My mother is the person who instilled the love of reading in me.
When I was little, I remember having a bookshelf that was stuffed to the max! My mom would read to me every night, and I don’t ever remember her saying no if I asked her to read to me.
She taught me how to read before I even got to kindergarten, and I owe her everything for equipping me with that superpower.
I have the same bookish relationship with my children, and my daughter and I especially have loved connecting over books.
Consider your daughter’s interests when choosing books to read together.
Before my daughter was born, I started gathering books to create a library for her. There were very few weeks that went by without me buying her a new title.
As she got older, she started to have opinions about what she liked to read, and I’d make sure she had a steady supply of those types of books.
Now that my daughter is 13, she enjoys teen-focused romance novels with diverse characters.
She’ll read an occasional fantasy book, and will sometimes even dig back into her old Babysitters Club books.
When I was her age, although I would really read anything I could get my hands on, I was heavily into novels written by V.C. Andrews, true crime novels, and other adult-themed books.
It’s important when choosing books to read with your teenage daughter that you consider what she’s interested in.
Don’t just choose a book because reviews say “Teens love it!”
Reading books with your teenage daughter can bring you closer.
Whether you and your daughter choose to read the same book separately and come together to talk about it later, do read-aloud, or listen to an audiobook of novels together, spending time engrossed in an interesting story can improve your relationship.
I love it when my daughter and I reference a book we read together in a conversation about something completely unrelated.
The time we spend talking gives me the opportunity to understand more about how she thinks and what’s important to her.
Reading together also creates a neutral space to talk about topics that might be uncomfortable.
When you read with your daughter, be intentional about the time you’re spending together.
Read Just Us Girls Is the Journal You Wish You’d Had As a Teen
The best books to read with your teenage daughter
The best books you read with your teenage daughter will be the ones you choose together based on your interests. These are some of my favorites, though
I love them because they feature diverse characters, engaging storylines, great coming-of-age stories, and a lot of opportunities to chat about the themes.
Don’t forget to check your local library for these titles!
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Belly spends the summers with family friends at the beach, and this summer is more dramatic than any of the others! The best part about reading this book is that you can check out the series on Amazon Prime after you're done.
To All The Boys I've Loved Before
When Lara Jean's love letters are mailed out, life as she knows it changes forever!
Front Desk
Mia's family manages a motel in Southern California, and she learns a lot about the American dream.
One Crazy Summer
Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern travel to 1968 Oakland, CA to meet their mother who abandoned them.
Brown Girl Dreaming
This book of free-verse poems about the author's life in New York and South Carolina would make a great addition to a night-time book reading routine.
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
Margaret moves from New York City to New Jersey and discovers herself in the process.
A Wrinkle In Time
Meg Murray is a typical teenage girl---except for the fact that she travels through time to find her father.
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Karana leaps from a rescue ship when she's 12-years-old, and lives on a deserted island by herself for 18 years.
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