Twice in one day I have hit publish post by mischance!!! Argh! So for all those who follow me on google reader (thanks) I am quickly covering up the most recent one, a sneak peak at tomorrow's mg sff round-up, with a post I meant to do later today on the books my boys are getting for Christmas.
By way of background: my boys are 11 and 8. The 8 year old is currently reading Battle of the Labyrinth, the 11 year old is reading The Chamber of Secrets (he came late to Harry Potter; I'm not sure why). In a nutshell, they both like reading pretty well (not as well as their mama did when she was their ages); although they like fantasy, they read across genres.
Their lists of book presents include very little regular fiction (1 out of 11). Our house is so full of middle grade sci fi/fantasy that they have enough of it to read (lucky children!), and I also find it very difficult to predict what they will actually pick up and read, let alone truly enjoy. So their book presents tend to be random grab bag of non-fiction and graphic novels.
For the eleven year old:
The Last Dragon, by Jane Yolen and Rebecca Guay (so beautiful!)
The Dragon of Hong Kong (Yoko Tsuno book 5) by Roger Leloup (this will make him very happy)
The Acme Catalog (Quality is Our #1 Dream)
The Way We Work, by David McCauley
The Magic of Reality, by Richard Dawkins
All of My Friends are Dead (he saw it in a store, and wants it really badly...I think the title is the funniest thing, and it goes downhill from there, but whatever.)
For my eight year old:
The Mythbusters science fair book
A Greyhound of a Girl, by Roddy Doyle (I hope he likes it; I haven't read it myself yet, but he loves The Meanwhile Adventures
et seq. so he should be pleased. Unless he's disappointed because it doesn't have Rover in it)
Eric, by Shaun Tan (An expended story from Tales from Outer Suburbia. Eric is pictured at right)
Gon, Vol. 4 My boy sees a lot of himself in Gon, the dinosaur that time forgot--both are loyal, determined, and very fierce.
The Fog Mound book 1-- Travels of Thelonius (a post apocalyptic fantasy with mice that's part graphic novel. I picked this one up used, and haven't read it myself, but I tested it on his brother, and it was approved)
If you were to be given one of these books, which would you like?
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Sorry for the shameless pitch, but I'd love to hear what your boys think of my book, Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble. They are right smack dab in the middle of its intended audience. I'd be happy to send you a copy to give to them. If you think they'd be interested, send me your address and I'll get one in the mail. drobert@drobertpease.com And if this annoying plug is, well, annoying then feel free to ignore it.
ReplyDeleteMy sons are all 40+ so I have lost out on what is out there in children's books. They all sound good to me. Your sons are very lucky to have a Mother who loves to read.
ReplyDeleteI must say I wish my mother gave me books when I was their age... I got a few here and there but it was mainly because we were at the store and I picked them out... My parents never really got the reading thing.
ReplyDeleteMy children might not agree with you, JC! Especially when I am in the midle of a really good one, and do not want to be distrubed.
ReplyDeleteMy parents got me books, Kailna, but never enough....
I would pick Eric.
ReplyDeletenot the one I would have gotten you, Emily! I was thinking Greyhound of a Girl....
ReplyDeleteI would probably pick The Last Dragon because, believe it or not, I've never read it. Must get on that...
ReplyDeleteThese look like great picks. I love reading about the books you buy your boys because it gives me some ideas to keep in mind for a few years down the road. :)
I THOUGHT that picture looked like Shaun Tan! You have lucky boys. :)
ReplyDeleteI should probably take them all as a book lover and so would my kids ! Books are surely the ultimate gift joining pleasure to knowledge "all in one". By the way, thanks for a great post !
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