Starting when I was about in the third grade, I read all of the Nancy Drew & Hardy Boys series. Then when I was a bit older, and still living at home, I moved on to reading Agatha Christie and John Grisham and even some Stephen King. I handled those okay when I lived at home with my two parents and lots of siblings. However since I've been an adult, I can't handle reading scary stories. They give me nightmares and keep me up at night, listening to the sounds outside my window and putting me on edge when I hear unfamiliar cars driving down my street. I'm currently reading the Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman and, while it's scary and there's tension, the setting is enough removed from my life that it doesn't scare me to fall asleep at night after reading it. The monsters are timeless, powerful and mythical and not at all suburban or modern. The book jacket recommends this book for readers of all ages. When I finish it, I'll let you know if it would be appropriate for, say, your 11 year old daughter.
** Update: I did finish reading it and I think it would be a good book for her to read. Unfortunately, my 11 yo daughter has been in a cycle of reading series of books by her favorite authors that she rereads until she has pretty much every single line memorized. This book is now in the middle of a stack I call "recommendations from Mom" but somehow she hears it as, "boring books you don't want to bother with."
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