Young Adult Fiction for Adults discussion
Recommendations
>
YA suggestions for advanced younger reader
date
newest »
newest »
My cousin is the same way she's 9 and reads everything at hand. She's currently reading the Percy series
My granddaughter is 13 now but was reading like that at a very young age. My son read a LOT of YA books to screen them before letting her read them.I would highly recommend Wildwood Dancing and it does have faeries. It's based on a fairy tale and Juliet Marillier's writing is beautiful.
Also A Walk in Wolf Wood It's an old book and I found the copy I gave my granddaugher some years back in a used book store. I reviewed both of these on here.
My niece (11) enjoyed my Salem Witch series when she was 8. It has a tiny bit of romance, but not really much. The focus is more on academics (learning magic :-) and athletics (cheerleading in flight). It is not dark at all. The first one is The Salem Witch Tryouts. You can check out a sample on Amazon to see if you'd think it was appropriate. I'm *not* trying to do self-promo here, I just know how hard it is to find suitable reading matter for young avid readers and (because I tutor kids with dyslexia) for those who find reading difficult.To shift focus from me, me, me, I would also ask if she tried the Anne of Green Gables series? It isn't paranormal, but it is historical nowadays. If you have a used book store, she may enjoy the old Trixie Belden mystery series. And if you can get your hands on the Animorphs, she will love that series (there are a *lot* of those books -- I know because I have almost the whole series and I read them aloud to my boys for years). They are smaller books, but do deal with a frightening situation (aliens are taking over humans), but in a way that I always thought was more thoughtful than horror-focused. Just as an example, one of the protagonists (they are a team of boys and girls) must deal with having his older brother "taken over" by the Yeerk (the aliens). His feelings are very much the ambivalence of a younger brother who has a love/hate relationship with his older sibling, and yet a strong loyalty to family and to not hurting anyone.
I have enjoyed The Dreamhouse Kings series by Robert Liparulo and think that would be appropriate for a younger YA reader.
Some good ideas! I'll look into these.@Ottilie - I have the Percy series because I wanted to read them. Suggested them to her around the same time as Harry Potter last year. Maybe it's time to give those another try.
@Terry - Wildwood Dancing sounds right up her alley, thank you
@Kelly - Funny you mention Anne of Green Gables; it's on a recommended list from her teacher. Historical would be something new for her, but it's worth trying. Thanks!
My just-turned-8 year old son is like this, too. It's getting interesting trying to find books that are appropriate for him, but that are also at his reading level. Janice Hardy's The Shifter and Blue Fire are great adventure stories with only the tiniest romance mixed in. The main character has special abilities, which gets her into plenty of trouble.
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld is a steampunk story about a girl pretending to be a boy during an alternate history version of WW2. It's still appropriate for a younger audience. :)
The So You Want To Be A Wizard series by Diane Duane is also great. Plenty of magic and adventure, light on romance.
Has she read The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley? Those are great. She also wrote Beauty, a fabulous retelling of Beauty and the Beast. What about The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale?
Oh yeah, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly is fantastic. So is The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens.
Tabitha wrote: "Oh yeah, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly is fantastic. So is The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens."I second the Emerald Atlas recommendation and add
.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm sure she'll love some of these!
I am a school librarian who yearly has to hunt down high lexile books for 4th graders. I suggest maybe Angie Sage's Magyk series; Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, Savvy by Ingrid Law, the Redwall series (particularly if she is a warriors fan--as these are whole civilizations of battling animals), Abel's Island, and for some old-fashioned fun A Little Princess and The Secret Garden. These last two are difficult only because they were written 100 years ago or so. Watch out for abridged versions.
How about The Lightning Thief, my son started reading them in the 4th grade. He still likes reading Rick Riordan books.
I really like
. There's slight flirting but the protagonist is only 13/14 and they keep her that level. I really like Shannon Hale books and think they're all very appropriate.
Gonna go checkout my shelves and see what else I can come up with.
What about
and
.
and
.
can be a little dark but it has no romance & one of my favorite talking cats.
I concur with Princess for Hire and Gregor the Overlander.
Heidi (so what if I'm picky) wrote: "I concur with Princess for Hire and Gregor the Overlander."I was really impressed with how Princess for Hire handled crushes. Felt so accurate. Really like those books.
I also second the Anne of Green Gables and thrown in my favorite middle grade read
.
Again, thanks for all the suggestions. I'm making a list of all these to look into for her. You guys are a great help!
Hi DJ,Yay, I love giving recommendations for young smart people!
I highly recommend:
-the Enola Holmes mysteries by Nancy Springer (her Rowan Hood series is also good, but Enola is AWESOME.)
-Delia Sherman's Changeling and the Magic Mirror of the Mermaid Queen
-Ronia the Robber's Daughter by Astrid Lindgren
-anything by Diana Wynne Jones, since she likes talking animals, start with Dogsbody
-the Immortals series and the Circle of Magic series by Tamora Pierce (her Alanna series reads a bit older. the Beka Cooper and Protector of the Small series are also age appropriate)
-anything by Robin Mckinley EXCEPT DEERSKIN. (Deerskin includes a rape.)
-Noel Streatfeld's 'shoes' and Gemma books if she likes dance, theater, etc. they're set in 1940s England.
-Joan Aiken's The Wolves of Willoughby Chase series
-The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper
-The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood
-The Magic Thief series by Sarah Prineas
-the Diamond of Drury Lane series by Julia Golding
-Jacky Faber series by L.A. Meyer- (I think they skirt the bad things that could happen to Jacky but don't well enough for a 9 year-old, but you'll want to see for yourself)
-Secret of the Three Treasures by Janni Lee Simner
-the False Princess by Eilis O'Neal
-Decoy Princess by Dawn Cook (read first- may be a bit too old)
-Steel by Carrie Vaughn
-Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
-Leviathan & Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
-Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
-Ice by Sarah Beth Durst
-East by Edith Pattou
-Starcrossed by Elizabeth Bunce
-The book of the dun cow
-I second the recommendations for Janice Hardy's The Shifter and Blue Fire and for Shannon Hale. and Plain Kate by Erin Bow
The Mouse And His ChildThis book is definitely for the advanced younger reader. Hoban writes an allegory of existentialism into a fascinating tale of toy and real animals.
I second the Tamora Pierce suggestion. She's great. Your daughter might also like
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
and the Betsy-Tacy series.
When I was her age I really got stuck into the Harry Potter series (which I already see she has decided to try out again which makes me smile) and another amazing series is the Lemony Snicket series of A Series of Unfortunate Events. The overall plot does have a lot to do with a bad man trying to cause harm to 3 orphans so he can get his hands on their inheritance, but its all very light hearted. If your daughter knows about some of the bad things in the world or you are open about letting her learn about them then I would definitely recommend this series. Also, Lemony Snicket does love to give the meanings of a lot of new words which really helped me learn aswell :)Goodluck :)
One more to add to the list (not that you don't have enough already :) ). My 8 year old son just finished the first Percy Jackson book and loved it. He's also devoured the 39 Clues series and is anxious to read the Vespers vs. Cahils books next.
The Percy Jackson series is wonderful!
I have to suggest
it's a wonderful adventure book. No romance, only a couple deaths that are not too violent. There's also the second and third books,
which are also part of the series. :)Also:
she might like,
and I've really enjoyed books by Vivian Vande Velde.
I would screen the His Dark Materials series personally. Not that I don't think kids should read it but the last book has some strange points of view about religion and you'll want to decide if you want to answer those.(For the record I love this series but think its more a high school read)
She would probably like A Little Princess. It's an utter classic of children's literature.There's also Matilda. Very fun and imaginative and yet another classic of children's literature.
I very highly recommend the entire Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan. Very well written and entertaining. The main character is a guy and there's not much in the way of romance at all. Characters do end up together but nothing physical beyond hand holding and kissing and romance is not at all the focus of the series. In book three, the main character does end up becoming a drug addict. However, the author handled it with grace and care and casts drugs in a very negative and bad light and the drug he gets addicted to isn't real either. And by book four, he kicks the addiction. And the reasons behind why he gets addicted are clearly explained. Please don't let that put you off from the series, it really and truly is excellent. Their is a fair amount of violence and battles and characters die, but nothing gory or graphic or extreme. It's very adventurous and the female characters are excellent. They are shown to be very strong and smart and brave and capable young ladies with just as much as value and just as much to contribute as the men do. In other words, fantastic role models for your daughter. And the men are equally as great, all very heroic and they treat the women with respect, they're all very chivalrous and also all intelligent. You don't have to worry about her getting bad values from the series because their are none. Bad guys always get what's coming to them, right and wrong are clearly shown, etc. And the characters grow and change a lot and learn from their mistakes and so on.
The first book is called The Ruins of Gorlan.
I third the Percy Jackson series. It it so entertaining and well written. I also recommend The Kane Chronicles trilogy by the same author, equally as well written and entertaining. And you'll probably appreciate the fact that Percy Jackson will teach her a lot about Greek mythology and The Kane Chronicles will teach her a lot about Egyptian mythology. And again excellent and very strong female characters. Excellent character growth, etc. The first Percy Jackson novel is The Lightning Thief.
And the first Kane Chronicles novel is The Red Pyramid.
There's also the S.T.O.R.M. novels by E.L. Young. Kid spys is the main theme here and it's very well and entertainingly done. Fantastic and intelligent characters, lots of adventure and so on. A big theme is being able to change the world for the better no matter your age. There's not a ton of violence. Some deaths and precarious situations, but nothing graphic or gory. The first book is S.T.O.R.M.: The Infinity Code.
You might really like this site, http://www.commonsensemedia.org they give reviews for dozens of books as well as movies and TV shows and music and they give you a complete content breakdown as well as a recommended age and you can customize it to your daughters age.
Cassi wrote: "I would screen the His Dark Materials series personally. Not that I don't think kids should read it but the last book has some strange points of view about religion and you'll want to decide if yo..."I'd agree with you Cassi but I read it in middle school as a group read in my English class. Yes, the whole religion thing is controversial but I didn't pick anything up when I read it, so, it could be that it's just something younger readers over look.
It could be overlooked. I just wouldn't want to answer those questions if I were a parent.
What about the ultimate talking animal book, The Story of Doctor Dolittle? I also will always remember the librarian who led me into the adult section at that age and introduced me to the writings of James Herriot and Agatha Christie.For readers who don't fall in love with Anne of Green Gables, I recommend Emily of New Moon.
One caution - Inkheart is indeed excellent, but I have had several students bothered by the evil of the big baddie. He has a cruelty to him that goes beyond most villains.
I would have to throw in my vote for Anne of Green Gables, as well. Love love love them! If your looking for reviews for some of these books (that would be quite a list of books for you to read yourself) I would visit
http://www.theliteratemother.org/
They have a huge selection of reviews that I have found very helpful when suggesting books for younger kids. They break every review down by language, sexual content, violence and adult themes. Excellent resource to have.
Julie (formerly the girl with the orange flowers) wrote: "I have enjoyed The Dreamhouse Kings series by Robert Liparulo and think that would be appropriate for a younger YA reader."I disagree. My daughter, who is now 10.5, was much the same way (she reads at a college level now), and I would have never allowed her to read this series last year. It's terrifying! I would be releuctant to let her read it now...
As I stated above, my 10yo daughter was much the same. Some books that she's enjoyed in the past couple of years were:Fablehaven (the whole series) by Brandon Mull
The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull
Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin (although beware that there is mention of sex, although brief, so if she's unaware of that yet, wait until next year)
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce (there are a few swears and some violence, so if you're not okay with that, hold off)
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Everlost, Everwild, and Everfound by Neal Shusterman (probably my #1 recommendation for an advanced reading 4th grader!)
The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann (#2 most recommended)
Matched and Crossed by Ally Condie
Paranormalcy and Supernaturally by Kiersten White
Luv Ya Bunches, Violet in Bloom, and Oopsy Daisy by Lauren Myracle
Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Thirteen Plus One by Lauren Myracle (Lauren is Emma's ABSOLUTE FAVORITE, but beware, she writes MG and YA and her YA are NOT appropriate for a 9 or 10yo)
Hope this helps. If you want more recs, just message me. I could go on and on, but these were the ones Emma pulled off the top of her head when I asked her... Also, I have a YA blog where I give grade level recommendations based on content (I started reading YA because I had to read everything before Emma starting when she was 7 and asked to read Twilight because it was within her AR level). You can check it out HERE.
A middle grader recently recommended Witch and Wizard to me. I'm reading it now and it seems like it would be good for an advanced younbg reader. It's a bit silly, but should be age appropriate.
this one too
I recommend Watership Down. I consider it to be the best young adult novel ever written, and it is fully appropriate for children.However, if your child is scared easily, don't show her the movie adaption. It could be mildly traumatic.
Cassi aka Snow White wrote: "I would screen the His Dark Materials series personally. Not that I don't think kids should read it but the last book has some strange points of view about religion and you'll want to decide if yo..."I agree about the screening, but for me it pertains more to the sex scene in the last book -- I don't think it is appropriate for elementary aged or earlier year middle schoolers. I plan to give the series to my 6th grader maybe when she is in 8th grade or a Freshman.
I would recommend:
Its a very fun and interesting story with a world of 'regular' humans that live at the bottom of the ocean. Its really clean and imaginative. The star is a 14 year old boy that is trying to solve the mystery of his birth parents and how he's related to his underwater world.
Is there a way I can bookmark this conversation? I'd like to use it to reference back to for my son. He will be 9 in a couple of months and loves to read, but has a hard time finding books he likes. We homeschool so we try to do a set reading each week (sometimes they'll last 2 weeks). He also reads his own book of choice in his spare time. Right now our listed reading is The Hunger Games. I told him if he wants to see the movie in the theater he has to read the book first. Otherwise I will be going without him and he can wait til it's on DVD. I'm not worried about violence in books for him, as we watch scary movies and whatnot.
First in a whole series about five out now really good - adults like them too.
You should totally try Walking across the London BridgeOmg, such a heart-wrenching love triangle, so many ups, and downs! but oh my god, the ending makes you wanna read more!!
I love anything by april henry or rainbow rowell
Hibneed serious friends , feel free to add me
My 3 kids all loved the rangers apprentice series at that age and read and re-read them.My daughter & her friends loved the keeper of the list cities books by shannon messenger
For more of a magic & creatures story, the unwanteds by lisa mcman were good.
The Lightning Thief series by Rick Riordan as well
Try Código Disruptivo. Sci fi with a lot of mistery.
Young Adult Fiction for Adults
Books mentioned in this topic
Walking across the London Bridge (other topics)The Alchemyst (other topics)
The Betrayals of Grim's Peak (other topics)
The Golden Compass (other topics)
Witch & Wizard (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Lisa McMann (other topics)Lauren Myracle (other topics)
Gabrielle Zevin (other topics)
Kiersten White (other topics)
Neal Shusterman (other topics)
More...
My only concern is her age. She's still too young to be reading YA that's centered around romance - there's plenty of time for her to get to that later. As a father, I'd prefer it be MUCH later. But she does like the YA genre: she's read nearly all of Erin Hunter's Cat Warrior books and she got a few of Hunter's other books for her birthday. She loves fairies and (talking) animals, and has decided to try reading the Harry Potter series again (she started it last year but the 1st book didn't keep her attention).
I'm hoping you all can recommend a few to me to get for her. Keep in mind, she is a younger reader and I'd rather not over-expose her to some of the subjects that many YA books include, mainly romance and extreme violence/death. Magic, paranormal, adventure are all good. Any ideas for me?