Tuesday, November 14, 2006

I'm dreaming of a short book

I worked in the children's room today, where I had the pleasure of finding cat books for a two-year-old who joyfully meowed her way through each one. (I'm not being sarcastic; toddler energy utterly delights me.) Working YP is always a bit of a crap shoot: in some branches, it often feels like little more than babysitting the printers. But today the branch was chock full of people actually looking for books.

I was a bit stymied by two requests for fantasies--but not "too big" fantasies. I thought in this post-Harry Potter world that kids were mostly over being intimidated by longer books, but clearly not. I'm working YP again tomorrow--quick, what are your best recommendations for non-intimidating fantasy?

4Bligs:

Anonymous Anonymous bligged...

E. Nesbit's short stories or short novels... you can tell I'm an old-fashioned reader. But can anything modern match "Melisande"? Also George MacDonald's "The Light Princess", or is that too long?

11/15/2006 8:22 AM  
Blogger christine M bligged...

How about the Dragon series by Jackie French Koller - it includes the Dragonling and Dragon in the Family - both my children have enjoyed them.

11/15/2006 5:01 PM  
Blogger web bligged...

I suspect that kids who are put off by length are likely also put off by old-fashioned language.

I remember the Dragon series! I'll have to check and see if the library has them.

11/15/2006 5:51 PM  
Blogger MotherReader bligged...

I liked The Wizard Test and The Prophecy by Bell. Fantasy at a 4th/5th grade level, but not too long.

11/16/2006 1:25 PM  

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