# What should I get my totally awesome "niece"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 9, 2012, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-totally-awesome-niece/643548 "2012-12-09T23:49:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-totally-awesome-niece/643548/1 "2012-12-09T23:49:50Z")
So, I’ve got this friend who is a bit more than a friend. More of a brother. He’s got a kid, Rowan. I’m not big on kids. Don’t like em generally. However, Rowan is the most awesome kid in the world. Incredibly smart and cool. Like, a year ahead in school and stuff. Since I’m not likely to ever have a kid of my own, I generally give her all sorts of stuff. Gave her some of my old books, turned her on to Redwall and Mouse Guard, send her awesome videos like [this one](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVUEYlyQVI8&sns=em) and so on. Now it’s that time of year, and I’m trying to figure out what to get her. She digs comics, so I was thinking of maybe turning her on to Girl Genius, but I’m afraid it’s a little racy for a 7 year old. If its not, tell me and we’re done. 😃 Some other online friends suggested The Hobbit, but I’m afraid that’d be way too much. Anyone have other thoughts? She does love books, and I like giving them. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-totally-awesome-niece/643548/2 "2012-12-10T00:04:55Z")
No one does not want a [Screaming Monkey Slingshot](http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/8f00/). No one. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-totally-awesome-niece/643548/3 "2012-12-10T00:07:06Z")
Go with The Hobbit. [THIS ONE.](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0544045521/ref=wms_ohs_product) ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-totally-awesome-niece/643548/4 "2012-12-10T00:34:46Z")
I’ve found that “create your own book” kits like [this one](http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/toys-games-create-your-own-books/19900360) go over well with kids that age. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-totally-awesome-niece/643548/5 "2012-12-10T00:37:55Z")
“Hw to Draw” type books with art supplies are a really great gift at that age. You should have no trouble finding one that is based upon cartoons or characters she likes. ---
**Author:** ![FlyByNight512](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/82dd89/32.png) [@FlyByNight512](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyByNight512)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-totally-awesome-niece/643548/6 "2012-12-10T01:44:21Z")
If she’s enjoying Redwall, she’s probably ready for the Chronicles of Narnia books. (As long as her parents are okay with the religious metaphor stuff.) ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-totally-awesome-niece/643548/7 "2012-12-10T03:06:38Z")
She obviously is ready for a chemestry set as she will want to read the instructions. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-totally-awesome-niece/643548/8 "2012-12-10T04:14:51Z")
If you’re looking for a good comic for a seven year old girl, or for anyone else, I recommend the _Amelia Rules_ series by Jimmy Gownley. It was originally published as a comic book series but now it’s available in book form. How good is it? I’d call it the equal of _Calvin and Hobbes_ - so pretty damn good. ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-totally-awesome-niece/643548/9 "2012-12-10T08:55:36Z")
Seconding/thirding _The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe_ and _The Hobbit_. Has she started playing any instruments yet? You could offer to pay for some music lessons, instrument of her choice? Obviously if the parents agree with her going and depending on if an instrument needs to be rented/bought. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-totally-awesome-niece/643548/10 "2012-12-10T23:02:12Z")
Thanks for all the advice. I went with the collected volumes 1-3 of Girl Genius after a bit of Googling found a thread where most everyone agreed that any issues it might present from an age-appropriateness standpoint would be more with the intracacies of the plot rather than questionable content–there’s violence, but nothing worse than what she’s going to see in the various DC comics she reads, and there’s some tendency towards scantily-clad…ness. Other than that, it’s just romance and adventure. I have troubles with the plot occasionally myself, though I think that’s more because I’m forced to read it three pages a week. As it’s a great pro-girl (genius) sort of thing, I figure it works. I will make a note of this thread, however, for any time I just randomly need to do nice things for the kid, which I am perfectly fine with doing for no conceivable reason at all. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Trick\_Rider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Trick\_Rider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trick_Rider)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-totally-awesome-niece/643548/11 "2012-12-11T02:30:47Z")
I think I was around that age when I first read _The Hobbit_. That’s probably what I’d go with. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-totally-awesome-niece/643548/12 "2012-12-11T14:28:16Z")
I’d recommend a magazine subscription, say to _Spide_r (mostly fiction) or _ASK_ (mostly non-fiction.) Instead of just one gift, it’s more like one a month.