book recs for kids

[kivrin]

Anyone want to chime in with book recs for Christmas presents for my cousins? They're very sporty boys, aged 9 and 11, and neither of them had much use for books until they belatedly got the Harry Potter bug this summer.

For the nine-year-old, I'm thinking to get Half Magic by Edward Eager and The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones. If Chris' Corner is out of either of those titles this evening, I'll go for something else by the same authors.

For the eleven-year-old, I have Lawrence Yep's Dragonwings that I've been holding in reserve since the summer, and I want to get something else. He's interested in U.S. History, Native Americans, and wilderness/naturalism - before he got into Harry Potter the books that had most caught his interest were My Side of the Mountain and The Sign of the Beaver.

Comments

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

Lordy, I'm so OOLLLLLDDDDD. All I can think of is Johnny Tremaine. But I loved that book!

[kivrin.livejournal.com]

I loved it too! 11-year-old may have it already... I'll have to check.

[headrush100.livejournal.com]

Argh! *flagellates self* Sorry - I meant to do this days ago, and it slipped my mind. Brain like a seive. This evening, I promise. It sounds like you're making great choices, in any case. Before I forget, a good preteen "wilderness" book might be 'Hatchet', by Gary Paulsen? It's about a teenager who survives a plane crash in the Canadian North Woods and has to learn to survive till he's rescued. It's the first of a series of three or four, and the author knows what he's talking about. Gary Paulsen doesn't sugar coat things!

Back later!

[kivrin.livejournal.com]

*hugs* No worries! My brain is swiss cheese, too... it's only because I've posted lists EVERYWHERE that I remember what I've yet got to do.

Hatchet is a great idea - the 9-y-o read it in school recently, but one of the sequels could be a hit.

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

A Series of Unfortunate Events, maybe the Chronicles of Narnia, any Jim Kjellgard you can find in print (dogs + outdoors), Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowatt (guy goes to live with wolves, nonfiction), Julie of the Wolves and its sequels (girl goes to live with wolves, fiction), the Tripods novels by John Christopher (YA SF), novels by Daniel Pinkwater (check the suggested ages on the covers, since he writes for really young kids, big kids, and teens at different times), The Mouse and His Child by Russell Hoban.

THANK YOU!

[kivrin.livejournal.com]

I didn't know about Jim Kjellgard. Never Cry Wolf is a terrific idea, as is Daniel Pinkwater. I almost gave 'em Julie of the Wolves a few years ago but then I remembered the rape. John Christopher is also a great idea. I don't know The Mouse and his Child at all - I'll look into that!

THANK YOU! Great ideas! I feel well-fortified.

Yay!

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

I think Julie only[!] gets forcibly tongue-kissed, but she definitely left because of the threat of rape, and now that you mention it, it was pretty upsetting at the time.

There are also one or two sequels to My Side of the Mountain.

[breadandroses.livejournal.com]

How about the Dark is Rising?

Or Calico Captive, if that isn't too girly for him.

[kivrin.livejournal.com]

Dark is Rising is a good idea. I considered Calico Captive but I worry it might be too girly.