Book Choices - Pre-teen's

[Leif]

http://www.nbcindia.com/Booksimages/030735346X.Gif

You know you want to.

12 year olds should be able to understand most books. My favorites of assigned over the past few years were probably be The House of the Spirits, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Captains and the Kings (although a bit long) and 1984. The girls I knew really liked novels such as The Awakening and Their Eyes Were Watching God.

She'll probably end up rereading half of those at some point; may as well start early!

[Hosom]

The Spearwielder's Tales didn't have too much blood and gore in it if I remember right...

The Highwayman was ok..

Going to agree with the LOTR suggestions.

The Legend of Drizzt series would keep them busy for a while, it's a solid 20+ books.

Oh, and tell your mother that she is doing more harm than good by sheltering them, by the time I was their age I had read Ayn Rand books, 1984... and way way way worse things than I've mentioned.

[Plow]

http://www.nbcindia.com/Booksimages/030735346X.Gif

Nah, for a 12 year old you need much higher intelligence, reasonable confrontation, and a way friendlier style than that.






Like this

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i3...augh-idiot.jpg

[sb]

If they are into fantasy, most Terry Pratchet should be suitable for their age group.

His novels often have some adult humor situations, but they really often only touch on that and I doubt there is much he has written that a twelve year old girl isn't already aware of. He has written a few books specifically for the Y.A. genre, but again, just about all his work is light enough that it would be fine for a twelve year old.

[Qalbert]

If they are into fantasy, most Terry Pratchet should be suitable for their age group.

His novels often have some adult humor situations, but they really often only touch on that and I doubt there is much he has written that a twelve year old girl isn't already aware of. He has written a few books specifically for the Y.A. genre, but again, just about all his work is light enough that it would be fine for a twelve year old.

seconded

[Ksandra]

I hae not read them yet, but a big thing around kids that age (that I work with) are the Artemis Fowl books.

If I understand it right, since they love Harry Potter, they should love Artemis Fowl.

Also, the Eragon series is pretty big.

I would also suggest the Series of Unfortunate Events books. Those are good for any age group.

[Qalbert]

I'm almost 22 and I still keep up with Artemis Fowl

[Ksandra]

I'm almost 22 and I still keep up with Artemis Fowl

I'm rereading the HP books cause of the new movie (made me want to go through them again).

I wanna trying the Artemis Fowl books after. I like reading the things my kids enjoy because it helps me keep them excited about reading even more.

[Qalbert]

They are hardly pinnacles of literature, but they're good, easy reading, immature, cheesy fun.

[Joran]

Okay, so...

R.L. Stine (Fear Street) and (Goosebumps) and Brian Jacques (Redwall) were the ones I grew up with yeah. Good selections, and easily appropriate for the age level.

My mothers actually a Jr. High librarian (caters to ages 12-15) and I'm an English Teacher/Teachers Substitiue. I subbed for mother quite a bit recently, and here's some of what I've noticed from your Age/Gender group.

The Stephenie Meyer (Twilight) series is ALWAYS on back order with two or three people waiting for each book. It comes in and goes right back out again. She also has a book unrelated to the series called "The Host" which is also always out, if they haven't read it by now too.

The girls also like to check out Ann Brashares (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) series. If you don't know them, watch the movie

Some others that were popular are the Scott Westerfeld (Uglies) series, Jeff Smith's (Bone) series which are kind of like comic books but actually read like a story and look kind of neat, and Dav Pilkey's (Captain Underpants) series.

Personal recommendations, that I've read, are Sam Enthoven's "The Black Tattoo", which is really not as dark as it sounds and is a rather neat read, Steven King's "Eyes of the Dragon" and "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" were good, and I read them at that age.

Finally, Cassandra Clare's (City of Bones) series. I actually noticed some girls of that age reading this one and it looked neat. So, I picked it up as part of a summer reading list, but haven't gotten to it yet, but it looks to be pretty good and it was part of the Jr. High's book collection.

And, I really wouldn't be too concerned about the book being "too darK". At that age, they should be able to handle it, and children (and adults) often seem to gravitate towards scary stories kind of like we gravitate towards really fast roller coasters and amusement park rides. Its fun to be scared.

I would be more concerned about "sex" and that kind of thing.

[Keria]

Diane Duane's Young Wizards series: YoungWizards.com

Pretty wholesome, but more advanced reading than Harry Potter and with better writing than the Twilight series, lol. Fantasy series about teenage wizards in the modern world.

Most books by Tamora Pierce are written for this age group. I'd recommend "The Circle of Magic" and "Song of the Lioness" series, each have another sequel series too. I loved those when I was that age. They're fantasy novels with female main characters.

K.A. Applegate's Everworld series (12 books) is written for 14-16 year olds, I read it at about 12-13. It's about a group of kids who spend their dreams in a parallel world where gods like Zeus and Loki still exist. Kind of dark but I bet they'll love it.

Nancy Farmer's "The Ear, the Eye and the Arm" and "The House of the Scorpion" both take place in the future. The first is about mutants, set in a future Zimbabwe, the second about human cloning, set in a future Mexico. They're both quite dark but there's no explicit gore or violence unacceptable for a kid of 12.

I'd also recommend Terry Pratchett novels, but the earlier books in the Discworld series have a very particular style of humour that they may be a little young for- although that's not to say they won't be enjoyed regardless. He's written for younger readers, too: The Bromeliad series (Diggers, Truckers, and Wings), the Only You Can Save Mankind series, and the Tiffany Aching series set in Discworld (The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full Of Sky, and Wintersmith), plus "The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents", "Nation", and "The Carpet People". Nation is probably the best of those.

I also second "The Dark is Rising" and would add Alan Garner's "Elidor" series.

[Kaludneisucks]

The crystal cave series follows Merlins story like nothing else.. is good Mary stewart.

A wizard of Earthsea has good lessons too.. ursula leguin

Enders Game? Orson scott card.

Siddartha by herman hess changed my life.

The Teaching of Don Juan A Yaqui way of knowlede by carlos castenede.

[Shade]

re: recommendations.
Terry Prachett is fun. Doesnt really matter what one you pick up, either.
Watership down is very good.
Ender's Game, also great.
For Ann McCaffrey, the Dragonsong trilogy is the lighter reading, and have a teenage female protagonist.
I've only read the first book in the "City of Bones" series, but it was fun, and fits in nicely to the fantasy/HP niche of whats cool right now, so they might like that.

Annnd seconding Earthsea, just because Ursula K. LeGuin is a genius. I haven't read it yet, no idea what its about, but my friend picked it up at a used book sale, purely because of this bitchin' cover.

http://www.spiffy-keen.com/a/earthsea.jpg
What the hell is this? Whats going on? What are those colors? I have no idea. Isn't it great?

[TheShadyMan]

Animorphs.

[isladar]

Frank L. Baum's Oz Books.

[Leif]

You gotta get them off that reading stuff. Comic books, People, and porn are the way to go.

Earthsea

Is this any good? I saw the Iceman/Isabella Rossellini miniseries but some people didn't like the adaptation.

[Azkarin2]

Okay, so...

R.L. Stine (Fear Street) and (Goosebumps) and Brian Jacques (Redwall) were the ones I grew up with yeah. Good selections, and easily appropriate for the age level.

Nice, I came in to post that book. I can't remember how old I was when I read those (maybe younger?) but I couldn't get enough of those books. Definitely a great read for a kid.

[Hosom]

You gotta get them off that reading stuff. Comic books, People, and porn are the way to go.


Is this any good? I saw the Iceman/Isabella Rossellini miniseries but some people didn't like the adaptation.

I liked Earthsea. I only read the first book in it though. (Think it's a trilogy.)