| Author | |
Erin
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 23 2005
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5814
|
| Posted: Jan 16 2008 at 12:25am | IP Logged
|
 |
|
I am looking for book suggestions for ds 12. He likes to read and reads well but only prefers certain genre unlike his two siblings who will read a wide genre.
His genres are mystery (got that covered), occasionally a well written adventurous history novel, but at present he has asked me to find more in the fantasy/battle type for want of a better description.
He LOVES the LOTR, Brian Jacques 'Redwall' books and this year we discovered the Ranger's Apprentice' series by Brian Flanagan. If you know these books you can see a theme, lots of battles good and evil, with good triumphing. The problem is that many fantasy books are not quite us, we don't read Harry Potter so some forms of magic are out. Ds has asked me to find him a new book, preferably a series(my dc are BIG on series) Does anyone have any suggestions?
__________________
Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Lara Sauer
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 15 2007
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 679
|
| Posted: Jan 16 2008 at 7:23am | IP Logged
|
|
|
The Dark is Rising Series by Susan Cooper is a very good adventure. It is based loosely on King Arhure and Celtic Mythology.
The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander. Theses are book about the adventures of a young assistant pig-keeper named Taran.
There are a series of Arthurian tales (think Round Table) rewritten for children by Gerald Morris. He is a Lutheran minister. The books are well done, although some priests are treated as being foolish and unholy. Others, however are treated respectfully.
The Children of the Lamp Series by P.B. Kerr. I have listened to the first one called "The Akhenaten Adventure" and have just started listening to the second. They are about children who discover they are genies. I can only recommend the first as I haven't finished the series, but it was very entertaining and there was nothing offensive in the whole first book...just a good story.
Then there is Edward Eager. He has written some great children's fantasy. My favorite was Half-Magic. The kids find a coin that grants them half there wishes. Any books by him are delightful. I think there are 5 or so. E. Nesbit is a great author as well.
Castle in the Attic and the Battle for the Castle are fun adventure stories as well. The author's name is Elizabeth Winthrop.
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynn Reid Banks is fun as
well.
I hope you are able to find something among this list!
Peace.
__________________
You can take the girl out of Wisconsin, but you can't take the Wisconsin out of the girl!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
cathhomeschool
Board Moderator
Texas Bluebonnets
Joined: Jan 26 2005
Location: Texas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 7303
|
| Posted: Jan 16 2008 at 9:45am | IP Logged
|
|
|
MacBeth has many great suggestions (most of which we've read) on her fantasy page. (That's page one. At the bottom it links to more.)
I'd read MacBeth's review of the Dark is Rising series if you are considering these books for your son.
__________________
Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
teachingmyown
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 20 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5128
|
| Posted: Jan 16 2008 at 11:04am | IP Logged
|
|
|
My dh and dd 11 and ds 10 really like the series by Bryan Davis called Dragons in Our Midst. It is full of Christian symbolism. The author is a Christian, homeschooling dad of six.
He has a second series which they haven't yet read.
We don't do HP either.
__________________
In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Erin
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 23 2005
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5814
|
| Posted: Jan 21 2008 at 5:47am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Thank you for your suggestions, our library has The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander so I've reserved that. Just waiting for them to come in.
Not too sure yet whether to take a risk and just order some of the others in case he doesn't like them, he keeps asking if I've 'found' him any books.
Thanks for the link Janette, I was interested to read Macbeth's recommendations as well.
__________________
Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
margot helene
Forum Pro
Joined: Feb 26 2006
Location: Pennsylvania
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 350
|
| Posted: Jan 22 2008 at 3:39pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
My kids like the Warriors series (like Redwall about cats; cats in the wild)
There are now 3 complete series. The first series is called just Warriors and the first book is called Into the Wild. The second series is The New Prophecy, the third one is called The Sight (only the first two of this last series are out).
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Tina P.
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 28 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1638
|
| Posted: Jan 22 2008 at 4:23pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I've never seen a review or even a reference to the following series: The Lost Years of Merlin on a trusted site (can't always trust Amazon; they just want you to buy and so will present it in the best light). It looked interesting to me for my boys ... but I haven't decided yet. Does anyone have any information about this series?
__________________
Tina, wife to one and mom to 9 + 3 in heaven
Mary's Muse
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Erin
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 23 2005
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5814
|
| Posted: Jan 23 2008 at 6:44pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Margot
I've never heard of the Warriors, who wrote them?
__________________
Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
margot helene
Forum Pro
Joined: Feb 26 2006
Location: Pennsylvania
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 350
|
| Posted: Jan 25 2008 at 6:38pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Erin,
The Warriors series is by Erin Hunter.
"Erin Hunter, author of Warriors, is actually the pseudonym for two people, Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry. Both women live in the UK and take it in turns to write the books. They came up with the name Erin Hunter to avoid confusing readers with their books filed in different places on bookshelves."
Tina P,
I previewed the Merlin series and decided not to have my boys read them. Now that they are older, perhaps it would be OK. But they had a little bit too much new-agey stuff for my taste.
Margot
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
farmnwife
Forum Newbie
Joined: Feb 05 2008
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4
|
| Posted: Feb 07 2008 at 11:11am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I have found Christian Guide to Fantasy site that has helped in making selection.
Christian Guide to Fantasy
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Lori B
Forum Pro
Joined: March 24 2006
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 209
|
| Posted: Feb 07 2008 at 1:50pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I didn't notice this thread the first time around...
My 12yod loves fantasy as well, and is very picky  Some of her favourites are the Rowen of Rin series, Gregor the Overlander series, Inkheart and it's sequel, The Bromeliad Trilogy, the Moomintroll books (silly, 'light' reading). Chasing Vermeer and it's sequel are good mysteries (though not fantasy).
__________________
22yod, 16yod (Asperger's), 14yos (dyslexia, APD, ADHD), and 11yod (JXG, glaucoma, legally blind)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
margot helene
Forum Pro
Joined: Feb 26 2006
Location: Pennsylvania
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 350
|
| Posted: Feb 09 2008 at 9:43am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Lori B wrote:
| Chasing Vermeer and it's sequel are good mysteries (though not fantasy). |
|
|
Lori,
I was wondering if you read Chasing Vermeer. I had some questions about it after I read it and wondered what you thought.
margot
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Tina P.
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 28 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1638
|
| Posted: March 01 2008 at 3:37pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Tina P. wrote:
| I've never seen a review or even a reference to the following series: The Lost Years of Merlin on a trusted site (can't always trust Amazon; they just want you to buy and so will present it in the best light). It looked interesting to me for my boys ... but I haven't decided yet. Does anyone have any information about this series? |
|
|
I seem to have answered my own question. I even like the criticism of this series. It appears this reviewer regularly writes adult fantasy reviews and is therefore looking for things that, to me, don't belong in a teenager's book anyway.
This from Teacher Vision might be interesting as well.
God bless,
__________________
Tina, wife to one and mom to 9 + 3 in heaven
Mary's Muse
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
CKwasniewski
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 31 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 601
|
| Posted: March 01 2008 at 5:26pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Another great book by Lloyd Alexander is The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen.
Also check out Hardings Luck and The House of Arden by E. Nesbit.
Not fantasy but great adventures anyhow (medieval setting):
Otto of the Silver Hand, by Howard Pyle
Black Fox of Lorne by Marguerite de Angeli
Outlaws of Ravenhurst (Catholic to the max!) by Sr. Imelda Wallace
hth
ck
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Erin
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 23 2005
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5814
|
| Posted: March 06 2008 at 9:17pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
CKwasniewski wrote:
Outlaws of Ravenhurst (Catholic to the max!) by Sr. Imelda Wallace |
|
|
CK
We LOVE this book!!! Do you know if she has written anything else?
__________________
Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
CKwasniewski
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 31 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 601
|
| Posted: March 07 2008 at 6:57am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I searched and the only other thing I could find by her was about cowboys and explorers, "The Lure of the West." Probably very different.
too bad.
Oh well, how many masterpieces does a nun have time to write! 
ck
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
laurabelle
Forum Newbie
Joined: Feb 28 2008
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2
|
| Posted: March 27 2008 at 4:22pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I saw this thread a few weeks back and kept forgetting to share. We do a lot of fantasy reading (including HP, but it's together and with discussion) in our house of boys.
The series that got my now 10 year old excited about reading is The Door Within. It is a christian fantasy triology. My son read the first and immediately wanted to acquire book 2 and 3. I have not read it yet, but he keeps asking me to read it soon.
We are currently listening to The Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix. There is some sorcery mentioned, so it might not be a good fit for you. I'm finding it rather interesting.
Has he read A Wrinkle in Time and the subsequent books? I read them all as a tween and do not remember a much dark stuff in the books.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Erin
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 23 2005
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5814
|
| Posted: April 14 2008 at 6:23am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Has anyone hears of Palindor by DR Evans?
written by a Christian author.
__________________
Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Lauri B
Forum Pro
Joined: March 11 2008
Location: Pennsylvania
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 208
|
| Posted: April 14 2008 at 5:41pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
My 13 yo son LOVES the Sisters Grimm series. It's not a girly series at all - the characters are strong and funny and there's a highly amusing young male lead (Puck, the Trickster King) who gets into a lot of the sort of trouble that entertains 13 yo boys. (Think burping and smelly concoctions!) He's eagerly awaiting the 5th book next month. If he won't read them, perhaps he'd like to listen? The audio books are read brilliantly by LJ Ganser. Your library may have them! I got hooked on them, myself, when my children were listening to the series this winter.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Lauri B
Forum Pro
Joined: March 11 2008
Location: Pennsylvania
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 208
|
| Posted: April 14 2008 at 5:48pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
cathhomeschool wrote:
MacBeth has many great suggestions (most of which we've read) on her fantasy page. (That's page one. At the bottom it links to more.)
I'd read MacBeth's review of the Dark is Rising series if you are considering these books for your son. |
|
|
The Dark is Rising series is one of my all time favorite series of books. I own them and have reread them often. However, I think they are better for older teens and adults because of the religious content and deep themes.
The first book (Over Sea, Under Stone) is brilliant, fine for older children and young teens, and easily stands alone.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
4Real Forums : Living Literature
Topic: Need Fantasy Book Suggestions for ds12
