Book suggestions for teen girls

[semo233]

Try this series:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...reck+th,aps,191&rh=i:aps,k:wreck+this+journal

 

[crisi]

How about a gift card to Barnes and Noble or another book store? I teach this age group and the girls all like different types. If you are unsure if they will like Divergent or a Sarah Dessen I suggest the gift card.

And an avid reader will have read most of this. There hasn't been anything mentioned that my daughter hasn't read or dismissed (she didn't like Mortal Instruments). For a non-avid reader, finding a good book that they will read involves having more information than gender and age.

 

[Ginny Favers]

And an avid reader will have read most of this. There hasn't been anything mentioned that my daughter hasn't read or dismissed (she didn't like Mortal Instruments). For a non-avid reader, finding a good book that they will read involves having more information than gender and age.

I was just thinking this. All of the above books are books that anyone who reads regularly will have probably already read. As an avid reader, I really don't like when people pick out books for me because my tastes are much different than anyone else's--I would prefer a gift card.

 

[Agent7]

If she enjoys reading she probably read all of the 'trendy books' (i.e. Hunger Games, Fault in our Stars, although they are good they are extremely popular in her age group). I would recommend a classic: Brave New World, Of Mice and Men, The Great Gatsby, Enders Game, Huck Finn etc. Or even a graphic novel like Maus (it deals with the Holocaust in unapologetic terms but its a worthy read) or Watchmen (it deals with the fall of grace of superheros with human failings). You could even do an anthology which would have several short stories and maybe a few novels (I have loved them since college lit courses). Although anthologies can be expensive (think $30+, but you usually get 7-13 full works) you can find them for a fraction of the cost at some secondhand bookstores. Do note however that anthologies are designed for college level readers both in subject material and vocabulary breadth (although its not anything a college prep or ap lit student wouldn't possibly read). If all else fails and you have no idea what she needs/wants a gift card to a bookstore would be cook (especially if you have a nifty secondhand store near you/her, I love used book stored because they feel like a treasure hunt) Books are wonderful and its great that you want to give your dn a book.

 

[ShelliRenee]

It's old fashioned, but the Anne of Green Gables series was, and still is, one of my favs. Also, Kingdom Keepers are cool. Judy Blume is good as well.

A gift card to Barnes and noble would be great too!

I will second the Anne of Green Gables vote! It still is one of my favorite books.

 

[crisi]

Have you been to a High School recently ?

For that matter, have you read YA lit? Its distopian novels with lots of death and violence, Romance/Horror crossovers - violence and sex, and teenaged girl drama with drugs and sex. Though I have to say, I haven't seen too much swearing. Not sure its really necessary when characters are regularly beating each other to death.

Every once in a while my bookclub bemoans teen literature "what are our daughters reading?!"- then we remember we all read Flowers in the Attic fourteen times.

 

[rachael95]

It depends on what genre she likes.


Classics:
Sense and Sensibility (always preferred this to Pride and Prejudice myself)
Pride and Predjudice
Jane Eyre
Wuthering Heights

Newer books (as in 20th and 21st century):
Ender's Game quintet (sci fi)
The Belgariad series (Fantasy, these were written more for teen boys, but I liked them as a girl and still re-read years later)
Anne of Green Gables (fiction)

Check out some of the Earthsea novels by Ursula LeGuin (sci fi)


If she has a favorite TV show, many shows have book tie-ins.

Finally, and this is recommended more for 18+ or if you're a parent who allows your teen to read an occasional sex scene, the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews is actually quite good. Strong female lead who is smart and can kick butt and not as much sex as most Urban Fantasy novels have.

 

[FourBees]

Has she read The Great and Terrible Beauty Series. I believe my daughter was about her age when she read it.

 

[lucyem]

Find out how avid a reader she is. At that age she could be moving into more adult books or barely getting started in young adult. I am a reference librarian and I would be very hard pressed to pick out a book for a 15 yr old girl. I know more advanced readers around age 11 and they have already read a number of the books mentioned already.

Speak to her parents and see what they recommend.

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

It depends on what genre she likes.


Classics:
Sense and Sensibility (always preferred this to Pride and Prejudice myself)
Pride and Predjudice
Jane Eyre
Wuthering Heights

Newer books (as in 20th and 21st century):
Ender's Game quintet (sci fi)
The Belgariad series (Fantasy, these were written more for teen boys, but I liked them as a girl and still re-read years later)
Anne of Green Gables (fiction)

Check out some of the Earthsea novels by Ursula LeGuin (sci fi)


If she has a favorite TV show, many shows have book tie-ins.

Finally, and this is recommended more for 18+ or if you're a parent who allows your teen to read an occasional sex scene, the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews is actually quite good. Strong female lead who is smart and can kick butt and not as much sex as most Urban Fantasy novels have.

Ah, a poster after my own heart, I haven't seen the Belgariad mentioned in ages, I've read them all several times, and the Mallorean as well as the Sparhawk series. From Ilona Andrews, her Edge series is equally cool, and I love Kate Daniels!!!!!

Oh that same vein, the October Day series by Seanan McGuire is similar.

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

Find out how avid a reader she is. At that age she could be moving into more adult books or barely getting started in young adult. I am a reference librarian and I would be very hard pressed to pick out a book for a 15 yr old girl. I know more advanced readers around age 11 and they have already read a number of the books mentioned already.

Speak to her parents and see what they recommend.

Yes, my DD is 12 almost 13, and while she hasn't read some of the more "adult" titles referenced, she has read everything else that is considered YA.

 

[JosieGirl71]

All of the above are great recommendations. I have a few less mainstream (but highly acclaimed) young adult recommendations:

Anything by Melina Marchetta: Finnikin of the Rock (first in the Lumatere series), On the Jellicoe Road, Saving Francesca.

The Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness (The Knife of Never Letting Go is the first book). Distopian YA.

The Benny Imura series by Jonathan Maberry (Rot and Ruin is the first book). Zombie YA.

The Ruby Oliver seres by E. Lockhart (The Boyfriend List: 15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs and Me, Ruby Oliver is the first book). Snarky, humorous girl YA.

 

[Egdisney]

I will second the Anne of Green Gables vote! It still is one of my favorite books.

These are good books, but more for the 11-13 year olds, in my opinion. I read Anne of Green gables at least once a year, but I was probably 9 the first time I read it.

 

[Egdisney]

Perks of being a Wallflower was one of my favorite books as a teenager(still is). It has recently been made into a movie, if she hasn't read the book, she should! I adored SE Hinton books. Again, I probably read them for the first time in 6th or 7th grade, but I read them over and over. The Outsiders and That was Then, This is now were my favorites. I am pretty sure that I mostly read the same books my mom read when I was 15. John Grisham was my favorite author. I read all the Flowers in the Attic books. It is probably best to ask her parents what she is interested in. If she isn't a big reader, you could also get her a book about things she enjoys, whatever it may be.

 

[rnorwo1]

If she likes dystopian but is sick of the girl-overthrows-government-while-involved-in-a-love-triangle theme, she may like the Razorland Series (Enclave, Outpost, and Horde). The first half of Enclave was a bit scary, but that gets better and it's just a really good story with a great, satisfying ending... So much better than Hunger Games, Divergent, and all of those similar books.

 

[JillianMarie]

One thing you might consider is getting her one of Nancy Pearl's Book Lust guides. They are wonderful. Instead of giving her one thing to read - give her a book full of curated and vetted recommendations. The only gifts my family exchanges are books and it's a great tradition and I highly discourage giving a gift card to a book store. Even books that I haven't really enjoyed reading I have loved getting because it's such a personal gift and shows you that someone has really thought about who you are and what you'd like. Besides I have probably learned more about what I like from books I hate than from books I love.

But if I could travel back in time and given my 15 year old self a book, it'd be Bossy Pants by Tina Fey. It's outstanding.

 

[iheartwalt]

I would suggest giving her one you remember reading (and liking) in high school. Maybe writing a note to go with it on the impact it made on your life. I just adore books and think they are a wonderful way to pass on knowledge and lessons and joys that we may not have the words to do ourselves.

 

[elphaba91]

Anything by Melina Marchetta: Finnikin of the Rock (first in the Lumatere series), On the Jellicoe Road, Saving Francesca.

Looking for Alibrandi is one of her books and is/was VERY popular in Australia. Not so sure if they're popular overseas.

I'll also add anything by Jaclyn Moriarty. Feeling Sorry For Celia is a good one to start with as there are then 3 other books that aren't exactly sequels, but are connected.

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin was another book that I quite enjoyed and that mightn't be as well known. My sister also loved Before I Die by Jenny Downham - it has also been published as Now Is Good as that was the title of the movie adaptation.

Lastly, if she liked The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series she mightn't know that there was a fifth book called Sisterhood Everlasting which is set a few years after the fourth book.

 

[njpyro]

As an avid reader, I can say that I don't like getting books as gifts.
That being said, I can't recommend Gregory Maguire enough. Wicked ( the first in a series of four) or Confessions of an Ugly Step Sister are a good choice, but anything of his is wonderful, mostly fairy tales from a different point of view.

 

[Duchie]

I was coming here to offer a suggestion but got a few good ideas for my DD as well. She has read some of these but not all. She loves to read, but doesn't "devour" books like some teens, so it's a great resource for me!

Anyway one series that she loved was the Ruby Red Trilogy by Kerstin Gier. The first two (Ruby Red and Sapphire Blue) are both out. The third (Emerald Green) was only out in German for a while, but I think the English version has been released.