My compromise is to suggest a book I think he’ll enjoy and read a page or two so he can decide if we continue the story. It’s a hit and miss affair, as I’m sure you can imagine. Sometimes he turns down the books I’m certain he’ll like in favour of something I thought was a longshot.
But here’s the thing: It’s not always easy to find new and interesting books both you and your children will enjoy. I once stumbled across a list that suggested the 12 Kingdoms books are comparable to Howl’s Moving Castle. I got the first book, started reading it to my son, and discovered a blood bath that would make Quentin Tarantino gasp.
So I decided to make my own list, one that won’t have any nasty surprises, and share it here so it might help other parents. Many of the books on here will be familiar but I’m going to try to approach each one in a way that will be helpful to people who haven’t read the books before.
1. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye. Description taken from Goodreads |
2. The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
The beautiful valley of Moonacre is shadowed by the memory of the Moon Princess and the mysterious little white horse. When Maria Merryweather comes to live at Moonacre Manor she finds herself involved with an ancient feud. She is determined to restore peace and happiness to the whole of Moonacre Valley, and Maria usually gets her own way! Description taken from Goodreads |
3. The Redwall Series by Brian Jacques
A quest to recover a legendary lost weapon by bumbling young apprentice monk, mouse Matthias. Redwall Abbey, tranquil home to a community of peace-loving mice, is threatened by Cluny the Scourge savage bilge rat warlord and his battle-hardened horde. But the Redwall mice and their loyal woodland friends combine their courage and strength. Description taken from Goodreads |
4. The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkein
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent. Description taken from Goodreads |
5. The Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling
Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy - until he is rescued by an owl, taken to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, learns to play Quidditch and does battle in a deadly duel. The Reason ... HARRY POTTER IS A WIZARD! Description taken from Goodreads |
6. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis
Journeys to the end of the world, fantastic creatures, and epic battles between good and evil—what more could any reader ask for in one book? The book that has it all is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, written in 1949 by Clive Staples Lewis. But Lewis did not stop there. Six more books followed, and together they became known as The Chronicles of Narnia. For the past fifty years, The Chronicles of Narnia have transcended the fantasy genre to become part of the canon of classic literature. Each of the seven books is a masterpiece, drawing the reader into a land where magic meets reality, and the result is a fictional world whose scope has fascinated generations. Description taken from Goodreads |
7. The Stones are Hatching by Geraldine McCaughrean
The Worm is waking... After centuries of undisturbed slumber, the Stoor Worm -- the World Eater -- is waking. A creature of monstrous proportions and unimaginable evil, the Worm must be destroyed. Already its murderous hatchlings are spreading terror and destruction. And a strange trio -- Mad Sweeney the Fool, Alexia the Maiden, and the Obby Oss, a two-legged, talking horse -- are trying to convince one ordinary boy that he alone can save the world. Description taken from Goodreads |
8. The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper
"When the Dark comes rising, six shall turn it back, Three from the circle, three from the track; Wood, bronze, iron; water, fire, stone; Five will return, and one go alone." With these mysterious words, Will Stanton discovers on his 11th birthday that he is no mere boy. He is the Sign-Seeker, last of the immortal Old Ones, destined to battle the powers of evil that trouble the land. His task is monumental: he must find and guard the six great Signs of the Light, which, when joined, will create a force strong enough to match and perhaps overcome that of the Dark. Embarking on this endeavor is dangerous as well as deeply rewarding; Will must work within a continuum of time and space much broader than he ever imagined. Description taken from Goodreads |
9. Anne of Green Gables by L.M Montgomery
Everyone's favorite redhead, the spunky Anne Shirley, begins her adventures at Green Gables, a farm outside Avonlea, Prince Edward Island. When the freckled girl realizes that the elderly Cuthberts wanted to adopt a boy instead, she begins to try to win them and, consequently, the reader, over. Description taken from Goodreads |
10. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
When orphaned Mary Lennox comes to live at her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire Moors, she finds it full of secrets. The mansion has nearly one hundred rooms, and her uncle keeps himself locked up. And at night, she hears the sound of crying down one of the long corridors. The gardens surrounding the large property are Mary's only escape. Then, Mary discovers a secret garden, surrounded by walls and locked with a missing key. One day, with the help of two unexpected companions, she discovers a way in. Is everything in the garden dead, or can Mary bring it back to life? Description taken from Goodreads |
What’s nice about this list is that there’s a movie version of many of the books on it so your children can enjoy the story in both forms.