Stephen King Fans discussion

Wyatt wrote: "I’m 11 and have read a couple by Stephen King, I’ve read firestarter, the talisman, the green mile, and I’m halfway through the shining. I’m wondering what to read next that is around the level of ..."

The Eyes of the Dragon and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon for certain!

Sry, forgot to add the eyes of the dragon and tgwltg on my list of already-read. Again, so sorry!

Wyatt wrote: "Sry, forgot to add the eyes of the dragon and tgwltg on my list of already-read. Again, so sorry!"

At least I know they were good suggestions! ;-D

Guy's remember this is an 11 year old looking for recommendations, Gwendy's button box is fine but not so sure about Rita Heyward and the Shawshank redemption and cycle of the werewolf The Body is ok if my memory serves didn't they make a movie out of the body? yup Stand by me that is OK for an 11 year old.

Thanks so much for the suggestions- I’ll check out the body and gwendys button box. I’ve got a copy of Duma Key that I’ve never read sitting in my closet. Would that be good? If not, any other suggestions would be great!

I mean, why hasn't anyone suggested The Long Walk? Sure it's Bachman Book, but I think that's really relevant for an 11 year old. Especially if the 11 year old has already read The Shining.

Why is an 11 year old on good reads? The minimum age is 13.

Big whoop. It's so hard to lie about your age on the internet. Who hasn't lied about their age to get some form of social media? Let it go

Wyatt wrote: "Thanks so much for the suggestions- I’ll check out the body and gwendys button box. I’ve got a copy of Duma Key that I’ve never read sitting in my closet. Would that be good? If not, any other sugg..."

I'm thinking start with the girl who loved Tom Gordon. Especially if you like the outdoors. Duma Key might be good, scary as hell, but that shouldn't bother you, some of the conversations may seem a little slow.

Atlanta wrote: "Why is an 11 year old on good reads? The minimum age is 13."

When my daughter was 11 she wanted me to take her to see Apocolypse Now. I told her I would if she read Heart of Darkness.
She did and so we went to see the movie, and she tells me that the whole thing was a wonderful experience for her. My grandsons and my wife and I listen to Stephen King audiobooks (including TGWLTG, 11/22/63, The Stand, and The Long Walk) when we take them on summer trips. It never seemed to bother them or have any ill effects.

So you’re all cool with breaking the law? What is the kid is sneaking behind his parents back and gets caught? The parents could complain about corruption of a minor. Or what if it’s a troll? I mean why announce the fact you’re an underage user of social media?

Odds are parents would have given an 11 year old permission to join a book reading site, because what parent wouldn't want to encourage that kind of behavior? I definitely think that literature only enhances the mind, and if a parent is going to complain that a book site is corrupting a minor, then this world is in much worse shape that I previously thought. If it's a troll, then good job getting upset over the matter, exactly like they wanted you to. And finally, because some of his concerns are legitimate concerns - no (or not too much) sexual content, no excessive cursing, nothing with too much horror... These are valid concerns, especially when asking about what SK books to read, and honestly having an age limit can help people give more relevant and accurate suggestions.

Atlanta wrote: "So you’re all cool with breaking the law? What is the kid is sneaking behind his parents back and gets caught? The parents could complain about corruption of a minor. Or what if it’s a troll? I mea..."

What is the law that's being broken? Is there a law relating age limits to discussion groups and book sites or sites in general? I honestly don't know. Does the movie rankings G, PG 13, etc. apply to websites and discussion groups? I'm not sure.

Nick wrote: "Atlanta wrote: "So you’re all cool with breaking the law? What is the kid is sneaking behind his parents back and gets caught? The parents could complain about corruption of a minor. Or what if it’..."

From Goodreads:


IS THERE A MINIMUM AGE TO REGISTER FOR A GOODREADS ACCOUNT?

https://www.goodreads.com/help/show/2...

Yes, you actually have to be 13 years old or older to sign up for a Goodreads account. This is a requirement of all social networking sites. As Goodreads is technically a social networking site, federal law (COPPA) requires that only users 13 and up be able to register for an account.

WHY MUST I ENTER MY DATE OF BIRTH TO REGISTER FOR AN ACCOUNT?

https://www.goodreads.com/help/show/2...

We require all members to submit their birthday during the registration process in order to screen out potential users who might be underage. This is a requirement of all social networking sites. Federal law (COPPA) has dictated that the legal age of consent to participate in a social networking site is 13 years old. This isn't only a Goodreads rule, but a United States law. As such, we must ask for your birthday when you sign up.

If you are cool with breaking the rules then that’s ok
, however I would like to know if the kids parents gave him permission to be on good reads and to read stephen king. Those are fair questions.

Nancy wrote: "Nick wrote: "Atlanta wrote: "So you’re all cool with breaking the law? What is the kid is sneaking behind his parents back and gets caught? The parents could complain about corruption of a minor. O..."

Thanks for the info, Nancy. All I had to do was look it up. But now we all know.

Atlanta wrote: "If you are cool with breaking the rules then that’s ok
, however I would like to know if the kids parents gave him permission to be on good reads and to read stephen king. Those are fair questions."

Right.

Also, I’m not upset, I personally don’t care, but I also know what it’s like to be both a parent of a minor who broke all kinds of laws as well as a child who was forbidden to read stephen king by her mother. When I was 11 good reads didn’t exist, I went to my local public library and read what appealed to me. It would be good if child could tell us if his parents gave him permission to be on good reads and to read stephen king .

Atlanta wrote: "Also, I’m not upset, I personally don’t care, but I also know what it’s like to be both a parent of a minor who broke all kinds of laws as well as a child who was forbidden to read stephen king by ..."

It would be good if child could tell us if his parents gave him permission to be on good reads and to read stephen king . - Since you don't care, 1) why make a deal about it like you are and 2) why does the part I've copied matter?

Additionally, if you personally don't care, why continuously bring it up when it doesn't matter?

Sorry to hear you were brought up in an environment where you weren't allowed to read what you wanted and your mom restricted what you could and couldn't read, but 100% parents everywhere aren't like that. My mom gave me Helter Skelter when I was 12 and we sat down and watched Halloween when I was 14.

And since I'm just on a roll (mostly because I'm bored at this point and I enjoy a good discussion with opposing views), you admit to breaking laws when you were younger, and you know younger people break laws all the time. I think that's just a pattern that's been around as long as laws have been around, so i don't see the point in bringing up that point instead of trying to help an 11 year old find some age appropriate SK reads. At least in this way you can curb that curiosity and maybe help them stray away from Pet Semetery (definitely not appropriate for an 11 year old) and maybe introduce them to a very thought provoking and appropriate Eyes of the Dragon.

No, I didn’t say I broke laws as an 11 year old, I said I know what it’s like to be the parent of a child who sneaks onto the Internet. In some areas it’s a big deal to keep kids off social media especially at the age of 11. Not everybody on good reads is child friendly, and an 11 year old is still a child, under the law.

Also, my question to the 11 year old would be how is school going, although we don’t know if they’re in school or home schooled. What are they working on in language arts ? What kind of homework do they have? Social media has really changed the landscape of parenting, and childhood.

As a parent and remembering when the internet was fresh and new and social sites were new I can see a person’s concerns. I remember many, many years ago when news shows would show how adults could find out where a child went to school by going online and looking at their accounts. Kids post just enough information (school names, photos etc) that these predators could find them. Or go online in a chat room for maybe an innocent kids online game and pretend to be their age and befriend them and gain their trust etc with bad intentions. So it was scary being a parent then. Even with a child older than 15, it was scary to let them have that Facebook account unless I had the password and could visit it whenever I wanted. Having to explain not to post your age and school and make your profile private. I have friends my age who wouldn’t let their kids have Facebook accounts. So I understand when someone might be bothered or upset etc.

Those early years of kids getting lured and snatched or attacked by predators through the internet probably is the reason for the law on age to sign up for social media sites.

It isn’t my place to judge the kid or his family. I don’t know the circumstances it isn’t my concern or business. I do think he acted appropriately saying his age and what he was looking for in books so we would treat him accordingly.

I had a 13 or 14 year boy “friend” me on GRs once. Like I usually do when I receive a friend request, I went to their profile to see if we were in the same groups or if we had the same friends and that’s when I saw his age. I noticed he gave a lot of information about himself in his profile and included his photo. I was more surprised by how many of my GR’s friends we had in common. I ignored the request. It just didn’t seem to be appropriate.

But times are changing, look at how much personal information people post and parents post their kids pictures on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube (like people using their children to open products and posting it on YouTube to make money). It boggles the mind when just 10-20 years ago you wouldn’t want your kids info online.

Nancy, no judgment here, just concern, as a parent whose child’s middle school had parent Ed events about social media. Granted good reads is probably a safe place, but I’m sure the basic question still stands: do you have your parents permission to be on social media. I think any middle school educator would ask that question. In terms of Stephen King’s books, does the school library have any of his books? Also, is the kid in school or homeschooled? I keep wanting to say It because the protagonists are around that age but there’s a lot of gore in It, and sexuality as well. Definitely the kind of book you want the parents to sign off on before the kid starts reading it.

Wow! This thread has really turned into something beyond what it started out to be. So the 11 yr old asked for some SK reading suggestions and this thread has turned into something completely different. IMO just leave it alone. Obviously by looking at what he has already read there is a good chance that he is going to continue to read what he wants no matter what anyone thinks. Being on GR with or without parents permission is neither here nor there as he is here on GR and he has friends along with books read and to read. Also even though he is technically 11 could also mean his reading is advanced. Should he be on this site with the age of 11? Probably not considering you have to be 13, but he is on here and he probably has his own Facebook page too. So should we become the GR patrol and kick him off? I don't think so. Just because GR wasn't around when we were all growing up doesn't mean that is the norm now. Alot of these kids at that age even play online video games with others around the world and "we" on here are going to control what kind of books he should be reading? Really?! He is going to read what he wants and who knows it is very possible that he is using his own parents account with their knowledge and it is also possible that they bought him the books to read.

I do have my parents’ permission to read Stephen King. Every time I have a book I am not sure of the content I run it by them. Unfortunately my parents do not read a lot of Stephen King. That is why I asked this question.

Wyatt, thank you for answering. Since you’ve read the shining then I think you can handle It, the first part is about a group of kids close to your age called the losers club. A lot of scary things happen to these kids though, they get beat up, run into bad people and monsters. It’s also a long book but if you get the go ahead from your adults give it a try.

Thank you to all the people who have replied to with suggestions! I will make a trip to the book store as soon as possible.

You’re welcome. As for duma key, I’m not sure you’d find that one interesting as it’s subject matter is strictly adults. If you’re artistic inclined at all that might be the exception as it’s about a painter who develops special gifts as the result of an accident. I 2nd the long walk, it was written under his pen name Richard Bachman. Also you might find the gunslinger interesting, there’s a boy in that too named Jacob and it also goes into the boyhood of the main character, Roland, although again there is violence and mention of sex.

As a parent to 7 and 8 year old boys, i hope the worst thing they do is fudge their age on a reading social media site to be able to use it. It's much better than fb. Also, i would love to give my kids S.K books to read. If my kid is sneaking reading adult books then I'll be happy when there's drugs, sex, bullying, fighting, etc.

I think it's funny that anyone would expect that asking if this 11 year old's parents gave him permission to be on Goodreads would make any difference at all. I mean no one is actually policing this, so lies are pretty undetectable. Also, an 11 year old that wants to read is the least of anyone's worries, so I say "Do you, Boo!"

I'm glad to recommend anything they ask for and answer any questions posed by an 11 year old reader.

I just found TGWLTG first edition for $2.50 (~ USD 1.87) in a cafe. I may soon give that one a go as well.

I would recommend The Gunslinger too, as I don't find anything about it particularly inappropriate compared to The Shining. Although I would get a second opinion about the (view spoiler)[ritual scene with the spirit (hide spoiler)] near the end because I don't recall how descriptive that was? I would think it's fine.

I have an 11 year old and her maturity level is much higher than that. So if she wanted to read Stephen King and fudged her age for goodreads, I think I’d celebrate that. Being two years below the minimum age to be on social media isn’t exactly a felony.. lol

Atl wrote: "So you’re all cool with breaking the law? What is the kid is sneaking behind his parents back and gets caught? The parents could complain about corruption of a minor. Or what if it’s a troll? I mea..."

Alt, relax this is a discussion about books and recommendations like they said I reckon the individual in question has parental permission to get on here, for all we know they set up the page for them. It is better to know where they are and what they are talking about and to whom they are talking to.

Thanks again for all the suggestions! Just picked up a copy of The Long Walk and am excited to read it!

Glad to hear it @wyatt, there’s a discussion on it in the group.

Just want to thank you for the suggestions here. I am a parent of a 12 yo that has just discovered King. He read Pet Semetary and is currently reading the Shining. I read many King books in my youth, but it has been many years so I appreciate these suggestions too. I am currently re-reading the Shining along with him and am really enjoying both the book and the discussions we have had about it!!

Awesome! The Shining was so awesome. Also have them read 11/22/63. It’s my personal favourite!

If I'm all honest, my first King book was when I was 11 and it was Dolores Claiborne, which has adult themes (there's hints/mentions of abuse and murder) and a rather slow pace, hardly any action, and I loved that book so much. You could read almost anything King at this point, you already have a diverse set of books you've read of him. Maybe you could read one of his short stories collections? I wouldn't recommend Full Dark, No Stars yet, but maybe The Mist?

Holly, another great one and my new favourite is Misery.

Hi, Wyatt!

I would recommend Carrie! It was my first Stephen King book.

Eyes of the Dragon is another one you might enjoy! It has fantasy elements.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is another favorite of mine. It’s a little shorter than most of his books but just as good!

To be honest, I can't be sure if I remember, if a story have any sexual content always, so I'm sorry if some of my suggestions aren't completely free of that. But it is a subject Stephen King naturally have in many stories, because it's a part of life.
But to recommend some I didn't see being recommend yet:
- Langoliers
- The collection If It Bleeds
- The Institute
- The short story collections - in those you will find some with sexual content, but many many many great short stories doesn't have it, and it doesn't have a huge part of them. I'm soon finished with the Night Shift collection, and I don't remember any having much sexual content as such, and it's filled with great and weird stories, try for example to read Battleground, it's hilarious but still very King-ish!

- Elevation
- Drunken Fireworks (that's actually a very funny story :D )

The Running Man

You will find some very inappropriate language in many stories, especially the older ones, because the language has changed a lot in the matter of what's appropriate, but also because the characters aren't always appropriate people. But I think you are smart enough to figure this out while reading ;)

About full Dark no stars, it's a very dark collection. But A Perfect Marriage and Fair Extensions is fine I would think. It's mostly Big Driver that is very violent also in a sexual way.

King wrote "The Eyes of the Dragon" for his daughter when she was 12, so I would probably say that this book is very suitable for an 11 year old.

My daughter read Carrie when she was 11 and she really responded to it. I think she's reread it since too. She loved it.

I've been looking for Stephen King that doesn't have bad stuff in it, and I've compiled a list of twenty of his books that contain little to no sexual content (that doesn't say anything about curse words, violence, etc.)

Here you go:
The Running Man
The Long Walk
The Eyes of the Dragon
The Talisman
Black House
Firestarter
'Salem's Lot
Carrie
Misery
The Institute
The Mist
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Duma Key
Cycle of the Werewolf
The Regulators
Rose Madder
The Dead Zone
Desperation
The Green Mile

How about Stand By Me & etc.? I haven't read it but saw some of the film.

The Body, which the movie Stand By Me is based, is in the collection of novellas called Different Seasons. I don't recall any sexual themes in any of the stories. Apt Pupil is probably the most disturbing novella but mainly because of the connection to Nazi Germany.

I think the novella is called The Body. In The Body (the book), there are some graphic sex scenes that weren't in the movie.

Charles wrote: "The Body, which the movie Stand By Me is based, is in the collection of novellas called Different Seasons. I don't recall any sexual themes in any of the stories. Apt Pupil is probably the most dis..."

There are VERY DEFINITE sexual scenes in Apt Pupil. Not the others, though.

I had forgotton about the story that was written by one of the characters in The Body, that describes a sex scene. Also, there were scenes involving Andy and "The Sisters" in Shawshank.