The Animal, oil painting, 25x30 cm, 1966 (WV-Nr.1268), by Margret Hofheinz-Döring
The Hobbit is undoubtedly one of the best fantasy novels aimed at children out there. With a host of fun characters, plenty of humorous situations, a large amount of action and adventure and a writing style that allows the reader to picture the world and characters vividly, it is a great introduction into the genre of fantasy.
Many find the follow up Lord of the Rings daunting and challenging and therefore lose interest in the whole genre. However, for the discerning reader who loved The Hobbit, there are hundreds of books that are ideal for the casual fantasy lover.
The books I highlight below are as colorful and exciting as The Hobbit and are suitable for children, depending on parental preferences of course. (I always advise parents to read a book before allowing their children to read it so they can ensure it is suitable.)
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The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
Brief Synopsis: When a young farm boy stumbles across a mysterious egg little does he realize how much his life is about to change. When the egg hatches into a dragon (ultimately called Saphira) King Galbatorix sends the evil Ra’zac to try and capture the dragon and Eragon. Eragon, now chosen to be a dragon rider by Saphira, must flee his hometown and ultimately join the resistance against the evil king.
Review of The Inheritance Cycle: The four books within the Inheritance Cycle are heavily clichéd fantasy novels. Paoalini has taken the standard good v evil plot, infused the land with dragons, adventure, love and pain and created a set of books that are engaging to read despite the standard formula.
He has the knack of storytelling that helps you identify with the main characters within the books, and manages to build a bright and vivid world. His style is very easy, and while he does get muddled a little in the first book, as he has matured, so have his books.
The stories he builds are logical and not too complex, and while there perhaps is more focus on war and less on adventuring, it has a similar feel to The Hobbit and definitely compares well. It’s not the best fantasy out there, but is a great bridge between fantasy like The Hobbit, and more complex fantasy novels like George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series.
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An oustanding piece of English Literature that should be part of everyone's library.
Amazon Price: $23.72
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The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S.Lewis
Brief Synopsis: This magical series takes place in the realm of Narnia, a magical world where talking animals battle against evils and children from Earth take a central role in the history of Narnia. Aslan, the protector of the world, assists and guides the children as they thwart evil and fulfill their destinies.
Review of The Chronicles of Narnia: This piece of children’s literature is one of the best fantasy series aimed at younger children. With seven books combining amazing stories spanning hundreds of years, a rich cast of characters, fairly complex plots and plenty of social commentary C. S. Lewis courts controversy as he tackles many difficult subjects. However, his writing is excellent and objective and becomes both thought provoking and inspirational.
While some will argue that the books are very clichéd, the attention to detail, the character building and the plot development are among the best examples within the fantasy genre making this a must have series for most children.
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An interesting series combining modern day with Olympian mythology.
Amazon Price: $18.90
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Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
Brief Synopsis: This Olympic Demigod series tell the story of Percy (Perseus) Jackon. Percy is a troubled young man who is attacked by Furies at his school. With the help of his best friend in school who happens to also be a Satyr, he travels to Camp Half-Blood where he finds out that his father is Poseidon. The camp has been build to train and protect all the demi-gods. Percy must embark on several quests to try and save his friends and families, and often to save the Olympian gods themselves.
Review of the Percy Jackson series: Rick Riordan is a very good writer who blends fiction and mythology well, bringing classic characters from folklore to life and adding his own fictional characters. Many of the monsters you meet within the stories (such as Minotaurs etc.) are directly from myths too. Rick has taken the stories of old and renewed them, placing them in a real world setting as well as in the realm of the gods. His ability to create believable characters, interesting situations and plenty of excitement and fun makes this an excellent series for children, and also a great set of books to read together as a family.
The plots are not overly complex, and generally are linear so you won’t find your children getting confused by diverging story lines. The language is excellent and easy to read for most competent young readers. This series is a great example of fantasy written for children.
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Exceptional stories; Rowling has helped bring children back to reading with her books.
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Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
Brief Synopsis: Harry Potter, an orphaned child, lives under the stairs at his Uncles house. Treated like a servant, Harry doesn’t realize that his life is about to change. After being admitted to Hogwartz, the school of wizardry, Harry finds out that the evil Voldermort is intent on killing him and spreading evil over the entire world. With the help of his best friends Hermione and Ron, Harry must embark on a series of quests to thwart the dark wizard , saving the school and the world while doing this.
Review of the Harry Potter series: What can I say that already hasn’t been said about the Harry Potter Series? J. K. Rowling is a prolific story teller; her ability to create real characters that grow through the series and her melding of real world and fictional world are incredible.
While aimed at children, the series covers many difficult adult scenarios including death, love and deadly danger. She doesn’t evade reality in her story and has the ability to temper a happy ending with a balancing amount of sadness or loss.
While Harry is perhaps an a-typical fantasy hero, it’s his friendship with Ron and Hermione that makes the whole series not only endearing but also powerful. Rowling’s ability to make the reader identify with the characters, including the house elves adds an element that often isn’t present in traditional fantasy.
The books are predictable to a certain extent, but for me, the whole experience was one that bought my children back to the family, giving us quality reading time together.
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