When I had kids, one of the things I looked forward to was being able to share the things I love with them. As an 80’s/90’s kid I got excited when they rebooted My Little Pony and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I loved when my kids were old enough to start watching the Harry Potter movies, when they got obsessed with slime (Gak if you kick it old school), and I am still working on turning them into comic book nerds. But what I want to impart to them the most is my love of reading. As a kid reading was my escape and it has always been a major part of my life (both of my kids are named after characters from some of my favorite books). I want my kids to have that same relationship with books. Not only will it help them academically, but it will make them more well-rounded people. And since fantasy is my go-to genre, I have found some books that are not only great reads but are sure to get kids hooked. Comment if you have any other recommendations!

Series

Midnight for Charlie Bone (Children of the Red King Series) by Jenny Nimmo

 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone(Harry Potter Series) by J.K. Rowling

 

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series) by Rick Riordan

If you like this series, he also has one about Magnus Chase which focuses on Norse Mythology.

A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle Series) by Ursula K. LeGuin

If you like this series, she also has a series called Catwings.

The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials Series) by Phillip Pullman

 

The Wind Singer (Wind on Fire Trilogy) by Willian Nicholson

 

The Amulet of Samarkand(Bartimaeus Sequence) by Jonathan Stroud

 

Inkheart (Inkworld Series) by Cornelia Funke

This was also made into a movie starring Brendan Fraser!

The Magician’s Nephew (The Chronicles of Narnia) by C.S. Lewis

 

Charmed Life (The Worlds of Chrestomanci Series) by Dianne Wynne Jones

 

Ragweed (Tales from Dimwood Forest) by Avi

 

Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo (Leven Thumps Series) by Obert Skye

 

The Field Guide (The Spiderwick Chronicles) by Holly Black & Tony DiTerlizzi

Stand Alone Books

Doll Bones by Holly Black

 

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

 

Monstrous by MarcyKate Connolly

 

Small Persons with Wings by Ellen Booraem

 

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

 

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Regan Barnhill

 

The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo

 

Momotaro: Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters by Margaret Dilloway