Once your kid's finished devouring the latest Harry Potter, how do you go about nurturing that yen to read? Here's a list of fantasy and SF novels that may serve to keep the fire burning, this time for mid-level readers. Part 2 of 3.
Last week I listed beginner books; this week's list is for readers who've moved beyond the basics and are prepared for meatier stuff.
Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy. The order of the books (which despite being a trilogy, number four altogether) are The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; The Restaurant at the End of the Universe; Life, the Universe and Everything; and So Long and Thanks for All the Fish. Kids who like Adams will also like his Dirk Gently series as well as his wonderful nonfiction book, Last Chance to See, which looks at endangered species. SF.
Richard Adams. Watership Down. This epic about the life of rabbits trying to find a new home after theirs is destroyed by a housing development is beautifully written and wonderfully gripping. The death of some rabbits may upset some young readers. Fantasy.
Joan Aiken. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase is the first in a series that leads into Black Hearts in Battersea. The Wolves series has a Lemony Snickett feel to it, but preceded that series considerably. Aiken's short story collection Armitage, Armitage, Fly Away Home is also notable. Fantasy.
Ray Bradbury. Dandelion Wine and Something Wicked This Way Comes would all work for younger readers. The Martian Chronicles does have one story involving race that may require discussion with children not familiar with the history of African-Americans. Fantasy and SF short stories.
Terry Brooks, Shannara. One of the classic (and first) Tolkein-influenced series. Thick fantasy books that sometimes seem a little generic but which kids devouring fantasy willy-nilly will appreciate. Fantasy.
John Christopher, The Tripods trilogy. The order is The White Mountains, The City of Gold and Lead, and The Pool of Fire. There is also a prequel, When the Tripods Came. A young boy and his family flees an alien invasion and help form the resistance movement. SF.
Diane Duane, So You Want to Be a Wizard? series. This is a just plain fine series, and I always pick up the latest ones. The first one is titled So You Want to Be a Wizard and follows the adventures of Nita and Kit, aspiring wizards who are joined in later adventures by Nita's younger sister. Fantasy.
Susan Fletcher - Shadow Spinner. A young girl named Marjan must help Shahrazad think of
new stories to tell the Sultan. Fantasy.
Alan Garner. Older British series that starts with The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and continues with The Moon of Gomrath. Features Colin and Susan, English schoolchildren, who encounter the wizard Cadellin. Fantasy.
Robert Heinlein. Heinlein produced a plethora of YA science fiction. Recommended titles are: Have Spacesuit, Will Travel; Podkayne of Mars and The Door into Summer. Parents may want to be aware that his later books include some themes that are definitely adult, such as pro-polyamory.
Diana Wynne Jones, the Chronicles of Chrestomanci. Begins with Charmed Life and The Lives of Chrestomanci. Jones is a winner; also recommended is her Howl's Moving Castle and Dark Lord of Dernholm. Fantasy
Mercedes Lackey. All of Mercedes Lackey's books will be palatable to young readers, but a nice starting point might be either her Bard or Elemental Masters series. Fantasy.
Ursula K. LeGuin, the Chronicles of Earth Sea. Four books. I actually think the first three, which came first, are sufficient, but readers may want the fourth for the sake of completeness. In order, they are A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, and Tehanu. Fantasy.
Anne McCaffrey, the Dragonrider Trilogy and Harper Hall trilogy. Actually, most of Anne McCaffrey's sf and fantasy seems like a good choice for young riders, who will love the surface of Pern and the marvelous dragons. McCaffrey's son Todd has begun carrying on the series, so readers can look forward to more. Science fiction.
Patricia McKillip, The RiddleMaster of Hed and The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. McKillip is always a wonderful, poetic read and young readers who love high fantasy will enjoy these books. Fantasy.
Meredith Ann Pierce, The Darkangel Trilogy. Lovely books with a strong female heroine and interesting love story that has a fairytale quality to it. The books are The Darkangel, A Gathering of Gargoyles, and The Pearl of the Soul of the World. Fantasy.
Tamora Pierce, The Song of the Lioness. The books are Alanna: The First Adventure, In the Hand of the Goddess, The Woman Who Rides Like a Man and The Lioness Rampant. A young woman disguises herself as a man in order to become a knight. Fantasy.
Terry Pratchett, Discworld. The Color of Magic is the first of this series. Each book is strong enough to stand on its own, but readers willing to read chronologically will have fun spotting characters from other books or seeing the progression in the characters' lives. These books are tons of fun. Fantasy.
Phillip Pullman's The Golden Compass trilogy. (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass. Modern fantasy which has some theological implications that will interest some readers. Entertaining, thoughtful, and wonderful characters. Readers who enjoy these may want to look for his book The Tiger in the Well as a follow-up. Fantasy.
Arthur Ransome, Swallows and Amazon. 1930s children's adventures, a lot of fun, although some dated gender and racial stereotyping. Fantasy.
Patricia Wrede, The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. Dealing with Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, Talking to Dragons. The adventures of Princess Cimorene, who refuses to be a proper princess. Also of note is her collaboration with Caroline Stevermer, Sorcery and Cecelia or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot. Fantasy.
(I have included notes where appropriate when books have adult themes because I think it's good for parents to be prepared to answer questions about books. Letting a child read omnivorously and as they will leads them to keep being readers throughout their lives. A parent's duty includes being willing to let their child explore and encourage that thirst for knowledge while helping explain things along the way.)
Next week: Books for Advanced Readers
