lewelma Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 I think it looks good, except I definitely wouldn't classify The Cricket in the Hearth (Dickens) as humor! I read it for the first time over Xmas break, and I sobbed my eyes out! I don't think it would appeal to him much, and it isn't funny, though all ends well. I also tried to read The Princess Bride - having adored the movie - and the book is really different. Really different. I didn't end up finishing it. I'll kill them both. I've got too many books already. Do you have any mystery suggestions that aren't scary? And historical fiction? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Rose, I just found the full title of The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. :001_smile: “THE NARRATIVE OF ARTHUR GORDON PYM OF NANTUCKET, Comprising the details of a mutiny and atrocious butchery on board the American brig Grampus, on her way to the South Seas, in the month of June, 1827, with an account of the recapture of the vessel by the survivers; their shipwreck and subsequent horrible sufferings from famine; their deliverance by means of the British schooner Jane Guy; the brief cruise of this latter vessel in the Antarctic Ocean; her capture, and the massacre of her crew among a group of islands in the eighty-fourth parallel of southern latitude; together with the incredible adventures and discoveries still farther south to which that distressing calamity gave rise.†What a title! Looks very similar to Mutiny on the Bounty, but perhaps a bit more :eek: . I might need to pre-read this. Did you know the Guardian classified it in the 100 top books? ETA: would you choose The Crater over the Last of the Mohicans? The second is more famous, but I will have to say that I tried to start it years ago and found it incredibly boring. So perhaps The Crater is more exciting or at least starts faster? Oh lord, go with your gut! I haven't actually read the book, I was just digging for ideas. I really dislike The Last of the Mohicans, so I wouldn't wish it on anybody. But I haven't read The Crater. I'm so sad he wont' read Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde. Shannon and I just finished reading and discussing it, and it was so amazing! We had such meaty talks. She's going to read Invisible Man next, but I don't think it's nearly as rich as Dr J & Mr H. War of the Worlds is really good, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I'll kill them both. I've got too many books already. Do you have any mystery suggestions that aren't scary? And historical fiction? I will totally come up with some, but help me out so I don't have to read back through the whole thread: what era for historical fiction? And what kind of mystery? I know you said he doesn't want to read Holmes. Shannon has really enjoyed some Agatha Christie - she loved Murder on the Orient Express, And Then There Were None, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and Towards Zero in the past year. She also liked The Maltese Falcon and the first Flavia de Luce mystery, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. So those are pretty sensitive 11 year old girl approved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 We're kind of not doing historical fiction officially this year, because we're doing Big History, but Shannon did enjoy Fever 1793 this is more sci fi, but she also liked The White Mountains by John Christopher. It has a tie-in to War of the Worlds (what might have happened had the Martians not died out) and is the first of a 3 (?) book series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 I will totally come up with some, but help me out so I don't have to read back through the whole thread: what era for historical fiction? And what kind of mystery? I know you said he doesn't want to read Holmes. Shannon has really enjoyed some Agatha Christie - she loved Murder on the Orient Express, And Then There Were None, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and Towards Zero in the past year. She also liked The Maltese Falcon and the first Flavia de Luce mystery, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. So those are pretty sensitive 11 year old girl approved. I'm not fussed about what era. We are studying the ancients, but I have looked for historical fiction already and there just isn't anything. It is either too easy like Golden Goblet or full blown adult themes based on the brutality/sexuality of Rome. So I'm definitely looking elsewhere. A lot of the adventure stories could also be kind of classified as historical fiction, like Count of Monte Cristo. So I could also just split up that category. I want him to see himself as a reader with a variety of interests, even if in the end all the books are kind of the same adventure type. Because if he sees himself in a certain way, it will eventually become reality, IYKWIM. As for mystery, I'm thinking no murder mysteries. That is why I was pleased to realise that Moonstone is about the theft of a diamond. So I'm thinking no to Cristie. What about the others you listed? are they murder mysteries? ETA: Oh, nothing on diseases or spiders! He is phobic about both right now. Thank tolkein for the spider phobia. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 Oh lord, go with your gut! Heeheehee. I thought you would like that! I'm so mean. :001_smile: I really dislike The Last of the Mohicans, so I wouldn't wish it on anybody. Well, good, we agree! I'm so sad he wont' read Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde. Shannon and I just finished reading and discussing it, and it was so amazing! We had such meaty talks. She's going to read Invisible Man next, but I don't think it's nearly as rich as Dr J & Mr H. War of the Worlds is really good, though. I know I know. So perfect. But we will just try again in 7th or 8th grade. I've got time. Thanks so much for helping me with this. I actually have not read a lot of books in my day. I was never a reader, even though my dad tried so hard. And even now I *much* prefer a textbook to a novel. In fact, I have to listen to most all novels because I just can't stand to read them. I swore that this would not be the fate of my kids, which is why I try so hard. :001_smile: When we went tramping last week, I was the only one in the huts doing a calculus workbook. :hurray: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Epicurean Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I was going to suggest Cadfael, but most of the Cadfael mysteries involve murder, don't they? The Princess and the Goblin is kind of mystery/fantasy. Maybe the Theodosia books? http://www.amazon.com/Theodosia-Serpents-Chaos-R-LaFevers/dp/0618999760/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Has he read Lloyd Alexander? Tons of books, similar I think to some you mentioned he likes. Not super deep or mature but if he hasn't read them I think he would enjoy them. Cynthia Harnett (sp?) wrote some nice historical fiction set in England. Ring Out Bow Bells, A Load of Unicorn, I think there are six or seven books total but some were published under different titles for different editions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 A String in the Harp has nice fantasy elements but also discussion material; the main characters are an American family who are coping with the recent death of the mother (cancer maybe? Can't quite remember). The father is a university professor and takes a sabbatical in Wales for a year. The story is about the father and three children struggling to adjust to the new realities of their life, at first quite separately but eventually pulling back together. The son finds a harp key that once belonged to Taliesin and gets pulled into experiencing pieces of the bard's life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Yes, and on the Wales theme - there is also The Moorchild (to go along with The String in the Harp and The Chronicles of Prydain). My mystery suggestions were all murder so no go. Has he read The Westing Game? Shannon loved that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Did we already talk about The Scarlet Pimpernel, or was that your older? Anyway, if he can do Dumas he could handle it. I think about all the historical fiction I loved as a kid, and it's kind of girlie I guess. Georgette Heyer, Victoria Holt, Phyllis Whitney, Daphne du Maurier, Mary Stewart - these were the writers I grew up reading. Oh, wait a minute, Phyllis Whitney has a bunch of YA type mystery books that *aren't* all about murders - I will check Shannon's list from last year, but she read and enjoyed a bunch of these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deerforest Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I'm not fussed about what era. We are studying the ancients, but I have looked for historical fiction already and there just isn't anything. It is either too easy like Golden Goblet or full blown adult themes based on the brutality/sexuality of Rome. So I'm definitely looking elsewhere. sigh.. I totally agree. DD loves historical fiction and Ancients have been a complete bust for us in that regard! It has been disappointing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 He has read Princess and goblin and sequel, all Loyd Alexander books, and the Scarlet Pimpernel. In fact he dress up as the Scarlet Pimpernel for Halloween! Bright red pants and shirt, black cape, with sabre in his belt. If I had any space left (which I don't ) I would post a pic because he was so cute! Will check on the other books. Thanks! ETA: Oh he read Mary Stewarts Arthurian books, but he stopped on book 2 after Arthur has sex with his sister. Apparently pretty graphic. oops :huh: ETA again: Heyer, Holt, and Mavrier seem too romantic. But Phyllis Whitney looks good -- a touch gothic, but not scary. I think it will expand him a bit. A String in the Harp is about a dead mom -- that's not going to fly. I think Moorchild is too easy, but Westing Game looks very fun. Also, Cynthia Harnett, wow! She looks a.w.e.s.o.m.e for historical fiction, a lot like Sutcliff. So will add all those to mystery and historical fiction categories. Boy is the list looking awesome! It just cries out 6th grade boy! :hurray: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 sigh.. I totally agree. DD loves historical fiction and Ancients have been a complete bust for us in that regard! It has been disappointing! Well, I am glad that I am not the only one who has noticed. The stuff that is available is pretty low level -- once you have read Sutcliff, there is not much left. I'm having the same trouble with narrative nonfiction -- basically nothing. So my dh will be reading The Rubicon and Persian Fire to them! Not quite 6th grade level, but oh well. It will stretch him. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 this is more sci fi, but she also liked The White Mountains by John Christopher. It has a tie-in to War of the Worlds (what might have happened had the Martians not died out) and is the first of a 3 (?) book series. I was thinking of these books as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 White Mountains looks really good, but I think I will wait until next year. Might even bump War of the Worlds and do them together. humm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I wonder if C. S. Lewis's Till We Have Faces would be too much for him? Plenty of meaty discussion material and ties in to ancient history (myth if Psyche) but is really more of an adult book. I read it when I was 12 or 13 but would likely have gotten more out of it later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 What about Chesterton's Father Brown mysteries? No murders in the ones I've read. And the granddaddy of all non-murder mysteries: The Purloined Letter, by Poe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakpak Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 His reading LOTR throws me off, because as much as I love fantasy, all the violence and evil tones really bother me. I'm surprised he made it through the series. I remember really stretching my threshold for scary books when I read lots of Stephen King and similar in early high school. I appreciated the writing though, and would just try to close my mind to the really scary bits. Anyway, my point is he will probably push himself a bit with his comfort zone just so he can have something decent to read, and maybe you're being more protective than you need to be. Of course, mom knows best!! ;) I LOVED Watership Down too, but it really bothered me a lot. I'm pretty sensitive when it comes to equality and fairness, etc. Has he read Neil Gaimon's The Graveyard Book? It's a YA book and I bet he'd love it. When the whole book takes place in a graveyard it makes it less scary from the get go. Yes, the boy's parents are killed off in the 1st chapter, but the boy's relationships with the ghosts are very sweet and the story ends well. I think it's a good stepping stone book. I found this list of YA fantasy and I really liked all of the books that I've read, so it would be a good list to keep in your back pocket. The descriptions are helpful. http://bestfantasybooks.com/best-young-adult-fantasy-books.html The author Robin McKinley would probably be a very good fit for him. She often retells fairy tales, but for a more mature audience. The writing is captivating but not difficult. He would do fine with The Dark is Rising series I think. It's written for children, has child characters, and is from another era, so I think he'd really enjoy it. I'd definitely let him try that one. He can handle it :) It's a good one to listen to in the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Has he read any of Alan Bradley's Flavia De Luce mysteries? They're contemporary, but because they're period books, don't feel it. The protagonist is a pre-teen (11 in the first book) girl who is passionate about chemistry (especially poisons and toxins) and problem solving, with a detached father and two annoying older sisters, in a community that really doesn't quite "get" her. They are mostly murder mysteries, but like most cozies, the murders happen offstage and aren't terribly graphic. They're considered adult novels, but honestly, they're more appropriate, IMO, for the middle grades set than most "YA" novels. In other mysteries, I'd also suggest Agatha Christie-both because Dame Agatha is a writer that I feel every educated person should know, and because again, they're good puzzles, but not graphic, making them generally appropriate for middle grades kids. They're a great introduction to the mystery genre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I haven't read all the responses yet but did want to caution that Earthsea has some mention of rape and a child being ostracized...it was painful to me but the story was compelling enough for me to keep reading it...not so sure how a very sensitive 10yo will take it though. The first novel, Wizard of Earthsea, was fine. It was the rest in the series that were disturbing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 Bakpak, interestingly, he has never reread LoTR although he has reread the other series over and over. So I'm not sure he actually loves LoTR, I think he just wants to think he does. Quark, ds did not like the Earthsea trilogy because he found it very scary. So he agrees with your assessment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Yeah, LOTR is a different animal from The Hobbit, for sure. Shannon decided to put it aside for awhile. But, if he's wanting more grown-up books, it does fit the bill - it's definitely fantasy for grownups not for kids. I wasn't able to get into the Earthsea trilogy either. I started it, but gave it up. I can't remember why exactly - it wasn't scary, but it was dark, definitely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kfamily Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 A String in the Harp has nice fantasy elements but also discussion material; the main characters are an American family who are coping with the recent death of the mother (cancer maybe? Can't quite remember). The father is a university professor and takes a sabbatical in Wales for a year. The story is about the father and three children struggling to adjust to the new realities of their life, at first quite separately but eventually pulling back together. The son finds a harp key that once belonged to Taliesin and gets pulled into experiencing pieces of the bard's life. My older daughter read this when she was younger and considers it one of her favorites. She followed this with The Song of Taliesin by John Matthews, although I'm not sure if this would be a good recommendation or not. She did love A String in the Harp. Perhaps: The Neverending Story by Michael Ende The White Company by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Mark of the Horse Lord by Rosemary Sutcliff The Chosen by Chaim Potok (I haven't read this one, so...) Book of Marvels by Richard Halliburton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Ok, I just started a book he might really enjoy - The Glorious Adventure, by Richard Halliburton. Written in 1927, it tells the story of him following in Odysseus' footsteps through Greece. It's really funny, I'm enjoying it a lot so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 My older daughter read this when she was younger and considers it one of her favorites. She followed this with The Song of Taliesin by John Matthews, although I'm not sure if this would be a good recommendation or not. She did love A String in the Harp. Perhaps: The Neverending Story by Michael Ende The White Company by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Mark of the Horse Lord by Rosemary Sutcliff The Chosen by Chaim Potok (I haven't read this one, so...) Book of Marvels by Richard Halliburton Momo by Michael Ende is also lovely as is The Chosen. We both loved The Chosen here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Earthsea, by the way, is more than a trilogy. There are 5 books: A Wizard of Earthsea The Tombs of Atuan The Farthest Shore Tehanu The Other Wind I loved them all but books 2-4 were dark. IIRC, book 5 wasn't as dark but it was definitely more mature content than number 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Sorry if this is repetitive, I keep recommending this to all the 7-12yos I know. :D Haroun and the Sea of Stories and Luka and the Fire of Life, both by Salman Rushdie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avilma Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 If your son likes Mutiny in the Bounty he is going to love Master and Commander. I have only read the first book but there are 20 books in the series. The movie is based on some of them but isn't nearly as good as the books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Along with Horatio Hornblower, Midshipman's Hope by David Fentuch (and the later books in the series) are basically Horatio Hornblower in space. The parallel is closest with the first book, which is also when the main character is most relatable to a pre-teen boy (the protagonist is 17 at the start of the novel). The world of Midshipman's Hope is also a kind of neat one for homeschooled kids because it's a world where a majority of kids who are educated are homeschooled or cottage schooled, and the PS system has collapsed-the main character had been homeschooled until about age 13, than gone to the UNNS naval academy, having completed a solid high school education+ at home first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Shannon has a suggestion for B: She just finished Knightley & Son, by Ronan Gavin. It's a mystery, a father-and-son crime solving team. No murder, but lots of codes to crack and high speed car chases! Super exciting book, she says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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