I have enjoyed running my Year Six ‘Girl Zone Book Club’ for many years now. The school I work at is all girls, hence ‘Girl Zone’, but I have run similar styles of book clubs at boys schools and co-ed schools. I even had a stint running a book club for high school International students, which was a fabulous way to introduce students to Australian culture and middle grade or YA writing.
Our latest Girl Zone Book Club meeting was this evening and we were discussing ‘Catch a Falling Star’ by Meg McKinlay, a middle grade novel which absolutely floored me when I first read it as an ARC. I love all Meg McKinlay’s writing, but this one was particularly wonderful and I hoped that the time period in which it is set (1979) would also appeal to the parents/aunts/older siblings reading along with the Year Six students.
Multiple-award-winning author Meg McKinlay’s latest middle grade novel places the reader at that tricky intersection where logic and science meet magic and hope, a place where many of us find ourselves when dealing with loss, change and having to let go. A stunning coming of age novel…I’m calling it early this year…there will be awards in the future of ‘Catch a Falling Star’. Full review here.
Click on title links or cover image to purchase from Booktopia.
Next up we are reading one of the titles below – this meeting I let them have a vote because occasionally I give up control – occasionally. All are reads for young people from 11+ which I have greatly enjoyed over the last few months.
If you are after further books for this age group, I have listed all the books we have read in Year Six Girl Zone Book Club over the last few years here, here and here. For inter-generational reading I do find that historical fiction tends to be enjoyed by all ages, as is realistic fiction. As much as I try and stretch readers with fantasy and dystopian novels, these can be a harder sell, but I like to include at least one each year because it is important to read widely and explore other genres! I have been singing the praises of these two Emily Rodda novels recently, for readers 10-13, and if your readers have not yet devoured them…I suggest you ‘add to cart’.
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I would like to find a list of teenage girls &
Boys reading for
Boys:- 13 to 15 ;( not a reader but wants to be
able to enjoy it- main interest is soccer)
Girl -15-18 A progressive avid reader looking for thoughtful stimulating reading to help cover the transition to adulthood
Broad interests- sport fashion environment
Relationships (boys!!) health/food youth leadership.👏🙏
I would like to find a list of teenage girls &
Boys reading for
Boys:- 13 to 15 ;( not a reader but wants to be
able to enjoy it- main interest is soccer)
Girl -15-18 A progressive avid reader looking for thoughtful stimulating reading to help cover the transition to adulthood
Broad interests- sport fashion environment
Relationships (boys!!) health/food youth leadership.👏🙏
Hi Diana,
We have a couple of lists that might be helpful though they are curated by age not gender.
For the 13-15 year old: https://childrensbooksdaily.com/best-books-middle-grade/. You may also find this post helpful about engaging a reluctant reader that Megan wrote for Planning with Kids. https://planningwithkids.com/2019/04/02/engaging-and-encouraging-reluctant-readers/ And listen out for this week’s episode of the Your Kid’s Next Read Podcast which is on exactly this topic!
For the 15-18 year old: https://childrensbooksdaily.com/best-books-young-adults/
Justine