Good books for teens and pre-teens
 

AHHHH! young siblings attack! they would like to know what to read, as they are becoming stupider by the seccond! Any segestions would be nice, even really good adult fiction books! Thank you sooooo much! (I also hope I'm not the only one plagued by these kinds of troubles! :o

what are they interested in? Sci-fi, fantasy, biography, history, general fiction, etc.

Boys or girls?

It may come as a surprise to some, but there were books around when I was a member of that age cohort.

And propping up the short leg on the table was NOT the only thing we used them for...

Anyhoo, what I (lotta i's typin that...) remember reading and enjoying would be what I'd recommend. Like:

All Edgar Allen Poe. I spent my allowance on a biiig book "The complete works of..." or something like that. Truly dug it. Not non-fiction, but it fed the majority of my fantasy life: Road and Track, Car and Driver, and Motor Trend (weak sister...). I include these in spite of your request for fiction because I believe that reading is contagious. Read what you like and you'll like reading more and it just goes round and round and round. There'll be some fiction in the mix soon enough. For the preteens in my current circle, number one with a bullet is anything and everything Calvin and Hobbes. Um, yeah, they're MINE and I share them grudgingly (hey! careful with that cover!!!) I could post pics of SonofV sleeping with Calvin and Hobbes flopped onto his face. :) The Harry Potter suite is very enjoyable. I read a ton of Heinlein in my yout.

One other advice-y part, the kids will follow your lead. Let'em catch you reading too. Have abundant books around. We have a ton of movies and video games, but for every one of those, we have ten books. They don't have to be your books, btw. Go to the library. [/sermon]

Good luck, report back, I'd like to share your success!

The Jungle Books - Rudyard Kipling, The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis, The Dark is Rising Sequence - Susan Cooper, The Green Knowe books - L.M. Boston, Black Beauty - Anna Sewell.

That and the Heinlein juveniles should keep them busy for a while.

The Whale of Time is being split up into volumes that don't require a two-handed carry now as well.

anything by margret atwood or paulo coehlo.

The Harry Potter series.

My girls like the Traveling Pants series and the Nancy Drew books. Speaking of which, there is an excellent series of computer games for girls based on the Nancy Drew series. Lots of puzzles and stuff you have to work out. Certainly challenged my kids.

The Clique - for girls

Chicken Soup for the Pre-teen Soul.

For profession recommendations, you might also check the various books on Reading Aloud to your kids by Jim Trelease. He has books to recommend in all age groups. And, as always, check with your local librarian.

For older boys - Across the Nightingale Floor

Anything by John Bellairs.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

The Phantom Tollbooth - Norton Juster

The Black Stallion series - Walter Farley (these stories are very, very dated. There's stuff that you'll have to explain about life in the 40's and 50s, but if you have a horse-crazy kid these books are the way to go.)

Island of the Blue Dolphins - Scott O'Dell

My Side of the Mountain - Jean Craighead George

Julie of the Wolves - Jean Craighead George

Harriet the Spy - Louise Fitzhugh (similar to, but entirely unlike the movie)

Follow my Leader - James Garfield

With the exception of Harry Potter, I am pretty much innocent of any information regarding children's books published after 1980 or so.

If they're smart & just a bit cynical: Terry Pratchett(Discworld Series) Actually, I think most of you would like these books.:love: TP!:love:

Robert Louis Stevenson

The Yearling

When I was a teen, I loved anything by Chris Crutcher, Ellen Conford, Gary Paulsen and Lynne Reid Banks.

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George is FANTASTIC! I still read it every once in awhile when I get a chance.

Is xoxolove related to Bruce??

The Faraway Tree series by Enid Blyton, harry potter, the alchemist, the concise oxford dictionary (will help when they're older) and lord of the flies.