C: A Reference Manual

Start with Programming in C or C A Modern Approach (although the latter is expensive even second hand) and learn some basic Linux. Then K&R just because everyone should read it. Grab C in a Nutshell, Understanding and Using C Pointers and C A Reference Manual for reference. Then get the Linux Programming Interface book. Okay maybe a bit overkill for a 12 year old...

not for learning, but as a reference to keep on your desk when programming in c - harbison + steele http://www.careferencemanual.com/ this is also worth reading once you've got the basics down - http://www.amazon.com/Expert-Programming-Peter-van-Linden/dp... (http://www.amazon.com/Expert-Programming-Peter-van-Linden/dp/0131774298)

I highly recommend _C: A Reference Manual_ by Harbinson and Steele. It has many tiny examples, but it is mainly used as a reference manual (as the title suggests). http://www.amazon.com/Reference-Manual-Samuel-P-Harbison/dp/... (http://www.amazon.com/Reference-Manual-Samuel-P-Harbison/dp/013089592X) A good book for learning C is _Mastering Algorithms with C_ by Loudon. The source code is over-commented and contains too much white space, which is a bit annoying, but the content is quite nice. http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Algorithms-C-Kyle-Loudon/dp/... (http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Algorithms-C-Kyle-Loudon/dp/1565924533)

I think that K&R works better as a tutorial, as an introduction to C programming. Once you're generally comfortable with C, Steele's book is a much better reference.

is fiction ok? i live in chile and stumbled across bolano's books (particularly the savage detectives and 2666) in spanish just as they became popular in english in the usa (2666 was released in translation). savage detectives is a funny account of adolescent "poets" in mexico; 2666 is a much darker, somewhat rambling tome that addresses "evil". they're very different, but both great books. for non-fiction the book i've used most this year is an old classic - harbison & steele's "c a reference manual". it's invaluable (if you're writing c). i don't know how people can prefer kernighan & ritchie...