Book abt Camino my 12 1/2 yo might like more than Twilight

[Yodapsy]

Is there a book about the Camino that my 12 1/2 year-old daughter might find more interesting than Twilight or Harry Potter? My 15 year-old son is already excited about walking the Camino, but my daughter is only lukewarm about our impending June 27th start in Pamplona.
Rob

 

[november_moon]

This post totally cracked me up I know what you are saying though, and I will be following this thread to see what people recommend, because I too would like some camino reading that is more interesting than HP, if such a thing exists.

 

[fortview]

Hi Rob,
I've been thinking about this... And first I thought of Shirley Maclaines book about the Camino, which is certainly wacky and far out, but may be too new age ... I was almost scared to suggest it :shock: then I was thinking about a book I read at that age, which is not about the camino, but about a young mans journey , walking through Spain, with just a violin, Laurie Lee " As I walked out one summer morning " It had a long lasting effect on me, and was inspirational.
But, may I suggest looking at a few of the many clips on YouTube instead? There has recently been a video blog about a couple and their baby , Indigo, walking the camino this January, which she might enjoy...

 

[Kiwi-family]

Now this will be a strange post coming from a bibliophile....but.....maybe just wait and let the Camino work its magic when you get there.

And here's a copy-n-paste from my book blog - not all are Camino-specific, but we wanted to get a feel for "Spain" as a whole. Even my older kids (they were up to age 17 at the time) were happy to read through the kids' books and learnt much.


Picture books:
* The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
* Anno’s Spain (oh, it’s so wonderfully rich in detail)
* Dali and the Path of Dreams by Anna Obiols (a memorable story about the artist Savlvador Dali with a good little biography at the back)
* Picasso’s Trousers by Nicholas Allan (as memorable as the Dali story)
* Prince of the Birds by Amanda hall (great to see yet another culture with a fairy tale carrying the eternal theme of love – sympathetically illustrated too)
* Don Quixote…OK, so not originally a picture book, but Marcia Williams has made this epic tale most accessible in cartoon form

Children’s Novels:
* Shadow of a Bull by Maia Wojciechowska (fantastic themes run through this story – great book to read aloud and discuss)
* The Andalusian Guitar by Saint-Marcoux (translated into English, this reads part suspenseful-story, part travel-guide, part Spanish culture introduction…..we learnt a lot)
* I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino (there’s nothing not to like about this story)

Children’s Non-fiction:
We borrowed everything the library had; most were merely informative, but the following were gems.
* Find Out About Spain by Duncan Crosbie
* DK First Spanish Picture Dictionary (chosen above the others we perused as it had a pronunciation guide)
* A Taste of Spain by Bob Goodwin (had recipes in it that we tried out in our own kitchen and thoroughly enjoyed)
* The Story of Pablo Picasso by Liz Gogerly (Lifetimes series)
* Pablo Picasso by Kate Scarborough (Artists in Their World series)
* What Makes a Goya a Goya?

Adults’ Books:
* Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (and I’m proud to say I have read the entire thing)
* Iberia by James Michener
* South from Granada by Gerald Brenan
* Roads to Santiago by Cees Nooteboom – a travelogue through all of Spain.
* Travels with my Donkey by Tim Moore (one of a number of Camino stories, all of which tend to read the same after a while – we started walking, got blisters, slept in a dorm with ninety snorers etc etc….this one at least has the attraction of humour, but after a while it felt like the story was more a coathanger for his jokes than a worthy entity in itself and I tired of the book before finishing it – understanding I was looking for a Camino book, not a joke book)
* Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving (I haven’t read this, but intend to do so)
* The Sun Also Rises AND Death in the Afternoon – both by Ernest Hemingway about bullfighting (the kids’ ones were enough for me, but these add to the record)
* Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
* Ghosts of Spain by Giles Tremlett – essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the modern history and culture of Spain
* As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning by Laurie Lee
* Duende: A journey in search of Flamenco by Jason Webster
* Guerra: Living in the shadows of the Spanish Civil War by Jason Webster
* The Way of Saint James by Georgiana Goddard King.
read the three volumes free online:

http://www.archive.org/stream/wayofsain ... 1/mode/2up

http://www.archive.org/stream/wayofsain ... 1/mode/2up

http://www.archive.org/stream/wayofsain ... 1/mode/2up

 

[Theatregal]

I'm currently reading "Grandma On The Camino" by Mary O'Hara Wyman. It's a wonderful account of a 72 year old grandmother's journey on the Camino Frances, based on her journal entries and daily postcards home to her 5 year old granddaughter. Future (and past) pilgrims of all ages would enjoy this book. Wonderful descriptions of nature, animals and all the people / situations that she encounters.

 

[hecate105]

Spanish Steps by Tim Moore - it is very irreverent, funny and a brilliant read that should have him/her giggling as well as realising the challenges that you will all face. Humour is a great way to get kids (and adults!) interested and engaged in a subject. The only problem might be that she/he might insist on getting a donkey to take along.....

 

[tyrrek]

Brilliant responses. I'd go for the general theme of Spain. The landscape is so evocative that even the flat, 'dull' landscapes can evoke a thought or a story once the seed is planted. Buen Camino!

 

[rivrod]

I second "Shadow of a Bull" I remember reading it in elementary school.

Other than that maybe Paulo Coehlo's The Alchemist. In not sure about the reading level as its been awhile. It's a bout a shepherd boy in Andalusia that ends up going on a journey through North Africa. Not related to the Camino directly but I remember just wanting to walk on a long journey after reading it.

You may not find a lot of kid's books on the Camino or even Spain but I'm sure you can find plenty about long journeys and frame the camino that way. Depending on what your kids like there always the Hobbit and most of the books in the Narnia series.

 

[Yodapsy]

I really am grateful for all of the good suggestions. I just finished Shadow of a Bull and will be sending a copy of it to my 12 y.o. I am going to go over some of the books with them and let them choose some of the books they want to read.

 

[sillydoll]

The Ramsay Scallop by Frances Temple was one of the first books I found on the Camino - along with Shirley Maclaine's Camino book.
It was written as a set book for young adults in 1994 and was Booklist Editor's Choice 'Top of the List' Winner for Youth Fiction.