My friend’s 11 year old daughter is recovering from a major surgery and is limited in mobility right now.
I’d like to send her a book or two.
I don’t know much about her other than that she doesn’t like sports.
I’d appreciate any recommendations for books appropriate for, and appreciated by, this age group. Any other recommendations on diversions to send her are also welcome. 🙂
Thanks a ton!
by mx_missile_proof
21 Comments
***The One and Only Ivan*** is a 2012 novel written by [Katherine Applegate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Applegate) and illustrated by Patricia Castelao. Based on the true story of [a silverback gorilla who spent 27 years living in a mall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_(gorilla)) in Washington state, the novel is written from the point of view of Ivan, a silverback gorilla who lives in an enclosure at a mall.
If she likes cats/ animals, the Warriors series by Erin Hunt is classic young girl literature, beloved by me and my friends and their kids for decades.
Tamora Pierce the Circle Of Magic is her series aimed at younger readers. All her books are fantastic.
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale is excellent!
if she hasn’t read Brian Jacques Redwall books those are all good!
All of the wendy mass middle grade books are excellent for this age. My favorite is The Candymakers, which is about a group of tweens who compete to make the most delicious candy (theres a lot more to it but that’s the gist). Would be fun with an assortment of exotic candy bars or international treats.
I’d definitely recommend the Inkheart Trilogy by Cornelia Funke, the Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend, and Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston.
City Spies
Chronicles of Narnia. Start with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Or the Land of Stories
Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonsong/Dragonsinger/Dragon Drums books are wonderful for this age.
Dealing with dragons, dark is rising. If she like fantasy. If she likes mysteries…you can’t go wrong with Nancy Drew IMO…but I also loved the three investigators at that age. If you want funny…I want to go home, no coins please, who is bugs potter all by Gordon kormon. Those are older books.
There are several modern books that read like old books but aren’t. Basically family of kids having adventures Penderwicks and Vanderbeekers
Nevermoor by Jessica Townshend
Jupiter Nettle and the Seven Schools of Magic by Sangu Mandanna
The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O’Neill
Garlic and the Witch by Bree Paulsen
The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. It’s a lovely story with a female protagonist – who also deals with some physical limitations and challenges in the book!
Diana Wynne Jones: Howl’s Moving Castle. It’s the basis for the Ghibli Studio movie, and it is a really exciting and funny book, perfect for her age group.
The Sammy Keyes series by Wendelin van Draanen
Maybe Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar for a book that’s also about someone recovering from something major?
I was 11 when my mom gave me Jane Eyre and Little Women. Highly recommend. Also loved The Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler. Island of the Blue Dolphins, Julie of the Wolves, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, The Birchbark House, and The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. All wonderful.
All of these are excellent recommendations. I will add that for a relative’s 11th birthday, I got her the Mapmakers Trilogy by Grove- which I greatly enjoyed.
She may also like graphic novels such as Ink Girls and Botticelli’s Apprentice.
ARTEMIS FOWL!
Ronia the Robbers Daughter by Astrid Lindgren remains one of my favorite books of all time.
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech is also a great one
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, by T. Kingfisher
Redwall, by Brian Jacques
I loved the Sammy Keyes books, by Wendelin Van Draanen when I was around her age
House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, by James Patterson
Warriors: Into the Wild, by Erin Hunter, is the first Warrior Cats book, which were my absolute favorite books all through late elementary school through middle school
Tangerine, by Edward Bloor
My 11 yo loves anything by Gordon Korman
She might like The Ghost Files by Apryl Baker if she likes spooky literature.