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This is a list of books appropriate for the younger set. I
have provided short descriptions when necessary of elements that
might be controversial. I didn't include superhero titles unless
they were somehow more appropriate for kids than others, such
as The Power of Shazam, which
centers around a boy rather than a teenager or a man. My guidelines
were: little to no swearing (nothing stronger than "crap");
little to no violence; no gore; no nudity beyond the occasional
bare breast from Japanese books; kid-centered issues; kids as
main characters when possible; and simple stories/text. Books
like Milarepa, while clean,
I judged too sophisticated for the audience. And some of these
books I can't stand, like Magic
Knight Rayearth, but I know kids like them. Books with
an * signify titles especially good for younger kids.
- *The Adventures of Yoko, Vic, and
Paul
- Astro City
- The Big Book of Freaks--good
for older reluctant readers
- The
Big Book of Urban Legends--also good for older
reluctant readers
- Bob & Bobette: Kingdom of the Sea-Snails
- Call Me Princess
- *The Christmas Spirit--some
depictions of thugs, but always cartoony
- Classics Illustrated
- *The Courageous Princess
and The Courageous Princess: The
Quest for Home
- Dark Angel--full
of fight scenes, but no gore
- Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball volumes 2-3--mild
references to looking at character's crotches out of naivete;
backwards paging might be awkward for kids
- Elfquest: The Rebels and
Skyward Shadow--for older kids
- Ernest and Ethel--the subject
matter might not be interesting to kids, but it's pretty safe
for them to look at
- *Fairy Tales of
the Brothers Grimm
- The Life of St. Nicholas--same
as with Ernest and Ethel
- *Little Lit: Strange Stories
for Strange Kids
- Magic Knight Rayearth
- *Magical Pokemon Journey,
Journey 2
- *The Magician's Nephew
- Marvels
- *No Need for Tenchi--some
mild nudity, but nonerotic; roughly the same level as in Dragon
Ball. One pic has obviously been censored for US tastes.
- *Peter and the Wolf
- *Pokemon the Movie 2000
- *The Power of Shazam
- Project A-Ko
- Real Recipes for Casual Cooks
- Record of Lodoss War: The
Grey Witch--some violence, but the characters
should appeal to kids
- The Simpsons
- *Still I Rise--the kind
of book that all levels can get something out of
- *Tellos: The Last Heist
- Tom Strong
- *Too Many Time Machines--for
younger kids
- *Ultimate Spider-Man
- Valerian Spatiotemporal Agent:
Heroes of the Equinox--for older kids
- *Weed--for older kids
-
On the Edge: Books that might be appropriate but that have
potentially disqualifying elements:
- The Amazing "True" Story
of a Teenage Single Mom--more for YA than kids with its
adult-level themes, but older kids will get something out of
it.
- Basic Elfquest--though
I've seen it classified as a children's series in places, it's
more appropriate for YAs as there are a few mild nude or sexual
scenes within the series (including a couple of those infamous
elf orgies that really don't show anything but have resulted
in ridiculous charges that EQ is porn).
- Hader and the Colonel--a
few scenes of gore
- Pedro and Me--frank
talk about safe sex that, IMHO, should be available to older
kids and young teens, but I know how certain people freak out
over such talk, or over books that dare to portray gay people
as attractive individuals.
- Promethea--I'd
rate this a PG-13 if it were a movie. Mild grue, demons, mild
violence, nothing blatant.
- Sandman: The Dream Hunters--a
few scenes and discussions of mild eroticism
- Space Dog--One
panel of doggie sex, some smoking and drinking, and slightly
broad portraits of black characters (who are otherwise treated
very sympathetically); they don't bother me and I doubt they'd
bother kids, but I could see these things bothering certain parents.
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