A great children's book that's not Harry Potter

L

lederr

Cathlete
I have a great book to suggest after the kids have finished reading Harry Potter. "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeline L'Engle. Great book...
 
I totally agree with your suggestion! I loved it as a kid and I just finished reading it again last month. Now I'm reading the sequels that she wrote several years later.
 
I agree with you. That book is a classic. Island of the Blue Dolphins is one that kids really like, too. Another good book is Eragon. The book was 100 times better than the movie!
Ellen
 
Oh, gosh, there are so many good ones. The Giver, by Lois Lowry, ANYTHING by Sharon Creech or Will Hobbs...

At the bookstore HP release party I attended, they raffled off a few sets of books ("Hey kids, once you have finished the final HARRY POTTER, you are going to need something else to read!) So true. JK Rowling got so many kids started/ excited about reading... now we just have to keep them going!
 
Exactly, Mocha! While I am thrilled that the HP books helped kids become interested in reading, I have heard from manhy parents that their kids ONLY read the HP books. We need to show them that there are many other books that are just as good if not better. I only read the first HP book when it came out because I promised my SO's (at the time) daughter that I would read it with her. I hope once kids finish reading HP they will be interested in finding other wonderful books to read.

Another great children's book author is Karen Hesse (okay, and she's my cousin). :) But, family ties aside. she has won the Newberry and Caldecott awards for her books.
 
I love anything by Joan Bauer. "Hope was Here" and "Rules of the Road" are two of my favorites of hers.

Cheryl
 
When I was a kid, I loved "The Borrowers" series by (I think) Mary Stolz. "The Borrowers", "The Borrowers Afield", "The Borrowers Afloat", and "The Borrowers Aloft". The main premise was that The Borrowers are tiny little groups of people who take up residence in your house and "borrow" a sock, a thimble, a matchbox - you know, all the things you "lose" - to make up their household. In "The Borrowers", the father Pod is Seen by a child who lives in the house . . . and the story begins from there.

Just loved 'em.

A-Jock
 
I saw on the CBS morning news show this week that HP books have not done anything to increase children's reading - they have only increased children's reading of HP books.

When I was in 4th grade my favorite book was "Harriet the Spy". Nothing to do with fantasy and the like, but a neat book nonetheless.
 
Anything by Tamora Pierce! Especially for girls. Wonderful wonderful books! I've read them all myself. Start with the Alanna series - everything a kid could want - magic, intrigue, knights, Kings and Princes and most of all heroines. Love that series.

I love most of the others as well. I read a Wrinkle In time ages ago - and recently re-read it when my daughter had to get it for school reading (I do that a lot), and enjoyed it every bit as much.
 
Yeah, I just got my daughter the entire 5 volume set. Take a look at anything by Tamora Pierce also, and Susan Cooper's The dark is Risisng series. If L'Engle goes down well, these might also.

Clare
 
By Megan Whalen Turner:
The Thief
Queen of Attolia
King of Attolia

Anything by E.L. Konigsburg (depending upon age of child; may be too young for some Harry Potter readers)

By Ursula LeGuin:
The Earthsea Trilogy

By Jonathan Stroud:
The Bartimaeus Trilogy

By David Eddings:
The Belgariad series (5 books)
The Mallorean series (5 books)

All the recommendations except for Konigsburg are for older schoolage children, not young ones. Hope this helps!
 
The Golden Compass, The Suble Knife and I can't remember the last one!They are for 7/8 grade.
Ellen
 
I also was a huge fan of the Borrowers and A Wrinkle in Time. Another series I loved was the Black Stallion set. What about Wind in the Willows or The Hobbit? Great classics! :)
 
I third His Dark Materials trilogy (by Philip Pullman). The set is the Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. I really enjoyed this series.

I LOVED A Wrinkle in Time when I was younger. Gonna have to read this again. I remember it was right up there with Chronicles of Narnia for me.
 
I found others. Harper Hall Series-Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, Dragondrums by Anne McCaffrey. She also has some for adults. The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer is good. Running Out of Time and any other by Margaret Peterson Haddix. All the kids liked Holes by Lewis Sachar.The kids that lked mysteries liked Joan Lowery Nixon.Hoot by Paul Fleischman was funny. Inkheart, Inkspell and Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke. I don't know how I forgot Garth Nix-Sabreil, Absorsen, and Lirael. He also has another great series.
Enjoy reading,
Ellen
 
I love her books! I think I've read everything she's written. She has some adult books as well. She has this one obscure book, "Reflections of Faith in Art", not a real compelling title, but a wonderful enlightening read. This book has a beautiful perspective of our place in the universe. You'll love her our hate her. I've never heard of anyone being on the fence with this author. Kids respond the same way. My daughter has read everythings she's written as well. If you like CS Lewis you will probably like this author. I still wish we could tesser (Wrinkle Time). I had this wish as we were driving home on I-80 from Wyoming to Arkansas this summer
 
Agree 100%, the movie didn't do the book justice what so ever! You have to read the sequel and then get on Christopher's website and nag him to get the third book finished.
 
The Giver is a good, but distrubing book. I would definately read this with my child and discuss the issues that come up in it.
 
The Amber Spyglass is the third. Read them this summer, before I knew they were making a movie out of The Golden Compass. I loved them. I teach 6th grade so read a lot of children's/young adult literature.
 
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