Recommended Reading - 14 Year Old Male

[justjulie]

I picked up That Was Then, This is Now and I also got The Hunger Games - they do not classify it as Sci-Fi in the narrative so I'm hoping it still qualifies.

Thanks for all your suggestions - I'd love for him to read both books but the project is due right after Christmas so maybe I'll have him read a couple of chapters of both and see which intrigues him unless you have any other thoughts ...

 

[ENSOCK]

Our schools follow the AR (advanced reading) so we use the website arbookfind.com. It shows what level each book is so that a 5th grader is not reading a second grade rated book. It might help to find a book in his reading group. Good Luck!

 

[justjulie]

I must say, I have come to rely on the expertise of the DIS. I am in Canada and we do not have half the resources you seem to have. We have no reading lists and we do not have dedicated Young Adult Consultants at our libraries so the references you provide are very valuable to me and I thank you for that information.

 

[SideshowBob]

Both good choices and just now "re-reading" the Hunger Games trilogy as enjoyed very much a few months back. My oldest son who doesn't read a ton loved it.

Also, a big Markus Zusak fan so also a vote for "The Book Thief" as well as "I Am the Messenger"

 

[justjulie]

The Book Thief was his Grade 9 required read this year - I read it after him and quite enjoyed it myself.

It's so hard when you have one that just does not like to read - that being said, the head of the English Department advised that magazine reading IS reading so encourage that - ANY reading boys do at this age is better than nothing ...

 

[hambirg]

I like to stick to the classics. Like I tell my DD15, they're classics for a reason. So my list would be:

Mutiny on the Bounty (loved it at that age and ended up reading the trilogy)
Lord of the Flies
Animal Farm
The Jungle
Fahrenheit 451
As I lay Dying
Where the Red Fern Grows
White Fang
etc etc etc

 

[justjulie]

Where the Red Fern Grows was on my list too. Lord of the Flies is required reading in, I think, Grade 10 so that was disqualifed as was To Kill a Mockingbird, Frankenstein and Of Mice and Men.

 

[Cindy B]

The Book Thief was his Grade 9 required read this year - I read it after him and quite enjoyed it myself.

It's so hard when you have one that just does not like to read - that being said, the head of the English Department advised that magazine reading IS reading so encourage that - ANY reading boys do at this age is better than nothing ...

As a literacy teacher , I have to say the same thing. Any reading is better than none.

 

[justjulie]

Well after all that, it has come down to That Was Then, This is Now - teacher approved. Hunger Games was apparently allowed but another student already chose it and there can only be one student doing each book. I find that strange as I would think two students reading and analysing the same book could prove to be very interesting but, no go ...