Wild Things: YA Grown-Up discussion

I have been reading a lot of YA books even though I am 25. Sarah Dessen, Harry Potter Series, and I have a bunch of new ones to check out. I am glad I found a place where it is ok to be an adult and read Teen books.

Hello, Ashley! I'm sure you'll love it here. It's great to have a group where we can feel comfortable discussing the YA books that we love without being judged on how old we might be! I think your TBR list is going to grow quite rapidly if you spend much time here!

Hi I am Teresa I have 4 readers in my house, so always looking for YA for the 14 yr old and the 16 yr old is reading the Olympians sereis, and has reread Harry potter and eragon series many times. The 10yr old is getting ready to leave easy chapters behind and I want him to read but don't want to have to read the books before he reads them to make sure it is age approaite for him, I read Twilight series : ) so I am looking for suggestions for all 3 the last one is only 7 and still in the easy reader stage

Hi Ashley....great name, my oldest daughter is named that. hehe!!

Hi Teresa another great name, my best friend has that name. hehe!!

Anyways welcome to the group to both of you!!!

Hi Ashley and Teresa. Welcome to our group.

Teresa - For your youngest, I recommend Mike Thaler's Black Lagoon books - my kids love them. They're really funny, which is a plus. Some of my favorite picture books for kids are: A Bad Case of Stripes, Mo Willems Pigeon books, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Old Turtle, and The Lorax.

For your 10-year-old, and maybe 7-year-old, Henry Winkler's Hank Zipzer books are great. He's probably ready for the Percy Jackson series, too. This will be the next series my 8-year-old will be reading. At this point, your son may also be ready for Harry Potter (this is what my 8-year-old is currently reading), but I think this depends on maturity level, too. The first few books should be safe.

For older YA readers, I'd like to mention the book I'm reading now: Graceling. I'm sure Allison would agree! Also, you might want to look into the Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale. I finished the first, The Goose Girl, the other day and I loved it. (The Bayern books aren't necessarily meant for older YA readers, but I'm not sure if your 10-year-old would be interested or not.)

Hi Ashley and Teresa! Welcome!

Teresa, for your 7 and 10 year olds I'd recommend the Deltora Quest series by Emily Rodda. My brother loved those, and I thought they were great middle grade reads. He even re-read them all as a teenager because he loved them so much. They are a fantasy quest series with a bunch of puzzles and clues throughout that are fun to solve as you read. Your older kids might like the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins is another series your 10 yr old might enjoy. (Are these sons or daughters? I only know for sure the 10 year old is a boy.)

16 boy, he is reading and rereading the maximum ride series 14 yr old girl, 10 yr old boy 7 yr old girl the two boys checked out gregor didnt like them.

Has your 14 year old read I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter? It was a cute, fun read with some good action, about girl spies.

Maximum Ride is action/adventure but also sci-fi, since the kids are genetically altered with some bird DNA and have wings. I personally think James Patterson is a terrible writer, but he has some good ideas. I talked about it with my teenage brother and he said he didn't notice they were badly written, or it didn't bother him.

Never heard of Andy McNab. Are any of his books YA? They all look like adult novels.

For a while it seemed like there really weren't that many good, contemporary books for teen boys. I guess publishers finally realized that if you PRINT the books boys will read them. It's not that teen boys don't read, they just aren't given enough to choose from and for a long time the teen section looked like girl central.

I've noticed that, too. Boys don't always want to read "girl books." Maximum Ride has a female protagonist but lots of action and other male characters, so it appeals to both.

Welcome Ashley & Teresa!

I've been really enjoying The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (actually Heather recommended it) and would be great for your 10 year old and your 7 year old (but only to listen for the 7, I think).

Hi, I'm Bethany and I'm new here. I'm 16 years old and I love Lucas by Kevin Brooks, The Sword In The Stone, Harry Potter, The Host and Just Listen by Sarah Dessen. Hope to get lots of new recommendations to add to my already huge 'to read' pile. Thanks !

Fiona wrote: "Welcome Bethany - thinking of stocking up? There are many people here eager to push (shove?) a book on you so you better make room in your tbr pile for some extra guests."

Thanks .. I can't wait :)

Hi Ashley, Teresa and Bethany! I'm glad I kept reading here or I would have only said hi to Ashley. That would have been so rude. Glad you're all here!