My son is 10 but reading (constantly) at a much higher level. He has basically torn through the library’s juvenile section and is now ending up with a lot of slop.
I think he’s ready for more complex books on a technical level, but he’s still 10. So in addition to juvenile/middle-grade fiction, I am looking for YA or adult fiction that’s (mostly) content-appropriate.
New answers welcome. I can’t technically give bonus points to great submissions, but if I could I’d give bonus points to things that expand him beyond his current comfort zone of fantasy. (But good fantasy is welcome, as just keeping him in books is a challenge.) If he’s already read them, I will resolve quickly by his opinion. If I think I have to veto for content, I’ll NA. (And come back to it in a couple years.)
Since I am the judge and have inside information, I won’t bet
I have the current batch on hold at the library so we’ll have results in few weeks.
Some favorites so far:
Percy Jackson and every possible related thing.
Wings of Fire
Ranger’s Apprentice
Harry Potter
Redwall
Hatchet
Series of Unfortunate Events
We’ve read together:
Hobbit/LotR
Wrinkle in Time and sequels
Prydain Chronicles
Dark is Rising
Chronicles of Narina
His Dark Materials
1,000
1.00Updates:
Wizard of Earthsea started strong with the map and the first few chapters but he got thrown by the pacing and didn’t finish it.
Benedict Society was his favorite from this round along with Alcatraz, and was also the market leader, so good job there.
He has broken out a notebook to make his own Rithmatist inscriptions.
Some resolutions coming in from the first batch.
He’d already read Phantom Tollbooth but it’s a good call.
Alcatraz was picked up first out of a pile of 15 books on the way home from the library and finished the next day with audible giggling the whole time.
Last Unicorn was the second pick, also rave reviews.
@Apophatic YES! YES! YES! Alcatraz is an incredible series that lays the foundation of so many important philosophical concepts in a perfectly comedic way. It was so formative for me.
@PaperBoy Yeah I remember think Eragon was a pretty remarkable book for a fifteen year old to have written, and a pretty unremarkable book in every other respect.
I think the His Dark Materials trilogy might be right up his alley! The first book should be a fun read for him, and the second and third book get a bit darker and pick up a bit in terms of thematic depth. The books are usually marketed 10+, but I really enjoyed reading them when I was about 15.
Sorry, I'm trying to preserve mana, or I would add it myself.
@yetforever Thanks, and good call. I’d have resolved it positively but he’s already read them. I’ll edit that into the lists.