Sophie, what about the Star Wars or Star Trek tie-in novels? Or the original ST Ship's Logs? Those are pretty straight forward, some of them.
Or some old-school SF, like Andre Norton?
There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."
Sophie, what about the Star Wars or Star Trek tie-in novels? Or the original ST Ship's Logs? Those are pretty straight forward, some of them.
Or some old-school SF, like Andre Norton?
The Dark is Rising books? Madeline L'Engle? Some Neil Gaiman, like Coraline or Neverwhere or Stardust?
... or what Dana said. Or Tamora Pierce, perhaps? Protector of the Small isn't too romancy.
There's also Nnedi Okorafor's fantasies: Akata Witch, Windspeaker, and I memfault the other one. Or Delia Sherman's The Freedom Maze, also written for younger readers.
Madeline L'Engle : very formative for me when I was her age and a bit younger.
Tamora Pierce? Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books ( The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith and I Shall Wear Midnight )?
Seraphina is wonderful.
Thank you all! I will pass it on-- I also have some old trek tie in novels at my mom's house.
Unfortunately, I think she bailed on A Wrinkle in Time!
Oh, maybe Diane Duane's Young Wizards series? Speaking of Trek tie-in novels...because she wrote some...
She might like James Dashner's Maze Runner series, or Robison Wells's Variant and Feedback.
I like Amy's recs and second both. I also like Starters by Lissa Pierce.
The Graveyard Book, as well as the other Gaiman books mentioned above. The Series of Unfortunate Events.