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Reluctant Readers- Girls 10-11

Getting a reluctant reader to enjoy books is difficult.  Here are some books that might help.   We always suggest getting kids hooked on a series so that they want to read the rest of the series.

Reunion #21 (Paperback)

By Melissa J. Morgan
$5.39
ISBN-13: 9780448451879
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Grosset & Dunlap, 05/01/2009

Interest Level: 3 - 5  
Grade Level Equivalent: 5.2

Summer camp means lots of things: new friends, roommates, bug bites, bathroom duty...But it's also a chance to be on your own and to reinvent yourself.  Friendship is the theme.

Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life (Hardcover)

By Rachel Rene Russell, Rachel Rene Russell (Illustrator)
$11.69
ISBN-13: 9781416980063
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Aladdin, 06/01/2009

Interest Level: 3 - 5  
Grade Level Equivalent: 5.4

Figuring that an I-phone would guarantee acceptance in her new middle school, Nikki wasn't pleased when her mother gave her a diary instead of the desired i-phone.
And things went downhill from there.  But Nikki is a plucky character even though she is not part of the CCP -cute, cool, and popular crowd.

This hilarious book is the girl's version of Wimpy Kid- including illustrations.   The girls will love it and they can share their own humiliating experiences at http://www.dorkdiaries.com/

Stage Fright (Hardcover)

By Meg Cabot
$14.39
ISBN-13: 9780545040457
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Scholastic Press, 09/01/2009

Interest Level: Grades 4-7 
Grade Level Equivalent: 5.5

When nine-year-old Allie Finkle's parents announce that they are moving her and her brothers from their suburban split-level into an ancient Victorian in town, Allie is sure her life is over. She's not at all happy about having to give up her pretty pink wall-to-wall carpeting for creaky floorboards and creepy secret passageways — not to mention leaving her modern, state-of-the-art suburban school for a rundown, old-fashioned school just two blocks from her new house.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (Hardcover)

By Jeff Kinney
$12.56
ISBN-13: 9780810983915
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Harry N. Abrams, 10/01/2009

Interest Level: grades 6 - 8  
Grade Level Equivalent: 5.3+

Greg Heffley knows he’s not popular, but he tries hard to fit in. He records his observations about life in middle school in his journal (NOT a diary, he says) along with frequent drawings. Realistic and laugh out loud funny!

And, yes, the girls will love it just as much as the boys.

In Too Deep [With 6 Cards] (Hardcover)

By Jude Watson
$11.69
ISBN-13: 9780545060462
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Scholastic Inc., 11/01/2009

Interest Level:  Grades 3 - 5
Grade Level Equivalent:3.4

What would happen if you discovered that your family was one of the most powerful in human history? What if you were told that the source of the family's power was hidden around the world, in the form of 39 Clues? What if you were given a choice, take a million dollars and walk away, or get the first Clue? If you're Amy and Dan Cahill, you take the Clue, and begin a very dangerous race.  The high-octane adventures accelerate as more books are added to this ten book series.

Exile (Paperback)

By Kathryn Lasky
$5.39
ISBN-13: 9780439888080
Availability: Not Currently Available
Published: Scholastic Paperbacks, 02/01/2008

Interest Level: 3 - 5  
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.5

Soren the barn owl, pushed out of his nest before learning to fly, is taken in by the evil St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls. He escapes the orphanage and travels to the Great Ga’Hoole Tree, where he joins up with a noble order of owls fighting evil in the owl world. Realistic owl behaviors intertwined with a unique depth of human-like emotions create intriguing characters. Plots are driven by themes of good versus evil, independent thinking, individuality, and honor.

Warriors: Omen of the Stars #1: The Fourth Apprentice (Hardcover)

By Erin Hunter
$15.29
ISBN-13: 9780061555091
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: HarperCollins, 12/01/2009

Interest Level: 6 - 8    
Grade Level Equivalent:5.2

The protagonists are wild cats who inhabit a forest near a human neighborhood, and the protagonist is a former "kittypet" who leaves his comfortable home to join the clans in the woods.

The books are fast-paced and compelling (plenty of action)- especially if they love cats.