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Posted by Susan Hyde May 30, 2007 |
Okay, I'll admit it. I'm a Harry Potter junkie. It has been two very long years since Harry Potter and the Order or the Phoenix left readers wondering whether Potions Master Severus Snape could possibly be as evil as he seems (and a full decade since we muggles were first introduced to the magical world!). Did Snape really kill Professor Dumbledore... and if he did, was it out of personal malice, loyalty to Lord Voldemort, or a greater promise to the Hogwarts Headmaster? Although the wait, no doubt, will make this last book an all-time best seller, it has been downright cruel of J.K. Rowling and Scholastic to keep Harry's fans waiting for so long for the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Luckily, the long wait has created an opportunity for teachers to introduce students to some wonderful fantasy authors from the past and present. My own current favorite is the Gregor the Overlander series by Suzanne Collins. In this series, recommended for readers aged 9-12 (but also great for adults who just love a good read!), eleven-year-old Gregor becomes an unlikely hero in a succession of epic adventures in "The Underland." Collins masterfully creates a world where the pale human inhabitants of Regalia ride giant bats and join with oversized spiders, fireflies, and even cockroaches to battle enormous evil rats who wish to take over all of the Underland. The action is non-stop, and, not unlike the Rowling's series, unexpected twists and unanswered questions keep readers wanting more.
If your students are looking for great fantasy reading this summer, you'll definitely want to add take the opportunity to recommend some of the many great authors of the past and present who make magic and imagination come alive!
I recommend:
- The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling ages 9-12
- The Gregor the Overlander Chronicles by Suzanne Collins ages 9-12
- The Wizard of Oz Series by L. Frank Oz - ages 12 and up
- The Dragon Slayers Academy Series by Kate McMullen - ages 7-10
- Eragon and Eldest by Christopher Paolini - ages 12 and up
- The My Father's Dragon Series by Ruth Stiles Gannett - ages 7-10
- The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien - ages 12 and up
- The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis - ages 9-12