Best gifts for 10-11 year old girls?

[yurbud]

I'm meeting a friend tomorrow who has a daughter that age, and I have set a precedent of getting pretty cool but not necessarily expensive gifts (usually in the $20-60 range).

On at least one occasion, the DU lounge helped me figure out what to get.

Now she's coming into the tween years, and she's a bit ADD, so I don't know if my usual gift of Tolkien or Lewis for that age will do the trick.

Any suggestions?

[Odin2005]

1. Anything involving Justin Bieber (unfortunately).

[yurbud]

2. why don't boys go through a similar phases of liking girls who look like boys

the way girls like boys who look like girls?

[PassingFair]

10. Boys who look like girls are non-threatening.

They are also age appropriate to the
girls who pine for them.

[NewJeffCT]

7. My daughter is in 3rd grade

so, most of the kids are 8 years old - and everybody in her class HATES Justin Bieber.

[Odin2005]

14. That's good to hear!

[Brickbat]

13. Not necessarily. And why help spread it?

[pinboy3niner]

3. 10-11-year-old boys?

My nephews have tons of toys, so I usually try to find books for them. As they get older, it's hard to figure out what kinds of books they'll like, so I give them money for their college fund. It may not be the most popular gift to them now, but they may appreciate it more in later years.

[yurbud]

4. I'll probably do that when it gets closer to college time for her.

[Heidi]

5. Dymo emossing caption maker (available at Michael's in your area)

and a photo album or sketch journal. OR, a manual typewriter.

I'm not kidding, every little girl (and lots of boys, too) we know is absolutely fascinated by the retro stuff Call Me Wesley and I have around here. I could probably charge admission to my little studio.

http://thumbnail.image.rakuten.co.jp/@0_mall/e-office/cabinet/dymo/1741205img_2.jpg
Dymo embossing caption maker

OR, if it's a REALLY GOOD friend, spring for the Fuji Instax Mini instant camera. Works on the same principle as a Polaroid instant camera. (We have the regular -- not mini -- version. EXCELLENT photos, instantly.)

http://www.amazon.com/Fujifilm-MINI-7s-White-Camera/dp/B001AK1DOG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1293781978&sr=8-4

[riderinthestorm]

11. I second the instant camera idea.

If she has an IPod, anything to do with that is always cool - an ITrip, or new earphones or an ITunes gift card.

My girls started putting up posters at that age - peace signs (I got mine a very cool Lennon quote with the peace sign), their favorite teevee characters, or movie stars. A corkboard with push pins for them to put up their own stuff is also girly enough and fairly ageless.

My mom gave both my daughters a charm bracelet - a good one, at age 12. Every Christmas since, she's given them a new charm that's relevant to what they've been doing that year - music, dance, horses, whatever. It's a gift you can keep "giving" to annually and while she may not totally love it at 12, she'll definitely love it at say 23 (the age of my oldest girl who now wears hers daily).

[LiberalAndProud]

6. Webkinz has been my granddaughter's obsession for the last couple of years.

She thinks the real toy paired with the virtual toy is awesome. YMMV.
Tweeners aren't a one-size-fits-all demographic. (She hates Justin Bieber, for example.)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. Anything sparkly.

Little girls are like bowerbirds.

[PassingFair]

9. As my 12 year-old told her "Uncle" one year....

"You can't go wrong with KLUTZ!"

My BFF/ex boss/"uncle" to my kids
always worried about what to get
my two daughters...

The above was an actual quote from
a birthday party where she got a
KLUTZ "friendship bracelet" kit.

http://www.klutz.com/

Available in most craft stores, and
sometimes bundled together at Costco.

[Brickbat]

12. Fun bath bombs from Lush.ca, fancy over-the-top art portfolio, fun craft markers, stuff like that.