German Soldier,'Mom,The Wolfman and Me'.I also liked 'Where The Lilies Bloom' 'A Tree Grows In Brooklyn',and 'The Cat Ate My Gymsuit'.
These Books moved me because the voices of these young girls were relevant,funny,and poignant.The Women who wrote these books had voices that were confident and compassionate.Anyone of these books would be a great read for a twelve year old girl.Here's the list again:
1.To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee
2.Summer of My German Soldier-Bette Greene
3.Where The Lilies Bloom -Vera and Bill Cleaver
4.Mom ,THe Wolfman and Me-Norma Klein(possibly Mazer)
5.The Cat Ate My Gymsuit-Paula Danziger
6.A Tree Grows In Brooklyn-Betty Smith

I hope your daughter enjoys these books.

Wonderful! I really appreciate the time you took to give me such a fine list. Therese

Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by. LA Meyer Jacky is a great strong character!

The Wee Free Men by, Terry Pratchett first book in the Tiffany Aching series it is very fun!

My One Square Inch of Alaska by, Sharon Short

Etiquette & Espionage by, Gail Carriger

The following are a little older YA you may want to read first you know your daughter and what you would find appropriate for her age

Revolution by, Jennifer Donnelly

Out of The Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Frozen by Mary Casanova

Winter Shadows by Margaret Buffie

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor

Thanks so much! I have a full list and am very excited to explore and introduce them to my daughter.

Hi Therese,

Not to overwhelm you with suggestions, but I wanted to mention The Eyes of the Amaryllis and Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt. These were absolutely my favorites when I was about that age, and I can't wait until my 7 year old daughter is old enough to read them with me. Best of luck finding something you both enjoy!

A couple of my favorite authors growing up were Lois Lowry (try her "Giver" quartet), Lois Duncan and Joan Lowery Nixon. Scott O'Dell was also good.

She might also like The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare, and Sarah Dessen is also quite popular with this age group. Rhonda Stapleton has a cute YA series, too: "Stupid Cupid".

Thanks. It's a good thing we are going on spring break with plenty of options!

She'd definitely like Scott O'Dell.I loved 'The Island of the Blue Dolphins'.Elizabeth

Willett wrote: "Therese wrote: "I'd be interested to know what are your favorite YA books, especially those with a strong female character as I have a twelve year old girl."

Hello Therese,

If you think your daug..."

Hi Therese, I loved graceling, fire and bitterblue from the graceling realm series.

Here are three that haven't been mentioned yet
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Happy reading!

Have always loved A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline LEngle. A newer fave is Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry, first in a soon to be 4book series. Zombies plus coming of age,what's not to love? Good luck with your search!

I second Rot & Ruin! Such a great YA series!

Hi there!

I'm going to add a few for you (especially since I just got out of my YA phase hahah!)

Wicked Lovely and this whole series is amazing. It seems kinda of lame at first, but once you realize it isn't about vampires and has a really great plot and sucks you right in it is great!

Among the Hiddenis just amazing. The books are great! (It's a whole series). In fact, I just bought the whole series for my brother for his 13th birthday! They are addicting and exciting while adding a historical and political spin (they are about 3rd children in a society that only allows you to have 2) but it isn't in your face.


Also ANYTHING by Julia Alvarez, but maybe when she gets a bit older. Alvarez writes a lot about coming of age. I would start with In the Time of the Butterflies. I read this the summer going into my freshman year and it was phenomenal. Then during my freshman year, I read How the García Girls Lost Their Accents and Something to Declare. She is wonderful!

Hope this helps!!

You could also let her try the "gallagher girls" series of Ally Carter. Can't imagine her not liking that one ;)

Or "the selection" of Kiera Cass

And well, there are so many books out there. When i was her age i went to the library and just read all the books in the young adult section.

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You
The Selection

She could probably also go main-stream by reading the hunger games trilogy, although I am not sure what age would be advisable for that one ;)

Oh and if she isn't really a girl-girl. I would advise her to start with one of these:

Eoin Colfer - Artemis Fowl
Anthony Horowitz - Stormbreaker

I remember loving them at that age.

I'm currently reading Almost Home by Joan Bauer with my daughter. Excellent!

You might want to try 'The Dovekeepers',it's not classified as a YA novel,but it does deal with history and the characters are great role models.Depending on your daughter and her interests, she might find it a great read.

I just finished The Year of the Gadfly and thought it was great. I loved little Iris!

My 12 year old loved:
the Matched series
The Mind Readers by Lori Brighton - free at Amazon right now!
Delirium
The Fallen Star by Jessica Sorenson - also free at Amazon right now
Deep Blue Secret (The Water Keepers, Book 1 by Christie Anderson - also free at Amazon.

Recently got a load of Karin Slaughter books off a friend, meant to be amazing not read them myself will be shortly.
I have heard name she's a crime writer if that''s what your into.

Blindsighted
Kisscut
A faint cold fear
There's another i was given but can't remember the name sorry

You should take my recommendation to check out my motivational book "Win No Matter What" ;)

It's a $3 inspirational ebook. Portion of profits going to the Acumen fund, a charity investing in solutions to global poverty. Inspire your life and help others!

Support the cause here: http://www.amazon.com/Win-No-Matter-W...

my daughter (age 11 going on 17) really enjoyed this book: Zebra Forest

Although there isn't a strong female character in this book, one of the best YA books I've ever read is

Wonder by RJ Palacio