Love
Fantasy Fiction?
Do you love to read
about imaginary worlds with magic and far off adventures? So do
I. The
trouble is, so much that is out there is designed for adult readers not
for pre-teens and teens, at least not those whose parents actually
watch the maturity level of their reading material. There are
those who do like to read such far off adventure tales. If that is you,
well, this list is not for you. But... if you enjoy the battle
between the hero and the dragon, here
are a few suggestions.
If you are interested, yes, I do have a few opinions
on the debates about this type of fiction, and you are welcome to read
the short version of my thoughts at
Fiction
that Plays with Your Head.
-
Robin
McKinley : I discovered Robin McKinley in about 7th
grade. I was reading books in order to vote on the Newberry Awards for
children's literature. This award is given every year and
there is a list of books to choose from. If you read enough
from the list, you can vote for your favorites. That year,
McKinley's book The Blue Sword
was on the list. The book was wonderful, and I have re-read
it many times since. It also has the distinction of having helped
to bring me in contact with my best friend (save my husband).
McKinley
actually has a number of books out now. I still
recommend beginning with The
Blue Sword, followed by The
Hero and the Crown.
The story of The Blue
Sword is that a young woman named Harry (Anghara)
Crewe
is kidnapped by the king, Corlath, of hill people in colony that sounds
a little like
British India -- but magic, training and the fighting of an
ancient enemy ensue. She acquires a new name as a warrior --
Harimad-Sol, as a King's Rider. She has a cheetah-type cat that follows
her everywhere and a pretty heroic horse as well. The Blue Sword was a
Newberry Honor Book and an ALA (American Librarian Association) Best
Book for Young Adults. The Hero and the Crown
is
set in the same mountain kingdom a hundred years before with the
legends referrred to in the first book, particularly Lady Aerin whose
sword Harry wields in The Blue Sword.
The Hero and the Crown won
the Newberry Medal for Children's literature.
She
also has several books which retelll the old legends. The Outlaws of Sherwood (Robin Hood
Legends) and Beauty: A Retelling of the story of Beauty and The
Beast are two which my best friend simply loves. She also
has Spindle's End,
which is quite good.
Patricia
McKillip: This
author is suitable even for those in 5th or 6th grade
-- depending on the books and the reader. One of her best
books for early readers is The
Forgotten Beasts of Eld. In this book, the strange and the
fierce creatures find their way to the door of a kind young hermit
woman who gives them a home. She also has several
newer books which have the advantage of being one shot books. S
many fantasy books are part of a series which can get frustrating if
you can't find the first or even the next in the series.
Two recent books of this sort which are quite good are Odd Magic and Alphabet of Thorn.
Of course, my favorite of McKillip's
is The Riddlemaster of Hed
trilogy. I sent this one to my cousin who is an advandced reader
when she was about twelve. She has truly enjoyed them as
much as I did. The
Riddlemaster of Hed is the first book, and is followed
by The Heir of Sea and Fire
and Harpist on the Wind.
You can usually find them now in a one volume, nice paperback.
Anne
McCaffrey:
This author has several series of books. The best for younger
readers of fantasy is the series set on Pern, where dragons help
protect the planet's inhabitants from the deadly peril of th thread.
There are three books that are designed for younder readers
(5th-9th grade): Dragonsong;
Dragonsinger; Dragondrums --
in that order. These
three books tell the stories of young people seeking to find a trade
and their adventures being apprenticed in the musical arts of Pern.
Get off the Unicorn and
To Ride Pegasus are
also okay for through Junior high. These are set on earth and are
sort of pre-cursors to the Rowan series. The Rowan
books and the other books set on Pern can sometimes have a little more
mature themes, and I did not start them until my junior and
senior years in high school.
C.S.
Lewis: Lewis was an
English author and professor of medieval literature. He has a
wealth of books on a variety of subjects -- including literary
criticism, commentaries on the Psalms and an exploration of the
basic principles of Christianity. I am also providing a
link to a more thorough exploration of Lewis' works at
______________________, and my own listing of a few of Lewis's books on
various subjects at _____________________.
Of course his most fanmous series is The Chronicles of Narnia. Narnia is an imaginary land
linked to earth through a series of magical doors -- which are
explained in Book 6: The Magician's
Nephew. These books are designed as
allegories to teach the principles of Christianity. Aslan the
Lion is the prarallel figure for Christ, and the human children are
desgnated as the sons of Adam and the daughters of
Eve. The principles of dealing with greed, arrogance,
lying and the importance of sacrifice are found throughout the
books. The books are sold both separately and
as a set. Many of the sets now put the books in the chronological
order of the stories, meaning The
Magician's Nephew, which is the creation story, comes
first. However, I recommend reading the books in the order
that Lewis originally wrote and published the series. The
books are listed below in that order, with the characters who are the
focus of the book.
The Lion, The Witch and The
Wardrobe --- Lucy, Edmund, Peter &
Susan
Prince Caspian --
Lucy, Edmund, Peter
& Susan
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader -- Lucy,
Edmund & Cousin Eustace (who is quite horrible at the
beginning of the story)
The Silver Chair -- Eustace & Jill Pole
The Horse and His Boy -- Shasta,
set while Peter is King
The Magician's Nephew -- Polly
& Digory
The Last Battle --Lucy, Edmund & Peter, Polly, Eustace, King
Tiiran
Lewis also has another fiction series which is designed for older
readers (at least senior high) and is more science fiction than fantasy
fiction called The Space Trilogy.
This one deals with the issue of sin coming into the world and
how it is combatted in different worlds. Dr. Elwin Ransom
is kidnapped in the first book Out
of the Silent Planet and travels to Malacandra (Mars), where the
battle between temptation and obedience has already occurred (at least
in the Eden setting) and the outcome was different than it was on Earth
(Thulcandra). In book two, Perelandra,
Ransom travels to Perelandra (Venus) where the battle over temptation
is occurring once again. This time Satan appears in the form of
Weston, a disbelieving colleague of Ransom's. The third
book, That Hideous Strength,
takes place on earth and deals with the struggle between science, faith
and ethics. It is set as both a mystery and a science fiction
story, as Ransom strives to help save the soul of Britain itself,
including the possible reappearance of Arthur (the once and future
king) at the critical moment. This last one will be hard to put
down -- so be aware. I know of fellow who got so into it he was
trying to read while driving. I don't recommend that.