Dragaera

A question re: Begining Fantacy for Youth

Sun Nov 24 15:09:19 PST 2002

"H. T." <electrictwilight at hotmail.com> writes:

> Since it appears the majority of everyone that had typed in the
> discussion of "fantasy" had began reading fantasy when they were still
> young I thought I might ask what is appropriate for a young fantasy
> reader?
>
> I have an 11-year old step-brother who very much enjoys fantasy, and
> he has asked me what else there is in this genera to read.
-snip-

Pamela Dean's Secret Country trilogy; it is currently out of print,
but will be reprinted in late 2003 by Firebird Books.

Patrice Kindl's books, especially _Owl in Love_ and maybe _The Woman
in the Wall_.  (I don't like _Goose Chase_ or _Lost in the Labyrinth"
nearly as much.)

Patricia McKillip's Riddlemaster trilogy/book, _The Forgotten
Beasts of Eld_, and some of her other books.

Zenna Henderson's The People short stories.  NESFA publishes a book
with all of them.

I see that Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series has already been
mentioned.  I am also very fond of _The Boggart_.  (Hm, I suppose some
slightly older kids might feel it beneath them to read books marketed
for younger kids; I forget what age group _The Boggart_ is supposedly
aimed at.)

- tky