Once a child gets past a certain point in their reading capability, anything is fair game. They are intellectually able to read, and comprehend adult books of all types, but the difficulty is that they may not be emotionally ready for adult books full of violence, sexual drama and complex emotional questions about relationships, life and death – not all are morally sound either. Although most books classed as ‘young adult’ are at least cognisant of the underlying messages, many are still rife with sexual issues, and other complex and often black emotional dramas. Some of the most popular books are dark, heavy with issues around good and evil, and so intense that they can render a serious reader almost speechless for a while. Some children are ready for these kinds of novels, but others just aren’t until they are in their old teens. A seventeen or eighteen year old reader is probably able to manage adult books without any kind of censorship, but what if your child reads at an adult level but isn’t ready for adult books. Following is a list of excellent, challenging but positive books for young adult readers, suitable for any age, subject only to capability. It’s by no means comprehensive – there are zillions more fantastic books out there, so don’t limit your choices to what high powered marketeers tell you to buy – get reading and judge for yourself!
1. Any book by Jackie French. French writes books which are wonderfully rich in detail. Many of her books are historical – set with characters children can relate to in places that are unusual. For example, her latest, Pharaoh, is set in ancient Egypt, but the protagonist is a young adult that any teen could sympathise with. These books won’t bore an older reader, nor are they overly sentimental, silly, or condescending in any way, but they are positive, not too dark, and mindful of what children can handle conceptually. There are so many to choose from it isn’t possible to even list them here, but visit www.jackiefrench.com/booklist for a fairly comprehensive list and lots of info. Her nonfiction is pretty good too.
2. Tim Winton’s young adult novels including Jesse, the Lockie Leonard books and Blueback. All of Winton’s work is seriously good. His young adult books are written as well as his adult books – beautiful, engaging, with unique, powerful characters, environmentally powerful themes, amazing settings.
3. Life of Pi by Yann Martel is gorgeous, and features an Indian boy who survives 227 days shipwrecked in the Pacific Ocean. There are deep themes around spirituality which are entirely appropriate for children and the whole book is uplifting and beautifully written. It won the 2002 Man Booker prize.
4. Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie has a certain quirky charm in common with Life of Pi but it is uniquely Rushdie, with purple prose and a linguistic richness that no other writer can match.
5. Kids love series, and A Series of Unfortunate Events probably doesn’t need any extra promo, but it’s pretty good stuff I must stay. A little subversive, but that’s well and truly part of the charm. It might just expand your child’s vocabulary as well.
6. I admit it, I’m a Neil Gaiman fan. He’s a little subversive too – books like Coraline, Stardust, and even picture books like MirrorMask and The Day I Sold My Dad for Two Goldfish are deep, powerful, and different from anything else your children will read. There’s something just a wee bit scary about them, even the kids picture books, but that’s because they touch something in the human psyche.
Note the lack of dark fantasy on this list. I enjoy the work of both Rowlings and and Tolkien, and my nine year old certainly loves Eragon and other books involving spirits, dragons, and lots of magic, but a lot of dark magic stuff can be very intense. I feel that young readers can spend too much time in the underworld with spirits, good and evil beings fighting for dominance, and themes that lead to nightmares and difficulty connecting with the present. In small doses it’s fine, but there are other genres out there that are at least as good which should be explored. Don’t forget the classics either. You’d be hard pressed to beat the work of Jules Verne, HG Wells, or Arthur Ransome. Incidentally, if you’re looking to buy for longevity, there isn’t a book on this list that isn’t worth keeping, or adult friendly.
About the author: Magdalena Ball runs The Compulsive Reader http://www.compulsivereader.com/html. Her stories, poetry, reviews and articles have appeared in many printed anthologies and journals, and have won several awards. She is the author of 3 books: The Art of Assessment (nonfiction), Quark Soup (poetry), and Sleep Before Evening (a novel) which can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/3crnk5
