Best teen action & adventure books according to redditors
We found 1,268 Reddit comments discussing the best teen action & adventure books. We ranked the 508 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 1,268 Reddit comments discussing the best teen action & adventure books. We ranked the 508 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Apparently, The End Games.
The following is not an affiliate link. I haven't read the book. I know almost nothing about it.
But here's the Amazon link.
And Anne McCaffrey (for kids): Dragon Song, etc.
Some of these were listed on my blog, but here's a list of Fantasy/Romance with Strong Female Protagonists:
And of course, as mentioned by everybody else:
I work at a kid's bookstore and get this question all the time! Here are some of my favorite recommendations:
The Chrestomanci books by Diana Wynne Jones, and some of her other books too, like Howl's Moving Castle would be fantastic. She writes great fantasy.
The Emerald Atlas series is great for adventure.
Shannon Hale writes wonderful fairy tale type books. Start her off with Princess Academy or Goose Girl.
Jessica Day George is also a favorite at our store. Tuesdays at the Castle or Dragon Slippers would be great starts to new series.
Kate DiCamillo is wonderful. Her newest book Flora & Ulysses was awesome.
I loved Savvy and Scumble by Ingrid Law. If she likes those she could also try A Tangle of Knots and A Snicker of Magic. Not all one series, but similar ideas.
And lastly maybe something by Brandon Mull? He writes really fun fantasy adventure stories.
Has anyone read Graceling? That is indeed the case. Those with unique eyes like this are considered outcasts and people fear them.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Diana Wynne Jones yet. The Chrestomanci Series is an ideal starting point.
All of these are fabulous!
I would also add Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles. It begins with Dealing with Dragons, wherein Princess Cimorene decides that she's terribly bored with all this royal business and runs away to live with a dragon (sort of as an apprentice). I remember it being a lot of fun!
Here are a few of the YA series I have enjoyed:
With breath-taking suspense, this book follows three teens who all become runaway Unwinds: Connor, a rebel whose parents have ordered his unwinding; Risa, a ward of the state who is to be unwound due to cost-cutting; and Lev, his parents' tenth child whose unwinding has been planned since birth as a religious tithing. As their paths intersect and lives hang in the balance, Shusterman examines serious moral issues in a way that will keep readers turning the pages to see if Connor, Risa, and Lev avoid meeting their untimely ends."
Hey, OP! High school English teacher/book nerd here. Hopefully I can help you find a book that you enjoy! I reviewed your criteria, and the only thing I would like you to reconsider is the length. I know, I know, typical English teacher trying to get you to read more, but I promise you if us Redditors can find you a book you LOVE, then you won't want to put it down! I've read the following list, and think they fit your list for the most part (especially the suitable for a 13-year-old young man, this is essential for my job every day!)
Here's some young adult books that fall into the horror (read: horror, supernatural, psychological thriller, etc) or realistic fiction.
The Replacements: Mackie is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement — left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is slowly dying in the human world.
Asylum: Super creepy, twisting plot line, male protagonist, definitely a great read all around.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE BOOK ON THIS LIST A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. If you like this book, definitely read Asylum; I found those two went well together.
Unwind: This is a dystopian (realistic fiction) novel that we teach in 7th grade in my school district. Our students LOVE it, and the good news is that it is a series! We do require mom and dad to sign off before they read (and have never had any complaints...), but check with your parents before you delve into this one!
Enchanted Forest by Patricia C. Wrede These books are hilarious and feature a strong female lead, well multiple strong female leads. Actually, come to think of it, I think the only guys are a talking, floating, blue donkey with wings and an inventor that doesn't get much time.
There's a witch that has an attitude very much reminiscent of the Dowager from Downton Abbey. There's a tomboy princess (the biggest stereotype in the series) who decides she wants to be kidnapped by a dragon. And finally, there's a dragon who is just tired of all these little human shits running around disturbing her plans.
Wearing the Cape is a good superhero series; powers are generic compared to Worm's and tend to fall into common "packages" such as the protagonist being an Atlas class hero (flight, strength, durability). Think of it as a deconstruction of the genre rather than a full reconstruction like Worm.
Overall I'd say it's the best superhero series I've read other than Worm. Worm tying backstory and powers together via trigger event and making evry power unique is missing, but I can't think of any other superhero setting that comes close to doing that as well as Worm.
You seem to have two types of books here, fantasy YA and classics that span the genres.
For fantasy YA-type books I recommend:
For non-YA I think you might enjoy from the other books you've included, I recommend:
They're called The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. Amazon link.
The End Games by T. Michael Martin
Gregor the Overlander is a pretty good series!
City of Ember
Inkheart, I don't know if its a bit young for him, but I remember enjoying it over a vast course of ages
Redwall!
The Wind Singer, my personal favorite. Part of a trilogy. I remember loving these when I was younger
I absolutely loved the “Redwall” series by Brian Jacques and “The Alchemyst: Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel” series by Michael Scott as a young adult (still love them now) plus you’ll be set for the next few birthdays and holidays. They both have plenty of sequels in their respective series! (22 novels in the Redwall series and 6 in The Alchemyst series!)
The Enchanted Forest series by Patricia C Wrede is engaging, witty, and sex-free.
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak is wonderful for everyone of any age. It has lyrical writing, a story that sticks with you, and moving imagery. I can't recommend it enough.
Tamora Pierce's Tortall novels are great (I'd recommend starting with the Protector of the Small series or The Immortals series). There is some sex in them, but it's not graphic and it's far from the focus of the books.
The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathon Stroud is witty, well-paced, and engaging.
The Sabriel series by Garth Nix is pretty dark, but no more so than the ones you listed.
Let us know what you end up getting her!
Wearing the Cape
The aurhor follows through on society reacting to the emergence of superheroes. The main character gets herself in deeper than she should on a regular basis.
Singularity by William Sleator!
Sounds like he views reading as a chore and not a form of entertainment. It may be that he hasn't found a book that clicks with him yet. Try focusing on his interests. Does he have a favorite movie? If its been adapted from a book, it might keep his interest.
Take clues from how he spends his free time. What kind of games does he play? Both Halo and Warcraft have their own line of books. I think it boils down to he need to find reading entertaining, and only he will be able to make that distinction.
He are some choices to try out:
Calvin and Hobbes, Far Side, or even try manga, Naruto is very popular.
Good luck with finding the something that he likes.
OH GOD, JEREMY THATCHER DRAGON HATCHER
Further exploits in the life of a young nerd: Bruce Coville's Unicorn Chronicles, Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest series, Jane Yolen's Pit Dragon Chronicles, Susan Fletcher's Dragon Chronicles...
Excuse me, I have to go to the library.
The Chaos Walking trilogy. So amazing. My mom and I go to my Uncle's for a few days every Thanksgiving, and as they came out I would take them there with me.
Wearing the Cape, its a superhero Novel, and its up to five books now and they are all quite good.
Is it The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede?
xD ok this will be a long message bear with me.
Yes! Every serial I write has a home page, and every home page has:
For my serials, the home pages are as follows:
Flameweaver Saga
Halfway to Home
From a quick browse-through of your comments I didn't see you crossing paths with any other serial authors - If you haven't read any of his stuff, I highly, highly recommend /u/Hydrael's work, over at /r/Hydrael_Writes! His Dragon's Scion and Small Worlds projects are exceptional! Small worlds is also published on Amazon!
I can help with that! Some quick recommendations that I personally love - these are loosely ranked in order of how I'd recommend them, but the fact that they're here at all means they've got my support :)
Fantasy novels:
The October Daye series:
Trickster's Choice/Trickster's Queen
Graceling
Scifi Novels:
Agent to the Stars and Old Man's War
The Ender Quartet
The Ship Series
The Knife of Never Letting Go and the rest of the "Chaos Walking" trilogy is an amazing read, with plenty of awesome combat. It also brings up many modern ethical questions. I loved it.
He might also like Ready Player One which I am not quite finished with yet, but has really sucked me in. Even though there are several pop-culture references from the 80s, the reader doesn't need to be familiar with any of them to enjoy the story. I was born in 1983 and was too young to really have experienced much of it, but I'm enjoying the heck out of the book. I believe there is one passage where the main character alludes to masturbating, but content-wise, that's the only thing that a parent might consider questionable that I've come across so far.
Both titles have teenage fighter-type males as protagonists.
It's YA, but Unwind by Neal Shusterman is vaguely medical, dystopian, has an upcoming movie (of course), and has one of the few scenes in any book that's come back to haunt me in the middle of the night.
Maybe [The Monstrumologist] ( http://www.amazon.com/The-Monstrumologist-Rick-Yancey/dp/1416984496) by Rick Yancey? It's about monster hunting - I really enjoyed it. It has more of a science/anthropology bent than pure magic but it is still very much fantasy. It's also set in a similar time period, no modern technology.
Full disclosure, I haven't played Bloodborne but am familiar with the general themes from reviews.
Allegiant
Is this the book you're looking for:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140375988/adamcadreac
Singularity:
Harry and Barry are twins. Their parents have gone on a trip and sent them to an isolated farm out on the prairie. (Missing parents!) Barry's the dominant twin, so much so that even though they're identical, people remark that Harry acts like he's the little brother. When they meet a girl, Harry isn't the one she goes for.
Out on the farm is a shed. One day Barry steps inside and the door slams behind him. Harry immediately opens the door again to find Barry asleep and in need of a shave. He thinks he's been locked in overnight. It turns out that inside the shed is a singularity which distorts time. For every second that goes by outside the shed, an hour goes by inside.
The Redwall series.
Here you go!
Source: am an English teacher.
YA lit is my favourite genre, and i remember being that age and being bored with what the school had us read.
Ideas for you: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Dealing with Dragons series by Patricia C. Wrede (anything by her, actually, but that's where I'd start)
I'll second the Redwall books, there are a BUNCH!
On a slightly different topic, 9 was the age I started reading Dorothy Gilman (specifically, Caravan and Incident at Badamya)and Elizabeth Peters's Amelia Peabody books. If she is a sophistocated reader, they are pretty awesome mystery/exotic books with light romance but nothing narsty.
I myself have just spent my summer re-reading Tamora Pierce's Tortall books for the heck of it, and those are super awesome, if she hasn't read them already. Why don't you have her look over our suggestions, haha?
Something to read $6.99 from his Books list and Hand wrap mesh wash bag from his boxing list. $3.99
https://www.amazon.com/End-Games-T-Michael-Martin/dp/0062201816
Shade's Children
From what I remember, the plot was basically that some sort of apocalyptic 'event' had occured, leaving only those 14 and younger alive. (Four?) dictator types moved in and started harvesting the kids for their body parts to sew into creatures who fought war games for them. The book follows a group of kids that have escaped capture, and have developed unique special abilities from the 'event'.
Found it in the young adult section years ago, and needless to say it was nothing like I had read before at that age.
Good lord, yes! I love this series so much. I also liked Shade's Children
I always tell people to read The Wanting Seed. Such an amusing yet thought-provoking read.
Edit:
The wand part doesn't quite click, but the rest of it--especially the submarine--might be Shade's Children, though I guess the overall scenario might fit a lot of YA books out there.
Now I'm curious about what you're thinking of!
Is it the The Chronicles of Chrestomanci?
My son's favorite at that age was [Singularity] (http://www.amazon.com/Singularity-William-Sleator/dp/0140375988/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1406035744&sr=8-5&keywords=singularity)
My daughter liked (still likes) Diana Wynn Jones' books - see [Howl's Moving Castle] (http://www.amazon.com/Howls-Moving-Castle-Diana-Wynne/dp/0061478784/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406035839&sr=1-1&keywords=howl%27s+moving+castle&dpPl=1)
Singularity
Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede. It's technically a young adult book, but I've loved it all my life and still do. The characters are AMAZING and you will laugh out loud reading it.
Here are some ideas for young adult fantasy, with a few science-fiction books thrown in. Look them up and see if they look like something you might like:
Un Lun Dun by China Mieville (Mievile is a rising star of of SF/F, and this is his only novel so far written for young adults. Two British girls are pulled into a bizarre alternate London and must foil an evil plot)
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer (scifi in futuristic Africa, three mutant detectives trying to rescue kidnapped children of a famous general)
Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes (near-future SF, robots do all the work, so what is there for new high school graduates to do?)
There are plenty of SF/F Choose Your Own Adventure books, which are a nice change of pace from third- and first-person narratives.
The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper. The first book is Over Sea, Under Stone, but you might want to start with The Dark is Rising.
Incidentally, I do NOT, under ANY circumstances, recommend Eragon.
Hmmm... paranormal/supernatural tween reads with strong girl characters (not that Twilight had a strong female lead in it, but you may as well steer her in a better direction).
You really can't go wrong with the Hunger Games. Or you could get her the Japanese novel Battle Royale. It's also a dystopian novel about teenagers forced to battle each other to the death.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is worth checking out. It starts to lose some oomph towards the end, but is still a solid read with actual substance to the storyline. I'd get the hardback - the photography in it is just genius. Male lead, but there's a pretty cool chick who throws fireballs.
I enjoyed Anna Dressed in Blood. It's a bit like Supernatural, only with one male ghost hunter as the protaganist. He falls in love with a ghost, but she's a homicidal maniac.
The Rise of Renegade X - a boy raised by his evil supervillain mom discovers that he's the product of her one-night-stand with a superhero. That was pretty enjoyable...
Poison Study is a great book about a girl who's been sentenced to death and is offered a reprieve if she becomes the king's food taster. Her handler ends up subjecting her to a litany of poisons so that she can build up immunity. Didn't read the sequels, but the first book was pretty good.
Graceling is set in a world where certain people are born with random talents - the ability to hold their breath underwater for long periods of time, musical or dancing abilities, cooking the best food imaginable, etc. The main character is born with the talent to kill & becomes her uncle's assassin.
Stardust - Neil Gaiman... really nuff said, eh?
Howl's Moving Castle - A girl is turned into an old woman by an angry witch & takes refuge in the mysteriously moving castle of an "evil" wizard.
Okay. I'll stop now. :)
Anne McCaffrey wrote a YA trilogy set in her world Pern that might be a good fit.
The book is actually about a girl who lives in a somewhat misogynist society (the setting is like medieval setting in outer space in the far future, with dragons) with leaders who are trying to help society grow. She is skilled in, and wants to do a job that is traditionally male, but her family finds this shameful, is verbally abusive and ends up accidentally-on-purpose maiming her (age appropriate for E, despite how this sounds) to quash her dreams.
She runs away, then is found by people who show her that her gift is a good thing and help her to live up to her potential. The first two books are called Dragonsong and Dragonsinger.
The third book is about someone else and i don't recommend it.
Long shot but the first part sounds like Dragonsong from Anne McCaffery? https://www.amazon.com/Dragonsong-Harper-Hall-Trilogy-Book/dp/0689860080
There's no knife on the cover, but the plot sounds similar: The Knife of Never Letting Go
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Gifting is fun!
So, basically a movie on a police-state, with the defenders of free speech fighting for their freedom? Hrm, with themes from the Matrix, Cloverfield, Fahrenheit 451, 1984, Little Brother (Haven't read it yet though), and possibly references to Monty Python, this movie would rock!
If it was done properly, I think that it could be propagated solely via word of mouth and the internet as its distributor. I know that I would watch it.
On the other hand, a novel would be better, as one would be able to see what one is thinking.
Whatever the case, this would be an interesting subject to see/read.
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow It is hard for me to put this book down once I start. If anyone knows of any books like this, please let me know.
The Monstrumologist
http://www.amazon.com/The-Monstrumologist-Rick-Yancey/dp/1416984496
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
Every Day by David Levithan
Tree of Codes by Jonathan Safran Foer
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
In the nonfiction department, January First is about childhood schizophrenia.
Wintergirls is about eating disorders and mental illness where a teenage girl keeps seeing her dead best friend.
If you're looking for paranormal, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children might fit. It's a YA novel written around a series of weird photographs.
Yay! First ever contest!
I would gift /u/kickballa because she rocks! (seriously love her). I'd gift her Allegiant because it is a great book and she should have the pleasure of reading it!!
I really hope she wins! Thanks for the contest! :)
Thought it was Ready Player One but it turns out it's The End Games by T. Michael Martin
The end games The End Games https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0062201816/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_0YVRyb3PSZ78M
Ratha's Creature by Clare Bell has some covers where the large cat is carrying a torch or being surrounded by fire.
The Chronicles of Chrestomanci books all have cats on the cover - not so much warriors, though.
Here is a list of fantasy novels about cats (all of the covers have cats on them).
I'm not satisfied with any of these and will def keep looking, but might be a place to start. This is assuming that the giant cat on the cover is a major character and not just a random cat, and I haven't completely gone on a wild goose chase. XD
Singularity maybe?
The old man is snoring
A book to take me back
The reason I chose this book is because it takes me back to my elementary school days when I would stay inside during rainy school days for recess and just read book after book. I was a bit of a geek/nerd so I escaped torment by getting lost in fantasy worlds and developing the look and feel of the worlds with my own mind. To me there is nothing better than a book to escape a rainy day.
I've heard some pretty awesome things about this book.
Get those kids some books!
[This was my FAVORITE series as a kid!](Redwall (Redwall, Book 1) by Brian Jacques et al. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0142302376/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_Imontb0WZZHMF)
They were so fun to read, and written for young audiences as well. I love animals and adventure. :) They are novels through so probably above 5 year old level, but would make great bedtime stories still.
I have lots of books in my wishlist if I win. I also love books!
You should read [Redwall] (http://www.amazon.com/Redwall-Book-1-Brian-Jacques/dp/0142302376/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397698927&sr=1-1&keywords=redwall) by Brian Jacques. It's a fun fantasy novel, full of adventure - and talking animals. I would recommend the entire series.
/u/Morthy you shall be now dubbed Dr. Morthy-o. Let's play a pill version of Tetris.
Demon Haunted World is great for teaching skeptical critical thinking skills.
When I was around his age I loved Redwall. They're great books that really appeal to a young boys sense of wonder and adventure, all while teaching great life lessons along the way.
I take it from Harry Potter and Divergent he likes strong, morally-white protagonists on journeys to save the world. I don't know his exact reading level or interests, so I will make the following suggestions by category. I ranked books in each category by difficulty.
 
Teen Fantasy:
 
Dealing with Dragons: Funny, easy to read, dragons, magic, and sarcasm.
The Lioness Series, Immortal Series, or The Magic Circle Series: Strong female leads and interesting to read with great stories (Think Mulan). My brother loved them.
Artemis Fowl: Strong, morally ambiguous but ultimately altruistic, sarcastic, and smart protagonist against the world.
User Unfriendly: Dudes get sucked into a video/rpg and try to get out without dying. Like Tron, but less sci-fi and more fantasy.
Halo: One of my brothers who HATES reading -- or at least is incredibly picky actually stayed up all night to finish four of Halo books. He also really likes the games. I don't know which one is the first or the best but this one had the best reviews. I dunno if it is dark either -- I haven't read it :'(.
The Dark Elf Trilogy: Darker than anything else I have on here (or can be) hero vs world type fantasy. Drizzit = my brothers' hero growing up. Kinda WOW-esque? Having played both, I understand how much of WOW is inspired by DnD. I personally didn't like this.
Redwall: Harder to read, talking animals save the world from other talking animals. I personally hated this series, but my brothers read every single book in the series at the time.
 
Adult Fantasy:
 
Magician: Magic, totally badass protagonist, BORING first couple chapters, but ultimately the most OP hero I have ever read. Amazing, truly amazing. I think it is two-three books in the first series.
Harper Hall: Dragons, music, strong, but lost protagonist. Deals with sexism and gender biased. The other books in the cycle range from sci-fi to political fantasy.
Dragonbone Chair: Strong, badass hero vs a dragon. What happens? He becomes more badass. It is a lighter verison of LOTR/Sword of Shanara (which is probably too much politics/genetics/enviromental commentary -- generally boring-- for him right now) --
An even lighter alternative, more teen book is Eragon. That being said, I absolutely DETESTED these books. I don't care if he was 16, he didn't coming up with any of his own material. But -- a lot of people really like it, so your brother might!
 
Sci-fi:
 
Ender's game: Amazing ending, especially if he likes videogames. I haven't seen the movie, but my Dad said it was "loosely inspired" from the book. All I know is the book was world-changing. It has some legitimately dark points (like gouging out a giants eye or drowning puppies).
Johnny Maxwell Trilogy: This dude is cool. I didn't know until I linked it that it is hard to get a copy >.<.
Dune: This, like LOTR, is VERY political and can be very easily boring. It might also be too adult or hard for him. There is mental illness and just crazy people in the later books.
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Mature Humor:
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He should be ready for some British humor, which is a little more mature than American humor (sorry) and much more sarcastic. You also have to be in the mood for it, especially if you aren't expecting it.
Sourcery: Really, really funny.
Hitchhiker's Guide: Also funny.
Magic Kingdom for Sale -- Sold: American. Funny take on fantasy books.
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I kept away from darker books where the protagonist is morally grey (Artemis fowl and Drizzit being exceptions -- though they are both still definitely heros), sex, questionable themes, or general mental derangement.
I also stayed away from more modern books, which I have read a lot of if you would like recommendations for those instead. I read a lot in general, so if you have a questions about a book in particular, I can try to help.
Edit: Links
I think the [Redwall] (http://amzn.to/2EL9BYT) series of books by Brian Jacques would be right up your alley!
I've read and loved almost all of the recommendations already here (TAMORA PIERCE). But to add some that haven't been mentioned (and trying really hard to not overload you with 20 books at once), I read and reread Robin McKinley's The Hero and the Crown and its prequel so. many. TIMES. Maybe even more than I reread Tamora Pierce. Patricia McKillip, Maria Snyder, Patricia C. Wrede (Dealing with Dragons quartet), Althea Kontis, Francesca Lia Block, Libba Bray and Susan Fletcher (Dragon Chronicles) are similar authors to check out for awesome female-driven fantasy, with varying degrees of lightheartedness. Wrede, Fletcher, Snyder and Kontis all wrote books that lean a little less epic/serious, Block writes a lot in prose that's also a very quick (but more intense) read, McKillip tends to be more wordy but beautifully so, and Bray can kind of go either way depending on the series.
For more contemporary fiction, RACHEL COHN (of "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist"). Her Gingerbread series has content a good deal more mature than Angus, Thongs, etc., but her style is similarly irreverent and witty and really fun. Seriously, check her out. Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons is like a much younger version of Cohn, still zingy and sweet. For a quieter modern-day read, Garret Freymann-Weyr writes realistic (more mature) young adult relationships, and introduced me to the idea of bisexuality in a sort of roundabout way.
Julia Alvarez relates stories about the Latina-American experience incredibly well, although I think the first book I read by her takes place solely in the Dominican Republic. According to my reading list, I guess young me got sick of reading about other white people, so I'll add Marjane Satrapi's hilarious graphic novel Persepolis and the more sedate Shabanu series by Suzanne Fisher Staples.
I'd also strongly second comments for Gail Carson Levine, E.L. Konigsberg, and did I mention Tamora Pierce?
(I tried to link a lot of authors to my faves from their work, but I won't be mad if you never look at any of them. Is your reading list long enough now? Also, I know you didn't ask for a ton of fantasy/historical fiction recs, but I think a lot of us defined our teenagerhood by and identified more strongly with one of those series or another.)
tl;dr my top three recs that haven't been mentioned yet are Rachel Cohn, Julia Alvarez, and that one duo by Robin McKinley.
I have a 9-year-old daughter, too. For Roald Dahl, don't miss Danny the Champion of the World, and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More (the latter is for older kids, so I'm not sure about the six more, but Henry Sugar is indeed wonderful).
Redwall is a bit on the graphic side. Best skim one first. A substitute for the time being is the Warriors series. My wife and daughter read them independently in unison (my wife reading after her bedtime) and discussed them.
Harry Potter is conspicuously missing from your list. Intentional? I hope you haven't pegged this one as having cruelty as its main theme. It's jam-packed with great themes of friendship, loyalty (within reason), trust, love of parents and family, standing up for what's right, and a whole bunch more. It's one of those book series you want a notebook for, to jot down quotes because there are so many gems.
Dear America is a fictional diary series of girls living in various periods in history.
The Mary Poppins series shouldn't be overlooked. It's quite different from the movie.
I'm putting my money on The Enchanted Forest Chronicles series, first book: Dealing with Dragons. The head-strong princess has no interest in the idiot prince she's supposed to marry, is quite comfortable once she's in the company of a dragon, and no thank you, she has no need for being rescued.
Also, The Mysterious Benedict Society series. It all starts with a newspaper ad seeking "gifted children looking for special opportunities."
Princess Cimorene from Dealing with Dragons
Sherwood Smith. Start with Crown Duel because it's the best to start with from Pierce, but she has a number of really wonderful books. Possibly Maria Snyder's books as well. I didn't discover those until many years since I'd worked through every Pierce book more than once, but they're probably still age appropriate. I'd start with Poison Study. The Enchanted Forest series could also be a nice option. Walter Moers might be a bit intimidating at 12, but I'm a big fan. Robin McKinley's Damar series would also be good.
In no particular order:
Most recently, I read the Quadrail series. It was pretty good. It was kind of like Zahn took The Icarus Hunt and expanded it into a full series, rather than a one-off. I think that The Icarus Hunt was better, though.
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede.
Phenomenal series!
Wasn't Un Lun Dun YA (I haven't read it yet)?
Thought it was a reference to this
Why yes... yes I have!
In the last month I have read the Hunger games books and the Lightbringer series books.
/u/Morthy you shall now be dubbed Dr. Morthy-o. Let's play a pill version of Tetris.
Graceling by Kristin Cashore. It's my favorite book of all time, and I have not found one person yet who doesn't love it.
Here's Amazon's description: Kristin Cashore’s best-selling, award-winning fantasy Graceling tells the story of the vulnerable yet strong Katsa, a smart, beautiful teenager who lives in a world where selected people are given a Grace, a special talent that can be anything from dancing to swimming. Katsa’s is killing. As the king’s niece, she is forced to use her extreme skills as his thug. Along the way, Katsa must learn to decipher the true nature of her Grace . . . and how to put it to good use. A thrilling, action-packed fantasy adventure (and steamy romance!) that will resonate deeply with adolescents trying to find their way in the world.
Based on your criteria, I'd say start with some Young Adult stuff first, it tends to be shorter and less convoluted than the adult high fantasy stuff like WoT and GoT. Maybe Graceling would interest you?
If you want something light hearted that won't take up too much of your brain space, I'd say try Discworld series by Terry Pratchett, the Landover series by Terry Brooks, or the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. All fantasy books plenty of comic relief.
Meg from A Wrinkle in Time, and Menolly from Dragonsong.
The Knife of Never Letting Go
"Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him -- something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn't she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd's gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is."
It might sound stupid, but I got it in a Reddit Gift Exchange and I could not put it down. I can't wait to get the next one. It is not what you expect. Reminds me of the Hunger Games in the type of writing and suspense.
That's my problem. I read to much to fast.
I often times read a authors 20 years of work in a few weeks and then have to wait two years for another release. Which sucks.
I finished The Knife of Never Letting Go on Friday as well so I ordered the next two in the series. The tracking number says they will be here tomorrow.
For me the search for a new and talented author is by far the most frustrating and also rewarding part of reading.
Thankfully I have the internet to aid me in the search.
The Reapers Are The Angels.
Summary: Zombies have infested a fallen America. A young girl named Temple is on the run. Haunted by her past and pursued by a killer, Temple is surrounded by death and danger, hoping to be set free.
The style is pretty Southern gothic, sort of like Cormac McCarthy at times. If that doesn't bug you, you might like it. I loved this book.
Also, possibly the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness. Some people like it, some don't. I haven't read it so take a peek at the Amazon "look inside" view and see what you think.
The Knife of Never Letting Go, Chaos Walking #1.
Enjoy!
The Knife of Never Letting Go
Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow http://www.amazon.com/Little-Brother-Cory-Doctorow/dp/0765319853
Definitely Little Brother by Cory Doctorow.
The stories in the Steal the Network series are fiction wrapped around realistic computer security themes and exploits. They even include screenshots where applicable. I especially enjoyed the last one in the series.
Well now you can!
Yes. There are sequels as well, two I think.
For people interested in this concept, I highly recommend Shusterman's Unwind. It's quick reading but quite interesting.
I haven't read this series yet, but Unwind comes pretty close -- it posits a world where abortion is effectively illegal, but teenagers can be "unwound" and recycled for organ donation. Let me know if it's any good.
Kindle store - I'm on UK but it looks like they're on the US version too.
https://www.amazon.com/Unwind-Dystology-Neal-Shusterman/dp/1416912053
This one is next on my list Unwind a lot of my friends have read it and loved it
Mine are some [Earbuds on my iPod list] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007136B7A/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&amp;colid=JA3CGVP7ZEGL&amp;coliid=I114BCC7KXLIS) because my old pair broked :(
Then this book on my book list, it's on there because reading is good!!!
St. Vincent on my CD list because she's amazing
and that's it :\
The Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancey is another good fiction series.
For non fiction it's not quiet crypto but it is ghosts: Ghost Hunter- Hans Holzer. It's a collection of sorts about early paranormal investigation.
Another series I like that's fiction is The Newsflesh series by Mira Grant. It's zombies (I know, over done) but a really cool universe of post apocalypse society.
I thin you will like The monstrumologist series by Rick Yancey
34172
A used paperback of The Monstrumologist would be awesome if I win. Thanks for holding the contest! :)
I LOVE this skirt on my default list but I also have this book in my books list.
Yay!
Recently got back into reading after a looooonnnnnnggggg dry spell (years) and I'm reading some fun ones!
Have you read any of those?!
I don't usually brag about myself, but my family always has. I'm smart, apparently. I don't think so though. I'm not stupid by any means, but I'm not "smart," as people are led to believe; I use common sense to figure out problems, and somehow manage to remember what I need for school without studying.
I'd really like a gift card, if that's okay. I'm saving up for stuff. If not, this book looks neat.
the Horrid Henry books are incredibly silly, my son loves them... me, less so.
He also really enjoyed reading Miss Peregrin's Home for Peculiar Children.
Wow, what a great contest
Hellooo my name is Kate! This is my favorite ebook from amazon. I read a snippet about a year ago and I've wanted to read it ever since! I love reading and a kindle would make it so much easier to do so.
Oh boy, a question I can answer.
I constantly search for superhero books. There are quite a few books in this thread that I like that other people have mentioned. Here's are two I enjoyed that I think have not yet been mentioned.
Prepare to Die! by Paul Tobin
A superhero is defeated by a group of villains. The lead villain gloats and monologues. The situation is dire. How will our intrepid hero escape this peril? A sneaky attack? A rescue by his allies?
No. He gives up.
Reaver, the hero of the story, is burnt-out. He's been fighting for too long, he's seen too many awful things, and all his friends are long dead. He asks the villains for a few weeks to get his affairs in order. Then they can kill him without a fuss.
I enjoyed this story immensely. There are quite a few action scenes, but it's mainly about a hero reminiscing about his old life and trying to tie up some loose ends. The story has lots of flashbacks, which bothers some people. Furthermore, the main character is rather young and rough-and-tumble guy who lived his life as a sort of superhero rock-star, and thus talks very frankly about sex and drugs and the like. This frank talk is the main complaint I've heard about the book, but your own mileage may vary. It didn't bother me at all.
Wearing the Cape! series by Mario G. Harmon
In a world were people gain superpowers in response to trauma, Hope Corrigan becomes a super heroine after a terrorist attack drops a bridge on top of her car.
In this world, superheroes are all corporate. They join teams, have sponsorships, have agents, and sell merchandise. They are carefully regulated by the government and have to undergo strict training.
This story has a very fleshed out, fascinating world, one which I feel presents an accurate depiction of what the real world would look like with superheroes. The main character, Hope, is great. I'm a dude, but I feel as though she's a very well written female character. There are no love triangles, no exasperating sexual tensions, no becoming dysfunctional around her crush, etc etc. She's not a Michelle Rodriguez stereotypical "badass" female character either, she's actually the kind of girl who covers her bed with stuffed animals and listens to cheesy pop songs. Overall, a very good book with a very good main character.
Brandon Sanderson: That man is genius. Writes fantasy with his own twists and spins a plot that surprises you more often than not. I fell in love with Mistborn-Trilogy, the way he makes you relate to every one of his characters and he really doesn't have just one main character, another lovely thing. One of the best book-series I've ever read, left me wanting so much more. (So I picked up his most recent book that turned out to be as addictive: Steelheart <3) The whole Mistborn series has been written so the reader learns about the history and things with the same pace than the characters, so you are graving as much the plot as the information about the history and lore :D Aaaand: Another good thing! He's managed to write quite a lot already <3
EDIT: The book I would like to read: This
This is what I send to friends - - -
TLDR version;
(1) worm is one of the best things i've read in any genre
(2) don't tell my parent's i'm a supervillain is fun, age appropriate for kids but good enough for adult
(3) Dire, Super Powereds (and corpies spinoff) are excellent - don't miss these
(4) the rest listed are the best of what i've found in the genre
-------------
Each book or series has the following information
ranking:
age:
rating:
Strengths:
Genre Detail:
Comments:
Cons:
link to book/series
-------------
Each of the above catagories is rated, ranked, or noted using the following (obviously opinion based)
ranking:
n/10 (range for series)
Strengths:
"I"nteresting powers, power sets - not just cookie cutter powers (Worm is the best at this)
"W"orld building - how well the world around the story is built (Worm is the best at this)
"F"un - just plain fun to read (don't tell my parents im a supervillain is the best at this)
"D"rama and storlyline - character interaction and depth of plot (Worm is the best at this)
"T"heme - depth behind the story (Worm is the best at this)
"E"xcellent protagonist / strong main characters - how engaging are the main characters (Worm is the best at this)
Genre Detail:
Fantasy (powers based on magic)
Sci-fi (powers based on altered person)
----------
worm
note to readers - One friend of mine who read this didn't enjoy it because it is so violent/grey morals, others have unanimously loved it. I was floored at how excellent the story was, had to read it again to pick up what I missed first read through.
ranking: 10/10
Strengths: I/W/D/T/E
Genre Detail: sci-fi
Comments: putting here as a baseline - linked to goodreads seperate writeup. this is a must read as long as the negatives noted there are not a problem
wearing the cape (5 books in series, not complete)
note to readers - this is the most comic-book like of the novels/series, if you are patient with it it gets better as you go along.
ranking: 8/10 + (6.5-9)
Strengths: F/E
Genre Detail: Sci-fi
Comments: worth reading, first book isnt great, each one gets better.
Cons: first book isnt very good. story lines take a while to get decent. characters are fairly cookie cutter power wise.
https://www.amazon.com/Wearing-Cape-Book-ebook/dp/B004XRCC1G/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1470504392&amp;sr=1-2&amp;keywords=wearing+the+cape#navbar
super powereds (3/4 books done)
note to readers - I really enjoyed this series, Drew Hayes (author) is an excellent indy author who writes what he loves. One of my favorite characters in any book (Nick) in the series.
ranking: 9/10 + (7.5-9.5)
Strengths: I/W/D/E
Genre Detail: Sci-fi
Comments: unique, first chapter of book 1 is first chapter written by the author (first 10 chapters or so are rough reading). has good story, good depth, good powers and treatment of powers, gets better with each book. annoyances (some bad writing early on, and cadence in sections of the overall story) are outweighed by some really long term cool scenes.
Cons: Truly rough reading first few chapters, pacing can be tough, non essential characters motivations are 2 dimentional
https://www.amazon.com/Super-Powereds-3-Book-Series/dp/B010HIUG1C/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1470504369&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=super+powereds
after reading the above books, this spinoff is a virtual must read, best of the bunch: https://www.amazon.com/Corpies-Super-Powereds-Spinoff-Book-ebook/dp/B01D9C21DE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1473257391&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=corpies
action figures (5 books done, 3 in works for next year)
note to readers - this is more YA targetted, but on occasion goes way beyond what I would expect in YA - still fun and well done
ranking: 8/10 (7.5-8)
Strengths: F/D
Genre Detail: Sci-fi
Comments: steady, easy, enjoyable
Cons: not much depth, angsty, simple, seems to target YA but occasionally breaks boundry to be potentially inappropriate for younger audience
https://www.amazon.com/Action-Figures-Issue-Secret-Origins-ebook/dp/B00GC74K4M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1470504262&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=action+figures+michael+bailey#navbar
dire (3 books, not complete)
note to readers - Outstanding lead character and really nicely written. I loved DIRE.
ranking: 9/10 (9-9)
Strengths: W/D/E
Genre Detail: sci-fi
Comments: dire is a great character, its a good story, inspired by worm (was originally fan-fiction on parahumas site, the intro to dire)
Cons: taking a while for next book to come out, only sample size of 2 books in series. third book was just released, didnt like as much as first two.
https://www.amazon.com/DIRE-BORN-Dire-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B018L5DJN0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1470504229&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=dire+born#navbar
Gailsone (2 books, then shifted to periodical short novella releases)
note to readers - Least good of the good ones, If you leave any off this is the most leave-off able.
ranking: 8/10 (7.5-8)
Strengths: F/E
Genre Detail: sci-fi
Comments: fairly unique story, strong main character, quite murdery at times.
Cons: after second book author started releasing .99$ 100 page short excerpts, books are fun but no depth, some annoying interplay between characters
https://www.amazon.com/Gailsone-Big-Japan-Casey-Glanders-ebook/dp/B00GXTADYA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1470504156&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=gailsone#navbar
Dynamistress (2 books, series done)
note to readers - fan fiction at its finest, a talented author who played City of Heroes wrote a 2 book biography for his character, lots of "labor of love" and nicely written story.
ranking: 8/10 (8-8)
Strengths: F
Genre Detail: Sci-fi
Comments: unique autobiography format, this is more a story of a person who happens to engage in the super human community than a hero story, very well done. oddly enough - inspired by the MMO City of Heroes, written by an author who played the game.
Cons: if you are looking for a heroic story, this is more a person story that unions the genre.
https://www.amazon.com/Reckoning-Many-Deaths-Dynamistress-Book-ebook/dp/B00F6F8NOY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1470503535&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=dynamistress#navbar
confessions of a d-list supervillain (3 books, not really a series though there is a timeline)
note to readers - These were fun, first ones in the genre I read. Not as good as others in the list, but worth reading if you get into this format (novelization of super/parahuman stories)
ranking: 7.5/10 (7-7.5)
Strengths: F
Genre Detail: sci-fi
Comments: One of the first "super hero" genre books published, fun read but not much beyond that. it has not held up to other books/series since it came out, but still decent enough read
Cons: others are better, not terribly unique or deep. just fun and one of the first forays into this genre.
https://www.amazon.com/D-List-Supervillain-3-Book-Series/dp/B00XM5XKWA/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1470504127&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=confessions+of+a+d+list+supervillain
don't tell my parents i'm a supervillain (3 books, not complete)
note to readers - book 1 was a blast, and is also very appropriate for young readers (5th -8th grade reading level advised). cant suggest it more highly for a fun read, and you might find it appropriate/fun for your kids too after reading it
ranking: 8/10- (9.5-6.5)
Strengths: I/F/E
Genre Detail: Sci-fi
Comments: first book has Worm inspiration, excellent introduction and very creative. second and third books are not as good. worth reading first book.
Cons: very ya, first book captures a story in a "harry potterish" enjoyable story with a ton of discovery and creativity. second and third books fell off that mark.
https://www.amazon.com/Please-Dont-Tell-Parents-Book/dp/B01A951V2G/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1470504101&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=don%27t+tell+my+parents+i%27m+a+supervillain
wild cards (many books, all anthologies of short stories by various authors)
note to readers - anthologies by dozens of authors, with an overall theme and world canon maintained by the editor (George RR Martin). you have to take the good with the bad to get through this series, there are alot of both
ranking: 7- (8.5-5)
Strengths: I/W/D
Genre Detail: sci-fi
Comments: anthology format, very unique. some amazing, some awful stories. multi author short stories covering a variety of characters over the course of 30-50 years or so. first of its sort. George RR Martin editor. the first 5 books are mostly good, there are a bunch of bad mixed with some good after that.
Cons: expensive, and quality of stories varies wildly.
https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Cards-I-Trust-ebook/dp/B003P8OZ0U/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1470504054&amp;sr=1-3&amp;keywords=wild+cards+george+rr+martin#navbar
steelheart (3 books, complete)
note to readers - I just didn't like the story, seems like almost everyone disagrees with me based on online reviews. really well written, but it never hooked me.
ranking: 7.5
Strengths: I/D
Genre Detail: sci-fi.
Comments:I didnt enjoy these as much as I thought I would, many others enjoyed more than me based on reviews. well written (the author is a top notch writer) but there was just something off about them that I couldnt place.
Cons: premium cost, other stories (indy pub/other) are just more enjoyable.
https://www.amazon.com/The-Reckoners-3-Book-Series/dp/B0141KGAIK/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1470504007&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=steelheart
I really enjoyed Wearing The Cape
In case anyone is curious, this is from The End Games by T Michael Martin.
https://www.amazon.com/End-Games-T-Michael-Martin/dp/0062201816
You can get it used for like a penny, if you're intrigued.
Does anyone know what book this is?
Edit: Found it.
2: Shade's Children?
http://www.amazon.com/Shades-Children-Garth-Nix/dp/0064471969
Is this still going?
Frank and Beans!
I'm not sure which book in the series, but that sounds like The Chronicles of Chrestomanci series by Diana Wynne Jones?
Sure! I know exactly what you mean. So, I will say that a lot of the most interesting stuff in Fantasy is (and has for a while) being done in YA fantasy, and I don't mean stuff like Twilight.
Garth Nix's Abhorsen series (starting with Sabriel) is excellent. Melina Marchetta's Finnikin of the Rock is kind of along the lines of what you're talking about, but is really well done.
Just about anything by Dianna Wynne Jones is great, I will call out specifically Howl's Moving Castle (the inspiration for the Miyazaki film of the same name) and also her 6 part [Chronicles of Chrestomanci] (http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Chrestomanci-Charmed-Lives-Christopher/dp/006447268X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1417629757&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=chronicles+of+chrestomanci).
If you're in the mood for something more adult, I really enjoyed Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series, starting with Kushiel's Dart, but that gets into some S&M stuff, which, YMMV.
And then Terry Pratchett's Discworld. Which is just fantastic.
My first favorite was Singularity. I first read it in 7th grade immediately following Jurassic Park and have been hooked ever since. The one I'm reading now is The Immortal Series by Ted Dekker. I highly recommend them!
I second the Tamora Pierce suggestion. Also definitely Gregor the Overlander! Suzanne Collin's lesser known series (she wrote Hunger Games). I recently finished reading (it's a 5-book series) and it was FANTASTIC. Just amazing. It's a YA series. The House of the Scorpion is also great, might be for your stronger readers. Eragon series is fun, and Dealing with Dragons is still one of my all-time favorite dragon books/series. Bruce Coville is a great author, and his work might be a little young but it's good to have a mix. I absolutely loved everything of his I have read, but especially Aliens Ate My Homework and the rest of that series. Most of these will appeal to the young men, hopefully.
When I was a young lady, I read pretty much anything, but I know a lot of boys like books with a boy main character. I really was a bit horse crazy, so here's some you might look into for your young ladies. The Saddle Club is a very long series about 3 girls and their horse-y adventures. It was really fun and it's great to find longer series because, if they like the first one, there's a lot to enjoy. (Oh a thought - you could always get the first one in a series, then just tell them to get the rest from the library or something, if there's budget concerns) I also liked the Thoroughbred Series and the wonderful Marguerite Henry horse books, especially the famous Misty of Chincoteague but really any of her books is a good read. My all time favorite horse series was and still is The Black Stallion by Walter Farley. Oh, how I loved that book.
There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom was fantastic the first time I read it, and I also like the "Wayside School" books which are both by Louis Sachar. Judy Blume is fun as is Beverly Cleary. Redwall gets a lot of kids into reading, you also might consider some high-level comics/graphic novels to reach a different audience. The Hobbit Graphic Novel has great illustration and I loved reading it so much when I found it one day in a store.
I found history pretty boring so avoided those books but I did enjoy The King's Swift Rider about Robert the Bruce and Scotland, might be the only vaguely historical book I remember reading around those ages. I tried to avoid mystery books more or less, but I loved Encyclopedia Brown (even though according to Amazon it's for younger ages). I enjoyed Harriet the Spy she was a pretty cool girl role-model at the time. My Side of the Mountain was absolutely fantastic and such a great adventure, though I enjoy everything Jean Craigshead George writes. I feel like Julie of the Wolves is pretty standard reading material, maybe not anymore, but what a great story. Oh my gosh, I just about forgot The Indian in the Cupboard, that was such a good story. Anything Roald Dahl is wonderful as is Jane Yolen, I especially recommend the Pit Dragon trilogy. The Golden Compass, So You Want to be A Wizard, Animorphs, Goosebumps, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Kiki Strike, Dinotopia, Song of the Gargoyle and The City of Ember.
I am sure that is way more than you need, but my mind started racing. It was hard to stop once I started -- thank you for that enjoyable tour through my past. Lots of great memories of time spent reading. Hope you find some of this helpful, at least.
Try the Forest Chronicles, starting with Dealing with Dragons. The princess runs away and does housework for the dragon instead of being rescued. Other issues relating to fantasy shows up. It's fun and the main character is witty.
Dealing with Dragons: The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Book One
The problem is that she probably hasn't found the right genre yet that interests her. Schools are absolutely horrible at this sort of thing, so she probably thinks all books are like the ones they make her read at school.
So go back to basics. Introduce her to Nancy Drew (mystery), Babysitter's Club (random social life), Alanna: The First Adventure (Girl power fantasy), Dealing with Dragons (more sort of straight up fantasy that's not to long), etc.
That and there are some amazing comics out there. Take her to a comic shop and have her look around.
$6.29!
Percy Jackson series seems cool so far, or as I mentioned in another comment The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede, also Sirena by Donna Jo Napoli
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles would be my movie (series?) of choice.
It has the same upside-down take on fairy tales as Shrek, and actually wouldn't be too bad in CGI either - but could also be done with actors/actresses for more realism. Even if only the first one got made, I'd be pleased.
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede were my favorite when I was that age. It's a four book series and it's awesome. It's about a not-so-pretty princess who doesn't want to be rescued.
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede are great. :-) it's a humorous take on fairy tale type stories.
My niece is 13. She is reading an anime series right now. (We do live together) some about high school...I dont know much about anime, but dragons are pretty freaking sweet! I'm really trying to get her to read as much as she can, but she loves it so yay!
(I think thats then link to the right thing)
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles.
These are still some of my favorite books. The first and third books are told from the point of view of female protagonists, though they're important in all 4.
China Miéville's Un Lun Dun. It's a kids' book, but it's fantastic. Miéville turns a lot of the standard fantasy tropes on their heads, with thoroughly enjoyable results.
Dathan Auerbach's Penpal. Horror/suspense, written by a redditor, and debuted on reddit. The Kindle version is less than $4. Seriously creepy but totally worth it.
Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's Good Omens. I have never laughed so much while reading. It's phenomenal.
Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age. What happens to poor people once nanotechnology can be used to make anything? It's my favorite of the Stephensons I've read, but it still ends like a Neal Stephenson novel. :|
Cory Doctorow's Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. It's about the first-born son of a mountain and a washing machine. It's also about setting up wireless networks. Also: it's FREE.
Hope you enjoy some of these! :)
I suggest China Mieville's UnLunDun. It's fun, light, and almost Harry Potteresque.
I think you should read this book. I read it once a while ago and really loved it... sadly i no longer have my copy so if i win id love another copy of it!! Thanks for the contest, cause I love reading books!
Link in the blog is a referral link, FYI. Here is a non-referral link:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Hunger-Games-Trilogy-Boxed/dp/0545265355/
These are fairly popular/obvious choices, so forgive me if you're aware of them, but I thought they deserved a mention since you just recently read Harry Potter. I have personally read all of these books and loved them. They're all currently being made into movies so that is a hint about how engaging/accessible they are for teens.
They are both dystopian novels. Divergent is particularly interesting because it's set in a future Chicago and it's interesting to see how the author plays around with that setting. Fair warning about Divergent: the third book in the series has not yet been released (I think it comes out this fall) so you may want to wait on these until next summer when all of the books are out.
Hunger games
These are my 3 fav books I love them and if i do win could you do a pokemon painting? Also how big will it be.
Graceling
Crossing the Wire
A Long Walk to Water
War Brothers
Oh, nice. That is a really good name, but I'm even more attached to Giddon than to him being a Vandagyre, if that makes sense? Giddon's a character from one of my favorite books, so I'm really happy to have him. :)
Thank you so so much for offering! I can't believe the kindness of the people in this community. :)
Graceling by Kristin Cashore It follows a female protagonist who has a special talent (called grace) in this book. The world-building in this book is fantastic and I am sure it will suit her adventurous nature.
It is.
"Science Fiction" is a pretty big umbrella -- The Giver is actually sci-fi, if it's the first one in the search results! Doesn't have to be all spaceships and technology to qualify. You might find The Electric Church interesting; the blurb doesn't really do it justice.
Easy reads, hmm. Dragonsong is very readable as straight fantasy, and if you like it there're a lot of books in the series. You might like Pollotta's Bureau 13 series; light, fast-paced action adventure with supernatural and magic elements. Or Elrod's Vampire Files -- the adventures of an undead detective in the thirties.
For straight action-mysteries, I'm going to suggest Travis McGee because one, I love it, and two, it gets progressively more difficult as you go through the series. You could also try Rex Stout.
For non-fiction, Why People Believe Weird Things.
As far as developing reading as a hobby, well, I think the key is to be as eclectic as possible. Read a book. Read a book by an author who has a blurb on the cover of the first book. Read a book you see linked to at the bottom of the page on the second author's book's Amazon page. Hit used bookstores and spend $10 on a bunch of books out of the quarter pile. The only rule is "you don't have to finish it, but at least try it".
At least that's how I grew my collection into what it is today.
(Edit to fix a link and add one)
There's Dragonsong/the Harper's Hall books... I think I liked it better than other McCaffrey works I've tried (which I rather dislike).
Picked up The Knife of Never Letting Go less than 1 month ago, I'm about 100 pages before I finish book 3. My wife started after me and finished first. Very VERY good... and disturbing, but not in a graphical "American Pshyco" type of way.
Actually picked it up because of a comment on Reddit. YA fiction (supposedly) but a great Summer Read.
To be honest, these are just some dystopia themed books I recommended because of Hunger Games. However, I could give better recommendations if you tell me more of what she wants. Young adult? Fantasy? Romantic aspect?
I read for fun every day. Finished Wool this summer and it was pretty great. Followed it up with the Chaos Walking series which was also a solid read. Whole lot of dystopia in a row though, after Wool. Now on the Vorkosigan Saga.
I have The War of the Worlds and a collection of six Sherlock Holmes adventures, if either one interests you. I also have Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, Witch and Wizard, and The Gift by James Patterson.
Sure would, and it's a good book. I loved the boxcar children but that may be too young.
My friend's 8-10 year old is huge into hunger games, and The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland
Funny. I've been avoiding the classics because they were written when conventions expected a heavier hand.
O.k. Try some stuff written within the last 20 years. I wish I could give you a more diverse list, but I've been playing catch up myself. That said, I've already read 20 books this year. The ones that weren't a waste were:
Equal Rites--Terry Pratchett He's a master at making a 4 level point with one sentence.
Good Omens- Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman This one is cool because a lot of people try to figure out who wrote what.
Besieged- Rowena Cory Daniels Kick-ass story. Great characterization. Descriptions snuck into the creases.
Wool-Hugh Howey O.k. I didn't read it this year, but it sucks you straight in. There's so much to learn about how Hugh made a fandom who demanded more material from him.
Another highly recommended book: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her own Making This one has a strong, strong voice, but does a breath-taking job of describing imaginary things. Amazing stuff.
The main character is younger than what you requested but the themes and writing are tailored to adults. It's not really childish at all but very fantastical, think Alice in Wonderland: Fairyland series by Catherynne M. Valente.
First book is The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making Amazon link
Oh man, I have so many used books on my wishlists. Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America, Flowers for Algernon, A Clockwork Orange, and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making are some of my most-wanted from my Under $6 wishlist :D I also have an entire books wishlist! Any of the books except for the children's books are great used! (I don't like used children's books just because they take a beating quickly)
Have you read the book Unwind? Possibly the creepiest book I've ever read about a society that allows you to "abort" unwanted kids when they're 16. C R E E P Y
[This] (http://www.amazon.com/Unwind-Dystology-Neal-Shusterman/dp/1416912053/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&amp;colid=1BGV2L2FWNXQM&amp;coliid=I2IB05LZCRBV85) book looks like an interesting concept. I have a love for dystopian novels and this one fits the bill. It is about people having the right to "unwind" their children. It sounds like a scary concept and I am intrigued by it. I have quite a few books like it on my [book WL] (http://amzn.com/w/1BGV2L2FWNXQM). I just recently read a great book about North Korea called [Escape from Camp 14] (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_5?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&amp;field-keywords=escape%20from%20camp%2014&amp;sprefix=escap%2Cstripbooks%2C282&amp;rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3Aescape%20from%20camp%2014&amp;ajr=2) which is a great memoir about a man's journey out of North Korea. I used to live in South Korea so the idea of North Korea and how they treat their people fascinates me.
I like big books and I cannot lie. I love to read and have several books to read on my nightstand but sometimes no time to read them. But that is life so it goes!
Wow, I am so glad you mentioned this! Absolutely loved it. You may also want to try Unwind by Neal Shusterman
http://www.amazon.com/Unwind-Neal-Shusterman/dp/1416912053/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1278536573&amp;sr=8-1
Unwind
The Anthropophagi in The Monstrumologist were pretty wicked!!
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, for sure! Super creepy book about kids with superpowers
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Peregrines-Home-Peculiar-Children/dp/1594746036
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594746036/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_IOIhtb0TA4M7G
Frank and Beans!
Thanks for the contest. I really didn't wanna flash my books ;)
I really want this picture to show up in one of the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children books.
This is one I wanted to do since my freshman year of high school (currently a senior). A teacher at my school breeds tarantulas and has them in one of those glass trophy cases outside their room. So I always wanted to break into the case after school, take all of them out their cages, leaving the cages and case open, and take them to my house. Next day MASS HYSTERIA! Everyone running around, panicking looking for them, while they are safe in my house.
[$10 or less] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594746036/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&amp;colid=2VPWR63H4D2I0&amp;coliid=I11WI9T81YEOQM)
April Fools!
My dad is from the Netherlands and all of my friends call me dutchie. Birthday is July 27. Afraid it's not that interesting of a story, lol, but it's mine.
This http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594746036/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&amp;colid=33U7PBU8Z6ENP&amp;coliid=I28FTRYXM8VH64 is a book I've been wanting to read and since I finished my BA last week (YAY!) I finally have time!!!
These suggestions all fit the category of 1. hard to put down. 2. simple reads
They are also more on the fantasy side of the spectrum.
Highly recommend:
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children All three books in the trilogy are great. Maybe stay away from the movie...
The Night Circus
The Hunger Games trilogy Yes, I'm sure you've seen the movies, but the books will add another level.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. I've been wanting to read this for a while, it sounds like it would totally be my kind of thing! Plus, it's $5.28 on sale for eReader (I read on Kindle App).
Jack goes to the doctor and says "Doc I'm having trouble getting my penis erect, can you help me?"
After a complete examination the doctor tells Jack, "Well the problem with you is that the muscles around the base of your penis are damaged. There's really nothing I can do for you except if you're willing to try an experimental treatment."
Jack asks sadly, "What is this treatment?" "Well," the doctor explains, "what we would do is take the muscles from the trunk of a baby elephant and implant them in your penis."
Jack thinks about it silently then says, "Well the thought of going
through life without ever having sex again is too much, lets go for it."
A few weeks after the operation Jack was given the green light to use his improved equipment. He planned a romantic evening for his girl friend and took her to one of the nicest restaurants in the city. In the middle of dinner he felt a stirring between his legs that continued to the point of being uncomfortable.
To release the pressure Jack unzipped his fly. His penis immediately sprung from his pants, went to the top of the table, grabbed a dinner roll and then returned to his pants.
His girl friend was stunned at first but then said with a sly smile, "That was incredible! Can you do that again?"
Jack replied, "Well, I guess so, but I'm not sure I can fit another dinner roll up my ass!"
FunnyPants
*I'd love this kindle book.
I will take you up on this too if you still feel like doing it for more than 99 cents. I couldn't find under .99 either but these are all under $3.00 as well:
Look Behind You $2.00
[Miss Peregrine's Home for Pecuilar Children] (http://www.amazon.com/Miss-Peregrines-Home-Peculiar-Children-ebook/dp/B004FGMDOQ/ref=sr_1_18?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1419918189&amp;sr=1-18) $1.99
[Eleanor and Park] (http://www.amazon.com/Eleanor-Park-Rainbow-Rowell-ebook/dp/B008SAZHLQ/ref=sr_1_24?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1419918189&amp;sr=1-24) $2.50
[Me before you] (http://www.amazon.com/Me-Before-You-Jojo-Moyes-ebook/dp/B0089EHWQE/ref=sr_1_30?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1419918263&amp;sr=1-30) $2.99
Thank you so much! I am new here and it seems nice :)
In The Old Apartment there were ghosts.
But no...seriously. Shit was haunted as fuuuuu
My favorite book is Princess Bride. I'm going to pick number 13. I'd love to read this book. Thanks for the contest!
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children!
Archives for the links in comments:
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OH very cool... I'm gong light this time, reading a cute one called Wearing the Cape that I got for free a while ago.
Before that I finished Monuments Men!
Wearing the Cape
https://www.amazon.com/Wearing-Cape-Book-ebook/dp/B004XRCC1G
Wearing the Cape is pretty good, and it has more books in that series if they like it.
Cape High
a light read but still very good, it alternate between characters each book, but still maintain a overall plot
The Indestructibles
really nice too
Kid Sensation
Rise of the Renegade X
Please don't tell my parents i'm a supervillain
Wearing the Cape
Meta
Vicious
Wearing the Cape, by Marion G. Harmon
Full disclosure, I haven't actually read it yet, but I was browsing amazon last night, discovered it (and the rest of the series) and was super into what I was reading about it.
Frank and Beans!
I want Allegiant so hard!
Thanks for the contest!
Happy happy cake day!!!!
I hope that this is what you'll be getting for yourself because mason jars are SUPER useful in tons of ways! :D
You and Obaday Fing (from Un Lun Dun) would make a nice couple.