Guest Post: Ten Mother-Daughter Book Club Favorites by Cindy Hudson

Please welcome author Cindy Hudson to Ramblings of a Texas Housewife!

Cindy Hudson is the author of Book by Book: The Complete Guide to Creating Mother-Daughter Book Clubs (Seal Press, October 2009). She is the founder of two long-running mother-daughter book clubs, and she lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two daughters. Visit her online at www.MotherDaughterBookClub.com.

I’m often asked what kinds of books I read with my daughters that are appealing to me too. The assumption is that books children like to read can’t possibly hold my interest as well. But I have found that a good story, written well, is enjoyable for all ages. I’ve been lucky enough to run across quite a few of these stories in the book clubs I’m in with my daughters. Here are 10 of the best for you to consider when planning your next mother-daughter book club meeting or even if you’re just looking for a book to read with your child.

The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick

Megan, Jess, Cassidy and Emma can’t believe their moms signed them up for a book club together. They’re not even sure they like each other, and they’ve got way too many activities already. But as they read Little Women and talk about it at their meetings, they get to know each other beyond the public image they have at school. Ages 9 to 12.

Red Scarf Girl by Ji-Li Jiang

This compelling memoir from a girl who grew up in China during the Cultural Revolution inspires discussion about family loyalty, government betrayals and Chinese history. Ages 10 to 13.

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Mississippi Beaumont can’t wait to get her “savvy” when she turns 13, just like everyone else in her family. But when her dad lands in the hospital hours away from home and her mom stays to help care for him, she’s hopes to discover her new talent and use it to help her family get back together. Ages 9 to 12.

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Moose Flanagan is finding it hard adjusting to life on Alcatraz Island where his dad became a guard in 1935. He hopes to make new friends, but how can he be a regular kid when he has to help care for his severely autistic sister, Natalie? Ages 11 to 13.

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Renison

Georgia is 14 years old and obsessed with how she looks and learning how to kiss a boy. Her parents seem clueless, more interested in her baby sister still in diapers that what’s important in Georgia’s life. Ages 11 to 13.

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

As the daughter of a minor English nobleman in 1290, Birdy hardly has a choice of who she’ll marry. Or does she? As each suitor comes to call, Birdy sets out to convince him she’s not a suitable wife. Ages 11 to 13.

Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Dylan Hughes is fighting to keep his family business and his parents’ marriage from falling apart. His town of Manod has seen better days too, and he doesn’t know how to stop the decline. Then world famous art comes to town, opening everyone’s eyes to new possibilities. Ages 11 to 13.

Tangerine by Edward Bloor

Paul loves to play soccer even though he is legally blind. It’s the one thing he’s good at that his athletic older brother doesn’t play. When he rejects his upscale school in Tangerine County, Florida for one attended by disadvantaged kids, he sets in motion changes that will turn his family and his town upside down. Ages 11 to 13.

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

It’s the early 1900s and Mattie dreams of going to college and becoming a writer. But she can’t leave her father and sisters, who she’s cared for since her mother died. She takes a summer job at a camp in the Adirondacks hoping to earn money for her escape, and she becomes intrinsically involved in the life of a girl who drowns. Ages 14 and up.

Light Years by Tammar Stein

Maya feels responsible for the suicide bombing in Israel that caused her boyfriend’s death. She wants to start over with a new life at a U.S. college, but finding peace will be harder than adjusting to cultural differences. Ages 14 and up.