Books for eleven-year-old girl with reading age of sixteen?

Hey, I'm an eleven-year-old girl, and in my last exam week I was given a reading age of sixteen. Most books for my reading difficulty are either horror (which I hate) or 'teen fluff' romances. Since I dislike both of these, I was wondering if anybody had any ideas for books I could read? Thannkkkkssss! P.S. I'm passionate about reading, sometimes I get up in the morning and I just want to read so much, I read the back of the cereal box or something. P.P.S. I have enjoyed The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Aquila, The Carbon Diaries, pretty much everything by Sophie McKenzie, The Resistance trilogy and Noughts and Crosses.

You could try some YA and adult classics like The Dark Is Rising: (Modern Classic), The Crystal Cave (Merlin Trilogy 1), Rebecca (Virago Modern Classics). If you want something less demanding for the beach you could try some Agatha Christie (there may be murders but they're not gory!) I remember reading Leon Garfield at about your age; although for older children they are extremely well written with vocabulary that sometimes puts off modern readers, e.g. Smith (Puffin Modern Classics). I also read The Hobbit for the first time at about 12.

First, well done on your exam!

Second, books:

- Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy - I read this when I was your age and really loved it (the first book, Northern Lights, is so much better than the film, The Golden Compass).
- Meg Rosoff - How I Live Now is an amazing book and has a similar dystopian theme to the Hunger Games (although they're very different books!).
- David Almond is another great author - Skellig was the first one I read but he's done loads more since.
- The Moth Diaries by Rachel Kline is really good, its the diary of a girl at a boarding school, who becomes obsessed with the idea that the new girl is a vampire... but it's very subtle and not at all sappy like Twilight!
- Maggie Steifvater - I found the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy (Shiver, Linger, Forever) as exciting as The Hunger Games, and she has loads more.
- Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle is a wonderful book about two sisters who live in a big crumbling house, their parents are artists and are a bit eccentric!
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is one of my favourite books, if you haven't read it already

I also got into Terry Pratchett's Discworld series at your age - good if you like your fantasy with lots of laughs!

Hope some of those fit the bill, will let you know if I think of any more!

Have you tried Terry Pratchett? A hatful of sky and I shall wear midnight are great books

Maybe you would like to try something completely different?
Warriors Box Set: Volumes 1 to 6 by Erin Hunter.
Warriors is a series about cats living in clans in the wild, but they have very human characteristics.

Erin Hunter has also written series about bears, and soon the first book in a series about dogs will be published.

The Firebringer trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce is a great trilogy about unicorns and their battle against the fearsome wyverns.
The first book is Birth of the Firebringer (Firebringer Trilogy)

Btw, I totally agree with The Dark is Rising series, but I suggest you start with the second book, not the first, because the first might put you off (being below your reading age, etc), while the other four books are really great!

I also like the Power of Five series by Anthony Horowitz. The first book is Raven's Gate (Power of Five).

Happy reading!

The Magic Scales by Sam Wilding is a great read for adults or children. The Magic Scales: Book One of the Denthan Series

I had a similar issue growing up - testing showed I had the reading age of 15 when I was 8 years old and like you I read all the time - I read *everything* and *anything* I could get hold of. My parents used to get annoyed if I was helping unpack the shopping as I'd get distracted reading the backs of baked bean tins, toilet rolls, washing up liquid, everything!

As well as the books other people have recommended here (which I agree with) I would also recommend books by Tamora Pierce, particularly the Song of The Lioness series (includes the book The Woman Who Rides Like A Man) and the Immortals series (first one is Wild Magic). I would also suggest Tolkein if you haven't read any of his books already, I think I was 8 or 9 when I read The Hobbit and 11 or 12 when I read The Lord of The Rings.

Additionally, I'd further suggest Robin Hobb as an author, particularly the Farseer trilogy (they're not technically teenage books but there's very little difference between the reading capabilities of a 16 year old and those of a 25 year old in my opinion and I don't think the themes in those books are particularly excessive for an 11 year old - I'd happily let my daughter read them) and the Duncton novels by William Horwood. If you haven't read Black Beauty or Watership Down I'd see if you can get hold of those two.

Finally, don't limit yourself to reading! If you can't find something you want to read then find inspiration in those books you've already read and use it to write your own. I had great fun when I was around 12 or so writing my own 'novels' (I still have files of 100s of hand written pages of A4 from when I was dong that 20 years ago!).

All the best, and never stop reading ;)

Oh yes, I loved Tamora Pierce!

If you liked The Hunger Games then you might also like Scott Westerfeld, he has written 4 books in the 'Uglies' series set in a future where society is divided into 'Pretty's and 'Uglies' - when you are 16 you are transformed by plastic surgery to join the society of Pretties - but what if there's another option?

Unwind by Neal Shusterman is also amazing, again slightly dystopian where 'problem' teenagers are handed over by their parents to be 'unwound' - their body parts recycled in hospitals etc.

I agree with the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett,I'm twelve and I've already read them all at least twice.I'd also recommend the following
Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (lots of suspense at times)
The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott
Windlord,Earthlord and Firelord by Michael Scott
CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore
Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke
Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Good Luck,sometimes it can be really hard to find good books but remember to never judge a book by its cover

Hi Jasmine,
Do you like historical fiction? If so Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly is a fantastic read, about the French revolution, also books by Mary Hooper, such as Fallen Grace and Newes from the Dead are great Victorian era reads. Other great series are the Wind Singer Trilogy by William Nicholson, Pegasus series by Kate O'Hearn and the Stravaganza series by Mary Hoffman, starting with City of Masks.
I also agree that Erin Hunter is a great author to look for especially the seekers series, book 1 is the quest begins, it's about 3 different types of bears and it also gets you thinking about the impact we have on the environment and global warming.
There is a lot of good recommendations already given though, so hopefully you have quite a few to keep you occupied before you go back to school.
Happy Reading.

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Congratulations on being such an avid, smart reader! Good timing - for a very limited time, there's a free download of a female-led action adventure book - www.hattorihachi.com Would LOVE your feedback!

Well just because you were told that you have a reading age of 16, doesn't actually mean that you have to read only to that age level. Read what you enjoy, if that is a book to your actual age then that's okay. You may find that YA books have themes in them that you aren't as yet ready for. You will find that 'classics' will probably have harder language than modern books. Good for you that you enjoy reading. I was just the same at your age and hundreds of years later, still am.

Try:
Little Women and its sequals
Ann of Green Gables, series which carries on up to her marriage
Children of the New Forest - Captain Marryatt (Introduces the first teenage hero to appear in a book)
Mark Twain - Tom Sawyer; Huckleberry Finn
Lorna Doon (romance and adventure - but not fluff) - R D Blackmore

I'll try and think of some more

Ruby in the Smoke - Philip Pullman

Kidnapped - R L Stevenson
Thirty Nine Steps - John Buchan
Agatha Christie
Jerome K Jerome - Three Men in a Boat + the Dog (funny)
Wilkie Collins - Lady in White; The Moonstone (the Lady in White is a mystery ghost story, but not horror).

P G Wodehouse - Jeeves and Wooster series (funny and very silly stories of a 1920's upper-class twit and his butler)

Trudi Canavan - The Black Magician's Guild
Pellinor series - Alison Croggon (very good, I read this not realising that it was YA. Full of magic and adventure, no sloppy love, just a little hint). First book is called The Naming (or The Gift, depending on the version).

The Scorpio Races - Maggie Stiefvater (sp?)

I know how you feel, I adore reading! His dark materials by Philip Pullman is really good. Jaqueline Wilson is very good as well. So are Michael Morpurgo and Enid Blyton. Doctor Who and Merlin are also very good reads. The Dragonsdale series are also very good.

Enid Blyton is a bit easy re. language though and a bit young I'd have thought for an 11 year old. I'd second Michael Morpurgo.

Are you there, God? It's me Margaret. - Judy Blume

The London Eye Mystery - S Dowd

The Kite Rider - Geraldine McCoughine (sp?)

Hitler's Canary - Sandi Toksvig

Ooh, I went to the local independent bookstore today and saw that one - nearly bought it but went for Before I Die instead (the book next to it, by Jenny Downam)... looked good, trip to the library awaits!!