A lack of good literature??

Obviously, it depends on what you mean by suitable - but consider that Steinbeck, Orwell, Dickens, Sir Walter Scott, Paul Gallico, Asimov, J K Rowling, Tolkein and Arthur C Clarke are all perfectly accessible to a fourteen year old. And that's just a random selection.

What does he like?

popi, not an easy request and a difficult age to choose for. I know had I given my older son a book to read when he was a teenager he would never have opened it!
As you say on the 'Library' thread you provide the books and your son then reads them it seems as though he may be still into children/young person stuff.
Has he tried any of the Terry Pratchett Disc World, or in quite another direction the Jack Aubrey/Stephen Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian? Master and Commander is the first book. You may have seen the film with Russell Crowe.
The Hornblower books by C S Forester are another possible choice. Did the TV series with Ioan Gruffudd and Robert Lindsay reach Australia?
All fast moving adventures with characters a young person can 'look up to' (but don't tell them that) ;-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Master and Commander

Martin and Veer

Thanks for your suggestions, most useful, I will definately look out for those books.

Veer, Hornblower did make it to Oz, good idea, I will look for that book.

He loves Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket, Hitchhikers Guide , tried Terry Pratchett.

A lot of his friends dont read at all, so I am very keen to foster his love for reading. He started off with Pokemon, many years ago..that was wonderful for getting boys reading !

Thanks again.

Popi

How about The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope? The Three Musketeers? How about ........ the Sherlock Holmes detective stories? They're nice and short but quite engaging.

Ahhhh........ how about H.Rider Haggard's books like King Solomon's Mines? Or, better yet, how about books by Edgar Rice Burroughs such the Tarzan series and the John Carter of Mars series?

Oh, and how about Rudyard Kipling's books such as Kim (a great spy story), Jungle Book, and The Man Who Would Be King?

A lot of these books are, I think, available via the Gutenberg Project so they're also free!

C.S. Lewis, Susan Cooper, Brian Jacques, -can't remember his first name-Yep, all write series appreciated by 10-16 year-olds, and all have the edge of fantasy a Potter fan would like. Biographies of figures in an area of interest are good-sports, medicine, politics-wherever his interest lie. I second the Holmes stories.

And look into non-fiction besides biography. They don't always read the entire book when it's a science book, for instance, but they are reading, and pushing their reading a little higher.

Some titles my young nephew enjoyed this summer,

Private Peaceful , Michael Mortupogo, Two English brothers, 17 and 15, in France during WW 1.

The Thief Lord , Cornelia Funke, Mystery/fantasy set in Venice.

Born Free Joy Adamson, NF classic about the lioness Elsa, set in Kenya

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Koningsburg, Two kids run away from home and hide out in the N.Y. Museum of Art.

...still in vacation mode ;)

You may want to check the award winners. The web site below is a bit dated, but it lists the winners of the major children's lit awards. For your son's age, check the Newbery or Carnegie winners/honors.

Some of my favorites that haven't already been mentioned:
Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief, the classic 'hero's journey' with a lead character whose personality practically leaps off the page at you;
David Almond's Kit's Wilderness, a compelling book dealing with death (rather dark so you may want to check it first) or Skellig, an amazing lyrical poem of a book;

All 3 of these have boys as the lead character. cheryl

Here is a link that might be useful: Children's Literature Web Guide

If he's a mature 14yr old, he may be reaching a point where the adult type of story will appeal to him more than young people things. There's plenty of time for him to read to enjoy "Good Literature." Reading is so important.

Take him to the library with you. Guide him to various areas and suggest, but don't pick them out for him. Let him check out at least six. He may read only one, but he will have made a selection of what he might like to look at again.

Don't overlook the Western section of your library. Louis L'Amour, Max Brand and Luke Short all did work that teenagers like. The Wild West, cattle drives, roundups, etc. have an appeal for that intermediate age between child and adult.

Also, I don't think that he's too young to start him on Tony Hillerman's Indian Mysteries. They are well researched and based on modern life on or near the reservations. Start with the first ones so that he can become familiar with the characters. You don't have to worry about a lot of adult sex. The Anne Perry Victorian Mysteries with Thomas Pitt are good.

My boys were all great readers. And I am happy to say that I am now watching my grandsons read the same books their fathers enjoyed. They outgrew Westerns, but for a while, they were the favorite.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe are irresistible to boys of that age. My son, who normally wouldn't come out of the water to eat, stayed on the beach one day to finish a volume!

No one has mentioned classic science fiction! The Foundation trilogy, Heinlein's books, Dune. All perfect for that age. And of course, The Lord of the Rings. Once he gets started in fantasy and sci-fi it may be years before you get him out of it! I'd keep him away from Burroughs myself. The social views are pretty dated.

Brilliant suggestions, thankyou everyone.

Cant wait to get on and look for the books.

Agnespuffin....I like your idea of taking him to the library...I think maybe I should let him choose, instead of always choosing for him.

So many wonderful stories to choose from, its so exciting. Reading is fantastic!!

Thanks again everyone, I REALLY appreciate your input.

Popi

How about non-fiction?

For example, Chris Bonnington's books about mountaineering, or The Ascent of Everest by Sir John Hunt, or The Four Minute Mile by Roger Bannister. Again - what does he like? Has he got a favourite sport? Not ALL sports biographies are rubbish! (Though most of them are, I agree...!)

Absolutely at age 14 he should be choosing his own books-and fostering the idea of "just give it a try-" is a good one. I know you are in Australia, but the American Western might interest him-or perhaps there is a body of literature about settling Australia that he would find interesting.
What will he be reading in school this year?

OOps, I didn't realise that you were in Australia. I am sure that there are similar stories like our Westerns. Heros on horseback are everywhere!! He's at an age where he needs the older books with Heros to look up to.

Please take him to a library. There's nothing quite like taking a reader to rows and rows of books. Tell him that he can't get over a certain number. Four to six would be a good choice. And remind him that they can be renewed if he doesn't finish them. Buying books for that age is chancy. Their likes and dislikes change from day to day.

I don't know if the Hardy Boys series is still around, but that's another series that my boys loved. Quick reads with some mystery about older teenagers. Good family type stuff.

Agnes --

Yes, the Hardy Boys are still around. I think they go through a periodic overhaul to ensure that they don't seem TOO dated. The original Hardy Boys series was written in the '20s and '30s and they were overhauled in the 50s or so. I think they received another makeover in the 80s and, from what I can see, they're in the middle of another one. I think they're actually producing NEW stories.

I found the Hardy Boys series to be quite engaging when I was about 12 years old. Nowadays, I find them interesting as they reflect the times in which they were written. You can really see the results of the overhaul from the 50s, what with Chet's jalopy and sock hop dances. Nowadays, if I'm not mistaken, Chet (or was it one of the brothers?) is now a computer hacker of sorts.

The Artemis Fowl series is fun and the Christopher Paolini books Eragon and Eldest are quite popular.

I would also recommend Jack London.

Below, I have given the website for the (American)Young Adult Library Services Assoc. Best Books for Young Adults 2006. Non-Fiction is listed first, then fiction. It's a long list.

Unfortunately, they don't really give a description of what the book is about, but if a title sounds intriguing you can look it up on Amazon. There are a lot of other lists for children on the site, too.

Here is a link that might be useful: YALSA Best Books for Young Adults 2006

He has just read The Hobbit Tolkein, for school. A lot of his friends couldnt read it. Shame.

Got a list now, to work off.

Thanks again everyone.

I STILL haven't read The Hobbit although I ADORE The Lord of the Rings Trilogy1 So if he survived The Hobbit get him onto the trilogy.

John Marsden and Emily Rodda are popular Australian authors for young adults. I work in a Dymocks shop - you could go in to your local shop and ask for advice. Our staff in the Children's/Young Adult section are really knowledgeable and helpful (but I'm not one of them I'm afraid *g*)

Better idea, take him with you when you go shopping.

I loved reading swashbucklers at that age. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy is another, and all those books by Raphael Sabatini are fun.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is very popular among the male, teen crowd as well. Any of that series may appeal to your son if he likes Science Fiction.

Fourteen is the golden age for science fiction. He should enjoy everything in the genre. Try him out on the Heinlein juveniles (SPACE CADET, RED PLANET, HAVE SPACESUIT WILL TRAVEL). Or classic Asimov: I, ROBOT would be perfect.

Brenda