To be thinking about Stephen King for my 11 yo

[talksensetome]

So DS is an avid reader with a reading age far above his actual age.

I am thinking back to what I was reading in high school and I know I read Stephen King (along with Mills and Boon) so would I be unreasonable to get DS one or two for Christmas and what would you recommend? It has been so long since I read them that I can't remember too well what is in each one.

He likes quite dark books with a supernatural theme.

I was thinking Pet Cemetery or IT as a first read?

I think I need to re-read any books I vaguely remember before passing them on to DS.

I let my 8yo DD read Jacqueline Wilson, how is that not appropriate for an 11 yo?

Can't for the life of me recall what age I was reading Pet Sematry. Found this for you though:

stephenking.com/xf/index.php?threads/good-1st-time-read-for-an-11-year-old.1031/

I loved Dean Koontz at that age, dark/horror but more of a step below SK

I was reading SK at that age, I wouldn't start with IT though cos Pennywise is fucking terrifying!! - Nightmare and Dreamscapes, Salems Lot, Dark Tower

What about James Herbert?

Anyone recommend Michael Grant's Gone series?

You see I remember Dean Koontz having some fairly graphic sex scenes but I may be confusing him with someone else.

I always find people recommend fantasy as an alternative to children reading Stephen King and they're just not the same. I always found fantasy worlds (Gormenghast, Terry Pratchett, Narnia etc) really dull, but give me a US town infested with vampires or a worldwide plague and I'm sold!

My first one was Gerald's Game, which was most definitely not the best one to start with as a child, but I read The Stand when I was 12 and it's still my favourite book.

The Girl Who Loved Tim Gordon might be ok, or Firestarter which is more of a thriller than horror. Or Joyland which is about a haunted amusement park and fairly tame.

I must be damaged! Sk was a staple at that age, still is! Also laymon, Herbert and koontz.
The battered falconhurst trilogy I found was a bit of an eyeopener but there was no such thing as a banned book in my parents house!
Try futuretrack 5 op, its a nice intro to science fiction...

Now off to reread it! Its been ages.....

I had read a lot of Stephen kind by 11. If he seems ok with it it should be fine!
My year 5 reading book was nightmare on elmstreet

I was reading Stephen King at 11. I loved them, but IT disturbed me due to the aforementioned stuff with the token girl being abused by her father, then having to let her friends take it turns to have sex with her (I think she was 11 in the books and had just started her periods?)

Op, have you read pet semetary? I read this as a teenager and it really disturbed me, this was be despite having an appetite for all things horror. I did not bat an eyelid at things like The evil dead and the exorcist but this book is deeply disturbing. So definitely not.

imvho I really think 11 is far to young for the sort of content in adult horror books

I've just read the start of he plot for 'IT' on Wickepdia and it looks totally unsuitable for a child of any age. I really can't imagine why anyone would want their child to be exposed to that.

I totally agree with Arfarfanarf "They are very dark. Obv the horror but also the other things - child abuse for one. Its not imo suitable reading for children."

and
"I wouldnt start a child on books about torture, terror and death, several with an undercurrent of child abuse."

What virtues and character do you want your son to exhibit? Can you find books that will encourage that,or is it all about being shocked and scared and slightly disgusted? These to me a the things that so much film and TV and literature seeks to encourage. Can you find adventure books and try and find something not dark and about abuse?

I was reading SK at 12 but I think some of the books are more appropriate than others.
Pet Semetary, which I didn't read until my late teens, scared me senseless. I still think it's his most frightening book, very disturbing and it gave me some odd thoughts about death.
I wouldn't have a problem with an 11/12 y/o reading The Stand, or Salem's Lot for example.

" the token girl being abused by her father, then having to let her friends take it turns to have sex with her (I think she was 11 in the books and had just started her periods?)"

Oh yes that's exactly not what we want boys and men reading - how fucking sick!

Just finished RTFT and agree that Firestarter would be ok, also The Dead Zone may be worth considering.

I read the Talisman at 12 and although I loved it, I remember being very scared by Elroy in the tunnel. I've read a lot of Steven King since then, and there's not much I would recommend for an 11 year. Insomnia, perhaps, and the first few in the Dark Tower series, but certainly not IT or Pet Semetary.

Stephen King is very sick.

IT is about the horror of a small town turning a blind eye and sweeping its nastiness under the carpet to keep the town niace! As was salems lot, why would you not want your dcs to learn that keeping quiet wont make horrors go away!
Pet semetary is about fear of death and societies unwillingness to look it in the eye, Judd crandell spells the theme out.

But I suppose you could call harper lee traumatic reading too....

IT and Pet Cemetery have given more more nightmares than all the rest of Stephen king 's work combined (I think I've read them all), so personally I'd not start with those. Firestarter? Christine?

In IT Beverley is physically rather than sexually abused by her father but there is a clear undercurrent of his growing sexual interest in her. She is later sexually and physically and emotionally abused by her husband. Personally I wouldn't choose this book for an 11 year old.