Raising Readers
Fantasy
The Amulet of Samarkand
Jonathan Stroud
X Stroud
Nathaniel, a magician's apprentice, summons up the genie Bartimaeus and instructs him to steal the Amulet of Samarkand from the powerful and evil magician Simon Lovelace. First in a trilogy.
Artemis Fowl
Eoin Colfer
X Colfer
When a twelve-year-old evil genius tries to restore his family fortune by capturing a fairy and demanding a ransom in gold, the fairies fight back with magic, technology and a particularly nasty troll. First in a trilogy.
The Edge Chronicles: Beyond The Deep
Woods
Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
X Stew
Twig has been raised all his life by woodtrolls, but learns he isn't one of them. He begins a heart-stopping adventure that will take him through a nightmarish world of goblins and trogs, bloodthirsty beasts and flesh-eating trees. Only two things will keep Twig going: the hopes of discovering his true identity and finding his destiny.
The Book of Three
Lloyd Alexander
X Alexander
Taran, the assistant pig keeper, longs to be a hero. He begins a journey against the forces of evil that threaten his beloved land, Prydian. First in a series.
The Dark is Rising
Susan Cooper
NB Cooper
On his eleventh birthday Will Stanton discovers that he is the last of the Old Ones, destined to seek the six magical signs that will enable the Old Ones to triumph over the evil forces of the Dark. One in a series of books.
Ella Enchanted
Gail Carson Levine
NB Levine
In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against a childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her.
The Forests of Silence vol. 1
Emily Rodda
X Rodda v.1
The evil Shadow Lord is planning to take over the land of Deltora and enslave all its people. In order to stop him 16-year old Lief and former palace guard Barda must find all seven stones from the magic belt of Deltora.
The Hall Family Chronicles: The Diamond
in the Window
Jane Langston
X Langr
Eddy and Eleanor Hall have always know that their family was a bit extraordinary, after all they live in one of the most remarkable houses in all of Concord. But they never guessed how extraordinary the house really is, or what tremendous secrets about their family's past it holds.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
J. K. Rowling
X Rowling
Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy proves his worth while attending the Hogwarts School for Wizards and Witches. First in a series of books.
The Hero and the Crown
Robin McKinley
NB McKinley
Princess Aerin of Damar becomes a legendary dragon slayer, fulfilling her destiny as savior of her kingdom.
The Hobbit, or There Again and Back
Again
J.R.R. Tolkien
X Tolkien
Bilbo Baggins, a respectable, well-to-do hobbit, lives comfortably in his hobbit hole until the day the wandering wizard Gandalf chooses him to share in an adventure from which he may never return.
The Hollow Kingdom
Clare B Dunkle
X Dunk
In nineteenth-century England, a powerful sorcerer and King of the Goblins chooses Kate, the elder of two orphan girls recently arrived at their ancestral home, Hallow Hill, to be his bride and queen. Volume one of three.
The Indian in the Cupboard
Lynne Reid Banks
X Banks
A nine-year-old boy receives a plastic toy Indian, a cupboard, and a little key for his birthday and finds himself involved in an adventure when the Indian comes to life and befriends him. The first in a series of books ? do not stop with the first one as they keep getting better and better.
Inkheart
Cornelia Funk
X Funke
Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father, who repairs and binds books, can ?read? fictional characters to life when one of those characters abduts them and tries to force them into service.
James and the Giant Peach
Roald Dahl
NB Dahl
Wonderful adventures abound after James escapes his terrible aunts by rolling away in a giant peach.
Last of the Really Great Whangdoddles
Julie Edwards
X Edwards
With the help of an eccentric professor in giving their imaginations special intensive training, three children succeed in locating the last of the really great Whangdoddles and granting his hearts desire.
Midnight for Charlie Bone
Jenny Nimmo
X Nimmo
Charlie Bone's life with his widowed mother and grandmothers undergoes a dramatic change when he discovers that he can hear people in photographs talking. First in a series of books.
Poppy
Avi
X Avi
Poppy the dear mouse urges her family to move next to a field of corn big enough to feed them all forever, but Mr. Ocax, a terrifying owl, has other ideas. He has tricked the mice into thinking that they must do as he says or he will not protect them from the savage porcupines who will eat them. First in a series of books.
Redwall
Brian Jacques
X Jacques
When the peaceful life in and around ancient Redwall Abbey is shattered by the arrival of the evil rat Cluny and his villainous hordes, Matthias, a young mouse, determines to find the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior which, he is convinced, will help Redwall's inhabitants destroy the enemy.
Tuck Everlasting
Natalie Babbitt
NB Babbitt
The Tuck Family is confronted with an agonizing situation when they discover that a ten-year-old girl and a malicious stranger now share their secret about a spring whose waters prevents one from ever growing older.
Twenty-one Balloons
William Pene Du Bois
NB Du Bois
Professor Sherman is tired of teaching arithmetic. He sets off in a giant hot air balloon to see the world. After crashing in shark infested seas he arrives on the island of Krakatoa where the adventure on this earthquake ridden island begins.
A Wrinkle in Time
Madeleine L'Engle
X Leng
Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government.