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rachelmanija Feb. 22nd, 2012 01:06 pm)
rachelmanija Feb. 22nd, 2012 01:06 pm)I need recommendations for books which are likely to appeal to an 11-year-old who likes sf, fantasy, and the Alex Rider
series, AND to a 10-year-old who likes mysteries and Lemony Snicket
. To clarify: a single book must appeal to BOTH kids.
On a completely different topic, I double-checked with my Queer Narrative professor, and got an okay to do a fictional therapy session with a queer character from a historical work. He said to just insert myself-as-therapist into their historical context. I am leaning toward one of the heroines in Sarah Waters' Fingersmith
. Lots of issues regarding social narratives, personal "stories," "problem-saturated narratives," queerness, and "madness" there! (I could also counsel them as a couple, but we haven't yet gotten into couple's counseling so I don't feel on firm ground with that.)
series, AND to a 10-year-old who likes mysteries and Lemony Snicket. To clarify: a single book must appeal to BOTH kids. On a completely different topic, I double-checked with my Queer Narrative professor, and got an okay to do a fictional therapy session with a queer character from a historical work. He said to just insert myself-as-therapist into their historical context. I am leaning toward one of the heroines in Sarah Waters' Fingersmith
. Lots of issues regarding social narratives, personal "stories," "problem-saturated narratives," queerness, and "madness" there! (I could also counsel them as a couple, but we haven't yet gotten into couple's counseling so I don't feel on firm ground with that.)![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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You're writing a Mary Sue for school? (I don't mean that in a derogatory way - I think Mary Sues are awesome when they're well-written, and they sometimes are.)
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ETA: You can see some examples by clicking the "therapy for the fictional" tag. But those are diagnostic. This one involves no diagnosis, just a sample of actual therapy.
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Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge or Coraline by Neil Gaiman might work.
Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw involves spying and political shenanigans in ancient Egypt, though that might appeal more the 11 year old.
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The True Meaning of Smekday might also be good. It is somewhat less narratively complicated than Cryptid Hunters, and is about alien invasion and has a sort of Not-Disneyland theme to it. It's good but for someone who likes Stormbreaker I'd say Cryptid Hunters is a better fit (and not too disturbing for a 10 year old)
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Or The Dark Is Rising by Cooper? Also a classic.
Both are mystery/fantasy with spooky/historical elements.
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Thought of one more: House In Hiding, by Lyon. Don't know if it's still in print.
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Not that you need to push that, but you can let the 10 year old stumble across it once they get hooked on the series, presented as a normal part of life, etc.
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The books have to appeal to both kids, though. They might be a bit young for the older one.
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Skulduggery Pleasant (http://www.amazon.com/Skulduggery-Pleasant-Scepter-Ancients-ebook/dp/B003VIWNSU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1329946200&sr=1-1) (series)
The True Meaning of Smekday (http://www.amazon.com/The-True-Meaning-of-Smekday/dp/B003FOOGCG/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1329946325&sr=1-1-spell) (Highly rec'd!)
Midnight for Charlie Bone (http://www.amazon.com/Midnight-for-Charlie-Bone/dp/B0000YSMLU/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1329946373&sr=1-2) (Red King series) Not a bad riff on HP
The Ear, the Eye and the Arm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ear,_the_Eye_and_the_Arm) (Highly rec'd)
I'm betting the Percy Jackson ones you already know.
My oldest nephew is only 7, so most of the stuff I've gotten him is a bit too young. But I'll snag stuff that's too old for him as long as I don't mind reading it now- and all of the above were at the least readable.
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The Big Over Easy - Jasper Fforde
summary at Jasper Fforde's page. I LOVE these books (http://www.jasperfforde.com/dragon/dragon.html)
Only You Can Save Mankind - Terry Pratchett
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents - Terry Pratchett
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Also, omg, couple's therapy for Sue and Maud would be amazing. Where would you even begin?
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http://beamjockey.livejournal.com/188984.html
Some of them might be of interest, depending on how at-age or over your kids are.
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Other recs:
Philip Reeve's Larklight: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Outer Space, middle-grade steampunk with a tone exactly like what it sounds from the title (and with bonus adorable illustrations similar to what you get in the Series of Unfortunate Events)
Laurence Yep's City of Fire, a fantasy AU of the 1930's featuring an everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach to mythology and plotting, including tiny griffins, Kushite Amazons, and a dragon assassin disguised as a Pinkerton agent
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I love the Dido Twite books, but perhaps do not recommend them if you're looking for just 1 book, as they are best appreciated as accumulatively surreal.
The first book of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series is fairly complete in itself, and I feel all children should be issued copies of the series before their morals have quite closed up, like fontanelles.
My favorite mystery ever (which I reread so many times in fifth grade that I can recite stray sentences) is Ellen Raskin's The Westing Game. It does not have super-serious spy action, but there is an immense amount of sneaking around and also several times things blow up.
(Gosh, what is going well in Sue and Maud's relationship that they'd like to see more of? As much as I love Fingersmith, I have never been able to believe in the ending.)
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Sex?
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