Here is a category of book that I really loved at that age: non-embarrasing novels about how adults do stuff. Since, for me, that age was in 1973, the particular books I name might be obsolete. There’s a series of novels by Arthur Hailey, with titles like “Hotel” and “Airport”, that are set inside the titular institutions, and follow people as they deal with problems and interact with each other. And there is no, or at least minimal, sex, so they’re not icky to a kid. They’re not idealized; there is a reasonable degree of fallibility, venality and scheming, but that is also fascinating. And all the motivations, and the way the systems work, is clearly explained, so it can be understood by an unsophisticated reader.
These books were bestsellers back in the day, so you might be able to find a copy in the library. See if he likes it!
Another novel in this vein is “The view from the fortieth floor”, which is about a badly managed magazine going bankrupt. Doesn’t sound amazing, I know, but if you’re a kid, who’s never seen bad managers blunder into ineluctable financial doom, it’s really neat.
My wife is a middle school librarian. I’ll ask her when I see her for more books like this.
Here is a category of book that I really loved at that age: non-embarrasing novels about how adults do stuff. Since, for me, that age was in 1973, the particular books I name might be obsolete. There’s a series of novels by Arthur Hailey, with titles like “Hotel” and “Airport”, that are set inside the titular institutions, and follow people as they deal with problems and interact with each other. And there is no, or at least minimal, sex, so they’re not icky to a kid. They’re not idealized; there is a reasonable degree of fallibility, venality and scheming, but that is also fascinating. And all the motivations, and the way the systems work, is clearly explained, so it can be understood by an unsophisticated reader.
These books were bestsellers back in the day, so you might be able to find a copy in the library. See if he likes it!
Another novel in this vein is “The view from the fortieth floor”, which is about a badly managed magazine going bankrupt. Doesn’t sound amazing, I know, but if you’re a kid, who’s never seen bad managers blunder into ineluctable financial doom, it’s really neat.
My wife is a middle school librarian. I’ll ask her when I see her for more books like this.