Liz F. > Status Update

Does she like historical fiction? Especially older historical fiction. I have plenty of recs for those, if you want them, and if she prefers more recent historical fiction, Lois Walfrid Johnson is a good author for that age (especially her Viking Quest series).

Here are a few fantasy books! She's probably read several of them, but just in case...

- The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye
- The Reluctant Godfather by Allison Tebo
- Tuesdays at the Castle and Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George (both with sequels)
- Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
- The Bridge and Crown and Jewel by Jeri Massi
- The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
- The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

Contemporary:
- The Saturdays and sequels by Elizabeth Enright
- Family Grandstand and others by Carol Ryrie Brink (author of Caddie Woodlawn)
- Derwood Inc. by Jeri Massi
- The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

A wonderful memoir I loved at that age, and still love just as much, is Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret.

She does like historical fiction!! And I'll take any recs I can get. 😂 Thanks, Mary!!

Any of the books in the Mysterious Benedict Society series. I recommend reading them in order. Boys and Girls alike would enjoy these stories.

The older-published Nancy Drew books (Carolyn Keene) or the Mandie series by Lois Gladys Leppard are books I read at her age and still love today. (I recently read a newer-published ND, and the Lord's name was taken in vain in it, so I don't recommend the newer-pubbed ones.)

Karen Witemeyer's books are good, fun entertainment. They do have romance, but it's sweet and there's nothing steamy. Hers are probably a good intro to Christian fiction romance, to give a taste before your friend reads more when she reaches her older teens. Head in the Clouds was the one I started with, but any would probably be good to begin with.

I hope you find something she'll adore!

The Anne of Green Gables series, L.M. Montgomery. Just a delightful look at life in Canada in the late 1800s thru WWI.

The Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale. A beautifully-written fantasy series with friendship, romance, and a lot of depth.

Time Enough for Drums by Ann Rinaldi. A tale of spies, romance, and courage during the American Revolution.

The Sherwood Ring and The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope. Two excellent historical novels with brave heroines, dashing rogues with hearts of gold, mysteries, and just a touch of a ghost story. Sherwood takes place mostly during the Revolutionary War, while Perilous Gard is set in Tudor England.

Liz F. wrote: "She does like historical fiction!! And I'll take any recs I can get. 😂 Thanks, Mary!!"

Okay! I'll do it soon. :)

Sarah wrote: "The Anne of Green Gables series, L.M. Montgomery. Just a delightful look at life in Canada in the late 1800s thru WWI.

The Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale. A beautifully-written fantasy series wi..."

I second The Sherwood Ring. ;)

Does she like mysteries? The Red Rock Mysteries series by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry is intended for kids her age. I read it when I was that age myself and it was one of my favorite series back then. It's Christian fiction and totally clean and there are 15 books so she'd be busy for a while. ;)

Trixie Belden series! sorta like Nancy Drew, but set in a small town. very wholesome <3

Oh, and the Chronicles of Narnia if she loved fantasy. Those books were so great for me at that age.

My book was written for that age range! Dewdrops and Butterflies. You might be interested in checking it out :D

Everard, Princess Paisley, Shadows & Secrets, Cloaked In Secrets, Beneath The Cloak by Chautona Havig are great for that age as is the Aggie's Inheritance series though better for more mature 13 year olds, Sarah Holman, Rebekah Morris, Faith Potts, The Accident by A.M. Heath, P.D. Atkerson, Libby May, and S.D. Smith are all pretty good for that age and they have several different genres.

Dawn Chandler by Eliza Noel. Anything written by Millie Florence.

Wow, you guys are great!! Thank you!! I'll look at all these later. :D

The Circle C Adventures series by Susan K. Marlow, Just Sayin' by Dandi Daley Mackall, the Tales of Faith series by Amanda Tero, Bound by Victoria Lynn, Interrupted by Rachel Coker, the Mandie series by Lois Gladys Leppard, Dark Storms Rising by Jesseca Wheaton, Almost Home and Ransom's Mark by Wendy Lawton, and any of the A Life of Faith books. xD

Faith wrote: "the Mandie series by Lois Gladys Leppard"

Twinkies! I still love this series and I'm in my thirties now. Such great and wholesome mysteries!

The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye is delightful.

Secret Garden & A Little Princess, obviously. I'm sure I'll come up with more in a bit. :)

Andrea wrote: "Faith wrote: "the Mandie series by Lois Gladys Leppard"

Twinkies! I still love this series and I'm in my thirties now. Such great and wholesome mysteries!"

They are lovely! I'm due a re-read. :)

I haven't even collected them all yet, so I'm sure there are some I haven't read. Still working on that as I have funds to do so.

Andrea wrote: "I haven't even collected them all yet, so I'm sure there are some I haven't read. Still working on that as I have funds to do so."

They're all great! The earlier ones were my favorites, and I didn't like the "special books" (Christmas Surprise & Easter Visit) as they were quite different from the main books, but overall one of my favorite series. I have the first ten individually, and the rest of the series in the 3-5 book each collections, so I'm hoping to collect the rest of the individual books. :)

Trouble in Scotland by Megan Wilcox? (me)
It's an adventure/time travel novella. It's kind of an all-ages book. 😁

Allison wrote: "Trixie Belden series! sorta like Nancy Drew, but set in a small town. very wholesome <3"

oh yes, I love those!!

Libby wrote: "My book was written for that age range! Dewdrops and Butterflies. You might be interested in checking it out :D"

haha, good to know! ;)

Andrea wrote: "Any of the books in the Mysterious Benedict Society series. I recommend reading them in order. Boys and Girls alike would enjoy these stories.

The older-published Nancy Drew books (Carolyn Keene) ..."

I love the Mandy books!! :D

Els wrote: "Secret Garden & A Little Princess, obviously. I'm sure I'll come up with more in a bit. :)"

ooh, I love those books!

Megan wrote: "Trouble in Scotland by Megan Wilcox? (me)
It's an adventure/time travel novella. It's kind of an all-ages book. 😁"

thanks for the rec, Megan! ;)

Can I throw my Emily Abbott books in the recommendation pile? They've been enjoyed by that age. :)

Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards - it's a little kiddie at first glance, but trust me. It's loveable even when you're 50. At least, my mom loves it, still. ;-)

I feel like she could probably handle Jesseca Wheaton's Questions of Wars series unless she isn't wanting to read about wars.

The Cherry Ames books

A Girl of the Limberlost and Freckles by Gene Stratton Porter

Emma by Jane Austen (I read it when I was that age!)

The Day Boy and the Night Girl (or vice-versa ... I can't remember) - The Light Princess - The Princess and the Goblin

The Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace (she could skip the earlier ones if she's not okay with reading below her grade level, but they're all excellent) as well as Emily of Deep Valley (standalone)

Can I mention my "Triple Creek Ranch" series or "Home First of the Great War"? Perhaps the "Graham Quartet" books. Many girls of all ages have loved those books especially TCR. :)

The Secret of Nightingale Wood by Lucy Strange, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty, and Princess Academy by Shannon Hale are 3 YA books that I have very much enjoyed recently. Also of course most anything by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

If she likes fantasy, I'd recommend pretty much anything by Tamora Pierce (although the Beka Cooper novels might be a little too dark)

I just remembered a series I read last year that might be perfect: "The Glass Castle", "The Ruby Moon", and "The Paper Boat" by Trishia White Priebe and Jerry B. Jenkins. It's a non-magical Christian fiction fantasy trilogy that's*about* 13 year olds. (Like, it's literally crucial to the plot that the main character's are 13 years old!) :D

I have a series perfect for that age. No swearing, no sex (I think there are a couple of kisses, between married couples), fantasy violence that is not at all graphic or gory. "King's Warrior" is the first book if interested. :)

Also - I would have made non-self-serving recommendations, but reading through this thread, a lot of the ones I would have mentioned already have been :)

Wingfeather Saga is another awesome one that my 11-year old daughter is LOVING right now. Not sure if that one was recommended already.