Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Recommended Resources Book recommendations: Appropriate adult fiction

Thanks so much for the additions!!

DD has read Amazing Maurice and the first Tiffany Aching (she will move on to the others in that series soon, but has been reading other books) and loved them. I am trying to figure out which other Pratchetts may be the most kid-friendly. I read Wyrd Sisters recently and thought it might suit. I do know other kids who have read his adult books and liked them, but agree that it will vary. Interestingly, she did not take to Hitchhiker's Guide at all last year.

Hiassen's written some great kids' books, but they are definitely kids' books, in the kids' section. I have only read one of his adult books, but it was definitely not something I would give to my 11yo.

I was a major sci-fi and fantasy buff in my youth, and when DS was really getting into the sci-fi, thought I had it made with shelves full of ancient Heinlein, Asimov, et al. As Dude notes, little explicit adult content in the old stuff. But.... a caveat for younger kids. The sexism can be brutal - all the more so for being casual and unintentional reflection of the times, not deliberately misogynistic - and the racism iffy at times as well. When I re-read a stack of Asimov short stories, for example, I realized there wasn't a single female character who wasn't utterly ditzy, and usually selfish and greedy to boot, with the except of the occasional serious neurotic (Asimov didn't date much ). Heinlein is better for having some strong female characters - but it's also constantly emphasized how utterly unlike normal female-kind they are.

Now, I devoured this stuff at half my DS's age - but I was a pretty sophisticated absorber of info. He, on the other hand, is astoundingly naive, with a tendency (rapidly diminishing, finally) to be a little too credulous. (He's also utterly incapable of discussing his feelings, so reading and talking over difficult topics doesn't work too well around here). I just couldn't give him most of this books until I felt like he had a little maturity and discrimination under his belt, to be able to understand the books in the context of their time, without unquestionably absorbing their attitudes. He's now 11, and I am slowly starting to open up the pipeline. So caveat emptor! While these books were great for me as a young kid, I did feel DS need to grow up a little more before I shared them.

P.S. It's actually interesting to look at how the female characters in Asimov change over the 50 years or so he wrote. Reading the whole pile of Foundation all at once, with a parental lens on, was a fun study in cultural change.

Good point, Platypus. My DD actually totally notices that stuff---and she HATES it. It is a total turnoff for her.

Funnily enough, I don't worry about this stuff with (younger) DD - I'm pretty confident that, like me, she'd just call BS and move on with the story. DS though.... I feel like he needs to be explicitly trained to be more critical, and be aware of the need to actively reject rather than absorb the stereotypes, while still enjoying the story.

His father was brought up neanderthal; perhaps I am a little overcompensating!

The whole Asimov conversation brought me to the Ender series (I've read a few of his other things, but they didn't make much of an impression on me, tbh). Specifically in Ender's Game, there are not many female characters, but they're all strong, and they all have good hearts (Valentine, Petra, Ender's mom), while the male side is heavily populated with severe sociopaths, up to and including Ender's father and brother. In keeping with this theme, the movie adaptation decided to inject some sympathy and conscientiousness into his training phase, so they converted the role of psychologist into playing that out, and turned it into a woman's role.

It makes one wonder what it must have been like growing up in Asimov's household.

ETA: NVM, that's Orson Scott Card. Facepalm for me.

Good point. I'll have to keep that in mind in recommending literature for my own DD10, though she tends to detect this sort of thing and squawk about it. You should get her warmed up on Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty some time. The gradual evolution of Disney princesses from helpless slugs awaiting male rescue to powerful characters in their own right is something we've talked about a lot, and so I think she could read something like Heinlein through that same lens, and see it for what it is, a reflection of a previous time and culture.

Has she read "Walk Two Moons" and other books by Sharron Creech. While this lands in the genre of a children's book I consider it more of a pre-teen book. While the reading level isn't at all difficult the themes in the book are very appropriate for tweens.

I wouldn't write off all "teen" labeled books while a large portion of those are teen romance they are some gems to be found. Many books can be found on both 'teen' and 'adult' reading lists. If you look through the list of "Best Young Adult Books" on Goodreads you can find books that I'd list as adult and some I'd list as for kids.

What about?

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH?
The Graveyard Book or Stardust by Neil Gaiman.
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale.
An abridged version of Pride & Prejudice.
The Call of the Wild & other books by Jack London

My DD's first Pratchett was actually Equal Rites. She has now read all of Tiffany Aching and will have to fight me for The Shepherd's Crown when it arrives. I do think that the witch series is probably the best to read first for a tween girl - Equal Rites, Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies, Maskerade. Next best is the Guards series - Guards! Guards!, Men At Arms, Feet of Clay, Jingo, Carpe Jugulum, The Fifth Elephant, Night Watch, Thud!, Snuff.

That should keep her going for a week or two.

If she likes the Pratchett, she should try Diana Wynne Jones. I recommend her books frequently. I'm always so surprised they are more popular in the US. She has written good kid/tween series of Chrostomancy books (kids), but also Howells Moving Castle (I like it better than the movie), and my favorites The Merlin Conspiracy and Deep Secret which are really more teen than kid.

My teen is currently enjoying the Pratchett books. I tried to get him interested when he was younger without much luck.

Don't forget the Dune trilogy, either.