I’m looking for Christmas gifts for my 6th grader (11 years old). He can read above his grade level. His favorite books/authors include:
– Wonder by RJ Palacio
– Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
– Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
– The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
– Pretty much anything by Gordon Korman
He is into horror/scifi movies (1982 The Thing, Alien/Aliens, T2). He’s not easily spooked by horror content but also doesn’t care for sexualized stuff yet so that makes that genre a bit tricky (finding a good balance of creepy, not kiddy, but also not full of sexual content that will embarrass him). He’s asked about Lovecraft but I have no clue if they’re accessible for his age or not.
He also loves stories about boys around his age (or older) dealing with various struggles (cyber bullying, racism, etc.)
He doesn’t seem to care for fantasy.
I would love to find him some a few books or series that would excite him if anybody has some great recommendations.
by galaxyhotdog
5 Comments
Brandon Sanderson’s Alcatraz Series
I would say no to Lovecraft. Appreciate he reads above his level (genuinely, I am impressed with those titles at 11 years old), but I often find myself struggling with Lovecraft at 28 years old.
Maybe look into the author Blake Crouch. The most famous of his is Dark Matter, but he has others which are highly rated too. They’re mainly sci fi, but with a whisper of creepy at times.
How about the Galactic Football League by Scott Sigler? It’s a galaxy-hopping multi-species space opera with sports action, gangsters, and a main character that needs to get past his own giant ego.
the giver – lois lowry
its somewhat of a dystopian but i wouldnt exactly call it fantasy. its a very short read but very good! main character is a boy around his age
Maybe Another by Yukito Ayatsuji? It’s a horror mystery. It’s constantly described as Japanese Final Destination. The premise is that a boy has to move in with his maternal grandparents while his father is abroad for work. However, before starting his new school, he is hospitalized. Once let go and meet his new classmates, he notices something strange – there is one classmate that no one but him acknowledges. And soon after, his classmates start to die in freak accidents.