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?

[TheoriginalLEM]

Gowgirl - I have read all of the books you talk about and the allegory or whatever message SK was trying to depict was lost on me. I bored of IT but the film terrified me as an adult. Pet semetary is no way suitable for children, it just isn't. Fuck me, they would have nightmares for a year. Cujo was just really really sad.

I used to be a great SK fan, in fact I used to love horror but as an adult cannot read it. I wonder if we just don't really get it when we are younger as most of us fortunately have never had to deal with tragedy in our lives (thankfully) so it all seems quite unreal.

[SatsukiKusakabe]

I think some SK fine but I would not start him with Pet Semetary. Even Stephen King thought that one was too dark and didn't want to publish it but he had a 3 book deal and needed to make the numbers! IT maybe in a couple of years, I think because of the abuse stuff mentioned above, rather than the fear factor. Def reread before you recommend.

I read an anecdote by SK about the fact his own children read his books quite young. I can't remember which one it was but someone was shocked at what his younger son aged an 8 was reading, and his older brother said something like "But you don't understand, our dad is Stephen King, he's grown up with horror"

[frenchfancy]

I've recently listened to The Stand as an audio book (my first SK) i agree that he is a great story teller, but there are bits in that book I wouldn't want an 11 year old to see. The bit where the Kid rapes Trash with a gun is particularly horrible - I had to fast forward though that bit.

[MoonriseKingdom]

It's a difficult age for avid readers. Around 12-13 I had exhausted the local children's library and read lots of my parents' books. I read quite a few dystopian classics like 1984 and Brave New World. In retrospect I was too young and would have been better reading them a bit later.

I think there is more aimed at this age now though. Has he read 'The Hunger Games' trilogy? Dark and thought provoking but not SK levels of horror. My DH would second (third, fourth etc!) Terry Pratchett- can spark a life long obsession.

Someone upthread mentioned Gormenghast. It is a brilliant piece of dark fantasy. My dad rereads the Gormenghast Trilogy every couple of years. From memory totally ok for an intelligent 11year old.

[Italiangreyhound]

Gowgirl "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!"

I think this is a very simplistic way of explaining horror. Like saying a film should have a realistic rape scene because rape is real. Even if filming it is traumatizing for the actress who performs the role and even if the film disturbs some viewers, or even inspires someone to do something horrible.

Some men treat some women like shit in real life so do we need to see more of that on film and read about it in books? No we show women empowered, we show and model what we want to see, not what we don't want to see and hope kids of 11 can work out what it is all about.

There are plenty of ways of encouraging young people to good and heroic virtues.

I really wonder how many 11 year olds reading such a book would have any clue about the 'deeper' meanings.

[IndigoSister]

I was reading lots of horror stories by about age 13, including SK. Fire starter may be a good one or the dark towers. I second Terry Pratchet. How about Neil Gaiman? Neverwhere is one of my favourite books.

[Gowgirl]

LEM The films often lose the story along the production process, I found this especially with what I would call the high gore novels.
They are however a lot scarier as an adult, the point in pet semetary where Louis convinces himself that because he is a doctor he can assess gage upon his return and put him back to sleep if the damage is too great makes me cry everytime....

[hanwellfan]

Harlan Coben has written a young adult series that DD (nearly 11) lapped up. They're based around Myron Bolitar's nephew and are excellent!

[Italiangreyhound]

OP I listened to a bit of one of Sir Ranulph Fiennes's book on radio, just a bit of it. Plenty of scary, slightly horrible bits but a real story of a real man fighting the elements!

How about some real life adventurers and heroes, male and female?

I'd still say read it first to see it is OK. I have not read the whole book! The bit I heard was where his quick thinking got him out of the icy water and so saved his life.

[SistersOfPercy]

I was reading SK at 9/10. The Primary ran out of levelled books for me and were giving me Jayne Eyre etc which I went through pretty quickly. (this was a long long time ago!) so they told my Mum to take me to the library and I chose SK. I LOVED Pet Semetary, by the time I was 11/12 I'd progressed to James Herbert, HP Lovecraft, Douglas Adams, Tolkien etc.

I've read Goosebumps with my own kids and it would have bored me rigid.

[Gowgirl]

Italiangrey in an ideal world I would rather rape, murder and abuse didn't exist, id rather not have to drill my nine year old in what to do if approached in the street or caught in a terror attack. Horror books spike in sales during times of unrest as people use them to subconciously deal with their fears.
If you are unwilling to discuss any book with a dc they probably shouldn't have access to it, and if they can not read the book they definatley shouldn't be watching the films...

[Gowgirl]

Apologies for the hijack op, its a bit of a hobby horse of mineeyes multiple bookcases of horror and science fiction

[clairethewitch70]

Does your son like Dr. Who? there are plenty of novels. Also Tomb Raider Lara Croft novels if he is a fan of the game. My youngest son loved the books that goes with games, such as Borderlands game guides or Dark Souls.

[Wonderflonium]

At that age, I started with Tommyknockers and Firestarter.

The Eyes of the Dragon was written for his kids and I think the Dark Tower series is probably ok for pre-teens.

Pet Semetery has a sex scene, that I read at 13 and was a bit :/ BLURGH

[Italiangreyhound]

Gowgirl "Horror books spike in sales during times of unrest as people use them to subconciously deal with their fears."

I understand books can have a cathartic feel and help people deal with real life angst and trouble. But I also see in so much horror fiction and film a very misogynistic and abusive streak, which I feel potentially fuels rather than diffuses the violence in society. I guess we will just need to agree to differ.

[Gowgirl]

Fair enough Italiangreyhound

[Dutch1e]

As well as The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (my then-11 loved it) you could also try From A Buick 8.

Lots of supernatural acrion and deft human relationships but not too many abused vulnerable people, although the sadly too-accurate sketch of the battered girlfriend cameo character will ring true.

The thing about dark books is that children understand that "the world is full of teeth" - SK

After all, so many children's classics involve abandoned and orphaned children.

[Werkzallhourz]

I am not sure about SK at 11. I'd think maybe more like 14.

Although in saying that, I'd read almost everything Nicholas Fisk wrote prior to 1987 by the time I was 11.

And I read Children of the Dust by Louise Lawrence by the time I was 10, and that was about a nuclear war. I am not too sure COTD is less horrific than The Stand, to be honest. No mutant babies are left out in exposure in The Stand.

[CozumelFox]

Reread them.

1. You might be remembering the basic plots but you've forgotten the intricacies. Reread the scene in IT where Beverly is sexually threatened by Pennywise in the guise of the crone and then of her father. Note the language used. Reread the ending, where she has sex aged 11 with the rest of the cast, for reasons not terribly well-explained. Note some of the violent descriptions - the first attack on a young gay couple, for example. Note the language used, both racist and homophobic, and ask yourself if there's a chance your son might repeat them at school. Reread Gage's words to Jud when he is possessed by the wendigo and uses the voice of his wife.
   

Actually I'm just going to leave it at number 1, because really, I don't think you remember these novels as well as you think you do. I'm a big fan of both and chose to explore them in-depth for a university dissertation, but 11? No. At best, most of the plot would go over his head and he'd think they were tales about a clown thing, or a creepy baby thing, and some stuff happens and people die, the end. And what's the point in that? At worst, you're exposing him to material that's pretty unpleasant for a little, pre-pubescent child.

[WarwickDavisAsPlates]

I was reading Stephen King around that age. I wouldn't start him with IT though, it's got a couple of very graphic sexual scenes.

Pet Cemetery is a good one, maybe also try Misery and The Shining. I think those might be the best ones for younger readers.

[Cary2012]

Avid SK fan here. I started with Carrie and read, reread the lot.
DS read Christine at 14, loved it and he too is now hooked!

I think 14 is the earliest I'd recommend. Lots of the year sevens I teach love Darren Shan (or Shen?) has he tried those?

Deffo agree about IT btw, too many adult themes.

[StoorieHoose]

ive got my list in order for when my DD10 is up for reading some King - Fire Starter, Eyes of the Dragon, Needful Things and if she wants some horror I'm thinking Christine. She wants to read It after hearing how if influenced Stranger Things and she has seen the IT Mini Series but I dint think it's up for reading material just yet. The Hunger Games and Divergent series will be there too but I much prefer a good horror to a dystopia future

[Hestheoneandonly]

I read pet semetary at 11 (made the leap straight from Enid blyton) I've read everything he has written. Depends on the 11 year old but I'd say the majority should be fine. I was a bit of a nerdy outcast as a teenager so identified with a lot of the characters so actually really helped me

[Gowgirl]

Eye of the dragon is very dark, but I loved flagg in it! Sk wrote it for his daughter when she was about 13, because she didn't like his books.
It to me is the perfect fairytale, I also have Charlie the little choo choo on pre order!!

[Rinoachicken]

I started reading SK at that age, but I wouldn't choose Pet Cemetary (I still can't read it again it disturbed me so much) or IT as first reads.

I think I started with Carrie, Salems Lot, Tommyknockers, Misery.