From the category archives:

14-17

Along for the Ride

November 1, 2010

Along-for-the-Ride Some mature, complicated content. Likely okay for older teens. Fairly cavalier attitude towards teen sex and drinking. Pretty dysfunctional parents.

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The Catcher in the Rye

September 12, 2010

goThis is the quintessential young adult novel. In fact, it is largely recognized as the first real book of that genre. It’s moving, and poignant and chock full of content to be aware of. I would recommend parents read this before or as their teen is reading it so you can discuss it with them.

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The Web of Titan

July 28, 2010

The-Web-of-TitanIn this second installation of the Galahad series, we get more insight into the characters and their relationships with each other. As with the first book, I think it’s appropriate for younger kids then the publisher recommends, easily 11. Of note, there are multiple references to the theory of evolution as a fact.

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The Comet’s Curse

July 28, 2010

The-Comets-CurseAn interesting plot and a good read. Nice to see a straight science fiction book in this age group. I really think this book is appropriate for younger kids, easily 11. There is not a lot content wise to warrant concern. A good, clean book. Strong female main character as well as a mix of cultural diversity.

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Book Review: Story of a Girl

July 21, 2010

Story-of-a-GirlThis book is often used as an example of an authentic teen voice in books. Even though the protagonist is 13, the sexual content of the book is pretty mature and not a good fit for most younger teens. The family situation is fairly dysfunctional.

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Book Review: D.A.

July 18, 2010

D.A.A fun, light read. Good one for girls. No content to be concerned about. Nice to find a true sci-fi with strong female characters. Good for precocious readers, down to 11 or 12

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Book Review: The Secret Year

July 15, 2010

The-Secret-YearMature content in terms of language and sexual activity. Feels fairly real-to-life for older teens, likely won’t be news to them, but it is fairly mature. I may have said that already…

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Book Review: Gifted - Out of Sight, Out of Mind

June 30, 2010

Out-of-Sight-Out-of-MindAn interesting premise of what happens when a popular girl transports into the life of a non-popular girl. This first book in the series isn’t particularly dark, though there are some social circumstances with parents to be aware of.

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Book Review: Eighth Grade Bites

May 18, 2010

Eighth-Grade-BitesNot a lot of content to worry about for this age-group, but because the main character is 13, it will primarily appeal to kids 13 and under. While this book is mild on content (and likely okay down to age 11 or 12), it is a bit of a ‘gateway substance’ for a genre that can go quite dark. Likeable teen boy characters.

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Book Review: Deep and Dark and Dangerous

May 3, 2010

Deep-and-Dark-and-DangerousDespite the premise of the story, not a lot of content. It’s a ghost story about a child who drowns. It’s not particularly creepy, but it is scary. (Note: I read it at night and it gave me nightmares, but I’m sensitive to such things. :) It may whet your kid’s appetite for more horror stories, and most are not as mild as this one. If your child is not sensitive about ghosts, the content is mild enough that it’s likely okay for kids down to age 12.

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