Re: Wanted: Chastity belt for 14 year old boy
 

He would be neither. More likely to show up on This video

Books for a kid.
 

Highly precocious 11 or 12-y-o boy. Last Xmas, he was reading some series where animals talked and kind of fought or something? I don't think there were people involved. I seem to remember a central badger figure, but could be wrong about that. Requesting books anywhere from 300 to 2,000 pages. That we think he would like. Because I am sooooo in touch with the mind of an 11 (or 12) year old.

Ideas? He's definitely read all the ones by the Half Magic author, and Narnia. And Harry Potter, of course.

Re: Books for a kid.
 

at 13 my daughter gave me Choke by Chuck P. I'd clear it with the parents first.

Re: Books for a kid.
 

My slightly older than that niece is a fan of the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyers (a movie based on the first book is about to be released). Caveat -- my other slightly older niece is Not a Fan. Both of them love Harry Potter.

Re: Books for a kid.
 

I have heard good things about The Lightning Thief and the series that follows.

At a certain point, you'll have to decide whether it is inevitable that he'll become a Sci-Fi geek. At least temporarily, it's a good thing -- keeps him reading and away from girls. But no one I know who's hung on to Sci-Fi long enough to get into Castaneda has turned out okay.

Re: Books for a kid.
 

I have read the first two of the Twilight series, and I have been informed by the mother of an eleven year old friend that a) I'm the coolest person the eleven year old knows and b) I have been deputized into movie chaperoning upon the eleven year old's insistence.

The eleven year old is sort of gothy and moody and therefore a vampire love series is right up her alley. I think she spends most of her class time doodling the name Edward with hearts all around.

It's quite an insipid series, but it keeps the kids off the streets.

Re: General discussion - Mom and Dad Esq.
 

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, recommended to me by either by my 11 year old nephew or the 15 year old one. I also highly recommend it.

I also read The Lightning Thief and the next one in the series also recommended by the 11 year old nephew and found them only so-so but they may definitely appeal to that age group more.

What about the Philip Pullman books?

I think the Twilight books are very chick-lit not sure an 11 year old boy would enjoy them.

Re: General discussion - Mom and Dad Esq.
 

Oh and just remembered, what about The Dark is Rising series, by Susan Cooper. about an 11 year old boy who enters the fight against evil on his 11th birthday. very Arthurian and English, and captivating.

Re: Books for a kid.
 

Lightning Thief is a very good series and a great way to get a kid interested in Greek Mythology, but may be a bit young.

The Twilight Series is fun, but more romantic. All the girls he knows will be reading it, but none of the guys. This could be a good thing. Also, the last book is a way more adult oriented. Tell the parents to read it before they give it to him. The same author has an adult oriented novel, The Host, that is good but probably of more interest to his female peers. It is odd that it is considered adult lit when it has less graphic scenes than the last book of the Twilight Series.

Truesight is a good book that reminds me of the better short stories that got me interested in fantasy. I don't know if the rest of the series holds up.

Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie is a somewhat light hearted look at how a teens life is turned upside down when his brother is diagnosed with cancer. Very good book, but it won't make you the fun one in the family.

The Theif Lord is a nice introduction to Venice. Every kid should want to go to Venice, even if it is only to live with a bunch of thieving kids.

Eragon and the rest of those books are far better than the crap movie made from them.

Inkheart is another good Dragon book.

I really like the Golden Compass books by Phillip Pullman, but the end is a bit dark and people with a religious bent may not like the fact that Pullman is an atheist and the church is the society of bad guys in this series.

Ranger's Apprentice is a good series for kids his age. Lots to read and several different lots to juggle throughout.

The Last Apprentice is a bit darker than the Ranger's Apprentice series, and they are unrelated.

Peak is a great reality based fiction book for his age group. It is about an Everest Expedition including a character his age. Well done and gets him away from the sci-fi crowd a bit.

If he has any sport inclination I heard that Last Shot by John Feinstein is good.

(I read everything my kid reads so I have more knowledge of literature for this age group than I care to reflect on.)

Re: Books for a kid.
 

Thanks for all the good ideas!!

Would boys like the Twilight series?

Hm. I could get off wayyyyy cheap at Xmas this year by giving him all my sci-fi. Or chunks of it.

Re: Books for a kid.
 

Boys who are able to discuss the Twilight series will be very popular with the girls. I don't know if they'll actually like the series though.

I discovered the Anne McCafferty Pern universe when I was about that age. I think the Harper Hall Trilogy was supposed to be young adult, whereas the Dragonriders of Pern trilogy were more contemporary adult sci-fi. No graphic sex though, so it should be ok with the parents. I stopped reading Pern books somehwhere in the late 80s, but I noticed from Wikipedia that the universe is huge now. (Note: This could be the start of the road that Atticus warns about, below.)

I tried to read Eragon, that 1436 talks about below, when it first came out, and I found it to be ridiculously derivative of the McCafferty and Tolkien.

I think I started reading the Madelean L'Engle books around 11 or so. A Wrinkle in Time isn't a bad thing to have on a shelf.

Re: Books for a kid.
 

For a 12 yo lad I dont' think you could have gone wrong with a supscription to Playboy. For the aerticles, of course.

Re: Books for a kid.
 

I stopped the Pern books in sixth grade because there was no way I would carry a book entitled Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern around a schoolyard.

Wait two years and give him all of the Hitchhiker's Guide books. Then make sure he quits sci-fi cold turkey by sophomore year, no matter how much he says it hurts. You cannot succeed in college if you lack the capability of being embarrassed by what you are reading. Either say you're reading Camus or say you don't read anything at all. No one ever got laid carrying an Eddings, Donaldson or Heinlein.

Re: General discussion - Mom and Dad Esq.
 

My 12 year old son likes the Twighlight series.

Re: General discussion - Mom and Dad Esq.
 

You really will want to read the last one before he does.

After I read it I kept humming "One of these is not like the others."