Please give me some reading suggestions for my 12 year old who has ready everything!

[lewelma]

Sorry, this has gotten pretty long... (ETA see post #31 for my final list for 7th grade and for a question about the appropriateness of dystopian novels I have chosen)

I am planning for next year, and always like to have about 20 to 25 classics available for my ds to choose from. I require that he reads 16 per year, 4 of which can be short stories. We will be studying early modern, but the books do not have to be either about that period or from that period, although many I have found so far are. He is a good reader, and can read basically anything, but I want him to really like the books he reads, so that probably rules out love stories (pride and prejudice comes to mind). He has read quite a few books in his day, which is why I am having some trouble coming up with good, **fun** classics that a just-turned 12 year old would like (so probably not scarlet letter, moby dick, etc). I also would like to hold back Homer for when we do ancients and hold back books that are directly about the modern period (like animal farm, All quiet on the western front) until we study the 20th century. So I am looking for both suggestions and opinions on my choices so far.

Current ideas: (please tell me if any of these are boring or too mature)
Fahrenheit 451
Brave new world (I am considering a term on utopian books, so what is easiest?)
Autobiography of Fredrick Douglas (I have pre-read this)
Autobiography of Ben Franklin
Kim
Huck Finn
3 Musketeers
Man in the iron mask
Count of Monte Cristo
Red Badge of Courage (other suggestions by Crane?)
Last of the Mohicans (is this boring?)
Joseph Conrad (what would you suggest?)
Tale of 2 cities (ds doesn't really like dickens, tried oliver twist but thought it was too depressing)
Gone with the Wind (good?)
Mutiny on the Bounty
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Dracula (appropriate?)
Poe (appropriate?)

Now, here is the challenge. These are the books he has already read:

Alice and wonderland, through the looking glass,
wind and the willows,
swallows and amazons,
gulliver's travels,
children of the new forest,
princess and the goblin and sequel,
tom sawyer, prince and the pauper, Connecticut yankee
robin hood,
kidnapped, the black arrow, around the world in 80 days,
a little princess, secret garden,
5 children and it and sequels, and others by her
anne of green gables and sequels,
sherlock holmes, the white company
robinson cruseo,
enders game and sequel,
journey to the center of the earth, 20000 leagues under the sea, master of the world
princess of mars and sequels,
I robot, Foundation series
swiss family robinson,
peter pan,
eagle of the ninth and sequels (doesn't really like this author)
time machine, war of the worlds,
heinlein juveniles,
my family and other animals, all creatures great and small, and others by James Herriot
age of fable,
call of the wild, white fang,
frankenstein,
titus groan and sequels (!!),
captains courageous,
tanglewood tales,
little women, (didn't really like)
Lord of the rings,
sword in the stone and sequels,
christmas carol,
dune
The lensmen
Watched 4 shakespeare plays
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Golden compass and sequels
Wrinkle in time and sequels
Earthsea and sequels
Henty (doesn't really like him)
This term: Ivanhoe, Joan of Arc (Twain), Sir Gwain and the Green Knight, Tarzan,Agatha Crystie
Plus a lot of younger kid books like Wizard of oz, pinocchio, jungle book etc, too many to list.

I would like about 10 more choices!

Suggestions?

Ruth in NZ

 

ETA. Books  he ended up reading in 7th grade and some of 8th

Three Muskateers, Dumas
Count of Monte Cristo, Dumas
Coral Island, Ballantyne
Autobiography of Fredrick Douglas
Huck Fin, Twain
Pudd'nhead Wilson, Twain
Gift of the Magi (and others), O Henry

To Kill a Mockingbird

Animal farm

Moby Dick

Turn of the Screw

The Birthmark

Picture of Dorian Grey

Cats Cradle

We

Wuthering Heights

Dracula

Great Expectations

Poe

Right Ho Jeeves

Woman in White

Moonstone

Short stories of Mark Twain

Distopian and Sci Fi
Iron Heel, London, 1908
Anthem by Ayn Rand, 1937
Walden 2, Skinner, 1948
Farenheit 451, Bradbury, 1953
Chrysalids, Windham, 1955
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? PK Dick, 1968
Running Man, Bachman (King), 1982
Invisible Man, Wells
Mysterious Island, Verne
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Heinlein
Lost World, Doyle

Lots of Lem

 

Rest of 8th grade (just to put all the books in one big list!)

The Luminaries,

Great Gatsby,

Catch 22,

Slaughterhouse 5,

Hitch-hikers Guide to the Galaxy,

The Name of the Rose,

Cryptographon,

GEB,

The Alchemist,

The Book Thief,

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,

Wolf Hall,

all of Lovecraft.

Edited January 1, 2015 by lewelma

[Free]

Ruth I did not see some of the childrens' lit staples in your list such as:

Wizard of Oz - Frank L. Baum

Trumpet of the Swan - E.B. White

The Jungle Book/ Just So Stories - Rudyard Kipling

Adventures of Pinocchio - Carlo Collodi

 

Some other classics and modern classics your ds might enjoy...

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - Ian Fleming

Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates - Mary Dodge

Lassie Come Home - Eric Knight

Watership down - Richard Adams

Happy Prince and other stories - Oscar Wilde

The Lost World - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The Phantom Tollbooth - Norton Juster

The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman

Books by Roald Dahl, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, BFG, etc.

Holes - Louis Sachar

The Incredible Journey - Sheila Burford

Half Magic - Edward Eager

The 13 clocks/ The Wonderful O - James Thurber

[quark]

The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne?

How about books by Leon Garfield? John Diamond, Black Jack, Smith come to mind.

Will he enjoy Wilkie Collins? The Moonstone was nice, a little sad in parts but not as depressing as Dickens' novels can be.

I liked Count of Monte Cristo but I'm not sure it will appeal to my son so I'm not sure whether I would recommend it for yours (my son would say it's too "lovey-dovey" for him).

 

ETA: My DS really enjoyed Jekyll and Hyde. It was a short read.

Edited April 20, 2012 by quark

[lewelma]

Ruth I did not see some of the childrens' lit staples in your list such as:

Wizard of Oz - Frank L. Baum....

 

Excellent. Thanks! He has read about half of these, but I did not list them because they were more basic than I was thinking (I only included his 3rd grade and up book lists). But this gives me lots of ideas for my younger son!!!!

 

thanks!

 

The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne?

How about books by Leon Garfield? John Diamond, Black Jack, Smith come to mind.

Will he enjoy Wilkie Collins? The Moonstone was nice, a little sad in parts but not as depressing as Dickens' novels can be.

I liked Count of Monte Cristo but I'm not sure it will appeal to my son so I'm not sure whether I would recommend it for yours (my son would say it's too "lovey-dovey" for him).

 

ETA: My DS really enjoyed Jekyll and Hyde. It was a short read.

 

Yes!! wonderful! he has read Jekyll and Hyde, I will add it above. But the other ideas are great. I will go look them up.

 

I have been reading Count of Monte Cristo this month, and at least the first half is super fun. Does the second half get lovey dovey?

 

Ruth

Edited April 20, 2012 by lewelma

[JennW in SoCal]

I remember going through this with my 12 year old. I have a few thoughts on your planning list, and will list some titles my ds enjoyed.

 

The only title you have listed that I believe is not suitable is Brave New World, although maybe I'm confusing that with one of Heinlein's titles. I would save Heart of Darkness for high school, but other Joseph Conrad titles might be suitable. If your ds wouldn't like Pride and Prejudice then don't do Gone With the Wind!! Scarlett will make him crazy! And what about Great Expectations instead of Tale of Two Cities?

 

Titles my ds enjoyed ages 12-14 -- a mix of classics and current fiction

Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

All Creatures Great and Small (and the other titles in the series)

His Dark Materials trilogy

Around the World in 80 Days

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (Heinlein)

Across 5 Aprils (Civil War)

Bartimeus Trilogy (Jonathon Stroud)

Redwall series (perhaps he was younger, though...)

The Temeraire Series by Naomi Novik -- a fun series combing the Napoleonic Wars and dragons, yes, dragons and it works!

The Lost World by Sherlock Holmes, and add to that a modern day non-fiction work, The Lost City of Z about a modern explorer hoping to retrace the steps of an early 20th century South American explorer.

Watership Down

 

How about Wilkie Collins? The Moonstone is great fun, an early mystery.

[quark]

I have been reading Count of Monte Cristo this month, and at least the first half is super fun. Does the second half get lovey dovey?

 

I don't want to spoil it for you but as I was pre-reading it for my son I could imagine him feeling uncomfortable. I enjoyed it very very much though.

[ebunny]

I didn't see R.M.Ballantyne on the list. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Michael_Ballantyne

 

The ideas, writing and style is a wee bit old fashioned. But, most, if not all of his books have boys as the protagonists. I've read a few and really enjoyed his style of writing.

 

How about James Herriot? I have all 3 of his books. Love them.

 

Gone with the wind is one of my favorites..the disclaimer: the protagonists have shades of grey.

[ebunny]

Another suggestion is P.G.Wodehouse. I was a huge Wodehouse fan as a pre-teen/teen.

[lewelma]

The only title you have listed that I believe is not suitable is Brave New World, although maybe I'm confusing that with one of Heinlein's titles. I would save Heart of Darkness for high school, but other Joseph Conrad titles might be suitable. If your ds wouldn't like Pride and Prejudice then don't do Gone With the Wind!! Scarlett will make him crazy! And what about Great Expectations instead of Tale of Two Cities?

 

Thanks for this! What would you recommend by Conrad? We will be studying the French revolution, so I thought the tale of 2 cities would be a nice complement. Is it yucky? I will check on Brave New World.

 

I will definitely add your other titles to my growing list. He has read dark materials and conn yankee. Obviously, my record keeping leaves a lot to be desired. :glare:

 

Ruth

Edited April 20, 2012 by lewelma

[lewelma]

I don't want to spoil it for you but as I was pre-reading it for my son I could imagine him feeling uncomfortable. I enjoyed it very very much though.

 

Thanks! Will get back to it and make sure he will like it before I suggest it. It is *very* hard at this stage to preread everything. I have an audio book in my ears for about 3 hours a day trying to keep up. Helps to make house work and exercise more fun.

[lewelma]

I didn't see R.M.Ballantyne on the list.

The ideas, writing and style is a wee bit old fashioned. But, most, if not all of his books have boys as the protagonists. I've read a few and really enjoyed his style of writing.

 

Which ones would you put at the top of your list? ds does not seem to care about old fashioned writing style. go figure.

 

How about James Herriot? I have all 3 of his books. Love them.

yup. He has read those too. I was really surprised, but he loved them too. (I did not.)

 

Gone with the wind is one of my favorites..the disclaimer: the protagonists have shades of grey.

Given the 2 differing opinions on this selection, I think I will need to read it . sigh. I'll put it on my growing list.

 

Another suggestion is P.G.Wodehouse. I was a huge Wodehouse fan as a pre-teen/teen.

Will add that one too.

 

Thanks so much!

 

Ruth

[ebunny]

The Coral Island by R.M.Ballantyne is what I'd start with. It's much like Treasure Island or even, Lord of the Flies.(Though not as dark as LOTF).

 

R.M.B has written over, as far as I recall, over 60 books. Plenty to choose from. :-)

 

 

How about "The butterfly's Ball/Grasshopper feast" William Roscoe? I found it free on the gutenberg site. It's partly in rhyme and prose, a fun read.

[lewelma]

The Coral Island by R.M.Ballantyne is what I'd start with. It's much like Treasure Island or even, Lord of the Flies.(Though not as dark as LOTF). R.M.B has written over, as far as I recall, over 60 books. Plenty to choose from. :-)

 

How about "The butterfly's Ball/Grasshopper feast" William Roscoe? I found it free on the gutenberg site. It's partly in rhyme and prose, a fun read.

 

Excellent. thanks! You are the second person to suggest Ballantyne. What are your other favorites besides Coral Island?

 

I know you weren't suggesting it, but I have considered Lord of the Flies. I personally looooove it. But I read it for the first time last year, not as a child. Would you have a 12 year old read it?

Edited April 20, 2012 by lewelma

[ebunny]

I know you weren't suggesting it, but I have considered Lord of the Flies. I personally looooove it. But I read it for the first time last year, not as a child. Would you have a 12 year old read it?

 

Hmmm..tough question to answer. I guess it would depend on the child or even the adult. Some children/adults take such books in their stride and some (like moi) are disturbed by it's implications.

 

But,IMO, it's a necessary read...like Animal Farm by george Orwell. These books really grounded my idealistic, head-in-clouds nature.. IOW, they introduced cynicism.:D

[ebunny]

Excellent. thanks! You are the second person to suggest Ballantyne. What are your other favorites besides Coral Island?

 

?

 

The coral island is my favorite.

Ive read 'The big Otter', and "Fighting the Whales". They're both decent/good and each book(in 60+ books) is set in a different world/theme. sort of like a journey around the world, if you will.

[nmoira]

The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne? [/quOTE] We did the Wesleyan edition (one if only two unabridged translations) last year as a read aloud -- great fun.

 

How about books by Leon Garfield? John Diamond, Black Jack, Smith come to mind.

And The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris, my favourite Garfield.

 

Oscar Wilde -- fairy tales and Dorian Gray

The Neverending Story and Momo by Ende

A Girl of the Limberlost

The Dog Who Wouldn't Be, The Boat Who Wouldn't Float, Never Cry Wolf by Mowat

John Masefield

maybe a unit on nautical fiction or Robinsonades

Lud-in-the-Mist

E. T. A. Hoffmann

Haroun and the Sea of Stories

Dandelion Wine

[lewelma]

The coral island is my favorite.

Ive read 'The big Otter', and "Fighting the Whales". They're both decent/good and each book(in 60+ books) is set in a different world/theme. sort of like a journey around the world, if you will.

 

Thanks!

 

And I understand about the LotF. I think I might read it to him without the younger brother.

[lewelma]

And The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris, my favourite Garfield.

Oscar Wilde -- fairy tales and Dorian Gray

The Neverending Story and Momo by Ende

A Girl of the Limberlost

The Dog Who Wouldn't Be, The Boat Who Wouldn't Float, Never Cry Wolf by Mowat

John Masefield

maybe a unit on nautical fiction or Robinsonades

Lud-in-the-Mist

E. T. A. Hoffmann

Haroun and the Sea of Stories

Dandelion Wine

 

Awesome!

 

So many books....so little time. :001_smile:

[Iucounu]

If he likes Mark Twain, he would be bound to like "The Innocents Abroad", possibly the most entertaining travelogue ever written.

 

"Animal Farm" is fun, at least more so than "1984".

 

You might delve into some Russian classics. "The Master and Margarita" is quite a fun and thought-provoking book. Anything by Nikolai Gogol is bound to be great fun.

 

Kafka? How about "The Castle" for starters?

 

"The Cyberiad" is a sci-fi classic that's quite entertaining. "The Star Diaries" is perhaps a little more dense, but also wonderful and quite whimsical. Depending on his reading level and philosophical bent he might also find "A Perfect Vacuum" quite fun.

 

"War with the Newts" is wonderful fun.

 

"Bill the Galactic Hero" is hilarious fun.

 

"Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid" is a classic intro to ideas in math and computer science, and quite fun.

[Embassy]

The Space Trilogy by CS Lewis

Travels with Charley by Steinbeck

Pudd'nhead Wilson by Twain

Main-Travelled Roads by Hamlin Garland (short stories)

Short stories of Sarah Orne Jewett and Mary Wilkins Freeman

Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington

The Scarlett Pimpernel

Rip Van Winkle and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Rob Roy

The House of the Seven Gables by Hawthorne

O Henry short stories

Walden

Walden 2 by BF Skinner

Frankenstein by Shelley

Uncle Tom's Cabin

 

ETA: I tried Kim last year as a read aloud and neither my son or I could get into it. We gave it about 30 pages before switching to another book.

Edited April 20, 2012 by Wehomeschool

[nmoira]

David Brin has a fantastic list of SF for young adults (and a shorter list for younger kids) on his blog. It's worth reading through the comments as well.

 

http://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2011/11/science-fiction-for-young-adults.html

[Jen in PA]

David Brin has a fantastic list of SF for young adults (and a shorter list for younger kids) on his blog. It's worth reading through the comments as well.

 

http://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2011/11/science-fiction-for-young-adults.html

 

What a fantastic list!

[Laura Corin]

I'd look through the Puffin Classics list and the Oxford Children's Classics lists.

 

Laura

[quark]

:party: LOVING the suggestions. Thanks for asking Ruth and thanks to others for suggestions!

[Guest Changed and Changed Back]

No Conrad.

 

Tale of 2 Cities is a much tighter narrative than "Big Dickens" and gives a graphic visceral sense of the horrors of the Terror. The click of knitting needles still gives me the creeps!

[Guest Changed and Changed Back]

Fahrenheit 451

Brave new world (A horrid book. If thinking of studying utopias, -- how about Utopia?)

Autobiography of Ben Franklin

Red Badge of Courage

Tale of 2 cities (exciting and not Dickens depressing --absolutely)

Mutiny on the Bounty

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Poe

 

Other Suggestions:

Lovecraft (if he likes Poe)

Moby Dick (incredibly interesting exciting book -- npo need to discuss Symbolism)

 

I would also suggest "Little Women" Louisa May Alcott is a fine writer and having a girl's perspective on life in the 19th century is well worth it -- for a 21st century boy)

[Guest Changed and Changed Back]

Why read The Moonstone? It is dull and, unless you are interested in the history of the detective novel, really of no literary significance.

[lewelma]

Changed and Changed Back,

 

Welcome to the board. Thanks so much for taking the time to help me. Just a couple of questions....

 

Fahrenheit 451

Brave new world (A horrid book. If thinking of studying utopias, -- how about Utopia?)

Autobiography of Ben Franklin

Red Badge of Courage

Tale of 2 cities (exciting and not Dickens depressing --absolutely)

Mutiny on the Bounty

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Poe

 

I'm not clear, are these the books from my list for next year that you like? The ones you left out, do you dislike them?

 

And, are you saying Tale of 2 cities is a good or bad choice? I can't tell your opinion here versus above: "Tale of 2 Cities is a much tighter narrative than "Big Dickens" and gives a graphic visceral sense of the horrors of the Terror. The click of knitting needles still gives me the creeps!"

 

 

Thanks for the other suggestions too!

 

Ruth

[lewelma]

To everyone who has responded,

 

Oh thanks so much! You have given me much to research. My son always likes choice and now he has plenty!

 

Ruth

[Emerald Stoker]

nm

Edited November 21, 2012 by Honoria Glossop

[lewelma]

I thought people might be interested in the final list I have drawn up using your suggestions. I have decided to save the suggestions on horror, Russian lit, and 20th c historical fiction for 8th grade.

 

If any of the dystopian books seem inappropriate, please let me know. I will be using 1984, brave new world, handmaiden's tail, and many others for a second dystopian year in 8th.

 

7th grade reading list (he is not required to read all of these :001_smile:, he likes choice)

 

Early modern: Europe

Three Muskateers, Dumas

Twenty Years After, Dumas

Man in the Iron Mask, Dumas

Rob Roy, Scott

Mutiny on the Bounty, Nordhoff

Count of Monte Cristo, Dumas

The Scarlett Pimpernel, Orczy

Tale of Two Cities, Dickens

Coral Island, Ballantyne

 

Early modern: America

The House of the Seven Gables, Hawthorne

Autobiography of Ben Franklin

Autobiography of Fredrick Douglas

Red Badge of Courage, Crane

Gone with the Wind, Mitchell

Huck Fin, Twain

Pudd'nhead Wilson, Twain

Innocents Abroad, Twain

 

Late Modern

Travels with Charley, Steinbeck

Gift of the Magi (and others), O Henry

To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee

 

Distopian

Iron Heel, London, 1908

Anthem by Ayn Rand, 1937

Walden 2, Skinner, 1948

Farenheit 451, Bradbury, 1953

Chrysalids, Windham, 1955

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? PK Dick, 1968

Running Man, Bachman (King), 1982

House of Scorpian, N Farmer, 2002

Uglies, Westerfield, 2005

Hunger Games, Collins, 2011

 

Classic Sci Fi

Invisible Man, Wells

Mysterious Island, Verne

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Heinlein

Lost World, Doyle

The Star Diaries, Lem

A Perfect Vacuum, Lem

 

Thanks so much for everyone's help!

 

Ruth

Edited April 21, 2012 by lewelma

[lewelma]

I wonder if any of these would suit?

 

Yes! They will! Now I have to go redo my list! :D Thanks,

 

Ruth

[Emerald Stoker]

nm

[lewelma]

What a well-read lad you've got there!

Yes he is. Problem is, he likes to discuss everything with me. so, boy oh boy will I be busy this year trying to keep up.

 

Oh, and I didn't see the Earthsea books by Ursula LeGuin

Yes, he read those. My record keeping is not what it should be!!

 

Thanks again. I am off to research all your suggestions too.

 

ruth

Edited April 21, 2012 by lewelma

[besroma]

The Coral Island by R.M.Ballantyne is what I'd start with. It's much like Treasure Island or even, Lord of the Flies.(Though not as dark as LOTF).

 

R.M.B has written over, as far as I recall, over 60 books. Plenty to choose from. :-)

 

:iagree: I see you added this to your list. My boys love the Ballantyne books and Henty books.

[lewelma]

:iagree: I see you added this to your list. My boys love the Ballantyne books and Henty books.

 

Yes, put in Coral Island, and if he likes it then we will look for the next. He often will read more than 1 from an author. I just put the best on the starter list, and that is the only one I will read for our discussions. :001_smile:

 

He has read 2 Henty's, and did not really like them (forgot to put those on my original list too! sigh.)

 

Thanks!

 

Ruth

[Emerald Stoker]

nm

[ebunny]

Great list!.

[Iucounu]

Have you read "Solaris"? It wouldnt' be first on my list for entertaining Lem books. In the same vein but perhaps a more engaging pick would be "Fiasco", but for an introduction to Lem for a twelve year old I would pick lots of others first. "The Futurological Congress" is another one to consider, based on your other choices.

[lewelma]

Have you read "Solaris"?

No I haven't! Not sure why I picked that one. Must have been recommended on one of the lists that someone posted. I edited my list to put in the ones you recommended earlier. Thanks!

 

I was also interested in "War with the Newts." Would it be better understood with some background on modern history. Its wiki said it was a satire of the events of the day? I was thinking of putting it on his 8th grade list along with your russian and eastern european suggestions.

 

Also interested in: "Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid," as my ds loves math. Is this accessible? I do need to add some good nonfiction to his reading list. hummmm, I think I will start a new thread.

 

Thanks,

 

Ruth

[Greenmama2]

G, E, Bach is definitely accessible. I read it at around 12.

[Parrothead]

Ruth, of the ones on your list, we've read quite a few of them already. Except To Kill A Mockingbird. I've had several people tell me that if one has a sensitive child the content may be too much. So having a sensitive child we've not read it.

 

But we have read and will read again works of Poe. We love his work here. I try to do them around Halloween. This year I'm throwing in the Legend of Sleepy Hollow about the same time too.

 

Thanks for linking me to this list thread. It is just what I need.

 

ETA: Disregard most of the above. I saw your final selection after I wrote the above.;)

Edited April 22, 2012 by Parrothead

[HodgesSchool]

To Kill A Mockingbird. I've had several people tell me that if one has a sensitive child the content may be too much. So having a sensitive child we've not read it.

 

 

It is a "sensitive" book and I know what you mean. But...

 

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my all-time favorite books. It is a very intimate book, if that makes sense, that gets under your skin. Very difficult subjects are brought up but given to us through the lens of a little girl. It is really, really beautiful--and one absolutely not to be missed. I must have read it every year of my life since I was 11--and I've taught it to numerous 8th graders during summer programs. They all love it by the end, even when it makes them cry.

 

In some ways, the book is like the Diary of Anne Frank--a careful, calm, often funny, and heartbreaking book that kids much younger than roughly 11 or 12 probably won't love. The ARE heartbreaking, but in a way that leaves the heart stronger--and braver.

 

I also think both books have their most significant positive impact on 7th-9th graders and that it would be kind of a shame to put the first reading off until after that basic age. Read it during that time of puberty/coming-of-age!

 

You know your children and can make the right choices for them--but if you haven't looked at To Kill a Mockingbird recently, do a pre-read yourself and see how you think he or she would react.

 

(The movie is wonderful as well, although it leaves out one of my very favorite scenes!)