Hi Samwise! I just found the passage in my book... LOL... page 144-145. Who me? Heinlein fan? hehehe... Not so much as Tolkien, but he sure wrote good stuff.
I am giving a 12 year old niece Heinlein for Christmas this year. She's something of a mis-fit. Has trouble in school. Doesn't seem to be able to find her nitch in life yet. Gave her Citizen of the Galaxy last summer and last time I saw her she was awestruck. Wants to know if I know of any other books like that one! Instead of getting her one new book, I've picked up several old ones on ebay. We have a new Heinlein fan in the making! :-)
I credit Heinlein for knocking a lot of the liberal 70s crap out of my head when I was a youngster. I don't think I would give his work to a 12-year-old though. Wait, I forgot about his kids books. They would be okay. I don't want my hobbit to grok some of his works. :^)
Try "Have Spacesuit Will Travel"
"Pokadyn of Mars"
"The Rolling Stones"
"The Star Beast"
"Stranger in a Strange Land" may be a bit too early for someone that young as are much of his later works
I was slightly younger than your niece when I picked up my first Heinlein book ("Space Cadet").
I am over 40 now, and have never stopped reading him. If pushed, I would have to say that RAH has been the author who has affected me the most.
Regards,
My son (now 18) had many of the same issues when he was much younger and Heinlain had much the same effect on him. We started with the "juveniles" (inc. Citizen of the Galaxy) and worked our way up to Starship Troopers and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. I only wish that Hollyweird hadn't made such a hash of the former. Ah well, at least it got people reading the novel.
Podkayne of Mars would be my first choice to give a girl, but any of the juvenils novels Heinlein wrote would work including Red Planet, which they made a cartoon about in 1994 see http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0216502/
I might recommend Podkayne of Mars for your niece. But you should read it first and be your own judge.
A George Washington quote that Heinlein might have agreed with: "It's better to be alone than to be in bad company."