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You are here: Home / Books / Gift Guide for 13-Year-Old Brothers Who Won’t Read

Gift Guide for 13-Year-Old Brothers Who Won’t Read

December 16, 2008 by Renee Claire

To my mother’s disappointment, my little brother doesn’t like to read. Or rather, he likes to read, but he’d prefer to do almost anything else: play video games, watch television, “hang out,” eat, sleep, etc. So what’s he getting for Christmas?

Books, of course*:

Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow

Spies Revealed

Spies Revealed, by Clive Gifford

Vintage Choose Your Own Adventure Books

Choose Your Own Adventure series: I chose Through the Black Hole #97 & The Deadly Shadow #46. They’ve got updated versions in stores, but the classic ones have better illustrations & writing.

Books by John Bellairs

John Bellairs novels: Again, I bought these used. Newer versions lack the Edward Gorey illustrations (check out the full gallery).

Read ’em or weep, little bro.

Other books he’ll get eventually: The Lightning Thief, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, & The Graveyard Book. We’ve also had success with the Demonata & Cirque Du Freak series, plus S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders.

*and a few video games

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Filed Under: Books, Festivus, Kid Stuff

Comments

  1. Sophie says

    December 18, 2008 at 12:56 am

    As a children’s librarian, I applaud your list. You might also want to try The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and any fantasy by Garth Nix, including the Seventh Tower and/or the Keys to the Kingdom series. The Charlie Bone series by Jenny Nimmo is also popular. Also, you could also go “old-school” and pick up the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander, the most famous of which, the Black Cauldron, was made into an animated film, way back when. The books are great though, and the series begins with “The Book of Three.”

  2. Renee says

    December 18, 2008 at 2:20 am

    Thank you so much, Sophie! I’ll add all of those to his “to read” list. I’d never heard of The Hunger Games, but the synopsis sounds absolutely perfect for Rod. I remember being creeped out by the Black Cauldron around Rod’s age, and I’ve been v. curious about Garth Nix’s books and the Charlie Bone series too.
    (P.S. You have the coolest job.)

  3. Fly Girl says

    December 22, 2008 at 12:04 pm

    Thanks so much for this list! I also have a 13-year-old son who doesn’t like to read and most of these sound right up his alley!

  4. Renee says

    December 23, 2008 at 7:52 am

    Fly Girl: You are very welcome! Anything to get them reading. I know getting Rod to read is like trying to catch a snake.

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