11 Plus Exams Forum

One of my twins loves fantasy books, Terry Pratchett, (in fact it was him in the news that reminded me), Tolkein, loads and loads more, a rich seam to mine and no shortage of ideas there. For his brother its much harder.
- Doesn't like fantasy
- Like ghoulish series like The Enemy, the Charlie Grigson series (and done Young Bond too), the Michael Grant Fear etc, Hunger Games, 100 club etc etc.
He read all Michael Morpurgos
- He also wants to read The Fault in Our Stars but I'm wondering if subject matter too real life upsetting? (As opposed to zombie worlds!)
- He won't even entertain the 9-12 section now! Annoying as still lots there but he is 11 going on 20 and can't stand the thought of being in the 'baby' section - I know I know!!! Its a bit like rejecting the whole of 'fantasy', but if he won't try it I can't force him. So he only goes to the teenage section if we are in bookshop or library.

Any suggestions?

The Cirque Du Freak books by Darren Shan are a good read. Enjoyed by both of my children, myself and my 72yr old mother

Oh, off to look, thanks

My DD really liked the Cherub series by Robert Muchamore

Reading Mum wrote:My DD really liked the Cherub series by Robert Muchamore

Ditto DS, and the Henderson Boys books which someone here previously recommended.
Most of DS's female friends read The Fault in Our Stars when they were in year 6 and I don't remember any reporting any trauma. He hasn't read it though ...

JD

DD (aged 12) has read the Fault in our Stars and wasn't upset by it.

thats good to know, thanks.

think he's read some Cherub

Not at all a fantaisy books (I hate fantaisy books and I am a Morpurgo fan though I consider his books are for primary school children):

The other side of the truth by Beverly Naidoo

Face by Benjamin Zephania

If he likes these, please tell me so, I will try to remember the other authors I enjoyed reading some 10 years ago... I am an avid adult reader, but went through reading teenage books beside some classics as English is not my first language... and also to read with my son and/or keep up with him and his interests + 'follow' my DD when she was a teenager.

I still read with pleasure the last Morpurgo book last summer (Listen to the moon) as I always keep an eye on his publications DS didn't read it as he feel the needs to be challenged. Should I be ashamed?

Oh thank you Jane Eyre - I will suggest these and download a sample for him (love the kindle for this!)

Hi Yamin.

Did he try some old classics like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ? The level of sentence structures and vocabulary in these old classics is usually excellent, and at a far better level than many of the 'modern' books.

I recently read 'the woman in black' ( a modern book but where the English is not too poor) , but it is a ghost story so maybe not the taste of your DS? More for your other twin?
My DS is now reading the turn of the screw by Henry James. I tend to trust this kind of old classics after having read a modern book aimed at teenagers with modern themes and plenty of bad language and mild sex language!!