What do you all think of the Isaac Asimov “Foundation” Trilogy? Too early for a 12 year old? She has never explored Sci-Fi before. I remember really enjoying those books when I was a teen.
Robert Heinlein’s young novels should work for Sci-Fi.
Also Agatha Christie for mystery.
“The Westing Game” by Ellen Raskin
“Understood Betsy” by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
“All Creatures Great and Small” by James Harriot
I’ll tell you a good series that I enjoyed and that is the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. They are not deep, they are not nobel worthy literature, but they are very very cute without being childish. It’s a fantasy world with a lot of cute word play the objects as well as the characters.
My 12 year old son has read the Foundation series and loves them! He likes the Percy Jackson series (1st movie coming out next year) and Eragon as well.
They’re probably too outdated now, but I know I LOVED the Nancy Drew mysteries.