Need Book Suggestions!

Sandra - posted on 05/08/2009

All 3 of my boys have had the same problem. One solution seems to be science fiction. Some of it is too adult, but a lot of it has action but not sex. They loved the Artemis Fowl books, thought that Golden Compass was boring. They loved Narnia. The reading level isn't that hard, but lots of action. Dawn Treader is our favourite. If he likes historical fiction, Eric Walters has written a series of historical books that are excellent. Stay away from the hockey series - it's too easy. He may read at a grade 12 level, but he won't get most of the jokes in Hitchhiker. save it for a couple of years. Try the Discworld series (there are about 30) by Terry Pratchett if he likes bad puns. He'll only get about 1/2 the jokes, but in a couple of years he can re-read them and get the rest. Robert Heinlein has written a lot of excellent youth oriented science fiction. Stay away from the adult stuff - it has a lot of sex. Around here all my boys highly recommend Have Spacesuit - Will Travel. I loved it when I was a teenager too. I think it's out of print, but I found our copy at a used book store. My son just sat down beside and recommended the Pendragon series - there are 9 or 10 books in that series. He also recommends The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell. Garth Nix is well liked around here too.

We have a fabulous independent book store in our city. The staff there have read a lot of the books and always have good ideas.

Kristeen - posted on 04/26/2009

Quoting Christina:

Kristeen~ hi again...& thanks for that. Maybe your son would know something better then us! Let me know if he has something for me!

 

Hi Christina,

Sorry it took so long, haven't been on for a while. My 9 year old's teacher suggested The Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz &  the Cherub Series written by Robert Muchamore. for my son who virtually inhales books.

Zach said the Alex Rider books were a little boring, but he enjoyed the Cherub series..

Hope that helps.

Kristeen..

Angela - posted on 03/11/2009

My son sound a whole lot like yours. He's 11 and he reads the same type of books. He just finished The Seventh Tower by Garth Nix. It's a trilogy, but it's all in one book. Garth Nix writes some books that I don't think are appropriate, but I felt like this trilogy was fine, and Mitch loved it. It's new, so it should be easy to find.

Christy - posted on 03/10/2009

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/... That link didn't work try this it is to the ALA suggested teen reading list. My son read Tolkien books and is not a big reader but loved them in the 4th grade. Now he is in the eighth and barely reads at all... too busy being a teenager I guess.



My 10 yr old girl reads everything she can get her hands on. She's done the HP series twice. She just finished the Alchemist by Paul Coehelo it made for some interesting conversations afterward. Fairenheit 451 is a great book about books. You should read it first could be a little traumatic for a young kid

Christy - posted on 03/10/2009

My daughter is a huge fan of Cornelia Funke, Inkspell etc. Found this link I thought is helpful.http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/... Happy reading.

Christina - posted on 03/09/2009

Thanks, Naomi...makes sense now that you put it that way. He didn't seems to interested when I asked him yesterday. He did see the movie & it wasn't his cup of tea, so to speak.

I will look into your other suggestion also.

 thxs :)

Naomi - posted on 03/09/2009

Not Narnia because I have found alot of the boys in my class get bored too quickly with it - we study LWAW in Term3 - it's just not written as well as the Tolkein books ( yes Hobbit is the place to start ) and is quite unecessairly wordy for todays' young readers.

One of my able readers in my class has been reading Garth Nix series - haven't tried them myself but worth investigating. ;)

Christina - posted on 03/09/2009

Thanks Sonja,

I had heard about the religon aspect of Pullman's trilogy. My mother, who is devout, did not want him to read them. She brought it up when the movie was released. So I figured I would have to read that series first to judge for myself as my mother can be over-opinionated, if that's even a word, & she probably didn't even read them herself...lol

The Wrinkle in Time is something I myself want to read, as I'm a big fan of the TV show LOST  & this book was a featured in an episode that probably caused a spike in sales! I have read a little of the plot summery, so on my list it goes, thxs !

Kristeen~ hi again...& thanks for that. Maybe your son would know something better then us! Let me know if he has something for me!

I talked to my son tonight & he wants to read the next book in the Eragon series but I have not heard of any release date??? We were discussing LOTR, & I'm going to most likely purchase The Hobbit @ least for now & see if he likes it. I remember reading it as a young teen & loved it so much.

Someone I know suggested Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury...has anyone read this?  If so can I get an opinion rating on it? (G,PG, ect.).   It sounds interesting but I never read it so again I need some guidence unless I somehow find the time to read all of these books first. I wish I could but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Maybe once the summer comes & I find myself plopped on my boat's deck again but for now time to read has been at a minimum! (besides, I apparently like writing, or should I say typing, more then reading... lol)

Thanks to all of you~ such helpful, nice ppl here......I ♥ circle of moms!  I'm telling all my girlfriends!

Kristeen - posted on 03/08/2009

My 9 year old also reads obsessively. He loved the Potter series. I will ask him if there is anything he would recommend.

I too suggest starting with the Hobbit then on from there (I read them all at his age & it didn't damage me).

Good luck.

Sonja - posted on 03/08/2009

Phillip Pullman's trilogy is great and actually very difficult for children's literature. It is not very complementary about organized religion, so you might want to think about how you feel first. Neil Gaiman's books also would be good. The Book Thief is another good one (about Nazi Germany, so maturity is essential). I liked the Narnia books. The reading is easier, but there is plenty to think about. The Wrinkle in Time series (Madeline L'Engle) is also great. The first one would be easy, but the others get much harder.

Tammy - posted on 03/08/2009

Try the Maximum Rides series or Sea of Trolls

Christina - posted on 03/08/2009

Thanks, Rebekah...I looked through that thread. I will jot down a couple that stuck out to me & review them but alot of that thread seemed aimed towards younger children. Your list for the future was helpful though..so again, thank you!

Naomi~ I am just curious as to why you wouldn't recommend the Narnia series since I haven't read them. Is is because of the age, not 12th grade reading level, for content? Just opinion? Please, elaborate if you could.

Morag~I started with The Hobbit as well. My mother made me! That's how they should be read...It never really was a trilogy, huh? But now we have a whole generation of kids that think it is because of some very popular movies! Leave it to hollywood to screw up the history of literature! lol

Thank you for your other sugggestions to...I will check them out. I thought of The Golden Compass but I wasn't sure what that was all about & I didn't know it was part of a series.

My son does like to read series books...do they still have the Hardy Boys around? I used to love Nancy Drew!

Unfortunately, I do not read as much as I did when I was younger so I am kind of lost now when it comes to what is good reading these days. Maybe, I should think back to the classics because he certainly does not want to read the Twilight series! Although, my stepdaughter ripped through them like there was no tomorrow. lol

If anyone has more suggestions I would love to compile a list! I live in a really small town, with not many options for book buying (walmart, target ~that's it & both are limited on what they carry), so I order online or wait until we go to Las Vegas & can get in the Barnes & Noble up there. I will be there next week so I want to be armed with my list & his B&N gift cards when we get there!

Thanks again to all of you for your help! :)

Morag - posted on 03/08/2009

I read Lord of the Rings when I was his age by don't start with Lord of the Rings trilogy. Start with the Hobbit, it will make more sense to him. Narnia is great, but start from book one, The Magicians Nephew. Also Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials (the series of the Golden Compass aka The Northern lights) will really capture him mentally. He will love Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy too.. its very male :)

Naomi - posted on 03/08/2009

I am a teacher who also has a child that loves to read! I wouldn't recommend the Narnia but Tolkein yes would be a challenge. I also think that Michael Morpago, Anthony Horowitz, Eoin Colfer, Angie Sage ( Septimus Heap series ) Cornelia Funke ( ink heart - trilogy ) are all authors you might want to share with your child - make sure you discuss books with them and hear them read it's the only way to ensure they have the vocab and have understood text - sometimes a too challenging text can do more harm then good if left to be an independt read.

Rebekah - posted on 03/08/2009

It isn't titled such that you would find it, but there is a thread on this topic that you should check out. It's "I saw the 'Let's Share'...." hopefully this link will work. http://apps.facebook.com/circleofmoms/th...



Do post again if that doesn't give you some ideas.