Stephen King Fans discussion
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Help with recommendations for my 13 year old
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Dani
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Aug 19, 2011 05:45PM
She's read The Long Walk and The Talisman and she's already hooked (God, I love this kid - third generation SK lover - woner what Uncle Stevie would think about that?!). Thinking The Body next. Any other age approprate stuff? She isn't ready for hardcore horror yet, she gets pretty freaked out.
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Steve wrote: "Eyes of the Dragon!!!"I'd second this one...
I would go with either one of the above mentioned.
I have to agree with Eyes of the Dragon and add Cycle of the Werewolf.
Steve wrote: "Eyes of the Dragon!!!"read this around her age, and to this day, it's still my favourite King book.
I second the The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. I mean how scary can it be if they made this book: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon: A Pop-up Book.
Where can I find a list of all the books Stephen King wrote in the order he wrote and/or they were published? Thanks.
Ah, forgot I put Eyes of the Dragon on her list. Duh.
I haven't read Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon yet so I wasn't sure how appropriate that was. Thanks. She did tell me today that she can handle scary books, just not scary movies. She, her friend TJ and I were discussing the fact that he had read Carrie and I said it was my first SK book when I was in 6th grade. This was when she informed me she could handle scary books. Perhaps I should let her test the waters with Carrie.
Carrie would prepare her for high school hell, lol...Eyes of the Dragon, I'd agree with, also The Body or Four Seasons in its entirety is amazing.
Lena, you mean, Different Seasons, right?
Holy crap, I read this book probably 25 years ago and never even realized I read Shawshank way back when. Damn. Firestarter is an excellent suggestion. I'll add it to the list.
She's read for fun all summer and I'm being a mean mom and gave her a list of 'classic' literature to choose from for her next book. She had to choose from Flowers for Algernon, Lord of the Flies, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, or Watership Down. She chose Lord of the Flies.
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and Eyes of the Dragon are the first two to come to mind for sure. I think Carrie or a lot of the other books would be "okay", too, but it all depends on the young reader, of course! :) I spent a summer in the early '90s reading everything King had published up to that point and I was 11 or 12. As far as I know, that is not to blame for any of the many things that are wrong with me. ;)
Dani wrote: "Holy crap, I read this book probably 25 years ago and never even realized I read Shawshank way back when. Damn. Firestarter is an excellent suggestion. I'll add it to the list.
She's read for fu..."
My guess is that she will have to read Lord of Flies before she graduates from high school.
She probably will. Most likely 10th grade-ish. I think that's when I had to read it, but I like to have her a bit ahead of the game ;). I was hoping she'd choose Watership Down. I think she'd love it. I was really surprised she chose LOTF.
Eyes of the Dragon, Different Seasons Salem's Lot, some will disagree on this one but I think it's appropriate.
Dani wrote: "She probably will. Most likely 10th grade-ish. I think that's when I had to read it, but I like to have her a bit ahead of the game ;). I was hoping she'd choose Watership Down. I think she'd love ..."When I was in the 10th grade, everybody read the book, but my English class, but I read the book by then anyway.
I didn't think the book Carrie was near as scarey as the movie. Course I didnt' read the book til about 15 years after I saw the movie.The Girl that Loved Tom Gordon isn't scarey. Hearts in Atlantis is okay, not scarey. Might not be age appropriate for her. The mom does get raped by her boss.
From a Buick 8.
Anne Frank?! You ARE a mean mom! That book was just awful for me! SO boring! I found myself wishing she'd die already. I didn't finish it. I had 5 chapters left, skipped to the last one read it, called it good.
Insomnia was good. Weird but good. Not too scarey just weird.
Dreamcatcher was weird and good too.
Wait, aren't they all kinda weird? lol
Kevin wrote: "Lena, you mean, Different Seasons, right?"Lol...yes. Heat has fried my brain. :) I was not thinking of a nice cool hotel swimming pool AT ALL when i wrote thtat.
Lena wrote: "Kevin wrote: "Lena, you mean, Different Seasons, right?"Lol...yes. Heat has fried my brain. :) I was not thinking of a nice cool hotel swimming pool AT ALL when i wrote thtat."
Its cool. It happens to the best of us all the time.
Shannon wrote: "I didn't think the book Carrie was near as scarey as the movie. Course I didnt' read the book til about 15 years after I saw the movie.The Girl that Loved Tom Gordon isn't scarey. Hearts in Atlan..."
I hated Anne Frank too, but my mother made me read it! At least I gave her a choice, lol :D
After anyone of the above, The Talisman would be the next to go for.
Agrimorfee wrote: "After anyone of the above, The Talisman would be the next to go for."Yes, I was going to say The Talisman
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Shannon wrote: "Anne Frank?! You ARE a mean mom! That book was just awful for me! SO boring! I found myself wishing she'd die already. I didn't finish it. I had 5 chapters left, skipped to the last one read it, called it good. "Wow... So boring you wished she'd just die? That's pretty heartless!
I didn't find the book boring at all. I remember feeling terrified that she would be found. That was my first experience with WWII/Nazi lit, and since then I've read quite a bit more of it because I find it fascinating from both sides.
Regarding Lord of the Flies - I never read that one in school, but then I never read a lot of things in school.
Chris wrote: "Except that Dani mentions in her opening message that she's read The Talisman."Hmm, I did miss that didn't I? Whoops... Oh well, it's a great book, I can't pimp it enough :)
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While I would very much recommend Black House (the sequel) to adults, probably not so much to a 13 year old. The tone shifts very much to adult in nature and it's very dark.
I don't think The Talisman is appropriate for a 13-year-old..
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But that said, why do you say that, Dustin?
I was around 11 when I first read it, summer between 5th and 6th grade if I remember right. I adored it. Jack was great, I could relate to him so well, wanted to go on the adventure with him. Yea there's swearing and violence and probably some talk of smexy-type stuff too, I don't remember for sure, but I didn't and still don't think it was inappropriate for me. Heck I was only 9 when I read Cujo and Eyes of the Dragon. So it's up to the child how well they can handle reading about that stuff I guess. I don't think it messed me up lol. Well, I am a bit strange perhaps, but hey... :D
How about Blaze? I found it rather touching, not at all scary.
Chris wrote: "I guess it's too late, since the one Dani is asking about has already read it. LOL.But that said, why do you say that, Dustin?"
Well, due to the violence, obscene language, and adult themes, I just don't think The Talisman's appropriate for one so young. Perhaps The Girl That Loved Tom Gordon or The Eyes of The Dragon would suit the 13-year-old better..
I prescreened it for her after having re-read it just recently and thought it was something she could handle. She liked it ;) Of course, she didn't LOVE it as much as I did. Turd.Each parent has to form their own opinion, I suppose, and what's right for one parent/child may not be for another.
Dustin's opinion is that it is too mature, and that is perfectly ok for him ;)
Dani wrote: "Each parent has to form their own opinion, I suppose, and what's right for one parent/child may not be for another. "I SO agree with this.
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OK, Dustin. I was curious what elements you thought that about. I had always thought of Talisman as one of King's less severe books.
I think Tom Gordon is just right for 13 though. My oldest daughter was about that age when I recommended it to her and she's a solid King fan now at age....well, more than 13.
LOL, Chris.I think I'll have to be concerned when my 10 year old is sneaking 'Carrie' under the sheets with a flashlight like I did . . . but I was 11. SO much older and more mature!
See, my husband and I have differing opinions on what is suitable literature. Guess it's a good thing he's never read ol' Uncle Stevie and I'm the one with the English degree :p. I'll let him stick to Patterson and Grisham and he can leave the kid's reading screenings to me.
Thanks everyone for your insight!! It is much appreciated and will be taken into consideration.
The Girl Who Loved Tom GordonDifferent Seasons and see if she can handle The Gunslinger. I know that most of us adults can't even understand The Gunslinger, but she is young and has more brain cells... :DLove 3rd generations SK lovers!!
YW.. anytime I can corrupt a young mind with Stephen King I will!!...seriously... I will. :D(my kids won't read him, because they're whusses, obviously)... Don't tell them I said that... :O
This thread made me think of an essay I once wrote called "My Mother's Secret Stash of Stephen King" which I've gone and posted on my blog in case anyone is interested!http://brianjamesfreeman.wordpress.co...
Brian
Holy crap... I must have totally missed your intro, Brian. I didn't know you were a member here! Or if I did, I didn't know you were YOU. LOL I recently read The Painted Darkness and I LOVED it. And then I made my friend Jen read it, and she loved it too. Great stuff.
Welcome to the group! :D
(And I'll stop being creepy now. Maybe.)
Great Essay, Brian! Made me think about how also discovered Matheson and Ray Bradbury after I started reading King. I had tried to read Farenheit 451 when I was 13 and couldn't get through it (love it now) but I loved October Country which I read after it was referenced in Dreamcatcher.
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