A 13th birthday is a stepping stone in a girl's life from childhood to adulthood. Therefore it may be confusing as to what are the best gifts for 13 year old girls. 13 year old girls are still children but are maturing and are outgrowing girly toys. They are starting to experiment with their appearance (hair, clothes and make-up). They enjoy listening to music and are learning about what bands are out there and their own tastes. They are yearning for some independence but may be struggling with peer pressure and getting on with teachers and parents.

Some of the best gifts for 13 year old girls include gift cards to their favorite clothes, accessory and music stores. This gives them the independence to make their own decisions on what they'd like to buy. Clothes, earings, bracelets, bags, purses and other accessories also make great gifts for 13 year old girls. If you are a Mom take them out shopping and ask them to give you a few pointers.

If you'd like more specific ideas on what gift to buy a 13 year old girl I have given lots of suggestions in the rest of the article. Books, music, DVDs, hair straighteners, manicure sets, ipods and accessories all make great presents.

Read on for advice on the best gifts for 13 year old girls.

There are lots of great books aimed at teenage girls to help develop life skills, self confidence and deal with difficult situations life throws up. Growing up is often hard and it can be a tough to make and keep friend's at school, deal with social cliques, get on with parents, cope with peer pressure and act confidently and independently. There are lots of factual books aimed at 13 year old girls with lots of life advice.

13 year old girls who love reading may enjoy fiction books such as Confessions of a Shopoholic by Sophie Kinsella, the Twilight saga, by Stephenie Meyer and The Clique novels by Lisi. Check out some of the novels below.

Alternatively, why not get them a magazine subscription. Girls often enter a life long obsession with magazines around 13 so it does make a good gift.

13 year old girls love to look good and having your nails look nice is a big part of this. Manicure or pedicure sets make great gifts especially when parents are not too keen on their daughters wearing make up. There are some really cute pink sets available some of which are featured opposite. Nail varnish sets also make nice gifts.

Another great gift for this age is actually having a manicure/pedicure with a professional. A mother could take their daughter to have their nails done together as a birthday treat

If the 13 year old girl likes music and you have the funds and Ipod or another MP3 player makes a great choice of gift.

If they've already got an ipod you could purchase some ipod accessories (speakers, cases, earphones etc). Or an itunes gift card.

13 year old girls like to do their hair. They like experimenting and trying out new styles and sometimes colors! A good gift for this age group are hair straighteners, curling tongs or a hair dryer which give them the tools to experiment with.

Other options include an appointment to have their hair cut at a top hair salon. I remember I had my hair restyled as a gift for my 13th birthday. Girls don't change!

 Girly 13 year old girls will love watching chick flicks with their friends. Here are a few suggestions.

Music can be tricky to buy as like most people the tastes of 13 year old girls can vary greatly. However, I have included some ideas. Lots of 13 year old girls actually like some of the old classic stuff too but some girls will have very specific bands and artists they like.

If you want to buy music but are not sure what to get, I would highly recommend a gift card.

Another great gift for a 13 year old girl would be a decent digital camera.

You can get some nice cameras for this age for under and around $100. Find a couple of suggestions opposite.