StaceyL in Canada Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 I'm having a heck of a time finding books for leisure reading for my boys. Partly that's because--despite my own literary background and years of exposure to excellent children's literature--they prefer to spend their leisure time other ways (ball hockey, video games, internet..... Sigh.) But now that we're past that handy 8 to 12 yr old range (for three of my sons, at least), nothing much literary seems to grab their interest. My 14 yr old will still read some types of fantasy, but the 16 yr old seems to prefer grittier, high action stuff. A couple of years back, he was really into the Alex Rider series.... Is there anything along those lines for a boy his age? I know there's adult thriller/ espionage fiction, but I very much want to avoid anything that includes graphic sexuality. Does such a literary beast exist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-FL Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 My dc like the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz. http://www.alexrider.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 I'm not familiar with the Alex Rider series but maybe some of the early Tom Clancy novels like Hunt for Red October might fit this category. Cinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn in CA Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 ...wrote The 39 Steps and I think 4 more novels with the same main character, Richard Hannay. The second was Greenmantle. I can't remember what the other titles are, but my 14yob loved them all. I believe The 39 Steps is considered the birth of the thriller/spy novel genre. Also, nothing sexual in these. They were written in the 1930's(?). Another short psychological thriller set in WWII, The Bridge Over the River Kwai. My other son enjoyed it. He also liked the Scarlet Pimpernel, again a short and clean novel. These were also all made into movies... maybe go through some old movie titles to find more books. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Especially the "Bourne" trilogy. They were awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 I'm having a heck of a time finding books for leisure reading for my boys. Partly that's because--despite my own literary background and years of exposure to excellent children's literature--they prefer to spend their leisure time other ways (ball hockey, video games, internet..... Sigh.) But now that we're past that handy 8 to 12 yr old range (for three of my sons, at least), nothing much literary seems to grab their interest. My 14 yr old will still read some types of fantasy, but the 16 yr old seems to prefer grittier, high action stuff. A couple of years back, he was really into the Alex Rider series.... Is there anything along those lines for a boy his age? I know there's adult thriller/ espionage fiction, but I very much want to avoid anything that includes graphic sexuality. Does such a literary beast exist? Well, the sexuality rules out Heinlien, Piers Anthony, and Harry Turtledove.:tongue_smilie: How about Jonathan Stange and Mr. Norrell? Maybe Dune? I can't remember if Dune includes any sexuality. Perhaps, The EarthSea Trilogy by LeGuin. Jurassic Park would be good. My 17yo likes Holly Black's books, but they are a bit on the dark side. HTH- Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in WA Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 He writes Christian fiction, but not overtly. Some of his books fall in the political genre. Sometimes there is light romance, but not every book, no sexuality. Cindy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in NY Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 You might look at Margaret Truman's capital crime series. I have read several of them and can't remember any overt sexual stuff. Some of the titles are "Murder at the White House", "Murder at the Kennedy Center", etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmkclscroggins Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 How about Clive Cussler? We enjoy Brad Thor ( but I can't remember about the sex/violence part) and David Balducci. Not great literature, but entertaining! melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyL in Canada Posted October 14, 2008 Author Share Posted October 14, 2008 My dc like the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz. http://www.alexrider.com/ nnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Yes, we read Scorpia last year and my son enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Especially the "Bourne" trilogy. They were awesome. There's an attempted rape in The Bourne Identity. Calvin came across it and was very upset. A 14yo may or may not want to deal with it. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyL in Canada Posted October 14, 2008 Author Share Posted October 14, 2008 There's an attempted rape in The Bourne Identity. Calvin came across it and was very upset. A 14yo may or may not want to deal with it. Laura nnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Some adventure series that you might look into - not spy, but boy stories - the Hornblower books (seafaring, Napoleonic wars, I think) and Biggles (fighter pilot through the 20th century). Calvin has also enjoyed Dorothy Sayers - again, not spy stories, but worth a look. I would recommend The Nine Tailors as a place to start. The violence is reported, not described, and there's no sex. Very atmospheric and intermittently exciting. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in Indy Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 My 14 yo ds also loves "action-y" books. Thriller genre: Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum. Science fiction: Michael Crichton (a couple of his have explicit sex - avoid Rising Sun and State of Fear) Good ones: Timeline, Andromeda Strain, Sphere, Jurassic Park, Lost World, Eaters of the Dead (I know, it sounds disgusting, but it refers to an archaeological discovery of a primitive tribe), and Congo My husband likes William F. Buckley,Jr's Blackford Oakes spy novels: The Story of Henri Tod, others that slip my mind right now. Don't think they have sex. We have also enjoyed the Horatio Hornblower books: naval strategy, wry humor, interesting and heroic characters, history and geography "for free". Good question! My son loves to read for pleasure. We do "Great Books" for school, but he wants to read high-action on his own time. The older they get, the harder it is to find suitable fare. So this is a great place to share ideas. HTH, Cindy in Indy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in S'pore Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 I second the recommendation of the Hornblower books by C.S. Forrester. There is actually quite a bit of politics in some of them. I like that they portray military officers having to take politics into consideration, instead of only planning battles and action. I would also recommend Alistair MacLean's books (he wrote The Guns of Navarone recommended by a previous poster and many others), but they seem to be out of print... Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 Music on the Bamboo Radio. It's a novel about an English boy surviving in Hong Kong during the Japanese occupation. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNC Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 Have you seen the series by Joel Rosenberg? I read the first one, it's a page turner! http://www.joelrosenberg.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-FL Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 I second the recommendation of the Hornblower books by C.S. Forrester. There is actually quite a bit of politics in some of them. I like that they portray military officers having to take politics into consideration' date=' instead of only planning battles and action. Anne[/quote'] Be aware that HH does have a couple of affairs. Also, the "Master & Commander" series has quite a lot of questionable behavior (sex & drug abuse). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcjlkplus3 Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 I'm not familiar with the Alex Rider series but maybe some of the early Tom Clancy novels like Hunt for Red October might fit this category. Cinder :iagree:I don't think there is much if anything graphic in the Tom Clancy books. I read them as an adult, but my little brother read them all in high school. Other books baby brother liked (21 now) are Terry Goodkind(sp) and Robert Jordan. I think they both maybe a little more fantasy than action. I think there is also a series that starts with Eragon (can't remember the name of the series the writer is a young man who was homeschooled and wrote the first book as a teenager, I think the 3rd book just came out). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.MacGyver Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 I read all of the John LeCarre books as a teen and loved them. I don't know about his newer books, but the old ones like Smiliey's People, The Russia House, and The Spy Who Came In From The Cold are excellent spy novels (there are many more). They are about the British spies during WWII - very realistic...no sex as far as I can remember. I loved them and read them over and over since high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendall Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 My boys really enjoyed the Mrs.Pollifax books by Dorothy Gilman. I think the earlier ones are best. Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax is the first title. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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