A Father's Plea: What Should My 13-Year-Old Daughter Be Reading?
LatestRecently, we got the following email:
I should start by stating that I’m a fan. A big fan. And my email address is correct, I’m a guy. Straight, which I think puts me on the fringe of the “jezeboy” club, but I would be a card carrying member if there were cards. Anyway, I love Jezebel. You write with passion and intelligence; a rare combination on the web. A combination of traits I’d love to instill in my little girl.
I’m writing because my daughter is 13 this year, and I don’t know what to get her for Christmas. Last year I got her a Judy Blume anthology (among other things) and she loved it; I think she’s gone through it twice. I can’t recall what books are in it, and it would give away too much if I asked her. I don’t want to repeat myself with another Judy Blume collection, even though I think she’s due for Are You There God… I think they were a little too juvenile for her current tastes; I want to challenge her a bit. I don’t have any sisters, and my wife is in an age demographic above me (a story for another email) so she doesn’t really know.
So I’m asking for your help. I think the writing on your site is some of the best on the web. It transcends simple commentary. If my daughter becomes as talented a writer and critic as you and the other Jezebel writers, I will die an very happy papa. And if it that means writing a pleading email to a site that gets millions of hits a month for a tiny breadcrumb of inspiration, so be it.
So, can you help me out?
Yours,
[Desperate Dad]
Dear D.D.,
Has your daughter read any Francesca Lia Block? I love this author. Her style is a magical realism that transports you into a fairy-tale version of Los Angeles. The most famous book is called Weetzie Bat, which one Amazon customer accurately describes as a “a fun wacked-out feminist fairy tale.” The Weetzie Bat series involves five books, which come separately or packaged together in a collection called Dangerous Angels.The writing style takes some getting used to — at first the sentences seem overly simplistic and, frankly, dumb, but once you get into the rhythm of it, it weaves a dreamy, crystalline web over you — it’s hard to explain. In any case, if your daughter hasn’t read any of those books, I highly suggest them! Block has written quite a few books, so if your daughter gets into her as an author, there will be more to choose from. The Rose And The Beast, a retelling of Beauty and The Beast, is a standout for me… there are some grown-up issues tackled, but I don’t think there’s any reason to hesitate to let a 13-year-old read it. Those are my suggestions! I have to say, when I was 14 I got really into Kurt Vonnegut — Cat’s Cradle and so on — so you never really know! I am of the opinion that all reading is good reading. Even if it’s for “adults,” kids and teens can get something out of it. (I also read Anais Nin when I was 14, but that is a different story!) In any case, I also contacted 24-year-old Young Adult book blogger Kristin Feliz, whose site, GrowingUp YA, sprouted from a desire to document the obscene amount of YA books she’s read in the past couple of years. Here’s what she what she says: