Re: Book suggestion for 11 year old

On Sun, 04 May 2008 20:04:02 -0400, Sea Wasp
<seawaspObvious@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:

>AJ wrote:
>> 
>> "Sea Wasp" <seawaspObvious@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
>> news:481E07B0.6040607@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> 
>>> Gene wrote:
>>>
>>>> "AJ" <torturedartist@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in news:481dfc49$0$4077
>>>> $9a566e8b@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Hey, i have an 11 year old.  I want to encourage his
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> reading a bit more. The Deed of Paksenarrion, The Belgariand. Some of

>>>> these may be too advanced for him, whereas others I wouldn't 
>>>> necessarily recommend to adults.
>>>
>>>
>>> "Deed" especially is "parental guidance suggested"; there are a few 
>>> quite dark and disturbing sequences in that trilogy/story. It's a 
>>> marvelous story, don't get me wrong, but I'd give it to an 11-year old

>>> only after the parent read it first.
>>>
>> 
>> How dark exactly?  He's already giggled his way through the Jaws
movies.
>
>	Paksenarrion is a Paladin -- a Holy Warrior for her god, Gird. Unlike 
>most Paladins, she gets chosen by the God and doesn't even realize 
>she's been picked for quite a while. She originally just runs away 
>from her family to join a mercenary group, and the really odd mystical 
>stuff doesn't get going for a while.

A minor correction:  Pakse is a Girdsman and a Paladin, but she isn't a
Paladin of Gird (she does sort of consider herself one, though).  Gird and
Falk were both present when she was Chosen, but she was actually chosen
directly by Gird's boss.


>	The forces of darkness try quite a number of ways to break her, 
>including torture, etc., with some nasty "etc." implied, though not 
>detailed overly much.

The most explicit, and nasty, stuff happens about halfway through the last
book, "Oath of Gold", but for me the far more disturbing part is the end
of
the second book, "Divided Allegiance" (to complete it, the first book is
"Sheepfarmer's Daughter").

>	I strongly second the recommendations for the Prydain books. The 
>Coramonde books are good too. Duane's Wizard books would be good 
>possibilities. If you can find them, the Danny Dunn series was always 
>one of my favorites.

Mileage varies, of course, but McKillip's Riddlemaster trilogy should be
in
the recommendations, if they aren't already.  Maybe McKinley's Damia duet
"The Blue Sword" and "The Hero and the Crown" (don't be fooled into
reading
the second one first, just because it's set earlier).

-- 
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.  I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.  Only I will remain.
(Bene Gesserit)