Need help "grabbing the intrest" of 12-year-old boy

[wayspooled]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

Mary Renault's 'Alexander Trilogy' is some of the best historical fiction I've ever read.

I thought about recommending that. I remember reading it when I was 15 or 16 and it very well written. Then I thought maybe he should be a little older than 12.

Mary Stewart's easyreading King Arthur/Merlin cycle might suit him. Howard Pyle's Robin Hood. There are abridged young adult versions of many adventure classics available like Three Musketeers and Ivanhoe and G.A. Henty wrote lots of young adult historical adventures some of which are available at Mobileread. And something I read when I was about his age was Bulfinch's Mythology and it sort of enhanced anything else I read about Athens and Sparta. Other than that, I'd check out the scene for reprints of Classics Illustrated comics.

[hnoto]

Originally Posted by toomanybooks

Has he read Heinlein? Anything Heinlein wrote before Starship Troopers would be great for a twelve year old. I recommend Have Spacesuit Will Travel as a starter book.

Just be careful with some of his later books; some have a lot of sexual content. I can't remember if Spacesuit is one of them. He did write some books for teens/younger kids and those would be appropriate.

[hnoto]

My 10 yo advanced reader loved the Riordan books. He also likes the Stoneheart trilogy, by Charlie Fletcher, Here There Be Dragons by James E Owen and The Seventh Tower books by Garth Nix.

I don't think any of these are Greek; but are fantasy-types and are at the level of a 12-13 year old boy. I'll keep thinking of other books my kids/students like. You might also look for some books on the Greeks themselves--myths, etc.

[sirbruce]

Originally Posted by hnoto

Just be careful with some of his later books; some have a lot of sexual content. I can't remember if Spacesuit is one of them. He did write some books for teens/younger kids and those would be appropriate.

I think 12 is a perfectly appropriate time to be exposing a young lad to broader sexual themes, lest he grow up to be a prude.

[queentess]

Originally Posted by sirbruce

I think 12 is a perfectly appropriate time to be exposing a young lad to broader sexual themes, lest he grow up to be a prude.

Yeah, depends on the kid though. I was reading through all of Stephen King and Brian Lumley when I was 11 and had several friends who did the same. I don't think it's unusual. Probably would have preferred Heinlein if I'd but had someone to point me in the right direction.

I recently read Heinlein's Red Planet and thought it was delightful. I want to say the protagonist is around 11 or 12 years old, so it might be perfect. Definitely a quick book though.

[hnoto]

Originally Posted by sirbruce

I think 12 is a perfectly appropriate time to be exposing a young lad to broader sexual themes, lest he grow up to be a prude.

Bruce,
I agree to a point, however it depends on the kid and the parent. Some kids are ready and some aren't. Also, some books are a bit sexual/sensual and some are a bit over the top.

[mgrunk]

G.A. Henty books - http://www.henty.com/ - he wrote historical fiction books - lots of adventure and action. I like mobileread has several already formatted.

[Barcey]

I've read David Gemmell's Troy trilogy and I'd recommend it for him. I didn't find it a heavy read at all and I'm often accused of having the maturity of a 12 year old.

It's written in a very heroic manner and is very entertaining. I think he'd find it much more entertaining then the original Iliad and Odyssey.

[Elsi]

Originally Posted by purl4peace

I have an extremely bright 12-year-old boy who is fascinated by ancient greek battles -- Thermopylae is his favorite. He blew through the Rick Riordan series with each book taking him about a day to read.

Right now, he is reading the Demonata series by Darren Shan.

Nancy, quickly snatch up The Merchant of Death by D J Mc Hale if it's still free at the Sony store. I picked up the PDF from the author's site and then the Kindle edition when it was free there.

Fourteen-year-old Bobby Pendragon, having learned he is a Traveler--someone who can ride "flumes" through time and space, is soon off to alternative dimensions to prevent the evil Saint Dane from destroying all the dimensions.

The 10th and final book in the series was released in the past 4 weeks.

[wayspooled]

Ya know, I've poked at this Sparta, Peloponnesian War thing a couple times this week looking for some other books but I can't find much. Before I steered him into science fiction which he may never come out of, I'd take advantage of his interest in history and maybe try C.S. Forester's Hornblower books and if he digs that, on to Alexander Kent and Patrick O'Brian and Bernard Cornwell. Thomas Costain wrote a bunch of historical novels but not series. Rafael Sabatini's Captain Blood (pirates) and Scaramouche (French Revolution). Like I mentioned before, Mary Stewart for the King Arthur stuff, G.A. Henty for excellent historical adventures for early teens. Alexandre Dumas The Three Musketeers (I'd go the kids abridged version first). Arthur Conan Doyle's The White Company. Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe and The Talisman and Quentin Durward. Stevenson's Kidnapped and David Balfour. And if he's interested in horses at all, Walter Farley's books about The Black Stallion from which they made that movie, is a whole series.

[ErwinOtten]

Wilbur Smith wrote some decent historical novels. Not about Greece but there are nice ones about Egypt (starting with River God) and Africa (The Sunbird). I think they are accessible for a twelve year old.

And if he likes fantasy I recommend The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, with his reading speed he should burn through the eleven books

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by wayspooled

...I'd take advantage of his interest in history and maybe try C.S. Forester's Hornblower books ...

That's a great suggestion!!
I thought those books were fantastic when I was 12-13; I went through the lot one after the other, and read nothing else while I was doing it. I was heartbroken when there were no more to read.

[wayspooled]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

That's a great suggestion!!
I thought those books were fantastic when I was 12-13; I went through the lot one after the other, and read nothing else while I was doing it. I was heartbroken when there were no more to read.

Me too

I have an observation after looking around. No wonder people suggest sci-fi. All of these young adult suggested reading lists put out by public libraries and various government sources seem to think history started in the 1600's.

To the thread starter - If you're visiting the library with him, you might take a look at --- World Historical Fiction: An Annotated Guide to Novels for Adults and Young Adults (Hardcover) by Lynda G. Adamson. That might be able to help you some.

[rebarnmom]

Originally Posted by Elsi

Nancy, quickly snatch up The Merchant of Death by D J Mc Hale if it's still free at the Sony store. I picked up the PDF from the author's site and then the Kindle edition when it was free there. The 10th and final book in the series was released in the past 4 weeks.

That's what I was going to suggest as well. I just finished reading the first one in the series and I already want to get the next one. They seem to be located in the young adult section of the public library. When I was that age, I was really into the Wrinkle in Time series (which I've re-read as an adult several times), which is why I thought I'd like the Pendragon series. Book One really kept my interest and now I'm hooked!

[jsadd]

I have a nephew about that age & he has really enjoyed Mercedes Lacky.
Its great your son is reading!