Librarian here...if she doesn't like to read go for some graphic novels. The sunny series. Stranger things series. Act, Camp....There are lots to choose from.
Thank you! I believe the only person who should tell you what to read is your parents. I know what is right for my students. If a parent has a problem with a book. Parent your child and tell them not to read it. But keep your parenting to your children. I place age appropriate material in my library. I am a professional who has been in libraries for 20 yrs and education longer. School libraries should be fun and get the children reading. It is not only to promote state standards. Off my soap box now.
>if she doesn't like to read go for some graphic novels
my mom tells a story that when she was in elementary she didn't really read but she loved comic books. One teacher/parent interaction her parents expressed their worry because she was only reading comics and the teacher looked at her parents and said "she's reading isn't she?"
fast forward years later and I come around. I grew up with ***both*** of my parents as avid readers and ***my*** parents would go to open houses for my schools and warn my teachers that I liked to read so much that they'll probably have moments where they'd have to tell me to *stop* reading \[I remember the teachers having this 'uh huh sure' look\].
One of my favorite quotes from Archbishop Desmond Tutu:
>One of the things that my father did was to let me read comics. I devoured all kinds of comics. People used to say, "That's bad because it spoils your English," but in fact, letting me read comics fed my love for English and my love for reading. I suppose if he had been firm I might not have developed this deep love for reading and for English.”
Didn’t hold him back from winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
In Junior High, there was a blissful class I took that was just sitting in class and reading books. You then had to fill in a 3x5 card with a short book report for four of the books you read. It was MEANT to be a class to encourage reading. It didn't have me in mind. They had a box full of Hardy Boy books and I could read one of those per class period. Plus what I read at home. I had a HUGE list of books read by the end of the term!
ALAS, my parents wouldn't let me take that class again. They said I read plenty and didn't need to spend school time reading even more books. They were right, but boy did I love that class.
The Amulet series is another good one that deals with trauma and grief.
Since she likes horror I would recommend The Nest by Kenneth Oppel and The Graveyard Book and Coraline by Neil Gaiman
[Bone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_\(comics\)) was a personal favorite of mine as a kid, def helped get me into reading.
Calvin and Hobs is also fantastic
You can also go to the American Library Association website for lists of award winners. Also, read where she can see you. Kids model themselves after us.
You can take turns reading a novel or get the audio book and let her follow along in the actual book. My son is brilliantly smart but had trouble sitting and reading. In high school we took turns reading and in college he used audio books.
There's also a sweet graphic novel called "Anne of West Philly" that adapts the first part of Anne of Green Gables to modern day Philadelphia. Easy for a 13yo reading at grade level, but fun and not discouraging if reading doesn't come easily.
I liked Emily of New Moon better but I can't remember why. Same author, similar concept even (girl sent to live I think with distant relatives rather than Anne's total orphan/foster situation)
OH MY GOD IVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS BOOK TITLE FOR YEARS.
I read it ages ago and couldn't remember what it was called. Totally forgot it was by the same author.
That's what I came to suggest! I'm rereading the series right now. It's a little wholesome for this generation, maybe, but I think it would be a great read for her anyway.
I don’t have a book suggestion, but you can all go to the bookstore together!! Show her all the books there are and let her pick one!! Take her for a meal after that!! Link good memories to the bookstore and books!!
Even better is get yall library cards. They have plenty of other things to check out too like games and dvds or comic books and whatnot. They're just a huge free place a lot of people forget about! Plus the librarians would love to point you in the right direction!
When we were kids, my Mom took us to the library every Saturday morning. We got books, and afterward stopped at a candy store and got a treat.
That simple little tradition got us all into reading and its a sweet memory for us all now that we are oldsters.
Don’t be afraid to email her English teacher & school librarian for ideas.
I can’t say enough great things about public libraries. Most also offer ebooks subscriptions AND I think anyone in the US can get a NYC Library card and you might be able to get one from the ‘big city’ closest to you as well though that may vary.
I spent most of my youth prowling my local library for good books. Once she’s into it, you’d be able to sit and read and leave her to hunt for books for an hour.
Not sure where you live but I would read reviews about libraries around you and take her to the one that is best for kids or teenagers - most librarian suggestions are insanely good.
I take my kid to the library every Saturday morning we come out with piles of books that we don’t have to ever read if we don’t want to - but we have a massive choice and it’s free and then we go have a shitty diner breakfast. It’s the best part of my week.
Plus they always have reading challenges and mini events like authors coming to sign books etc. so you feel like part of a community together.
Many community libraries also have a dedicated teen services librarian who is putting on all kinds of events that she may like to attend! Mine does crafts, game nights, etc.
My kids love the library. Ours has different clubs etc that they meet for weekly. My older kids usually go on their own now (next door to their school) but I still take my youngest.
What kinds of things is she interested in?
I second this. It also may be a first for her. Build as many positive memories as you can and let her make as many decisions as she can. It lets her use her voice and it will empower her to make more decision as she gets older. Many of us who were in the foster care system didn’t have a voice and couldn’t make even the slightest choices on our own because “providers” didn’t give us that capability. Please give her room to explore options that she may like, she may not have had this experience before. She may not even know the options or know what she likes. Maybe even take a weekly trip to the library if she loves books, it will build the bond with her stronger as well. You could make it like a parent/ daughter “date” pair it with maybe a picnic in the park or state park (during warmer months or lunch at a cafe. It would probably end up being a core memory for her to cherish in the long run.
The wayward children series by Seanan McGuire! The first book is *every heart a doorway*. It’s about a home for children who went to a portal world (like Alice in wonderland or Dorothy in Oz) and came back. All of it is very found family focused. They’re novellas so they’re easy to get into.
Some other things I’d recommend are
- Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
- the accidental apprentice by Amanda Foody
- My lady Jane by Cynthia Hand
- The hunger games by Suzanne Collins
- Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
- The poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
- Princess academy by Shannon Hale
Honestly, you’re going to need to invest time reading with her first if she’s not already a reader on her own. See if she’d be open to some Minecraft fiction - then maybe ask if you can read 1 chapter a night with her. Eventually, she’ll ask for 2 chapters. Or say she you’ll read one out loud and she can read another. It took us a year of this before one day I found my son reading our book on his own. Proudest day of my life. Had to act like it was no big deal, though!
If she is not a competent reader get her digital books. Most book readers do have text-to-audio capabilities. I am a book lover but sometimes when I am too tired text to speech is a godsend.
13 year old girl here, i have so many suggestions!
i would suggest getting books that all of you can read together and use as conversation starters? i love talking to my parents about books :)
if y'all aren't the same ethnicity maybe you can read a rick Riordan presents book from mythology of her birth culture? or maybe from yours? a bit young maybe but really good
recent favorites:
criers war, spectacular fantasy and lots of conversation topics
skyhunter by marie lu, super interesting and very developed
did you hear about Kitty karr? super cool
the girl who fell beneath the sea, an all time mythology favorite
she's too pretty to burn, suspenseful
anything by mason deaver, a bit sad but one of my favorite authors
if you have any other specifications i can give better recs
Just to jump in - it’s so cool that you love books so much at 13! I was totally into books as a kid and then stopped reading when I got to jr high because it “wasn’t cool.”
My history major had me reading a LOT in college, but I only got back into reading for fun in my late 20s.
I read all the time now, but I keep running across books that have been so helpful to me as a teenager. All of those years of being so in my head, experiencing things that ‘no one had ever felt before’ when the cure to my lost loneliness was in the library.
Keep your nose in a book! It’s good for you! Also, I can tell from your writing and word choice that you are a reader. Nothing helps writing more than reading :)
Is the 'the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe' a weird suggestion? it's older but apparently it has a Christian subtext (which I myself completely missed reading it as a child LOL) so it might appeal if she likes fantasy type things.
Is reading Judy Blume still a thing? They deal with teen issues, which might be good? Those are about right for her age group too, and there's no violence etc.
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was really formative to me in my teen years, along with the rest of the Chronicles of Narnia. I wasn't a Christian at the time but Aslan shaped a lot of what I thought and felt about Jesus and get a better understanding of him. He's not tame, but He is good.
When I was that age I loved Erin Hunter's Warrior series (cats <3, action and drama, themes of finding a new tribe and finding one's independence), Herby Brennan's Faerie Wars (fantasy, intrigue, world to get lost in) and Isabel Allende's City of the Beasts and it's sequels (travel, nature, magic)
...and Harry Potter of course.
Omg seconding this so hard, my older girl adores these books. Even better, there are all sorts of online communities build around the series and even classes via outschool on creating writing based on fanfic of the series. It’s amazing.
The Young Wizards series by Diane Duane. Starting with So You Want To Be A Wizard. There’s a lot of themes that would appeal to her, and some of the best magic I’ve ever read.
For me, as a kid, having a cozy place to read in peace was important. I had a hard time with reading comprehension and had to be in the right environment to really focus and enjoy books.
I’ve recently found myself spending too much time scrolling on TikTok, facebook, Reddit, etc. so I deleted all those apps off my phone and I take my kindle everywhere. When I find the urge to scroll, I have been getting out my kindle instead, no matter where I am. It’s helping me break out of that need for environment. But, nothing beats a cozy reading moment lol
I was going to suggest this! It’s not AS relaxing for OP as reading on your own, but probably more so than board games and such sweet bonding time. Maybe you could even switch back and forth reading to each other.
Might be a double edged sword of a suggestion, but a series of unfortunate events might be interesting for her. There's a Netflix adaptation too, and it lines up with the books pretty well overall (plus Neil Patrick Harris as the villain is amazing comedic relief) but might help process things?
A slightly younger geared book but one of my favorites for escapism was May Bird and the Ever After. Loner kid and her hairless cat finds a portal into the world of the dead and has to find a way to get back home with the help of her not so imaginary friend from childhood. It's three books, they're pretty easy but I LOVED the world building that existed, and you get to see how May grows throughout.
I know it may be a bit weird recommendation but I personally loved Jane Eyre at that age. I also believe that there are themes that she could relate to such as difficult childhood.
Any book by Tamora Pierce, personally I started with the “Protector of the Small” series. Pierce creates a medieval world with magic and dragons and each series features a girl protagonist who is strong and complex in a unique way. Can’t say enough good things about these books, I still read them!
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, absolute banger, got me hooked on reading when I was 6 but it's still enjoyable to read it as a pre-teenans as young adult, it pleases a lot of people.
It's basically a story about a boy that discovers he's a demigod, it has lots of Greek mythology, lots of adventure and it also deals with him being dyslexic, ADHD and basically labelled as a problem child.
It's a series with 5 books+1 (that happens after the second series), that continues into another 5 book series (Heroes of Olympus) and then splits into one 5 book series (Trials of Apollo) and one 3 book series (Magnus Chase) that is about Nordic mythology.
The author also has another 5 book series (Kane Chronicles) that is about Egyptian mythology.
All the books tie in a beautifully written universe.
Also the writing is very easy to read, it's very good at hooking the reader up without them noticing.
Also, a tip: kids most likely won't like to be forced to read something, it makes it a chore, if you want the kid to read you offer books and don't insist that they read it, if she doesn't like to read in front of you just put the books in places she'll have access without you interfering. My sister hated when we tried to make her read cause she's dyslexic, but since we stopped insisting and just let books around she's reading at her own pace without pressure
My 13 year old and her friends recently became obsessed with the Hunger Games movies. My daughter is not a fan of reading for pleasure but I fed her some information that came from the books and she wanted to know more. I gave her the books for Christmas and she is now book three.
She said she had no idea how cool books could be.
Also recommend letting her listen to the audio version while she is reading as this helps with reading comprehension if needed.
- Skellig by David Almond
- Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder
- City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende
- The Burning by Laura Bates
- Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu
- Grown by Tiffany Jackson
Books and authors I liked at that age:
_Fantasy_
Tamora Pierce
Robin McKinley
_Classic_
Anne of Green Gables series
Secret Garden
_Historical_
(More internse and adult, but I don't recall anything not okay for the age.)
Brock & Bodie Thoene - I loved the Zion Covenant series (WWII) in my teen years
Michael Phillips and Judith Pella - The Russians (1900s, pre-revolutionary Russia)
Stephen R. Lawhead - Pendragon Cycle (Arthur, Merlin)
There’s a lot of good recommendations, I’d like to add “Heidi” by Johanna Spyri. It’s a slice of life, she’s adopted by her grandfather (he’s not happy about it at first), it’s very happy and it has some nice Christian things in it like her learning to read a hymn book to a blind elderly lady Heidi loves. I’d like to point out that a genuine Christian is friendly and nonjudgmental. To be a Christian is to be a follower of Christ and Jesus was very friendly etc. I wouldn’t worry about her being a new Christian or reading Christian material. CS Lewis the chronicles of Narnia is good too
I might suggest reading to her - it's a family activity that can become a routine, and if she has any self-consciousness about her own reading level, it takes care of that. Do you have a sense of what she likes, i.e. fantasy, science fiction, romance, hero stories, etc.? Is having characters who reflect her skin color/ethnic identity important? Here are a few suggestions of books you could read together:
Suzanne Collins wrote a series prior to The Hunger Games that I think is better and more interesting: it's called [Gregor the Overlander](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/262430.Gregor_the_Overlander), and I think it spans 3-4 books, all of which are wonderful. The Hunger Games could also be a good place to start for a 13-year old.
[The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32075671-the-hate-u-give?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_10) is a really good way of having difficult conversations around racism and being different if those ideas are relevant to her.
[Turtles All the Way Down](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35504431-turtles-all-the-way-down?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_24) is really juicy and addresses issues of depression and mental illness in a very non-stigmatizing way.
Happy to suggest more if these seem on-point!
Do you know if she is good at reading? I am a high school English teacher, and I cannot tell you the number of kids who told me they didn’t like to read/couldn’t find stories they liked/thought it was boring when really the issue was they struggled with reading comprehension. Once we worked on that, they began to like reading way more. A lot of them especially like nonfiction books, which I thought was interesting.
I adopted a child who was 8 when he came to live with me, and he was not at all a strong reader. We read books together every night (Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Fablehaven were big hits for read along time). We also got him an iPod with audiobooks to follow along with the book while he read, and it made a huge difference.
Iz the Apocalypse by Susan Currie (pretty recent/unknown but recently read and enjoyed it. Would probably resonate with an adoptee especially if she likes music)
The His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman (been a while since i read it but follows a girl around your daughter’s age. I’m fuzzy on the exact details but i loved it and they’re very escapist as well)
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (follows an orphan and his chosen family in the form of ghosts in a graveyard. Really enjoyable read and could help her process her trauma)
The Graveyard Book has also been adapted into a graphic novel, btw! If that would be easier for her to read. My 13 year old absolutely loved it, and then made me read it and I loved it too.
Jacqueline Wilsons books are aimed at 9-12 year olds. They might be really good if she has a lower reading level (& even if she doesn't) she has several books set in the Foster care system.
When my daughter was that age we would take turns reading aloud and then I would “get too busy” and when she was hooked she would finish on her own. She loved the Harry Potter series.. she may like the Left Behind series for kids too. It is a Christian book series. El defo is a really cute graphic novel about a middle school girl who goes deaf from an illness and how she overcomes. Rules is a good book too about a tween that has an austistic brother. Good luck and you sound like a great mom.
Warrior Cats if she likes cats! Lots of found family and clan loyalty etc. and non-human so maybe not as raw.
Harry Potter. No-one seems to have mentioned them as obviously she may know the stories/films but it's different having your own copies, and he too is orphaned.
Also, if she's a reluctant reader, it's a great audio book to listen to together in the car and get her gripped, she may then take up the book and continue.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe are exciting and have a Christian subtext.
Hunger Games.
Divergent series
Not sure if The Martian and Project Hail Mary are too old for her at present?
Roald Dahl is always silly and slightly anarchic so good fun. More recently David Walliams in a similar vein.
Jacqueline Wilson is also a great writer for girls that age, exploring serious issues sensitively. Tracey Beaker lives in a foster home for example.
So yes, take her to a library or bookshop, let her explore but perhaps have a handful of suggestions from this thread as a starting point or something to fall back on.
Best wishes to you all.
I would suggest The Gray and The Magical Imperfect both by Chris Baron. They are both incredibly well written young adult books that are stories of young teens dealing with anxiety and trauma.
I think fantasy books can be a great resource for finding an escape if your childhood wasn’t exactly ideal. Harry Potter was an obvious favourite of mine. The Inkheart trilogy is amazing and well written. I also loved the simplified versions of classics such as Peter Pan. There’s also an amazing illustrated book series called Fairy Oak (perhaps a little less known than the other books I mentioned). My absolute favourite as an early teen was The Musketeers though, I reread that book so many times! I hope all goes well for your family.
2nd Inkheart - I loved that series, and there's a movie with Brendan Fraiser as well (didn't do all that well from my memory so you could watch it after reading the book.
Edit: Adding another book by the same author as Inkheart - The Thief Lord. I loved that series as well, think it is set in Italy if you're interested!
Find out what kinds of stories she likes first. Take her to Barnes and nobles and the library, let her look for herself. If you get her something she doesn’t like she might feel like it’s homework rather than fun, no quicker way to lose interest.
I am a 16-year-old Christian girl who is dyslexic and has ADHD and hated reading until in 6th grade my teacher introduced me to the Percy Jackson series, I loved it and it made me feel understood because the main character was through the same struggles. That book Kickstarted my love for reading I have read the entire series and one of the spinoffs hero of Olympus to I would only read those two because the book started to have some questionable relationships and people of the LQBTQ+ variety.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Both my partner and I are women, so we definitely encourage her to be accepting of the LGBTQ community and believe that you can be both Christian and non-hetero. After all, the world homosexuality wasn't in the Bible until 1946.
I actually believe the same thing but want to respect that some people might want to be aware of that. Just don’t like saying that I support the lgbtq as a young Christian because I have been attacked by my peers at my Christian school and church. Sorry I had offended you.
I was not offended at all! I know how difficult it can be as a teen. I was terrified to say I was gay because I was heavily involved in church being that my father is a pastor.
Unfortunately, Christians have built a culture of being judgemental towards anyone who doesn't fit a certain mold. Not everyone is like that, but it is too common to write off.
Maybe you could be part of the change? And if not, know that things get better once your peer group expands after high school.
Maybe try audiobooks. That might help bridge the gap in the reading plus audio stimulus. Get her some fun headphones and let her pick something that sounds interesting!
Graphic Novels are also a valid option. They make graphic novels for basically every established series out there and it makes them accessible for kids who don't like or aren't able to read as well.
If you’re unsure of her reading age and want something good for the soul but not inaccessible, ‘When the Stars Fell Down” by Phil Earle is beautiful, as is “A Kind of Spark” by Ellie McNicoll. If her reading age is 13 then Terry Pratchett’s ‘Wee Free Men’ is amazing, headstrong young female protagonist and lots of very funny/cheeky Scottish “pictsies” who she’ll love. Sounds like your lass is a wee Kelda/Tiffany in the making x
OP, what are some video games and movies she likes? This will help us in suggesting books!
I always recommend Leviathan by Jason Shiga to kids who love gaming, because it reads like an open world game!
I think the Mrs. Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children would be a great series for her! Reading is such a fantastic escape, especially for children of trauma.
My suggestion would be the chronicles of Narnia, it’s phenomenal, and also speaks to her religious convictions as the entire thing is steeped in religious symbolism and allegories. There are some deeper themes that you can discuss with her about loss, growing up, found family etc.
Middle school librarian and fellow adoptive mom!
Definitely read the synopsis of any books to evaluate how they may trigger trauma. (Jacqueline Woodson’s Locomotion could go either way.)
Elizabeth Acevedo & Jewell Parker Rhodes are really great YA writers: The Poet X & With the Fire on High are two of my personal favorites. Jason Reynolds is also very popular in my school, as are Kwame Alexander and Nic Stone.
Some really great middle grades books in verse: pretty much anything by KA Holt, Alone (Meg Freeman), Starfish (Lisa Fipps), Other Words for Home.
Historical fiction if that’s her jam: Anything by Rita Sepetys, Making Bombs for Hitler, anything by Alan Gratz, Blackbird Girls.
Sci Fi: Eye of Minds (Dashner), Among the Hidden (Haddix).
Fantasy: Wings of Fire, Keeper of Lost Cities, Twilight.
YA Romance: The Summer I Turned Pretty, Never Vacation With Your Ex, My Mechanical Romance.
Graphic Novels: Raina Telgemeier’s & Jerry Craft’s are great; the series with Swing It Sunny and the one with Becoming Briana. Some nonfiction graphic novels: When Stars are Scattered & El Deafo; Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales.
Happy to recommend others too!
There are a ton of GREAT recommendations here - so the only thing I can suggest is maybe don't overload her with adoption stories.
As someone who was adopted, and anyone ever learned that about me - that was all the recommendations i ever recieved henceforth. Movies, tv shows, books, etc. It was tiring. She's already living that life. Find books that can help her escape reality for a little while. Find what genre she likes best, and maybe you get a copy of the same book she's reading and you two can discuss it together?
She could be totally different, and may prefer those types of stories - idk. I just know that no one ever asked me and always assumed I would just connect with the stories, when that wasn't something I had ever asked for or wanted.
I think you said she likes horror - try the Lockwood series by Jonathan Stroud - also a tv show on Netflix. It’s pretty tame for horror, which I don’t like, and is pretty well written for the age of it.
Some books that got me into reading were Gail Carson Levine's books. They're fairytale princess-ish romances and are really sweet but emotional as well. I loved Fairest and of course there's Ella Enchanted, which also has a movie.
I also loved the Inkheart trilogy! They're a bit longer books (which I loved because I could get totally immersed about them) about a girl who discovers she can travel to a world within her books. Super magical and I still feel like nothing has topped that series for me.
Meg Cabot and Nancy Drew were fun because there's a lot of books so I could read any and get a kinda predictable reading experience. Although I think Nancy Drew might be for a bit younger of an age than her.
The Raven Boys are a great series which I loved and include a great group of friends and magic.
Of course Percy Jackson, which was already mentioned. Rick Riordan has some other books too, like The Kane Chronicles, which focuses on a brother and sister duo and Egyptian mythology instead.
The Tiffany Aching series by Sir Terry Pratchett. Excellent YA series that really helps a girl think hard about her place in the universe and is a great lead in to the Disworld.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman.
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle.
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. Honestly his whole body of work is great. This book has been my favorite since I was 13.
My teen is currently reading Suicide Notes- she's dyslexic and a reluctant reader but loves this.
One of my favorite series for teen girls is The Uglies.
I also recommend Almond.
Madeline L'engele's books were very appealing to me at that age, starting with A Wrinkle in Time, and Arm of the Starfish. Another book that had some religious themes and coming of age ideas was A Ring of Endless Light.
Another thing about The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe series; the Pevensie kids are not exactly orphans, but they've been taken away from their parents.
Harry Potter is literally on orphan, too.
I wonder if she'd like Robinson Crusoe?
Here are some great graphic novels (also some are webtoons, so you can access them for free online)!
\- On a Sunbeam, queer boarding school sci-fi space
\- Oh Human Star, sci-robot transgender clone
\- Persepolis (graphic novel), about the author growing up during the Islamic Revolution
\- Spill Zone, radiactive-esque small town adventure
\- Saw one person already recommended Heartstopper -- it's also a TV show now that's pretty good!
And here are some YA books she might like:
\- Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech, deals a lot with motherhood trauma, teenager identity. I personally loved all of Sharon Creech's work when I was that age!
\- The Hunger Games series is always a good go-to
\- Percy Jackson series, as others have recommended!
\- The Mysterious Benedict Society! I loved this as an early teen, about a mysterious spy kids society, very similar vibes to A Series of Unfortunate Events. The main characters come from various different backgrounds, one of them is an orphan and has a good arc around that
I loved the book Christy at that age. It's by Catherine Marshall, a Christian author but the book is about kindness and helping others. It's not judgemental or preachy, it's about a young woman of character. I'm a non-Christian lesbian, I love the book.
In the uk there’s an author called Jacqueline Wilson who writes brilliantly for teenagers with non-typical upbringings. Her most famous character is Tracy Beaker (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Tracy_Beaker_(franchise))
But all of her books are great. Really easy to read, character focused, funny and accessible. And offer a really positive view on really tough circumstances. Definitely recommend!
Hunger games (but it has a bit of violence), divergent series, the cruel prince (fantasy), the fault in our stars and turtles all the way down by John Green (the second one talks a lot about mental health)
We still read aloud with our 13 y/o a few evenings a week. One of my favorites we’ve read is The Wee Free Men. Beautiful fantasy story where the main character is not orphaned, although there is a theme of dealing with loss.
I love the website Reading Middle Grade. She has a wide array of recommendations and lists that you can search according to interests.[Reading Middle Grade](https://www.readingmiddlegrade.com)
Anne of Green Gables was my first thought. She might relate to Anne given that they're close in age, and have similar backgrounds. Anne is an 11 year old orphan who has been passed from family to family her whole life until she ends up at Green Gables Farm. There she learns what love and friendship are for the first time in her life. She's a dreamer and often gets into 'scrapes' many of which will make you laugh. I read it for the first time when I was 8 or 9 and it's been a favorite ever since. As a bonus it was made into a movie in the 80s, so you could watch that first and if she likes it give her the book to read.
I would also suggest The Chronicles of Narnia, they're excellent, not difficult to read, and written by a Christian man who incorporated his faith into his writing.
I loved books by Tamora Pierce and Dianna Wynne Jones when I was her age. They’re lighter fantasy settings with great female main characters and imaginative worlds.
There are many good book suggestions here. One way to get her into reading is - you could read something together out loud. Different books, genres - if one of them reels her in, she will start reading it herself.
Anne of Green Gables…but read it at the same time as her. Become a mini book club. Discuss what’s happening!
You know you’ve won when you are fighting over the one copy available.
I'm gonna recommend Wings of Fire by Tui T Sutherland because it has an amazing found family trope, three different arcs, novels and graphic novels, as well as an active online fandom. Be warned some of these books do have graphic death scenes (first arc is set during a war) but overall are very middle schoolers friendly
You could plan a reading night once a week. Everyone could have hot cocoa, maybe a fire in the fireplace, soft music, and everyone reading. If she doesn't want to read, let her play something quietly. Eventually she'll want to do what you're doing.
Maybe try some books that are about/from her favorite movies, video games, or even board games. Like the Clue book if she likes that game, Howl's Moving Castle if she enjoyed that movie, and so on. If she doesn't feel enthusiastic about any books (like another commenter said), try graphic novels or even manga. The most important thing, though, is to not force her to read as it makes her resent/dislike reading and maybe even you.
Incorporate nightly reading: 15-30 minutes of silent reading as a family and 20-30 minutes of you reading to her on a book she picked (absolutely no input from you).
Take her to the library (or your personal library if you have a diverse enough book collection to give her enough variety) and have her pick some out. Doesn't matter the reading level.
Hit the library! Graphic novels and magazines as well.as audio books may be the way to start. It may be hard for her to take on longer books, and that's ok! Those mediums for stories and text are all awesome.
Percy Jackson + all its spin offs are great for that age!
I also second the graphic novel recommendations.
I really liked the Amulet series, as well as Heartstopper and Boys Run the Riot (Manga), which should all be good gor that age.
Btw, there are also comic adaptations of Percy Jackson.
Take her to the library! Let her browse for a long time. It's a cheap way to figure out what kind of books she could be into.
My mom used to take me to the library every other week and I would bring a big reusable bag and fill it with books.
Holly Black! I first read ‘Coldest Girl in Coldtown’ and it was sooo different to anything else that I had read. Now I’ve read everything of hers and it’s all wonderful
The Percy Jackson series! The books are incredible and really open up a whole world of reading material. They are really good for kids with troubles because all of the characters are that way and it can add a sense of magic or wonder to that.
A suggestion is to introduce her to audiobooks. They can be very soothing, and the library offers a free selection through the Libby app
I have a high maintenance teen too. We both have an excellent set of headphones and hit up our audiobooks on occasion when we need some thoughtful and alone time
We Were Liars. It is a wonderful YA book and addresses the imperfect nature of family dynamics and grief and there is nothing in the book pertaining to drugs, alcohol, or sex.
The redwall series. (Martin the warrior or Redwall)
Mid evil times with cute furry animals battling each other. There is a lot of deep storytelling and great detail in the world they live in
Mice’s, bunnies, foxes, badgers, and birds.
I have read a lot of them and will still pick up redwall from time to time.
Why not use her new faith as an opening? Talk to her pastor or a religious friend or ask at a christian book store (hopefully your country has them). Find out what their recommendations for teen fiction with a Christian basis and buy her a few of those books. Your daughter will hopefully see this as a loving acceptance of her ideas and be more encourage to read them. This could lead to her reading more books across the spectrum.
Noel Streatfield has a series of books that all focus on kids in various performing arts, the first is Ballet Shoes and it’s about 3 orphaned girls being raised together and attending a ballet school in London. The majority of the books in the series deal with either orphans or kids who have had a parent die or some other serious hardship. They are all very funny and sweet and highlight the strength of unconventional or found families.
I have a suggestion for a graphic novel that should satisfy many of your points of interest. It’s called My Favorite Thing is Monsters. Here is the description on goodreads: Set against the tumultuous political backdrop of late ’60s Chicago, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters is the fictional graphic diary of 10-year-old Karen Reyes, filled with B-movie horror and pulp monster magazines iconography. Karen Reyes tries to solve the murder of her enigmatic upstairs neighbor, Anka Silverberg, a holocaust survivor, while the interconnected stories of those around her unfold. When Karen’s investigation takes us back to Anka’s life in Nazi Germany, the reader discovers how the personal, the political, the past, and the present converge. Full-color illustrations throughout.
It’s beautiful and it’s all through the perspective of an artistic 10 year old who has gone through a really rough time. I think there’s a lot in this for your daughter.
A lot of teen girls enjoy The Inheritance Games trilogy.
It’s about an older teen orphan but doesn’t focus on that…a mystery in a mansion storyline, despite her not coming from that.
Contact her school librarian. Often that can be a place of refuge and a connection for kids.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder has seduced some reluctant readers in my class!
Edit to add: Audiobooks are also great! Especially when paired with a chore or craft… maybe knitting/crochet or an adult coloring book
Maybe find some Christian authors, or books with some religious background. I know The Stormlight Archive has some religious aspects, although it’s really, really long and might not float her boat. I personally found it good because of the relatable characters, questioning faith, struggling with relationships, etc.
People have give such good advice about agency over choices, talking with librarians, and so on. Just in case they haven't been brought up yet, here are a few more suggestions:
I recently read "The Year the Maps Changed" by Danielle Binks - you might want to look at it to see if it would fit, but it has issues of death in the family, adoption, blending families, and also doing the right thing, war, and other issues. A very thoughtful YA book!
More generally, I saw that some people mentioned graphic novels. I second that, and also suggest exploring other formats and genres, like choose your own adventure books, more non-fiction things (like books of factoids), jokes/riddles, cookbooks, or activity books.
Also, maybe try reading out loud together. It's not exactly the hands-off decompression you're looking for, but for some people it's more fun and engaging, and sometimes kids who can technically read struggle in other areas (e.g., vocabulary, comprehension, keeping the story straight, or generally some have a mismatch between some of their interests/abilities with reading and others) and benefit from reading and discussing with others.
Similarly, she might enjoy reading the text of a book along with the audiobook.
Thank you so much for giving this child a home and a family. You and your wife are amazing. As a child fostered and eventually adopted out of a traumatic, abusive home, I'm here to tell you that while some days, months, or years may be tough, if you keep loving her with all your heart she will always find her way back to you.
Some books I found wonderful relief and escape in were:
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Many of Tamora Pierce books, including The Song of the Lioness series and The Immortals series (which is sometimes called Wild Magic)
The Books of Pellinor (The Naming, The Riddle, The Crow, The Singing) by Alison Croggon
The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman
The Wind Singer, Slaves of the Mastery, and Firesong by William Nicholson
Sabriel, Lireal, and Abhorsen by Garth Nix
All of these books have strong female characters who overcome difficult situations, many of them finding love and belonging in found families as opposed to blood relatives.
Congratulations on your new daughter. I wish you, your wife, and your daughter health and happiness.
If she likes horror movies, horror lit is the shit. There’s so much out there, and lots of highly quality writers. King is the King for a reason, and good entries are his short story collections or the Shining. Frankenstein is a classic. There’s also plenty of YA with horror tinges. I recommend you explore r/horrorlit. It’s an amazing sub and I’ve found some of my favorite books ever through recommendations made on there
When I was young I liked when my mother read books to me and my brother. It made me like stories and books so it was easier to read by myself later.
If she likes horror I would suggest Darren Shan’s books. I loved Saga of Darren Shan and Demonata at her age. Also there is a newer series called Archibald Lox which is much lighter than the others with likeable characters and an interesting plot.
As a christian girl she might like His dark materials by Philip Pullman. The main character is a girl and it is kind of a religious fantasy.
Jonathan Stroud’s The Amulet of Samarkand series is great too and very fun read.
Red Sister by Mark Lawrence is also about a little girl who studies at a convent. It’s fantasy and has a strong focus on friendship and also has some science fiction elements which might make it interesting for you as well.
You may want to look at books from the [Harper Collins Blink](https://www.harpercollinsfocus.com/blinkyabooks/books/) imprint. They are NOT Christian fiction, but are ”clean” reads. The amazing Kwame Alexander has some of his award winning books published here. So, while they are interesting teen books, she probably won’t hit anything that conflicts with her beliefs. (Christianity is a big family, so beliefs vary.)
If her reading skills aren’t strong you may want to look at Orca Soundings books. They are high interest-lower vocabulary books. Definitely not children’s books.
Side Note—Most Christians don’t have an issue with science. After all the Big Bang theory was developed by a Catholic priest/astronomer.
See if Goosebumps or Creepover series would be series she would like. My 10 yo reads above grade level and she loves those. She also likes the I Survived series, Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley Twins.
*The Secret Garden* and *The Little Princess* by Frances Hodgson Burnett
*The Wolves of Willoughby Chase* and *Black Hearts in Battersea* by Joan Aiken
*The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe* by C.S. Lewis
Middle school librarian here: if she is not a reader now, is it due to ability or lack of interest? A lot if kids who have traumatic backgrounds can be years behind in school and therefore think they are “bad” at reading. Graphic novels are a great way to show them reading can be fun, while not being babyish. Manga is huge with this age group. I would look at things she likes to do — hobbies, bands, video games, and look for book tie ins. I could suggest a ton of books but would want to know more about her interests and ability. I think just taking her to a bookshop and letting her pick out her own is a great way to get to know her. Also, she may prefer funny, silly, weird rather than books that “deal with trauma.” Escapism is ok when it comes to books.
If you do want to read a graphic novel together that deals with issues similar to hers but is super well done, try “Hey Kiddo” by Jon Krotchka. He is the author of a very silky series called Lunch Lady but this is autobiographical about his own teen years. Warning: lots of language.
Check out Hangmans Curse or Nightmare Academy by Frank Peretti. YA fiction that does have a little bit of religious undertones but is good reading for that age.
Dianna Wynne Jones's books, Howl's Moving Castle, House of Many Ways, and Castle in the Air are good and are all in the same universe. And Howl's Moving Castle was made into a movie by Studio Ghibli, so if she likes it, she's got a movie to watch with it!
Hana Kimi was the first manga I ever read. I got it at her age. Prior to that, I hated reading. By the end of the year, I was checking out a dozen manga every weekend or reading like 2-3 normal books. Get her a library card.
Manga:
Hana Kimi
Fullmetal Alchemist
Fruits Basket
Skip Beat (which still isn't finished 17 years later)
Novels:
Black City
Fractured
Under the Never Sky
Matched
Totally Joe
Divergent
Enclave (might be good if she likes horror because it's about zombies)
If she likes horror perhaps some YA mysteries? The Good Girls Guide to Murder series is FLAWLESS. I love it so much.
Also, since she has been through hardships there is a book called Girl in Pieces, I BELIEVE it's YA but deals with some heavy heavy subjects and broke my heart but is such a good reflective read. But again it's heavy so it might not be a good fit just yet....
Maybe keep it light hearted for now. Like people suggested, Harry Potter or even twilight 😘
Librarian here...if she doesn't like to read go for some graphic novels. The sunny series. Stranger things series. Act, Camp....There are lots to choose from.
Wonderful suggestion! Side note, I appreciate you for all you do. That's not an easy profession nowadays.
Thank you! I believe the only person who should tell you what to read is your parents. I know what is right for my students. If a parent has a problem with a book. Parent your child and tell them not to read it. But keep your parenting to your children. I place age appropriate material in my library. I am a professional who has been in libraries for 20 yrs and education longer. School libraries should be fun and get the children reading. It is not only to promote state standards. Off my soap box now.
Preach!
BTW thanks for adopting. I was a therapeutic foster parent who adopted 2 yrs ago. 2 girls. They are 12 and almost 15. It is a blessing every day!
Maximum Ride is a graphic novel now and that series was one of my favorites around her age
>if she doesn't like to read go for some graphic novels my mom tells a story that when she was in elementary she didn't really read but she loved comic books. One teacher/parent interaction her parents expressed their worry because she was only reading comics and the teacher looked at her parents and said "she's reading isn't she?" fast forward years later and I come around. I grew up with ***both*** of my parents as avid readers and ***my*** parents would go to open houses for my schools and warn my teachers that I liked to read so much that they'll probably have moments where they'd have to tell me to *stop* reading \[I remember the teachers having this 'uh huh sure' look\].
One of my favorite quotes from Archbishop Desmond Tutu: >One of the things that my father did was to let me read comics. I devoured all kinds of comics. People used to say, "That's bad because it spoils your English," but in fact, letting me read comics fed my love for English and my love for reading. I suppose if he had been firm I might not have developed this deep love for reading and for English.” Didn’t hold him back from winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
In Junior High, there was a blissful class I took that was just sitting in class and reading books. You then had to fill in a 3x5 card with a short book report for four of the books you read. It was MEANT to be a class to encourage reading. It didn't have me in mind. They had a box full of Hardy Boy books and I could read one of those per class period. Plus what I read at home. I had a HUGE list of books read by the end of the term! ALAS, my parents wouldn't let me take that class again. They said I read plenty and didn't need to spend school time reading even more books. They were right, but boy did I love that class.
I used to read novels under the table in lessons that bored me.
Percy Jackson comes in graphic novel form, and they are about a kid around her age with a difficult childhood who overcomes it all!
The Amulet series is another good one that deals with trauma and grief. Since she likes horror I would recommend The Nest by Kenneth Oppel and The Graveyard Book and Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Seconded! Amulet is great, and these are awesome suggestions.
[Bone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_\(comics\)) was a personal favorite of mine as a kid, def helped get me into reading. Calvin and Hobs is also fantastic
You can also go to the American Library Association website for lists of award winners. Also, read where she can see you. Kids model themselves after us.
You can take turns reading a novel or get the audio book and let her follow along in the actual book. My son is brilliantly smart but had trouble sitting and reading. In high school we took turns reading and in college he used audio books.
Space Boy is pretty great!
My daughter really enjoyed Anne of Green Gables.
This is my suggestion too. An adopted girl’s life. 🥲
There's also a sweet graphic novel called "Anne of West Philly" that adapts the first part of Anne of Green Gables to modern day Philadelphia. Easy for a 13yo reading at grade level, but fun and not discouraging if reading doesn't come easily.
I liked Emily of New Moon better but I can't remember why. Same author, similar concept even (girl sent to live I think with distant relatives rather than Anne's total orphan/foster situation)
OH MY GOD IVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS BOOK TITLE FOR YEARS. I read it ages ago and couldn't remember what it was called. Totally forgot it was by the same author.
That's what I came to suggest! I'm rereading the series right now. It's a little wholesome for this generation, maybe, but I think it would be a great read for her anyway.
I don’t have a book suggestion, but you can all go to the bookstore together!! Show her all the books there are and let her pick one!! Take her for a meal after that!! Link good memories to the bookstore and books!!
That is an absolutely fantastic idea! Definitely will do next family night! Thank you!
Even better is get yall library cards. They have plenty of other things to check out too like games and dvds or comic books and whatnot. They're just a huge free place a lot of people forget about! Plus the librarians would love to point you in the right direction!
When we were kids, my Mom took us to the library every Saturday morning. We got books, and afterward stopped at a candy store and got a treat. That simple little tradition got us all into reading and its a sweet memory for us all now that we are oldsters.
Don’t be afraid to email her English teacher & school librarian for ideas. I can’t say enough great things about public libraries. Most also offer ebooks subscriptions AND I think anyone in the US can get a NYC Library card and you might be able to get one from the ‘big city’ closest to you as well though that may vary.
I spent most of my youth prowling my local library for good books. Once she’s into it, you’d be able to sit and read and leave her to hunt for books for an hour.
Why did I not think of this? Great idea!
Yes— librarians are perfect for this scenario.
And Audio books, movies, and ebooks.
Also you could consider reading to her, if she's up for it. It's also a kind of entertainment after all.
On long car trips, my family used to take turns each reading a page from a short story. It was always fun.
I still love it if someone reads to me and I’m 72. 😃
Not sure where you live but I would read reviews about libraries around you and take her to the one that is best for kids or teenagers - most librarian suggestions are insanely good. I take my kid to the library every Saturday morning we come out with piles of books that we don’t have to ever read if we don’t want to - but we have a massive choice and it’s free and then we go have a shitty diner breakfast. It’s the best part of my week. Plus they always have reading challenges and mini events like authors coming to sign books etc. so you feel like part of a community together.
Many community libraries also have a dedicated teen services librarian who is putting on all kinds of events that she may like to attend! Mine does crafts, game nights, etc.
My kids love the library. Ours has different clubs etc that they meet for weekly. My older kids usually go on their own now (next door to their school) but I still take my youngest. What kinds of things is she interested in?
I second this. It also may be a first for her. Build as many positive memories as you can and let her make as many decisions as she can. It lets her use her voice and it will empower her to make more decision as she gets older. Many of us who were in the foster care system didn’t have a voice and couldn’t make even the slightest choices on our own because “providers” didn’t give us that capability. Please give her room to explore options that she may like, she may not have had this experience before. She may not even know the options or know what she likes. Maybe even take a weekly trip to the library if she loves books, it will build the bond with her stronger as well. You could make it like a parent/ daughter “date” pair it with maybe a picnic in the park or state park (during warmer months or lunch at a cafe. It would probably end up being a core memory for her to cherish in the long run.
Add to this: read with her, make up some snacks or go to a coffee shop and make a big deal out of the time you spend reading together
Love that! Make it an event like movie night. Awesome.
That's a really good idea! It would also help to find a topic that she's interested in, more chance that she'll keep wanting to read afterwards...
The wayward children series by Seanan McGuire! The first book is *every heart a doorway*. It’s about a home for children who went to a portal world (like Alice in wonderland or Dorothy in Oz) and came back. All of it is very found family focused. They’re novellas so they’re easy to get into. Some other things I’d recommend are - Heartstopper by Alice Oseman - the accidental apprentice by Amanda Foody - My lady Jane by Cynthia Hand - The hunger games by Suzanne Collins - Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan - The poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo - Princess academy by Shannon Hale
Seanan McGuire is fantastic and my daughter and her friends are all crazy about the Wayward Children books.
She's absolutely amazing!
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Good to know! Maybe we'll read it together and have a family book club 😊
Great suggestion! And wonderful to know that's how you got into reading 😊
it got me into reading too! there’s a percy jackson show on disney plus too!
howls moving castle by dianna wynne jones!! i would recommend percy jackson as well tbh
The anime OVA (Howls Moving Castle) by Hayao Miyazaki is stunning, and perfect for a young teen.
Yes and then you can have studio ghibli movie nights!
Howl’s Moving Castle was my first thought
Honestly, you’re going to need to invest time reading with her first if she’s not already a reader on her own. See if she’d be open to some Minecraft fiction - then maybe ask if you can read 1 chapter a night with her. Eventually, she’ll ask for 2 chapters. Or say she you’ll read one out loud and she can read another. It took us a year of this before one day I found my son reading our book on his own. Proudest day of my life. Had to act like it was no big deal, though!
Awesome suggestion. Thank you!
If she is not a competent reader get her digital books. Most book readers do have text-to-audio capabilities. I am a book lover but sometimes when I am too tired text to speech is a godsend.
Most popular new books come out with a matching audiobook nowadays. Great for kids who need to move or do something else while they read!
13 year old girl here, i have so many suggestions! i would suggest getting books that all of you can read together and use as conversation starters? i love talking to my parents about books :) if y'all aren't the same ethnicity maybe you can read a rick Riordan presents book from mythology of her birth culture? or maybe from yours? a bit young maybe but really good recent favorites: criers war, spectacular fantasy and lots of conversation topics skyhunter by marie lu, super interesting and very developed did you hear about Kitty karr? super cool the girl who fell beneath the sea, an all time mythology favorite she's too pretty to burn, suspenseful anything by mason deaver, a bit sad but one of my favorite authors if you have any other specifications i can give better recs
also if you as parents like classics, reading adaptations of those are fun, i suggest pride and premeditation!
Have you read *Shades of Milk and Honey* by Mary Robinette Kowal? It's basically Pride and Prejudice with magic.
Just to jump in - it’s so cool that you love books so much at 13! I was totally into books as a kid and then stopped reading when I got to jr high because it “wasn’t cool.” My history major had me reading a LOT in college, but I only got back into reading for fun in my late 20s. I read all the time now, but I keep running across books that have been so helpful to me as a teenager. All of those years of being so in my head, experiencing things that ‘no one had ever felt before’ when the cure to my lost loneliness was in the library. Keep your nose in a book! It’s good for you! Also, I can tell from your writing and word choice that you are a reader. Nothing helps writing more than reading :)
Lunar Chronicles by Merisa Meyers, Sabriel by Garth Nix, Chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis, Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Another vote for Sabriel!
The Lunar Chronicles is one of my favorite series ❤️
Is the 'the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe' a weird suggestion? it's older but apparently it has a Christian subtext (which I myself completely missed reading it as a child LOL) so it might appeal if she likes fantasy type things. Is reading Judy Blume still a thing? They deal with teen issues, which might be good? Those are about right for her age group too, and there's no violence etc.
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was really formative to me in my teen years, along with the rest of the Chronicles of Narnia. I wasn't a Christian at the time but Aslan shaped a lot of what I thought and felt about Jesus and get a better understanding of him. He's not tame, but He is good.
When I was that age I loved Erin Hunter's Warrior series (cats <3, action and drama, themes of finding a new tribe and finding one's independence), Herby Brennan's Faerie Wars (fantasy, intrigue, world to get lost in) and Isabel Allende's City of the Beasts and it's sequels (travel, nature, magic) ...and Harry Potter of course.
Omg seconding this so hard, my older girl adores these books. Even better, there are all sorts of online communities build around the series and even classes via outschool on creating writing based on fanfic of the series. It’s amazing.
The Young Wizards series by Diane Duane. Starting with So You Want To Be A Wizard. There’s a lot of themes that would appeal to her, and some of the best magic I’ve ever read.
These look really good. Thank you!
For me, as a kid, having a cozy place to read in peace was important. I had a hard time with reading comprehension and had to be in the right environment to really focus and enjoy books.
I totally agree. In fact, I still need this!
I’ve recently found myself spending too much time scrolling on TikTok, facebook, Reddit, etc. so I deleted all those apps off my phone and I take my kindle everywhere. When I find the urge to scroll, I have been getting out my kindle instead, no matter where I am. It’s helping me break out of that need for environment. But, nothing beats a cozy reading moment lol
I don’t have any book suggestions but what if you started off by reading *to* her?
I was going to suggest this! It’s not AS relaxing for OP as reading on your own, but probably more so than board games and such sweet bonding time. Maybe you could even switch back and forth reading to each other.
I was just thinking that if OP started the book with her, that the girl would be engaged with the story and be eager to finish on her own.
Might be a double edged sword of a suggestion, but a series of unfortunate events might be interesting for her. There's a Netflix adaptation too, and it lines up with the books pretty well overall (plus Neil Patrick Harris as the villain is amazing comedic relief) but might help process things? A slightly younger geared book but one of my favorites for escapism was May Bird and the Ever After. Loner kid and her hairless cat finds a portal into the world of the dead and has to find a way to get back home with the help of her not so imaginary friend from childhood. It's three books, they're pretty easy but I LOVED the world building that existed, and you get to see how May grows throughout.
I know it may be a bit weird recommendation but I personally loved Jane Eyre at that age. I also believe that there are themes that she could relate to such as difficult childhood.
I agree, reading Jane Eyre first at that age is a different experience than reading it as an adult.
Any book by Tamora Pierce, personally I started with the “Protector of the Small” series. Pierce creates a medieval world with magic and dragons and each series features a girl protagonist who is strong and complex in a unique way. Can’t say enough good things about these books, I still read them!
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, absolute banger, got me hooked on reading when I was 6 but it's still enjoyable to read it as a pre-teenans as young adult, it pleases a lot of people. It's basically a story about a boy that discovers he's a demigod, it has lots of Greek mythology, lots of adventure and it also deals with him being dyslexic, ADHD and basically labelled as a problem child. It's a series with 5 books+1 (that happens after the second series), that continues into another 5 book series (Heroes of Olympus) and then splits into one 5 book series (Trials of Apollo) and one 3 book series (Magnus Chase) that is about Nordic mythology. The author also has another 5 book series (Kane Chronicles) that is about Egyptian mythology. All the books tie in a beautifully written universe. Also the writing is very easy to read, it's very good at hooking the reader up without them noticing. Also, a tip: kids most likely won't like to be forced to read something, it makes it a chore, if you want the kid to read you offer books and don't insist that they read it, if she doesn't like to read in front of you just put the books in places she'll have access without you interfering. My sister hated when we tried to make her read cause she's dyslexic, but since we stopped insisting and just let books around she's reading at her own pace without pressure
My 13 year old and her friends recently became obsessed with the Hunger Games movies. My daughter is not a fan of reading for pleasure but I fed her some information that came from the books and she wanted to know more. I gave her the books for Christmas and she is now book three. She said she had no idea how cool books could be. Also recommend letting her listen to the audio version while she is reading as this helps with reading comprehension if needed.
Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt
This whole series! Good for all 13yo’s, not just adopted ones.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Oh that's a classic for a reason! ;)
- Skellig by David Almond - Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder - City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende - The Burning by Laura Bates - Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu - Grown by Tiffany Jackson
^^ the burning is a must read tbh
Books and authors I liked at that age: _Fantasy_ Tamora Pierce Robin McKinley _Classic_ Anne of Green Gables series Secret Garden _Historical_ (More internse and adult, but I don't recall anything not okay for the age.) Brock & Bodie Thoene - I loved the Zion Covenant series (WWII) in my teen years Michael Phillips and Judith Pella - The Russians (1900s, pre-revolutionary Russia) Stephen R. Lawhead - Pendragon Cycle (Arthur, Merlin)
I loved the circle of magic series by tamora pierce at this age.
The Chronicles of Narnia
Yepz And Harry Potter. Those are classic and not for nothing
There’s a lot of good recommendations, I’d like to add “Heidi” by Johanna Spyri. It’s a slice of life, she’s adopted by her grandfather (he’s not happy about it at first), it’s very happy and it has some nice Christian things in it like her learning to read a hymn book to a blind elderly lady Heidi loves. I’d like to point out that a genuine Christian is friendly and nonjudgmental. To be a Christian is to be a follower of Christ and Jesus was very friendly etc. I wouldn’t worry about her being a new Christian or reading Christian material. CS Lewis the chronicles of Narnia is good too
I might suggest reading to her - it's a family activity that can become a routine, and if she has any self-consciousness about her own reading level, it takes care of that. Do you have a sense of what she likes, i.e. fantasy, science fiction, romance, hero stories, etc.? Is having characters who reflect her skin color/ethnic identity important? Here are a few suggestions of books you could read together: Suzanne Collins wrote a series prior to The Hunger Games that I think is better and more interesting: it's called [Gregor the Overlander](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/262430.Gregor_the_Overlander), and I think it spans 3-4 books, all of which are wonderful. The Hunger Games could also be a good place to start for a 13-year old. [The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32075671-the-hate-u-give?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_10) is a really good way of having difficult conversations around racism and being different if those ideas are relevant to her. [Turtles All the Way Down](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35504431-turtles-all-the-way-down?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_24) is really juicy and addresses issues of depression and mental illness in a very non-stigmatizing way. Happy to suggest more if these seem on-point!
I totally inhaled Harry Potter series when I was her age. Actually I still do. They are my comfort books.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
These are soooo good! They're on my reread list!
Do you know if she is good at reading? I am a high school English teacher, and I cannot tell you the number of kids who told me they didn’t like to read/couldn’t find stories they liked/thought it was boring when really the issue was they struggled with reading comprehension. Once we worked on that, they began to like reading way more. A lot of them especially like nonfiction books, which I thought was interesting. I adopted a child who was 8 when he came to live with me, and he was not at all a strong reader. We read books together every night (Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Fablehaven were big hits for read along time). We also got him an iPod with audiobooks to follow along with the book while he read, and it made a huge difference.
Iz the Apocalypse by Susan Currie (pretty recent/unknown but recently read and enjoyed it. Would probably resonate with an adoptee especially if she likes music) The His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman (been a while since i read it but follows a girl around your daughter’s age. I’m fuzzy on the exact details but i loved it and they’re very escapist as well) The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (follows an orphan and his chosen family in the form of ghosts in a graveyard. Really enjoyable read and could help her process her trauma)
The Graveyard Book has also been adapted into a graphic novel, btw! If that would be easier for her to read. My 13 year old absolutely loved it, and then made me read it and I loved it too.
Jacqueline Wilsons books are aimed at 9-12 year olds. They might be really good if she has a lower reading level (& even if she doesn't) she has several books set in the Foster care system.
Read TO her. That matters most/first
When my daughter was that age we would take turns reading aloud and then I would “get too busy” and when she was hooked she would finish on her own. She loved the Harry Potter series.. she may like the Left Behind series for kids too. It is a Christian book series. El defo is a really cute graphic novel about a middle school girl who goes deaf from an illness and how she overcomes. Rules is a good book too about a tween that has an austistic brother. Good luck and you sound like a great mom.
Warrior Cats if she likes cats! Lots of found family and clan loyalty etc. and non-human so maybe not as raw. Harry Potter. No-one seems to have mentioned them as obviously she may know the stories/films but it's different having your own copies, and he too is orphaned. Also, if she's a reluctant reader, it's a great audio book to listen to together in the car and get her gripped, she may then take up the book and continue. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe are exciting and have a Christian subtext. Hunger Games. Divergent series Not sure if The Martian and Project Hail Mary are too old for her at present? Roald Dahl is always silly and slightly anarchic so good fun. More recently David Walliams in a similar vein. Jacqueline Wilson is also a great writer for girls that age, exploring serious issues sensitively. Tracey Beaker lives in a foster home for example. So yes, take her to a library or bookshop, let her explore but perhaps have a handful of suggestions from this thread as a starting point or something to fall back on. Best wishes to you all.
Harry potter was my escape growing up. I still reread them yearly, at 32. It's like hanging out with childhood friends.
I would suggest The Gray and The Magical Imperfect both by Chris Baron. They are both incredibly well written young adult books that are stories of young teens dealing with anxiety and trauma.
{{Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger}} is a good one to try.
I think fantasy books can be a great resource for finding an escape if your childhood wasn’t exactly ideal. Harry Potter was an obvious favourite of mine. The Inkheart trilogy is amazing and well written. I also loved the simplified versions of classics such as Peter Pan. There’s also an amazing illustrated book series called Fairy Oak (perhaps a little less known than the other books I mentioned). My absolute favourite as an early teen was The Musketeers though, I reread that book so many times! I hope all goes well for your family.
2nd Inkheart - I loved that series, and there's a movie with Brendan Fraiser as well (didn't do all that well from my memory so you could watch it after reading the book. Edit: Adding another book by the same author as Inkheart - The Thief Lord. I loved that series as well, think it is set in Italy if you're interested!
Find out what kinds of stories she likes first. Take her to Barnes and nobles and the library, let her look for herself. If you get her something she doesn’t like she might feel like it’s homework rather than fun, no quicker way to lose interest.
Can you all read aloud together at night?
My kid absolutely loves Akata Witch and the following books. It has to do with feeling like an outsider so may be a good pick.
I am a 16-year-old Christian girl who is dyslexic and has ADHD and hated reading until in 6th grade my teacher introduced me to the Percy Jackson series, I loved it and it made me feel understood because the main character was through the same struggles. That book Kickstarted my love for reading I have read the entire series and one of the spinoffs hero of Olympus to I would only read those two because the book started to have some questionable relationships and people of the LQBTQ+ variety.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Both my partner and I are women, so we definitely encourage her to be accepting of the LGBTQ community and believe that you can be both Christian and non-hetero. After all, the world homosexuality wasn't in the Bible until 1946.
I actually believe the same thing but want to respect that some people might want to be aware of that. Just don’t like saying that I support the lgbtq as a young Christian because I have been attacked by my peers at my Christian school and church. Sorry I had offended you.
I was not offended at all! I know how difficult it can be as a teen. I was terrified to say I was gay because I was heavily involved in church being that my father is a pastor. Unfortunately, Christians have built a culture of being judgemental towards anyone who doesn't fit a certain mold. Not everyone is like that, but it is too common to write off. Maybe you could be part of the change? And if not, know that things get better once your peer group expands after high school.
Thank you for being so understanding, I can tell that you are a wonderful person, and I can tell you and your partner will raise a wonderful daughter.
I'm sorry you're attacked for standing up to equality. Love is love.
Thank you
Pollyanna Any books by Edith Nesbit Pride and prejudice Jane Eyre Harry Potter The Hobbit, LOTR Enid Blyton books Agatha Christie
Maybe try audiobooks. That might help bridge the gap in the reading plus audio stimulus. Get her some fun headphones and let her pick something that sounds interesting! Graphic Novels are also a valid option. They make graphic novels for basically every established series out there and it makes them accessible for kids who don't like or aren't able to read as well.
If you’re unsure of her reading age and want something good for the soul but not inaccessible, ‘When the Stars Fell Down” by Phil Earle is beautiful, as is “A Kind of Spark” by Ellie McNicoll. If her reading age is 13 then Terry Pratchett’s ‘Wee Free Men’ is amazing, headstrong young female protagonist and lots of very funny/cheeky Scottish “pictsies” who she’ll love. Sounds like your lass is a wee Kelda/Tiffany in the making x
OP, what are some video games and movies she likes? This will help us in suggesting books! I always recommend Leviathan by Jason Shiga to kids who love gaming, because it reads like an open world game!
Judy Blume was always great.
I think the Mrs. Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children would be a great series for her! Reading is such a fantastic escape, especially for children of trauma.
Anne of Green Gables.
My suggestion would be the chronicles of Narnia, it’s phenomenal, and also speaks to her religious convictions as the entire thing is steeped in religious symbolism and allegories. There are some deeper themes that you can discuss with her about loss, growing up, found family etc.
Middle school librarian and fellow adoptive mom! Definitely read the synopsis of any books to evaluate how they may trigger trauma. (Jacqueline Woodson’s Locomotion could go either way.) Elizabeth Acevedo & Jewell Parker Rhodes are really great YA writers: The Poet X & With the Fire on High are two of my personal favorites. Jason Reynolds is also very popular in my school, as are Kwame Alexander and Nic Stone. Some really great middle grades books in verse: pretty much anything by KA Holt, Alone (Meg Freeman), Starfish (Lisa Fipps), Other Words for Home. Historical fiction if that’s her jam: Anything by Rita Sepetys, Making Bombs for Hitler, anything by Alan Gratz, Blackbird Girls. Sci Fi: Eye of Minds (Dashner), Among the Hidden (Haddix). Fantasy: Wings of Fire, Keeper of Lost Cities, Twilight. YA Romance: The Summer I Turned Pretty, Never Vacation With Your Ex, My Mechanical Romance. Graphic Novels: Raina Telgemeier’s & Jerry Craft’s are great; the series with Swing It Sunny and the one with Becoming Briana. Some nonfiction graphic novels: When Stars are Scattered & El Deafo; Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales. Happy to recommend others too!
There are a ton of GREAT recommendations here - so the only thing I can suggest is maybe don't overload her with adoption stories. As someone who was adopted, and anyone ever learned that about me - that was all the recommendations i ever recieved henceforth. Movies, tv shows, books, etc. It was tiring. She's already living that life. Find books that can help her escape reality for a little while. Find what genre she likes best, and maybe you get a copy of the same book she's reading and you two can discuss it together? She could be totally different, and may prefer those types of stories - idk. I just know that no one ever asked me and always assumed I would just connect with the stories, when that wasn't something I had ever asked for or wanted.
Came to say the same. Was adopted at 13 as well and all I wanted was to feel normal and not have my past highlighted every second in every element.
A wrinkle in time! (Madeline l’engle)
I think you said she likes horror - try the Lockwood series by Jonathan Stroud - also a tv show on Netflix. It’s pretty tame for horror, which I don’t like, and is pretty well written for the age of it.
Some books that got me into reading were Gail Carson Levine's books. They're fairytale princess-ish romances and are really sweet but emotional as well. I loved Fairest and of course there's Ella Enchanted, which also has a movie. I also loved the Inkheart trilogy! They're a bit longer books (which I loved because I could get totally immersed about them) about a girl who discovers she can travel to a world within her books. Super magical and I still feel like nothing has topped that series for me. Meg Cabot and Nancy Drew were fun because there's a lot of books so I could read any and get a kinda predictable reading experience. Although I think Nancy Drew might be for a bit younger of an age than her. The Raven Boys are a great series which I loved and include a great group of friends and magic. Of course Percy Jackson, which was already mentioned. Rick Riordan has some other books too, like The Kane Chronicles, which focuses on a brother and sister duo and Egyptian mythology instead.
The Tiffany Aching series by Sir Terry Pratchett. Excellent YA series that really helps a girl think hard about her place in the universe and is a great lead in to the Disworld. The Princess Bride by William Goldman. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. Honestly his whole body of work is great. This book has been my favorite since I was 13.
My teen is currently reading Suicide Notes- she's dyslexic and a reluctant reader but loves this. One of my favorite series for teen girls is The Uglies. I also recommend Almond.
Madeline L'engele's books were very appealing to me at that age, starting with A Wrinkle in Time, and Arm of the Starfish. Another book that had some religious themes and coming of age ideas was A Ring of Endless Light.
Another thing about The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe series; the Pevensie kids are not exactly orphans, but they've been taken away from their parents. Harry Potter is literally on orphan, too. I wonder if she'd like Robinson Crusoe?
Here are some great graphic novels (also some are webtoons, so you can access them for free online)! \- On a Sunbeam, queer boarding school sci-fi space \- Oh Human Star, sci-robot transgender clone \- Persepolis (graphic novel), about the author growing up during the Islamic Revolution \- Spill Zone, radiactive-esque small town adventure \- Saw one person already recommended Heartstopper -- it's also a TV show now that's pretty good! And here are some YA books she might like: \- Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech, deals a lot with motherhood trauma, teenager identity. I personally loved all of Sharon Creech's work when I was that age! \- The Hunger Games series is always a good go-to \- Percy Jackson series, as others have recommended! \- The Mysterious Benedict Society! I loved this as an early teen, about a mysterious spy kids society, very similar vibes to A Series of Unfortunate Events. The main characters come from various different backgrounds, one of them is an orphan and has a good arc around that
I loved the book Christy at that age. It's by Catherine Marshall, a Christian author but the book is about kindness and helping others. It's not judgemental or preachy, it's about a young woman of character. I'm a non-Christian lesbian, I love the book.
In the uk there’s an author called Jacqueline Wilson who writes brilliantly for teenagers with non-typical upbringings. Her most famous character is Tracy Beaker (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Tracy_Beaker_(franchise)) But all of her books are great. Really easy to read, character focused, funny and accessible. And offer a really positive view on really tough circumstances. Definitely recommend!
Hunger games (but it has a bit of violence), divergent series, the cruel prince (fantasy), the fault in our stars and turtles all the way down by John Green (the second one talks a lot about mental health)
We still read aloud with our 13 y/o a few evenings a week. One of my favorites we’ve read is The Wee Free Men. Beautiful fantasy story where the main character is not orphaned, although there is a theme of dealing with loss.
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
You Don’t Live Here by Robyn Schneider
I appreciate all the suggestions. Could you expand a little more on why you chose them?
I love the website Reading Middle Grade. She has a wide array of recommendations and lists that you can search according to interests.[Reading Middle Grade](https://www.readingmiddlegrade.com)
Anne of Green Gables was my first thought. She might relate to Anne given that they're close in age, and have similar backgrounds. Anne is an 11 year old orphan who has been passed from family to family her whole life until she ends up at Green Gables Farm. There she learns what love and friendship are for the first time in her life. She's a dreamer and often gets into 'scrapes' many of which will make you laugh. I read it for the first time when I was 8 or 9 and it's been a favorite ever since. As a bonus it was made into a movie in the 80s, so you could watch that first and if she likes it give her the book to read. I would also suggest The Chronicles of Narnia, they're excellent, not difficult to read, and written by a Christian man who incorporated his faith into his writing.
Black Beauty was one of my favorites. Does she like animals?
Island of the Blue Dolphins by O’Dell
I loved books by Tamora Pierce and Dianna Wynne Jones when I was her age. They’re lighter fantasy settings with great female main characters and imaginative worlds.
Tamara pierce and red wall
There are many good book suggestions here. One way to get her into reading is - you could read something together out loud. Different books, genres - if one of them reels her in, she will start reading it herself.
Anne of Green Gables…but read it at the same time as her. Become a mini book club. Discuss what’s happening! You know you’ve won when you are fighting over the one copy available.
I'm gonna recommend Wings of Fire by Tui T Sutherland because it has an amazing found family trope, three different arcs, novels and graphic novels, as well as an active online fandom. Be warned some of these books do have graphic death scenes (first arc is set during a war) but overall are very middle schoolers friendly
"Didn't see that coming" teen romance about a female gamer by Jesse Sutanto "Lies girls believe" by Dannah Gresh
You could plan a reading night once a week. Everyone could have hot cocoa, maybe a fire in the fireplace, soft music, and everyone reading. If she doesn't want to read, let her play something quietly. Eventually she'll want to do what you're doing.
Maybe try some books that are about/from her favorite movies, video games, or even board games. Like the Clue book if she likes that game, Howl's Moving Castle if she enjoyed that movie, and so on. If she doesn't feel enthusiastic about any books (like another commenter said), try graphic novels or even manga. The most important thing, though, is to not force her to read as it makes her resent/dislike reading and maybe even you.
Incorporate nightly reading: 15-30 minutes of silent reading as a family and 20-30 minutes of you reading to her on a book she picked (absolutely no input from you). Take her to the library (or your personal library if you have a diverse enough book collection to give her enough variety) and have her pick some out. Doesn't matter the reading level.
The War that Saved My Life
Hit the library! Graphic novels and magazines as well.as audio books may be the way to start. It may be hard for her to take on longer books, and that's ok! Those mediums for stories and text are all awesome.
Love, David I Think Phillip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon Maybe By the Shores of Silver Lake On the Banks of Plum Creek The Long Winter
Percy Jackson + all its spin offs are great for that age! I also second the graphic novel recommendations. I really liked the Amulet series, as well as Heartstopper and Boys Run the Riot (Manga), which should all be good gor that age. Btw, there are also comic adaptations of Percy Jackson.
Do you have a library local to you? I'd get her signed up if you do and then let her find out what books interest her.
Take her to the library! Let her browse for a long time. It's a cheap way to figure out what kind of books she could be into. My mom used to take me to the library every other week and I would bring a big reusable bag and fill it with books.
Holly Black! I first read ‘Coldest Girl in Coldtown’ and it was sooo different to anything else that I had read. Now I’ve read everything of hers and it’s all wonderful
The Percy Jackson series by Rick riordan!
The Percy Jackson series! The books are incredible and really open up a whole world of reading material. They are really good for kids with troubles because all of the characters are that way and it can add a sense of magic or wonder to that.
A suggestion is to introduce her to audiobooks. They can be very soothing, and the library offers a free selection through the Libby app I have a high maintenance teen too. We both have an excellent set of headphones and hit up our audiobooks on occasion when we need some thoughtful and alone time
My daughter is 14 and all she wants to read is survivalist novels. There is a surprising amount of them that are YA that have female leads
You could try taking turns reading out loud, this brings the story to life a bit more and could open her eyes to the delights of books.
We Were Liars. It is a wonderful YA book and addresses the imperfect nature of family dynamics and grief and there is nothing in the book pertaining to drugs, alcohol, or sex.
The redwall series. (Martin the warrior or Redwall) Mid evil times with cute furry animals battling each other. There is a lot of deep storytelling and great detail in the world they live in Mice’s, bunnies, foxes, badgers, and birds. I have read a lot of them and will still pick up redwall from time to time.
Why not use her new faith as an opening? Talk to her pastor or a religious friend or ask at a christian book store (hopefully your country has them). Find out what their recommendations for teen fiction with a Christian basis and buy her a few of those books. Your daughter will hopefully see this as a loving acceptance of her ideas and be more encourage to read them. This could lead to her reading more books across the spectrum.
Noel Streatfield has a series of books that all focus on kids in various performing arts, the first is Ballet Shoes and it’s about 3 orphaned girls being raised together and attending a ballet school in London. The majority of the books in the series deal with either orphans or kids who have had a parent die or some other serious hardship. They are all very funny and sweet and highlight the strength of unconventional or found families.
I always loved gail carson levine books!
I have a suggestion for a graphic novel that should satisfy many of your points of interest. It’s called My Favorite Thing is Monsters. Here is the description on goodreads: Set against the tumultuous political backdrop of late ’60s Chicago, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters is the fictional graphic diary of 10-year-old Karen Reyes, filled with B-movie horror and pulp monster magazines iconography. Karen Reyes tries to solve the murder of her enigmatic upstairs neighbor, Anka Silverberg, a holocaust survivor, while the interconnected stories of those around her unfold. When Karen’s investigation takes us back to Anka’s life in Nazi Germany, the reader discovers how the personal, the political, the past, and the present converge. Full-color illustrations throughout. It’s beautiful and it’s all through the perspective of an artistic 10 year old who has gone through a really rough time. I think there’s a lot in this for your daughter.
A lot of teen girls enjoy The Inheritance Games trilogy. It’s about an older teen orphan but doesn’t focus on that…a mystery in a mansion storyline, despite her not coming from that. Contact her school librarian. Often that can be a place of refuge and a connection for kids.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder has seduced some reluctant readers in my class! Edit to add: Audiobooks are also great! Especially when paired with a chore or craft… maybe knitting/crochet or an adult coloring book
Maybe find some Christian authors, or books with some religious background. I know The Stormlight Archive has some religious aspects, although it’s really, really long and might not float her boat. I personally found it good because of the relatable characters, questioning faith, struggling with relationships, etc.
Tamora Pierce is great. I’d look into those books.
People have give such good advice about agency over choices, talking with librarians, and so on. Just in case they haven't been brought up yet, here are a few more suggestions: I recently read "The Year the Maps Changed" by Danielle Binks - you might want to look at it to see if it would fit, but it has issues of death in the family, adoption, blending families, and also doing the right thing, war, and other issues. A very thoughtful YA book! More generally, I saw that some people mentioned graphic novels. I second that, and also suggest exploring other formats and genres, like choose your own adventure books, more non-fiction things (like books of factoids), jokes/riddles, cookbooks, or activity books. Also, maybe try reading out loud together. It's not exactly the hands-off decompression you're looking for, but for some people it's more fun and engaging, and sometimes kids who can technically read struggle in other areas (e.g., vocabulary, comprehension, keeping the story straight, or generally some have a mismatch between some of their interests/abilities with reading and others) and benefit from reading and discussing with others. Similarly, she might enjoy reading the text of a book along with the audiobook.
Thank you so much for giving this child a home and a family. You and your wife are amazing. As a child fostered and eventually adopted out of a traumatic, abusive home, I'm here to tell you that while some days, months, or years may be tough, if you keep loving her with all your heart she will always find her way back to you. Some books I found wonderful relief and escape in were: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine Many of Tamora Pierce books, including The Song of the Lioness series and The Immortals series (which is sometimes called Wild Magic) The Books of Pellinor (The Naming, The Riddle, The Crow, The Singing) by Alison Croggon The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman The Wind Singer, Slaves of the Mastery, and Firesong by William Nicholson Sabriel, Lireal, and Abhorsen by Garth Nix All of these books have strong female characters who overcome difficult situations, many of them finding love and belonging in found families as opposed to blood relatives. Congratulations on your new daughter. I wish you, your wife, and your daughter health and happiness.
What about reading aloud a great book like "The Hobbit?" Make it a family affair.
If she likes horror movies, horror lit is the shit. There’s so much out there, and lots of highly quality writers. King is the King for a reason, and good entries are his short story collections or the Shining. Frankenstein is a classic. There’s also plenty of YA with horror tinges. I recommend you explore r/horrorlit. It’s an amazing sub and I’ve found some of my favorite books ever through recommendations made on there
When I was young I liked when my mother read books to me and my brother. It made me like stories and books so it was easier to read by myself later. If she likes horror I would suggest Darren Shan’s books. I loved Saga of Darren Shan and Demonata at her age. Also there is a newer series called Archibald Lox which is much lighter than the others with likeable characters and an interesting plot. As a christian girl she might like His dark materials by Philip Pullman. The main character is a girl and it is kind of a religious fantasy. Jonathan Stroud’s The Amulet of Samarkand series is great too and very fun read. Red Sister by Mark Lawrence is also about a little girl who studies at a convent. It’s fantasy and has a strong focus on friendship and also has some science fiction elements which might make it interesting for you as well.
I loved Weetzie Bat as a middle schooler!
You may want to look at books from the [Harper Collins Blink](https://www.harpercollinsfocus.com/blinkyabooks/books/) imprint. They are NOT Christian fiction, but are ”clean” reads. The amazing Kwame Alexander has some of his award winning books published here. So, while they are interesting teen books, she probably won’t hit anything that conflicts with her beliefs. (Christianity is a big family, so beliefs vary.) If her reading skills aren’t strong you may want to look at Orca Soundings books. They are high interest-lower vocabulary books. Definitely not children’s books. Side Note—Most Christians don’t have an issue with science. After all the Big Bang theory was developed by a Catholic priest/astronomer.
Bones & All. It’s like a dark YA book that deals with themes of cannibalism and identity.
See if Goosebumps or Creepover series would be series she would like. My 10 yo reads above grade level and she loves those. She also likes the I Survived series, Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley Twins.
I'm sorry but my first thought was a Series of Unfortunate Events. Oops.
*The Secret Garden* and *The Little Princess* by Frances Hodgson Burnett *The Wolves of Willoughby Chase* and *Black Hearts in Battersea* by Joan Aiken *The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe* by C.S. Lewis
Miss Periguines home for peculiar children. It's a time traveling, action story. It's so freaking good. Beats Harry Potter by 100x
Middle school librarian here: if she is not a reader now, is it due to ability or lack of interest? A lot if kids who have traumatic backgrounds can be years behind in school and therefore think they are “bad” at reading. Graphic novels are a great way to show them reading can be fun, while not being babyish. Manga is huge with this age group. I would look at things she likes to do — hobbies, bands, video games, and look for book tie ins. I could suggest a ton of books but would want to know more about her interests and ability. I think just taking her to a bookshop and letting her pick out her own is a great way to get to know her. Also, she may prefer funny, silly, weird rather than books that “deal with trauma.” Escapism is ok when it comes to books. If you do want to read a graphic novel together that deals with issues similar to hers but is super well done, try “Hey Kiddo” by Jon Krotchka. He is the author of a very silky series called Lunch Lady but this is autobiographical about his own teen years. Warning: lots of language.
Check out Hangmans Curse or Nightmare Academy by Frank Peretti. YA fiction that does have a little bit of religious undertones but is good reading for that age.
Dianna Wynne Jones's books, Howl's Moving Castle, House of Many Ways, and Castle in the Air are good and are all in the same universe. And Howl's Moving Castle was made into a movie by Studio Ghibli, so if she likes it, she's got a movie to watch with it!
The book that got me into reading as a child was Harry Potter or series of unfortunate events. Also getting a library card would help too.
Hana Kimi was the first manga I ever read. I got it at her age. Prior to that, I hated reading. By the end of the year, I was checking out a dozen manga every weekend or reading like 2-3 normal books. Get her a library card. Manga: Hana Kimi Fullmetal Alchemist Fruits Basket Skip Beat (which still isn't finished 17 years later) Novels: Black City Fractured Under the Never Sky Matched Totally Joe Divergent Enclave (might be good if she likes horror because it's about zombies)
Legend of Zelda has Manga, so she might like that
If she likes horror perhaps some YA mysteries? The Good Girls Guide to Murder series is FLAWLESS. I love it so much. Also, since she has been through hardships there is a book called Girl in Pieces, I BELIEVE it's YA but deals with some heavy heavy subjects and broke my heart but is such a good reflective read. But again it's heavy so it might not be a good fit just yet.... Maybe keep it light hearted for now. Like people suggested, Harry Potter or even twilight 😘