Thanks everyone - she’s coming home tomorrow so I had to pull the trigger on this. Lots of great suggestions, and it will make a wonderful reference if she likes them and wants more.
But here’s what I did: a paperback of Night Shift (it beat Skeleton Crew by a hair), and a vintage hardcover of the original Stand, which I think is stronger without the additional material (but then if she loves it, she can re-read it with the additional stuff!).
Excellent choices.
I’d love it if you would check back in with us after she’s had a chance to do some reading and let us know what she thought.
Another vote for Night Shift. First SK book I ever bought.
For standalones I loved ‘The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon’ and ‘From a Buick 8.’
Thought they were both brilliant.
OK, small update:
She was packing for Girl Scout camp, and she was planning to bring a couple paperbacks with her - The Scorch Trials and something else tween-ish.
Night Shift arrived before she left, so I gave her a spiel about how I started King at 12, and this was an honest-to-goodness written for grownups book that still scares the pants off me, and gave her the book.
She was excited and happy! She immediately decided she wasn’t taking any book but this to camp, and she couldn’t wait to freak out all her bunkmates with the stories!
(No, I haven’t gotten any angry calls from the camp counselors.)
I also don’t know if she’s read any of it, likes it, or successfully freaked anyone out, because they don’t let the girls call/email home under normal circumstances. But I’ll let you all know this weekend once I’ve seen her and gotten the report.
An aside OT, when I went to Girl Scout camp eons ago, they went thru everyone’s luggage and confiscated any books or magazines they found. They wanted us “to engage” with the other girls and not pursue solitary amusements. It still rankles. Hope she gets to keep her books. And enjoys them.
I know you said you already got her the books, but I thought I’d throw in some recommendations, in case she got hooked and wanted some more ideas.
I loved From a Buick 8. It’s weird and creepy, and there’s really nothing untoward that I can recall.
My other favorites are Bag of Bones, Duma Key and Rose Madder. I don’t think they’d be quite as dark, like Pet Sematary. To this very day that book scares the bejesus out of me – and the movie’s even worse. And I LOVE scary movies.
Good Og, no! They specifically suggested packing some books, thank goodness. And if my little introvert was subjected to that, she’d have a nervous breakdown!
Night Shift was my first SK book too, and it’s a good one to start on. Cycle of the Werewolf might be more child-friendly IIRC but I also seem to recall that it wasn’t particularly good (and we won’t mention the Corey Haim film at all…).
I almost feel sorry for Little Cinnamon. Night Shift is some scary shit. 
I heartily second this.
Even for someone who has no desire to be a writer, even for someone who doesn’t normally like nonfiction, even—especially—for someone who thinks that King is just a crass, jumped-up schlock merchant, I would strongly recommend this book.
And for a mature youngster, its endorsement of a serious work ethic and the idea of taking one’s own ambitions very seriously–not to mention its autobiographical, unsentimental and clear-eyed details about the pitfalls of alcohol and drug abuse–could be quite eye-opening to a teenager with a capacity for self-reflection.
But I’m making it sound like a grim slog. It’s actually quite vivid and humorous.
Oooh, I can’t wait to hear about what she thinks!
I think I was about 10 when I pulled my first SK novel off Mom’s bookshelf. I don’t exactly remember which was first, it was 1980 and I know we has The Shining and Firestarter in the house. Night Shift and Carrie followed, and I somehow missed The Stand until I was mid-teens (maybe because it was so thick?) - but it’s still my favorite.
Anyway, from about 1984 on, I had read everything but The Stand and waited with much anticipation for each publication after that until about 2002, and have read spottily since. Duma Key was the latest I’ve read I think, and really enjoyed it.
Thirded, actually. I love this book I re-read it every few years (I’m reading bits of it for a course I’m taking right now, actually). As a kid who did want to be a writer, this would have been immensely valuable to me. Now that I am one, it still is.
Now that I think about it, Night Shift was my first SK book too.
Christine would be my choice. I love the book and the two main characters are high school age.
Too late, apparently, and kinda pricey, but this here is a fun read.
I would have enjoyed Stephen King a lot less as a kid if all that sort of thing had not been utterly forbidden. You’re ruining it for her!
My mother read a lot of fairly trashy mystery paperbacks when I was little, and when I was about six I came across “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe” which sounded kind of nasty, like something she’d forbid me to read. I asked her about it, and she said “Oh, it’s really for grown-ups, you wouldn’t be interested. But you can look at it if you really want.” Of course I was hooked. That’s the sort of devious woman she was.