It Sucks To Be A Princess

Jenn Northington Mar 2, 2017

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Jenn and guest host Preeti Chhibber discuss kids and YA recommendations in this week’s episode of Get Booked.

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Questions

1. Hi there! I have a niece that is 12 years old and has inherited her aunt’s love of books. She has read all the Harry Potter books and is currently reading the Scholastic Spirit Animal series. I want to encourage her book nerdom but haven’t read many books in her age group and in that genre. I want to open both of us up to some new authors. Thanks and keep up the awesome job!!
–Jennifer

2. My son turns 12 in March and I am looking to purchase him books. He was an avid reader, devouring all Roald Dahl’s books, the Zac Power series and Dinosaur Cove series, but now has lost interest. He is a very sporty boy, so books about sports would be great.
Love the show, thanks for any advice you can give,
–Belinda, Melbourne, Australia

3. WARNING: Heavy subject matter ahead.
My best friend’s younger brother (15) has recently been diagnosed with depression and tried to commit suicide. He’s in the hospital at the moment, and probably going to be out of school for quite sometime. My friend came to me asking for book recommendations for her brother because he’s bored out of his mind. But she wanted nice, happy, non triggering books. I was able to suggest lot’s of comics, but I don’t know YA lit. very well, and the books I do know are most likely triggering.
–Cathy

4. Hi Y’all!

My (almost) 12 year old daughter recently told us that she thinks she might be bi or gay. We love her and are supportive of her regardless of where she falls on the spectrum. I write in today because I’ve noticed that she has also posted on social media about wanting to read books that have either a gay or bisexual main character.

Being the bookworm that I am, I would love to help her find some books that meet this criteria. Given her younger age – could I please have some recommendations for YA books that feature a bisexual or gay main character?

In the past she has loved the Hunger Games series, and is a huge Harry Potter fan. She hasn’t read as much recently – and has been watching a lot of Anime and recently got into some horror. She also loves Tim Burton.

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated. I love the show and Book Riot. Thanks for all you do!

Thanks,
–Christine

5. My daughter is sixteen and not much of a reader. She absolutely loves Harry Potter and has reread the series a number of times but hasn’t read much else except for what she’s had to in school. She really likes the Lord of the Rings movies but wasn’t able to get through the first book in the series because she found the writing style boring. She really likes high fantasy and watches a lot of sci fi (her favorite show is Battlestar Galactica), so I thought something along those lines would be nice, but those types of books are completely not in my wheelhouse. I’m completely fine with her reading any type of novel, even something with “adult” themes. I don’t restrict what my daughter reads or watches, so even if it’s “rated R” I don’t mind. Thanks so much in advanced.
–Diana

6. I am in need of “Beginner” graphic novels for my 11 year old boy. He is a good reader but reluctant. I want something that will grab hold of him and not let him go. I’m fairly new to graphic novels myself. I received Lumberjanes for Christmas after hearing you all talk about it. I loved them and might have pre-ordered the newest one. ?
–Christa

7. I’m looking for books for young children (0-12yrs old) which feature characters who happen to be bilingual.

These recommendations would be for children whose families have had the opportunity to live abroad for an extended period or whose parents have different mother tongues that they want to pass on to their children.

So often these children feel like freaks when classmates or even adults prod them to say something in the foreign language. I’m hoping you’ll have recommendations so these kids can see that they are not unusual and that being bilingual can be a plus.

Thanks in advance
–Connie Jean

Books Discussed

The Savage Fortress (Ash Mistry #1) by Sarwat Chadda

Diane Duane’s Young Wizard series (So You Want to Be a Wizard #1)

Mike Lupica

Ghost by Jason Reynolds

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner

Star-Crossed by Barbara Dee (forthcoming March 14, 2017)

Ask the Passengers by AS King

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Choksi

Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza