Novels for pre-teen geek girls

crash41

My 2nd youngest niece is turning into a proper geek girl, watching Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Big Bang Theory, and more. My sister-in-law and I were talking about getting her to read more. Not just comics, but novels as well. I suggested getting my niece into Star Trek or Star Wars novels, but I'm not sure which ones would be good for a 10-year-old girl. Would the novels in print now be too difficult to read or not be "age appropriate" for her?
Can anyone suggest a novel, or series of novels, that I can get for her?

SolitaireRose

I liked the two Mary Jane novels Marvel put out years ago...no idea if you can still find them.

There are lines of YA Star Trek and Star Wars novels, but you'll have to dig them up on Half.com or used books stores as I'm sure they are out of print as well.

grannygeekness

My girls loved A Wrinkle in Time when they were that age, and I believe that a graphic novel adaptation is either coming out shortly or has come out.

dubbat138

There is also the first 9 or so books in Piers Anthony's Xanth series.

nweathington

I suggest Terry Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching books. They're set in the realm of his Discworld series, but they're targeted for a YA audience, and you don't really need to know anything about Discworld before reading them. There are four books in the series (I've only read two so far) that take her from age 9 to about 15, and tell her story of going from witch’s apprentice to full witch and beyond. She’s a great character, and the books are full of Pratchett’s usual humor. Very good stuff, and I imagine a girl of that age and inclination would enjoy them quite a bit.

Fade2Black

I'll second Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books, as well as his Bromeliad Trilogy (US) aka The Nome Trilogy (UK).

Several books spring to mind. The Protector of the Small Quartet by Tamora Pierce is the first title that popped into my head. Pierce writes strong female protagonists, which make her books particularly popular with young female audiences. Start with the first book, First Test, and go from there. The Chrestomanci books by Diana Wynne Jones is another series worth checking out. The first two books, Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Chant are collected in an over-sized paperback compendium. Magyk, the first book in Angie Sage's popular Septimus Heap series is another I recommend.

fredzilla

grannygeekness said:

My girls loved A Wrinkle in Time when they were that age, and I believe that a graphic novel adaptation is either coming out shortly or has come out.

The GN has been out for some time and it's a solid adaptation!

It's not a series and the protagonist isn't a girl, but I kinda enjoyed The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl. Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book is also a good choice and has won numerous awards.

nweathington

My seven-year-old girl loved The Graveyard Book. Personally, I think it's my favorite thing Gaiman's ever written.

dubbat138

Might be a little scary,but Clive Barker's "The Thief of Always" is a great children's novel.

wrecking_crew

I read City of Ember and thought it would have been awesome at that age... and there are 3 more after (plus the movie adaptation).

fredzilla

Neil Gaiman tweeted this morning that his short story Odd and the Frost Giants is on sale for Kindle readers (it's also on sale in iBooks) for $1.99. Don't know anything about it other than the description, but for two bucks and Neil Gaiman, I'll take my chances.

Fade2Black

I have Odd and the Frost Giants. I read the first couple of chapters, put it down, and haven't returned to it. There was nothing wrong with the book per se, I just got distracted. I really ought to finish it, especially considering it's a relatively short story. So far, the book reads very much like a fairy tale. If the niece liked the movie Brave, odds are she'll enjoy Odd and the Frost Giants.

shroud68

wrecking_crew said:

I read City of Ember and thought it would have been awesome at that age... and there are 3 more after (plus the movie adaptation).

My oldest daughter tried the series and said there was a huge drop off after the first volume.

wrecking_crew

shroud68 said:

wrecking_crew said:

I read City of Ember and thought it would have been awesome at that age... and there are 3 more after (plus the movie adaptation).

My oldest daughter tried the series and said there was a huge drop off after the first volume.

I wouldnt doubt it, seeing as the initial concept is radically changed at the end of the first book. The first one read a little light for me so I didnt continue on. Thought the movie was pretty good though

[Deleted User]

My daughter is 10, and really liked the Gregor the Overlander series by the author of the Hunger Games...

Mr_Cosmic

The Wide-Awake Princess

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004Y6MVAI/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1361729234&sr=8-1&pi=SL75

My daughter loves it.

John_Steed

Not just for pre-teen geek girls:

Sharon Gosling's top 10 children's steampunk books

Sharon Gosling started her career in magazine journalism and went on to write successful tie-in books for popular television shows such as Stargate and Battlestar Galactica. She has also written, produced and directed audio dramas. Her first book, The Diamond Thief, is a steampunk adventure set in the gaslit world of Victorian London, starring Rémy, a young trapeze artist who lives a double life as a cat burglar under the control of her evil circus master.

"The definition of what actually qualifies as steampunk is a debate that continues to rumble on, as does the question of why it has become so widely popular in the past few years. For me, steampunk is the plucky adventurousness of Victorian sensibilities re-imagined with extra, fantastical machinery. It's an attempt to see what would have happened if that era could have been even more plucky and adventurous than it already was. As for why it's become so popular, my feeling is that, at heart, we are all explorers. Yet there is little left of our own planet to explore now and no longer even the need to physically go out and find what is there in order to see it. Steampunk presents us with a new age of exploration and children are the greatest explorers of them all. Books in the genre for youngsters of all ages are still quite thin on the shelves, but that's changing. These are some of the ones I have most enjoyed."

Sharon Gosling's top 10 children's steampunk books

jaydee74

I would recommend the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson:
http://www.maximumride.co.uk/

grannygeekness

I was just reminded today of Diane Duane's Young Wizards series, which I highly recommend.