Hannah's Book List for Teen Boys
Writing a list for teen boys/teen girls is hard, because the carry-over is very large. As I said on my Elementary School Girls list, I tend to like "boy books" more than "girl books." There are definite exceptions, but that is mostly me.
With the Teen lists though, I will also include parental warnings. It is up to you to decide whether or not these books are appropriate for your teen, and I bear no responsibility if you give this book to your child and material is objectionable to you, but I will try and give you an idea of what could be considered objectionable.
1. Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud (first is The Amulet of Samarkand)
Warnings: they are summoning demons, but it doesn't have Satanic overtones; some violence; questions about who is actually good (especially in the second)
2. Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner (first is The Maze Runner) Just a random note, I found out approximately two minutes ago that James Dashner is Mormon went to BYU...and yet, we decide to claim Stefanie Meyer as our alum over James Dashner? And maybe this explains why there are times when I'm reading and think, "There's some Mormon theology there...wonder if he knows it." He probably does.
Warnings: Violence. Sometimes very graphic, gritty violence. Especially gritty in Scorch Trials, especially emotionally trying in Death Cure.
3. The Queen's Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (first is The Thief)
Warnings: violence and torture throughout. Most descriptions focus on the blood, and not the guts, but still one of the acts of violence in the second is strong. Definite implied sex between a married couple in The King of Attolia. The first one I could even classify as a children's book, but after that, they are squarely Young Adult.
4. Michael Vey by Richard Paul Evans (first is Prisoner of Cell 25) First one is the author's first foray out of Christmas romance, so take it with a grain of salt. Much more developed characters by the second. Also, the main character has Tourette's (non-swearing...), so that could be encouraging to kids with disabilities
Warnings: Again...violence. Some of it quite graphic. As well as the emotional damage that that causes on a person. Brainwashing. Must include because my mother has a serious fear of rats (won't even watch Ratatouille): there are swarming rats in Rise of Elgen. And they do what swarming rats do.
5. Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (stand-alone)
Warnings: This one has a lot. Really great book in so many ways, and most of the "warnings" are analysis of those things and the emotional damage related to them, but topics include: drugs (from marijuana to LSD), smoking, alcohol, somewhat graphic sex, homosexuality, rape, abortion, child molestation, a character walks in on his sister being slapped by her boyfriend...am I forgetting anything? Sorry, if I am. The movie was toned-down.
6. Looking for Alaska by John Green (stand-alone)
Warnings: There's a collection again: heavy kissing, sex, oral sex, masturbation, suicide, pornography, drunk driving, fake IDs, smoking, and language that takes me right back to Inglemoor High School.
7. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (stand-alone) (Fault in Our Stars is probably the book most focused at girls by John Green, and I've liked all of his books to a degree)
Warnings: chewing tobacco, beer, some language, no actual sex, but references to male sex organs, a reference to oral sex, references to orgasms
8. Paper Towns by John Green (stand alone)
Warnings: references to sex and sex organs, some characters get EXTREMELY drunk, a road-trip includes various males peeing into bottles, references to an STD, fairly strong language, two characters are implied to have been having sex, vandalism.
9. Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (first is Fellowship of the Ring, unless you start with The Hobbit)
Warnings: Violence.
10. Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan (first is The Red Pyramid)
Warnings: Some violence (not too heavy), race issues where two siblings are mixed Caucasian/African but one looks black and the other looks white (beautifully handled), unclear of who is good and who is evil
11. Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan (a continuation of the Percy Jackson books, but not for small children) (first is The Lost Hero)
Warnings: violence (at times fairly heavy, but mostly only blood), discussion of same-sex attraction, but no actual homosexuality, several teenage couples who will kiss (none have sex, though one couple fall asleep in each other's arms innocently and their satyr "chaperone" goes bonkers about it).
12. Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (first is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Not Magician's Nephew. It was not published first, so it is not the first, no matter how modern publishers number the book spines)
Warnings: some violence, not very heavy ever. A lot of Christian allegory, so if you're not Christian, I guess you could find that objectionable
13. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (and the parallel series Ender's Shadow)
Warnings: violence (occasionally graphic, mostly not, just very disturbing), language, some male nudity (non-sexual).
14. Main carry-overs from the Elementary School Boy list: Percy Jackson, Holes, Artemis Fowl, Airman, The Giver
I know that it might seem like I just put a huge list of trashy novels here. Remember, I've put anything on there that any parent might find objectionable, even if it is merely one reference. Some of them, though, I would personally pause for any boy under fifteen or sixteen (Perks and any of the John Greens).
Another piece of advice: There is a website called commonsensemedia.org. There you can get parental advice on the age-appropriateness and possibly objectionable material of pretty much any book, movie, video game or tv show. Still make you own decisions. They call Heroes of Olympus okay for ten-year-olds, and I think that the same-sex attraction discussion alone throws it into the 13 and over category...personally.
With the Teen lists though, I will also include parental warnings. It is up to you to decide whether or not these books are appropriate for your teen, and I bear no responsibility if you give this book to your child and material is objectionable to you, but I will try and give you an idea of what could be considered objectionable.
1. Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud (first is The Amulet of Samarkand)
Warnings: they are summoning demons, but it doesn't have Satanic overtones; some violence; questions about who is actually good (especially in the second)
2. Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner (first is The Maze Runner) Just a random note, I found out approximately two minutes ago that James Dashner is Mormon went to BYU...and yet, we decide to claim Stefanie Meyer as our alum over James Dashner? And maybe this explains why there are times when I'm reading and think, "There's some Mormon theology there...wonder if he knows it." He probably does.
Warnings: Violence. Sometimes very graphic, gritty violence. Especially gritty in Scorch Trials, especially emotionally trying in Death Cure.
3. The Queen's Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (first is The Thief)
Warnings: violence and torture throughout. Most descriptions focus on the blood, and not the guts, but still one of the acts of violence in the second is strong. Definite implied sex between a married couple in The King of Attolia. The first one I could even classify as a children's book, but after that, they are squarely Young Adult.
4. Michael Vey by Richard Paul Evans (first is Prisoner of Cell 25) First one is the author's first foray out of Christmas romance, so take it with a grain of salt. Much more developed characters by the second. Also, the main character has Tourette's (non-swearing...), so that could be encouraging to kids with disabilities
Warnings: Again...violence. Some of it quite graphic. As well as the emotional damage that that causes on a person. Brainwashing. Must include because my mother has a serious fear of rats (won't even watch Ratatouille): there are swarming rats in Rise of Elgen. And they do what swarming rats do.
5. Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (stand-alone)
Warnings: This one has a lot. Really great book in so many ways, and most of the "warnings" are analysis of those things and the emotional damage related to them, but topics include: drugs (from marijuana to LSD), smoking, alcohol, somewhat graphic sex, homosexuality, rape, abortion, child molestation, a character walks in on his sister being slapped by her boyfriend...am I forgetting anything? Sorry, if I am. The movie was toned-down.
6. Looking for Alaska by John Green (stand-alone)
Warnings: There's a collection again: heavy kissing, sex, oral sex, masturbation, suicide, pornography, drunk driving, fake IDs, smoking, and language that takes me right back to Inglemoor High School.
7. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (stand-alone) (Fault in Our Stars is probably the book most focused at girls by John Green, and I've liked all of his books to a degree)
Warnings: chewing tobacco, beer, some language, no actual sex, but references to male sex organs, a reference to oral sex, references to orgasms
8. Paper Towns by John Green (stand alone)
Warnings: references to sex and sex organs, some characters get EXTREMELY drunk, a road-trip includes various males peeing into bottles, references to an STD, fairly strong language, two characters are implied to have been having sex, vandalism.
9. Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (first is Fellowship of the Ring, unless you start with The Hobbit)
Warnings: Violence.
10. Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan (first is The Red Pyramid)
Warnings: Some violence (not too heavy), race issues where two siblings are mixed Caucasian/African but one looks black and the other looks white (beautifully handled), unclear of who is good and who is evil
11. Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan (a continuation of the Percy Jackson books, but not for small children) (first is The Lost Hero)
Warnings: violence (at times fairly heavy, but mostly only blood), discussion of same-sex attraction, but no actual homosexuality, several teenage couples who will kiss (none have sex, though one couple fall asleep in each other's arms innocently and their satyr "chaperone" goes bonkers about it).
12. Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (first is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Not Magician's Nephew. It was not published first, so it is not the first, no matter how modern publishers number the book spines)
Warnings: some violence, not very heavy ever. A lot of Christian allegory, so if you're not Christian, I guess you could find that objectionable
13. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (and the parallel series Ender's Shadow)
Warnings: violence (occasionally graphic, mostly not, just very disturbing), language, some male nudity (non-sexual).
14. Main carry-overs from the Elementary School Boy list: Percy Jackson, Holes, Artemis Fowl, Airman, The Giver
I know that it might seem like I just put a huge list of trashy novels here. Remember, I've put anything on there that any parent might find objectionable, even if it is merely one reference. Some of them, though, I would personally pause for any boy under fifteen or sixteen (Perks and any of the John Greens).
Another piece of advice: There is a website called commonsensemedia.org. There you can get parental advice on the age-appropriateness and possibly objectionable material of pretty much any book, movie, video game or tv show. Still make you own decisions. They call Heroes of Olympus okay for ten-year-olds, and I think that the same-sex attraction discussion alone throws it into the 13 and over category...personally.
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