Fantasy Recs for 11-y.o. boy?

[JSWolf]

I've never had a problem as a teen reading books with a male or female lead. But to be honest, most books in fantasy and SF are written with a male lead.

Discworld does have both male and female leads. Mostly male, but sometimes females do get front and center.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've never had a problem as a teen reading books with a male or female lead. But to be honest, most books in fantasy and SF are written with a male lead.

We're reading a very different set of books in F/SF then, you and me!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by meeera

We're reading a very different set of books in F/SF then, you and me!

I just read books that appealed to me or authors I liked. I wasn't thinking "Oh, this is a girl's book" when there was a female lead. It was just another book I read and hopefully enjoyed. heck, I've read some where the lead (or one of the leads) wasn't human.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Rbneader

And I have to say - I think you're doing him a disservice by focusing on male protagonists. Most children at that age don't have a problem separating 'main character in a book' and 'my self', and sometimes a difference makes things even more interesting. What else do we read fantasy for then to explore other worlds and perspectives?

Thanks for the suggestions. I believe what I said was, I presumed that he preferred male leads, but didn't know that factually. I've sent him WIT and The Dark is Rising sets; I"ll send him whatever catches my eye next. I'm not married to all-male protags. I would have cheerfully sent him the Golden Compass books, but again, that's a religious issue I don't want to get into yet. And the Harper Hall books (Pern) definitely have a female lead.

I definitely don't think the Discworld or Shannara series are appropriate for 11 year olds. The one Shannara book I tried had rape in it. Discworld will mostly go over his head. Also, even the YA Discworld books push Wiccan religion pretty hard. His parents might not want to have that discussion yet. My family also didn't think the Pern books were OK for tweens - some are, but many aren't because of sexual content - so YMMV on how much his parents like that one. Might be good to wait a few years?

Well, I read LOTR at that age, so to me, Shannara is pretty much an easier read of similar material. I don't recall *any* rape in any Shannara book, and I think I read...5 of them, perhaps? I can't speak to Discworld, vis-a-vis ever noting what religion was pushed, but again, if it's even a possible issue now, I'll veer away.

I don't think that the Pern books are fine for tweens, and I believe I said that. The lack of sexual consent issue is too much, IMHO, for an 11-y.o. I do think that the Harper Hall trilogy, by AM, is. I will be sending him that, too, as soon as I've sucked him in with the first two sets that should be arriving shortly.

Thanks!
Hitch

[dickloraine]

I don't see how the witches in Discworld push wiccan religion. Esme is as much an atheist as is possible in a world where gods are confirmed to exist. And I think Margaret (who don't appears in the ya books) is used to make fun about new age religions. I realy can't see much wiccan in them, besides that wicca draws upon the same sources of mythology. But Pratchetts witches are something unique and frankly counteract to the image of them in fairy tales.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by dickloraine

But Pratchetts witches are something unique and frankly counteract to the image of them in fairy tales.

Except for Black Aliss....

[Bilbo1967]

To suggest that the Discworld books "push Wiccan religion pretty hard" is just plain wrong. My 11 year old son is reading them now and I have no concerns about having to have "that discussion".

Why would anybody think that it did? Contains witches = Wiccan doesn't work I'm afraid.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

To suggest that the Discworld books "push Wiccan religion pretty hard" is just plain wrong. My 11 year old son is reading them now and I have no concerns about having to have "that discussion".

Why would anybody think that it did? Contains witches = Wiccan doesn't work I'm afraid.

They do, however, contain frequent mention of gods, and a devout Christian may have issues with this. There is a specific prohibition in the Bible against mentioning the name of any other god (Exodus 23:13).

Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips.

Depends how much of a "Biblical Literalist" the parents concerned are.

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by HarryT

They do, however, contain frequent mention of gods, and a devout Christian may have issues with this. There is a specific prohibition in the Bible against mentioning the name of any other god. Depends how much of a "Biblical Literalist" the parents concerned are.

Yes, in the context of censorship to ensure that your child grows up with the same set of irrational beliefs as you it makes sense.

[dickloraine]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Depends how much of a "Biblical Literalist" the parents concerned are.

Since he is allowed to read the Percey Jackson books, this doesn't seem to be a problem

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by dickloraine

Since he is allowed to read the Percey Jackson books, this doesn't seem to be a problem

A very valid point, to be sure.

[WillAdams]

John Christopher "The Sword of the Spirits" trilogy:

- The Prince in Waiting
- Beyond the Burning Lands
- The Sword of the Spirits

Aside from the idea that case hardening a sword is a good idea, it's a decent read.

[JSWolf]

Discworld is not religious and where it does mention gods and such, it does so in a make fun of way. It's not serious and it's humorous. A lot of fantasy books mention gods of some kind. If you let that stop you from reading, then you close yourself off to a lot of fantasy.

Discworld is a fun series that makes fun of a lot of fantasy stories. It doesn't take religious seriously at all. The witches have nothing to do with Wicca. In fact in one of the books, a od is turned into a small turtle. It's just fun and well worth reading.

[sakura-panda]

My own 11 year old is still asleep, but as the primary book purchaser (LOL) I know his favorite series (that I think may be fantasy but am not certain) are:

* Anything by Brandon Mull (Fablehaven, The Beyonders, The Candy Shop War, one of the Spirit Animals books)
* Anything by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Heroes of Olympus, The Kane Chronicles, some of The 39 Clues series.)

He is collecting a series by Tui T. Sutherland (who has also written one of the Spirit Animals books) called Wings of Fire. (Book 6 just came out this week; our copy should be here on Saturday.)

I almost forgot about Warriors by Erin Hunter; feral cats organized in colonies *must* be fantasy, right? The main novels are fairly short, but there are some longer "super editions" and electronic novellas too. Wiki link to all series Goodreads link to the first series

I hope this helps. He is also a fan of the Middle School books by James Patterson, the Big Nate (not comic strip) novels, and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books but those types of series do not seem to be as prevalent as fantasy ones.

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by sakura-panda

My own 11 year old is still asleep, but as the primary book purchaser (LOL) I know his favorite series (that I think may be fantasy but am not certain) are:

* Anything by Brandon Mull (Fablehaven, The Beyonders, The Candy Shop War, one of the Spirit Animals books)
* Anything by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Heroes of Olympus, The Kane Chronicles, some of The 39 Clues series.)

He is collecting a series by Tui T. Sutherland (who has also written one of the Spirit Animals books) called Wings of Fire. (Book 6 just came out this week; our copy should be here on Saturday.)

I almost forgot about Warriors by Erin Hunter; feral cats organized in colonies *must* be fantasy, right? The main novels are fairly short, but there are some longer "super editions" and electronic novellas too. Wiki link to all series Goodreads link to the first series

I hope this helps. He is also a fan of the Middle School books by James Patterson, the Big Nate (not comic strip) novels, and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books but those types of series do not seem to be as prevalent as fantasy ones.

GMTA!

Originally Posted by Nyssa

As to additional recommendations:
Both that son and his twin sister are enjoying the Middle School series; they've read the first 4. It is realistic fiction, however, instead of fantasy.

But..

How could I forget about the Warrior Cat series!?! My 11 year old daughter is obsessed with them; so much so, in fact, that she got her twin brother, and her cousin (who is male and also 11) into the series! Not to mention the many friends at school who also love the series.

Warning - The reading order can be confusing as it is a huge series made up of sub series. I find this page (Warriorcats.com - Books) to be very useful!

The main series begins with the second row, just called "Warriors". The first row "Dawn of the Clans" is actually a prequel-sub series that is still being written.

Interesting tidbit - Erin Hunter is a pseudonym for the collection of authors writing these books.

I also second Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and suggest the "girl equivalent" Dork Diaries.