Well it's that time of the year again and I'm sure after the recent Black Friday Deals and ongoing Year End Sales, many of us have gotten Christmas gifts for our loved ones but for those who haven't, there is still time :). Lately, I was hard pressed to find some gifts suitable for pre-teen/teen girls. My Christmas list usually consists of dvds, blu-rays or books because they're budget friendly compared to tech gifts like smartphones, playstations etc and because I truly believe they make great gifts since movies & books are truly food for the mind and soul (not video games). Anyway, back to my original problem which is finding suitable gifts for pre-teen/teen girls. After browsing online for some good Black Friday Deals (yes, I'm actually getting a little too old and tired for frenzied shopping trips to the mall), I managed to spot some good books suitable for pre-teen/teen girls which are not too racy but still interesting enough. A favorite among teen girls at the moment is The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments/Infernal Devices) which is a collection of short stories based on a fan favorite character from The Mortal Instruments, flamboyant warlock Magnus Bane. And for those who already have all her books from The Mortal Instruments/Infernal Devices series, why not try the manga/graphic novel version of The Infernal Devices (Volumes 1-3) from Yen Press. In my humble opinion, you can never go wrong with graphic novels, mangas and comics which are undeniably a hit not only with kids and teens but many adults as well.
Another author to look out for is Melissa de la Cruz (Blue Bloods/Witches of East End). The first season of Witches of East End, which was adapted into a popular TV series by the Lifetime Channel, is already out on dvd. You might consider buying the dvds as a gift if she already owns the book series or the always popular Blue Bloods vampire series which consist of 7 novels. Another alternative would be the Blue Bloods graphic novel adapted by Robert Venditti and artist Alina Urusov. The artwork for this graphic novel is truly exceptional but the downside is the publisher, Disney Hyperion , doesn't seem interested in releasing the graphic novels for the other remaining 6 novels in the Blue Blood series which is the continuation of the story unlike Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series which is being published by Razorbill.
If you think that Gail Carriger's Soulless series (please refer to my older post) is a little racy and meant for older teens, you might want to get her new Finishing School series for younger readers. The latest and third book in this series, Waistcoats & Weaponry, was just released early last month. The story concerns a young Victorian lady sent to a girl's finishing school who discovers that the school (in a floating airship) is actually a front for a school that teaches espionage skills instead. As usual, you can expect steampunk adventure/mystery (involving werewolves & vampires) and Carriger's trademark humor.
.jpg "Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger")
.jpg "Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger")
.jpg "Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger")
Another perennial favorite among teens (boys and girls) is author Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson). Among his latest novels to be adapted into graphic novels are The Red Pyramid (Kane Chronicles) and Heroes of Olympus : The Lost Hero. The other graphic novel which I picked up accidentally in a bookstore but still an excellent (but often overlooked) choice is Chris Wooding's Pandemonium by Scholastic's Graphix. This 'Prisoner of Zenda 'like tale set in the Darkling Realm is both a humorous and interesting read.
If you're thinking of getting blu-rays/dvds instead, you might consider the post-apocalyptic teen drama, The 100, which is a new TV series from The CW. The first season, which is adapted from a book by Kass Morgan, is already available on blu-ray/ dvd. Believe me, most teen girls would prefer Vampire Diaries but why not try something different. I was also surprised to see that Shout Factory has released a dvd for the animated motion comic 'Eternals' under the Marvel Knights series from author Neil Gaiman and artist John Romita Jr. I have been a long time fan of Jack Kirby's original comics so seeing this on dvd is such great news although I heard that the characters/story has been changed somewhat for modern times.
(Trailer Courtesy of Shout! Studios)
Lastly, I thought it was worth mentioning (as a long time fan of the author) that Yen Press has released the graphic novel for Anne Rice's The Wolf Gift last month. However, I believe that this graphic novel as with Anne Rice's other novels are more suitable for older teens and adults.
Above is just a few ideas that I spotted online but it is not an exhaustive list. A lot depends on her interest/hobbies and she might prefer other genres of books/movies. As you probably noticed, I have a fondness for graphic novels, comics and mangas. Too often I have seen parents/adults discouraging kids/teens from buying them in bookstores but what they failed to realize is that some of them are of very high quality, well written and beautifully illustrated. They are stepping stones for the child (especially reluctant/slow readers) to progress to books and novels. Some very creative writers and talented artist are themselves fans of comics. Lots of films and TV series have been adapted from comics and Japanese mangas. I remember a time, as a kid, when I read Marvel/DC comics which adults coined as 'rubbish' literature. Now, these comics have become valuable collector's items and adults themselves are flocking to cinemas to see the latest Marvel movies. I believe as an adult we should always allow kids freedom to choose their literature (as long as they are age appropriate and do not contain any harmful content). When we try to control their reading and limit it to our tastes, we are actually killing their budding interest in reading. Just my 2 cents. I have another post on 22nd December 2014 for those who interested in purchasing high quality TV Series on Blu-Rays or DVDs as Christmas gifts for adults who are TV addicts like me :) . The link to the post is here TV Series on Blu-Ray/DVD for Christmas.
Addendum (6th May 2024) :
I wrote this post on 6th December 2014 (nearly a decade ago) when my niece was just fourteen years old. It was near Christmas and I ended up purchasing most (if not all) of the items above for her as gifts. She has since outgrew them but if you have any teen girls in your family that might be interested in the above items, I have provided the links below.
Bane Chronicles Paperback Amazon US (paid link)
Witches of East End Book 1 Amazon US (paid link)
Witches of East End Amazon Prime (paid link)
Witches of East End Season 1 DVD Amazon US (paid link)
Witches of East End Season 2 DVD Amazon US (paid link)
Blue Bloods 3 Books Boxset Amazon US (paid link)
Blue Bloods Graphic Novel Amazon US (paid link)
Vampire Academy 6 Books Boxset Amazon US (paid link)
Vampire Academy Graphic Novel Amazon US (paid link)
Etiquette & Espionage Paperback Amazon US (paid link)
Curtsies & Conspiracies Paperback Amazon US (paid link)
Waistcoats & Weaponry Paperback Amazon US (paid link)
Manners & Mutiny Paperback Amazon US (paid link)
Pandemonium Graphic Novel Amazon US (paid link)
The 100 Amazon Prime (paid link)
The 100 Complete Series DVD Amazon US (paid link)
Eternals 2021 Movie Amazon Prime (paid link)
Eternals 2021 Movie Blu-Ray Amazon US (paid link)
Marvel Knights Eternals DVD Amazon US (paid link)
The Wolf Gift Graphic Novel Amazon US (paid link)
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