Tomorrow I’m taking my son to the library. We’re returning his new favorite book: Bonechiller by Graham McNamee, which I picked out for him last week. He’s been resistant to my suggestions until now, and that’s as it should be; he’s a child with opinions of his own, and in reading I am not inclined to push in any particular direction except toward well-written books in general. But now I’ve scored major points and he’s asking for suggestions.
And so am I. We’ve exhausted Darren Shan and Suzanne Collins, and the kid refuses Harry Potter, which brings me to the end of my knowledge of the middle-grade/young adult categories. He prefers bloodshed and mayhem, the creepier the better. He’s all boy. In a few years I’ll turn him loose on Koontz and King, but for now I need something gentler. Stephen King with training wheels.
Help me keep my rep intact, will you? Book ideas for a precocious ten-year-old?
