I cannot keep the boy in books! I am at the library every 2-3 days. He has read the Harry Potter serie 3x, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and is in the process of reading Emily Rodda's Deltora Quest, The Series of Unfortunate Events, and Burroughs John Carter of Mars. Suggestions, please!
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
Ivanhoe would probably slow him down a bit. AJ
While a little easier to read, I'd reccommend the Half Magic books by Edward Eager and the children's Lloyd Alexanders.
[ September 09, 2004, 03:24 PM: Message edited by: BannaOj ]
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Everything by Madeleine L'Engle.
Posted by digging_holes (Member # 6237) on :
Try Moby Dick. I've attacked it four times and still haven't managed to plow my way through that one.
Posted by Derrell (Member # 6062) on :
If you really want to slow him down, get him a copy of War and Peace by Tolstoy. I've been reeding it for 2 weeks and I'm not even half way finished with it.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Oh wow. Made it through LOTR at seven, eh?
That's tough. He needs something that will challenge him but doesn't have objectionable material in it.
Have you tried Brian Jacques Redwall series? There's a lot of them and they are usually readily available in public libraries. There might be enough fighting and such in there to entertain a boy. My oldest, the one who is gifted and reads on a 12th+ grade level, reads and enjoys Redwall books even now at 11.
She also liked the Dark is Rising series, I started to read that one, but never got through it.
Garth Nix is a pretty good YA writer, but I think his stuff may be too mature. There is nothing explicit, but mentioning of how a liasion between a man and a woman led to the conception of a child. Other than that, I think it's okay, but the ideas in the Abhorsen series may be too advanced. You might want to read through it first. Definitely do not get Nix's book Shade's Children it contains descriptions of teenage sexual encounters.
I just read the first book in the Pendragon saga, but it's got a 14 year old protagonist and he has concerns about kissing his girlfriend and such.
I'll keep thinking and check my shelves.
Posted by AmkaProblemka (Member # 6495) on :
You left Ender's Game off that list here, in this forum?
If he can read Lord of the Rings, he can read Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow. There are a lot of things he won't catch, but it should still be enjoyable. My daughter loved it when she was 7. She read it again a few months ago and said it was almost a completely different story.
Hmmmm, my geeky readers are girls, and so I don't think most of the books they read would work. There is that Eragorn book by the 14 year old kid. (He is now 19) I read the first part and despaired: He is a very good writer for his age, but I fear that such early acceptance will not allow him to become the excellent writer he could have been if he'd had to struggle more to get published. Anyway, according to my 11 yr old, it is pretty good but not too original. A seven year old probably wouldn't be able to make that distinction.
Madeline L'Engle is pretty good too. A Wrinkle in Time, etc.
[ September 09, 2004, 03:32 PM: Message edited by: AmkaProblemka ]
Posted by jebus202 (Member # 2524) on :
Philip Pullman's series Dark Materials is good.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
I read redwall and watership down in third grade, so they're probably right about his level, since I had to read watership down as a freshman for school. Most of the other stuff I read about that time was very girly, but for anyone looking for girly childrens chapter books I reccomend the Betsy and Tacy series.
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
He loved Eragon. He of course did not get the fact that is a total rip off of Wheel of Time and LotR. Redwall- how could I forget? He read that, last year. I actually was going to give him Ender's Game, but my copy is missing. Again! I have bought 5 copies, told someone "You need to read this, and never seen it again.
I will be checking out these other suggestions at the library websute- keep them coming!
Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
Am I the only person who hated Redwall? I couldn't get through them, they were so infuriatingly boring! Though I do have a signed copy of "Mossflower" somewhere...
Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
Btw, romanylass, you could try Susan Cooper, and Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles are always good if he wants something more tongue-in-cheek.
Also, has he read Joan Aiken? Those are a little more bizarre, but I really liked them.
Posted by amira tharani (Member # 182) on :
Philip Pullman is excellent. I haven't read anything other than His Dark Materials, but I'm told that "I was a rat" is also good, as are most of his other works.
Watership Down is an absolute must. I read it at not much older than 7, I think...
I don't remember if Robert Asprin's "Myth" series contained anything inappropriate. I remember that I found them hilarious.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Artemis Fowl is worth reading (3 books so far).
Was Narnia mentioned?
The Prydain books by Lloyd Alexander are excellent. I don't know the others.
I second Watership Down heartily, but the rest of Richard Adams's books are probably too adult.
Dagonee
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
How about early Asimov books. Unlike some of his contemporaries (Heinlien) his books were clean. The Robot Series is good. The Foundation Series could be handled by anyone that's read Tolkien.
Posted by Jaiden (Member # 2099) on :
What about Sherlock Holmes? I haven't read them in ages though... so I can't remember how "clean" they are.
Or the Hardy Boys. They're simplier by a whole lot, but I can remember enjoying them at a young age. I used to read one a night Posted by Chaeron (Member # 744) on :
Gormenghast perhaps?
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
other than Sherlock doing drugs and graphic murder descriptions they are probably ok. I survived reading them pretty young.
AJ
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
The Gerard books by Conan Doyle are usually listed as his kids book, but they're quite dreadful.
Dagonee
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
Narnia- yep-done that. Asimov, Conan Doyle, hey we have those! Actually, dh was thinking he's ready for Heinlein's "youth" fiction. I remember some of them- The Star Beast, Orphans of the Sky, as being pretty clean. But he also thought the boy should read Discworld, because, "After all, he'll think the seamstress guild is ladies who sew things"
Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
Try "The Watsons go to Birmingham 1963" by Christopher Curtis. He also wrote "Bud, not Buddy" and might have another one out as well. "Watsons" is simply hilarious. It also deals with the civil rights movement and the church bombings in Birmingham.
space opera
Posted by Jess N (Member # 6744) on :
How about throwing Terry Pratchett into the fray? My kids (who are 10 and 8) think he's a riot. Right now we're listening to Thief of Time in the car and I'm reading The Wee Free Men (you can find this novel in the kids section of Barnes and Noble as well as its sequel, Hat Full of Sky)to them for bedtime.
Terry Pratchett writes satirical fantasy about a world know as the Disk World. I like his books because the kids have to pay attention to get all of his word play and craziness. So far we've not encountered any inappropriate subject matter (for their age) and the language is pretty clean for the most part. If your seven year old can manage Tolkien, he can manage Pratchett.
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
There are the Xanth books- simple, yet filled with bad puns and a whole Parental Conspiracy thing which he might find interesting.
What they lack in depth or character development or deep thought, they make up for in bulk.
Posted by Yozhik (Member # 89) on :
How about Diana Wynne Jones? In particular, Charmed Life. The Lives of Christopher Chant, A Tale of Time City, and Dogsbody.
Leguin's Earthsea Trilogy (she later added more books to the original trilogy, and renamed it a "cycle," but the newer books are more adult-oriented, and anyway they suck.
Andre Norton's Moon of Three Rings and its sequels might be appealing.
How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found by Sara Nickerson (a mystery story)
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Winter of Magic's Return and Tomorrow's Magic by Pamela Service ("Convinced that a new age of magic is about to begin in the wake of the nuclear holocaust, a young resurrected Merlin and two friends set out to bring King Arthur back to the land.")
Born Into Light by Paul Samuel Jacobs (a haunting science fiction story about a family in 19th century New England)
Asimov's Robot stories are good (esp. I, Robot and "The Bicentennial Man") and mostly "safe," except the novel Robots of Dawn which IIRC has an extramarital sex scene in it.
[ September 10, 2004, 01:03 PM: Message edited by: Yozhik ]
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Don't forget Narnia.
Posted by Yozhik (Member # 89) on :
Also:
The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene Du Bois
The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
The Earthsea series by Le Guin is perfect.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
Also, Nobody's Son, by Sean Stewart. I don't think that there are any objectionable scenes in that particular one, but you may want to pre-read to make sure.
7 years old, huh? Junebug is almost six; she's reading Little House on the Prairie books right now.
:beams proudly:
Posted by ae (Member # 3291) on :
Coraline by Neil Gaiman.
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
Dan, I let him start reading Xanth but when he asked me what a "heaving bosom" was I withdrew my decision (My neighbor thinks I'm being too protective). He just finished "The Wee Free Men" and has looked over some Discworld covers, I think I will go for it. "Phantom Tollbooth", I ahve heard a lot about that one!
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
DiscWorld - Ahh, Terry Pratchett. "Feet of Clay" is a personal favorite.
Ya can't protect him forever Romany.
Be that as it may, Terry Pratchett isn't bad, but I don't know if he'll get all the references. And if you're concerned with heaving bosoms, you might not approve of some of the content.
-Trevor
Edit: Come to think of it, the David Eddings books aren't terribly graphic with either violence or sexual content, so you might try that.
[ September 10, 2004, 02:48 PM: Message edited by: TMedina ]
Posted by solo (Member # 3148) on :
The Great Brain
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
He'll get through this pretty fast but when I was seven I really liked the book Johnny Tremain. It's by Esther Forbes.
[ September 10, 2004, 02:51 PM: Message edited by: Little_Doctor ]
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I loved that book! I first read it in Jr high. Before I read it I hated American history.
I am so disappointed in myself. I have read tons of books and I can't seem to think of any... Besides Wringer Sideways Stories from Wayside school Maniac McGee Holes hmmm. I know there has to be others...
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Lloyd Alexander, "The Black Cauldron" (and others)
-Trevor
Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
quote: The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster
This was one of my favorite books EVER. I loved this, and I still read it periodically, so I don't forget it!
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
I think Bradbury stories would be good if he's getting geekish (I hope my children get geekish ). I know an anthology I read in 6th grade had "The Veldt" in it and it freaked me out/fascinated me for years.
When I was 8 - 10, I read everything every written by Lois Lowry, but I think the Anastasia books and A Summer to Die might be more geared toward girls.
I also really loved Elizabeth George Speare. My teacher gave me Calico Captive in 3rd grade, and it was the fattest book I had ever seen, but I loved it. Her other good books are The Sign of the Beaver and Witch of Blackbird Pond, which may be a little girly too, but good if he's into history or indians (which I indeed was).
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Oh! And I almost forgot one of the coolest books ever, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. The premise of living in a museum at night when everyone is gone was enchanting to me.
Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
Eddings is not appropriate for a 7 year old. I read them when I was 12 and I was a bit too young. I was sheltered, too, but that won't make up for a 5 year age difference.
Anything by Pamela Service is amazing. Ditto for Patricia Wrede.
If you can get hold of them H. M. Hoover writes some really good ya sci fi. As far as I know only one of her books is in print right now, Orvis.
Grace Chetwin is also amazing, I'm pretty sure her books are all out of print, but your library might have them, that's where I read them. They're slightly more serious than some YA books. However, I first listened to them on tape when I was 7, so they shouldn't be too bad.
Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic books are appropriate, although the rest of her books probably aren't. Most of her protagonists have sex as teenagers. It isn't described, but it's definatly going on.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
I will defer to Blacwolve's more informed opinion.
It won't keep him occupied for more than an hour, but "Bunnicula" is a fun read if the library has one in stock.
-Trevor
Posted by Toretha (Member # 2233) on :
Robin McKinley's "The Hero and the Crown" and "The Blue Sword"
but if he wants to read her other books, keep him AWAY from Deerskin! Far away.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
John Carter of Mars? How odd, I would have thought that more risque than you would have liked.
-Trevor
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
I just finished book two of the Wind of Fire trilogy by William Nicholson. Enjoyable reads. I'm going to check and see of the library has book three.
Nothing in there he can't handle, in fact, the author mentions that it's great for both 8 year olds and interesting enough for teens.
It centers on a pair of boy/girl twins, and their family in a very rigid society. Their family is non-conformist (everyone is supposed to wear the color clothing that indicates their caste, but the mother of this family goes shopping in a coat made of different colored stripes, for ex.) The twins, and a classroom reject that follows them like a lost puppy find themselves on a quest to save the city from an invading army.
Book two is even more fun, with really great characters, my favorite being a cat who wants to learn to fly.
Posted by Toretha (Member # 2233) on :
"So you want to be a wizard," "Deep Wizardry" and "High Wizardry" by Diane Duane.
Eva Ibbotson wrote a number of very enjoyable books: The Haunting of Granite Falls Dial a Ghost The Secret of Platform 13 The Great Ghost Rescue Which Witch Not Just a Witch Journey to the River Sea
I HIGHLY recommend those, they're really clever. I'm eagerly awaiting her next book!
Posted by Landon F. Squire (Member # 6841) on :
wow, thats a nice reply for you. i love almost all the books mentioned. lord of the rings, harry potter, redwall, star wars, ender's game.. I'm not sure, but I don't think i saw any books by Dan Brown, could be wrong, but I love those as well. the DaVinci Code etc. but there are just so many to try and remember to tell, lol.
Posted by Yozhik (Member # 89) on :
quote:I also really loved Elizabeth George Speare. My teacher gave me Calico Captive in 3rd grade, and it was the fattest book I had ever seen, but I loved it. Her other good books are The Sign of the Beaver and Witch of Blackbird Pond, which may be a little girly too, but good if he's into history or indians (which I indeed was).
What about Speare's The Bronze Bow? That's about a teenage Jewish boy in biblical Palestine who wants to become a revolutionary fighter against the Romans. IIRC, he is befriended by Simon the Zealot, taking over the latter's blacksmith shop after Simon leaves to become a disciple of Christ.
Nothing girly in there. Posted by Yozhik (Member # 89) on :
Also, I'm not sure why Little House in the Big Woods is marketed as EXCLUSIVELY for girls these days. After all, the whole first chapters of the book are about how the dad hunts for food and all the different wild animals he shoots and how the family preserves them for winter.
Posted by Yozhik (Member # 89) on :
Actually, I do know why, I think.
It's because those doing the marketing have never actually READ Mrs. Wilder's books.
They have only seen the TV show--the eponymous sappy 1980s melodrama--and have NO IDEA what the books actually contain.
Therefore, the marketers assume that the books are only for girls.
(loved the books, despised the TV series because I hate melodrama, and because Michael Landon is NOTHING like Pa)
[ September 10, 2004, 06:14 PM: Message edited by: Yozhik ]
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
quote:Eddings is not appropriate for a 7 year old. I read them when I was 12 and I was a bit too young.
What would be objectionable, blackwolve (keeping in mind that he was permitted to read the LOTR trilogy)?
Posted by Yozhik (Member # 89) on :
I just thought of another:
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien is an awesome book.
But stay away from the cartoon movie adaptation...far, far away. (A magic amulet? WTH? Where was THAT in the book? And why does the cartoon depict Nicodemus as a doddering wizard rather than a vigorous scientist?)
[ September 10, 2004, 06:44 PM: Message edited by: Yozhik ]
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
Let me state that Burroughs was not MY idea. Off to the library website. I LOVED the Bunnicula books.
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
Didn't see these in a quick scan, but... if he's reading epics, get him started on Homer, maybe the Odyssey. If he likes it, the Iliad. Also, the ARthur Mythologies, probably White's "The Once and Future King" is a good place to start.
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
"Eddings is not appropriate for a 7 year old. I read them when I was 12 and I was a bit too young. I was sheltered, too, but that won't make up for a 5 year age difference."
Eddings is much more tame then material he's already read. And, with 12 books in the Belgarion/Belgarath set, can keep him going for a month.
Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
There isn't any sex in LOTR, there definately is in Eddings. It's not so bad in The Belgariad, but in the Mallorean there are scenes where characters are seducing each other. I'm assuming if "heaving bosom" is out, that will be too. Granted, it's fairly tame compared to a lot of stuff that's out there for adults, but for an eight year old? And I'm really curious as to what on that list is more objectionable. Granted, I haven't read any Burroughs, but I've read all the rest and none of them contain sex at all.
Tamora Pierce's Alana books are far more suitable to an 8 year old, and I'm guessing romanylass wouldn't find those appropriate either.
[ September 10, 2004, 10:08 PM: Message edited by: blacwolve ]
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
I love Once and Future King, but everything past "Sword in the Stone" may be too grown-up for a 7-year old. The plot is kind of impossibly tied to a sexual affair.
Fortunately, SitS is available as a separate volume, with an extra chapter (Madam Mim). It's far, far better than the Disney movie.
In fact, I can't decide if what Disney did to White was worse than what it did to Kipling or not.
Dagonee
[ September 10, 2004, 10:44 PM: Message edited by: Dagonee ]
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
If I remember the Burroughs novels, he was a little risque or could be at times. In some respects, I parallel the genre to Robert Howard's "Conan" books. Certainly not something I would have included for an 8-year old, but apparently Romany didn't sign off on it either.
If Romany signs off on Eddings, there is another series starting with "The Diamond Throne" which has another run of books that will keep him busy.
But Blacwolve's concern is well-founded - if Romany is concerned about "heaving bosoms", she will probably object to some of the content in Eddings' writings.
-Trevor
Edit: For structure of writing
[ September 10, 2004, 10:55 PM: Message edited by: TMedina ]
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
"If Romany signs off on Eddings, there is another series starting with "The Diamond Throne" which has another run of books that will keep him busy."
I wouldn't recommend the elenium and the tamuli for an 8 year old. I think its a lot darker and creepier. If he likes horror movies, then sure.
I guess I tend to think the seduction that occurs in Eddings is stuff an 8 year old is already familiar with.
[ September 10, 2004, 11:03 PM: Message edited by: Paul Goldner ]
Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
I found the elenium almost exactly identical to the Belgariad/Mallorean, only with worse jokes. I only read the first two books, though.
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
There's definetely things that go bump in the night in those two series. I don' tknow. I was a jumpy little kid, and those books would have given me nightmares then. A couple years later, I would have been fine with them.
Posted by Toretha (Member # 2233) on :
The Squire's Tale The Squire, His Knight and His Lady Parsifal's Page The Princess, the Dung Cart Knight and the Crone
All by Gerald Morris, very good king arthur stories, and very amusing. I left out The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf, although it's also very good, because it has a scene where the girl walks in on her sister naked, and a knight fighting another knight...not much is told, but if you want to be careful, I'd skip it. These books made me remember why I used to love King Arthur stories so much.
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
Anything that has been written by Gordon Korman prior to about 1998. His newer stuff isn't very good, but the older stuff (Bugs Potter; No Coins, Please; I want to Go Home; Bruno & Boots; etc) is very very funny. It isn't fantasy, but it doesn't matter. Everyone should read some Gordon Korman at some point in their lives.
has he read any Bruce Coville? They're short, but I remember really enjoying them when I was younger.
Animorphs? Okay, a bit hokey, but not too bad, I really enjoyed them, and I was older when I picked them up. There's about 55 books, so if he enjoys one, he might be good to go for a while.
The last one I can think of now that hasn't been mentioned would be Lois Lowry's "The Giver." If he can handle LOTR, he can handle The Giver, and it will indeed give him lots to think about.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Eh - all of his books tend to mimic each other, but I wasn't looking for great writing. Eddings was fun to keep me distracted on the bus.
Of course, I've actually thrown an R.A. Salvatore book once - another was so bad, I couldn't put it down.
-Trevor
Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
Oh, I love Eddings, he writes the best fluff ever. by the time I'd read the Elenium, though, I'd read both the Belgariad and the Mallorean at least 10 times each. I'm just a tad bit biased. Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
I actually think the Elenium is his best series, with by far the best writing of anything else he's written, and the most dynamic characterization.
I've been thinking about it, and even if Romanylass has problems with "heaving bosoms," the Belgariad is probably fine. THere's insinuations about sexuality, but sexuality never really comes to the forefront. Rather, in that series, we see Ce'Nedra and Garion contemplating how they FEEL about each other.
That series may actually be a good "first" exposure to romance and sexuality in literature, because its NOT descriptions of physical seduction or acts.
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
I will have to look up some of the Arthurian stuff. I KNOW he will enjoy it. I ahve not let them saee any of the Disney atrocities. What they do to classic stories should be criminal.
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Thanks, blackwolve. I appreciate the insight and further clarification.
My "oh heck, it contains reference to sex" radar is pretty skewed, given what I was reading as a child. That's a whole 'nuther thread, though.
(For context: my father had been a Shakepearean actor, and we recited bits for him as Christmas and birthday presents. Still, that's just part of it. Different parenting styles.)
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Heh. The actual "Little Mermaid" had me in tears. The Disney re-telling, not so much.
And I will point out that Beauty and the Beast by Disney was pretty close to the theme of the original story, although certain nuances were changed.
But I enjoy the Disney films for what they are and enjoy the classics for what they are, the inspiration for other works of fiction.
I read a lot of folklore and mythology as a child - Norse, Greek, Egyptian and so on. That included things about vampires and werewolves and things that go bump in the night. Which might do a lot to explain why I'm so odd.
-Trevor
Posted by Shigosei (Member # 3831) on :
Try The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet. It's a fun sci-fi adventure. I also remember reading Time Cat, which is a story about a boy and a cat who visit 9 different historical periods. Heinlein is great for kids as long as you stick to the juvenile novels. Citizen of the Galaxy and Have Spacesuit are fine, and I think Tunnel in the Sky is also quite tame. Starship Troopers has no sex I think, but it's rather violent and preachy. I think Double Star and The Rolling Stones are okay.
Have you tried any of Asimov's nonfiction? The man has written some brilliant essays (and even books) on all sorts of topics. I'm a big fan of his science and math essays. They're entertaining and educational at the same time.
In sort of the same vein, your son might find Flatland amusing.
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
Mythology- that is big around here. Right now he is into Greek and Roman mythology.
I got a bunch of books for him today-some Lauwrence Yep and Jane Yolen, mostly about dragons, "Young Witches and Warlocks", ed Asimov et al.. You know, I don't wholey protect them from sexual references. Most of the music I listen to has some (filk) and they certainly see interestingly garbed people at the Ren Faire. But the thing about Xanth, much as I love Piers Anthony, is the whole "dirty old man" vibe with him. The total obsession with nymphly young girls as opposed to sexuality as a part of life. Kinda like the Barbie thing- I don't want my kids to grow up seeing that as the ideal.
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
I agree with you about Peirs Anthony, Romany. I used to read his stuff... and then when I realized what was going on, at a deeper level, stopped.
HE started creeping me out... and at the time, I was a horny 18 year old boy.
Posted by littlemissattitude (Member # 4514) on :
Loved the "Little House" books. Practically the only "kids lit" I read after about age 7 (I'd moved on to the adult section of the library by that time). And I feel exactly like...oh, crap, who was it...who said that they hated the series because they loved the books. The thing is, the tv series was so politically correct that it hurt, while the books are so not politically correct that they have been protested by some people. Well, it did always bother me at some level that in the books, Ma had a habit of saying "The only good Indian is a dead Indian". This is not a wonderful sentiment that you'd want your kids picking up. On the other hand, it is realistic in that during the time those books take place, a lot of people felt the way Ma did. And I think it is important that kids realize that those sorts of prejudices were common in the past, as well as why such prejudices are not acceptable.
Oh, and someone else mentioned Ray Bradbury's short story, "The Veldt". Not completely sure, but I think it was one of the stories in "The Illustrated Man". It's a good place to start looking, anyway.
Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
I love Robin McKinley's Beauty and the Beast retellings, however they are mainly girl books, so I don't know if you're son would like them.
You're right Paul, The Belgariad should be fine. The Mallorean is by far my favorite series so it's the one that comes to mind most easily. I'll have to give the Elenium another try. *exults in public library's that have fiction sections and are a block away from campus*
Is Piers Anthony the one who's a little too obsessed with early and preteen girls? If so I can understand why you're disturbed. I read one book of his and it was enough.
If you don't mind sex then I definately recomend the Alanna series by Tamora Pierce. They remain some of my favorite books today.
Posted by Jenny Gardener (Member # 903) on :
This is an awesome thread!
Now, are there any good websites I could send your kids to? Post them on my "Fantasy and the Internet" thread. Thanks.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
I've been reeding it for 2 weeks and I'm not even half way finished with it.
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)