THE BEST OF CHILDREN'S AND YA FANTASY
Written by Yennie Cheung, Jacquelyn Gill, Matthew Merendo, and Kyle Olson

11. THE LITTLE PRINCE
By ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY
Translated into more than 160 languages and adapted into nearly every type of entertainment medium, The Little Prince is one of those elusive gems of literature: the kind that teaches as well as entertains. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's story tells of his crashing his plane in the Sahara Desert and subsequent meeting of the title character. Through their discussions, the narrator learns not only about the Little Prince but also about life. In this short novel, Exupéry covers quite literally almost every topic, ranging from death to love, free will to responsibility, and logic to imagination.

12. THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH
By NORTON JUSTER
Thanks to Norton Juster's emphasis on reading, writing, and 'rithmetic, this story about a young boy's journey to save the princesses Rhyme and Reason is perhaps the most academic—or, in kidspeak, "boring"—book on the list. But there's good reason why it has been made into a movie and a play, and is often cited as a favorite among the HBC LiveJournal crowd: Its lighthearted writing style and clever word play also put it on par with Roald Dahl in terms of amusement.
[See the HBC review]

13. A WRINKLE IN TIME
By MADELINE L'ENGLE
A Wrinkle in Time (more so than the entire Time series) is often cited along side The Chronicles of Narnia and the books of J.R.R. Tolkien as a popular children's and YA favorite. Plus, protagonist Meg Murray seems to be the modern archetype for the "ordinary" girl: An unpopular, awkward teenager, Meg joins forces with her younger brother and a popular boy at school, traveling through space and time to rescue her missing father. She also serves as proof that boys do read books with female heroines.

14. HIS DARK MATERIALS (Northern Lights/The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass) By PHILLIP PULLMAN Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy has a wide appeal for its powerful storytelling, delightfully subversive plot, and the fresh twist on the classic rescue-adventure tale. Set in a familiar reality (a sort of steampunk Victorian England), the tale follows the journey of Lyra and her daemon (soul companion animals), who journey North to rescue her best friend Roger from a sinister organization that is stealing children. There she encounters Gyptian boatmen, witches, armored polar bears, a Wild West balloonist, and discovers the significance of "Dust," mysterious particles that make up the northern lights.

15. FIVE CHILDREN AND IT
By E. NESBIT
Edith Nesbit has been cited as the first modern writer for children because she chose to write stories based in the real world, rather than secondary worlds such as Wonderland. In this particular case, the titular children are siblings living in Kent, England who discover a sand fairy named Psammead, who grants the children one wish per day—though not always with the results the children intended. . The first in the Psammead trilogy, this book was also the inspiration for several other fantasy books, including Edward Eager's Half Magic.

16. THE PRINCESS BRIDE
By WILLIAM GOLDMAN
Chances are, most of us read The Princess Bride as teens and adults because the movie version was so incredibly comedic and enjoyable. For that alone, the book deserves a place on our list. After all, how often do adults choose to read a fantasy tale of giants, rats of unusual size, swashbuckling pirates, and beautiful damsels in distress? Usually, such things are made for children, but in the case of this action/adventure/romance story, it's exactly as we wish.

17. THE DARK IS RISING SERIES (Over Sea, Under Stone; The Dark is Rising; Greenwitch; The Grey King; Silver on the Tree) By SUSAN COOPER Steeped in Arthurian mythos, this high fantasy series surround Merriman Lyon (meant to be the legendary Merlin, himself), a boy named Will Stanton, and their struggle as Old Ones—magicians of great power who fight as good guys in the eternal battle between Light and Dark. Admittedly, this YA series isn't perfect by any means (Over Sea, Under Stone can be downright tedious, even for its younger target audience), but with a Newbery Medal (The Grey King), a Newbery Honor (The Dark is Rising), and a hearty fan base already prepared to pan the upcoming movie (for being Americanized), the literary and popular appeal of these books is hard to question.

18. ELLA ENCHANTED
By GAIL CARSON LEVINE
Ella Enchanted has the distinction of being one of the few books that kids read regardless of its award-winning status—meaning that non-readers aren't turned off by the silver Newbery Honor seal emblazoned on its cover. This retelling of "Cinderella" centers around a girl cursed to obedience and became an instant classic by engaging readers in a refreshing, hilarious storyline.

19. THE CHRONICLES OF CHRESTOMANCI
(Charmed Life, The Lives of Christopher Chant, Witch Week, The Magicians of Caprona, Mixed Magics, Stealer of Souls, Conrad's Fate, The Pinhoe Egg)
By DIANA WYNNE JONES
Choosing between the Chrestomanci books and Jones's well known Howl's Moving Castle was tough, but a little expert advice from some children's booksellers swayed the decision towards this fantasy series. The books revolve around a powerful magician named the Chrestomanci, an enchanter with nine lives who must regulate the use of magic in a series of parallel universes.

20. THE CHRONICLES OF PRYDAIN
(The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Llyr, Taran Wanderer, The High King, The Founding and Other Tales from Prydain)
By LLOYD ALEXANDER
A series with a Newbery Medal (The High King) and Honor (The Black Cauldron) under its belt, The Chronicles of Prydain is based off Welsh legends rather than the Arthurian legends that fueled some of its contemporaries. Unlike other selections on this list, Prydain hasn't gotten much of a boost from its cinematic adaptation— The Black Cauldron was considered a flop by Disney and shelved for years—but this bildungsroman about a boy intent on proving himself through heroism has plenty of selling points without a movie tie-in. After all, how many books feature a pig who can tell the future? Seriously.

(July, 2007)