Family Book Club suggestions

[SirSidneyRuffDiamond]

We have recently started a family book club with an exclusive membership of me, DH and DS, who is 11 and coming to the end of Year 6. We have a proper meeting every 2 weeks, with nibbles, and discuss our thoughts and it really encourages DS to read out of his comfort zone.

So far we have read:

Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy
War of the Worlds
Hound of the Baskervilles

Could we have a few recommendations please? Maybe something more modern? DS is a good reader, but found the pace of WOTW and HOTB too slow for his taste - although I think it does him good to tackle a variety of styles. Shorter books are preferable as DH is time-pressed.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I like the idea of a formal bookclub discussion. We are doing family discussions of books but not really organised.

Our first one will be Holes by Louis Sachar when DH and DD have finished reading it.

You might like Animal Farm. It's short and there's loads to discuss.

The Book Thief is a great book but depends on your Ds' maturity?

This is such a good idea, OP - I absolutely love the idea of having nibbles and making it an occasion!

Mine rather liked Lord of the Flies (well, it had an impact, at least, not sure if they liked it as such!), and Black Beauty at around that age (I think) and we're currently listening to Jane Eyre together in the car.

I am so excited about my new book club where I get to choose the books for once, mwahahaha

This is a good website - you can change the age range and narrow by genre.

re you avoiding YA literature? If not, I'd suggest any of Malory Blackman, esp Noughts and Crosses (NB passing reference to rape, but I'd give to an 11yo personally); or The Curious Incident of the Dog in the nighttime (hmm, suitable for an 11yo, maybe....); I Coriander (which I sat up until 2am reading) or the wonderful Northern lights Philip Pullman trilogy. I think a mix of YA and adult books are probably sensible at this stage... but then I love YA fiction. Or the Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett are amazing for any age and very, very funny.

Ooh, and Patrick Ness. A monster calls is a fav, but he's an amazing writer overall.

Sorry - my suggestions weren't at all helpful for modern literature...I just got so excited by the whole concept!

What about Meg Rosoff 'How I live now'. Or Mal Peet 'Tamar'? Both young adult fiction but very readable and lots of fodder for discussion. Great idea!

Thanks everyone. Not avoiding YA at all - in fact a variety of genres and styles would be great. DS is emotionally mature and we are happy to discuss difficult subject matters with him.

He loves the formal aspect of book club as I think he feels like he gets an insight into a more grown up arena . Plus he gets to eat crisps, olives, salami and crackers, which he is normally banned from demolishing when I host my adults only book club .

More sci-fi, but Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky is fantastic, and I think would provoke lots of discussion.

Would you consider a graphic novel? The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage is wonderful, lots of history & science in there but also hilarious.

This is a fab idea

My students (all Y7-9) have been enjoying Ready Player One recently, and Wonder.

Mine are all old suggestions rather than newer books, but how about:
My Family and Other Animals - Gerald Durrell
Goodnight Mr Tom - Michelle Magorian
Over Sea, Under Stone - Susan Cooper

Oh, and two more.
The Haunting - Margaret Mahy. I read it at about 11 and it stayed with me for ages. Not scary so much but loads to talk about.
The ghost of Thomas Kempe. Penelope Lively.

Both are kids books, ish, but the Mahy one in particular stands up really well to being read by an adult.

Kathy Reichs Virals series
Jonathon Stroud Bartimaeus and Lockwood & Co. series
Eoin Coifer Airman or Artemis Fowl Series
Any of Isaac Asimov's short story collections e.g. I, Robot; or Magic

what about the st Mary's chronicles?

Mortal Engines, by Philip Reeve.