recommendations for books for Xmas for our mentees?

[rurallib]

2 boys age 13 and a girl 12. All of Hispanic background, but that really shouldn't make much difference. All have lived in a small town since birth.
I went to the B&N today and their teen stuff was mostly vampires and zombies and teen romances.
Hard to tell what their preferences are, this is the first year they have really taken to reading.
One boy is reading "It" and I have to pry it out of his hands.
Or is there a good website to go to.
I am kind of at a loss as to what's in. One set of parents is against anything 'magical' such as Harry Potter. And of course - no sex.

Going to bed. I will check in the morning.
Did I get this cold from one of you guys?

[applegrove]

1. Get them gift cards from the bookstore. That is what I am getting my nieces and nephews.

[rurallib]

2. That is a good thought. Thanks.

[applegrove]

8. Call around and find out which book shop has gift cards with no expiry date on them. In Ontario, by

law, gift cards are not supposed to expire. But you can waste alot of money if your giftees put the gift card in their wallet and forget about it for more than a year.

[seabeyond]

3. my son really like flannigan. horowitz. kid story james patterson.

my other son was reading adult factual books. simper fi. black like me. every year i pick up books that are jammed with info and facts. like ripleys. both boys love the almanacs and are continually reading, rereading info. i will see if there is anything else. kids have probably a couple hundred books in their closet shelves.....

big readers.

on edit... oldest is 15 now. about three christmas's ago he wanted santa present all the five star war series.

[tigereye]

4. Newbury medal winners? Some of pre-teen and teen classics?

still relevant.

[rurallib]

5. That is what we have done in previous years

there are some that we may go with yet. They aren't too 'immature' for the early teens?

[surrealAmerican]

6. The problem is, at that age, it's not really a question ...

... of what's "in". They have very individual tastes. If you don't know what interests them, you won't be able to make a good choice.

[rurallib]

7. Sadly, I haven't seen much really light a fire.