What books should a 10 year old girl read?

Start from what she already likes rather than a reading level. For adventure, try The Girl Who Stole an Elephant or Amari and the Night Brothers. For feeling seen, A Kind of Spark or Wonder. For real-life inspiration, Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls or Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World. If she prefers doing to reading, an activity workbook such as Dream it. Be it. Biz-it! usually gets more use than a novel.

What is a good book for a girl who does not like reading?

Choose short chapters, illustrations or something she writes in. Illustrated non-fiction such as Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World, one-page biographies like Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, fast-paced adventures like The Girl Who Stole an Elephant, and activity workbooks all work better than long novels for reluctant readers.

Are there business or money books for 10-12 year olds?

Yes. The Lemonade War and The Toothpaste Millionaire teach business ideas inside a story. How to Turn $100 into $1,000,000 is the most practical money guide for this age, though it uses US dollars. Dream it. Be it. Biz-it! is a UK workbook that takes 10-14s from idea to pitch in ten missions.

What should I buy a 10 or 11 year old girl who has everything?

Something she can do rather than own: a workbook, a notebook and a small budget to test an idea, or a book plus a shared project. Pairing a book with an activity is what turns a gift into a memory.

Is Dream it. Be it. Biz-it! suitable for boys?

Yes. The founder stories featured are women, which is deliberate, but the missions, templates and activities work for any young person aged 10-14. Our approach is girls-first and open to all.

Best Books for 10, 11 and 12 Year Old Girls (UK, 2026)

By Kim Loudon · 30 August 2026 · 11 min read · Category: For Parents

The best book for a 9-12 year old girl is the one that matches what she is already into, not her reading age. This list is grouped by job rather than genre: books that build confidence, books she will actually finish, and books that teach money and business sense.

Confidence and real-life stories

Dream it. Be it. Biz-it! by Kimberley Loudon is a workbook of ten missions from first idea to pitch, for ages 10-14. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo gives one hundred one-page illustrated biographies. Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World by Kate Pankhurst suits readers who like illustrated non-fiction. Stories for Kids Who Dare to Be Different by Ben Brooks offers around a hundred short, upbeat two-page stories.

Stories she will actually finish

A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll for readers who feel different. The Girl Who Stole an Elephant by Nizrana Farook for fast adventure. Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell, winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, for a reader who wants to be swept along. Pages & Co.: Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James as a quieter pick for a book lover. Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston for fantasy fans. The Girl Who Speaks Bear by Sophie Anderson for myth and folklore. Wonder by R.J. Palacio for a book the whole family can read.

Money and business sense

Maya's Big Business Adventure by Kimberley Loudon, illustrated by Lizzie Knott, for ages 6-9. The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies teaches profit and competition inside a story. The Toothpaste Millionaire by Jean Merrill shows costs and pricing worked out from scratch. How to Turn $100 into $1,000,000 by James McKenna, Jeannine Glista and Matt Fontaine is the most practical money guide for this age, in US dollars.

If she does not like reading

Choose books she writes in, audiobooks (free from UK libraries via BorrowBox), graphic novels and illustrated non-fiction, short-form true stories, and give her a purpose - reading about pricing lands differently when she is selling something on Saturday.

What to do after the book

Try the free tools library, map her interests with the Spark Map Builder, ask Blaze the AI coach a business question, or follow the Pioneers track for 9-11s where Module 1 is free.