Books that allow ten y/o girl take new feelings out on "test drive"?
November 29, 2013 11:44 AM Subscribe
There is a scene in season 3, episode 4 of Louie ("Daddy's Girlfriend Part 2") where Louie is in a bookstore asking the salesperson (Parker Posie) about recommendations for his ten year old daughter. There is a great exchange where Parker Posie reveals to Louie that there are things about being female, that at that age, start coming "online." And that she knows of books that can "take these feelings, these big emotions, they let you take them out for a safe kind of spin." Then she hands Louie a book. At first I was dying to know what book, specifically, that was. Then I thought I might ask Mefites for recommendations for those types of books. Can y'all help me out? Books for ten year old girls that let them take new teenage emotions and feelings out for a "spin"?
Lots of Judy Blume. I liked Deenie but I think it might be dated.
posted by discopolo at 11:55 AM on November 29, 2013
posted by discopolo at 11:55 AM on November 29, 2013
The Anastasia Krupnik series by Lois Lowry.
posted by unknowncommand at 12:11 PM on November 29, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by unknowncommand at 12:11 PM on November 29, 2013 [4 favorites]
The Hunger Games trilogy might do this.
posted by pantarei70 at 12:40 PM on November 29, 2013
posted by pantarei70 at 12:40 PM on November 29, 2013
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
posted by telegraph at 12:40 PM on November 29, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by telegraph at 12:40 PM on November 29, 2013 [2 favorites]
Good lord do not get the Hunger Games for a ten-year-old. I read it in my twenties and the death and violence really got to me, I would have had screaming nightmares from reading it at ten.
posted by Tamanna at 12:42 PM on November 29, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by Tamanna at 12:42 PM on November 29, 2013 [4 favorites]
This is one of those things that I think would have made me skittish as a 10 year old. I didn't want adults to talk to me about my "new feelings". Mostly I wanted them not to be too curious about why I kept rereading Those Parts of Clan of the Cave Bear.
Privacy is a big deal. Especially for girls, who are visibly changing in ways that can bring lots of attention, much of it unwelcome (when you start needing a bra, when you start having to worry about getting your period). Boys are really only part of it. (especially at 10).
However, I would recommend books by Raina Telgemeier (Smile, Drama) and Faith Erin Hicks (Friends with Boys) who do wonderful graphic novels that are honest and not scary.
If you're not her parent or very close, you may not be able to give her something like It's So Amazing or other books about changing bodies, but those are really helpful too, in terms of just reassuring her that she's not a freak.
But I would combine giving a book with giving a gift card so she can buy what she finds interesting.
posted by emjaybee at 12:47 PM on November 29, 2013 [4 favorites]
Privacy is a big deal. Especially for girls, who are visibly changing in ways that can bring lots of attention, much of it unwelcome (when you start needing a bra, when you start having to worry about getting your period). Boys are really only part of it. (especially at 10).
However, I would recommend books by Raina Telgemeier (Smile, Drama) and Faith Erin Hicks (Friends with Boys) who do wonderful graphic novels that are honest and not scary.
If you're not her parent or very close, you may not be able to give her something like It's So Amazing or other books about changing bodies, but those are really helpful too, in terms of just reassuring her that she's not a freak.
But I would combine giving a book with giving a gift card so she can buy what she finds interesting.
posted by emjaybee at 12:47 PM on November 29, 2013 [4 favorites]
JUDY BLUME
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
Forever
Tiger Eyes
posted by St. Peepsburg at 12:51 PM on November 29, 2013 [2 favorites]
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
Forever
Tiger Eyes
posted by St. Peepsburg at 12:51 PM on November 29, 2013 [2 favorites]
gaaahhhhh.
there's a book. it's name is now hiding from me. damnit. its written about a kind of young teen first love kind of thing. but you read half the story from his narration (sparse boy kind of talking, lots of moody interior dialogue) and then literally at the middle, you stop and go all the way to the last page (At least in the printing i read) and read it from the back page in from her narration: more feminine perspectives etc. it was great as there were all these scenes like he thinks she's mad, and she is thinking how much she likes him.... but you have to read those 2 paragraphs days apart... i think the title was something about the moon, or the boy in the moon or GAAHH!HH!H i'm so irritated right now. (other things i remember: the boy played baseball... they may have run away in the middle of the book... i seem to remember a scene in a dugout or hiding or something... DAMNIT!!!)
anyway, if that rings a bell for someone please help me. otherwise i'll try to dig it out of my subconscious and post later.
... anyway the reason i suggested it is because i remember reading the boys part first and then when i read the girls i was like "oh girls think about this stuff too?" etc etc. it was a very eye opening book for me in that sense. it very much matured and humanized my opinion of the girls around me at that time...
posted by chasles at 1:00 PM on November 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
there's a book. it's name is now hiding from me. damnit. its written about a kind of young teen first love kind of thing. but you read half the story from his narration (sparse boy kind of talking, lots of moody interior dialogue) and then literally at the middle, you stop and go all the way to the last page (At least in the printing i read) and read it from the back page in from her narration: more feminine perspectives etc. it was great as there were all these scenes like he thinks she's mad, and she is thinking how much she likes him.... but you have to read those 2 paragraphs days apart... i think the title was something about the moon, or the boy in the moon or GAAHH!HH!H i'm so irritated right now. (other things i remember: the boy played baseball... they may have run away in the middle of the book... i seem to remember a scene in a dugout or hiding or something... DAMNIT!!!)
anyway, if that rings a bell for someone please help me. otherwise i'll try to dig it out of my subconscious and post later.
... anyway the reason i suggested it is because i remember reading the boys part first and then when i read the girls i was like "oh girls think about this stuff too?" etc etc. it was a very eye opening book for me in that sense. it very much matured and humanized my opinion of the girls around me at that time...
posted by chasles at 1:00 PM on November 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
Forever by Judy Blume.
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 1:02 PM on November 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 1:02 PM on November 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
Judy Blame, as mentioned but also Tiger Eyes and Starring Sally J Freedman As Herself. Paula Danziger's The Cat Ate My Gymsuit. Monica Dickens' The Messenger series.
I see that most of the comments here (including this one) are recommending books the commenters found compelling at that age, and are therefore pretty old and may be dated. I would also try searching for 'good coming of age novels girls' and see if anything more recent pops up.
posted by goo at 1:13 PM on November 29, 2013
I see that most of the comments here (including this one) are recommending books the commenters found compelling at that age, and are therefore pretty old and may be dated. I would also try searching for 'good coming of age novels girls' and see if anything more recent pops up.
posted by goo at 1:13 PM on November 29, 2013
I really loved Paula Danziger at that age, especially Earth To Matthew, and the So You Want To Be A Wizard series.
posted by jrobin276 at 1:26 PM on November 29, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by jrobin276 at 1:26 PM on November 29, 2013 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Crowdsourcing is great for getting book recommendations, but seriously, have a sit down with your local YA librarian. They know their shit. They belong to email lists and forums that endlessly discuss this very topic, and they get the down low on every book being published for this age range. Good luck!
posted by BeBoth at 1:28 PM on November 29, 2013 [8 favorites]
posted by BeBoth at 1:28 PM on November 29, 2013 [8 favorites]
Good lord do not get the Hunger Games for a ten-year-old.
FWIW, I mentioned that because I am reading it now with my 9-year-old daughter. She asked me if she could read it, as a number of her fourth-grade friends were talking about it constantly. I read it first and gave her my OK.
It is dark, but I think this pre-teen age IS a dark time for kids -- especially for girls. My daughter and her friends have come up with with stories and made little movies that show that there is a lot of deep scary stuff going on their heads. There's definitely a "minor key" to early adolescence for girls that I don't know I would have realized until seeing it now in my own kid. It varies widely though, what girls and parents are comfortable with -- you'll probably get recommendations all over the place. I'd be interested to see what list you come up with.
I would second the recommendation for a good YA librarian.
posted by pantarei70 at 1:46 PM on November 29, 2013 [4 favorites]
FWIW, I mentioned that because I am reading it now with my 9-year-old daughter. She asked me if she could read it, as a number of her fourth-grade friends were talking about it constantly. I read it first and gave her my OK.
It is dark, but I think this pre-teen age IS a dark time for kids -- especially for girls. My daughter and her friends have come up with with stories and made little movies that show that there is a lot of deep scary stuff going on their heads. There's definitely a "minor key" to early adolescence for girls that I don't know I would have realized until seeing it now in my own kid. It varies widely though, what girls and parents are comfortable with -- you'll probably get recommendations all over the place. I'd be interested to see what list you come up with.
I would second the recommendation for a good YA librarian.
posted by pantarei70 at 1:46 PM on November 29, 2013 [4 favorites]
Wouldn't any romance/girl-saving-the-world book, provided it's a really good one, be an opportunity to explore big emotions? Why the focus on Judy Blume-type books?
posted by amtho at 1:54 PM on November 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by amtho at 1:54 PM on November 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
I looooved The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. It's not dated because it's already set a long time ago. It seemed like something I'd hate, and in fact I owned it without reading it forever and when I finally did I was hooked. I'm 31 and I reread it occasionally still. Anyway--it brought up a lot of feelings about maturity and doing "unladylike" things successfully. Highly recommend!
posted by masquesoporfavor at 2:06 PM on November 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by masquesoporfavor at 2:06 PM on November 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Librarian here to say that threads like this very often generate folks helpfully suggesting books they loved as kids.
Times have changed, and we're now living in a golden age of children's and YA literature. Get thee to a good children's' librarian (some YA applies, but 10 isn't really YA yet).
posted by carterk at 2:08 PM on November 29, 2013 [4 favorites]
Times have changed, and we're now living in a golden age of children's and YA literature. Get thee to a good children's' librarian (some YA applies, but 10 isn't really YA yet).
posted by carterk at 2:08 PM on November 29, 2013 [4 favorites]
Definitely seconding the So You Want to Be a Wizard books!
posted by brilliantine at 2:26 PM on November 29, 2013
posted by brilliantine at 2:26 PM on November 29, 2013
Best answer: Looking at the ALA 2013 Notable books, I'd say Drama by Raina Telgemeier for romance, Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz for scary, and My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher for grief. (It's nice to be able to try out a number of big emotions.) You can look through Amazon and Good Reads lists to see if anything else jumps out at you.
posted by Margalo Epps at 2:31 PM on November 29, 2013
posted by Margalo Epps at 2:31 PM on November 29, 2013
The Agony of Alice. Sweet, full of confusion and weird feelings about growing up. I read it in my late teens and really wished that I'd found it when I was 11 or 12, I would have felt much less alone.
Also, just about anything by Cynthia Voigt.
posted by bunderful at 3:24 PM on November 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
Also, just about anything by Cynthia Voigt.
posted by bunderful at 3:24 PM on November 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
Thirding So You Want to Be a Wizard. Lots of good stuff in that series: friendship, bullying, evolution of sibling relationships, moral dilemmas, sacrifice, death (but not gore), grief, a little romance (but not overwrought love triangles), experiencing cultures different from one's own... The first book was originally written in the 80s, but the author has apparently been releasing updated editions to bring technology references and such up to date. And there are still new books forthcoming!
Other books that did this for me at that age, about 16 years ago:
- the Harper Hall trilogy by Anne McCaffrey (Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, Dragondrums - and I'd definitely start there, as it's kind of a good set of training wheels toward the more adult [and occasionally sort of disturbing] content which shows up elsewhere in the Dragonriders of Pern series)
- the His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman, particularly the last book (The Amber Spyglass)
- the Harry Potter series - especially because I happened to be just the right age to grow along with the characters, so as the complexity and depth of the themes increased throughout the series, the relevance to my life tended to track well
I know these are all fantasy series, which speaks strongly of my personal preferences in reading. But I think genre fiction like that is a good way to ease into deeper themes and emotions. Ten-year-old me would have been fairly mortified to be given a Judy Blume book by an adult (though I certainly did sneak them off the library shelves and read them on my own), but I was totally cool with being supplied with the latest entry in whichever fantasy series I was tearing through at the time.
Definitely do talk to a children's librarian, though, to figure out the best of the latest releases, and/or good books for transitioning toward adulthood in whichever genre the 10-year-old girl in question already likes.
posted by sigmagalator at 4:48 PM on November 29, 2013
Other books that did this for me at that age, about 16 years ago:
- the Harper Hall trilogy by Anne McCaffrey (Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, Dragondrums - and I'd definitely start there, as it's kind of a good set of training wheels toward the more adult [and occasionally sort of disturbing] content which shows up elsewhere in the Dragonriders of Pern series)
- the His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman, particularly the last book (The Amber Spyglass)
- the Harry Potter series - especially because I happened to be just the right age to grow along with the characters, so as the complexity and depth of the themes increased throughout the series, the relevance to my life tended to track well
I know these are all fantasy series, which speaks strongly of my personal preferences in reading. But I think genre fiction like that is a good way to ease into deeper themes and emotions. Ten-year-old me would have been fairly mortified to be given a Judy Blume book by an adult (though I certainly did sneak them off the library shelves and read them on my own), but I was totally cool with being supplied with the latest entry in whichever fantasy series I was tearing through at the time.
Definitely do talk to a children's librarian, though, to figure out the best of the latest releases, and/or good books for transitioning toward adulthood in whichever genre the 10-year-old girl in question already likes.
posted by sigmagalator at 4:48 PM on November 29, 2013
It's possibly possible that the book chasles mentions is Flipped. I have a memory of looking through it at a store and that one character's narration was printed upside down starting at the end of the book, so that to read it you flipped the book over and started reading from the "beginning". However, looking at the Amazon preview it seems like this might not be the case?
Regardless, it seemed like a cute book and the narration does switch between the two main early-teenaged characters.
posted by trig at 5:29 PM on November 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
Regardless, it seemed like a cute book and the narration does switch between the two main early-teenaged characters.
posted by trig at 5:29 PM on November 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
His Dark Materials is pretty great, I'll second that. Sharon Creech is pretty great too-- Walk Two Moons comes to mind but I went through most of her books around that age.
Circle of Magic by Tamora Pierce is pretty great too. Her other stuff is pretty good too but some of it can be pretty adult, so you should read other ones first.
posted by NoraReed at 6:27 PM on November 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
Circle of Magic by Tamora Pierce is pretty great too. Her other stuff is pretty good too but some of it can be pretty adult, so you should read other ones first.
posted by NoraReed at 6:27 PM on November 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
- the Harper Hall trilogy by Anne McCaffrey (Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, Dragondrums - and I'd definitely start there, as it's kind of a good set of training wheels toward the more adult [and occasionally sort of disturbing] content which shows up elsewhere in the Dragonriders of Pern series)
I'd second this, the Harper books are great but bits of the Dragonriders books are kinda rapey.
posted by Sebmojo at 6:34 PM on November 29, 2013
I'd second this, the Harper books are great but bits of the Dragonriders books are kinda rapey.
posted by Sebmojo at 6:34 PM on November 29, 2013
Sister of the Bride and The Luckiest Girl by Beverly Cleary
posted by perkinite at 7:18 PM on November 29, 2013
posted by perkinite at 7:18 PM on November 29, 2013
I love Judy Blume with all my heart, but Forever, in particular, has not aged well, in my opinion -- and not just because she keeps waxing poetic about the love interest's awesome mustache. I also think it's a really unrealistic depiction of a girl's loss of virginity and while basically I would be okay with a smart 14 year old reading Forever, 10 might still be too impressionable for a book that is pretty adult (and kind of weird, thanks to the sands of time). DEFINITELY not middle grade, which 10 years old still is. (Also....Judy keeps using....ellipsis....throughout, which, during my adult re-read, made me....crazy.)
posted by Countess Sandwich at 7:34 PM on November 29, 2013
posted by Countess Sandwich at 7:34 PM on November 29, 2013
Seconding Tamora Pierce.
My sister, cousin, and I found Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret hilariously dated when we read it c. 1993.
posted by yarntheory at 7:56 PM on November 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
My sister, cousin, and I found Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret hilariously dated when we read it c. 1993.
posted by yarntheory at 7:56 PM on November 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Agh, Tamora Pierce, yes! I love her books, but to me many of them seem to aim for an audience that skews slightly older, more like early teens or say 12 years old at least. But the Circle of Magic quartet would be an excellent entry point for a 10-year-old.
posted by sigmagalator at 11:38 PM on November 29, 2013
posted by sigmagalator at 11:38 PM on November 29, 2013
Code Name Verity. There will be a lot of crying.
posted by judith at 3:35 AM on November 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by judith at 3:35 AM on November 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
Best answer: i also love judy blume and hold a special place for "are you there god..." in my heart - it absolutely let me take some feelings for a spin. but, when considering just how dated it is, remember that there's a scene where she learns how to use a menstrual belt. it's pretty far away from a modern 10 year old.
instead of making a reading list, i think the most important thing adults can do for kids is give them access to books they can pick out for themselves - library, bookstore, whatever. i love this speech/article by neil gaiman where he talks about how us adults can squeeze the love for reading out of kids by insisting on the "right" books.
posted by nadawi at 7:05 AM on November 30, 2013
instead of making a reading list, i think the most important thing adults can do for kids is give them access to books they can pick out for themselves - library, bookstore, whatever. i love this speech/article by neil gaiman where he talks about how us adults can squeeze the love for reading out of kids by insisting on the "right" books.
posted by nadawi at 7:05 AM on November 30, 2013
I have a sister in her early 20's who loved Jaqueline Wilson books - I've never read any but think Jaqueline is the protagnisit - an anti hero in a kids home that was popular with kids and their parents.
posted by tanktop at 3:56 PM on November 30, 2013
posted by tanktop at 3:56 PM on November 30, 2013
FYI l think recently updated versions of "Are You There, It's Me Margaret" was updated re: the menstrual belt ( now maxi pads).
I would second books like Raina Telgemeier (Smile, Drama) and Faith Erin Hicks (Friends with Boys), but it's also really up to the particular personality of the 10-year-old, whether they're big into fantasy, more into middle school drama or obsessed with horses.
posted by Wuggie Norple at 5:42 PM on November 30, 2013
I would second books like Raina Telgemeier (Smile, Drama) and Faith Erin Hicks (Friends with Boys), but it's also really up to the particular personality of the 10-year-old, whether they're big into fantasy, more into middle school drama or obsessed with horses.
posted by Wuggie Norple at 5:42 PM on November 30, 2013
When I was in middle school, I really, really liked the Friendship Ring series. It is centered on the friendship between four girls, and their families. I remember being struck by how realistic all the big! feelings! were portrayed.
Similar to the book chasles mentions, the series as a whole repeats scenes from different points of view. In this case, the focus is female friendship, not really romance. I think middle school is when female friendship can get really complicated, and its comforting to know that other people experience the same thing.
posted by tinymegalo at 9:05 PM on November 30, 2013
Similar to the book chasles mentions, the series as a whole repeats scenes from different points of view. In this case, the focus is female friendship, not really romance. I think middle school is when female friendship can get really complicated, and its comforting to know that other people experience the same thing.
posted by tinymegalo at 9:05 PM on November 30, 2013
Tanktop, Jacqueline Wilson is the author. The series you're thinking of is the Tracy Beaker books.
posted by the latin mouse at 1:29 AM on December 1, 2013
posted by the latin mouse at 1:29 AM on December 1, 2013
"Forever" is awfully adult for a 10yr old. I think it's more appropriate for 8-12thgrade.
posted by cass at 10:31 AM on December 2, 2013
posted by cass at 10:31 AM on December 2, 2013
The book that helped me most at that age in exactly the way you describe was Just As Long As We're Together.
posted by SkylitDrawl at 10:26 AM on January 7, 2014
posted by SkylitDrawl at 10:26 AM on January 7, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by janell at 11:51 AM on November 29, 2013 [11 favorites]