Since starting this website, I have been very interested in who is visiting Books on the Nightstand, and how they found us. It's pretty easy to track the search terms that people type into Google that result in them landing on our site. One of the most common terms in recent weeks has been "books for 14 year old boys."
Now, I feel quite guilty about this. Google sends those people here because of my recent post titled "Unleashing my inner 14-year-old boy". The trouble is, I'm willing to bet that most of the people using that search term are looking for something a little less, um, racy. And so I've been pretty upset that what they find here is almost certainly the opposite of the kind of book they are looking for.
So in order to make me feel better, and to provide some help for those that are searching, I've done a bit of research and have come up with a few books that should appeal to 14-year-old boys. Now, I need to make something clear: I am not and have never been a 14-year-old boy. However, these books have been consistently recommended to young adults by booksellers, teachers, librarians, and kids themselves, and I trust the quality of the writing and the content of the books. In addition, I hope that readers will add their own recommendations in the comments.
The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon -- This devastating memoir opens with the author's decision at the age of 14 to douse his bathrobe with gasoline and light himself on fire. Brent suffered burns over 85% of his body, and endured a very long and painful recovery. In this book, Brent talks about the pain and confusion of adolescence, and he takes us on his journey to recovery, both physical and mental,. He writes about his anguish, and his guilt at what his attempted suicide has done to his family. While the subject matter is difficult, the writing is both honest and poignant. This is a great book for parents to read with children, but teenagers will also appreciate it on their own.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon -- Christopher Boone is a teen autistic savant, obsessed with Sherlock Holmes and excellent at math. When he discovers a neighbor's dog impaled on a garden fork, Christopher sets off to find the killer, ignoring his father's order to abandon the investigation. Along the way, Christopher discovers a secret about his family that will turn his life upside down. Christopher's voice is unique and absolutely wonderful. I've read this book three times and each time I have discovered something new. Teens will like this on many levels, but especially the way that Christopher tells it like it is.
Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman -- This graphic novel was both the winner of the Pulitzer Prize and an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults. This is the story of Vladek Spiegelman, a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust, and his son, a cartoonist struggling to come to terms with his father's horrific story and the history itself. The cartoons are shocking and emotional: the Nazis are cats, and the Jews are mice. The art and writing are brilliant, and will appeal to teens with both its unique format and with its powerful storytelling.
Genghis: Birth of an Empire by Conn Iggulden -- you may recognize the author's name from The Dangerous Book for Boys, but I know Conn Iggulden best for his sweeping historical fiction. In this novel, Iggulden tells the captivating story of Genghis Khan, who was an ambitious and brilliant tactician even as a young man. This book entertains as well as informs, is fast-paced and exciting, and should be devoured by any boy who likes history.
I think that any 14-year-old boy would find one of these books engaging, but I'd also love to hear about others. So if you are or were once a 14-year-old boy, or if you've ever known a 14-year-old boy, tell us what books you'd recommend. Please leave them in the comments so that those using Google won't go away disappointed. Thanks!
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In that vein, I'd love to start a similar conversation over at our 
Manfredi writes a powerful story about family -- specifically, the people that we choose to be part of our family, whether or not they are related by blood. Anna is a lonely widow who pours her grief into her medical career. Flynn is her granddaughter, who she meets for the first time when ten-year-old Flynn is dropped on Anna's doorstep. Jack is a charming but bitter man that Anna meets in the AIDS support group that she runs. The three could not be more different, but come together to nurture each other in a way that only a family can. Loving, poignant, hopeful and tragic, this book resonated with me long after I read it, and there are topics enough for a long and provocative book group discussion.
There, I've admitted it. I love this book. It made me laugh out loud almost the entire way through. I'm convinced that everyone, no matter their gender, has a 14-year-old boy inside of them, and this book appeals directly to that kid. Nick is fourteen, precocious, and obsessed with losing his virginity. He's also obsessed with Sheeni Saunders, and develops elaborate schemes to win the girl, most of which are both embarrassing and illegal. In the meantime, his parents are in the midst of a divorce and Nick must navigate the new family dynamics.
