Why do you have to teach them the boring stuff first? The point is to get them interested in programming. They can learn how the hardware, compilation, linking, and algorithms work later.

Above all, get them interested. If you capture their imagination, they'll be receptive to--even independently curious about--the details.

I'm speaking anecdotally now, but please do not bore young students. There's no way I would have stuck with it if C was my first language. Javascript and Python are excellent starting points that easily let kids create games and websites and fun things.

We probably wouldn't start someone off with Haskell, but to me C seems on the same level of impracticality for a young beginner.