Recommend Best Reading Books For A Ten-Year-Old Girl

[Oiverbotel]

My sister says her ten year old daughter is utterly bored at the prospect of reading. Sis is getting so upset about this that she's asked me - an awkward child whose first reading material was the Economist and Private Eye. (yes, I was a nerdy kid!).

Could anyone suggest some favourite books of 10-11 year old girls which might help inspire my niece into finding interest in reading, please? She's a good kid and she's quite intelligent. But for some sad reason, she'd rather plop herself in front of a telly than getting lost in a book.

And...my thought is that it's far better to get her a real book, rather than a Kindle edition. Is that correct thinking on my part, or should I give way to feeding her starving Kindle?

Many thanks!
Ollie

[janbee]

I assume she's read all the Harry Potter books?

[janbee]

Jacqueline Wilson writes books for children and has won many prizes

[paulllambert]

My ten-year-old Goddaughter has always got her face in a book. Last Christmas, I bought her a series of Vampire books by Sienna Mercer. The box set of twelve, I think, were a very good price on Amazon. She loved them. Also, have you tried Goosebumps? Also very good for that age.

[BlackadderV]

Ancient, I know, but what about the Enid Blyton books set in girls' schools? Mallory Towers springs to mind. That's of course if you can still get them. May no longer be PC.

[FrogNog]

Charlotte's Web

[cassa333]

Take her to the library a couple of times for an hour at a time and see what she gravitates to.

There are plenty of books for 10 yr olds out there. What age range does she read at? If she is only at a reading age of 8 then pitch at that level. If she has a reading age of 12 then pitch towards that age.

Sometimes it isn't about their actual age but their ability!

[roopower]

Michael Morpurgo, the children at the school I worked in loved his books.

[kvalidir]

My little sister is currently reading Marcus Sedgwick and Michelle Paver's stuff.
I read them too and they're great. Aimed at kids about 12 upwards, but if she's a bright ten years old then she'll have no issues and they are beautifully written:)

[atalanta]

At that age I was reading the "Scarlet Pimpernel".

[bednobs]

can she read? People who can't are very adept at hiding it

[lcg]

goodbye mister tom......a favourite from my childhood! i still have my 30 yr old copy and re-read it every now and then. it is about a ww2 evacuee and is simply brilliant.

[sherrardk]

My 9 year old daughter wants the Dork Dairies (by Rachel Renee Russell) for Christmas, maybe they would suit.

[AlwaysConfused]

Treat her to a day at the library where she cannot become distracted by tv or mobile phones etc. I'm sure she'll find something to her liking

[lcg]

please steer her towards classics rather than some of the fashionable rubbish coming out (like vampire/fantasy stuff). i always feel that young people these days are very poorly read and ignorant of classical literature/art. i was reading anything and everything i found in my parents library as i ran out of books!

[knowabit]

My daughter is 12 and hates reading, which annoys me, as I love reading! I've tried all sorts, but the only books she has read and really enjoyed were the Diary of a wimpy kid series, she has read 4 of them. She has also enjoyed a couple of Jaqueline Wilson books.

[sherrardk]

Knowabit, my daughter loves reading but is a right swot so I am pleased that she wants the Dork Diaries - your daughter might like them too as they are not so 'boyish'.

[knowabit]

Thanks Sherrard, I'll have a look for them.

[B00]

Do you think it just doesn't grab some people like it may others?

Like knowabit, my daughter (nearly 10) dislikes reading, despite being good at it. No matter how I try to instil in her a love of books I know im failing miserably, she just aint interested. I do keep plugging away, but I really think im just banging my head against a wall. I'm hoping that eventually she'll get a love of being 'lost' in a story, as in my mind there's something really magical about it.

[Ellipsis]

In addition to some excellent recommendations above, Roald Dahl's Matilda.

Also The Hobbit is a great kid's book and it's out on DVD and coming up again in the cinema this Christmas, so it might help her to combine her "telly" addiction with books.