Rebecca, my 11 year-old, has finally (albeit somewhat reluctantly) picked up a book that I recommended to her.  For many years I have been recommending books to Rebecca and she has been quick to turn me down; "to old fashioned looking, mom; to long; to short; not enough pictures; so many pictures..."

More recently I have just wanted to have reading material in her hands...so my picks went to the bookshelf and other favorites like The Dork Diaries, Calvin and Hobbes, Archie Comics, and similar easy reads have been our go-to books.  My goal has been for her to build fluency - lots of reading at a level that is easy has been helping with that.  Her confidence is up and she doesn't fight our evening reading time quite as much as she used to.  She has even been known to say that she enjoyed a book!  She may not be a prolific reader whose head is always buried in a book, but between her excellent teachers and I she will perhaps build a vocabulary that is broad and a fluency that allows her to enjoy escaping into the world of literature.   

Tonight she is stretched out on the couch with The Borrowers - those little people whose stories amused and fascinated me.  Here are some of the old ones I will continue to encourage her to read: (ok, it is a list that could use a little freshening up - it is pretty narrow!)

• Nancy Drew
• The Secret Garden
• The Little Princess
• Little Women
• Anne of Green Gables

 There are some more recent ones that I have loved, and I hope she will too:

• Moon Over Manifest - Thanks, Tracey, for introducing this one!
• The Hunger Games - Strong girl character!
• Anything by Margaret Peterson Haddix - strong characters and fascinating plots.

What suggestions do you have for an 11 year old girl who is reluctant to read?