Stephen King and Agatha Christie for a 13 year old boy

[Zoraida]

My 13 year old son read his first Stephen King novel the other day. He read the uncut version of The Stand. The uncut version had over a thousand pages and he read the book in under a week. He loved it and would like to try some more Stephen King.

 

I am not a Stephen King fan and have only read two of his books - Salems Lot when I was in highschool and Dolores Claiborne when it first came out. So now I need suggestions on the next King novel that will hold his attention.

 

Also, I would like to introduce my son to Agatha Christie. I read all of her books when I was in highschool and loved them. I just need a suggestion for one that will stand out and make him want to read more Christie. I was thinking about The Murder of Roger Akroyde but I am not sure if it will grab his attention. Or I was thinking about starting him off with the Tommy and Tuppence books before we started the Hercule Poroit or Jane Marple books. I remember I loved the Tommy and Tuppence books more than the Poroit or Maple books, but there are not very many in the series. Any suggestions?

 

Blessings

 

Zoraida

[Snickerdoodle]

I haven't read much of either of those authors, but my father was telling me that he found an old book of his when he was a boy in a box in a back closet. He had really fond memories of it and he's rereading it now. The author is O Henry and I've never heard of it but I'm excited to get my hands on his old book when we go to visit him later this year. Maybe it could of interest to your son?

[Ummto4]

I love love love Agatha Christie, but some are more complicated than the others. Roger Ackroyd is definitely a good one, but I'm not sure a 13yo can get it.

 

Tommy and Tuppence adventures are good. Do you remember the title where Tommy and Tuppence went to the Middle East (Baghdad ??) .. I think it's called The Secret Adversaries. It's funny and thrilling.

 

The Crooked House is also good ... I enjoyed it a lot when I was about that age. It's not overly complicated like most Poirot and Marple's mysteries are.

 

HTH,

[elizabeth]

I am a fan of Stephen King and have read all his books. I would suggest It,Hearts in Atlantis,Night Shift for a young person. He also wrote a fantasy book for his daughter that my 12 year old loved calledThe Eye of the Dragon.I read Agatha Christie at the same age and recall enjoying Ten Little Indians. Other more accessible authors in the genre that I have read and heartily approve of are the Johnny Dixon Mysteries by John Bellairs. I think there are 10 of them in the series. Great stuff but I cannot recommend those authored by Strickland who continued a series after Bellair's death they are not well written. Sherlock Holmes mysteries are amazing and well worth exploring The Red Headed League is a great story. A contemporary author,Will Thomas,certainly modeled his protagonist after Holmes and I can recommend his series for your young man. Link here to his homepage

http://www.willthomasauthor.com/ I absolutely enjoy Laurie R King's series told from the perspective of Holmes having a romantic/mentoring relationship with an orphaned young woman the first is titledThe Beekeepers Apprentice Obviously a great fan here and possibly one of the Baker Street Irregulars once upon a time before lawyering and hsing took over my existence...

[Mabeline]

My favorite King book to recomend to new readers is "The girl who loved Tom Gordon" It is a great story without any sex and very little gore. I also really enjoyed "The Talisman" too. Now that I think about it, he might enjoy "The Taliman" better. It is about a young boy going on a quest across the country and other worlds to save his mom. A fun read. "Insomnia" is another one of my all time favorites.

[unsinkable]

I am a fan of Stephen King and have read all his books. I would suggest It,Hearts in Atlantis,Night Shift for a young person. He also wrote a fantasy book for his daughter that my 12 year old loved calledThe Eye of the Dragon.I read Agatha Christie at the same age and recall enjoying Ten Little Indians. Other more accessible authors in the genre that I have read and heartily approve of are the Johnny Dixon Mysteries by John Bellairs. I think there are 10 of them in the series. Great stuff but I cannot recommend those authored by Strickland who continued a series after Bellair's death they are not well written. Sherlock Holmes mysteries are amazing and well worth exploring The Red Headed League is a great story. A contemporary author,Will Thomas,certainly modeled his protagonist after Holmes and I can recommend his series for your young man. Link here to his homepage

http://www.willthomasauthor.com/ I absolutely enjoy Laurie R King's series told from the perspective of Holmes having a romantic/mentoring relationship with an orphaned young woman the first is titledThe Beekeepers Apprentice Obviously a great fan here and possibly one of the Baker Street Irregulars once upon a time before lawyering and hsing took over my existence...

 

Great suggestions by Elizabeth. I second 10 Little Indians (though I've found And Then There Were None as the title recently).

 

Bellairs is a great author! My ds loved his books.

 

Since he enjoyed the Stand your son might like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* This is a grand-opening salvo in a new series by the author of the Underland Chronicles. Sixteen-year-old Katniss poaches food for her widowed mother and little sister from the forest outside the legal perimeter of District 12, the poorest of the dozen districts constituting Panem, the North American dystopic state that has replaced the U.S. in the not-too-distant future. Her hunting and tracking skills serve her well when she is then cast into the nation’s annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death where contestants must battle harsh terrain, artificially concocted weather conditions, and two teenaged contestants from each of Panem’s districts. District 12’s second “tribute†is Peeta, the baker’s son, who has been in love with Katniss since he was five. Each new plot twist ratchets up the tension, moving the story forward and keeping the reader on edge. Although Katniss may be skilled with a bow and arrow and adept at analyzing her opponents’ next moves, she has much to learn about personal sentiments, especially her own. Populated by three-dimensional characters, this is a superb tale of physical adventure, political suspense, and romance. Grades 9-12. --Francisca Goldsmith

[unsinkable]

My 13 year old son read his first Stephen King novel the other day. He read the uncut version of The Stand. The uncut version had over a thousand pages and he read the book in under a week. He loved it and would like to try some more Stephen King.

 

I am not a Stephen King fan and have only read two of his books - Salems Lot when I was in highschool and Dolores Claiborne when it first came out. So now I need suggestions on the next King novel that will hold his attention.

 

Also, I would like to introduce my son to Agatha Christie. I read all of her books when I was in highschool and loved them. I just need a suggestion for one that will stand out and make him want to read more Christie. I was thinking about The Murder of Roger Akroyde but I am not sure if it will grab his attention. Or I was thinking about starting him off with the Tommy and Tuppence books before we started the Hercule Poroit or Jane Marple books. I remember I loved the Tommy and Tuppence books more than the Poroit or Maple books, but there are not very many in the series. Any suggestions?

 

Blessings

 

Zoraida

 

Oh, I wanted to add that IMO, your son read the best King book first. It is hard to follow up the Stand!

[Old Dominion Heather]

Agatha Christie...

 

I'd go straight for the most exciting/well-written.

 

Murder on the Orient Express

Cat Among the Pigeons

The A.B.C. Murders

and

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

[Angel]

Agatha Christie - Ten Little Indians(And Then There Were None)

 

I loved this book as a teenager!

[Zoraida]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

 

 

Since he enjoyed the Stand your son might like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* This is a grand-opening salvo in a new series by the author of the Underland Chronicles. Sixteen-year-old Katniss poaches food for her widowed mother and little sister from the forest outside the legal perimeter of District 12, the poorest of the dozen districts constituting Panem, the North American dystopic state that has replaced the U.S. in the not-too-distant future. Her hunting and tracking skills serve her well when she is then cast into the nation’s annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death where contestants must battle harsh terrain, artificially concocted weather conditions, and two teenaged contestants from each of Panem’s districts. District 12’s second “tribute†is Peeta, the baker’s son, who has been in love with Katniss since he was five. Each new plot twist ratchets up the tension, moving the story forward and keeping the reader on edge. Although Katniss may be skilled with a bow and arrow and adept at analyzing her opponents’ next moves, she has much to learn about personal sentiments, especially her own. Populated by three-dimensional characters, this is a superb tale of physical adventure, political suspense, and romance. Grades 9-12. --Francisca Goldsmith

 

We both read The Hunger Game. Did you know there is supposed to be a sequel?

 

Blessings

 

Zoraida

[klmama]

I am not a Stephen King fan and have only read two of his books - Salems Lot when I was in highschool and Dolores Claiborne when it first came out. So now I need suggestions on the next King novel that will hold his attention.

 

I think any Stephen King novel would hold his attention. The real question is, do you really want him to pay that much attention to it? Stephen King uses a lot of foul language in many of his books, and there are weird sexual references, too, which could put some very warped ideas into your young man's mind. Sometimes it comes totally out of the blue in a story that one wouldn't expect it in, too. I got rid of all of my SK books, both because I couldn't stand them anymore and because I don't want my dc to be exposed to it. YMMV, of course, but I thought you should know, in case you didn't already.

[Julie in MN]

My 13 year old son read his first Stephen King novel the other day. He read the uncut version of The Stand.

 

It's been a long while since I've read Steven King, but I definitely had the opinion that some of his stuff had depth of thought, while others seemed to be the result of the publishing schedule and the ease of making money during his period of greatest popularity. I'm thinking of The Green Mile on one end & Pet Sematary on the other -- I found no depth there.

 

Just wanted to mention that.

[dangermom]

I am still a Bellairs fan--I love reading those books every so often!

[Desert Rat]

I really enjoyed Needful Things and Tommyknockers. The Stand is my all-time fav. I also really enjoyed King's short stories, usually in a compilation. I heard a lot of guys like the Highlander (?) series. I never got into it.

I haven't read any Agatha Christie.

[camibami]

 

 

The Talisman!! He'll love it! Its my favorite SK book, I've read them all. I started at around 11 or so, and I'm not warped...much.

 

:lol:

 

 

 

I also really enjoyed It, The Tommyknockers, and The Shining. And the Dark Tower series, though they peter out in the last books. Some of SK stuff is fab, some is schlock, little is "literature", but they are very entertaining.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Renee in NC]

I read "It" at age 10 and became a Stephen King fan!

 

"The Talisman" is my absolute favorite - I read it in one LONG night at 14.

 

The story books are good - Night Shift, Skeleton Crew, etc.

 

I don't really like his new stuff, though.

[PineFarmMom]

I think any Stephen King novel would hold his attention. The real question is, do you really want him to pay that much attention to it? Stephen King uses a lot of foul language in many of his books, and there are weird sexual references, too, which could put some very warped ideas into your young man's mind. Sometimes it comes totally out of the blue in a story that one wouldn't expect it in, too. I got rid of all of my SK books, both because I couldn't stand them anymore and because I don't want my dc to be exposed to it. YMMV, of course, but I thought you should know, in case you didn't already.

 

:iagree:!! I used to read SK also. I specifically remember a part of one of his books, I can't remember which one...I think it was IT, and this deranged boy was really cruel to a puppy. It was just so disturbing to me. I know each kid has different reactions, and I don't know if it was my age or what, but I remember it wouldn't leave my mind and it made me sick. No value and dark!! I don't like disturbing things that I can't shake. I think there are mystery writers and some scarey books out there that don't have that disturbing level to them. I do know that it is a personal thing, but I just can't do that type of reading anymore. Agatha Christie, yes. I like her a lot! I realize there are just as many out there who think SK is the best. I'm just sayin'...

[PineFarmMom]

Agatha Christie...

 

I'd go straight for the most exciting/well-written.

 

Murder on the Orient Express

 

 

I LOVED that book!!

[KidsHappen]

I am a fan of Stephen King and have read all his books. I would suggest It,Hearts in Atlantis,Night Shift for a young person. He also wrote a fantasy book for his daughter that my 12 year old loved calledThe Eye of the Dragon.I read Agatha Christie at the same age and recall enjoying Ten Little Indians. Other more accessible authors in the genre that I have read and heartily approve of are the Johnny Dixon Mysteries by John Bellairs. I think there are 10 of them in the series. Great stuff but I cannot recommend those authored by Strickland who continued a series after Bellair's death they are not well written. Sherlock Holmes mysteries are amazing and well worth exploring The Red Headed League is a great story. A contemporary author,Will Thomas,certainly modeled his protagonist after Holmes and I can recommend his series for your young man. Link here to his homepage

http://www.willthomasauthor.com/ I absolutely enjoy Laurie R King's series told from the perspective of Holmes having a romantic/mentoring relationship with an orphaned young woman the first is titledThe Beekeepers Apprentice Obviously a great fan here and possibly one of the Baker Street Irregulars once upon a time before lawyering and hsing took over my existence...

 

 

Bellairs is a favorite here in this house as well. We are partial to the Lewis Barnavelt series. There are about ten of these as well with about half written by Strickland. I agree that he is not as good as Bellairs but we still enjoy the series. I read these when I was about 10-12. They were out of print for awhile and I was so happy to find them again when my kids were younger. They have been family read alouds repeatedly. We have thought about branching out to some of his other series but just haven;t gotten around to it yet.

[KidsHappen]

Oh, I wanted to add that IMO, your son read the best King book first. It is hard to follow up the Stand!

 

 

I agree. This is one of my favorite books period and definitely SK's best.

[LaxMom]

 

The Talisman!! He'll love it! Its my favorite SK book, I've read them all. I started at around 11 or so, and I'm not warped...much.

 

:lol:

 

 

 

I also really enjoyed It, The Tommyknockers, and The Shining. And the Dark Tower series, though they peter out in the last books. Some of SK stuff is fab, some is schlock, little is "literature", but they are very entertaining.

 

 

:iagree: YES! Second to the Stand, the Talisman is my absolute favorite.

 

"It" gave me nightmares. As an adult. Seriously. :001_huh:

 

And, yes, there is fab to schlock, little is literature, but what Stephen King is is a storyteller.

 

(I started about the same age, with Salem's Lot, and never had any difficulties with differentiating my life from a Stephen King novel... I'm pretty sure I turned out ok, productive member of society and all that)

Edited May 1, 2009 by MyCrazyHouse

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

Agatha Christie is one of my favorite authors.

 

I prefer Miss Marple and Poirot to Tommy and Tuppence.

 

The first Miss Marple books I read when I was young were Nemesis and Sleeping Murder.

 

Death Comes as the End is a historical mystery set in Egypt.

 

The very first Poirot book is The Mysterious Affair at Styles, and the Last is Curtain which takes place in the same setting. Curtain is one of my very favorite Christie mysteries. Otherwise I don't think it makes a whole lot of difference what order you read the books.