By Kena Hardin, Central Library Children's Associate
Does your child love to read about daring adventures, learning about creatures ranging from beastly to ethereal, and imagining themselves walking around the magnificent, fictional kingdoms their favorite characters live in? If so, your child’s reading identity is most likely “Magic, Dragons, & Swords.” I am an avid fantasy reader, and I want to share with you the following books that I believe are worth a read!
The Silver Chair, written by C. S. Lewis, is part of the Chronicles of Narnia series. Although I normally recommend The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, once I started reading The Silver Chair it quickly became a competitor. If your child is character-focused when choosing which books to read, then they will enjoy this story. It reads similarly to Jack and the Beanstalk and the Norwegian fairytale, “East of the Sun, West of the Moon.” Readers will become attached to the characters, and their determination to see the other side of trouble throughout the novel will be palpable. I particularly enjoyed meeting the character, Puddleglum. Although he seems to be eternally pessimistic, he also has a charming side and proves to be a loyal companion to Eustace and Jill on their quest to find and save Prince Rilian, King Caspian’s son and heir. They will also have fun reading about the various creatures Eustace and Jill interact with throughout the story, like dwarves and giants and talking owls!
The Whatever After series would fall under the category of fractured fairytales. It is lighthearted and silly with a hint of relatable, real-life drama. It’s tough already being a kid, navigating through life and worrying about school and peers, but also saving fairytale characters?! Whatever! However, readers will follow siblings Abby and Jonah on adventures to help these fairytale characters we know and love as their stories get twisted up before it’s too late!
Don’t skip out on juvenile nonfiction books! If your child loves to learn about the world around them while still being immersed in fantasy, checking out juvenile nonfiction books like, The Most Beautiful Fables of Aesop, Phaedrus, and La Fontaine will fulfill that want! Even younger children can enjoy this anthology with the adorable illustrations and simple sentences per page.
Picking up juvenile nonfiction books like Abadeha, The Philippine Cinderella offer cultural insights and adaptations to well-known fairytales that will leave your child intrigued.
If your child doesn’t know what their reading identity is, encourage them to browse the book lists and information we have on our website: https://www.tulsalibrary.org/kids-read-curious-world-kids-read-identity-book-lists. Happy reading!