[Child]
[child] The Child asks for a SF/F reading list
Title, author, and a little bit of description would be favorite, and maybe a note on why you like it.
ETA: If you know
Posted: 4:13 pm Thu March 25 2010 |
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Diana
March 25th, 2010 at 4:19 pmOff the top of my head:
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. Very practical, strong young female becomes a warrior and gets to have a love life and is aware of politics. Setting akin to the period of Britian’s Imperialist Expansion.
The Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle. Gorgeous fairytale. Readable as YA and readable for adults; different elements will stand out on rereads as you get older.
Dragonsong/Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey. Strong female, adventure, dragons, music, getting along at school, being the odd one out, making good in spite of it.
Jenn Reese
March 25th, 2010 at 4:28 pmThe True Meaning of SmekDay by Adam Rex. Gonzo middle grade science fiction starring a spunky heroine named Gratuity, a lovable alien named J.Lo, and a cat named Pig. I found it laugh-out-loud funny with a lot of heart. An earth-based Hitchhiker’s Guide for the MG set.
Debra Ketchner
March 25th, 2010 at 4:55 pmI second the Dragonsong/Dragonsinger suggestion!
Zoe’s Tale by Scalzi. Strong and witty female lead, adventure, and fun.
A Wrinkle in Time (the whole series, really!) by L’Engle. My first scifi novel, so I will always remember it fondly. I identified with Meg, and absolutely loved the fantastic story.
I jumped straight from L’Engle (my elementary school obsession) to Crichton (who I discovered in 7th grade, but that’s not YA), so that’s all I can think of right now.
Mur
March 25th, 2010 at 5:11 pmDammit, Diana took most of mine. More votes for Robin McKinley’s Blue Sword and Hero and the Crown, and the McCaffrey novellas. As a kid I didn’t have a lot of female protags to root for in fantasy, and I LOVED these stories of independent, mighty women with swords and dragons.
Her vampire book Sunshine is good too. It’s a little embarrassing in today’s Twilight obsessed world to endorse a vampire book. but McKinley’s take on contemporary magic and vampires is entertaining. Her vampires are cold and gray and not the least bit sparkly or sexy. Also, McKinley’s style is so good in this one it makes reading about the act of baking quite enthralling.
I’d add the more recent Susannah Collins’ Hunger Games as one of the best books I’ve read in recent years. (haven’t read Catching Fire yet because I’m waiting for book 3 in the trilogy this year, but word on the street is that it’s excellent as well.) A literal “can’t put it down” for me- i loved reading about the girl Katniss and her desperate survival in bloodsports for rich people.
snott
March 25th, 2010 at 5:24 pmNot sure how old ‘the_child’ is but Tithe by Holly Black about some mean fairies is great.. definitely older YA though.
I second ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ by L’Engle and the ‘Dragonsong’ books by by Anne McCaffrey
Also want to add: ‘The Wizard of Earthsea’ by Ursula Le Guin, ‘CORALINE’ by Neil Gaiman
Billie
March 25th, 2010 at 5:46 pmAm I to assume she’s read Pullman already? Coz if not, yeah, that. Also, I wasn’t much older than she when I first found Mists of Avalon & my witchy little feminist brain went kaboom. Will try to remember more. Say hi to her for me
Meran
March 25th, 2010 at 8:22 pmTamora Pierce, anything by her, but especially The Dalemark Quartet. Tamora does NOT talk down in her stories to anyone, child or adult, and her stories are interesting, involving, and different from many other “YA” authors. I have one too many of that particular book and would be happy to pass it along to her.
lynD
March 25th, 2010 at 9:37 pmI absorbed everything by Andre Norton when I was a kid.
I also liked H. Beam Piper’s LITTLE FUZZIES. Although it’s likely horribly dated and/or Colonial, it ably demonstrated the concept of respecting The Other.
Second WRINKLE IN TIME and CORALINE and McCaffrey and LeGuin.
Would add Charles de Lint’s THE DREAMING PLACE for discovering that your greatest strength can come from understanding who/what you are.
TWILIGHT as an object lesson in what/who NOT to do…
Naimad Rosa
March 25th, 2010 at 9:48 pmI like Ursula K Le Guin, I had the opportunity to read The Gifts and could not avoid reading the second book Voices. I liked more. It’s a trilogy but separate stories. Ursula has a particular universe full of strength and color.
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March 26th, 2010 at 4:14 am[...] [child] The Child asks for a SF/F reading list »03-25-2010 [...]
Stephen Watkins
March 26th, 2010 at 4:49 amI still feel like Lloyd Alexander’s Newberry-winning Prydain Chronicles have aged pretty well (Classics, in my opinion). They’re pretty short, quick reads. I don’t know if they skew a little younger than yours or not (not knowing anything about said child).
Kelly
March 26th, 2010 at 6:15 amMy favorite authors from when I was 13-16 was Tamora Pierce (Start with Alanna). She writes about strong female characters and is amazing. There is a little bit of romance/sex in most of her books, but it’s subtle/ not graphic. I also liked So You Want To Be A Wizard by Diane Duane which is about a couple of kids who live in a city and find a book that teaches them magic. I just started the Percy Jackson books which are realllllly fun (though no particularly fantasy). I did not like Inkheart (but I read that just last year).
Hope she has fun with all her reading.
I’m almost 25 and still love to read YA and teen fantasy (as well as adult), your daughter should start a book club and invite the adults.
Bill Weinberger
March 26th, 2010 at 7:41 amI didn’t see the ‘Redwall’ series by Brian Jacques mentioned. Epic fantasy in a world populated by warrior mice and guerrilla shrews. Both my kids were totally into them for a while. I’ll also add votes for ‘A Wrinkle in Time’, the ‘Dragonsong’ books, the ‘Earthsea’ series, and ‘Coraline’ by Neil Gaiman (throw in ‘Stardust’ and ‘The Graveyard Book’, too)
Ashavan Doyon
March 26th, 2010 at 9:05 amAlso from Lloyd Alexander (though on the younger side) “The Wizard in the Tree”
I confess, I don’t know if it’s still in print.
The Neverending Story (by Michael Ende, I think).
The Chronicles of Narnia By C.S. Lewis
I’ll echo Dragonsong/singer and the Last Unicorn already listed.
The Oz books can be great fun and there are a whole lot of them by many different authors, though many of these are also hard to get hold of (though Kindle has a bunch of them in a fairly cheap bundle, I believe).
Sam
March 26th, 2010 at 11:33 amI would vote for Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series and Brandon Sanderson’s Alcatraz books. Good stuff. Plus some of the other stuff already mentioned.
Pam
March 26th, 2010 at 2:40 pmThere are some Terry Pratchett books that are written for kids and young adults – one title is Wee Free Men and its sequel is a Hat Full of Sky. These books have more humor than most SF/Fantasy. Also, the protagonist is a girl.
The Graveyard book, by Neil Gaiman is fantasy that almost doesn’t feel like it. A lovely ghost story. It was a recent Newberry winner.
It’s not exactly SF/Fantasy, but The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick is quite wonderful.
Andrew Clements’ book Things Not Seen is a hybrid with some classic YA content along with some SF elements.
These are books that adults and kids (mine are older than the child) at our house have all enjoyed.
Cora
March 26th, 2010 at 4:07 pmI thoroughly second the Robin McKinley, Suzanne Collins and Neil Gaiman recommendations, as well as the Holly Black recommendation, though I’d probably wait with Tithe and Valiant until she’s older and stick with Spiderwick for now.
Other recommendations:
Rick Riordan: the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series; Greek mythology for kids, what’s not to love? My students who are about the same age as the Child enjoy this series a lot.
Sherwood Smith: the Wren series, the Inda series, Court Duel; Wren is okay for younger readers, perhaps wait a bit with Inda.
Maggie Stiefvater: Shiver – teen werewolves, much better than Twilight
Eoin Colfer: A lot of people like his Artemis Fowl books, but I prefer his standalone Airman, which is a Steampunk version of The Count of Monte Cristo with a teen hero.
Meg Cabot: Missing series, which starts with “When Lightning Strikes” Problem girl develops psychic powers, the government is interested. This one grows quite serious, as it goes on, but there is a happy ending.
Lilith Saintcrow: Strange Angels, good UF for older teens.
Kristin Cashore: Graceling
Melissa Marr: Wicked Lovely and sequels – teens interacting with faeries; another one that’s probably for older teens
Amanda Marrone: Uninvited – a good Twilight antidote; has some mention of sex and alcohol
Rachel Caine: Morganville Vampires series; IMO the best of the umpteen teen vampire school series out there these days; another one that’s for older teens
Pretty much anything by Sarah Dessen: Not fantasy, but great books for teens; Dessen tackles tough themes such as date rape, bereavement, etc…
Cora
March 27th, 2010 at 12:51 amI totally forgot to recommend Cornelia Funke who is one of the few German YA authors to be available in English. The “Inkheart” trilogy is probably her best known work. “Lord of the Thieves” about a child gang in a sort of alternate Venice is good as well.
Cornelia Funke’s books are suitable for Middle Grade readers as well as older teens.
Cora
March 27th, 2010 at 3:30 pmAnother book the child might enjoy is “Silver Phoenix” by Cindy Pon. Caveat: I haven’t read this one yet, but I’ve heard good things. It’s a YA fantasy set in an alternate China written by an Asian American author, so no problematic appropriation issues.
Nadine
March 26th, 2010 at 8:44 pmJanni Lee Simner’s Bones of Faerie-a postapocalyptic fantasy in a world where we had a nuclear war with Faerie. It’s about a young girl trying to make her own way in a very dangerous world. I liked the prose-but mainly the world and the characters. She has a new book coming out in a few weeks called Thief Eyes that was inspired by an Icelandic saga, though set in the modern world and with a girl as the main character.
Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies series-post-apocolyptic sf, again with girls as the main characters. I liked the writing and the world-building. Also his new book Leviathan-steampunk for the YA set.
Justine Larbalestier’s How to Ditch Your Fairy-a really charming growing-up story set in a world like ours, but where everyone has a fairy of their own. Also the series that begins with Magic or Madness-fantasy about a girl who discovers she has magic powers and must learn to control them or else.
Nadine
March 26th, 2010 at 8:47 pmAlso, Tamora Pierce’s Bekka Cooper books, and her other fantasy series. I like her female characters and she writes really well, and knows how to keep a plot going.
Most of what I’ve recommended has girls as the main characters and girls who have agency, which is a big pet peeve of mine.
Nadine
March 26th, 2010 at 8:51 pmAlso, Gwyneth Jones has written some great YA SFstuff under the name Ann Halam.
Also, Nina Kiriki Hoffman’s A Fistful of Sky and her other YA novels-the same beautiful prose as her adult novels.
Also, Justine Larbalestier’s new book Liar-a well-written book with a great twist to it.
Charlotte
March 28th, 2010 at 3:52 amI’d suggest checking out the shortlists from the various years the Cybils Awards have been up and running–every year 5-7 middle grade sci fi fantasy books are shortlisted, based on both quality of writing and kid appeal.
http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/
At my own blog, I also have weekly round-ups every Sunday of middle grade sci fi fantasy reviews from around the blogs, that result in nice lists. And I have this list that I made for nine year old girls: http://charlotteslibrary.blogspot.com/2009/06/fantasy-books-for-nine-year-old-girl.html