A new kind of Friday Five

I’m going to try from now on a new sort of Friday Five feature. Each Friday (unless there’s something really important to post about, or I happen to feel particularly five-ish on a different day) I’ll post five books (usually childrens/YA) that have something in common. I’m thinking it’ll be a fun way to talk about books beyond the standard “I read this book and it was really good.” You can assume that any book mentioned I think is worth reading, and I’ll highlight my particular favorites.

Today’s theme: Adult Books with YA Protagonists

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King – Mary Russell is 15 when she meets Sherlock Holmes, but she manage to impress him with her deductive skills all the same — enough that he decides to take her under his wing.

Dune by Frank Herbert – It’s tough being a teenager when you’re sent to a hostile desert planet, stuck in the middle of a feud against your family, oh, and a mysterious sisterhood thinks you might be the chosen one. One of my favorite science fiction novels ever — takes a turn early on that I never saw coming, and I can’t help but love a book that totally surprises me.

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory – It’s also tough being a teen in a politic power-hungry family during the rein of Henry VIII. Yeah, that Henry. It’s hard to say who Mary Boleyn faces more danger from: her fickle king or her scheming siblings.

Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder – When a series of papers on philosophy start appearing in 14-year-old Sophie’s mailbox, she’s not sure what to make of them — or the fact that they’re addressed to some girl she’s never hear of, c/o her. Bonus: metafictiony goodness!

White Oleander by Janet Fitch – Astrid Magnussen has jumped from family to family more often than any person, let alone any teen, should, but it’s her conflicted relationship with her charismatic and unstable mother that won’t let her go.

Your turn! What are your favorite adult books with kid or teenaged MCs?


Comments

A new kind of Friday Five — 2 Comments

  1. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley features an 11yo detective, Flavia deLuce. Both she and the book will knock your readerly socks off.

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