NoPlaceLikeHome Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Hi, I could use book recommendations with humor or positive outlook and no fantasy or not much fantasy especially with evil characters. I appreciate any recommendations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Tom Sawyer. All three of my boys have loved this book. The humor, small-town safety, and Tom's triumphs and vulnerabilities spoke to their developing 12 and 13 year old souls. They also all read Huck Finn, but that is a more serious book, though it too is very funny. The humor of Huck Finn is less accessible, IMO, to younger teens. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted September 28, 2015 Author Share Posted September 28, 2015 Thanks for reminding of Mark Twain books. I am trying for light books since my kid has been a little bothered by nightmares lately and I think humor, positive outlook and less fantasy might be helpful. I suppose fantasy is ok but prefer ones without evil characters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 No more dead dogs - Gordon Korman (does have the word jack-ass in it) Schooled -Gordon Korman (funny but sweet) Lion Boy (there are bad guys in it, but it's not gory, slightly fantasy-talking cats) Artemis Fowl series (we love them best on audio, even dh loved these) Artemis is genius evil at first, but you feel sorry for him, and he becomes good. There are bad guys and one of the later books has monster type creatures called demons, but they are kind of funny and not really scary. The True confessions of Charlotte Doyle (a girl hero, but lots of action and funny) my boy enjoyed it. Boston Jane -another girl hero, but really funny and lots of adventure Encyclopedia brown series- an oldie but goodie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 The James Herriot books. Funny, positive, extremely well-written. Start with All Creatures Great and Small. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Carl Hiaasen's YA novels--Hoot, Flush, Chomp, Scat--are fun. He also has Skink but I'm not familiar with that one. All are about teens who get involved somehow in environmental issues. They're reasonably light with adventure, dramatic tension, humor. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Are comic books ok? My kids love Calvin and Hobbes and Zits especially. (Actually we all do) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted September 28, 2015 Author Share Posted September 28, 2015 Yes he loves Calvin and Hobbes and Peanuts. Any others? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 How old a teen? is this a 13 year old or an 18 year old? Because that would influence my suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted September 28, 2015 Author Share Posted September 28, 2015 How old a teen? is this a 13 year old or an 18 year old? Because that would influence my suggestion. He is 13. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Maybe the Penderwick books? It is a series and it isn't done yet, but I think there are four out now. It is a series about the Penderwick sisters and their lives. When my son was 13 he loved those books. My dh loved reading them out loud as well...heck, the whole family enjoyed them. They have been compared to a modern day "Little Women" in part because it is about 4 sisters. But they are so enjoyable by boys as well as girls. They are about a loving family and each kid is so different, struggling with different things, being different people, but they love each other and are great role models of family pride and honour. There are the books like 'Half magic' which are very entertaining but tame, I think great for a 13 year old. "The Saturdays" and the rest of the books in that series. When my son was 13 he was still reading his Bruce Coville books...so many that I can't even remember them all. They have titles like "space brat' and "my teacher is an alien". My son especially liked his 'magic petshop' series, with titles like 'Jeremy Thatcher Dragon Hatcher", and a few others I can't remember. He read them at 13, but at 14 might have been too old so YMMV. 13 is such a transitional age. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El... Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Has he read Hank the Cowdog? They may be easy for him, but they are so funny! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Gary Paulsen, Hatchet type stories. Any of the Sonlight lists not helping? I always turn there when we're on the lookout. Also, you could go to Bookshelf central and look at the Tapestry recommendations based on time period. Lots of great dialectic choices there...? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Well, it's fantasy, but the Belgariad series by David Eddings has great humor and I can't imagine anyone having nightmares from it. Likewise, Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett is light and funny, although still fantasy. Maybe we read too much fantasy here. :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Princess and the Jedi Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 For funny, light reading, try some of the funny novels with a lot of graphics like Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The I Funny Series and Frank Einstein Series were also fun. For novels with a positive message: Carry on Mr Bowditch, Gary Paulsen's novels, and Elizabeth George Speare's novels. All off the top of my head. Good luck! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc26 Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Seconding the Carl Hiaason books. Stuart Gibbs' books, the Theodore Boone books by John Grisham, and the Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch have been hits with my almost 13 year old. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted September 28, 2015 Author Share Posted September 28, 2015 Well, it's fantasy, but the Belgariad series by David Eddings has great humor and I can't imagine anyone having nightmares from it. Likewise, Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett is light and funny, although still fantasy. Maybe we read too much fantasy here. :-) This sounds good. I am not opposed to fantasy per se but am trying to avoid anything with particularily bad characters. He tends to love fantasy book and TV such as Once Upon A Time series and I am not sure that TV show and others like it are helpful when it comes to nightmares. ETA: I love the Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Limony Snickets, The Wind in the Willow, etc. I guess I am trying to minimize nightmares as well as get him to read some books that are not fantasy too. A heartwarming fantasy is good too though:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 You may want to preread because my memory isn't the greatest...but we liked Secret History of Tom Truehart too. Only read the first one and I don't remember anything scary. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kebo Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 My son suggests My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell. It's about a 10 year old boy who moves with his eccentric family to the island of Corfu. Lots of nature and humor. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 My son liked biographies at that age. Two that come to mind are Me, Myself, and Bob (auto-biography by the creator of Veggie Tales), and one about Steve Jobs (can't remember the name, but the covered showed the famous picture of Steve Jobs, holding his chin). Both these guys followed their dreams through obstacles and adversity. There are many others, of course. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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