About hayden

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• Comment on hayden's answer…

  0 0 Thanks Sacreligious! By the way, I meant to second the previous suggestion of Terry Pratchett's books. He does a great job of tackling Big Issues with humor in a fantasy framework. hayden commented 7 months ago

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  What can fill the hole in my heart that Harry Potter left?

  6 0 I feel you, gilr. People like HP for lots of different reasons, so those holes left in hearts come in lots of different shapes. But judging by what you don't like, here are a few ideas. Eva Ibbotson's fantasy books have a lot of the same elements as the HP books--fun characters, hidden worlds, and a great sense of humor.  I would start with this collection, which includes The Secret of Platform 13--a book from which J.K. Rowling borrowed quite a bit (in my opinion).   The Dark is Rising series, by Susan Cooper, doesn't have the humor of the HP world, but it definitely has the whole "one boy staving off a great evil" thing going on.  Have you read any Ursula Leguin?  I am particularly a fan of her Earthsea series, which begins with A Wizard of Earthsea.  Again, not exactly funny, but really interesting characters dealing with their own internal struggles while also trying to  fight the forces of darkness. Shannon Hale is one of my favorite fantasy/fairy tale authors.  Her protagonists, usually girls, find themselves as they find ways to fight evil.  Start with Goose Girl.  Graceling and Fire, by Kristin Cashore, are also good. If you're willing to try graphic novels, there are tons of great options.  Amulet, for example, is about siblings trying to save their mother from a monster in a strange underground world.  I hope these help with that Harry Potter-shaped hole!  If you'd like more suggestions any time, you can always go to the library's website and get some from a librarian.  Good luck! Hayden   hayden answered in Book Recommendations 7 months ago Answer, comment & read 10 more answers »

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  0 0 Hooray! So glad you have some good books on the way. :) hayden commented 10 months ago

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  Science books for tweens

  2 0 Hi Misty, How cool that you want to get your daughter excited about science! There are quite a few books out there now that have good science info, but are graphically interesting and only sneakily educational. I like The Book of Potentially Catastrophic Science and The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science.  The Big Idea Science Book is also lots of fun to look at--lots of photos!--and has info on everything from the Big Bang Theory to frozen zoos.  And no kid would be able to resist The Most Explosive Science Book in the Universe. For science-related fiction, I love The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook, a comic about a group of kids who develop amazing inventions and foil criminals.  It made me want to join a secret club of scientific inventors. I hope this is helpful, and that you and your daughter have lots of fun with these. Hayden hayden answered in Teens & Tweens 10 months ago Answer, comment & read 8 more answers »

• Comment on Leighanne Law's answer…

  0 0 Some great suggestions here. I would also put in a plug for: E. Lockhart, especially the Ruby Oliver series (which starts with "The Boyfriend List). Ruby is a vintage-wearing, list-making, hilarious Seattle-dweller. Ruby has her problems, romantic and otherwise, but these books are super fun. Shutout, by Brendan Halpin, is also very witty in the way that real live teens so often are. Two best friends/soccer players, but only one gets picked for the varsity squad. "Parrotfish" by Ellen Wittlinger is about a transgender teen, but manages to be truly funny and optimistic. "Spanking Shakespeare," by Jake Wizner, is just an awesome boy coming-of-age story. "Hold Me Closer, Necromancer" is a brand new humor-horro book by Lish McBride, a Seattle author. A Seattle teen finds that he can raise the dead, and hijinks ensue. There are plenty of heavy teen books out there, it's true. But there are tons of fun ones, too, perfect for summer. Hope you find some good ones! hayden commented 12 months ago

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  LGBT-themed books for kids, teens and adults

  0 0 What a super awesome question! The Seattle Public Library's Teen Services Librarians have made a good list of queer fiction for teens, most of which would work for a wide age range. I would particularly suggest The Vast Fields of Ordinary, which is somewhat unique in that it is not exactly a coming out story--more of a coming of age story about a gay kid. Suicide Notes is timely in light of Dan Savage's "It Gets Better" project. Totally Joe is a great book for younger (and older) audiences--perfect for middle school readers. Parrotfish, about a transgender teen, is great because it's optimistic and funny. How Beautiful the Ordinary, a collection of short stories, might be perfect for your purposes.  It emphasizes the diversity within the LGBTQ experience.  Some selections are more sexually explicit than others. I liked that Pink accounted for how fluid sexuality can be, without writing off teenage lesbianism as "a phase." I hope this is helpful.  Good luck!  If you need more information or book suggestions, feel free to contact a librarian any time. Cheers, Hayden hayden answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 6 more answers »

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  Want to join a Questionland reading group?

  1 0 Goon Squad! hayden answered in General Book Discussion about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 26 more answers »

• Comment on mishalibrarian's answer…

  0 0 Well, I wouldn't really call it gut-wrenching or anything. Poignant, perhaps. :) hayden commented about 1 year ago

• Comment on mishalibrarian's answer…

  0 0 This is a fantastic list, but The Anomalies broke my heart a little. hayden commented about 1 year ago

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  Please recommend a book

  0 0 What a great list of books.  I'm with you on characters needing a couple of redeeming qualities, at least. Here are a few books with strong characters and excellent writing. Revolver, by Marcus Sedgwick This is a teen book, but bear with me.  I think it might be a good fit, particularly since you don't mind a good coming of age novel. It won the Printz Award for excellence in writing last year, and with good reason. It reminded me a lot of Cormac McCarthy's elegant, spare prose, and it hits on lots of big themes--the nature of God, when violence is justified, man vs. the elements, etc. As it opens, teenaged Sig is alone in a cabin in northern Finland--except for the frozen body of his father, resting in the corner. There is an ominous knock at the door. Since you mention The Road (which I also loved/was horrified by), I'll recommend a couple of my recent favorite dystopia/post-apocalyptic titles. The Year of the Flood and Oryx and Crake, both by Margaret Atwood, are companion books about a near future world suffering from catastrophic climate change, stark class divisions, and terrifying leaps forward in science.  It's literary science fiction at its best. The Brief History of the Dead is a strange, lovely novel about a City populated by the newly dead, who stay there only as long as someone on earth remembers them.  But with a mysterious plague killing most of earth's inhabitants, a woman doing research in Antarctica may soon be the only survivor   Have you read any Jonathan Lethem?  You might like Chronic City, about a former child actor dealing with marauding tigers in Manhattan, a pot-smoking culture critic, and exchanging love letters with an astronaut.  It's hard to tell what's real, and what's in the protagonist's head.   And just to throw in a bit of a wild card, how about Our Lady of the Forest, by David Guterson.  A 16-year-old runaway lives in the Pacific NW woods, makes a living as a mushroom picker, and begins to see visions of the Blessed Virgin.   I hope one or two of these sound appealing!  If you'd like more suggestions, you can Ask a Librarian any time. Cheers, Hayden hayden answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 4 more answers »

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