"adult" book suitable for a child to read?

[ash6605]

D.s 12 is an avid reader, quite advanced for his age. He's bored with the likes of Roald Dahl now and is desperate to read the type of book I do-Patricia Cornwall, martina cole and atm I'm reading Room which he is begging me for! Any ideas on something suitable he could read, obv no sex or adult theme but something a little more challlenging? Tia

[EdithWeston]

Earlier murders? Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy L Sayers, Conan Doyle, Wilkie Collins? And adventure like Rider Haggard?

[bruffin]

What about science fiction such as John Wyndham or more aimed at teenagers John Christopher.
There are huge teenage sections now in the book shops. DS liked books such as the Cherub series, Maximum Ride series, HIVE, all aimed at teenagers but may have a bit more adult themes.

[bruffin]

Also has he tried the Willard Price Adventure books, not adult but more grown up than Road Dahl.

[nevergoogle]

The curious incident of the dog in the nightime?

[CMOTdibbler]

Terry Pratchett ? Loads of books, some more aimed at children than others, but nothing overtly violent/sexy. Lots to think about though

[confuseddotcodotuk]

My 12yr old charge loved Simon Scarrow, I never had a chance to read it myself though. I was a fan of David Gemmel at that age, but it did have the occasional reference to thge idea that they were about to go have sex and lots of gore!

If you're after the murder/crime solving books particularily, what about Kathy Reichs? I'm trying to think if that has gory moments but am not sure, good reads though and may influence him into forensic anthropology which is a highly paid and prestigeous position

[confuseddotcodotuk]

Oh! And His Dark Materials. I'd recommend that to adult and child alike :)

[exexpat]

Has he been through all the kind of thing aimed at his age? 12 is a bit old for Roald Dahl, but there are lots of things like Robert Muchamore's Cherub series, or the Hunger Games, which are aimed at that sort of age.

DS is also 12, and is currently into Bill Bryson's travel books - I think he's now on his third one in a row. He's also read some Ben Elton novels recently.

[DilysPrice]

Rick Riordan, Lord of the Rings? Douglas Adams? Young Bond? Artemis Fowl? Alex Rider?
I'd second Pratchett and Agatha Christie

[cmt1375]

Hammond Innes, Alaistair Mclean and Nevil Shute are all a bit old school but I read them as a teenager.. also consider non fiction, travel writing is good

[bruffin]

On the same theme as smt1375 Desmond Bagley and also Dick Francis.

[ash6605]

thank-you,some great suggestions i'll have to take a trip to Waterstones I think :)

[YummyHoney]

Great Expectations?

[fivegomadindorset]

Take a trip to your local library, far cheaper if he doesn't like something.

[OverflowingMum]

Christopher Paloni and David Eddings were big favourites of my now 13 yr old book worm son!

[shrinkingnora]

I'd second David Eddings. I loved them at 12. No sex or swearing!

[shockers]

Philip Pullman and Michael Morpurgo both do 'in-between' books. My son enjoys them. He's reading he Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster at the moment and liking that too. The Johnny Maxwell series by Terry Pratchett were a favourite but slightly younger... still good though.

[EldritchCleavage]

Agree heartily with the John Wyndham suggestion.
Also Ray Bradbury (esp The Martian Chronicles).
Laurie Lee-the Spanish books. I read As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning so often from the age of 10 I wore out my parents' copy.
Charles Dickens' adventure books, A Tale of Two Cities and Barnaby Rudge.
Hornblower and those Patrick O'Brien Master and Commander books
My nephews enjoyed Terry Pratchett at that age.
Victorian ghost stories like M.R.James, and adventure like R.L. Stevenson adn Defoe, perhaps.
I also agree with the library suggestion.

[neversaydie]

As a desperate-for-books 12 year old I was reading John Wyndham, Alastair McLean, Nevil Shute, Conan Doyle and pretty much anything else I could lay my hands on.
One thing to watch is that he doesn't hit some of the more meaty classics too early - I attribute my life-long loathing of Dickens to reading Oliver Twist when I was 10. Lord of the Rings fell into the same category, albeit a couple of years later.

A couple of other authors to try. Diana Wynne Jones, who wrote Howls Moving Castle wrote a lot of books to go at, well written and tough minded fantasy. Alan Garner, Susan Cooper, Joan Aikin and Ursula Le Guin are also good.

[startail]

I never liked children's books, read Agatha Christie, Conan Doyle (start with the short stories), Desmond Bagley and Dick Francis. Jack Higgins (very mixed, some possibly a bit violent and the eagle has landed by far the best). I also liked the original saint books.
His Dark Materials is brilliant, I've never read lord of the rings, but DDs 13 year-old best friend enjoyed it.
Stay clear of the original James bonds. I can't remember if they had any sex, but the sharks gave me nightmares - not the cartoon violence of the films.

I also loved the early Ken Folletts Eye of the Needle,Key to Rebecca and The Man from St. Petersburg*. However these and Shogan which is gory and fascinating will have to wait a until he's 14+ as they break the no sex rule.

• This is a really educational read for older teen girls, being about a world that died with the first world war. However, it is not the book to ask your Grandpa to return aged 14 . My Mum should have said it was her who wanted it back .

[duchesse]

I used to read James Herriot, Agatha Christie, PG Wodehouse, Conan Doyle, Jules Verne, Emile Zola, Animal Farm at that sort of age and some even before. A bit later (about 14) I was on Huxley and Saki among others.

Nowadays there are books like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, The life of Pi etc...

I second John Wyndham if he likes science fiction type stuff.

[duchesse]

Ooh, yes, some excellent suggestions- I heartily agree with Terry Pratchett (especially the nome trilogy) and Bill Bryson- both very funny in completely different ways.

[startail]

Oh yes Douglas Adams my sister and I were huge fans at that age. I just never think of them as books because we had them all on tape.

I've been rereading them on my iPod (you see still not books) and its really weird because the tapes were abridged so huge chunks I know word for word and then suddenly its like rounding a familiar corner and being confronted with an unfamiliar street.

[duchesse]

Ooh, yes to Adams- very funny and very cerebral.

[rempy]

George Orwell has sprung to mind with the John Wyndham suggestion - those really old style orange penguins.

And what about the Constant Gardener? Rest of Le Carre might be a bit much.

Or Gerald Seymour.

Or Graham Greene.

All quite serious but generally no porn.