Help!!

We're purchasing a Kindle for my gifted ds 13th birthday and I'd like to pre-load it with a few books. I'm at a point, though, where I'm having trouble finding appropriate books.

Here's what's out: Anything from the kid's section, anything "heartwarming" or with an unrealistically happy ending, typical teen garbage fiction, vampires, female boy-crazy protagonists, anything written over 100 years ago, graphic descriptions of, ahem, Adult behavior.

He's interested in adult books now, but nothing that has MA content that would make him or I squirm. He's fully in the throes of teenage angst and existentialism, so he needs thoughtful stories. A few books that meet his requirements and that he's already read and enjoyed: Life of Pi, Peace Like a River, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Into the Wild.

Does anybody have other suggestions?

TIA!!

Kitty

Anything by Steinbeck, Where the Red Fern Grows (tear-jerker) Animal Farm, The Old Man and The Sea...

This might be completely off-base, but when I was just a bit older than that I was heavily into Kurt Vonnegut and Hermann Hesse.

Your requirements are a pretty good illustration of why sci-fi and fantasy are so commonly associated with gifted boys of that age. I'd turn him loose in that section and see what happens. It's exciting and plot-driven, and explores a lot of very meaningful themes.

I'd start with these:

The Hobbit/LOTR
Ender's Game
Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy - if he has an absurd sense of humor
a collection of Greek/Roman mythology

I agree with these, and would add Robert Heinlein's "juvenile" novels (and some of the adult ones) to the list. Try The Moon is a Harsh Mistress or Citizen of the Galaxy.

My DD13 has similar requirements/tastes in reading, it sounds like.

John Grisham? Dan Brown?

Do be aware that far more Fantasy literature has "adult" content than might be desirable.

Piers Anthony's novels are not fine literature, but they are 13yo-friendly and amusing-- and there are a LOT of them. (Bonus!)

I strongly recommend The Hitchhiker's Guide. My DD's favorite book ever, I think.

If he enjoys humor, he might like the Patrick McManus books.

In nonfiction--

The Search for Schrodinger's Cat
All the President's Men
The Making of the Atomic Bomb

A book that DD and I both recently enjoyed was 'The Night Circus.'

This would fit well with his need for existentialist literature. It's a fairly deep story, but has appealing fantasy elements and can be read at a more superficial level, too. Sort of like Life of Pi that way.

I was reading adult fiction pretty much exclusively at that age (but I am female). I don't mean to sound like a complete snob, but based on the books you say he's liked, I don't think you need to stick with fantasy/sci-fi, much of which is not great quality in the literary sense. Also, at 13, you may want to consider relaxing worries about adult content? (I mean, I wouldn't give 50 Shades of Gray!) Do you use Goodreads? I think you could find some lists and ideas there.

Hemingway? Orwell? Vonnegut? Sherman Alexie? John Irving? Steinbeck? Catcher in the Rye? Guns, Germs, and Steel? The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks? The Kite Runner? To Kill a Mockingbird?

I agree.

I'd advise caution re: Sherman Alexie-- definitely prescreen since some of his work is quite graphic. Also in that category-- Neil Gaiman. My entire family loves Gaiman's stylish prose and quirky take on things.

I also agree with ultramarina, though, that this is an age at which I defer to what makes my DD uncomfortable in terms of content. I'm not sheltering her as a reader at this point. I mean, nooooooo, I am not bringing home 50 Shades for her, but she has read Mary McGarry Morris novels and some of Sherman Alexie's work.

In addition to the excellent suggestions ultramarina listed, I'll add Rosalind Franklin: Dark Lady of DNA. This one is searing in the same way that Henrietta Lacks and All the Presidents Men is-- it really hits that justice button hard, for gifties that have that particular trait.

Here are some of my favourites from when I was around that age:

Joseph Conrad's novellas, especially "Heart of Darkness" and "Lord Jim". HoD was an 1899 work but, as one of my favourite literary works, I couldn't exclude it!

Rohinton Mistry writes lovely fiction based on the political climate in India under Indira Ghandi. I'd start with "A Fine Balance".

Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" is an interesting read, if somewhat dark.

Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is one of my favourite tragedies. It's an 1890 work, but the themes in it are very much contemporary.

James Joyce's "The Dubliners" are thoughtful short stories about Joyce's Irish upbringing.

F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Great Gatsby" is a classic.

Don't underestimate the appeal of the Homerian literature, either: The Illiad and Odyssey! Though they are old as dirt, those are brilliant tales of heroism and daring that every teenage boy should read.

He might like the Lincoln Lawyer series by Connelly and "Hunt for Red October" by Tom Clancy.

Hope that gives you some good ideas!

Dubliners and Gatsy are great suggestions for that age. Good heads up on Alexie. It's been a while since I read him. I believe some of his books may be more tame than others (he has quite a lot). I think some are used in high schools. I'd look at current HS reading lists, too, and just pick and choose for more current stuff, and things that look like they'd appeal. Oh--I really loved O. Henry's short stories at that age, as well as Ray Bradbury.

Thank you all so much for some excellent suggestions. I'll be perusing Amazon shortly. I get so excited over books...I was practically (quite literally) breaking out in a sweat over here.

I already passed on an old copy of Of Mice and Men and he devoured it in a few hours. Now he's acting all mopey because he reads too fast.

Regarding the MA content, this is more for his sake than mine. He is terribly squeamish about male/female stuff. He can handle some pretty intense violence, and is not at all affected by swearing -- he understands its place and purpose. However, two people on the screen, kissing with open mouths, and the pillow goes in front of the face. I'm going to guess this has something to do with early puberty and inhibitions and .... ick. I can't talk about this. I don't know where he gets it from. (insert ironic emoticon here)

Thanks again!

Kitty

Oh, well--watching movies with open mouthed kissing while your parents are in the room is of course traumatizing. I can't handle that NOW!

Jasper Fforde! *swoon* Oh how I love Jasper ...

Also Robert Rankin, Tom Holt, HP Lovecraft, Kinky Friedman, Joseph Heller, George Orwell, Aldous Huxley ...
(looking back through old library records from when DS was 14!). Non-fiction but Ray Kurzweil is awesome, The Singularity is Near. Oscar Wilde is awesome too even though olde worlde

I also second Hitchhiker's Guide and Vonnegut and Gaiman.