young teen books

[cornflake]

Heck, my DD is pretty solid when it comes to not being freaked out, but I'm not sure I'm quite ready to make the jump to that type of horror.

I wouldn't stop her from reading it, if she asked but I am not pushing it yet.

Pushing it? Does she know it exists?

 

[5lilfish]

Pushing it? Does she know it exists?

I'm not exactly sure what is confusing and so awful about me not being in a hurry to encourage my 13 yr old to read about people being tortured or tormented in various different ways?!

I don't have any issue with someone else allowing their 13 yr old to read these books. I am not even saying that I would not allow my 13 yr old to read King (I would probably be ok with it if she came across a King book and was interested...I'm not the overprotective/sheltering type), but I think there are plenty of books out there that would satisfy her and not quite go as far as King does until she is a bit older.

Jess

 

[Hannathy]

Also.... people who love their children do not let their children read Twilight.

Now now I wouldn't go that far, they all need some fluff sometimes and it doesn't hurt to know what everyone else is reading.

I never told my kids what or what not to read and they are both pretty eclectic readers, choosing whatever they wanted. Like my DS loved the Tolkien trilogy in 4th grade but also loves reading the Onion!

 

[cornflake]

Hey, I'm all for fluffy crap. I suggested King, who is little more than a stream-of-consciousness transcriptionist. I like it; it's hardly great literature.

Twilight however, is not only crap, it's terribly-written, nonsensical, and what really bothers me about it - offensively and disturbingly misogynistic crap. There's nothing redeeming in that mess - and it's so badly, badly written.

As for the confusion - it's that you imply that she'd be fine reading it but... you're not ready? It's her reading it, you don't need to be ready .... hence...

 

[mamacatnv]

Daniel X - James Patterson
The Hunger Games - DD 13 has read the first 3 in the past 2 weeks
We just ordered Cujo (Steven King) from the library
Maximum Ride Series - James Patterson

When I was that age I read the V.C. Andrews series Flowers in the Attic. I loved those books. I went to a very uptight Christian school and we had to hide them but my whole social group read them and loved them. I bought DD the first one, its in her stack for when she is done with Hunger Games

Percy Jackson
Almost anything by Riordan

 

[5lilfish]

Hey, I'm all for fluffy crap. I suggested King, who is little more than a stream-of-consciousness transcriptionist. I like it; it's hardly great literature.

Twilight however, is not only crap, it's terribly-written, nonsensical, and what really bothers me about it - offensively and disturbingly misogynistic crap. There's nothing redeeming in that mess - and it's so badly, badly written.

As for the confusion - it's that you imply that she'd be fine reading it but... you're not ready? It's her reading it, you don't need to be ready .... hence...

I'm not ready to introduce her to that type of book....and I never said she was ready. I said she is pretty solid and would probably be ok (but I don't know). I am her mother. It is absolutely about what I am comfortable with. If she was bent to read it, then I'd probably let her....but since she is not, I'm going to keep that on the back-burner. It's not like she needs to read it at 13. King will still be there for her next year. I just don't see why it is confusing though. DD might be fine (fine meaning not scarred for life) if she watched a movie filled with graphic violence, but that doesn't mean I have to rent one for her and pop it in the DVD player. As I said, I'm not the overprotective type but as Mom, my say is relevant. On the other hand, she watched part of The Patriot in school (I signed a permission slip). The teacher skipped past some of the more graphic parts. My DD asked us if we could rent the movie and watch the whole thing. I let her watch it. it would not have been a movie I would have been in a hurry to let her watch at 12, but I didn't stop her when it came up at school and I did not stop her when she asked to watch it at home.


I have a friend that's DD was reading King at 10. She was fine with it and so was her DD. I don't have any negative judgement about their decision. She made a parenting decision for her child. She's a good Mom and her DD is a great kid.


I'm not a big fan of Barbie (I'll spare you my reasons). I never told my DD's that they could not play with Barbie. I never stopped anyone from giving them a Barbie. They did get a couple from friends/relatives and I was ok with that....and if they had asked me for one for a b-day or Christmas, I'd probably have given them one...but, they never did ask me, so I never bought them one.

Jess

 

[phillmolly]

I fifth or sixth The Hunger Games, great books!!

Also I second the Maxium Ride books by James Patterson, very fun!

I understand about not wanting her to read Stephen King, I also don't think I would reccomend Flowers in the Attic, I read those books in High School and 20 years later they still creep me out!

 

[5lilfish]

I fifth or sixth The Hunger Games, great books!!

Also I second the Maxium Ride books by James Patterson, very fun!

I understand about not wanting her to read Stephen King, I also don't think I would reccomend Flowers in the Attic, I read those books in High School and 20 years later they still creep me out!

I have to laugh... I thought about Flowers in the Attic. Honestly, I love King, but VC Andrew's freaked me out. I still remember being a bit horrified at the brother and sister getting caught having sex with each other in the attic.

Jess

 

[my3sonsagn]

When my sci-fi/fantasy/horror loving DS was that age he loved the Cirque du Freak books by Darren Shan then he moved on to the Demonata series (same author). He also loved the Ranger's Apprentice books and the Inheritance cycle books by Christopher Paolini (beginning with Eragon).

Thirteen is a tough age for readers - intellectually they can handle "full grown" books, but they might not be ready for nightmares they would never admit to.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

My daughter sounds a bit like your daughter's taste and she enjoyed Meg Cabots books. (not the Princess Diaries, the other series, and odd books here and there).

She also really enjoyed Crank - Ellen Hopkins, The Host, Stephenie Meyer, The Perks of being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky, and her all-time favorite:

The Secret of Platform 13 - Eva Ibbotson (look for all her books to be honest)


Forgot to add: I own all of Stephen King's books and the kids now 16 and 19 have been reading them since they were 11/12. They never had a problem with them at all. I am open with my kids and discuss anything they want to from a book.

 

[YodaGirl]

I haven't been in the youth section in quite awhile, but I'm assuming R.L. Stine books are still in print. I think I read the Fear Street series when I was about that age, despite the fact that I'm completely afraid of horror movies.

Also, she might like Edgar Allen Poe.

 

[Tinijocaro]

When I was that age I read the V.C. Andrews series Flowers in the Attic. I loved those books. I went to a very uptight Christian school and we had to hide them but my whole social group read them and loved them. I bought DD the first one, its in her stack for when she is done with Hunger Games

Percy Jackson
Almost anything by Riordan

I also read v.c. andrews at that age and loved them but recently I recommended them to my dd13. I started re-reading the second one and OMG, the brother and sister have an incestuous relationship. I can't believe I read that! Not recommending that to my dd any more.

 

[Pixiedust34]

My daughter (almost 15) loves horror movies and sci fi. I always loved Stephen King books, so last summer I suggested that she read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, which she loved, then she read some of the short stories collections.

She always likes to read in a series, and one series that she really enjoyed was the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz.

My 13 year old devoured the Hunger Games trilogy! She's read those books, and re-read them. I've read the first two so far and I enjoyed them too.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is a good King book to read as a first book in that it's a little more mild than some of his others. Thinner may be good, too.

Both of my kids like that Alex Rider Series, and dd is a big fan of the Kingdom Keepers books.

If she likes mysteries, there is a series of books called The Cat Who......she may enjoy. Also, there are books based on the Monk TV show.

 

[Sparx]

Divergent by Veronica Roth is excellent. Its the first book in a yet-unwritten trilogy (and the movie rights have been bought.) I definitely underscore it for those that loved The Hunger Games!

 

[Acklander]

If she likes mystery she might like the sue Grafton books. A is for alabi, B is for burglar and so on.

 

[Magic Mom]

Stephen King is fine for a 13 YO. Also The Hunger Games, Miss Perrigrine's Home for Peculiar Children (creepy Stephen King like story), Maze Runner (also has some Stephen King elements of horror), The Forest of Hands and Teeth (series by the author that wrote the Uglies...another great teen series.)

 

[Magic Mom]

My 14 yr old son just read the Hunger Games and really liked it.

Jess

If he liked the Hunger Games, have him try Maze Runners. It's got a lot of the same elements, and the protagonist is a guy.

 

[DMass]

Oh give her Stephen King!

I still remember a story I read in Night Shift when I was like 8 or something.

I bet she'd like Needful Things, or Carrie, it's a classic!

The first King book I read was 'Salem's Lot when I was 13. Scared the crap outta me. It was great!

 

[Disneefun]

She might like The Line and its sequel, Away, by Teri Hall. Sort of suspenseful creepy, but written for YA. I thought it was like a younger version of The Passage by Justin Cronin (Which BTW, might be good for her, too. It's very suspenseful and creepy, , but I don't think it was nearly as nightmare inducing or gory as some of King's stuff.)

She might also like Life as We Knew It, (and its sequels) by Beth Pfeffer. It's not "creepy" but it's YA about kids and families who have to survive when a meteor hits the moon and changes the climate. It is tense.

 

[HonnyDipp]

when I was in my teens I collected Sweet Valley High books. My DD16 started reading them when she was about 14. They're still in great shape and she has added to the collection. Now she has started reading my VC Andrews books. Watching her on a rainy day curled up with a book is deja vu.