[elisa Posts: 88 Status: Offline]

My 11-year-old daughter has been begging me to let her read "Pretty Little Liars" and I told her "maybe" - but only after I'd read it to preview the content. Well, I read through Chapter 4 and am convinced it's too much for her (so far, marijuana use, cutting, drinking, a sex scene on the bathroom sink of a bar, all swayed me toward telling her no!) She keeps telling me she's interested in the mystery element- a girl goes missing, has possibly been murdered, from a clique of girls and then seems to malevolently surface a few years later. Rather than just saying "no" to my daughter, I thought I could find her a similar alternative mystery with girls that's more appropriate for her age.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

[Sara Posts: 171 Status: Offline WWW]

I haven't read Pretty Little Liars, but both my 12-year-old daughter and I have read the Gallagher Girls and Heist Society series by Ally Carter. We love them. The GG takes place in a spy academy, and HS is about a group of teenage, um, heisters. They steal for good, by the way, in a sort of Robin Hoodish way. There's mystery and intrigue in both series, plus strong friendships, a light love interest, (no sex, and only sweet kisses) and snappy dialog. You might check those out...

[Lwrites Posts: 164 Status: Offline]

Try KIKI STRIKE by Kristen Miller. The narrator, Ananka, discovers a hidden room inside of a sinkhole outside her NYC apartment one morning. after that, she slowly becomes pulled into a mystery involving the mysterious Kiki Strike, a girl at her school. (When
Their teacher asks each student to say what they want to be when they grow up, Kiki simply answers, "dangerous.") Ananka joins a crew of former girl scouts who each have a semi-legal special skill (explosives expert, forgery, electronics genius, master of disguise...coolest kids ever) to solve a mystery about a hidden city under new york. (No risque content at all.)

Another great mystery series is SAMMY KEYES by Wendelin Van Draanen. She's a 7th-grader who solves mysteries. She's spunky and cool, the mysteries are good, and there are like a million of them so if she likes them, you're set!

She might also like Maureen Johnson's Shades of London mystery series about a girl who joins up with ghost hunters in London to solve murder mysteries. THE NAME OF THE STAR is the first one. It's set in a boarding school, but from what I remember it's very clean.

GIRL STOLEN by April Henry is a YA thriller about a girl who is blind, who gets kidnapped. It might appeal because of the disappearing-girl element in PLL. Since she's blind, she has to really keep her wits about her to try to figure out a way to escape from a place she can't see. It's VERY suspenseful and really really good! I could not put it down. I've heard good things about her other YA thrillers too.

[HDWestlund Posts: 993 Status: Offline writer and bookseller]

Just wanted to toss in: Ms. Johnson's THE NAME OF THE STAR does not have sex and drugs in it, but there is gore and murder. I love the series, but it's not something I usually hand to younger kids. (Although it never fails to amaze me how many ten-year-olds have read HUNGER GAMES already.)

I've given April Henry's GIRL STOLEN to some of the younger kids seeking thriller/mysteries. It will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat, but the violence is not super graphic and the romantic content is pretty minimal.

[Kell Posts: 1,202 Status: Offline On the other hand WWW]

I'll also recommend Elisa Ludwig's PRETTY CROOKED series -- prep school Robin Hood.
http://www.amazon.com/Pretty-Crooked-Elisa-Ludwig/dp/0062066064

[annastan Posts: 588 Status: Offline WWW]

THE LIAR SOCIETY series is also relatively clean and has a great mystery element to it.

[Vijaya Posts: 6,795 Status: Offline Encourage WWW]

I second Ally Carter's books. And I love having all these other suggestions as well. My daughter is 12, and I won't let her read stuff like Pretty Little Liars. Not yet, anyway.
If she likes mysteries, Blue Balliet has them as well. Very quirky characters. Fun, imaginative and intelligent.

Vijaya

[elisa Posts: 88 Status: Offline]

Wow, lots of great suggestions, thank you so much!

[J.Ro Posts: 239 Status: Offline People talk in my head. Sometimes I listen.]

I third Ally Carter's books. They're fun and clean (if I remember correctly)

[MysteryRobin Posts: 693 Status: Offline]

I third the Ally Carter suggestion. What about The Red Blazer girls? They're MG mysteries set in a private school - very much not risque. Also, these aren't about contemporary high schoolers, but the Enola Holmes books are great mysteries.