Any 14-year old, (or younger or older person!), whether male or female, will LOVE the "ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN" book series. It's about a little (10 year old, very short) boy who goes about solving mysteries! (I got a set for my nephew years ago. Like all the males on his father's side of the family, he began life as much shorter than other kids. When they get older, they become taller than other people...but it seemed a l..o...n....g wait! He REALLY liked those books -- and today is happily married, is an assistant to an important Washington DC personage, and has a son of his own, (who also reads the ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN Series),
The LANDMARK BOOK series gives life to important historical happenings in the USA and elsewhere! A wonderful series I wish I had read more of!
Any book on KING ARTHUR AND HIS KNIGHTS will be enthralling....and educational! Also recommended -- for any age group -- is MYTHOLOGY, by EDITH HAMILTON. Her wrintings TRULY make Greek and Roman myths live -- and will give any person who reads them a big cultural advantage in life!
Other books I can recommend are oldee books...my favorites when I was a child. You can still get most of them on www.Amazon.com, on www.ebay.com, and at the library. "EGYPTIAN ADVENTURES", by Olivia Coolidge, has a number of short stories, made up by Ms. Coolidge, but having the flavour of real stories translated from hieroglyphics! (Ms. Coolidge, by the way, is over 100 years old...and still alive, as of this writing!)
Another great book is OUTCAST, by Rosemary Sutcliff. All of Ms. Sutcliff's books are historical, usually taking place during the Roman Empire....and are great. very well-written books! OUTCAST is the story of a Roman baby, orphaned at birth, who is taken into a Anglo-Saxon tribe -- but who is cast out of it, years later, when they supersticiously suspect him of bringing bad luck upon the tribe. The boy, named Beric, has many adventures -- mostly dangerous and humiliating, but in the end, triumphant! ROSEMARY SUTCLIFF's books are slightly more literary and filled with complex sentence-structure than most children's books -- but her thrilling stories get the reader -- even one used to too much tv -- into them, and easily engrossed by them!
'THE LITTLE PRINCESSES", by MARION CRAWFORD, is the t r u e story of Queen Elizabeth II, and her sister, Princess Margaret (Rose), as they were growing up. Ms. Crawford was the Princesses' governess -- and reading this book gives one the advantages of a "fly on the wall", finding all about what palace life, (and the individuals living in the palace), were then REALLY like! It is easy to read, and has many photogaphs......and is a genuine piece of history, besides!
"Behold Your Queen!" by Gladys Malvern is a wonderous, romantic, and involving retelling of the Book of Esther from the Old Testament. It is photographic in description, and the characters all are in three-dimension! I hope your library has, or can get you and your 14 year old a copy, (when the story begins, Esther -- or Hadassah as she is known at first -- is exactly 14 years old!) -- because on Amazon, the cheapest copies are usually $69....and up!
Another great book is "THE CAPTIVE PRINCESS", by Maxine Shore. This is the story of Gladys Ruffyd, later known as Claudia Proculia -- the first Christian Princess of Britain. This story is straight out of the NEW Testament, and is full of exciting action, heart-breaking romance, danger, and a sort of "Pride and Prejudice", as, after Britain has fallen, Gladys, the captive princess, and her Roman-Soldier captain escort, find themselves often at odds, yet also, often feeling love for each other. The speech that Caradoc, Gladys' (Claudia's) father, gave before Caesar, once they reach Rome, was once taught in all public schools -- and, I think, should be again! This is another biblically-based novel, where exciting situations occur, three-dimensional characters and backgrounds are given, and good (finally!) triumphs over evil!
I hope these suggstions meet with your approval, and that your 14-year-old, (and even other, older people of your acquaintance!) will enjoy them!
