Well there hasn't been a whole lot going on in my life lately other than the usual, though there were a couple of Christmas activities this weekend, and there are certainly more to come. Within the next couple of days I'll be sending out Garrett and mine's (first) Christmas cards! I wanted to do a really cute photo card through a website, but everything I liked cost more than I wanted to pay this year, so I got some cards from Target where you can slip in a picture instead.
We had brunch with Garrett's grandparents yesterday, and then just about an hour and a half after we got home from that, I had a Christmas party with my small group girls to attend! I was really tired and halfway dreading it, but it turned out to be so much fun because THEY are so much fun! What I love about the girls I work with is that I don't have to go up to them and initiate conversation. I guess that makes me sound lazy, but really I'm just a lousy conversation starter. These girls will just come up to me and just start chatting away!
Anyhow, I have one gift left to get, it's for Garrett's 13 year old cousin, and I need your help. I get her Bath & Body Works stuff like every year for Christmas, and did so again earlier this year when she helped out at my wedding, so I really didn't want to do that again. She enjoys reading, and I thought I could find a good Christian fiction book for a girl her age, but I do not know what I was thinking! I had a hard time finding stuff to read when I was that age, so I can't imagine why I thought it would be better now! I've scoured Amazon and bookstores and I'm getting worn out, so I turn to you. I know that several of you are readers, and that y'all read different books than I do, so I need some fresh suggestions. Here's my criteria:
- Has to be enjoyable to a 13 year old girl.
- Does not have to be Christian necessarily, but if it's not, I would say either a classic or a book with high morals. No cussing or sex or anything like that. That leads me to...
- I really don't want to get her a book that involves characters dating, or at least where it's not the main focus. I know she's a very smart girl and she has good parents, and I know she's already been "corrupted" by watching the Disney channel and read Twilight, but I don't want to give her a book that practically condones young teen dating. I guess I just feel protective of her. She's always been very sweet and innocent, so I just want to encourage more of that. :) It seems like every Christian fiction book for teen girls is about dating. I don't mind giving her some of those books in two or three years, but just not now because I'm weird.
- If it helps, according to Facebook her favorite books are Series of Unfortunate Events, the Twilight series, Freak the Mighty, Rules, and the Wayside School series.
Let me know what you think, and thanks!
8 comments:
well, if she's reading the twilight series, i'd say she's already a goner when it comes to being exposed to wacked out dating rituals. . .
my favorite book when i was 13-14 (8th grade) was perks of being a wallflower, but it reallllly does not meet your criteria. as for young christian fic, i used to looove the christy miller series when i was that age too. hmm ... this is hard!
i think my suggestion is to give her the outsiders by s.e. hinton? it was written by a woman when she was 16 years old! i think that's incredible. but maybe she has to read it in school ... there's also little women and the secret garden and a little princess she could always revisit ... hmm ...
Re: Twilight... I know, I guess I just didn't want to encourage more of that, ha ha.
I did think about Little Women, but wasn't sure if 13 was too young... I can't remember when I read it. I saw a bundle at Barnes & Noble though, about $15 for the book and the movie...
i read a lot, but i am totally clueless on what to recommend for a 13yo girl, lol. sorry!
I don't think Little Women can be fully appreciated until one is a little older, but that's really just a personal opinion.
Honestly? Reading styles can vary just as much as people's choice in clothing, so I'd probably go with a gift card to Barns and Noble and stick a nice bookmark in with it.
i can't believe i forgot shatner! in my defense, i was exhausted when i wrote that.
also, i agree with you wholeheartedly about the last line being the best part. :)
my aunt read little women for the first time in fourth grade ... i think it's the type of book you can revisit over time. :) the bundle sounds great.
by the by: vistaprints and snapfish normally have amazing deals with their holiday stuff. And I also know Walgreens was doing either 25 or 30 percent off of their photo stuff. And if you can't find anything on the website: google retailmenot.com and it will pull up a lot of companies coupons. They also work for clothing stores and things of the like. Just figured I would let you know. A little too late, but always an idea for next year.
I almost ordered from Snapfish, but I didn't like their designs nearly as much as Shutterfly's, which were unfortunately more expensive of course. I thought about Vistaprint, but I wasn't thrilled with the quality of magnets I got from them, so I didn't want to risk that. I'll look into Snapfish again next year though and see if they have anything I like.
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