Are these appropriate for a 12 year old? Options

[Appliejuice]

I am tired of trying to find books Matthew will be willing to read. Everyone I pick, he turns his nose up. All he is doing is rereading favorite books over and over. So now I am really having to make him read other things. So, are these books appropriate for a 12 year old? I found a book list at the library for local schools. This list is for 8th grade, AP students.

A journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

Just what the doctor ordered : the history of American medicine by Brandon Miller

Michael Faraday : physics and faith by Colin Russell

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Thanks for the help.

[Michelle]

I've read these, don't remember what age. Some of my kids have read them too, in middle school age years.

I don't remember off hand if anything wasn't appropriate. It has been a while.

[chocolatechic]

Sounds good....although Of Mice and Men is a bit difficult...

[siscaboo1512]

Yes, I was going to say that about Of Mice and Men also. I read it in 7th grade.

[2Bgracious]

Of Mice and Men is fine IF the 12yr old is able to handle a more mature reading level and issues.

[mamamia]

Here's a couple of books I just recently bought. they are kind of boy related so he may be interested in them...

Rascal - It's about a boy who cares for a raccoon and gets into trouble together.

The Winter Room - About a couple of boys who listen to their uncles stories and come across one dealing with a woodchipper.

Al Capone does my shirts - About a boy whos family moves to rykers Island when his dad gets a job as a guard.

Some of these may grab his attention

[Tressa]

Applie~I haven't heard of any of those except Of Mice and Men. I thought that book was so depressing. Of course, I don't like anything by John Steinbeck. Oh, wait, I know of Journey..too. But, I haven't read that one. Has he read Carry on Mr. Bowditch? I have heard that one is good.

Matthew read Al Capone Does My Shirts. He enjoyed that one. We were looking up gangsters on the internet for a week.


Books are hard for us too. Matthew won't read what I pick out and then he picks readers that he finishes in one hour, so then he has nothing to read. Drives me crazy! I am glad the boy likes to read, though.

Just had a thought..does he like King Arthur stuff? How about The Once and Future King? by T.H. White. It isn't a children's novel, but I read it as a teenager. It is a good book, and I re-read it every now and then.

Anyway, it is hard keeping these voracious readers sastisfied, isn't it?

[sumi]

I don't like John Steinbecks' books either. They are depressing.

I read The Cay by Theodor Taylor, recently, and really liked it for the boy. Has he read the Narnia books? My son is reading them voraciously right now.

I got the book Bud, Not Buddy, at a yard sale recently - the lady who sold it said her son loved it and read it several times. Has anyone here read it?

I think you have read Sign Of the Beaver, right?

I know you read Carry on Mr. Bowditch. Your thread on the book is what made me go out and get it.

The Hobbit? Or is that too much in the fantasy genre for him? I want to get it for my boy to read after he finishes the Narnia books.

Other than that...my boy likes the Star Wars Apprentice series...but I'm trying to cool it on the Star Wars stuff. He is just too much into it and there are aspects of it I don't like.

[Michelle]

Unanimous here...all the kids said Carry On Mr. Bowditch was really really good.

[mamamia]

I have a book list by grades and I found a few more he may be interested in.

Surviving the Applewhites

Silent to the Bone

Marvin Redpost: Class President

Frindle (my dd read this and LOVED it!)

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain

Regarding the Fountain ( another funny one)

Cold Tom

[donnamichelle]

Sounds ok to me...

but then Austin was reading Homer at age 12 and liked it...

he didn't like the Narnia series though.

Weird kid o' mine, he blames it on the bottle of worsteschire sauce that hit him in the head when he was a baby.

[Appliejuice]

Rascal - It's about a boy who cares for a raccoon and gets into trouble together.

The Winter Room - About a couple of boys who listen to their uncles stories and come across one dealing with a woodchipper.

Al Capone does my shirts - About a boy whos family moves to rykers Island when his dad gets a job as a guard.

We have the movie Rascal. I know he won't want to read it. I will check out The Winter Room and Al Capone. I saw the Al Capone on the reading list, but didn't know what it was about.

Anyway, it is hard keeping these voracious readers sastisfied, isn't it?

Yes.

I don't like John Steinbecks' books either.

[chocolatechic]

it is hard keeping these voracious readers sastisfied, isn't it?

Yes it is!!!!

Seems like I ask this question twice a year. 

I thought that you had asked this before....kind of like 4 months ago....poor little guy....

[Rose]

Have you tried all the Anthony Horowitz ones starring Alex Rider? Alex rider is a 14 year old boy who saves the world several times a day in the best James Bond style
they are : Stormbreaker
Eagle Strike
Point Blanc
Skeleton Key
Scorpia
Ark Angel

there may be another one. I am not sure off hand.

Rose

[Appliejuice]

I thought that you had asked this before....kind of like 4 months ago....poor little guy....

He isn't a poor little guy. He is quite happy reading the Redwalls series again for the hundreth time. He needs to branch out and I am going to have to kick him out on that branch.


Rose, I'll check out those books. Thanks.

[chocolatechic]

He isn't a poor little guy.  He is quite happy reading the Redwalls series again for the hundreth time.    He needs to branch out and I am going to have to kick him out on that branch. 

Dean is sitting here reading with me, and he said "heeeyyyy....the Redwall series is good....I like the Redwall series."

[Appliejuice]

Dean is sitting here reading with me, and he said "heeeyyyy....the Redwall series is good....I like the Redwall series."

I think Susie is reading one or at least she mentioned that she wanted to read them.

I had to return the books I got for Matthew to read. I took them from 8th grade AP list at the library. One of the books was on the scientist Farraday (sp?). I know Matthew could read the book just fine, except he would not be able to understand all of the scientific stuff, until 8th or 9th grade. After he has had some schooling in it. That is the trouble I am finding.

Going back on Friday, probably, to find more. I would like to take the kids there for a couple of hours while hubby is home working on the house. Homeschooling and hubby working on the house, just is not working.

Oh, he did read Twenty One Balloons for an oral report on Friday. He called it a hobo book. Anything the kids do not like is now called "hobo". Ya know, I am part hobo. I was told by family members that my grandfather on my mother's side was a hobo (for real).

[hsmomforjesus]

my daughter is 9th grade and she just read
A Journey to the Center of the Earth, J. Verne

She enjoyed it and was not difficult reading.

[foxchild]

I asked my husband, it said that the Jules Verne books may be good, or maybe even HG Wells. He said that he read them at around the same age.

[shelbygt]

This is a great topic! I will have to make a list for when ds gets a little older. Right now we are reading the Narnia series. He did start the Lemony Snikets (sp?) books but never got past the first one?