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Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

12 year old girl - a good reader and into horror! Your book recommendations please!

28 replies

Podrick · 14/11/2008 17:43

I like to buy my god daughter a stack of books for christmas...does anyone have any recommendations?

OP posts:
Umlellala · 14/11/2008 20:35

Point Horror?

LostGirl · 14/11/2008 20:41

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer is an enjoyable read about vampires, more of a love story than horror perhaps.

misdee · 14/11/2008 20:42

i enjoyed the point horror books when i was her age

psychomum5 · 14/11/2008 20:45

do not get her The Exorcist.

I had nightmares for weeks after reading that......I was 13 when I read it.

at 12 I was already well into Stephen King and Dean Koontz (not ideal I now realise, but I was a very early reader being an 'only', and had done all enid blyton at 7 and 8).

If I were you, I would go and browse waterstones or borders and see what their older teens dept carry, or maybe try her with some sci-fi (which can sometimes verge on horror IME)....see if there is anything that appeals to her.

LostGirl · 14/11/2008 20:48

I enjoyed Christopher Pike at this age, his books maybe hit the gap between Point Horror and Dean R Koontz!

Sputnik · 14/11/2008 20:52

Un Lun Dun by China Mieville is very good. Maybe more fantasy than horror.

ravenAK · 14/11/2008 20:53

Neil Gaiman's 'Sandman' graphic novels?

Suedonim · 14/11/2008 20:59

12yo dd says the Goosebumps series although she doesn't actually like them herself. Also a book called 'Twilight'.

Umlellala · 14/11/2008 21:00

Oh yes and Coraline by Neil Gaiman.Fantastic. But scary.

janeite · 14/11/2008 21:01

"Coraline" by Neil Gaiman is not quite horror but is dark and gripping. There's also a graphic novel version.

Also "Neverwhere" by Gaiman - although I have to admit I can't actually remember anything about it. "Stardust" too - although more fantasy than horror.

Malory Blackman has a new one out called The Stuff Of Nightmares which is marketed as sort of horror but tbh I was very disappointed with it.

Darren Shan?

janeite · 14/11/2008 21:02

Snap!

LostGirl · 14/11/2008 21:02

There are three more in the Twilight saga so far: New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, though you may want to see if she enjoys Twilight first (though yet to meet a teenage girl who hasn't!)

psychomum5 · 14/11/2008 21:04

lostgirl......I like (in fact, fallen rather hard in love with) the cullen clan.

Scifinerd · 14/11/2008 21:08

Anthony Horowitz's power of five series is great.

Or classic horror like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Bram Stoker's Dracula or Edgar Allen Poe

LostGirl · 14/11/2008 21:17

Oh me too psychomum, I was not immune to Edward's charms, have a soft spot for Jacob too for that matter . Am hoping someone will buy me the latest for christmas, sadly I do not have a teenager myself who I can claim it is for!

psychomum5 · 14/11/2008 21:28

lostgirl, I am not even trying to blame the NEED on DD1, edward is mine.......ALL MINE!!!

in fact, I and about 10friends are going to the bournemouth premiere of twilight when it hits the big screen in december

flam is the one to blame according to my DH howerever, she got me hooked by loaning me the first one, I then had to go buy the others....could not wait for her to loan me the rest.

sadly of course, DH does not quite hit the mark since learning of edward

bethoo · 14/11/2008 21:29

Christopher Pike does kiddy horror

LostGirl · 14/11/2008 21:45

Poor DH, reality is a bitch sometimes!!

Envy you your big girl's night out to see film, don't know any adults near me that will admit to wanting to see it, I however, am out and proud .

Mind you, not sure Cedric Diggory as Edward is going to cut it.

Apologies to the OP for slight detour, but as you can see, 'Twilight' has many fans, though your god daughter may well have read it in which case we are boring you for no good reason!

bellabelly · 14/11/2008 23:15

These are fantastic for young teens, if still in print - will try to find links...

Summer of Fear, Lois Duncan
The Changeover,
Killing Mr Griffin - not horror but macabre, also by Lois Duncan

I remember reading Friday 13th and Jaws at that sort of age and loving them (but being v scared). Will try to think of some others, I loved that kind of thing.

bellabelly · 14/11/2008 23:23

The Changeover, Margaret Mahy

summer of fear

Mr Griffin

I also like this one The Wave by Morton Rhue - not horror but dark.

bellabelly · 14/11/2008 23:26

Oooh, ooh, have just remembered another brilliant Lois Duncan one - Stranger With My Face. This thread is making me want to re-read ALL of them!

solidgoldbrass · 14/11/2008 23:26

MR James collected short stories?
HP Lovecraft ditto?

These are very spooky (and in the case of MR james well written, less so Lovecraft) but neither too vigorously Aimed at Children nor too adult in terms of theme.

LostGirl · 15/11/2008 06:40

Amother vote for Lois Duncan: I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Twisted window, along with the others already mentioned.

Podrick · 15/11/2008 08:40

Oh this is absolutely fabulous, thanks for all the recommendations!

I actually bought her Un Lun Dun last year and it was a hit!

OP posts:
janeite · 15/11/2008 15:14

Lovecraft is a bit dense and unwieldly. Poe's "The Tell Tale Heart" is good.
I was reading Stephen King at 12 - maybe "The Green Mile" or "Misery" might appeal? Or some of his short stories? It depends how dark you want her to go, I guess.

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