# Tween-suitable steam punk **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 4, 2012, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tween-suitable-steam-punk/633600 "2012-09-04T00:49:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tween-suitable-steam-punk/633600/1 "2012-09-04T00:49:07Z")
So my 12 year old is beginning to commit to the steam punk thing. She’s dug Girl Genius and dime other such stuff and wants more. Can anyone recommend some 12 year old girl suitable stuff in the field? ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tween-suitable-steam-punk/633600/2 "2012-09-04T01:18:10Z")
[Leviathan](http://www.amazon.com/Leviathan-Scott-Westerfeld/dp/1416971734) is what you’re looking for! It is really good, and the first in a trilogy. I haven’t read the other two, but the first one is really great. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tween-suitable-steam-punk/633600/3 "2012-09-04T01:18:32Z")
I would recommend the Leviathan Series by Scott Westerfeld. It’s three books set in an alternate World War I where the Central powers use Steam Punk Walkers and the Allies use genetically engineered animals. They are young adult books so they are perfect for her age group but they are entertaining for adults as well in case you were also interested. ETA: wow exact same time 🙂 For what it’s worth I have read all three and can vouch for them. ---
**Author:** ![MN\_Maenad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e95f7d/32.png) [@MN\_Maenad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MN_Maenad)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tween-suitable-steam-punk/633600/4 "2012-09-04T01:20:34Z")
You may want to check out “The Girl in the Steel Corset” and other Finlay Jayne books by Kady Cross. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tween-suitable-steam-punk/633600/5 "2012-09-04T01:22:24Z")
Yep, another vote for the _Leviathan_ trilogy. I finished the third a few days ago and enjoyed them all. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tween-suitable-steam-punk/633600/6 "2012-09-04T01:32:34Z")
Also, [Boneshaker](http://www.amazon.com/Boneshaker-Sci-Fi-Essential-Books/dp/0765318415/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346722110&sr=1-1&keywords=boneshaker) was pretty good. I found the first sequel a little boring and stopped reading, but I think there are a bunch of books in the CLockwork Century series now. I know that they’re not specifically YA books, but I don’t recall anything too sexy in Boneshaker… maybe some violence, though. ETA: Wow, I’ve never had a same-time post as anyone before! Yay. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tween-suitable-steam-punk/633600/7 "2012-09-04T10:58:21Z")
Yeah, you can’t even call that ‘ninjad’ if you literally simulpost. Thanks for the reccos, people. She’ll get a kick out of them. And I’m trying HARD to generate a fangirl, here. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tween-suitable-steam-punk/633600/8 "2012-09-04T11:02:45Z")
China Mieville’s latest, **Railsea** , isn’t precisely steampunk, but it borrows heavily from the genre. The schtick is a world consisting mostly of flat earth crisscrossed by millions of rail lines and inhabited by deadly giant burrowing creatures; civilization occurs on the “islands” of rock scattered throughout the railsea, and a motley assortment of vehicles traverse the railsea. If she can deal with Mieville’s obsessions–technology, monsters, wordplay, and communism, not necessarily in that order–it’s a great read. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tween-suitable-steam-punk/633600/9 "2012-09-04T12:42:17Z")
Philip Reeve’s [Larklight trilogy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larklight_trilogy) is in that ballpark. Much more in line with the lighter Girl Genius vibe than some other steampunk stuff, IMO. Such as Reeve’s _other_ steampunk-ish series, the Mortal Engines/Hungry City series. Also, not always quite steampunk, but again in the ballpark, I highly reccomend Stewart&Riddel’s stuff, especially the [Edge Chronicles](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Edge_Chronicles). The [Barnaby Grimes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnaby_Grimes) books are more steampunky, I think. One common theme in those is the illustrations.