Suggest a good book for a 10-yr-old

[bassteban]

Went through #1 son's books yesterday & after tossing out all the far-too-young stuff, I have TONS of room for new material. He likes Roald Dahl. Suggestions?

[Phalex]

Tolkien. I read the Hobbit for the first time around that age. The Count Of Monte Cristo is awesome as well. Maybe some Steinbeck?

Yeah, I'm kinda big on the classic stuff.

[MakiSupaStar]

+1 for The Hobbit. Alice in Wonderland (especially since the movie is coming out soon), A Wrinkle in Time.

[Jared Lash]

[Mitch Hedberg]Any book is a children's book if the kid can READ![/Mitch Hedberg]

The Hobbit is a good one. The remaining Tolkien is at much higher reading level. If he likes detective stuff I remember reading Encyclopedia Brown around that age. I've never read any of them and this may seem obvious, but Harry Potter seems popular.

[7StringBassist]

the chronicles of Narnia 1-7
no movies just books

[XtreO]

I liked Harry Potter when I was like 11 (and still do ). Perhaps read that to him? Or consider "Boy" by Roald Dahl.

Also, 1+ for Narnia. 1- for Steinbeck and The Count of Monte Cristo, save that till he is at least 14. Stenbeck was a great writer, the Grapes of Wrath especially I liked, but writers like him and Hemingway and the 'mature' Roald Dahl should be saved till after one is 13 years old, because then you can really apprecialte it. I for one read all those three during English lessons from when I was 13 to about 15.

[Din Of Win]

Originally Posted by 7StringBassist

no movies just books

This.

Also... for real, 10 year olds don't NEED tween books. When i was 10 i was reading Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton, The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe, and Post Scarcity Anarchism by Murray Bookchin... and understanding all of it to a high degree.

Give the youngin's more credit and do NOT dumb stuff down for them. Play to their interests. Just because they are 10 doesn't mean they need books with dragons and fantasy to be entertained...

[iamlowsound]

Tolkien. I read Lord of the Rings the first time at 12, so 10 shouldn't be pushing it if he is a good reader. The Hobbit is also great, leave the rest of Tolkien's work until he is older. Narnia is also great.

lowsound

[kesslari]

Great new series of books, fun for that age, setting the Greek pantheon in the modern day (and those Guys are still siring children, who are the semi-divine Heros of this age).
The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, starting with "The Lightning Thief".
http://www.amazon.com/Percy-Jackson-...3822984&sr=8-2

My son (13) devoured them, insisted my wife and I read them and we also enjoyed the heck outta them. His friends read through them at an average of 1-2 books per day. Very fun and absorbing.

Chapter 1 of the first books is titled "I accidentally vaporize my Pre-Algebra teacher".

[CrispyDelicious]

Originally Posted by 7StringBassist

the chronicles of Narnia 1-7
no movies just books

I really liked the Narnia series, but as a nonreligious person, I found the western-religion analogies a bit over the top at times. I'd be reading happily along and suddenly hit a section that was a real dud with its preachyness. As a fairytale, it's a great series, but heavy on the goddities.

[bongomania]

Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" series is pretty good for that age group. Apparently there's religion in those books too, but I didn't see it that way, it wasn't obtrusive.

Poe and Lovecraft are about right, if he likes spooky things. Also, Roald Dahl wrote some non-children's books as well, and they are very good.

Never too early to start him on Animal Farm and Fahrenheit 451.

[Pilgrim]

A book called Deep Wood, by Ellseton Trevor. It's in the same genre as The Wind In The Willows (which also may be something to try), but quite a different story. Trevor (a pen name) wrote two or three related books that use the same woodland and river animal characters.

OTOH, at age 10 I was starting on R.A. Heinlein. Try "Have Spacesuit, Will Travel" or "The Star Beast" and you may get that young man hooked on the greatest Science Fiction author in history. He wrote a number of books and short stories that are great for kids. He could read Heinlein for years and grow with the books. By 16 or 18 he should be reading "Stranger In A Strange Land".

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Never too early to start him on Animal Farm and Fahrenheit 451.

I remember reading Animal Farm for school in 6th grade and not once did our teacher mention that it was an allegory of pre-WWII Soviet Union.

That's a book that really requires understanding of what is being satirized to really be enjoyed.

[bassteban]

Thanks for all, guys. I will try the Hobbit for *starters*(he's actually been a great reader from a very early age)as well as some of the sci-fi stuff- he's nuts about Star Wars. I also read sci-fi pretty early- maybe 11 or 12. Spooky=not for him(not his style, not me being over-protective).

[Din Of Win]

Originally Posted by Jared Lash

I remember reading Animal Farm for school in 6th grade and not once did our teacher mention that it was an allegory of pre-WWII Soviet Union.

That's a book that really requires understanding of what is being satirized to really be enjoyed.

Ah, but it also is really nice to have read them at a young age and revisit them later on.

I'm re-reading Watirship Down right now, and 26 year old me has a whole different perspective than 14 year old me when i first read it.



Also, big ol' +1 for Dahl. How cool/lame/awesome/crazy is it that Wes Anderson is doing the new film adaptation of Fantastic Mr. Fox?! and in Stop motion!!!



Also, as an actual 'kid' book reccomendation;

THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH. un-freaking-touchable in the realm of children's fiction.

Also... A Wrinkle in Time, Maniac McGee, Where the Red Fern Grows (to make you all ).


I'm going to go through my library when i get home...

[Thor]

Here's some classics:

Jules Verne - 20,000 Leagues under the Sea.
H.G. Wells - The Time Machine, The Invisible Man

At that age I loved the classic L. Frank Baum series, the illustrated ones. Ozma of Oz, Rinkitink in Oz, Tik-Tok of Oz
etc.

Mark Twain - Tom Sawyer

Robert Louis Stevenson - Treasure Island, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (that might be a bit dark).

Robert Heinlein - Space Cadet, Rocket Ship Galileo, Tunnel in the Sky, Podkayne of Mars.
(Edit: I see he was already suggested, I highly concur.)

The E.E. 'Doc' Smith books -The Lensman Series and the
Skylark of Valeron Series

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - The Lost World.

Edgar Rice Burroughs - The Tarzan Series, the Mars Series,
The Pellucidar Series.

[XtreO]

Originally Posted by Jared Lash

I remember reading Animal Farm for school in 6th grade and not once did our teacher mention that it was an allegory of pre-WWII Soviet Union.

That's a book that really requires understanding of what is being satirized to really be enjoyed.

When I read it, I just regarded it as an amusing story. I think an 10 year old can like Animal Farm, and perhaps look back on it later and realise "wow, that was what the book was all about". When I had that revelation, I of course read it again from another perspective, which was quite enjoying.

If he like sci-fi, how about the Hitchhiker's Guide series?

[MusicBokonon]

I don't remember much from my single-digit and 10-year-old days, other than sniffing glue and subsequently passing out. I do remember reading Brian Jacques, though. Fairly big books, but lots of fun to read.

[DigMe]

I teach 4th grade and I read a lot of the books that my students read. The best newer juvenile fiction book that I've read in the past year or two was Tangerine by Edward Bloor. Great story that deals with racial and socioeconomic issues. I found it very entertaining but thought-provoking as well. I have also enjoyed the series whose name I have forgotten but the first two books in the series are Tunnels and Deeper. Kind of a sci-fi I guess you could say except it deals with a society that secretly exists underground that is discovered by a couple of young boys. The boys uncover a sinister plot to wipe out the upper world. Also, for a seriously cool, different and artistic book check out The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Very cool book that's a combo of novel and graphic novel with other visual mediums as well and it has an intriguing storyline. My kids have all loved it. The A Series of Unfortunate Events series is extremely creative, funny and clever. They are a really fun read. Also the Harry Potter series is always a winner with those who are into that kind of story.

Those are ones that come to mind right now. I drop some others later if I think of them. These are all winners...believe me. I see what the kids read and discuss these books with them day-in and day-out. Tangerine is one that I read and haven't really seen any other kids reading since our library doesn't have it but it's a really good story with some pretty crazy and unexpected things happening.

Originally Posted by Din Of Win

This.

Also... for real, 10 year olds don't NEED tween books. When i was 10 i was reading Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton, The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe, and Post Scarcity Anarchism by Murray Bookchin... and understanding all of it to a high degree.
.

So we should all be exactly like you or were you just wanting to show everyone how smart you are? Different kids have different reading levels. To try and say that all 10 year olds should read books aimed at adults shows a great ignorance of juvenile literacy and learning. I have some students who come to me only able to read and understand 2nd grade level books and some who come to me perfectly comfortable reading much higher level books.

bc

[MusicBokonon]

Originally Posted by DigMe

I have also enjoyed the series whose name I have forgotten but the first two books in the series are Tunnels and Deeper. Kind of a sci-fi I guess you could say except it deals with a society that secretly exists underground that is discovered by a couple of young boys. The boys uncover a sinister plot to wipe out the upper world.

Downsiders? Even if that's not it, I'd still recommend Downsiders. Think Lord of the Rings meets sewer people. Kind of.