# What's a good Terry Pratchett(or others) Young Adult book? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 15, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088 "2012-11-15T15:13:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/1 "2012-11-15T15:13:30Z")
1. It must have an ebook reader version in mobi format. I imagine most do. 2. It must have an audio book available somewhere, which again is highly likely. I have some extra reading time at the school I work with and I thought a Pratchett young adult book might be a good read for the kids, but I wouldn’t know where to begin. In fact, I wouldn’t necessarily limit to Pratchett if you know of any other good reads that kids might enjoy during extra time. Nothing too hard to follow or with too high a vocabulary. Thanks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Reno\_Nevada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Reno\_Nevada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reno_Nevada)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/2 "2012-11-15T15:18:21Z")
I will just slip in to say that the best Pratchett Young Adult book is _The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents_, but I don’t know if it is available in the formats you mention. Probably is, though. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/3 "2012-11-15T15:20:29Z")
> [@Reno\_Nevada](#): > > I will just slip in to say that the best Pratchett Young Adult book is _The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents_, but I don’t know if it is available in the formats you mention. Probably is, though. [Yep.](http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Maurice-Educated-Discworld-ebook/dp/B000YGIIPO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1352992797&sr=8-2&keywords=amazing+maurice+and+his+educated+rodents) ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/4 "2012-11-15T15:43:09Z")
> [@Reno\_Nevada](#): > > I will just slip in to say that the best Pratchett Young Adult book is _The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents_, but I don’t know if it is available in the formats you mention. That’s my favourite of the Pratchett YAs, and one of my favourite discworld books full stop. _Nation_ is also very good, but what age group are we looking at here? ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/5 "2012-11-15T16:01:14Z")
> [@Reno\_Nevada](#): > > I will just slip in to say that the best Pratchett Young Adult book is _The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents_, but I don’t know if it is available in the formats you mention. Probably is, though. Heh beaten to the punch. Though I’d plug for _Wee Free Men_ as well. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/6 "2012-11-15T18:40:16Z")
Thanks, guys, I’m trying to figure it out now. I’d really like any suggestions for good young adult books that come in the formats I specified. We read Maniac Magee already. ---
**Author:** ![Beastly\_Rotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@Beastly\_Rotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastly_Rotter)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/7 "2012-11-15T18:53:29Z")
All of the Tiffany Aching books {although _And I Shall Wear Midnight_ is very dark in parts} are wonderful, but yeah, start with _Wee Free Men_. It has Feegles. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/8 "2012-11-15T19:40:24Z")
I notice that the Wikipedia says the Pratchett books “had swearing translated to rat language” in the first one. Is this something that the kids will find way too hilarious, like how inappropriate it is? I don’t always preview these “end of day” reading books and I don’t want their jaws hitting the floor in shock or anything. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/9 "2012-11-15T19:53:44Z")
Fans of Terry Pratchett might like The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/10 "2012-11-15T20:38:49Z")
I have fond memories of Lloyd Alexander’s _Chronicles of Prydain_, which judging by [this are available in mobi format](http://forum.mobilism.org/viewtopic.php?t=400385). I read them when I was about 10 or so. ---
**Author:** ![Beastly\_Rotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@Beastly\_Rotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastly_Rotter)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/11 "2012-11-16T00:21:30Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I notice that the Wikipedia says the Pratchett books “had swearing translated to rat language” in the first one. Is this something that the kids will find way too hilarious, like how inappropriate it is? I don’t always preview these “end of day” reading books and I don’t want their jaws hitting the floor in shock or anything. There isn’t any: he doesn’t even swear in his adult books: I think the closest he has ever come is Mister Pin’s “-ing”. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/12 "2012-11-16T00:28:47Z")
> [@Beastly\_Rotter](#): > > There isn’t any: he doesn’t even swear in his adult books: I think the closest he has ever come is Mister Pin’s “-ing”. Shit is used in at least one of the later books. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/13 "2012-11-16T00:56:45Z")
And the Feegles (prominent in all of the Tiffany Aching books) are perpetually sounding like they’re cussin’ up a storm, but it’s all actually completely tame. Crivens! ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/14 "2012-11-16T01:09:12Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Heh beaten to the punch. Though I’d plug for _Wee Free Men_ as well. Crivens! I love both _The Amazing Maurice…_ and _The Wee Free Men_ but IMHO “The Bromeliad Trilogy” – consisting of Truckers, Diggers\* and _Wings_ – is even better. It seems they’re available in audio but not kindle. For a non-Pratchett read, perhaps [The Book of Three](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=The+Book+of+Three) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/15 "2012-11-16T04:56:13Z")
Pratchett’s latest YA book is _Dodger_, which is sort of like a _Shakespeare In Love_ of Charles Dickens, following a young kid from the poor end of town who becomes a hero overnight. But it’s possibly not available in the US yet. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/16 "2013-01-16T00:57:21Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Pratchett’s latest YA book is _Dodger_, which is sort of like a _Shakespeare In Love_ of Charles Dickens, following a young kid from the poor end of town who becomes a hero overnight. > > But it’s possibly not available in the US yet. It is – I just checked it out of my local public library. (Inspired [this GQ thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=678808)) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/17 "2013-01-16T01:03:02Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > And the Feegles (prominent in all of the Tiffany Aching books) are perpetually sounding like they’re cussin’ up a storm, but it’s all actually completely tame. > > Crivens! Not to say that they mightn’t be bad role models in other ways . . . "“An’ things ha’ come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off’f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!” – _Wee Free Men_ ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/18 "2013-01-16T10:44:46Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Pratchett’s latest YA book is _Dodger_, which is sort of like a _Shakespeare In Love_ of Charles Dickens, following a young kid from the poor end of town who becomes a hero overnight. And it is very good. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/19 "2013-01-16T18:17:31Z")
You really CAN’T go wrong with ANY of Pratchett’s young adult books, though later Tiffany Aching books might be suited better to slightly older children, and Nation is super, SUPER SAD. I cried a LOT. Oddly, while everyone here seems to be raving about it, I don’t have any particularly strong impressions of The Amazing Maurice. I remember it being good, but that’s about all I remember. I shall also take this opportunity to second The Chronicles of Prydain (though The High King always makes me cry. -\_- ) and toss out my obligatory plug for The Dark Is Rising… uh… series, I guess. Though truthfully, Over Sea, Under Stone and Greenwich are a little meh, you kinda need to read them to have all the background for Silver on the Tree. That said, you COULD just read The Dark is Rising and The Grey King seperately and probably be quite content. And apparently the whole series is available in the formats you request. I’d also maybe suggest Sabriel by Garth Nix, but I guess that’s more “Young Adult” than children’s. ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088/20 "2013-01-17T13:17:25Z")
Are you/the kids going to be reading out loud? If so, _The Wee Free Men_ has a lot of thick Glaswegian-esque dialogue which might be a bit daunting. Rat swearing in _The Amazing Maurice_ is basically the rats going _kyrrk_ at each other or the bad guys - it isn’t translated. As for _Dodger_, I think “shite” is mentioned a lot, as the sewers feature heavily, but it’s more a description of what’s in them than an expletive. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-terry-pratchett-or-others-young-adult-book/641088.md?page=2)