My daughter is about to turn 12 and loves books. She's into fantasy (Keeper of the lost cities, Twilight, LOTR were recent reads) and non fiction (history, math, science). Looking for book ideas to get her for her birthday. Bonus points for strong female characters.
by SpicyTunaTarragon
13 Comments
His Dark Materials trilogy
The Midnight Queen Trilogy.
Essentially Harry Potter with a female protagonist, all about a girl going to magical college when it’s a boy’s thing to do and learning about magic, feminism, resurrecting a forgotten woman’s college.
It’s very good with some interesting magic systems in it.
Tamora Pierce’s *Circle of Magic* quartet and sequel *Circle Opens* series. Sandry, Daja and Tris were the most badass tweenage girl mages I’ve ever had the pleasure of running across as a child bookworm.
Their only competition? Sabriel and Lirael, from Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom trilogy.
The Tiffany Aching subseries of the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett. Start with The Wee Free Men.
Enchanted Forest chronicles by Patricia Wrede
Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend
Queen’s Arrow by Mercedes Lackey
Sabriel (Old Kingdom series) by Garth Nix
Harper Hall trilogy by Anne Mccaffrey.
Shadow and Bone trilogy but mostly to get to Six of Crows duology. Can be read alone but she might want the whole thing.
Shades of Magic by V E Scwab? Not strictly YA but I would have adored these at 12. Same with Sorcery and Thorns by Margaret Rogerson. She also did Vespertine which is YA and very good.
Maybe Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir?
Paper Magician by Charlie Holmberg?
Tamora Pierce: Song of the Lioness quartett, Protector of the Small quartett
Cornelia Funke: Inkheart
Anything by Rose George, Judy Melinek, Caitlin Doughty, or Mary Roach.
The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann is a really good option if she likes kotlc or Jake Ransom by James Rollins
Anything by Gail Carson Levine 🙂 Ella Enchanted is what I would start with
The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King
The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi
The Girl who Drank the Moon. Kelly Barnhill