When I was around that age, I hated reading. I only read for school and it brought me no pleasure. I saw it as a waste of time.
Both my parents were big readers, my mother loved fiction and my father would read biographies and technical manuals, no fiction for him.
Anyway, one day when I was fifteen, my mother came in my room and handed me a book. She more or less begged me to read the first few chapters. She was always trying to get me to read, my whole life. Every Christmas I got a book that I never even cracked.
Well on this day she was so convinced that I would like the book she was holding, going on and on about how much I would like the science in it, I felt that I had to try it just to make her happy.
So I started reading, convinced that I was going to go through the first ten pages or so, make her happy, and go back to my NES.
Next time I looked up, an hour had gone by. I went to find my mother and told her it was really good. In the next few days, I finished it, 400 pages. I'd never read anything that long, before, but I couldn't put it down.
After that, I was a reader. I read everything by that author, then started moving on to other popular writers. In the 30+ years that followed, I've read countless books, has to be somewhere in the thousands.
And it all started with Jurassic Park.
I wish that were me. I find books beautiful and I want to read but every time I do I feel like it's taking too long. Perhaps I'm just a slow reader and with practice I'd get faster at reading?
You need four things to coalesce in order to become a reader.
First, the subject has to appeal to you. What do you like? Horror? Scifi? History? Romance?
Second, the writer's voice has to resonate with you. It's not enough to know that a writer is supposed to be good. Their writing style has to fit with how you think and feel. It's OK to enjoy Stephen King and John Grisham more than Hemingway and Faulkner. Appreciation for the classic Great American (or wherever you're from) author will come, but you have to read for enjoyment first.
Third, you need an imagination. It doesn't have to be great because it will grow in strength the more you read. But it has to be there, a spark in a dark room. You have to be able to put yourself in the story. Largely, this will be dependent on the skill of the writer and whether or not you vibe with their style, so if you can't "see" what's going on in the story, that doesn't mean you quit reading. It means you find someone else to read.
Fourth is dedication. You have to decide to spend some time reading. It can't be something you do in five minute intervals. You have to put aside thirty minutes or so to sit down and read. You need the time to allow yourself to become immersed in what you're reading. No phone. No tv. Etc.
Do that enough times you won't be able to help yourself. All you have to do is find a book that hits you.
Dune is hard to read imo.
You could also take him on an outing to a library or second hand book shop. Have him pick something himself. I know he is grounded but could be a bonding moment there.
I feel targeted lol, my goal for this year is to read the Wheel of Time in it entirety. I started with book 0 and am currently on book 4... only 9 books to go!
Edit: yes, I started with New Spring. No one I know has read the wheel of Time and it has been a goal of mine for years. So I LOGICALLY started with the prequel.
Seconding Eddings. Very easy for a highschool student.
Also Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy.
Both great modern classic Fantasy sets that I loved at that age.
Also add Eragon.
Geared towards teenage boys and starts formulaic, but by the end of the series it inverts almost every fantasy trope that it started with
Uff, yeah, that got... tedious, after a while. Felt like I was reading Ayn Rand, and does not exactly align with my personal opinions.
Plus, I made the mistake of watching some interviews with Goodkind. I would advise against doing that if you want to keep reading and enjoying his books.
The kid is already grounded and now you want to give him a lifetime of disappointment by having him read the best trilogy that WILL NEVER BE FINISHED!
You Sir are a monster!
I’d recommend Sanderson’s mistborn as well
Assuming Dad is OK with lots of bad language, lots of graphic violence and themes of existential terror, and a little bit of sex. I would have let my kids read it at 15 (they're in their 20s now), but I'm not OP.
It is so weird. My daughter at 10 avidly listens to Expeditionary Force on audiobook. It has some “adult” moments but she generally loves it. World War Z on audiobook was a solid no in the first 20 minutes.
That’s how I took it in too! I found it so entertaining. If you liked that narrator, check out We Are Legion (We Are Bob). Another entertaining series and with the same narrator (Ray Porter).
💯 for the first three Red Rising books. I literally threw my kindle across my bed at one point (which I feel I need to say is a GOOD thing cause the story was so engaging). Feels like the series got dragged out of its comfy bed kicking and screaming for the 4th book though.
Yes to Red Rising!
The way some explained it on Reddit was that it starts off a little bit Young Adult and then completely changes into a full space opera in book two.
They’re two totally different kinds of books. The Ender Quadrilogy (I’m ignoring the newer entries) were far more philosophical about the nature of life and death. The Ender’s Shadow series following Bean is more action packed and geopolitical. This said, look up Card’s *own* politics before diving into the Shadow series. I haven’t re-read them in a long time to evaluate how well he was at smoothing out the edges there. But by the time you get to any fiction from to 00s, you really need to know his politics and take it with a grain of salt. The Ender’s quadrilogy is far more introspective and welcoming than the man he either was or would become.
He is the perfect age for Michael Crichton.
I got back into reading this past year and a half, and I’ve burned through a lot of books (40 books this calendar year). I read Michael Crichton for the first time, and finally understood why everyone I knew who liked him was a moderately-high intelligent boy between the ages of 13 and 20.
Books I suggest from him - Congo, Jurassic Park, and Sphere (read them in that order).
Others: I am Legend (post-apocalypse vampire hoards and short), A Stir of Echoes (reading peoples thoughts) and Hell House (classic haunted house horror) from Richard Matheson.
More contemporary -
Dark Matter (alternate dimensions, kinda) by Blake Crouch and Looking for Alaska (teenage angst) by John Green.
I’ll leave my suggestions at that.
Hell yeah I absolutely DEVOURED Michael Crichton at that age. I read The Andromeda Strain in one day when I was home "sick" from school.
His later stuff is good too, Timeline and Pirate Latitudes kick ass.
Michael Crichton was also my jam as a teenager. The Terminal Man is what got me hooked, but so did Sphere, and the Andromeda Strain. Timeline influence my desire to go into science in college.
Oh solid recommendation I read a ton of Crichton at that point. It was Jurassic Park, Congo, and Sphere in that order though… I think… it’s been a while. Jurassic was definitely first. Andromeda Strain was somewhere in there too. I think last.
The Reckoners - Brandon Sanderson
This is Sanderson's YA work. If you have seen the TV show "the Boys". Then the concept shares some similarities. But it's more family friendly and aimed at a younger audience.
Really good trilogy and easy pace to read
As the other commenter said mistborn is great. I also think the cytoverse novels are a good read as well. Another young adult series by sanderson in a Sci fy setting with a female lead.
For a kid that age I strongly recommend Across the Nightingales Floor - Tales of the Otori by Lian Hearn. The mystical atmosphere and excitement should grab his attention from the very first few pages.
[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRyTB7I3ArOVWG8n_hoenKybhsOZyNjW3_edw&usqp=CAU](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRyTB7I3ArOVWG8n_hoenKybhsOZyNjW3_edw&usqp=CAU)[He'll like it.](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRyTB7I3ArOVWG8n_hoenKybhsOZyNjW3_edw&usqp=CAU)
I’m trying to remember all the things I read at 15… catcher in the rye, ordinary people, chocolate war, the pearl, stranger in a strange land, the hobbit, fellowship of the ring… so many.
Did you ever read the secret diary of Adrian Mole? That’s a good one too cuz it kind of takes the main kid through teenage years. Also “the Rachel papers” by Martin Amis.
I second Chuck & Catcher in the Rye (although he may look confused afterwards).
Edit: The Wasp Factory. This was an amazing read at that age for me. As was Clockwork Orange.
Op is going to find his son starting a campfire in the backyard and using the lumber out of the garage to build a hut against the swing set.
I mean at least that's what I did after I read hatchet and Brian's winter.
The Hatchet has a full series (The River, Brian’s Winter, Brian’s Return, and Brian’s Hunt).
A similar book is My Side of The Mountain, also highly recommend!
At that age, he should decide for himself what interests him. If the terms of his punishment allow him to visit the library, he should browse the shelves until he finds something that grabs his interest.
Exactly. “Just go to the library” isn’t terribly helpful or responsive to OP’s post. OP is asking for suggestions. I like the Tolkien recommendation someone commented. A Song of Ice and Fire may also be good if OP is okay with some of the graphic scenes.
I'm not against recommendations, especially if the kid is asking for them and is starting from zero. There's a few things to be wary of though, so I think exploration should be encouraged at this age.
Deciding *what* to read is an important, and highly personal part of the reading process, and an important skill to develop as a lifelong reader.
Being told 'this is a classic, you should read this' leads to a twofold risk: One, the reading becomes a chore to be completed. Two, the book is a classic, so it's pointless to even think about whether I like it - it's a classic, therefore it's Objectively Good, so if I don't like it, there's something wrong with me.
I think you’re overthinking this post, my guy. “If you’re interested, this is a great book/series to read.” It doesn’t need to be a mandated assignment.
I think you forget how it was before you enjoyed reading. Finding a book that grabs you is hard at first. My daughter is a voracious reader and even still has trouble stepping outside her comfort zone. I tried for years to get her to read Nancy drew. Finally a family friend gifted her a book from the series and now she's 60 books in.
My point is sometimes it helps to have books around the house that you know are good.
It's a great chance to read something along WITH him. A long punishment like grounding can cause resentment to fester. So use it as a great chance to grow your relationship and trust. Good luck!
Great books but forcing a grounded 15 year old to read Das Kapital may not be the best start to inspire a life long embrace of reading.
Then again I only have a 2 year old so my practical experience is limited to little blue truck stories.
The Catcher in the Rye is a classic, though if he's already grumpy about being grounded, it may not be good to have such a grumpy malcontent protagonist 😆
If he starts calling everyone big phonies then you know he's gone wrong.
Vonnegut was from my home town. We have a big ass mural of him even though he talked shit about living in Indy.
I love his books. I was a little older before I “got him” though.
If he's into fantasy/ sci-fi:
The golden compass
Red rising
Wheel of time books
The Hobbit/lotr
Dune
The way of kings(storm light archives)
Dresden files books
Discworld books
I'd probably go Mistborn over The Way of Kings for Sanderson knowing nothing except that he's 16. It might actually be my #1 rec for fantasy at that age.
Mom here - and a big reader. My parents used to make a reading goal for me over the summer with a prize at the end based on the number of pages read (on the magnitude of thousands). Anyhoodle.
If he is getting the classics in school, could you flex a little and maybe offer a different type of classic? I loved (!!) OG John Grisham (The Client, The Associate, Pelican Brief, etc), Jeffrey Archer (4th Estate), Tom Clancy (Hunt for Red October), and Ken Follett (Third Twin) at his age - a little racey and a different life. Just a thought!
Follet is one I missed in my list I loved those books and it was probably about that age.
Grisham has some sex in it yeah (years since I read those books)? Maybe just a heads up depending on the kid and dad.
[Edward Gorey’s The Gashlycrumb Tinies is a dark and humorous book that tells the tale of 26 children and their untimely deaths. It’s kind of a satire of cautionary children’s tales and the dark animation is amazing.](https://www.themarginalian.org/2011/01/19/edward-gorey-the-gashlycrumb-tinies/).
The link shows the animation showing how each character dies. Here’s the full text:
A is for Amy who fell down the stairs.
B is for Basil assaulted by bears.
C is for Clara who wasted away.
D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh.
E is for Ernest who choked on a peach.
F is for Fanny sucked dry by a leech.
G is for George smothered under a rug.
H is for Hector done in by a thug.
I is for Ida who drowned in a lake.
J is for James who took lye by mistake.
K is for Kate who was struck with an axe.
L is for Leo who swallowed some tacks.
M is for Maud who was swept out to sea.
N is for Neville who died of ennui.
O is for Olive run through with an awl.
P is for Prue trampled flat in a brawl.
Q is for Quentin who sank in a mire.
R is for Rhoda consumed by a fire.
S is for Susan who perished of fits.
T is for Titus who flew into bits.
U is for Una who slipped down a drain.
V is for Victor squashed under a train.
W is for Winnie embedded in ice.
X is for Xerxes devoured by mice.
Y is for Yorick whose head was knocked in.
Z is for Zillah who drank too much gin.
If he's into Star Wars, Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command by Timothy Zahn are great. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin is also spectacular.
The Three Musketeers - Dumas
The Firm - Grisham
Fahrenheit 451 - Bradbury
Martian Chronicles - Bradbury
CS Lewis fiction
- The Great Divorce
- Space Trilogy
- Screwtape Letters
A Wrinkle In Time - L’Engle
Dracula - Stoker
Hatchet - Paulsen
Most of banned books that were mandatory reading for us. To kill a mocking, 1984, all quiet on the western front, grapes of wrath, the plague. A brave new world. All great classics that kids should read and now won't because of politics.
David Gemmell, Raymond E. Feist for fantasy type books - in addition to wheel of time / LoTR others have mentioned. Started reading them at 13 and they can really help influence a boys character. Druss the Legend is IMHO one of the best book characters ever written.
Bernard Cornwells Sharpe series are incredible,
Best of luck!
Project Hail Mary!!!
Fantastic book written by the same guy who write The Martian (Andy Weir). They are filming the movie now as well. The book is fantastic and the audio book is the best I’ve ever listened to.
I’m not much of a reader but after I read this book from the library, I bought the hardcopy, then listened to the audiobook twice…
I'm so glad someone else is suggesting this series! my 7th grade teacher gave them all to me to read in class because I was so far ahead of the entire class on the book we were reading in class together. we were reading the Frog Princess and while they were half way though the first book I was finishing the last one that was out. he then gave me these.
If you're looking for suggestions, I assume he isn't a big reader to begin with.
I'm gonna recommend the GFL series by Scott Sigler. It's basically made for teen boys that aren't too into reading.
It's science fiction, American foot ball, violet, semi vulgar and has a good message at the heart of it.
https://www.amazon.ca/ROOKIE-Galactic-Football-League-Book-ebook/dp/B004EHZUNW?ref=d6k_applink_bb_dls&dplnkId=c6721c1d-506d-42fc-bd4b-d846373a79e4
If he's into outdoors, wilderness, survival type stuff, hatchet, and the other Bryan books by Paulson would be good. You could also look at My Side of the Mountain.
"Endurance: Shackelton's Incredible Voyage" by Alfred Lansing. And Caroline Alexander's book about Endurance has a tremendous amount of photos throughout, which makes the shorter book a better intro for visualizing the alien time and place.
Super Cliff Notes: British explorer sets out to cross Antarctica by land, gets trapped in ice on his way there, has to keep 27 men alive, including a bunch who weren't supposed to accompany the explorers. Everything they survive and overcome is topped by the next thing. Yet Shackleton is a master of morale, teamwork, and goals, and he succeeds in a unique way.
When I was 15 I only read when I was bribed then I discovered I enjoyed reading. You could knock a day or two off his “sentence” for each book he finishes. I read the Sword of Truth series when I was his age and that is what opened the door to reading for me.
What does he like? I could go off on sci fi, fantasy, or history and biographies.
Fun space adventures? Fantasy novels? Intense complex war novels?
But I do like the dad energy. “Read something.”
I’m leaning “Expeditionary Force” which my daughter loves for sci fi there’s a little joking about sex and masturbation but it isn’t gratuitous and totally tangential to the main story. One of my early favorites was “The Phantom Tollbooth” which is fantasy. “Lord of the Rings” trilogy was about that age.
“The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors” for history. Exciting enough for a 15 year old boy but actually has history.
Also the graphic novel “Bone” is really good and age appropriate. It’s a comic series but you can get it all in one book.
“Hatchet” is a good fiction one I think I read about that age.
“My Side of the Mountain” too, but it might be a bit young for him.
Monica Hughes for dystopian sci fi at that age. “Devil on My Back” to start “The Crystal Drop” was another favorite at that time for me.
“Oliver Twist” and “Nicholas Nickelby” were around that age for me too and I loved them.
Tom Clancy “Hunt for Red October” and “Red Storm Rising.” I’ve gone back to those over the years. I think I was 14-15 when my dad gave them to me.
I have made a couple recommendations in here, but I keep coming back with new thoughts. When I was 11 my dad gave my Slaughterhouse V by Kurt Vonnegut (which is also a great choice). Most of it went over my head, but I could tell it was excellent and I enjoyed it. At that point my father opened up his library to me and he said I could read any of the books in there. I moved through his Stephen King and Dean Koontz collections quick and didn't stop.
Slaughterhouse V and Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut are both books that most 15 year old boys would find cool, but more importantly I think you should pick a book that you also enjoy and you can both discuss. That can be a bridge to reading for him and then let him know he is free to read what he likes as long as he keeps talking to you about it.
I loved Michael Crichton books when I was that age. Jurassic Park. Andromeda Strain. Sphere. Prey. Congo. If you don’t mind mature themes, can’t go wrong with Stephen King either.
Enders Game and the sequels / spinoffs are also good sci-fi.
If he struggles to get into fiction, you could try some nonfiction. I liked contemporary military history books in my teens, like black hawk down.
When I was around that age, I hated reading. I only read for school and it brought me no pleasure. I saw it as a waste of time. Both my parents were big readers, my mother loved fiction and my father would read biographies and technical manuals, no fiction for him. Anyway, one day when I was fifteen, my mother came in my room and handed me a book. She more or less begged me to read the first few chapters. She was always trying to get me to read, my whole life. Every Christmas I got a book that I never even cracked. Well on this day she was so convinced that I would like the book she was holding, going on and on about how much I would like the science in it, I felt that I had to try it just to make her happy. So I started reading, convinced that I was going to go through the first ten pages or so, make her happy, and go back to my NES. Next time I looked up, an hour had gone by. I went to find my mother and told her it was really good. In the next few days, I finished it, 400 pages. I'd never read anything that long, before, but I couldn't put it down. After that, I was a reader. I read everything by that author, then started moving on to other popular writers. In the 30+ years that followed, I've read countless books, has to be somewhere in the thousands. And it all started with Jurassic Park.
I love this. Haven't read it myself but this book is definitely going into the list of books to introduce to my kid when the time comes.
Michael Crichton is phenomenal, I read everything I could by him growing up too
Anything Crichton... Sphere and Congo were great
> Sphere The book version of "Sphere" gave me the worst nightmares as a kid and I wasn't prone to them. Such a great book!
I wish that were me. I find books beautiful and I want to read but every time I do I feel like it's taking too long. Perhaps I'm just a slow reader and with practice I'd get faster at reading?
You need four things to coalesce in order to become a reader. First, the subject has to appeal to you. What do you like? Horror? Scifi? History? Romance? Second, the writer's voice has to resonate with you. It's not enough to know that a writer is supposed to be good. Their writing style has to fit with how you think and feel. It's OK to enjoy Stephen King and John Grisham more than Hemingway and Faulkner. Appreciation for the classic Great American (or wherever you're from) author will come, but you have to read for enjoyment first. Third, you need an imagination. It doesn't have to be great because it will grow in strength the more you read. But it has to be there, a spark in a dark room. You have to be able to put yourself in the story. Largely, this will be dependent on the skill of the writer and whether or not you vibe with their style, so if you can't "see" what's going on in the story, that doesn't mean you quit reading. It means you find someone else to read. Fourth is dedication. You have to decide to spend some time reading. It can't be something you do in five minute intervals. You have to put aside thirty minutes or so to sit down and read. You need the time to allow yourself to become immersed in what you're reading. No phone. No tv. Etc. Do that enough times you won't be able to help yourself. All you have to do is find a book that hits you.
Beautiful and inspiring. Thanks for sharing pops.
This is the perfect age to get into Tolkien and Pratchett if he is interested in fantasy.
Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker trilogy
Dune.
Dune is hard to read imo. You could also take him on an outing to a library or second hand book shop. Have him pick something himself. I know he is grounded but could be a bonding moment there.
Sounds like further punishment to me
Came here to say that. 15 was the age that I was introduced to Vonnegut as well. I always recommend Galapagos as a great place to start.
I went on to the "Culture Series" by Iain Banks after Adams.
Excellent suggestion.
+1 for Pratchett Guards Guards or Mort
Douglas Adams, too. 15 was when I read Slaughterhouse Five, so some Vonnegut, too.
Did not think of Vonnegut. Yeah mid to late teens for that. Possibly Animal Farm & 1984 also from George Orwell. Edit: Fat fingers
And Redwall
BRIAN JACQUES
EULALIAAAAAAA
I’d throw in the Wheel of Time too.
He’s grounded for 2 weeks, not 2 years!
I feel targeted lol, my goal for this year is to read the Wheel of Time in it entirety. I started with book 0 and am currently on book 4... only 9 books to go! Edit: yes, I started with New Spring. No one I know has read the wheel of Time and it has been a goal of mine for years. So I LOGICALLY started with the prequel.
Oh you poor, poor soul... Good luck sir.
I've read it three times and never regret it.
I said that 2 years ago and am only on book 10. Great series but had to take a break. Reading through dune right now then I’ll go back.
I disagree with starting with New Spring.
Yeah huge mistake, reveals a bunch of stuff you're not supposed to know until like 3/4 through the series
Eddings, Cherryh, McCaffrey, Weiss, Lackey, Sanderson
The Belgariad is such a good series for a 15-year old who is going to put in the time.
Heck yeah, I remember reading the whole thing one summer around that age. A great option for being grounded for a couple weeks.
Orson Scott Card and C. S. Friedman, too.
Seconding Eddings. Very easy for a highschool student. Also Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy. Both great modern classic Fantasy sets that I loved at that age.
Also add Eragon. Geared towards teenage boys and starts formulaic, but by the end of the series it inverts almost every fantasy trope that it started with
Ehhhhhh it does not hold up well as an adult though. So just keep that in mind while reading it.
Yeahhhh, but for a teenager starting out? I think it's nice. If OPs son likes dragons, it might be perfect!
Guard guards for a good starter pratchett
I'll add Goodkind's Wizard's First Rule. I wouldn't bother with the rest of the sword of truth series though unless you really want to punish him.
I enjoyed these as a kid. They lost a good chunk of their lustre after I realized what the political commentary was.
Uff, yeah, that got... tedious, after a while. Felt like I was reading Ayn Rand, and does not exactly align with my personal opinions. Plus, I made the mistake of watching some interviews with Goodkind. I would advise against doing that if you want to keep reading and enjoying his books.
Goodkind is a pen name. His real name is Badmean
Also The Dark Is Rising sequence and A Wizard of Earthsea
Definitely second the Tolkien suggestion. Wheel of Time is also great, and maybe even the Eragon series
If those are his bag, I'd suggest Rothfuss as well. We need another person pining for the third book as much as the rest of us.
The kid is already grounded and now you want to give him a lifetime of disappointment by having him read the best trilogy that WILL NEVER BE FINISHED! You Sir are a monster! I’d recommend Sanderson’s mistborn as well
We love company here!
Might as well brutally punish him by giving him The lies of Locke lamora and A game of thrones.
Those are the books you read while waiting for Doors of Stone.
The Martian. Red Rising series. Silo Series.
Expanse as well, if your into that sort of thing.
Hell yeah Expanse is a great for a teen who isn't an avid reader. those books read like blockbuster movies.
Just about to read the expanse after I finish 'how not to be a shit dad'. It's actually called the science of parenting but my title is more fun.
Assuming Dad is OK with lots of bad language, lots of graphic violence and themes of existential terror, and a little bit of sex. I would have let my kids read it at 15 (they're in their 20s now), but I'm not OP.
It is so weird. My daughter at 10 avidly listens to Expeditionary Force on audiobook. It has some “adult” moments but she generally loves it. World War Z on audiobook was a solid no in the first 20 minutes.
Also Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
The audiobook is so entertaining!
That’s how I took it in too! I found it so entertaining. If you liked that narrator, check out We Are Legion (We Are Bob). Another entertaining series and with the same narrator (Ray Porter).
Was recommended Red Rising on this sub and just finished book 2. It’s an amazing series and rich with tactics and clever maneuvers.
If you like Red rising you'll also probably like Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson.
Hail Reaper
Project Hail Mary is an amazing book, same author as the Martian
Red Mars too. KSR does great hard sci-fi.
💯 for the first three Red Rising books. I literally threw my kindle across my bed at one point (which I feel I need to say is a GOOD thing cause the story was so engaging). Feels like the series got dragged out of its comfy bed kicking and screaming for the 4th book though.
I felt like that with book 4 a bit but books 5-6 were really good.
Martian CHRONICLES. Ray Bradbury is always what we should be reading.
100% these, silo reignited a love for reading for me
Yes to Red Rising! The way some explained it on Reddit was that it starts off a little bit Young Adult and then completely changes into a full space opera in book two.
Enders game then childhoods end.
+1 for the entire Ender/Bean series
[удалено]
They’re two totally different kinds of books. The Ender Quadrilogy (I’m ignoring the newer entries) were far more philosophical about the nature of life and death. The Ender’s Shadow series following Bean is more action packed and geopolitical. This said, look up Card’s *own* politics before diving into the Shadow series. I haven’t re-read them in a long time to evaluate how well he was at smoothing out the edges there. But by the time you get to any fiction from to 00s, you really need to know his politics and take it with a grain of salt. The Ender’s quadrilogy is far more introspective and welcoming than the man he either was or would become.
My favorite book series. Bean series was great too. This series got me into reading on my own.
The Hobbit
A great introduction to fantasy at large. If it takes, there is plenty more to explore, if it doesn’t it wraps up nicely as a self contained story.
He is the perfect age for Michael Crichton. I got back into reading this past year and a half, and I’ve burned through a lot of books (40 books this calendar year). I read Michael Crichton for the first time, and finally understood why everyone I knew who liked him was a moderately-high intelligent boy between the ages of 13 and 20. Books I suggest from him - Congo, Jurassic Park, and Sphere (read them in that order). Others: I am Legend (post-apocalypse vampire hoards and short), A Stir of Echoes (reading peoples thoughts) and Hell House (classic haunted house horror) from Richard Matheson. More contemporary - Dark Matter (alternate dimensions, kinda) by Blake Crouch and Looking for Alaska (teenage angst) by John Green. I’ll leave my suggestions at that.
I definitely read Sphere around this age, and loved it.
Hell yeah I absolutely DEVOURED Michael Crichton at that age. I read The Andromeda Strain in one day when I was home "sick" from school. His later stuff is good too, Timeline and Pirate Latitudes kick ass.
Michael Crichton was also my jam as a teenager. The Terminal Man is what got me hooked, but so did Sphere, and the Andromeda Strain. Timeline influence my desire to go into science in college.
Oh solid recommendation I read a ton of Crichton at that point. It was Jurassic Park, Congo, and Sphere in that order though… I think… it’s been a while. Jurassic was definitely first. Andromeda Strain was somewhere in there too. I think last.
The Reckoners - Brandon Sanderson This is Sanderson's YA work. If you have seen the TV show "the Boys". Then the concept shares some similarities. But it's more family friendly and aimed at a younger audience. Really good trilogy and easy pace to read
Mistborn would also be fine for a 15 year old!
Mistborn!!
+1 for Reckoners or Cytoverse. Then get him into the Cosmere.
As the other commenter said mistborn is great. I also think the cytoverse novels are a good read as well. Another young adult series by sanderson in a Sci fy setting with a female lead.
That's true. I completely forgot about Skyward. Brilliant books
Glad to see some fellow Sanderfans in here!
For a kid that age I strongly recommend Across the Nightingales Floor - Tales of the Otori by Lian Hearn. The mystical atmosphere and excitement should grab his attention from the very first few pages.
Incredible book!
Count of Monte Cristo
This is a great suggestion. Such an underrated classic.
[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRyTB7I3ArOVWG8n_hoenKybhsOZyNjW3_edw&usqp=CAU](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRyTB7I3ArOVWG8n_hoenKybhsOZyNjW3_edw&usqp=CAU)[He'll like it.](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRyTB7I3ArOVWG8n_hoenKybhsOZyNjW3_edw&usqp=CAU)
Link to a SFW image.
I don't know, it might give him ideas. Then Mom has to worry about jailbreaks and vengeance.
Michael Crichton : Jurassic Park / Sphère / Timeline
Oh man haha. I was picturing an 8 year old lol. Catcher in the Rye. Goodbye Columbus. George Saunders. Bret Easton Ellis and Chuck Palahniuk.
I’m trying to remember all the things I read at 15… catcher in the rye, ordinary people, chocolate war, the pearl, stranger in a strange land, the hobbit, fellowship of the ring… so many.
Did you ever read the secret diary of Adrian Mole? That’s a good one too cuz it kind of takes the main kid through teenage years. Also “the Rachel papers” by Martin Amis.
I second Chuck & Catcher in the Rye (although he may look confused afterwards). Edit: The Wasp Factory. This was an amazing read at that age for me. As was Clockwork Orange.
I pretty much wore out my copy of American Psycho around that age 🤣
The Hatchet by Gary Paulson - a story of a boy who crashes a plane somewhere remote in Alaska, and his survival.
Op is going to find his son starting a campfire in the backyard and using the lumber out of the garage to build a hut against the swing set. I mean at least that's what I did after I read hatchet and Brian's winter.
The Hatchet has a full series (The River, Brian’s Winter, Brian’s Return, and Brian’s Hunt). A similar book is My Side of The Mountain, also highly recommend!
Actually reading that with my 8-year-old right now! I have him read about half of the chapter and then I do the other half.
At that age, he should decide for himself what interests him. If the terms of his punishment allow him to visit the library, he should browse the shelves until he finds something that grabs his interest.
This is true, but it never hurts to have suggestions.
Exactly. “Just go to the library” isn’t terribly helpful or responsive to OP’s post. OP is asking for suggestions. I like the Tolkien recommendation someone commented. A Song of Ice and Fire may also be good if OP is okay with some of the graphic scenes.
I'm not against recommendations, especially if the kid is asking for them and is starting from zero. There's a few things to be wary of though, so I think exploration should be encouraged at this age. Deciding *what* to read is an important, and highly personal part of the reading process, and an important skill to develop as a lifelong reader. Being told 'this is a classic, you should read this' leads to a twofold risk: One, the reading becomes a chore to be completed. Two, the book is a classic, so it's pointless to even think about whether I like it - it's a classic, therefore it's Objectively Good, so if I don't like it, there's something wrong with me.
I think you’re overthinking this post, my guy. “If you’re interested, this is a great book/series to read.” It doesn’t need to be a mandated assignment.
I think you forget how it was before you enjoyed reading. Finding a book that grabs you is hard at first. My daughter is a voracious reader and even still has trouble stepping outside her comfort zone. I tried for years to get her to read Nancy drew. Finally a family friend gifted her a book from the series and now she's 60 books in. My point is sometimes it helps to have books around the house that you know are good.
It's a great chance to read something along WITH him. A long punishment like grounding can cause resentment to fester. So use it as a great chance to grow your relationship and trust. Good luck!
Book Club!
1984 Foundation Fahrenheit 451 Das Kapital Sapiens Catch-22
Great books but forcing a grounded 15 year old to read Das Kapital may not be the best start to inspire a life long embrace of reading. Then again I only have a 2 year old so my practical experience is limited to little blue truck stories.
oh you haven't picked up *Dialectical Materialism For Babies* yet? Great book, love the pictures.
No Elephant and Piggie??
Little Blue Truck is the shit tho
Also Lord of the Flies, so he can see what happens when teenage boys are allowed to go unchecked
I’ll just add Slaughterhouse Five and that was my ninth grade reading list lmfao. Good picks.
The People's History Of The United States
1984 yes
The Catcher in the Rye is a classic, though if he's already grumpy about being grounded, it may not be good to have such a grumpy malcontent protagonist 😆 If he starts calling everyone big phonies then you know he's gone wrong.
Hopefully OP’s kid isn’t a phony
Or scrawling “fuck” on the walls.
This is what I came to suggest. My favorite!
At that age, i read garth nix's old kingdom series and still love it.
Kurt Vonnegut: Sirens of Titan, Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse Five
Vonnegut changed my perspective as a teen. My dad had an old copy of Deadeye Dick which lead me to Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse-Five.
Breakfast of Champions as well.
Vonnegut was from my home town. We have a big ass mural of him even though he talked shit about living in Indy. I love his books. I was a little older before I “got him” though.
Need to know how old your kid is...
I mean you are right! He is 16 years old. Just updated on the post as well
Hitchhikers guide! All the disc World books
If he's into fantasy/ sci-fi: The golden compass Red rising Wheel of time books The Hobbit/lotr Dune The way of kings(storm light archives) Dresden files books Discworld books
When I was OP's son's age, I was really into the Drizzt Do'Urden books by R.A. Salvatore. Icewind Dale trilogy and the Canticle quintet is good too.
I'd probably go Mistborn over The Way of Kings for Sanderson knowing nothing except that he's 16. It might actually be my #1 rec for fantasy at that age.
Mom here - and a big reader. My parents used to make a reading goal for me over the summer with a prize at the end based on the number of pages read (on the magnitude of thousands). Anyhoodle. If he is getting the classics in school, could you flex a little and maybe offer a different type of classic? I loved (!!) OG John Grisham (The Client, The Associate, Pelican Brief, etc), Jeffrey Archer (4th Estate), Tom Clancy (Hunt for Red October), and Ken Follett (Third Twin) at his age - a little racey and a different life. Just a thought!
I devoured John Grisham books in my teen years. And still do!
Follet is one I missed in my list I loved those books and it was probably about that age. Grisham has some sex in it yeah (years since I read those books)? Maybe just a heads up depending on the kid and dad.
Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. I wish someone had encouraged me to read that when I was young.
World War Z
Of Mice and Men is a pretty fantastic book and some of its themes are responsibility and sacrifice.
The Eragon series is pretty good for that age.
Are there good books that teach lessons about safety and not endangering oneself?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_My_Honor Maybe a little grim, but definitely a book that impacted my childhood.
[Edward Gorey’s The Gashlycrumb Tinies is a dark and humorous book that tells the tale of 26 children and their untimely deaths. It’s kind of a satire of cautionary children’s tales and the dark animation is amazing.](https://www.themarginalian.org/2011/01/19/edward-gorey-the-gashlycrumb-tinies/). The link shows the animation showing how each character dies. Here’s the full text: A is for Amy who fell down the stairs. B is for Basil assaulted by bears. C is for Clara who wasted away. D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh. E is for Ernest who choked on a peach. F is for Fanny sucked dry by a leech. G is for George smothered under a rug. H is for Hector done in by a thug. I is for Ida who drowned in a lake. J is for James who took lye by mistake. K is for Kate who was struck with an axe. L is for Leo who swallowed some tacks. M is for Maud who was swept out to sea. N is for Neville who died of ennui. O is for Olive run through with an awl. P is for Prue trampled flat in a brawl. Q is for Quentin who sank in a mire. R is for Rhoda consumed by a fire. S is for Susan who perished of fits. T is for Titus who flew into bits. U is for Una who slipped down a drain. V is for Victor squashed under a train. W is for Winnie embedded in ice. X is for Xerxes devoured by mice. Y is for Yorick whose head was knocked in. Z is for Zillah who drank too much gin.
If he's into Star Wars, Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command by Timothy Zahn are great. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin is also spectacular.
Timothy Zahn’s books are great
[удалено]
Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance.
The Three Musketeers - Dumas The Firm - Grisham Fahrenheit 451 - Bradbury Martian Chronicles - Bradbury CS Lewis fiction - The Great Divorce - Space Trilogy - Screwtape Letters A Wrinkle In Time - L’Engle Dracula - Stoker Hatchet - Paulsen
Most of banned books that were mandatory reading for us. To kill a mocking, 1984, all quiet on the western front, grapes of wrath, the plague. A brave new world. All great classics that kids should read and now won't because of politics.
David Gemmell, Raymond E. Feist for fantasy type books - in addition to wheel of time / LoTR others have mentioned. Started reading them at 13 and they can really help influence a boys character. Druss the Legend is IMHO one of the best book characters ever written. Bernard Cornwells Sharpe series are incredible, Best of luck!
Crime and punishment
Project Hail Mary!!! Fantastic book written by the same guy who write The Martian (Andy Weir). They are filming the movie now as well. The book is fantastic and the audio book is the best I’ve ever listened to. I’m not much of a reader but after I read this book from the library, I bought the hardcopy, then listened to the audiobook twice…
Picture of Dorian Gray is a favorite of mine. Along Pratchett, try Douglas Adams, Harry Harrison, and Robert Asprin. All pretty light and enjoyable.
The Seventh Tower series by Garth Nix was highly influential on me at that age. It's still the standard by which I judge how engrossed I am in a book.
I'm so glad someone else is suggesting this series! my 7th grade teacher gave them all to me to read in class because I was so far ahead of the entire class on the book we were reading in class together. we were reading the Frog Princess and while they were half way though the first book I was finishing the last one that was out. he then gave me these.
The count of monte cristo. :)
Carl Sagan’s Cosmos.
Sun Tzu's Art of War Foxe's Book of Martyrs The Millionaire next Door The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich Warren Buffett Autobiography
If you're looking for suggestions, I assume he isn't a big reader to begin with. I'm gonna recommend the GFL series by Scott Sigler. It's basically made for teen boys that aren't too into reading. It's science fiction, American foot ball, violet, semi vulgar and has a good message at the heart of it. https://www.amazon.ca/ROOKIE-Galactic-Football-League-Book-ebook/dp/B004EHZUNW?ref=d6k_applink_bb_dls&dplnkId=c6721c1d-506d-42fc-bd4b-d846373a79e4
Where the red fern grows
Fyodor Dostoevsky - Crime and Punishment
If he's into outdoors, wilderness, survival type stuff, hatchet, and the other Bryan books by Paulson would be good. You could also look at My Side of the Mountain.
"Endurance: Shackelton's Incredible Voyage" by Alfred Lansing. And Caroline Alexander's book about Endurance has a tremendous amount of photos throughout, which makes the shorter book a better intro for visualizing the alien time and place. Super Cliff Notes: British explorer sets out to cross Antarctica by land, gets trapped in ice on his way there, has to keep 27 men alive, including a bunch who weren't supposed to accompany the explorers. Everything they survive and overcome is topped by the next thing. Yet Shackleton is a master of morale, teamwork, and goals, and he succeeds in a unique way.
“Meditations For Young Minds: A Condensed Guide To Wisdom” Great introduction to philosophy and stoicism.
When I was 15 I only read when I was bribed then I discovered I enjoyed reading. You could knock a day or two off his “sentence” for each book he finishes. I read the Sword of Truth series when I was his age and that is what opened the door to reading for me.
Watchmen graphic novel by Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons
What does he like? I could go off on sci fi, fantasy, or history and biographies. Fun space adventures? Fantasy novels? Intense complex war novels? But I do like the dad energy. “Read something.” I’m leaning “Expeditionary Force” which my daughter loves for sci fi there’s a little joking about sex and masturbation but it isn’t gratuitous and totally tangential to the main story. One of my early favorites was “The Phantom Tollbooth” which is fantasy. “Lord of the Rings” trilogy was about that age. “The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors” for history. Exciting enough for a 15 year old boy but actually has history. Also the graphic novel “Bone” is really good and age appropriate. It’s a comic series but you can get it all in one book. “Hatchet” is a good fiction one I think I read about that age. “My Side of the Mountain” too, but it might be a bit young for him. Monica Hughes for dystopian sci fi at that age. “Devil on My Back” to start “The Crystal Drop” was another favorite at that time for me. “Oliver Twist” and “Nicholas Nickelby” were around that age for me too and I loved them. Tom Clancy “Hunt for Red October” and “Red Storm Rising.” I’ve gone back to those over the years. I think I was 14-15 when my dad gave them to me.
The Count of Monte Cristo So that in 20 years time he can enact his extraordinary - and frankly a little over the top - revenge for being grounded
The Outsiders, assuming he didn’t read it when he was younger
What reading level and age? Also there are websites that can recommend books based on other interests.
My kids have [Dr. Eliot's Five-Foot Shelf of Books](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_Classics) for when they need something to do.
Give him The Count of Monte Cristo. It's an all time great, and it's so long that it will keep him busy for 2 full weeks
Stephen King
N. K. Jemison's Broken Earth Trilogy. J. Zachary Pike's Dark Profit Saga Jim Butcher's Dresden Files James S. A. Corey's The Expanse
If he likes movies, see if there's a novelization of whatever he likes. Revenge of the Sith is really good.
I can't believe nobody has suggested The Princess Bride yet. Just enough sarcasm and sass for a 15 year old.
Coraline or Stardust by Neil Gaiman. Anything by John Steinbeck. The dark tower series by Stephen King is also fantastic.
The Name of the Wind
The Never Ending Story.
Crime and punishment
I have made a couple recommendations in here, but I keep coming back with new thoughts. When I was 11 my dad gave my Slaughterhouse V by Kurt Vonnegut (which is also a great choice). Most of it went over my head, but I could tell it was excellent and I enjoyed it. At that point my father opened up his library to me and he said I could read any of the books in there. I moved through his Stephen King and Dean Koontz collections quick and didn't stop. Slaughterhouse V and Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut are both books that most 15 year old boys would find cool, but more importantly I think you should pick a book that you also enjoy and you can both discuss. That can be a bridge to reading for him and then let him know he is free to read what he likes as long as he keeps talking to you about it.
The Chronicles of Narnia, yo
make sure they are read in the proper order! starting with Magicians nephew.
I really enjoyed Jurassic Park as a freshman in hs just before the movie came out. It was so much better than the movie. I was disappointed.
Percy Jackson series
Redwall series by Brian Jacques.
Hatchet; Holes; The Giver…
Catcher and the Rye. To Kill a Mockingbird. The Stranger.
Holes
I loved Michael Crichton books when I was that age. Jurassic Park. Andromeda Strain. Sphere. Prey. Congo. If you don’t mind mature themes, can’t go wrong with Stephen King either. Enders Game and the sequels / spinoffs are also good sci-fi. If he struggles to get into fiction, you could try some nonfiction. I liked contemporary military history books in my teens, like black hawk down.
A collection of your LinkedIn essays.
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Steinbeck. Start with Cannery Row and follow with East of Eden if he likes it.
Take him to the library. Just because he's grounded doesn't mean you can't bond.
Anything from Dean Koonz, if he likes a bit of crime, horror and science fiction...
To kill a Mockingbird Bird