Here is the hit with the many wonderful suggestions I received. You probably
know many of them already but it is good to be reminded and find out what is
well received by kids in different parts of the country.
Amy Ipp
Millburn Middle School
Millburn NJ
LU83@aol.com
Amy:
Double-check with your teacher's definition of Fantasy. Most definitions
should include "time travel" as a fantastical element. If so, you can use
the Dan Gutman baseball series where the main character travels through time
by touching magic baseball cards. Also try these titles:
Transall Saga by Gary Paulsen (scifi but "survival-adventure")
The Time Hackers by Gary Paulsen (short scifi--great school/realistic
fiction feel even though it is scifi)
Brainboy and the Deathmaster by Seidler (video game-scifi thriller)
Things not Seen by Andrew Clements (scifi, but 6th graders may make a
connection with a trusted author from elem school--Clements)
Among the Hidden Series by Haddix--booktalk the first one and it usually
flies off the shelves
Turnabout by Haddix (excellent for "what ifs")
The Last Book in the Universe by Philbrick (also a "whatif")
The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts (old fav--good for
author connection of mystery lovers)
Books by William Sleator if you have kids hooked on "scary stories"--
Heir Apparent by Vande Velde (video game-strong girl protagonist--looks
thick but great read)
The Lightning Thief trilogy by Riordan
Consider "fairy tale" type books if they have fantastical/magical elements
like the Frog Princess series by Baker, Rat Boys by Eberhardt, The Truth
Cookie by Dunbar
or old favorites--Indian in the Cupboard series by Banks, Redwall series by
Jacques, The Lost Years of Merlin by Barron
Good morning:
We have the same problem here--the 6th grade
teacher wants the kids to read each genre, yet many of
them don't like them all so I have to find things.
Right now--many of our girls are finding the
Margaret Peterson Haddix "Shadow Children" series quite
interesting. She has also done some other sci fi type
books. They also like Gail Carson Levine books. There is
Ella Enchanted and a Fairy series that may be too young
for them, but they may work.
The City of Ember series by Jeanne DuPrau is also
quite popular.
Our boys are reading Daniel Schwabauer's Runt
series. I think there are 3 of them now--we have Runt the
Hunted and Runt the Brave and some of them have asked me
to get the next in the series so I need to check into it.
It is kind of Redwall for young readers from what I can
see--haven't had time to read them myself yet.
For the more advanced readers, Orson Scott Card's
Ender series is really good. I don't like Science Fiction
at all, but I find those fascinating though a bit violent.
I also just read "Here there be Dragons" by James Owen and
found it quite fun though it would probably be for kids
who have read a lot since there are many references to
other books and stories that they would not "get" if they
are not well read.
I, too, am not a big fan of fantasy! I would highly suggest GOSSAMER
by Lois Lowry. It's quite a short book and easy to follow and
definitely a fantasy about where our dreams come from. It's a great
story! I would also suggest any books by William Sleator, especially
THE DUPLICATE, THE BEASTIES, and THE BOXES. I also highly recommend the
following:
THE LIGHTNING THIEF by Rick Riordan...a big longer book, but a great
story about a kid who discovers that he is part Greek god and has to
save the world! It won our Maine Student Book Award last year and is
second only to Harry Potter in popularity here at our school!
THE MYSTERIOUS MATTER OF I.M. FINE by Diane Stanley...a really fun
(and pretty short) story about kids who go in search of an "R.L.
Stine-type" author whose books are putting spells on the people who read
them!
CITY OF EMBER by Jeanne DuPrau...one of my favorite books...about a
city that is lit only by natural light...is there a way out??? Great
read!
WISHING MOON by Michael O. Tunnell...about a young girl who comes into
possession of Aladdin's lamp and how she chooses to use it...another
really good story...we actually did this one for our book club a couple
of years ago and the kids loved it, especially the girls!
THE AMAZING FRECKTACLE by Ross Venokur...an older book, but very short
and uncomplicated...about a boy who wants to get rid of his freckles and
get back at all the kids who have made fun of him. He finds a
wizard-like department store manager who can remove the dreaded freckles
and get revenge but things get crazy fast!
THE SKULL OF TRUTH by Bruce Coville...a really fun story about a boy
who finds a skull that forces him to tell the truth...wouldn't be such a
big problem except that the kids is a pathological liar...makes for some
really funny situations!
THE DARK SIDE OF NOWHERE by Neal Shusterman...great science fiction
about a kid who discovers that he's an alien...awesome story!
Edgar Eager's books; Lucy Boston's books; Running Out of Time, Tamora
Pierce
I have had good luck with The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (first
book in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series) as well as The
Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan (first book in the Ranger's
Apprentice series).
The lightning thief / Rick Riordan.-- 1st ed.-- New York : Miramax
Books/Hyperion Books for Children, c2005.
377 p. ; 22 cm. (Percy Jackson & the Olympians; bk. 1)
Kirkus 06/15/2005
Summary: After learning that the father he never knew is
Poseidon, God of the Sea, Percy Jackson is transferred from boarding
school to Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods, and becomes
involved in a quest to prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.
ISBN 0786856297 (lib. bdg.) : $17.95
The ruins of Gorlan / John Flanagan.-- 1st American ed.-- New York :
Philomel Books, 2005.
249 p. ; 24 cm. (Ranger's apprentice)
Summary: When fifteen-year-old Will is rejected by battleschool,
he becomes the reluctant apprentice to the mysterious Ranger Halt,
and winds up protecting the kingdom from danger.
ISBN 0399244549 (alk. paper)
Hi there,
Try Edward Eager books and Ursula K. LeGuin's cat fiction books:
Catwings, Catwings Return, Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings.
Frank Baum and Mary Norton.
Far Flung Adventures by Stewart (Corby Flood, Fergus Crane & Hugo
Pepper)
Also, the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series by Kathryn Lasky.
The Secrets of Droon by Tony Abbott
Lily Quench series by Prior
The Littles by Peterson
The Araminta Spookie series by Sage
Jane Yolen has several types of fantasy that are short in length
The Hidden children series by Haddix is Sci. Fi. Princess Academy by
Shannon Hale is a fantasy, as are most of her books and they're great!
Freaky Friday
Code Orange by Cooney
T.A. Barron's Merlin books
House of the Scorpion
Ender's Game
Try the first Deltora Quest book, The Forests of Silence by Emily Rodda.
They usually like this enough to want to read the rest of the series.
I'm not a huge fantasy fan, but I remember liking Tuck Everlasting, A
Wrinkle in Time, and the CS Lewis Narnia series (The Lion, the Witch and
the Wardrobe, etc.). I also liked Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising
series. They are all grounded in reality enough to not be too confusing
to follow. What about Alice in Wonderland? Lloyd Alexander's books
are fairly short, too.
Into the Dream. Old (1979) but very suspenseful. SF without being
very weird. My son (7th grade) really like it.
They might not mind reading what I like to think of as animal/people
books...where the story is told about an animal having an adventure. Obviously it
is
borderline "fantasy" in that animals can't talk and think...but it might
pass muster for this assignment...for example, Alan Arkin's Lemming Condition.
--
Would Gregor the Overlander (Suzanne Collins, series) count? What about The
Dragon of Lonely Island (Rupp), which is a little easier than Gregor. For
sci-fi The City of Ember (DuPrau) might work. I also loved the recently
published Gregory Maguire title "What-the-Dickens: The story of a rogue tooth
fairy".
These all have elements of fantasy, but not the complicated alternate worlds
with difficult names that can get in the way for some readers.
I don't care much for either of those genres either but how about "Tuck
Everlasting" would that qualify? Also "No flying in the house" Brock??
wasn't too bad but might be too easy or juvenile for 6th grade.
Gail
Perhaps they could try The Divide series by Elizabeth Kay. A boy straddles
the Continental Divide while vacationing in Costa Rica with his parents, and
in doing so falls into an alternate universe. Some things are quite the same
as on earth, but with different names, and he records those in his notebook.
Others are very different, but "believable." He records those as well, with
the best expalnations he can. His adventures include realationships with
animals and forces, good and bad, and eventually the goal is to help him get
better (he has a heart defect) and get him back home. There are three books
in this series that I know of, The Divide, Back to the Divide, and Jinx at
the Divide. (Jinx is a comapanion he meets in the other world whom he teams
up with.) They are in a unique binding: the front cover is split down the
center, hence a divide.
These have been a big hit with my better 5th grade readers.
Charlotte's Web
The Wizard of Oz
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Velveteen Rabbit
The Indian in the Cupboard
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Mary Poppins
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Harry Potter
Secret of Platform13
Artemis Fowl
Hi
Even kids who are not into fantasy seem to like Brandon Mull's "FableHaven"
series and his latest "The Candy Shop"
I teach technology, not lit, but I do remember from my middle school
librarian days that the Paul Zindel Doom Stone books were big winners.
Admittedly they are sort of gory, but this is right down the alley for
kids that age. --
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