Books About War For 12-year Olds
Jesper Sahu
Kids love to imagine themselves as the main characters, especially in kids-can-do-anything adventure and mystery stories like these selections. These books are great confidence boosters and great fun.
Few things stick with you as much as a deeply memorable story. These historical fiction books bring history to life through their dynamic characters and plots, and will stay with readers long after the last page.
Unforgettable and often unbelievable, these well-written nonfiction books inspire and educate readers. Learn more about significant people and specific periods of history in one of these compelling book choices.
My cousin-nephew is 12 years old. He doesn't quite understand what the term Graphic design means at the yet, but he's been having a play in Photoshop and Illustrator and copied some design concepts from other places he has seen on the web. He learns very fast. He expressed interest in buying a book so he can become a good graphic designer. His teachers have been a bit of a letdown so far.
Edit: Here's something that came out recently (2013): Go: A Kidd's Guide to Graphic Design by Chip Kidd. It gets very positive reviews which tend to say that, while it's aimed at kids, the content is strong enough that it's good for adults too (I've not read it but thought it worth mentioning).
Maybe a design magazine at the lighter end of the market would be a better place to start? I don't know what's available in your region but I find Digital Arts, Computer Arts and Digital Artist all to be good, broad-ranging in focus and very accessible.
(make sure it's a magazine like those I link to that are for people who do design, illustration and digital arts, not a magazine for design connoisseurs who talk about design fashions. If it contains tutorials and hardware reviews, the adverts are for things like stock photo sites, design software, hardware and web hosting, and it has a CD stuck to the cover or a downloads section for things like fonts, stock photos and tutorials, it's for designers. If the ads are for expensive fashionable stuff and you're not even sure what the articles are about, it's for the connoisseurs).
Definitely don't get him a beginner's book focussed on a particular piece of software if he's a fast learner who has no problem learning for himself. Those are usually paced for adult learners (i.e. slow). I imagine it would take all the fun out of it. It certainly would have done for me.
(oh, and if, 4-6 years from now, he definitely wants to be a designer and is serious about it as a career plan, or for anyone else reading this question with an older and more career-set wannabe designer in mind, get them a copy of the latest edition of How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul. It's a really good guide on how to get started in the industry without getting burned out or stuck in a dead-end, how to find what inspires you, and how to get there. But it's only suitable for someone who is actually starting to make serious, immediate moves towards a career. Your cousin-nephew has the blissful freedom and great advantage of being able to experiment and find their own passions and preferences at their own pace. It's a beautiful thing and should be allowed to develop naturally)
Hmmmm, you say "He doesn't quite understand what the term Graphic design means..." but also "He expressed interest in buying a book so he can become a good graphic designer". I wonder if he wants to be a graphic designer, or you want him to be?
Seems a little early for a book on graphic design -- at that age, I think a practical approach is far more likely to be successful: producing a poster for his school event, designing a bookjacket for his favourite book or packaging for his favourite game, a website for his team/club etc, making holiday cards, etc. Get him to look at professional versions of these, and think how they work.
Have you considered video tutorials instead of a book? It may not be suitable as a formal present but I think that a selection of video tutorials could turn out to be better than a book. You may have to invest a little bit of your time to compile a list of links to suitable photoshop tutorials. I find that the learning experience tends to me more intuitive with videos compared to a book. One website that I like is 'Photoshop for Kids'.
user's comment below got me thinking. The key is really to get the kid used to the idea that art can be pursued as a career. I'm not sure where this kid is located, but in the US, for example, that's not often even seen as a career choice in a lot of schools. It wasn't until college that I even discovered 'art' could be an actual major.
I'd encourage learning about design in general. The Bauhaus, The Eames, Frank Lloyd Wright, almost any book that covers aspects of design and art from the 1800s on would be a good thing to expose them too.
You may be better taking this young man to a large bookstore and letting him loose in the art and design section to pick something that appeals to him to start with - I suspect that he may surprise you on his choice and he will read it more avidly if it is his choice.
I would also suggest getting him a good set of pens and pad - get the basics down before getting online - if he finds the 'art' difficult then maybe a digital camera. I started in photography and progressed that way - coming to design from a different direction gave me a different eye so to speak.
A brand-new Baby-sitters Club graphic novel adapted by newcomer Cynthia Yuan Cheng!
Mary Anne should never have thrown away that chain letter she got in the mail. Ever since she did, bad things have been happening to everyone in The Baby-sitters Club. With Halloween coming up, Mary Anne's even more worried -- what kind of spooky thing will happen next?
Then Mary Anne finds a new note in her mailbox: Wear this bad-luck charm, it says. OR ELSE. Mary Anne has to follow the note's instructions. But who sent the charm? And why did they send it to Mary Anne?
Which dangerous animals would win in a fight? Find out in this awesome bind-up of five books in the popular Who Would Win? series! The collection features a range of mammals, sea creatures, reptiles, and dinosaurs to satisfy all kinds of animal fans, including Wolverine vs. Tasmanian Devil, Rhino vs. Hippo, Alligator vs. Python, Killer Whale vs. Great White Shark, and Tyrannosaurus Rex vs. Velociraptor. Kids will learn about each animal's anatomy, behavior, and more alongside photos, charts, illustrations, and amazing facts.
At home, Maggie is the odd one out. Her parents are preoccupied with getting ready for a new baby, and her younger brothers are twins and always in their own world. Maggie loves animals and thinks a new puppy is the answer, but when she goes to select one on her birthday, she breaks out in hives and rashes. She's severely allergic to anything with fur!
Excitement and imagination run wild as Naomi, Melvin, Poppy, Gilbert, Curly, and their siblings get back to making comics with originality and laughter. But wait -- have they cleaned their rooms yet?!
After their chores, the rambunctious group presents even more amazing mini-comics: a thrilling ride in "Chubbs McSpiderbutt," an action-packed romp in "Frogzilla," reflective haikus in "In the Autumn Pond," a candy-coated mystery in "Mallo Cop," and much, much more. By working together, the baby frogs discover that small things can have a huge impact.
Eleven-year-old Avery Lee loves living in Hickory Valley, Maryland. She loves her neighborhood, school, and the end-of-summer fair she always goes to with her two best friends. But she's tired of feeling squished by her six siblings! They're noisy and chaotic and the younger kids love her a little too much. All Avery wants is her own room -- her own space to be alone and make art. So she's furious when Theo, her grumpy older brother, gets his own room instead, and her wild baby brother, Max, moves into the room she already shares with her clinging sister Pearl! Avery hatches a plan to finally get her own room, all while trying to get Max to sleep at night, navigating changes in her friendships, and working on an art entry for the fair. And when Avery finds out that her family might move across the country, things get even more complicated.
Being a Moth Keeper is a huge responsibility and a great honor, but what happens when the new Moth Keeper decides to take a break from the moon and see the sun for the first time? From the author of the beloved Tea Dragon Society comes a must-read for fans of the rich fantasies of Hayao Miyazaki and the magical adventures of Witch Hat Atelier.
The war between the tribes is finally over, and now the dragonets of the prophecy have a plan for lasting peace: Jade Mountain Academy, a school that will gather dragonets from all the tribes and teach them to live together, perhaps even as friends.
If you want to catch 'em all, you gotta read about 'em all! This mega-bestselling book has all the stats and facts kids need to know. Essential information on over 875 characters is jam-packed into 560 illustrated, full-color pages.
DOG MAN IS BACK! The highly anticipated new graphic novel in the #1 worldwide bestselling series starring everyone's favorite canine superhero by award-winning author and illustrator Dav Pilkey!
Piggy has returned, and his newest plot is his most diabolical yet. WHAT other new villains are on the horizon? WHERE are they all coming from? And WHO will step forward to save the city when scoundrels sabotage our Supa Buddies?
The first of a popular series, Gone thrusts readers into a puzzling world where, in an instant, all the adults vanish, leaving teens to navigate a tricky world without phones, internet, or law and order. As hunger looms and ominous powers emerge, societal divisions grow. Grant spins a riveting narrative, capturing the disturbing feel of a world-changing event.
Captivating 12-year-olds with its thrilling tale of four clans of wild cats, readers will enjoy this extensive series that blends adventure, friendship, romance, mystery, and fantasy. Addictively enjoyable with fast-paced plots and relatable characters, this is a great set of books to help get early secondary students hooked on reading.