Reddit mentions: The best action & adventure books for children

I second the Tamora Pierce suggestion. Also definitely Gregor the Overlander! Suzanne Collin's lesser known series (she wrote Hunger Games). I recently finished reading (it's a 5-book series) and it was FANTASTIC. Just amazing. It's a YA series. The House of the Scorpion is also great, might be for your stronger readers. Eragon series is fun, and Dealing with Dragons is still one of my all-time favorite dragon books/series. Bruce Coville is a great author, and his work might be a little young but it's good to have a mix. I absolutely loved everything of his I have read, but especially Aliens Ate My Homework and the rest of that series. Most of these will appeal to the young men, hopefully.



When I was a young lady, I read pretty much anything, but I know a lot of boys like books with a boy main character. I really was a bit horse crazy, so here's some you might look into for your young ladies. The Saddle Club is a very long series about 3 girls and their horse-y adventures. It was really fun and it's great to find longer series because, if they like the first one, there's a lot to enjoy. (Oh a thought - you could always get the first one in a series, then just tell them to get the rest from the library or something, if there's budget concerns) I also liked the Thoroughbred Series and the wonderful Marguerite Henry horse books, especially the famous Misty of Chincoteague but really any of her books is a good read. My all time favorite horse series was and still is The Black Stallion by Walter Farley. Oh, how I loved that book.


There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom was fantastic the first time I read it, and I also like the "Wayside School" books which are both by Louis Sachar. Judy Blume is fun as is Beverly Cleary. Redwall gets a lot of kids into reading, you also might consider some high-level comics/graphic novels to reach a different audience. The Hobbit Graphic Novel has great illustration and I loved reading it so much when I found it one day in a store.


I found history pretty boring so avoided those books but I did enjoy The King's Swift Rider about Robert the Bruce and Scotland, might be the only vaguely historical book I remember reading around those ages. I tried to avoid mystery books more or less, but I loved Encyclopedia Brown (even though according to Amazon it's for younger ages). I enjoyed Harriet the Spy she was a pretty cool girl role-model at the time. My Side of the Mountain was absolutely fantastic and such a great adventure, though I enjoy everything Jean Craigshead George writes. I feel like Julie of the Wolves is pretty standard reading material, maybe not anymore, but what a great story. Oh my gosh, I just about forgot The Indian in the Cupboard, that was such a good story. Anything Roald Dahl is wonderful as is Jane Yolen, I especially recommend the Pit Dragon trilogy. The Golden Compass, So You Want to be A Wizard, Animorphs, Goosebumps, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Kiki Strike, Dinotopia, Song of the Gargoyle and The City of Ember.


I am sure that is way more than you need, but my mind started racing. It was hard to stop once I started -- thank you for that enjoyable tour through my past. Lots of great memories of time spent reading. Hope you find some of this helpful, at least.

I take it from Harry Potter and Divergent he likes strong, morally-white protagonists on journeys to save the world. I don't know his exact reading level or interests, so I will make the following suggestions by category. I ranked books in each category by difficulty.

 

Teen Fantasy:

 

Dealing with Dragons: Funny, easy to read, dragons, magic, and sarcasm.

The Lioness Series, Immortal Series, or The Magic Circle Series: Strong female leads and interesting to read with great stories (Think Mulan). My brother loved them.

Artemis Fowl: Strong, morally ambiguous but ultimately altruistic, sarcastic, and smart protagonist against the world.

User Unfriendly: Dudes get sucked into a video/rpg and try to get out without dying. Like Tron, but less sci-fi and more fantasy.

Halo: One of my brothers who HATES reading -- or at least is incredibly picky actually stayed up all night to finish four of Halo books. He also really likes the games. I don't know which one is the first or the best but this one had the best reviews. I dunno if it is dark either -- I haven't read it :'(.

The Dark Elf Trilogy: Darker than anything else I have on here (or can be) hero vs world type fantasy. Drizzit = my brothers' hero growing up. Kinda WOW-esque? Having played both, I understand how much of WOW is inspired by DnD. I personally didn't like this.

Redwall: Harder to read, talking animals save the world from other talking animals. I personally hated this series, but my brothers read every single book in the series at the time.

 


Adult Fantasy:

 

Magician: Magic, totally badass protagonist, BORING first couple chapters, but ultimately the most OP hero I have ever read. Amazing, truly amazing. I think it is two-three books in the first series.

Harper Hall: Dragons, music, strong, but lost protagonist. Deals with sexism and gender biased. The other books in the cycle range from sci-fi to political fantasy.

Dragonbone Chair: Strong, badass hero vs a dragon. What happens? He becomes more badass. It is a lighter verison of LOTR/Sword of Shanara (which is probably too much politics/genetics/enviromental commentary -- generally boring-- for him right now) --

An even lighter alternative, more teen book is Eragon. That being said, I absolutely DETESTED these books. I don't care if he was 16, he didn't coming up with any of his own material. But -- a lot of people really like it, so your brother might!

 

Sci-fi:

 

Ender's game: Amazing ending, especially if he likes videogames. I haven't seen the movie, but my Dad said it was "loosely inspired" from the book. All I know is the book was world-changing. It has some legitimately dark points (like gouging out a giants eye or drowning puppies).

Johnny Maxwell Trilogy: This dude is cool. I didn't know until I linked it that it is hard to get a copy >.<.

Dune: This, like LOTR, is VERY political and can be very easily boring. It might also be too adult or hard for him. There is mental illness and just crazy people in the later books.

 

Mature Humor:

 

He should be ready for some British humor, which is a little more mature than American humor (sorry) and much more sarcastic. You also have to be in the mood for it, especially if you aren't expecting it.

Sourcery: Really, really funny.

Hitchhiker's Guide: Also funny.

Magic Kingdom for Sale -- Sold: American. Funny take on fantasy books.

 

I kept away from darker books where the protagonist is morally grey (Artemis fowl and Drizzit being exceptions -- though they are both still definitely heros), sex, questionable themes, or general mental derangement.

I also stayed away from more modern books, which I have read a lot of if you would like recommendations for those instead. I read a lot in general, so if you have a questions about a book in particular, I can try to help.

Edit: Links

I don't know a lot of titles for the youngest ages, though the Junie B. Jones and Magic Treehouse books are favorites of my mother's elementary-aged students. Speaking of magic, you can't go wrong with The Magic Schoolbus. Oh! And Where the Wild Things Are.

As suggested by /u/jpop23mn, the Berenstein Bears are great books for young readers (I loved them so much as a kid), and Dr. Seuss is classic.

For middle-schoolers, I recall enjoying Maniac Magee (though I don't recall much about it), lots of Bruce Coville's monster books, the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series, and one of my favorites, The Phantom Tollbooth. My sister enjoyed the Warriors series (and still reads them now as a college student). Then there's classics like Where the Red Fern Grows and Bridge to Terabithia, though those books cover some difficult subject matter (death).

Ghost stories are much beloved, and if you can find folklore and fable specific to various cultures, you can learn about other cultures while enjoying a good story!

Some other fantastic books to have around are The Daring Book for Girls and The Dangerous Book for Boys, both of which teach all kinds of fantastic information and skills while also being entertaining. I especially urge you to get the Daring Book for Girls if you have a daughter, because it not only teaches useful skills like changing tires and woodworking, but it also teaches about strong, independent, successful women through history. It promotes independence, self-esteem and self-confidence, which (in my opinion) are vital to any young person's upbringing, but especially women, since so much of the media and society seems bent on making women insecure, dependent and subservient. (Please excuse my politics.)

The Chronicles of Narnia are fantastic, if you don't mind that they're a religious allegory. When I was a kid, I read them for fun, and didn't give a damn about the religious aspect. (I'm agnostic.) Another good series is the Dark Materials series, though some parents avoid it because of Pullman's anti-religious sentiments. Again, I didn't care about that, I just enjoyed a good story.

Hopefully, with a big enough selection of books, your kids will be able to choose their own books by high school. But it's still nice to keep around some young adult and adult novels for the kids to explore. The Dragonlance novels are fantasy novels set in a D&D-inspired world, but this setting has more of a chivalric, idealistic mood, which is good for young adult readers as well as adults. You've also got the Harry Potter series, which is kind of a given...

The challenge is finding adult novels that are appropriate for your kids. If you are trying to avoid exposing your children to certain ideas before a certain age, then you'll have to personally read and consider each book before you put it on their shelf. If you're the kind of parent who allows their kid to read what they want to read, doing your best to answer their questions and put the stories into context, then it's a little easier. If your kid reads Jurassic Park, they're going to be exposed to an awful lot of violence, but they're also going to learn some fascinating scientific information as well. Crichton's books are science-fiction with a strong scientific background, so they're educational as well as thrilling, but they've got adult themes that might be better for more mature readers. (That being said, I was reading them at a young age.)

I hope this is a decent start. There are lots of good lists online, too. I'd suggest checking out GoodReads and various Amazon lists. Just remember that it's up to you to choose what you want your kids to be exposed to.

Edit: As a male, I have a distinct lack of experience with books aimed at young females. I would like to think that a good book can be enjoyed by boys and girls alike, but some books have more of a gender-focus than others.

Fellow fan of series here! Let me see...

Young Adult
Percy Jackson series is fun (and finished, too, I think).
Artemis Fowl series isn't quite as good as Percy Jackson IMHO, but it's got a following.

Fantasy
Harry Dresden series This is one of my favorites. Harry is Chicago's only professional wizard. There are a ton of these books and they are still going strong.
Game of Thrones These are great...but unfinished. If you watch the show, reading the books does help you get even more out of the story, I think.
Wheel of Time Another good series. There is a LOT of this series and it's finished. (Thank you, Brandon Sanderson!)
Mistborn Speaking of Brandon Sanderson... This one is very good. I highly recommend reading the Mistborn books before trying the Stormlight Archive, but only because as good as Mistborn is, Stormlight Archive is even better.
Stormlight Archive Amazing. Man, these are good. The series isn't finished, but the two books that are available are some of my favorites ever.
Kingkiller Chronicles I loved the first book. I could not freakin' believe I enjoyed the second one even more. The third one is still pending.
Temeraire Dragons in Napoleonic times. Super cool premise! This one is not finished (I don't think, anyway).
Gentlemen Bastards Con men in a fantasy realm. It's pretty light on the fantasy elements. Very light, I'd say. I'd also say that it has some of the very best swearing that I've ever come across. :D

Scifi
Old Man's War I'm almost finished this one--it's amazing!

Horror/Thriller
Passage Trilogy I've heard these described as vampire books...maybe zombie books... It's apocalyptic for sure. Great books!

Mysteries
Amelia Peabody Egyptology + murder mysteries. Super fun, but trust me...go with the audiobooks for these. They are best when they are performed.
Stephanie Plum Total popcorn reads. If that's your thing, shut off your brain and just enjoy.
Walt Longmire These get particularly good as it goes along. The main character is a sheriff in modern day Wyoming. (Side note: The TV show is also great--just don't expect them to stick to the books.)

Graphic Novels (Everything recommended can be gotten in a "book" format instead of only in comic form, in case that matters. I've gotten most of these from my local library.)
Locke & Key Eerie as crap. Love the art! This one is on-going.
Y: The Last Man All the men on the planet drop dead in a day...except for Yorrick. REALLY good. This is the series that got me reading graphic novels. Plus, it's finished!
Walking Dead I am not a zombie fan...but I like these. They're not done, but I've read up through volume 22 and am still enjoying them.

Other
OutlanderI have no idea how to categorize these or even give a description that does them justice. I refused to pick it up for AGES because it sounded like a bodice-ripper romance and that's not my bag. But these are good!

I hope there's something in there that'll do for you. Have fun and read on!

Edit: Apparently, I need to practice formatting. :/
Edit 2: I forgot to add the Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentlemen Bastards #1).

For your nephew, Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man is a brilliant All-Ages Spidey title (and the relationship between him and Chat is my favourite coupling in all of comics). You should be able to pick up some trades (I'd recommend towards the end of volume one or anything from this volume - I haven't read that much of Vol 1 so I don't know how good the first 50 were). Also, it introduces a lot of characters so he could pick which ones he likes from there - the last few issues have included team-ups with the like of the Silver Surfer and Doctor Strange, so it could help him become accustomed to the Marvel Universe in a child-friendly, easy-to-follow way.

Vol. 2 Book 1 & 2

Vol. 1 Book 3 - Doom with a view - I haven't actually read these specific issues but on the other hand I can't see how you could be any prouder a father than you would be if your son turned out to like DOOM!

Vol. 1 Book 13 & 14 - these are about where I started reading from and they're pretty great.



For your niece, Amulet is a beautiful fantasy book written and drawn by Kazu Kibuishi - it stars a young brother and sister, with the girl being the one who actually learns to use this magical amulet, so having child protagonists and a female lead would probably help her like it. Also, the supporting characters are often cute and always fantastical, and there is even a walking house later on to appeal to her apparent like of Ghibli films. There are a few splashes here, but I can't remember whether they're all from the first book or some are from the second. The main art style is more towards what's shown in the bottom right, and I'm pretty sure that the house doesn't turn up until the end so if she's not expecting it it should be a nice surprise - I remember when I first read it turning the page to see the house stand up and start walking was amazing, even having seen films such as Howl's Moving Castle, as it combines the exciting with the unexpected and the beautiful all at once. I'd definitely recommend this.

I highly recommend:

1. The Orphans of Chaos trilogy by John C. Wright. He really pushes the boundaries of the imagination by writing about a universe in which there are 4 different paradigms of magic/power, each of which cancels one of the others out and is canceled out by one of the others. It's an epic Titans vs Olympic Gods fantasy, and I've read it several times--which is rare for me to do.
   
   
2. Obviously read the Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin if you haven't already done so! I delayed reading it a long time but then read all of them in a week and a half when I finally succumbed.
   
   
3. ALWAYS recommend The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
   
   
4. ALSO always recommend Lies of Locke Lamora and its sequels by Scott Lynch.
   
   
5. The Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix. It's YA, but pretty mature YA, and IMO could easily transition to the regular fantasy section.
   
   
6. Books by Diana Wynne Jones. She writes YA, but fantasy that I wouldn't call immature. The best word I could use to describe it would be "whimsical." If I could compare her style of fantasy to anyone's it would EASILY be the filmmaker Miyazaki. (His films include Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, etc.--he even adapted one of her books!) I think her best work is her Chrestomanci series which has 3 volumes (each volume is made up of several novellas), but she is best known for Howl's Moving Castle, which I also highly recommend (along with its sequels Castle in the Air and The House of Many Ways).
   
   
7. Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series. It's fun, original, often dark, often humorous, fast-paced, and FILLED with action. As noted by someone else, there are vampires in the universe, but they're not the central motif. There are also other scary things, like fairies, goblins, witches/wizards, demons...the list goes on and on.
   
   
8. Terry Pratchett's Discworld canon. There are many, MANY books, and they're not written in series so you can jump in almost anywhere. I recommend Small Gods to start.
   
   
9. The Sevenwaters Trilogy by Juliet Marillier, starting with Daughter of the Forest. There are also spin-off novels, though I haven't read them all. Her writing is beautiful and mystical. She almost makes me believe magic/fae could exist.
   
   
10. The Passion and The Promise (a duet) and, separately, The Alchemist by Donna Boyd. These are really, really excellently written. "Lush" would be the word I'd use. They're not hugely well known, and I find that utterly boggling considering how good they are.

1.) Something that is grey.

technically it's gray, but i have a feeling you won't quibble over semantics




2.) Something reminiscent of rain.

sometimes when you get a really good rain it sparkles




3.) Something food related that is unusual.

the ingredients are edible foods




4.) Something on your list that is for someone other than yourself. Tell me who it's for and why. (Yes, pets count!)

this is for my youngest daughter, she was named after it's author.




5.) A book I should read! I am an avid reader, so take your best shot and tell me why I need to read it!

you have probably already read this book, but it's always worth reading again




6.) An item that is less than a dollar, including shipping... that is not jewelry, nail polish, and or hair related!

a gift card for less than $1




7.) Something related to cats. I love cats! (keep this SFW, you know who you are...)

it even has a picture of a cat on it!




8.) Something that is not useful, but so beautiful you must have it.

this isn't useful in any way, but it's the Boss so I feel compelled to have it.




9.) A movie everyone should watch at least once in their life. Why?

this is one of my favorite movies of all time. it's magical, and funny, and beautiful, and it always makes me smile.




10.) Something that would be useful when the zombies attack. Explain.

if i get turned into a zombie i would be able to use the knowledge contained in this book to disguise myself




11.) Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals.

I want to be a librarian. I need this to study for the GRE to get into library school




12.) One of those pesky Add-On items.

I think this may be my only add-on




13.) The most expensive thing on your list. Your dream item. Why?

This game is out of print, so it's hard to find. I loved playing it as a kid and want to share it with my daughter who LOVES board games




14.) Something bigger than a bread box.

this is definitely bigger than a bread box




15.) Something smaller than a golf ball.

These are smaller than a golf ball. Maybe I could wear them when I go golfing. (I don't golf)




16.) Something that smells wonderful.

i think this stuff smells lovely




17.) A (SFW) toy.

Playing with this at work could get you fired, but not because it's explicit.




18.) Something that would be helpful for going back to school.

If I were going back to school I would definitely take my iPad. iPads are definitely helpful. I would use this to keep it safe.




19.) Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be.

I have been making a lot of bath bombs lately. I use silicone molds like these to make them in fun shapes.




20.) Something that is just so amazing and awe-inspiring that I simply must see it. Explain why it is so grand.

This book is about the song Hallelujah (which is a beautiful song) and how it became to be one of the most recorded songs in history. It was originally kind of a failure but somehow made it to the place where it is today where it has been performed by hundreds of musicians. I find it amazing that this song that almost didn't make it onto the album it was originally written for. When it did make it to the album it was a flop, yet here we are listening to this song that has become so popular.


fear cuts deeper than swords

I second the Marvel Adventures line and Superman Adventures.

I'd also recommend:

• The Batman Adventures - It ran from 1992-1995 and was the predecessor to the Gotham Adventures series you mentioned, and the companion title to Superman Adventures.
  
• Bone - A ridiculously fun to read fantasy/adventure story published from 1991 to 2004. Great art, great humor, and it truly appeals to all ages. The colorized version is published in nine digest-sized volumes that are extremely easy to find and very affordable, especially if you buy them used. The original black-and-white version is also available in one volume, but from what I hear there is a lot of gutter loss due to its size and the pages are easy to tear since they are so thin.
  
• Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil - Good little story from the creator of Bone. I'd especially recommend this for kids who like Superman since it features a similar character. From 2007.
  
• Thor: The Mighty Avenger - Non-canon story about a young Thor. Not only a great kid's comic but one of the best Thor stories ever written. Beautiful artwork, great romance, fun adventures, and lots of appearances from other Marvel characters including Captain America and Iron Man. It ran from 2010-2011 and was sadly cancelled early. Available on Marvel Unlimited.
  
• Ultimate Spider-Man - Not good for smaller children due to lots of dialogue and a moderate amount of violence and sexual content, but excellent for adolescents and teens. I'd recommend it up to issue #128. It's currently being reprinted in this "Ultimate Collection" format which is so far up to volume 6 at issue #71. It ran from 2000-2011 and all of it is available on Marvel Unlimited.
  
  If you're open to older comics (Silver and Bronze Age), then many volumes from the Marvel Epic Collection line are also a good bet, but do a little research since some won't be very kid-friendly. They're fairly affordable reprints of classic stories that aim to reprint the entire history of Marvel's major characters from their inception to usually the mid-nineties (but they're not published in chronological order). They typically retail for around $35 for 400-500 pages of comics.
  
  I'm sure there are more that I'm forgetting, but I hope this helps!

No need to discriminate, or maybe I just can't choose, but if I'm summoning one, I shall summon all.

My family reads a TON of graphic novels, (pro tip - Humble Bundle has some great deals on them fairly frequently), but my all time favorite is probably the Zita the Space Girl series. Granted, I have a ten year old, so my reading list lately is mostly things like Tiny Titans, Princeless and Abigail & the Snowman, but I've read the Zita series multiple times, and can't wait for the next one! I like all of Ben Hatke's stuff, full disclosure, but I have a soft spot for Zita, a space traveling little girl just trying to do the right thing for her friends, and encountering intergalactic shenanigans along the way. The robots are fun, the art is gorgeous, and the chickens don't try and kill you. # winning

Of course, Zita's not as swashbuckly as Delilah Durk, and it's not as gorgeously well illustrated as The Mouse Guard, but it's a fun, quick read, and stands up to multiple re-reads.

I am biased, and admit it - I love graphic novels, so I've a long list of suggestions that are favorites - if I had to pick just one, I'd take Zita, but I'm also partial to:

[Fables](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fables_(comics) - fairly dark, and I'm a native New Yorker, so an adult fairy tale recasting in Manhattan was bound to appeal...

[The Jane Foster Thor saga - female reboot of Thor by Marvel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Foster_(comics) - I just dig it - cancer survivor, badass, and the holder of Mjolnir because the original Thor is an arrogant ass - what's not to love?

Anything by Raina Telgemeier, since this is my mini's favorite author and she will sit anytime, any place, and read these to me.

If you speak Italian, Lupo Alberto is hilarious, and good slapstick fun.

Man, I could go on for days. I've got Monstress and Delilah Dirk on my WL, but I'll definitely be perusing this thread as it grows and adding more. Long live picturebooks!

The book I'd recommend most for good stories focusing on leia or other female leads would be one that just came out last week, and I just finished. It is in the new canon, and is called 'Bloodline'. Leia is front and center in it, and the book is basically bridging the gap between return of the jedi, and the force awakens. It takes place about 6 years before TFA (the force awakens), and deals with Leia trying to get things done in the senate despite political stagnation (nobody agrees on anything, and so nothing gets done), while also trying to stop a rising cartel from gaining more power, and eventually her creating the resistance seen in TFA. It's by Claudia Gray; she is quickly becoming one of my favored authors, across both old and new star wars eu.

She has another book called 'Lost Stars' that is pretty good too, but may not be what you're looking for. It is, at it's core, a romance between a guy and a girl, starting before a new hope, and taking them through all the events of the original trilogy of movies. It focuses on both of them, and switches between their perspectives every so often, so it focuses on a female lead, but also on the male lead pretty evenly, so I'm not sure how well that one fits your criteria. But it is pretty good! :)

So,
Those are both in the new canon. If you're looking for stuff from the old canon, I'm not sure of anything that is actually focused on Leia or another female lead, instead of being focused on Luke or Han and having a prominent secondary female character. I know theres at least a few, but their names aren't coming to me at the moment. I keep thinking of a trilogy called 'Sword of the Jedi' that was going to center around Han Solo's daughter Jaina, but that trilogy got cancelled in the shakeup of disney buying lucasfilm...
Hmm, lets see, I know theres something haha, I'm positive... I might edit this or reply to it when I remember. Hopefully this has helped a little though!

Oh, and welcome to reddit, as well as the star wars EU! :D
I hope you'll enjoy your stay, haha!

Oh my goodness... This is my kind of contest! Even before I ever had kids of my own, reading has always been the number one priority with any children I worked with (I was a nanny).

As soon as I found out I was having a baby, I was all about the books. My baby shower was a book baby shower, asking for books instead of cards so I could start his library.

His birth announcement pictures were all about the books. His nursery is book themed (with a touch of woodland animals). Since day one, we have been reading to him and letting him read to himself. Charlie LOVES BOOKS!

Of course, all of those pictures are from when he was not able to go grab a book by himself. Now he is 16.5 months and will gladly sit and read by himself at any time of day. Even when he's supposed to get in the bath...

As you might expect, his wishlist is full of books I want to read him.

Here is a video of him last week. I was spying on him with his baby cam, and just loved his little reading process. He did this for about twenty minutes, getting books off the shelf, reading them on his chair, then putting them back. :)

I guess what I'm trying to convey is that if we won this contest, the books would be well used and well loved.

As for the other part of the contest- what books would I recommend? That is a very loaded question...

I guess, on the 3 year old end, I would recommend The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. It was actually adapted from an Oscar winning short film. It's a book about books, and the journey they can take you on throughout you life. The art is captivating, and the story is magnificent.

Moving on to the older child, I would have to recommend My Side of the Mountain. It's a classic book about coming of age and independence. I find this is a good book to gift a 8-9-10 year old reader, as it is one that will really immerse them in an adventure they want to relate to.

Since my final book would also have been "Le Petit Prince" (LOVE the French version too!), I will defer to The Giver. It seems like such a gimme, but it really is a book that every child should read.

I know books are available for free at the library, but, like you said, there is something different about owning your own. I understand if I am precluded from this contest on the grounds that we already have "enough books", but in my world, there are never enough books. Also I really wanted an excuse to share all his cute baby book wall pictures!

Thank you for this fabulous contest!

TL/DR: I'd love to enter my son Charlie in this contest. We love books! :)

Edit: format

Adventure books are some of my favorites. Here are a few good ones. That should be appropriate to read for a grandma and grandson to enjoy.

1. Hatchet by Gary Pausen An interesting Adventure/ Survival book
   
   
2. Journey to the Center of the Earth I actually read this with my grandparents when I was younger and loved it.
   
   3.Eragon This is an adventure but also fantasy. One of my high school favorites.
   
   4.The Staff of Moses This is an Indie treasure hunting novel. Fun and interesting. Definitely reccomend
   
   5.Origin of Legends and the Secrets of the North Another Indie book. This one just came out and is an adventure around mountainous regions of Canada. Has some Norse mythology aspects as well. Has some sci-fi aspects, and humor.
   
   6.Monsters of Elsewhere Last one I'll leave here, also an indie book strange, humorous. A solid adventure book to be sure.
   
   Also the other comments here all have great books listed as well.

Yes. I became interested in Viking culture not long before I heard of the show, but the show has definitely helped keep my curiosity going. My interest in Norse history goes like this:

• Interest spiked after realizing Immigrant Song by Led Zepplin is about Vikings (around mid 2012-ish)
  
  
• Started looking into the culture, discovered Wardruna
  
  
• Bought a book about runes, the myths, etc
  
  
• Vikings comes out on History channel (I remember thinking, "Man, Wardruna should do music for this show!" And then mfw)
  
  
• Recently started looking into Asatru and stuff that is still going on in this age that can be tied to Vikings
  
  My interest in the Vikings isn't necessarily about the specific dates, locations, etc. It's more about the lifestyle, the myths, the attitude they had. And Vikings does a great job, IMO, of keeping that interest going. It's inspiring me to get in touch with nature again, learn how to do things I've never done, etc. Plus it's entertaining!
  
  EDIT: Here's the two books I've bought (so far) regarding Viking history. You'll note that they're basically children's books. The first one deals with the myths on a children's story level, the second has more in depth analysis on the myths, but without the pictures. I think simply reading about the things the Vikings may have lived by is better than just learning what date Bjorn raided "whatever-land". Anyways, here's the two books I have:
  
  Book of Norse Myths: Kid's book with pictures, walking you through the myths on an introductory level
  
  The Norse Myths: A much more comprehensive book about the myths
  
  I also have two other books related to Norse history or culture:
  
  Practical Guide to the Runes
  
  Practical Heathen's Guide to Asatru: For learning about the way a heathen's mind works and how he lives his life. I don't follow the stuff in the book, but I'm putting some of it into practice as I explore my ancestral connections

There's a really good all-ages Rocket Raccoon series that also features Groot going on right now. The first collection isn't out until February, but maybe put it on your list: http://amzn.com/0785193898

Marvel did a series of fun all-ages graphic novels featuring a team of kid superheroes called Power Pack a few years ago that I would recommend picking up. Anyhow, I mention them because one of the novels was Power Pack and Wolverine. Great for a seven year old.

Another all-ages series I think he'd like is Bone by Jeff Smith. It's a sort of fantasy adventure story, really good stuff. There's nine volumes in all, here's the first one: http://amzn.com/0439706408

Does he like Adventure Time? There's some really good Adventure Time comics out there. Here's the first collection: http://amzn.com/1608862801

Sure! I know exactly what you mean. So, I will say that a lot of the most interesting stuff in Fantasy is (and has for a while) being done in YA fantasy, and I don't mean stuff like Twilight.

Garth Nix's Abhorsen series (starting with Sabriel) is excellent. Melina Marchetta's Finnikin of the Rock is kind of along the lines of what you're talking about, but is really well done.

Just about anything by Dianna Wynne Jones is great, I will call out specifically Howl's Moving Castle (the inspiration for the Miyazaki film of the same name) and also her 6 part [Chronicles of Chrestomanci] (http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Chrestomanci-Charmed-Lives-Christopher/dp/006447268X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417629757&sr=1-1&keywords=chronicles+of+chrestomanci).

If you're in the mood for something more adult, I really enjoyed Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series, starting with Kushiel's Dart, but that gets into some S&M stuff, which, YMMV.

And then Terry Pratchett's Discworld. Which is just fantastic.

I work at a kid's bookstore and get this question all the time! Here are some of my favorite recommendations:

The Chrestomanci books by Diana Wynne Jones, and some of her other books too, like Howl's Moving Castle would be fantastic. She writes great fantasy.

The Emerald Atlas series is great for adventure.

Shannon Hale writes wonderful fairy tale type books. Start her off with Princess Academy or Goose Girl.

Jessica Day George is also a favorite at our store. Tuesdays at the Castle or Dragon Slippers would be great starts to new series.

Kate DiCamillo is wonderful. Her newest book Flora & Ulysses was awesome.

I loved Savvy and Scumble by Ingrid Law. If she likes those she could also try A Tangle of Knots and A Snicker of Magic. Not all one series, but similar ideas.

And lastly maybe something by Brandon Mull? He writes really fun fantasy adventure stories.

D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths is a great place to start for a total beginner, although it simplifies some of the myths. The art is also great.

I have The Norse Myths by Kevin Crossley-Holland at home, and I think it's pretty good. It's a bit more complex than Gaiman's version (which almost reads like a novel), but it has some of the more obscure stories and adds a bit of personal flair as well. It sounds about as professional as the actual Prose Edda.

Gaiman's book is witty and funny and great, like the rest of his books. I feel like it kind of simplifies the theme of the myths in order to provide a coherent narrative, which is understandable.

Once you get to know the myths, read American Gods by Gaiman ;]

Awesome! I love book contests!

Hunger Games, please! I have the second two, but I borrowed the first one from a friend to read, so I don't have my own copy! =( I'd like to read them a second time while I'm continuing my 4-month bedrest, waiting for my baby boy to pop out. =P

Thanks for your generosity!

READ!

Fave book quote: I happen to have Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy right here, and it's one of my favorite high school reads. "There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened."

Hmmm... paranormal/supernatural tween reads with strong girl characters (not that Twilight had a strong female lead in it, but you may as well steer her in a better direction).

You really can't go wrong with the Hunger Games. Or you could get her the Japanese novel Battle Royale. It's also a dystopian novel about teenagers forced to battle each other to the death.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is worth checking out. It starts to lose some oomph towards the end, but is still a solid read with actual substance to the storyline. I'd get the hardback - the photography in it is just genius. Male lead, but there's a pretty cool chick who throws fireballs.

I enjoyed Anna Dressed in Blood. It's a bit like Supernatural, only with one male ghost hunter as the protaganist. He falls in love with a ghost, but she's a homicidal maniac.

The Rise of Renegade X - a boy raised by his evil supervillain mom discovers that he's the product of her one-night-stand with a superhero. That was pretty enjoyable...

Poison Study is a great book about a girl who's been sentenced to death and is offered a reprieve if she becomes the king's food taster. Her handler ends up subjecting her to a litany of poisons so that she can build up immunity. Didn't read the sequels, but the first book was pretty good.

Graceling is set in a world where certain people are born with random talents - the ability to hold their breath underwater for long periods of time, musical or dancing abilities, cooking the best food imaginable, etc. The main character is born with the talent to kill & becomes her uncle's assassin.

Stardust - Neil Gaiman... really nuff said, eh?

Howl's Moving Castle - A girl is turned into an old woman by an angry witch & takes refuge in the mysteriously moving castle of an "evil" wizard.

Okay. I'll stop now. :)

Thanks, but the ideas are mostly cribbed from other authors. If you're looking for more details on specific methods to manage Mythos, I'll recommend these.

On the Mythos side, The Neverending Story is an excellent examination of the nature of narrative's relationship to the self and character. Though it's not explicit, I like to think of the two snakes in Auryn as personifications (serpentifications?) of Logos & Mythos preventing each other from going too far. Don't get the hardback edition... they printed it with illegibly light ink for some reason.

On the Logos side, Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming is full of practical exercises, along with case studies and theoretical underpinnings. It can get a little dry and repetitive near the end, but it's a great resource for learning how to treat your dreams.

And at the intersection of Logos & Mythos, I'd recommend Postmodern Magic. I don't 100% agree with Dunn, but his is the clearest explanation of the nature and mechanisms of belief control (magic, if you prefer) that I've come across. There are lots of practical exercises to try, with good attention to detail.

When I was in high school, reading for my own enjoyment, I loved the Artemis Fowl series. Catch-22 was required reading my senior year, and that book blew my mind, so I'd definitely recommend that one. On the avenue of graphic novels, I would humbly suggest including some of the Pokemon Adventures https://www.amazon.com/Pok%C3%A9mon-Adventures-Set-Reads-Japanese/dp/1421550067/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=AEPK0JWKYV345TBRH281 graphic novels. Pokemon still has a large fan following, and those novels will definitely encourage them to read more. If you're interested in getting some of them, it would be best to get a full story arc (Volume 1-7 are the first two).

8 Y/O/G I would go with Amulet. It's on book 4 right now and the protagonist is a girl with great magical powers that stem through her amulet. http://www.amazon.com/Stonekeeper-Amulet-Book-1/dp/0439846811/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323786581&sr=1-1

6 Y/O/B If he's already in love with spider man I would just stick with that. Sider-Man has an all ages title called "Spider-Man Marvel Adventures" it's a few issues in but it probably won't matter to him and it's a monthly title so it'd be easier for you to get him "Hooked" and start expanding. http://marvelkids.marvel.com/

a series they would both like is "Salt Water Taffy" it's silly and fun about two boys on vacation at their cottage and meeting strange people and talking animals. It's fun and kids at my shop really like it.
http://www.amazon.com/Salt-Water-Taffy-Seaside-Adventures/dp/1932664947/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323786741&sr=1-2

Hmm...

Could you be more descriptive in what you like about Sci-Fi? It is a huge genre. What is your aesthetic?

Also, don't feel bad about re-reading sections; it is a good habit if you don't understand the author. I'm reading The Brothers Karamazov right now, and I like to reread sections to better understand lengthy dialogue.

I think you should try reading Dune. It is a brilliant story and universe. However, you have to look up a lot of the words in a glossary in the back, which may be annoying for you.

An easier book that is sci-fi with elements of fantasy/folklore is Artemis Fowl. Definitely a favorite of my teen years. It is full of loveable characters, action, and intrigue.

If you like video games and have ever played Halo, I would recommend the first of the Halo book seires, Halo: Fall of Reach. It is well-written and develops the characters immensely, but it is still relatively easy reading. Even if you don't play the game, this is a "movie-in-the-head" kind of book.

The more feedback you give us, the better we can help you!

Don't worry, I've read all of the Calvin and Hobbes strips many, many times.

One more question for you if you don't mind.

Looking at Bone on Amazon, I'm seeing two things. One is the Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume, while the other is what it looks like you probably got BONE #1: Out from Boneville.

The all-in-one obviously is the original black and white, but the paper is supposed to be incredibly thing (but conveniently has everything). The second one is apparently a later re-color, but would likely have better paper, but is split among multiple books.

Would you have a recommendation/insight on which to probably go for?

Edit: Just ordered the first 3 of the individual volumes. That collection looked like it would be unwieldy. Between the size and better paper, I think I'll enjoy the individual volumes better.

I think there was a book about Zeus bowling or Hera dancing or something along those lines...

EDIT: In all seriousness though, has anyone else read the Bartimeus trilogy? Harry Potter-esque fantasy stuff, but there was an interesting dynamic that I picked up on that runs throughout the entire trilogy: the government is completely run by magicians, who can work magic and are perceived as "better" than "commoners". Yet, over the course of time, people slowly become immune to the effects of the magicians' (or, more specifically, the demons they summon) magic, and thus revolutions continually occur as the commoners rise up to overthrow the magicians (government). In the end, it turns out that, with the proper drive and schooling, ANYONE can become a magician, a fact not widely known.

The parallels are interesting, and include ministries of propaganda, unpopular foreign wars, and hidden groups of subversives who conspire to overthrow the government - all of this in the "background" of the story, which primarily focuses on secret plots and magical exploits, again much like Harry Potter.

I'd be interested if any other AnCaps have read these and picked up on some of the same stuff. Audio books are great too, read magnificently by Simon Jones.

OMFG Candroth! Congratulations! Seriously, though! Living on your own is a big step and owning your own home is a leap!

I'm sorry for your father, my deepest sympathies. <3

I wish you all the best and lots of luck in your negotiations/house search! :)

New is preferred (for daycare) but used is ok too

Thanks for the contest! :)

How to explain without major spoilers for Bloodlines...

Ben goes bad because he finds out about his parentage in the wrong way while off training with Luke. Not because Leia is a busy lady, but maybe not helped because of it.

Regardless, I recommend Bloodlines and Lost Stars to anyone who is Star Wars book curious. They're excellent, and Claudia Gray is pretty cool. I hope you enjoy them if you pick them up!

Whatever you do, don't turn your nose up at children's books.

I recommend D'Aulaires' Books of Norse Myths and Greek Myths immediately, they are amazing. My husband and I have been collecting books that meant a lot to us to share with our future family, these were among the first we sought out.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0440406943?pc_redir=1407906902&robot_redir=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/159017125X/ref=pd_aw_sims_1?pi=SL500_SY115&simLd=1


Edit: You should also study Arthurian mythology. TH White's "The Once & Future King" is great, I'll try to find the beautiful book my husband wants to find from his childhood -- it was strangely comprehensive.

Source: We both studied classic literature, I'm a teacher. :)

Helpful term for you: bildungsroman, which is the "making of the man," and is often applied to training the hero stories.

Some fantasy bildungsromans you haven't named:

• Eragon by Christopher Paolini (farm boy finds a dragon, takes on evil empire). Gets a lot of hate for being so derivative, but obviously some people liked the escapism and easy reading.
  
• Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson (abused orphan finds out she has all the rare powers, gets involved in a coup). This one either fits your list perfectly or you'll hate it. I had trouble keeping the secondary characters straight and one of the later arcs is purely political.
  
• Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks (abused orphan trains to be an assassin)
  
• Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan (boy trains to be a ranger). These are more like children's books.
  
• Protector of the Small series by Tamora Pierce, where a girl trains to be a knight. It's marketed for girls, but every boy I've made read these books has loved them. (Inching towards children's books also.)
  
• Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb, about a king's bastard trained to be an assassin. Probably the best on this list for writing mechanics.

All Ages (age ratings sourced from Comixology)

• The Backstagers | James Tynion IV
  
• Fable Comics | Charise Mericle Harper
  
• Fairy Tale Comics | Telgemeier, Thompson, Mazzucchelli, et al.
  
• Guinea Pig: Pet Shop Private Eye | Colleen AF Venable
  
• Hilda and the Troll, Hilda and the Midnight Giant, Hilda and the Black Hound, Hilda and the Bird Parade, Hilda on the Stone Forest | Luke Pearson
  
• Julia's House for Lost Creatures, Little Robot, Nobody Likes a Goblin | Ben Hatke
  
• Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo, The Secret World of Arrietty | Yonebayashi & Miyazaki
  
• Lumberjanes | Stevenson, Watters, Ellis
  
• Marvel Age: Fantastic Four, Hulk, Spider-Man, Spider-Man Team-up | McKeever, Dezago, et al.
  
• Marvel Adventures: Fantastic Four, Hulk, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Superheroes, Super Heroes (2010), The Avengers | Sumerak, Tobin, David, Bejamin, et al.
  
• Marvel Universe: Guardians of the Galaxy, Ultimate Spider-Man, Avengers Assemble, Avengers Assemble Season Two | Caramagna
  
• Mighty Jack, Mighty Jack and the Goblin King | Ben Hatke
  
• Nightlights | Lorena Alvarez
  
• Nursery Rhyme Comics | Thompson, Mignola, Telgemeier, et al.
  
• Tamsin and the Deep | Brown & Cameron
  
• Thor: The Mighty Avenger | Roger Langridge
  
• TOON books: The Shark King | R. Kikuo Johnson
  
• Zita the Spacegirl, Legends of Zita the Spacegirl, The Return of Zita the Spacegirl | Ben Hatke
  
  Ages 9+
  
  
• Adventure Time | Ryan North
  
• The Adventures of Tintin | Herge
  
• Amulet | Kazu Kibuishi
  
• Asterix | Goscinny & Uderzo
  
• Atomic Robo | Brian Clevinger
  
• Bone | Jeff Smith
  
• Five Worlds | Siegel & Siegel
  
• Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away | Hayao Miyazaki
  
• Moomin | Tove Jansson
  
• The Nameless City, The Stone Heart | Faith Erin Hicks
  
• Power Pack | Simonson, Brigman, et al.
  
• Roller Girl | Victoria Jamieson
  
• Smile, Drama, Sisters, Ghosts | Raina Telgemeier
  
• Usagi Yojimbo | Stan Sakai
  
• A Wrinkle in Time | Madeleine L'Engle
  
  Ages 12+
  
  
• DC: The New Frontier | Darwyn Cooke
  
• Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant, Delilah Dirk and the King's Shilling | Tony Cliff
  
• Giant Days | Allison & Cogar
  
• Gotham Academy | Becky Cloonan
  
• The Legend of Wonder Woman | Renae De Liz
  
• Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur | Reeder & Montclare
  
• Mouse Guard: Fall 1152, Mouse Guard: Winter 1152, Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard | David Petersen
  
• Nimona | Noelle Stevenson
  
• Star Wars | Aaron
  
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Eastman & Waltz
  
• Ultimate Spider-Man | Bendis
  
• Most superhero comics at DC and Marvel
  
  Resources:
  
  
• goodokbad
  
• comicbookresources
  
• comicsintheclassroom
  
• ilovelibraries
  
• pastemagazine
  
• /u/urko37’s [Recommendation] “What comics are good for my kids?”

The Dragon Masters series might be perfect for him. Also the Notebook of Doom series. Or the Eerie Elementary series. Each of those are chapter books, but they still have a picture on each page, and are relatively interesting even to parents.

The Magic Treehouse is also a favorite in our house, and there are dozens of those books. They are a bit more educational and have less pictures, but my kids love them.

Happy happy birthday!! You should buy yourself some yummy mango candy, a luxurious bath bomb, and Howl's Moving Castle. Sounds like a good way to pamper yourself for your birthday! :)

The others mentioned some good ones, but I'll add:

I loved the Chronicles of Prydain as a kid
http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Prydain-Boxed-Set/dp/1250000939/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380775925&sr=1-1&keywords=chronicles+of+prydain+box+set

Sword of Shanarra is pretty classic. The series does get long if that is what you are looking for
http://www.amazon.com/Sword-Shannara-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B000FBFMZM/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380775981&sr=1-2&keywords=shannara+series

The Unremembered is a good new series:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Unremembered-Book-Vault-Heaven/dp/0765325713

Without knowing for sure what you mean by "small" (4? 7?), here are my go to suggestions for modern kids' comics:

• The Babymouse series by Jennifer and Matthew Holm
  
• The Magic Trixie series by Jill Thompson
  
• The two Miss Annie books by Frank Le Gall and Flore Balthazar
  
• Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke
  
• Meanwhile... by Jason Shiga. It may seem a little advanced, but my friend's twin girls loved it when they were about 6.
  
  Any more details you can furnish about the girl's entertainment habits and interests would help to get more specific.

When I saw House of Leaves on your wishlist I freaked out a little because that's one of my favorite books! Also, Ni No Kuni is amazing and your wishlist is amazing.

I really want [this](
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008LV8TSU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1O0XRVYITTYGN&coliid=I3401XLP6RJB3L) for my Kindle. I love the movie so of course I have to read the book. :)

I would suggest going to other graphic novels once he's gotten fluent with magna. There are lots of really good graphic novels for elementary school kids. Here is a good list. I highly recommend the Bone Series. I have them myself and I love them.

I am a special ed teacher and I'm just thinking of his future, does he have a hard time with any specific reading problems in class? (Like comprehension, decoding, etc?) I just want to give you some resources to ask for in his IEP meetings in the future to help him in school.

You ALL still have Zoidberg! And so does John Green! :) i am currently reading The Fault in Our Stars but I would love to own The Neverending Story :) Thank you for the contest!

he's almost certainly talking about the video games (and specifically the DS/3DS games).

if he's grounded and you want him to get the pokémon experience without necessarily playing video games, one idea might be to get him the pokémon adventures comics. you can get a box set of stories based on the original game boy games for almost the same price as omega ruby or alpha sapphire. these comics are like a better version of the anime, and he'll especially enjoy them if the episodes he's found are the original ones from '99.

Still, you need to take responsibility for their education as well. If they go to Bible study, and read carefully selected passages of the Bible, well, open up a random page and start reading to your kid.

Also, make sure you read them stories from other cultures as well. This book is a good introduction to Norse Myths. Don't forget the Greeks, Hindus, Summerian, and others.

The Big Myth sells a reasonably priced set of computer resources of several different culture's creation myths.

And, I have found that The Cartoon History of the Universe series gives a good historical grounding in the origins and historical context of Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, & Islam. Plus world history as well.

D'Aulaires Book of Norse Myths! They're illustrated... I read this one and the one on Greek myths; they're children's books, I guess? But they're straightforward and give you a great base of knowledge, so if you want a super painless intro, I'd suggest this. I just reread the Greek Myths version, and really enjoyed it: http://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Norse-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/159017125X

I definitely want to recommend one I just finished: Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End of The World. Without spoiling anything, think along the lines of Inception. Absolutely one of the best books I've ever read.

If you enjoyed The Hunger Games, you'll probably like The Bartimaeus Trilogy (this links to book 1). Has a more Harry Potter feeling to it but the humor is so well done. Really fun read.

Books for Young Children

• Good Night, Sam
  
• Skippyjon Jones
  
• Skippyjon Jones in the Doghouse
  
• Those Darn Squirrels
  
• Oh the Thinks You Can Think!
  
• Bad Kitty Does Not Like Dogs
  
• The Itsy Bitsy Snowman
  
• The Littlest Elf
  
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
  
• The Good Dinosaur
  
  I Can Read - Books
  
  
• A Kiss for Little Bear
  
• Little Bears Friend
  
• Amelia Bedelia
  
• Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia
  
• Eloise Visits the Zoo
  
• Eloise Throws a Party
  
• May I Please Have a Cookie?
  
• Pete the Cat: At the Beach
  
• Mac and Cheese
  
• Splat the Cat
  
  Books for Older Kids
  
  
• Disney Fairies, The Never Girls Collection
  
• Ivy + Bean’s Secret Treasure Box
  
• The Ramona Collection
  
• Pippi Longstocking
  
• Mr Popper’s Penguins
  
• The Chocolate Touch
  
• Magic Tree House Boxed Set
  
• Girls Think of Everything
  
• Knock-Knock Jokes for Kids
  
• Owl Diaries
  
• 5,000 Awesome Facts
  

Labor day, so soon after my birthday.... I would really like this book, I love the movie and watch it so much my kids don't even want to watch it anymore, but I would really like a chance to read the book :)


"Dinna fash"

Pigs are awesome

A used copy of The Neverending Story is less than $5!

Edit: I love that autocorrect changed pugs to pigs. Pugs are awesome

Zita the Spacegirl

It's an excellentgraphic novel, it'll capture her artistically or authorially (pretty sure that's not a word, don't tell your daughter), maybe even both.

Also the Ms. Marvel run, female protagonist and female author, excellent writing.

Cheers!

https://www.amazon.com/Ms-Marvel-Normal-Graphic-Novels/dp/078519021X

https://www.amazon.com/Zita-Spacegirl-Ben-Hatke/dp/1596434465

I would recommend the Artemis Fowl series.
I only read the first book, but I enjoyed it a lot.

From amazon: Twelve-year-old villain, Artemis Fowl, is the most ingenious criminal mastermind in history. His bold and daring plan is to hold a leprechaun to ransom. But he's taking on more than he bargained for when he kidnaps Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance Unit). For a start, leprechaun technology is more advanced than our own. Add to that the fact that Holly is a true heroine and that her senior officer Commander Root will stop at nothing to get her back and you've got the mother of all sieges brewing!

It’s from the old Nintendo Power Comics that they had back in the day. There’s a Super Mario Adventures comic, too, which is actually great fun and my favorite of all of them.

Howl's Moving Castle — by Diana Wynne Jones

Links: author's website, wikipedia, amazon.com

Blurb — from the Google Play Store, here. ^^all ^^the ^^other ^^blurbs ^^were ^^terrible ^^:(
>... In the land of Ingary, where seven league boots and cloaks of invisibility do exist, Sophie Hatter catches the unwelcome attention of the Witch of the Waste and is put under a spell.

>Deciding she has nothing more to lose, she makes her way to the moving castle that hovers on the hills above Market Chipping. But the castle belongs to the dreaded Wizard Howl whose appetite, they say, is satisfied only by the souls of young girls... There she meets Michael, Howl’s apprentice, and Calcifer the Fire Demon, with whom she agrees a pact.

>But Sophie isn’t the only one under a curse – her entanglements with Calcifer, Howl, and Michael, and her quest to break her curse is both gripping – and howlingly funny!

.

NO SPOILERS BELOW

I just finished it last night, the story is charming and unabashedly twee :3

Reading it through again allowed me to see all the brilliant foreshadowing she puts in, the book also has interesting themes around how people treat each other and mindsets people put themselves into.

The characters are wonderful, with motives and personalities and flaws, it is a fun book to read.

Also Studio Ghibli adapted it into an anime film, which although quite mutated from the book is also very, very enjoyable, [wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howl%27s_Moving_Castle_(film).

EDIT: And in case you didn't know, she died in March last year, which was quite sad, she wrote many awesome books.

1. You are painting a large group of people with the same brush. They don't represent the entire subset of fans who see an interesting Rey/Kylo dynamic happening in the future. There have been many vocal "reylo" users reblogging this message condemning any fan who harasses writers/actors.
   
   
2. We've been over the topic of Reylo in this sub before. Read this post and this one.
   
   
3. Love of all forms is a common theme in Star Wars. Romance is a prominent part of the canon book Lost Stars which has had an overwhelmingly positive reception from fans of all kinds since its release, and it's by Claudia Gray who is a YA author.

Just get it here then.

If you want to make a faithful mockup of the blacklight version:

• Small pens: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WRR9QZN
  
• Blacklight: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RV8PREI
  
• Large pen: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H2SHN76
  
• Reference SE: https://fordarkisthesuede.tumblr.com/post/161987722626/journal-3-blacklight-edition-revealed-part-1
  
  EDIT: Note that it takes special patience. You'll have to trace over your work one to three times to get it to glow properly on this quality of paper (without soaking through). Buuut, it's totally worth it to impress yourself and friends—and definitely cheaper than the $1,500 you'll have to shell out on eBay to a third-party hoarder.

The Hunger Games Trilogy. I liked the Wheel of Time and others mentioned below.

When I was very young I really liked Piers Anthony's Xanth series (first three or so anyway) and although not exactly the same:
Discworld. Read it bitches. Yeah, it's comedy. It's Sir Terry Friggin Pratchett and there are so many Discworld books I don't know the count...but they're all good, and some pass into the realm of great. Every. Damn. One. Read some.

Finally, The Black Company...very good trilogy following a mercenary company as they navigate the politics of a changing world. Bold, vicious, well-written...reminds me a bit of Martin's style.

Eragon. Let's see... It has fantasy (dragons and magic and whatnot), strong female characters (a badass elf chick and a new queen leading a civil war), coming of age (the main character is 15 at the beginning), and with the coming of age part naturally comes the ANGST AND DHRAMA lol and! It's a 4 book series that's available on Kindle. I'm reading the last book now and it's amazing.

Would love to see the book Star Wars lost stars become a movie! Two lovers that end up going on different paths, one for the empire, the other goes to the rebellion, he awesome to see how they work it out, it's already intertwined into the original trilogy and it's a fantastic book

https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Star-Wars-Force-Awakens/dp/1484724984

For little kids/board books:

I'm as Quick as a Cricket by Audrey Wood. It's one of those nice simple books that is still enjoyable for older ages. I remember thinking a lot about it when I was younger because I liked the idea that one person could contain so many opposing qualities.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

But No Elephants by Jerry Smath - Funny and cute, a good story about finding the good in things that initially seem bad

Picture books for older kids:

Henry's Quest - Postapocalyptic neo-medieval period picture book. Yesssss. Yes.

Anything by Graeme Base, but I have fond memories of The Eleventh Hour and The Sign of the Seahorse. Super-duper-detailed illustrations you can pour over for hours in addition to the story. Lots of hidden stuff in the illustrations, too

Do your self a favor and buy Super Mario Adventures off of Amazon. Its hilarious

https://www.amazon.com/Super-Mario-Adventures-Kentaro-Takemura/dp/1421588641

The Magic Tree House is a great set of kid books so he can grow with them as they are excellent night time reading for mom or dad. The first book is about Dinosaurs. Reading level is a little higher than preschool but adventure awaits. So get him interesting in reading early on his own. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375813659/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Sweet action, thanks OP!

For anyone interested, here's my usual Nintendo Book recommendations ;).

• Zelda BOTW Collectors
  
  
• Zelda BOTW Regular
  
  
• Art & Artifacts
  
  
• Hyrule Historia
  
  
• Art of Splatoon
  
  
• Art of Fire Emblem Awakening
  
  
• Playing with Power
  
  
• Super Mario Adventures
  
  
• The World of Professor Layton
  
  Would be REAL nice if the Deluxe BOTW guide or the Mario Bros. Encyclopedia would go up right about now as well ;)

I just purchased the first three volumes of Bone for my 10-year-old niece and she seems to really enjoy them. I'm not entirely sure if they are geared specifically for girls, but it's been recommended in many threads here as a great starter comic for children.

EDIT: A quick search on amazon for "Harvey Comics" turns up a bunch of classics volumes.

I purchased all my books on iTunes, since it was easier for me. But I can link them, and you can go from there :)
When Marnie Was There
#1 A Wizard of Earthsea
#2 The Tombs of Atuan
#3 The Farthest Shore
#4 Tehanu
#5 The Other Wind
Tales from Earthsea
Howl's Moving Castle Kindle that includes the trilogy for $2 or Howl's Moving Castle physical
Castle in the Air
House of Many Ways
And going to cheat and link the complete set of The Borrowers, since it's pretty cheap.
Honestly, if you are looking to purchase elsewhere, the authors are really all you need to make sure you are getting the correct books.

Meh. To each their own, but I always like reading stuff like this or these as a kid. I think once kids discover, just like I did, that there are books/subjects for whatever you're into; you wont be able to keep them away from books. That's the most important thing.....Muggle....

LiquidCoax: ^^original ^^reddit ^^link

Meh. To each their own, but I always like reading stuff like this or these as a kid. I think once kids discover, just like I did, that there are books/subjects for whatever you're into; you wont be able to keep them away from books. That's the most important thing.....Muggle....

You can easily find scans but if you want to get the actual books/help out the ones who make these, you can easily order them on Amazon. They even have bundles so you can save a few bucks if you plan on buying them

http://www.amazon.com/Pokemon-Adventures-Red-Blue-Vol/dp/1421550067/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426227591&sr=8-1&keywords=pokemon+adventures+box+set

My personal favorites (although note, neither are canon anymore):

1.) Shatterpoint: follows Mace Windu, and is essentially Star Wars' take on Heart of Darkness.

2.) The Thrawn Trilogy: Widely hailed as the best of the Star Wars EU. In my opinion, it has some of the best and worst elements. The good: a brilliant, nuanced antagonist; the bad: evil clones (a terrible subplot).

I haven't read it yet, but Lost Stars has been very well received (despite being billed as a young adult novel). I'd recommend it if you'd like a new canonical novel.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Emperors-Soul-Brandon-Sanderson/dp/1616960922

Should be good for her.

http://www.amazon.com/Brightly-Woven-Alexandra-Bracken/dp/1606842102

Little more romancy. Surprisingly not awful.

http://www.amazon.com/Amulet-Samarkand-Bartimaeus-Trilogy-Book/dp/0786852550/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377613887&sr=1-5&keywords=jonathan+stroud

While she is not exactly the main character, the female lead in the Bartimaeus books is definitely the strongest character.

My 7-year-old son has all of Bone and Adventure Time TPB and loves them. Here's one he might like: Amulet. Oh, and the creator of Adventure Time just put something out called "Bravest Warriors"

I think everyone is happy the cone is gone. He had it on for a month!

thanks!

and there is!

sure! my name on psn is theBatLady

If you like Greek and Norse, I'd recommend D'Auliere's Greek and Norse.

Also, I'd recommend fairly tales from the Pantheon Library, which do not have images but will help him to learn to picture them in his mind and pay attention as well. I should give you a warning though: some of them can still be a bit intense and inappropriate to modern listeners, depending on which culture the stories come from.

You're going to especially want to proof-read the European ones for strange acts of violence as well as many other cultures for potential moments of sexuality or bathroom humor. Though the potty humor might be very amusing to your son depending which age he is.

I thought Gravity Falls was a perfect cartoon right after finishing it too, but it's been a few weeks now, and I'm starting to recognize its flaws:

• It has problems with pacing between episodes (individual episodes have pretty much perfect pacing)
  
  
• It left a void in me that I'm having trouble filling
  
  That uh... that's pretty much it
  
  By the way, check this out. Once I found out it existed I couldn't resist buying it immediately.

I'm looking forward to my better paying, stable job in 2015!! Fewer by-the-hour projects, and I'm picking up an actual salary. My god. Salary.

Can I request two smaller items? My son's birthday is coming up in two weeks and I'd like to get him My Side of the Mountain and Hatchet which totals at $12 with Prime shipping.

The Eragon series irritates most adults and is beloved by most kids that age (I figure because they haven't read the original series the author ripped off yet).

The Dragonlance Chronicles is an older trilogy I loved at that age.

Lloyd Alexander's Book of Three & subsequent series is great.

We have no idea what our galaxy looks like for sure. Until we have sent something beyond it's limits to take pictures we can only guess.

The Neverending Story or any penny book really.

Thanks so much for the contest! =D

In my personal opinion, the D'Aulaires produce some of the best books of Greek and Norse mythology. They give a wide view of the cultural myths, they're totally appropriate for children, and they're beautifully illustrated.

http://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Greek-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/0440406943/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341187978&sr=8-1&keywords=d%27aulaires%27+book+of+greek+myths

http://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Norse-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/159017125X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341187978&sr=8-2&keywords=d%27aulaires%27+book+of+greek+myths

I would absolutely suggest those.

Has he already read the Diary of a Wimpy kid series? My son is a year older than yours. He loved Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Here are a few series books kids that like Magic Treehouse might also like:

Stink Series
Jack Stalwart
Artemis Fowl ( also a graphic novel series)
A to Z Mysteries
The Lemonade Wars
The Lemony Snickett Series of Unfortunate Events
Anything by Louis Sachar

This list could go on to eternity. Basically you can search google with any of his favorites and add the keywords “Read Alikes” and find lists.

Magic Treehouse Read Alikes by Richland Library

Bartimaeus Trilogy - Jonathon Stroud

SO good. Mystical Creatures and beings combined. Plus runes. You will love it.

Not sure the age of your child but I have D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths. Nice large hardcover book with illustrations and a decent approach to the mythology for a child. My kids are 6 and 8 years old and they enjoyed it.

https://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Norse-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/159017125X

I am 24 years old and just picked up The Hunger Games after being suggested by a friend. Blew through the first one in a day and am now about to finish the second one and cannot wait to get the third.

They are so great and fun to read and I highly suggest them to anyone who likes YA fiction or dystopian future scifi.

You know you can buy new ones for original price of 150$ in the Internet, right? But if you want a normal, not special edition copy, you can buy it too.
The Mystery Shack - normal: https://themysteryshack.com/products/journal-3-shack-special
The Mystery Shack - special: https://themysteryshack.com/products/journal-3-special-edition
Amazon - normal: https://www.amazon.com/Gravity-Falls-Journal-Alex-Hirsch/dp/1484746694
Amazon - special: https://www.amazon.com/Gravity-Falls-Journal-3-Special/dp/1368002501

You can read [Lost Stars] (http://www.amazon.com/Journey-Star-Wars-Force-Awakens/dp/1484724984) it's a book about 2 people that grow up together, go to the Imperial academy, and one deflects to the Rebellion. Goes through the entire original trilogy from the new character's perspectives. It's a great read, one of my favorite from the new canon.

When I was about five, my mom's brother got married about 7 hours away in the Catskills of upstate New York. I was supposed to be a ring bearer so I had to go.

Mom couldn't read in the car, so she read My Side of the Mountain onto cassette. (It was perfect because it's about the Catskills).

My cousin and I were perfectly quiet the whole time, and when we got there and there was some of the book left Dad insisted we stay in the car and finish listening.

Probably so obvious that it doesn't need mentioning, but I will say that my first exposure to Norse mythology was D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths (although it used to be called Norse Gods and Giants), and it's still a favorite of mine today. I started reading it to my son around age 5 and he liked it right away (much moreso than the D'Aulaire Greek book, probably because the motivations of the gods are less convoluted and the monsters are way more awesome).

So, I've been getting my daughter(almost 5) in to the NES Classic Edition (Kirby is by far her favorite game). I never thought of reading this book to her. You win at parenting and I am going to copy you!


Edit: To answer your question, what about the Mario Comics?

This series is for young people, but it is really well done. And, since it's for young people it's pretty simple and straightforward:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Chronicles-Prydain-Boxed-Set/dp/1250000939

The reprint was a collection of all the comics simply titled "Super Mario Adventures" after the comic. Here's the Amazon link if you're interested!

My side of the mountain was a favorite of mine.

I also loved the Encyclopedia Brown books too.

If there ever is a Gravity Falls movie, that would be a great opportunity for some crossover.

And when you say journal, you're talking about this right? how is it, I've been thinking of getting it for myself.

Cormier, Spinelli, Hinton, Bellairs, all awesome. I'll add Paul Zindel's The Pigman, though it's hard to remember how old I was when I read this stuff.
I think of these guys, only Bellairs is really for someone aged 10-11, all the other authors deal with subjects that may be more appropriate for someone a couple years older, but again, hard to remember what one's state of mind is at that age.
Hatchet and Jean Craighead George's My Side of the Mountain should be good for 10-11, as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Pokemon-Adventures-Red-Blue-Vol/dp/1421550067

I've read up to book 4 and its awesome. And I have #13 from the Gold/Silver arc, also a good one. I gotta finish reading these.

Childhood favorite, read it in a single sitting while perched in a tree.

From my list, I love the old B.C and Wizard of Id comics.

Thank you for the contest!

Flash Gordon has a newer series that's well reviewed. Space camp don't get much better than Flash Gordon.

Zita the Spacegirl is aimed at school-aged readers. but is absolutely fantastic and deserves a glance.

Roll Tide baby, and while she won't love it for a few years, Where The Wild Things Are was my favourite book growing up and it still holds a very special place in my heart.

I guess she was born at 7:56 pm

The title of the manga is Pokemon Adventures. The link is a box set on amazon of the Kanto adventures.

Pokémon Adventures (7 Volume Set) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1421550067/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_-FBExbDERZQZB

I've been reading my little one D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths since before she was born. It's pretty decent, right now she just likes the pictures and the fact she can chew on the spine ;)

If this is true, then I'd definitely be excited. For those who haven't read or heard of them before, it's basically a retelling of SMW, but the characters act similar to how they would in later Mario games (IE, Peach willing to fight Bowser and even rescuing Mario at one point, Yoshi only being able to say his name, and Luigi being cowardly and having a fear of ghosts). It also was the first time Luigi dressed up as Peach and vice versa. They're really charming, goofy comics that I'd highly recommend, especially to those who like the writing of the RPG games. They actually reprinted all the Mario Adventure comics (Plus the 2 Mario and Wario comics they did afterwards) as a book a few years ago.

Whoa man, I just looked it up on Amazon.. was gonna get the first 3.. but this I saw this.

Box Set 1 vols. 1-7
Box Set 2 8-14

There is still a lot of time till release.. but I think it's worth the wait.
Plus it comes with a poster. :)

I just read "Lost Stars" which is considered canon. They go very deep into how your average imperial soldier was recruited, what their motives were, and why some of them leave for the rebellion. It was a pretty good read, and it follows the timeline of the original trilogy.

I have yet to read them myself, but I've heard great things about the series Amulet. It's on my list for when my daughter is old enough.

On mobile, apologies for the format:

The Stonekeeper (Amulet, Book 1) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0439846811/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_xwTAub164F6SX

I have a suggestion that falls into the young adult category and that is Z for Zachariah. I read this book when I was in grade school so I don't remember it too well, but I do remember thoroughly enjoying it.

You might think I'm crazy, but children's style books helped me with the stories and the concepts, then I read the more complex literature. This is honestly still one of my favorites, and one I can't wait to share with my sons and daughters some day.

In as much as I adore Studio Ghibli, the book was so, so much better, and nice reading while waiting until 2027 for the next GoT book. Other than the titular premise the film and book are only tangentially related and the last act of the film really goes off the rails.

If any game will have something like that, it's probably Call of Cthulhu. I'd ask them, personally.

However, since you're explicitly listing Gravity Falls as an inspiration, have you seen Journal 3? Apparently except for some publisher information on the last page, it never breaks character.

My son LOVED the magic Tree House books. There is a series of about 50 of them. But be careful, the books have different titles in the USA and UK. So when we thought we were buying a different book, it turned out to be the same book as we already had, just with a different title.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magic-Tree-House-1-4-Collection/dp/0375813659/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466603676&sr=8-1&keywords=magic+treehouse

The Chronicles of Prydain are pretty sweet.

Here ya go: http://www.mangahere.com/manga/pokemon_adventures/v01/c001/

Or, if you have the cash, this box set is a pretty sweet deal: http://www.amazon.com/Pokemon-Adventures-Blue-Vol-Pok%C3%A9mon/dp/1421550067/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346932760&sr=1-1&keywords=pokemon+adventures+box+set

Waaay cheaper to grab the rereleases on Amazon, dont go to barnes and noble unless you like overpaying for books.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1421575418/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Jr1sCbEAJC7VH

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1421588641/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_up1sCbXY0XZP4

My son's favorite at that age was [Singularity] (http://www.amazon.com/Singularity-William-Sleator/dp/0140375988/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1406035744&sr=8-5&keywords=singularity)

My daughter liked (still likes) Diana Wynn Jones' books - see [Howl's Moving Castle] (http://www.amazon.com/Howls-Moving-Castle-Diana-Wynne/dp/0061478784/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406035839&sr=1-1&keywords=howl%27s+moving+castle&dpPl=1)

Except for the bit where it's a middle grade novel, Newbery and everything.

Seeing as My Side of the Mountain and Island of the Blue Dolphins got their requisite mentions, I'm surprised there's no discussion of Brian's Winter, the alternate ending/sequel where he has to survive the season.

Listing these titles is also making me realize exactly how many Worthy MG Books presented around grade 4-6 focus on wilderness survival. Coinciding with Voyage of the Mimi* survival episodes in class, for that matter.

Also, the Boxcar Children are brats? D:

[Adele] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYEDA3JcQqw), [Burj Khalifa] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burj_Khalifa), [Community] (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1439629/), Google Music allows 20k free cloud storage of your music, [Hunger Games] (http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-Suzanne-Collins/dp/0439023483), Netflix Instant Watch is now awesome & only $8, [The New 52] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_52), [Young Justice] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdMbwV7OA64), and my girlfriend broke up with me.

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper felt that way me. And my spouse feels that way about The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander.

I see by the suggestions on Amazon that we're not the only ones who liked both of those! Hah. Well, I second Amazon's third suggestion of A Wrinkle in Time.

what's next?

I would love to read this!

I fell in love with The Castle in the Attic when I was a kid. Your kid miiiiiight be able to read The Neverending Story, but I heartily recommend The Wizard of Oz, The Jungle Book, and Alice in Wonderland. In a year or two, give him A Wrinkle in Time. I think you can find all those latter books at Project Gutenberg.

Have you considered reading to him yourself?

Annnnd here we go again. I'm doing this with all books, just because.

Allegiant

Berenstain Bears

Calvin and Hobbes

Dune

Edgar Allen Poe collection

Fahrenheit 451

Gulliver's Travels

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

Julie of the Wolves

Kite Runner

Little House on the Prairie

Machine of Death

Neverending Story

Omnitopia Dawn (The book I'm reading now, actually!)

Pilgrim's Progress

Quarter Share (Also available free as a podiobook!)

Room

Snow Crash

[Tell-Tale Brain](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=tell-tale brain&sprefix=tell-tale%2Cstripbooks%2C222&rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3Atell-tale brain&ajr=2)

Uglies

Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Watership Down

Xenocide

Year Zero

Zen and the Art of Knitting

I would love to read Howl's Moving Castle!. Hmmm, if it was an open bar, I would try to drink 10 Blue Hawaiians!

I agree I didn't find it very young adult either but it is listed as a young adult novel:

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lost_Stars

It's also listed in the Young Adult category on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Journey-Star-Wars-Force-Awakens/dp/1484724984

Yes! Amazon has it, and you can probably find it on lots of other sites. Just keep in mind that this is not the Special Edition. This version does not have invisible ink and all that fancy stuff.

I liked the Ashfall trilogy though it did get a bit tedious at times (it was the YA version of One Second After). World War Z is always a good read. Z for Zachariah is a quick read, kind of a children's book, really, but is one of my favorites.

Here's an Amazon link to the first book. I always love hearing about Scifi I haven't read yet, thanks!

My friend lent them to me, pretty sure he found them here

I think it was in late volume 1 or volume 2 if that matters.

I'm not sure I know any good comics for a two-year-old -- at that age I was still reading regular picture books. I've heard good things about Zita the Space Girl.

Lost Stars has the YA tag, and also happens to easily be the best novel I have read from the new Star Wars Canon.

I got this Book of Norse myths and legends for my son when he was born. I read him stories from it at bed time. His cousins love it when they sleep over :D

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/159017125X/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1375996878&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX110_SY190

Oh yeah of course! I thought you aer only interested in decoding the crypts.

Also, there's this. But it won't be published until after you've finished your paper.

Howl's Moving Castle was a book before it was an awesome Ghibli film

Pokemon Adventures. Most of it is divided by the region so each one is like 7-8 volumes long and whole new series. Here's the first box set

https://www.amazon.com.mx/Gravity-Falls-Journal-Alex-Hirsch/dp/1484746694/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469483952&sr=8-1&keywords=rob+renzetti+journal+3 - not sure if this helps but it's what I found :)

I also thought so. Well, welcome to the club. Friends are right here, merchandise is in some stores, theories are still everywhere, and there is no escape. Remember: Disney is an illusion Bill is a hologram buy journal 3 bye!!!!!

I was introduced to this amazing bird at a young age when I read My Side of the Mountain. Wonderful book.

The Wizard of Oz books. All of them. There's a bunch.

Early Greg Bear. Infinity Concerto.

Ursula K LeGuin's Earthsea Trilogy

Chronicles of Narnia of course

Danny Dunn maybe.

Madeline L Engle's Wrinkle in Time series.

Alan Dean Foster's early stuff. The Flinx stuff.

Norse Mythology. Here's an excellent one : D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths

Well, my faves are:

• The Alchemist
  
  
• Rationality from AI to Zombies
  
  
• Neverending Story
  
  
• Set in Stone
  
  
• Unnatural Selection
  
  
• Sleeping with the Girls
  
  They aren't all of my favorites, but they are some of the top ones.

Most of the manga (up to BW2, including FRLF and HGSS remakes) have been translated into English and are avaliable on Amazon as physical prints. For the US release, the earlier regions/games are split up into box-sets containing all the books of their respective arc.

Here's the first set: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1421550067

EDIT: XY series is currently being released as individual volumes in the US, with Vol. 8 coming in October. You can either buy them individually for ~$5 each or wait for the eventual box-set.

Bone is really, really great!

Edit: you can buy it in it's entirety here but it may be a bit daunting at 1300 pages. You can also buy it in single volumes

D'aulaires books of Greek and Norse myths certainly were a factor in my early questioning and eventual discarding of the xtian faith.

Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones. :)

edit: This is the one!

In all honesty, the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings are pretty tough to get into, since they are practically the ur-examples of fantasy, written back when a lot of commercial fiction methodology was still being developed.

When i read a book, I worry first and foremost if I'm entertained, if I am, I'll give it my recommendation, regardless of the flaws. These are the ones I think you'd find best for jumping in with.

YA/Middle Grade Books

• The Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner (post-apocalypse)
  
  
• Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan (modern kid finds he's the son of Poseidon)
  
  
• Leviathan/Behemoth/Goliath by Scott Westerfeld] (World war 1 with mechs and genetically engineered animals)
  
  
• Eragon by Christopher Paolini (a kid finds a dragon egg and fights the big bad guy. As a warning, it uses the exact same monomyth structure as Star Wars so the similarities are... apt.)
  
  
  Fantasy
  
  
• Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson (a gang of thieves try to rob the evil overlord)
  
  
• Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (a brutal war between about a half different factions over who gets the crown. Gets really complex fast so it might not be a great one to start with.)
  
  
• Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (I always say it's Oceans 11 written in the Game of Thrones world)
  Discworld by Terry Pratchet (I'd recommend not starting at the beginning.)
  
  
  Sci-Fi
  
  
• Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (it's Ender's Game. You must read this)
  
  
• Old Man's War by John Scalzi (Not sure how to pitch this. It's space marines fighting everyone)
  
  
• The Sector General Series by James White (It's like House, but in space with aliens. Not without flaws but very underrated in my view)
  
  
  Urban Fantasy
  
  
• The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (a hard boiled private eye who is also a wizard)
  
  
• Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia (Band of mercenaries hunt monsters. The author is very libertarian/right wing so if you can't stand that, you might not like the books. The kindle edition has to be bought from the baen.com bookstore)
  
  
• Grimnoire Chronicles by Larry Correia (1930's with magic, zeppelins, etc Same warning as above, but it's more subdued here.)
  
  
  Thrillers/Suspense
  
  
• Da Vinci Code/Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (even though I think Brown really needs to improve his writing style, he still can get the books going pretty intensely)
  
  
• Jurassic Park, Timeline, Congo, etc by Michael Crichton (a bit tougher reads since they're pretty scientific, but still good stuff)
  
  
• John Grisham's early work such as A Time to Kill, The Firm, Runaway Jury, etc. (legal thrillers but not hard to get into. I'm not a huge fan of his later stuff)

This looks good.

Alternatively, the manga are actually pretty cheap; about 30 bucks for 7 volumes.

I don't think Mewtwo shows up in any notable sense until volume 3 or so.

Pretty cool Star Wars novel: https://amzn.com/1484724984

Non Fiction
(This is from another post I made)
Gary Paulson's Guts, Tucker Max's I hope They Serve Beer in Hell, Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, Malcom Gladwell's Tipping Point and Blink, Mitch Albom's Tuesday's with Morrie. PM me if you'd like more suggestions; especially if you like young adult lit. I'm a 7th grade middle school teacher.

Fiction
Z for Zachariah by Robert O'Brien

Some of my favorite Short Stories (Might be a bit hard)
Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

To Build a Fire By Jack London

My favorite as a child was Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

Dianna Wynne Jones wrote Howl's Moving Castle, which has two other books attached to it. I would say they are a series, but they're loosely connected with the original Howl's Moving Castle. http://www.amazon.com/Howls-Moving-Castle-Diana-Wynne-ebook/dp/B008LV8TSU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1425344504&sr=8-2&keywords=howl%27s+moving+castle

Depending on what age group you're dealing with, or exactly how basic an introduction is required, D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths might be a good start.

https://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Norse-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/159017125X

The Journal 3 fixed [spoiler] a little. It's very good, if you haven't read it.

https://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Norse-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/159017125X

simple with some nice art

He is really into the magic tree house series right now. He's on book 3. He also likes those Minecraft handbook/guides.

Pokemon Adventures Red/Blue & Yellow box set is $26.32. That comes out to $3.76 per volume! Even cheaper with op's coupon code.

What I remember reading and could find on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Greek-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/0440406943/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1505788321&sr=8-2&keywords=childrens+mythology

https://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Norse-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/159017125X/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1505788321&sr=8-12&keywords=childrens+mythology

https://www.amazon.com/Greek-Myths-Young-Children-Stories/dp/0746037252/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1505788502&sr=8-6&keywords=childrens+greek+mythology

https://www.amazon.com/Childs-Introduction-Greek-Mythology-Goddesses/dp/157912867X/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VSVXV9D3NYY93RJQ881X

not D&D based, but it is on Gary's recommended reading list, and I read it as a kid.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Chronicles-Prydain-Boxed-Set/dp/1250000939

Here is that Appendix N list sorted by author.

edit 2...a number of these are not appropriate for 6 year olds e.g. M. Moorcock...research.

If you're looking for an age appropriate fantasy series definitely check out the Inheritance Cycle.

http://www.amazon.com/Eragon-Inheritance-Book-Christopher-Paolini/dp/0375826696

I started them around your age and read them so many times I broke the spines. They're some of my favorite books.

I think you'll like this. All the characters in Prydain seem so real and life-like and they all undergo believable character growth, even the minor ones. Fuck, now I want to reread it again. I plan on reading it to my kids when they are growing up.

This is Artemis Fowl. In the original, the butler is white. And, they are assigned to a Fowl at birth. But in this remake, they made the butler black, for 'equality' or something. Therefore, that makes him a slave that has to defend Artemis at all costs. He literally can't have any friends once he is assigned to a Fowl. And, in the original, the Butlers (in the book thats where the word but comes from) are trained in a facility in Jerusalem as children to adulthood. Also, if there are no Fowls to protect, they get sent to be bodyguards to the royal family in Saudi Arabia. If you wonder where this deal came from? The Fowls were (and still are) an aristocratical family in the U.K. which made a deal with the Butlers while they were conquering England with King William 1.
Here's a link to read to godforsaken book: https://www.amazon.com/Artemis-Fowl-Eoin-Colfer/dp/1423124529