Realistic books for preteens a la Judy Blume?

[JaChelle Sugar]

A little friend of mine is huge into reading. Right now it's princesses this and fairies that. She's got some non-nauseating ones (Enchanted Forest Chronicles etc) but it'd be great to have FJ's help with a book list of more realistic fare like Judy Blume and Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Alice books.

[RandomTrivia]

A little friend of mine is huge into reading. Right now it's princesses this and fairies that. She's got some non-nauseating ones (Enchanted Forest Chronicles etc) but it'd be great to have FJ's help with a book list of more realistic fare like Judy Blume and Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Alice books.

How old is she? My son (7 1/2) is currently working on a few series, and he's not into the typical "boy books" (he's read some of those Rainbow Fairy books, which are total formulaic fluff IMO) - Calvin Coconut, Magic Tree House (okay, not 100% realistic, but still good), Geronimo Stilton, Thea Stilton, and he just got his first Beverly Cleary book, Ramona Quimby, Age 8. There are also always the American Girl books and the Dear Diary series. Then there are Lynn Hall's books, especially if she likes dogs or horses, Bette Green, Scott O'Dell, E.L. Konigsburg, Jean Craighead George, Kate DiCamillo. I've got a few more, but they tend more toward fantasy - Tamora Pierce, Robin McKinley, Lloyd Alexander, Susan Cooper - and probably for age 10ish or so.

[Megan]

I can't remember what age range they're good for, but as far as realistic books, I remember liking:

Anne of Green Gables and sequels

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler

P.S., Longer Letter Later and sequels

The Babysitter's Club books

I tended to read fantasy at that age though - huge fan of the Redwall series when I was younger, which aren't princesses and fairies if you're open to other types of fantasy.

[2xx1xy1JD]

For some really gritty reading, there's Katherine Paterson, who writes "The Great Gilly Hopkins" and "Bridge to Terabithia".

"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" is another classic.

Paula Danziger's style is somewhat similar to Judy Blume.

The Harriet the Spy series.

For some more recent books:

"Wonder" by R.J. Palacio is a must-read.

"The Fault in Our Stars" has some dark humor, but it's also a tear-jerker.

[louisa05]

Has she read the "Princess Academy" series by Shannon Hale? Not your typical princesses but might appeal because of the subject matter.

[keen23]

My girls love the Judy Moody books written by Megan McDonald. They also like the Dork Diaries books by Rachel Renee Russell and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books by Jeff Kinney.

My 10 year old daughter is into mythology and just started the Percy Jackson books.

[crazyforkate]

The Royal Diaries, Dear Canada, Dear America. You're welcome :)

[Maggie Mae]

How about the Sammy Keyes novels?

[linnea27]

I was a big fan of Kit Pearson and Sarah Ellis.

[lilith]

There's a series called "My Australian Girl" about different girls living in different eras and parts of Australia that my daughter loves.

Also a series called, I think, Real Princess Diaries, which consists of stories about the youth of real royals - Queen Victoria, Marie Antionette, Anastasia Rominov etc. The history in them, while not perfect, is pretty good (and I'm pedantic about stuff like that), and my daughter loves them. She started reading them just before she was eight and still reads them now (nearly 10). There are quite a few in the series and new ones still coming out.

[lilwriter85]

Maybe try Sharon Draper books.

[crazyforkate]

There's a series called "My Australian Girl" about different girls living in different eras and parts of Australia that my daughter loves.

Also a series called, I think, Real Princess Diaries, which consists of stories about the youth of real royals - Queen Victoria, Marie Antionette, Anastasia Rominov etc. The history in them, while not perfect, is pretty good (and I'm pedantic about stuff like that), and my daughter loves them. She started reading them just before she was eight and still reads them now (nearly 10). There are quite a few in the series and new ones still coming out.

That IS the Royal Diaries :) The Anastasia book is the reason I live in Russia now, thirteen years later! My Australian Girl is under the same umbrella, the Australian equivalent of Dear America and Dear Canada. Every series of that ilk is by the same company. They're all excellent, giving you a real sense of the history as well as the personalities in the individual families (and with a royals, a glimpse into their world). They even have a boy equivalent (in the US) called My Name is America.

OT: I'm kind of looking for ebooks for all of the above. What can I say, once a YA reader, always a YA reader. Anyone have a lead?

[JaChelle Sugar]

Thanks for the idea's! She's read/reading some of these, and I'm listing the rest as they come. She's a preteen.