December 30, 2012

Narnia and a Plea from Emma for Book Recommendations




Hello from Narnia! This is what we woke up to yesterday morning. Our second good snow this week. We've already made up for last winter I think. That picket fence is technically the boundary to our backyard. Beyond that you see the stone wall and beyond that is a green (now white) space and woods and a river that are an extension of our back yard. No one can ever build back there. Really, how lucky am I? This is such a special location in our Village where most houses back up to alleys and other houses. We felt torn at one point about whether to live in the Village or in the country. I feel like we got both.


This Christmas there have been games, puzzles, movies, cuddling, reading, crafting, baking, a post holiday road trip to Ikea and typing. Lots of typing. Santa brought Emma this vintage typewriter and her life will never be the same. We've had the loveliest of holidays. Bliss. Spoiled rotten with love and quality time. That's our focus during the holidays.


Gifts are lovely but we aren't extravagant with our girls or each other, even so our girls declared this the best Christmas ever so I'm feeling like thoughtful gift giving and being extravagant with our time and love is paying off. I'm pretty sure my favorite memory of the season will be making these dioramas with the girls.



Don't get me wrong. I do like gifts. Especially book gifts. It's my favorite to give and receive. Emma has a new bookshelf (clearly it was time) in her room and a Christmas check from her Grandpa which have combined to create a serious desire for some new books. She has asked me to ask you if you have any recommendations. She's 11 and a voracious reader. She is struggling lately to find new books that are age appropriate but aren't about teen angst and relationships. She loves fantasy and mystery.


Some favorites are Harry Potter, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie mysteries, Theodosia, The Mother Daughter Book Club books, Nancy Drew, Little House on the Prairie, Little Women, The Mysterious Benedict Society, The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, The Oracles of Delphi Keep and Percy Jackson. She re-reads her favorites but is desperate for a new reading adventure and will be forever thankful if you can help!

P.S. For those of you that asked, this is the new lens my Sweetie gifted me with for my birthday. I love it!

81 comments:

  1. I love the shoe series by Noel Streatfield.

    Also the dragon heir series, Orson Scott Card, Anne McCaffrey and her son Todd later on, Connie Willis, Diana Wynne Jones, Neil Gaiman (some of his stuff is a bit dark and adult though - not Anerican Gods for example but the one with Terry Prachett).

    You can get Eleanor Porters work on Gutenberg. More naturalist and historical but interesting.

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  2. When I was about her age, I loved any of Madeline L'Engle books, Nancy Drew and also the Hardy boys series. My girls loved the American Girls series..I enjoy your blog and would love to visit your village...I live east of Muncie....Happy New Year!!!

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  3. I have an 11 year old who is an avid reader and also a lover of fantasy/adventure. Here are some of her favorites from the last year--
    The entire Redwall series by Brian Jacques
    The Spy Princess by Sherwood Smith
    Eragon (and sequels) by Christopher Paolini
    On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness (and sequels) by Andrew Peterson
    Storybound by Marissa Burt
    The Book of Three (and sequels) by Lloyd Alexander
    The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic by Jennifer Trafton
    The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
    Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (and we'll be checking her "Goose Girl" series out of the library come the first of the year)
    Hopefully you'll find something there that will appeal to your daughter as well! I will also 2nd the Madeline L'Engle books!

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  4. Around that age I was enjoying Little Women, Little Men, Eight Cousins, Rose in Bloom (by Louisa M. Alcott) Jo's Boys, and discovered Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy M. Montgomery.

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  5. The Redwall series by Brian Jacques
    The Guardians of Ga'hoole series by Kathryn Lasky
    The Poppy series by Avi
    The Tumtum and Nutmeg series by Emily Bearn
    Other authors to research: Marguerite Henry, E. Nesbit, Farley Mowat and Eleanor Estes

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  6. I wish I had recommendations, but I'm so far from that age now, I don't know what to suggest.

    I bought that same lens with my new camera and I love it!

    xo
    Claudia

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  7. I second (and third) the Madeline L'Engle books - there are two series that intertwine, starting with A Wrinkle in Time. It's a mixture of sci-fi and regular novels of wonderful people.

    Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery is WONDERFUL and there is a mini-series that came out to go along with it that is sweet and wonderful, too.

    I also love the Lloyd Alexander books - The Chronicles of Prydain (which starts with the book of Three) and is fantasy with really fun characters.

    Susan Cooper's series called The Dark is Rising are AMAZING. They turned the first book into a movie but it is nowhere near as good as the book.


    Cornelia Funke's Inkheart series are great, too. Again, the movie made from the first book is nothing like the amazingness of the actual books!

    Suzanne Collins (of Hunger Games fame) has a slightly younger series called the Underland Chronicles, which are great.

    The Princess Bride by William Goldman because the movie is so much fun to watch afterward!

    The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick

    The City of Ember trilogy by Jeanne DuPrau - the movie for the first book is quite good, but most people don't realize there are two more.

    The Skinjacker series by Neil Shusterman

    The Hatchet books by Gary Paulsen. This series has a young male main character but his ability to survive a plane crash in the Canadian wilds is a great read. It became a series, and I think a made for TV movie about the first book. I couldn't put them down!

    Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. The first book was great - two more are in the works.

    I also adored reading the entire series of Oz books by L. Frank Baum - they are really fun, and I still remember the sandwich tree Dorothy found which had actual lunch buckets/picnic baskets on the branches ripe for picking.

    The Giver series by Lois Lowry. Amazing.

    Good luck - I was a voracious reader as a young girl (and now) and tore through books really quickly!

    Also try this website: http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/

    You enter the title of a favorite book, and it recommends others like it - it's very cool!


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  8. The Secret Garden is still my favorite after all these years. It was my grandmother's favorite too, and I so enjoyed reading it aloud, rotating chapters, with my daughter and discussing the meaning of the "good magic." Looking forward to reading it some day with the grandkids.

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  9. L.M. Montgomery wrote Anne of Green Gables but she also wrote a ton of other books, some are series books like Emily of New Moon. I still read them!

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  10. In addition to those previously mentioned, I would add the Dear America series. Diary accounts of girls and boys from all over America during many events in our history. There are so many good books out there to read, and so little time!

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  11. I first read Pride and Prejudice in the 7th grade (and have read it at least 100 more times since then!) - I think I was 11ish?

    Time at the Top by Edward Ormondroyd is a great book about time travel.

    Also, my daughter enjoyed the mysteries by Caroline B Cooney.

    She'll fill up that bookcase in no time!

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  12. Kids books! One of my favorite topics :)

    The Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace is wonderful & They remain among my favorite books.

    I'll echo the love for Anne of Green Gables series. They are wonderful & Emma is just the right age for them.

    I'm currently reading a good book for the 4th-6th grade level called When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead.

    I've seen in the library (but haven't yet read) an intriguing series called The Sisters Grimm which are described as "fairy tale detective books". Here is the Amazon link to the first book: http://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Tale-Detectives-Sisters-Grimm/dp/0810993228/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356881502&sr=8-1&keywords=the+sisters+grimm

    The Little Princess & The Secret Garden

    She is the perfect age for Newberry Award Winning books. These are some of my favorites:

    Dead End in Norvelt (absolutely hysterical)
    Moon Over Manifest
    The Wednesday Wars (And almost anything by Gary Schmidt)
    The Westing Game
    From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
    The Witch of Blackbird Pond

    I hope that she finds some favorites among those. I just love that she has such a passion for reading!

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  13. Those shadow boxes are so sweet. I am thinking my next year's project with the little girls. I would never pack those away. Your pictures are great. Hope you get lots of reading ideas. Have a sprakly new year.

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  14. what lovely peeks into your everyday...have a happy new year Jen...

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  15. I also have a nonstop reader of about the same age (just turned 12 a couple weeks ago). She has read many of the titles listed above (as I did, when I was a nonstop reader so many years ago!)
    She loves to reread all the Percy Jackson (and other Rick Riordan series) but her favorites for the past couple years are the Warrior Cats series by Erin Hunter. If your reader likes them, they will keep her busy for a while, as there are MANY of them, including graphic novels for a change of pace. The first in the series is called Into the Wild, I was just informed.
    The same author also writes about bears in the Seekers books and just recently the publisher has used the pen name on a series of books about wild dogs called Survivors (although the real live author told us at a book signing she wasn't that thrilled with those, as she is a cat person but not a dog person, so my girl is not interested in them at all.)
    Happy Reading!

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  16. Hi Jen, not sure if she has read these yet but how about the Chronicles of Narnia (I'm guessing she has, lol) , Spiderwick Chronicles or Lemony Snicket?? :) LOVE her typewriter! :)

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  17. And let's not forget Black Beauty and/or the Black Stallion, for your little Equestrian!

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  18. I really enjoyed The Night Circus, A Discovery Of Witches, and any Sarah Allen Addison books.

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  19. I see somebody else already mentioned them, but I really loved Madeleine L'Engle (A Wrinkle In Time, A Ring Of Endless Light - all of her books really:)

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  20. Looks amazing, we can only dream of snow here in California. I bought the same lens for my Nikon, it is a great lens, enjoy!

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  21. It sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas. I love the little scenes you made with your daughters- they are darling. Good luck finding some good reading for your sweet girl- xo Diana

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  22. Oh the joys of reading.

    If she enjoys the Trixie Belden (Marcia Martin) books, see if you can locate the 7 Donna Parker books from the 1960s. They are mysteries as well.
    The Gallagher Girls is a newer series about an all girls spy training school by Ally Carter.

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  23. So glad that you had a lovely Christmas!

    My 10 year old suggests the Liz Kessler books, the Doll People series by Ann Martin, and the American Girl books.

    She's also a big reader, and is so happy to see of the suggestions posted here!

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  24. The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson! It's one of my favorite book series, second only to Harry Potter!

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  25. All of the above, especially Madeleine L'engle, plus Gail Carson Levine, author of Ella Enchanted and several other great books for young girls.

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  26. I know when I was that age, I loved alot of books that have been mentioned plus: A boy and his Bear, Jo's Boys, Jack and Jill, Under the Lilacs (or lilac bushes...cant remember lol), basically anything by louisa may alcott:)

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  27. Almost forgot one of my alltime favs that I could even read now! strawberry girl by lois lenski

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  28. My girls are 19 now, but loved reading the Dear America series, My America series, and Royal Diaries series along with others mentioned here. :)

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  29. Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
    Rebecca Stead has several good fantasy books
    Saving Zasha by Randi Barrow
    May B by Caroline Starr Rose
    The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook by Joanne Rocklin. Sad, but a great story
    Pie by Sarah Weeks
    The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.

    Happy reading!!

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  30. As a mom to four girls who are all voracious readers, we have lots of good suggestions; Ink Heart, Ink Spell, and Ink Death by Cornelia Funke, Goose Girl, Princess Academy, or anything by Shannon Hale, Peter and The Star Catchers and sequel, Ella Enchanted The two Princesses of Bamarre, Fairest,or anything by Gail Carson Levine. How about The Anne of Green Gables? They are all clean and fun and adventurous. Happy reading!
    Kim

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  31. The Penderwicks Series by Jeanne Birdsall.
    Love reading your blog!

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  32. Your snow is lovely and how nice to have the best of both the country and village life! I love your diarama's (not sure of the spelling!), they are so creative! Books are my absolute favorite gift, too! It's so wonderful to have a daughter that shares the love of books. Sounds like she is getting lots of good recommendations, too! Happy New Year Blessings to you and your sweet family! xx

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  33. Well, someone else already suggested these, but I will second the suggestion.

    https://store.rabbitroom.com/product/the-wingfeather-bundle

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  34. i already told you emma...RANGER'S APPRENTICE! also hanxi likes classics like anne of green gables

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  35. Anything by Christopher Paul Curtiss is worthwhile, especially Bud, Not Buddy and The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963. Sort of a mystery is the classic, The Egypt Game. The Shiloh trilogy by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is excellent, too, particularly the first which won the Newbery. In fact, check out the Newbery list.

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  36. She might like the series, The Secrets of Nicholas Flamel, by Michael Scott. It starts with The Alchemyst and continues on for six books with some side books.

    And I second the recommendation for From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. My favorite book from childhood.

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  37. She might like the series, The Secrets of Nicholas Flamel, by Michael Scott. It starts with The Alchemyst and continues on for six books with some side books.

    And I second the recommendation for From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. My favorite book from childhood.

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  38. First of all, I am bookmarking this page to keep all of the wonderful book recommendations for my daughter who is also 11. She just finished reading the Shadow Children first book of the series & loved it & wants to read the rest. My son who is now 18 still talks about A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. Happy reading!

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  39. I have a 12 year old daughter who is a voracious reader as well. She also loves fantasy-type books You have received a number of recommendations for great books. Here are a few others that my daughter has really enjoyed:

    --Wonder by R.J. Palacio (can't say enough good things about this book)

    --When you Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

    --Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

    --11 Birthdays, Finally and 13 Gifts all by Wendy Mass

    --Wednesday Wars, O.K. for Now and Trouble all by Gary D. Schmidt

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  40. What a wonderful Christmas, Jen. :) Santa also brought me the same lens but I've been sick most of the week...hoping to try it out tomorrow!

    I would highly recommend the author John Claude Bemis to Emma. Now, I'm a bit biased because I know John in real life as his daughter and my son were in preschool together. But I read The Nine Pound Hammer, the first book of his Clockwork Dark trilogy, over the summer and found it engaging, colorful, and an imaginative amalgam of Americana, folklore and fantasy.

    The whole trilogy has been well-received and he also has a new book out called The Prince That Fell From the Sky.

    I feel the need to visit the library now after reading the other suggestions here. Young adult literature has some truly wonderful offerings!

    Take care,
    Erin

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  41. I'm so excited to see some of our favorites already listed! Madeleine L'Engle, LOVE her and I really liked the Anne of Green Gables books too. My daughter loved the Eragon and Inkheart book series as well. I think I may make a list of the books mentioned and check some of them out myself!

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  42. Two more suggestions that just popped to mind:

    For the horse-loving girl, there is the Bonnie series by Barbara Von Tuyl. I also love(d) horse racing so this was right up my alley.

    My BFF is a voracious reader of YA books and recommends Jasper Fforde's The Last Dragonslayer. I believe this is actually his first YA book, but it's part of a trilogy that's already finished publication in the UK, but was just rolled out in the US this fall.

    Happy reading, Emma!

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  43. The Shadow Children series by Haddax is fabulous. I loved it myself reading it as an adult.

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  44. On the fantasy side maybe the dragon series

    http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Purple-Dragon-Carole-Wilkinson/dp/1423103386

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  45. On the fantasy side maybe the dragon series

    http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Purple-Dragon-Carole-Wilkinson/dp/1423103386

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  46. I just finished The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by David Selznick. It is wonderful, and be sure to see the movie too!

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  47. some older fantasyish books i loved when i was her age:

    THE CHILDREN OF GREEN KNOWE series by l.m. boston (love, love, love this...old manor home in england, mysterious happenings. the author used her actual u.k. manor home as the setting for this.)

    susan cooper's THE DARK IS RISING series.

    jane langton's HALL FAMILY CHRONICALS

    mary stewart's CHRYSTAL CAVE series about merlin & king author.


    LINNETS AND VALERIANS and THE LITTLE WHITE HORSE by elizabeth goudge

    THE BLACK CAULDRON series by lloyd alexander

    THE WIZARD OF OZ series...fabulous

    not fantasy, but i always loved the james herriot, ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL series and georgette heyer's regency novels (they are always in the romance section, but they are not bodice rippers..just wonderful stories filled with facinating details about that era in england).

    newer selections:

    has she read the A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY trilogy? both my girls, as well as my old self enjoyed it.

    Philip pullman's HIS DARK MATERIALS series (he also has a fun mystery series set in victorian england).

    TALES OF THE OTORI series by lian hearn.

    GILDA JOYCE mysteries by jennifer allison

    ECHO FALLS mysteries by peter abrams

    the PENDERWICK series (not mystery or fantasy, just fun)

    blue balliet's mysteries

    THE RANGER'S APPRENTICE series by john flannagan (i think)

    garth nix's SABRIEL series

    ok..now, i've written a novel:) love children's & young adult lit. i always have way too many suggestions!

    happy reading,
    nanne in columbus, indiana




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  48. some older fantasyish books i loved when i was her age:

    THE CHILDREN OF GREEN KNOWE series by l.m. boston (love, love, love this...old manor home in england, mysterious happenings. the author used her actual u.k. manor home as the setting for this.)

    susan cooper's THE DARK IS RISING series.

    jane langton's HALL FAMILY CHRONICALS

    mary stewart's CHRYSTAL CAVE series about merlin & king author.


    LINNETS AND VALERIANS and THE LITTLE WHITE HORSE by elizabeth goudge

    THE BLACK CAULDRON series by lloyd alexander

    THE WIZARD OF OZ series...fabulous

    not fantasy, but i always loved the james herriot, ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL series and georgette heyer's regency novels (they are always in the romance section, but they are not bodice rippers..just wonderful stories filled with facinating details about that era in england).

    newer selections:

    has she read the A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY trilogy? both my girls, as well as my old self enjoyed it.

    Philip pullman's HIS DARK MATERIALS series (he also has a fun mystery series set in victorian england).

    TALES OF THE OTORI series by lian hearn.

    GILDA JOYCE mysteries by jennifer allison

    ECHO FALLS mysteries by peter abrams

    the PENDERWICK series (not mystery or fantasy, just fun)

    blue balliet's mysteries

    THE RANGER'S APPRENTICE series by john flannagan (i think)

    garth nix's SABRIEL series

    ok..now, i've written a novel:) love children's & young adult lit. i always have way too many suggestions!

    happy reading,
    nanne in columbus, indiana




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  49. Anne of Green Gables and Little Women. When I was her age I started reading Jane Austen and had enjoyed the Little Women series.
    It is a delight to hear of her love of reading. My Mom raised us with the joy of reading and we were thrilled to have books as presents. Well Done Mom !

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  50. Emma should definately try "The Alchemist" Lots of mystery and adventure! Has she read the clssics?

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

    Love from the Big Ben,
    Ketki

    P.S London misses you!

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  51. I must second the shoe series by Noel Streatfield, especially Skating Shoes and Ballet Shoes. Ruby Red by Kerstin Geir is really good, time travel / mystery. It is for 12 and up. It is a series too.

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  52. Just stopping by to wish you, your family and "blog fans" a HAPPY NEW YEAR"!!
    Hope 2013 is full of peace and joy for all!
    Mare

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  53. I didn't have time to read the 52 posts ahead of me to see if this series was mentioned but my daughter loved a series by Elizabeth Enright that starts with "The Saturdays". It was written over 60 years ago but is still just as fun!

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  54. The Crispin series by AVI

    She will love it!

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  55. The Cherry Ames books are about a girl who grows up and becomes a nurse (including during war-times in the South Pacific) that I loved back during my Nancy Drew & Trixie Belden phase. Definitely recommend them!

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  56. Here is a Amazon link for a wonderful book that takes place in IN by one of my favorite authors!! This is her youth/preteen series she has begun, and P.S her adult latest is wonderful too!http://www.amazon.com/Viola-Reel-Life-Adriana-Trigiani/dp/B00394DGFU
    later, Lori P.S You guys are luckey in Soth Bend we keep getting only bits of snow!

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  57. i am in the middle of the Wrinkle in TIme series by Madeleine L'Engle. I tried so hard to like them growing up...but always struggled with them, as fantasy wasn't one of my favorite genres then. I am really enjoying them now.
    I loved Frances Hodgson Burnett when I was her age.

    I have ALL the Lucy Maud Montgomery books and they are truly my favorites from growing up...probably starting around her age. I've been rereading the Anne books...but I should really go back and reread the others too.

    (Has she read the Narnia books? Love those too.)

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  58. wow!! so many great suggestions! reading through the comments makes me wish i could be 11 again and reading some of these books for the first time.

    jen, i think you can judge what a special place your blog is by the many responses to this post from your readers who are eager to help emma find some magical reading & who are just loving that you are sharing your book crazy daughter with the rest of us book crazy posters.

    thank you!

    nanne in columbus, indiana

    p.s. would love it if you would have a seasonal call out for book suggestions for, ahem, emma :). it would be so much fun to see what your readers would recommend for, say, summer/camp/vacation; fall/campus/school; fun/spooky halloween and holiday reading.

    nanne

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  59. Happy New Year Jen! It looks like Emma has a lot of reading in her future. I can just see the two of you cuddled up under a blanket, you knitting and Emma reading. If you knit as much as she has to read, there will be a scarf long enough to wrap around the world!

    Thanks for showing us the scene from your backyard. Because I love you, I will not be jealous...but it's not easy. You live a charmed life.

    xoxo, Julia

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  60. I'd recommend The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald!

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  61. I'd recommend The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald!

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  62. How wonderful to have a young reader in the house! I love books for this age, even as a retired teacher! I still re-read these. Some of my favorites (and those my students loved):
    The Secret Garden by Frances Burnett
    The Wheel On The School by Meindert Dejong
    The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
    Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
    The City of Ember Books (there are actually 4) by Jeanne DuPrau
    The Giver Series(There are 4 now with The Son being added in 2012 and is more mature) by Lois Lowry

    Please let us know what she decides on. Maybe we can add some titles to our own lists!

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  63. The Penderwicks Series
    The Wildwood Chronicles
    Tuesdays at the Castle
    The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
    Breadcrumbs
    Liesl & Po
    The Aviary
    The Enola Holmes Mysteries
    The Tiffany Aching Series from Terry Pratchett

    I am an adult nerd for youth fiction. I love magical, mystical and powerful girls. Most of these have a little of that. ;)

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  64. Don't miss Kikki Stike ..so much fun

    http://www.kikistrike.com/

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  65. i second kikki strike, c. ellen! fun & hilarious!

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  66. Her taste sounds similar to my daughter's. Try the Mandie series. The author's name is Leppard. They are mysteries a la Nancy Drew but they have a historical/pioneer type setting. She has also enjoyed some of the books Beverly Lewis has written for girls. There was also a little series--Holly's Heart maybe? She enjoyed the Betsy Tacy books very much.

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  67. The Wildwood Chronicles (last year's "Wildwood" and this year's "Under Wildwood") were a huge hit with both me and my 11-year old sister-in-law!

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  68. I don't think you're lacking for options from all the choices listed :P

    I really enjoyed several of the ones listed and will just add two series:

    1)The Akhetan Adventures (a mixture of fantasy, present world, and some mystery.)

    2)The Sisters Grimm (Series based around well known story book characters who are real life)

    Two very good series!

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  69. When I was that age anything by Lucy Maud Montgomery was my favorite. She wrote lots more books than just Anne of Green Gables.

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  70. All that snow looks lovely on your property, but you can keep it! We've only had a dusting here in northern IL. Love that vintage typewriter and the dioramas. :-)

    As for book recommendations for your 11-year old, here's what I found on Goodreads. Hope it helps!

    http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/288685-what-series-would-you-suggest-for-a-young-reader?auto_login_attempted=true

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  71. ohmystars, there are some
    fabulous suggestions from
    your readers! has she read
    "the view from saturday" - by
    e.l. konisburg? it's a little
    tough for my fourth grade
    students, but one of my
    favorites, just a great story
    told by a gifted author, perfect
    for an 11 year old strong reader.
    i'd love to know what she
    thinks of it, if she gives it
    a go.
    you are too fun, jen.
    xoxox

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  72. Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle In Time is such a classic, your Emma may have read it already. Ms. L'Engle has many more collections. My daughter and I have always been voracious readers, never alone when a book is close by. Best Wishes to you and your family in 2013.

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  73. We second the recommendations for the Wildwood Chronicles and The Penderwicks. Here's another great one: The Willoughby's by Lois Lowry. My children loved it and so did I. : )

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  74. We second the recommendations for the Wildwood Chronicles and The Penderwicks. Here's another great one: The Willoughby's by Lois Lowry. My children loved it and so did I. : )

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  75. She might like The Chalet School series by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer. Happy New Year! ~Amy

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  76. I love those boxes. They remind me so much of decorations that my grandmother and great-grandmothers had. They bring back such fond memories.

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  77. Just remembered another trilogy: Flambards by K.M. Peyton, followed by The Edge of the Cloud and Flambards in Summer.

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  78. I, too, have an 11 year old daughter and I would be amiss if I did not boast on her favorites to share with you and Emma!

    1) I must second what #3 commenter said above, The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic, by Jennifer Trafton.

    2) The Twenty-One Balloons, by William Pene du Bois

    3) The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, by Julie Andrews Edwards

    4) Treasures of the Snow, by Patricia St. John (and others by this author such as Rainbow Garden)

    One can't help but desperately want to share one's favorite books with others-- hope you might look into these and enjoy them too! The first three would fall in the fantasy category, and the last is a completely beautiful and gripping story.

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  79. Love this post and the diorama. We're reading The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe now. I'm getting great ideas for books from your readers. :) Now following your blog.

    Angela

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  80. My daughter recommends Charlie Bone, Ranger's Apprentice, Eye of the Storm, 100 Cupboards, A Hole in the World

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  81. Dear Emma,
    I just finished my second Flavia de Luce book last night!
    Love. Her.
    She is so funny in a very unintentional way.
    What did you think of Trixie Belden? Those were the mysteries I read when I was your age and every once in a while I'll pull one out of my collection to re-read. They only had 16 back then, but I've tracked down all the new ones and have enjoyed those as well. (Most of them.....the very last ones are kind of dumb.)
    Happy Reading to you, Miss Emma!
    Teresa :)

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