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Everyone
on the HBC staff is an adult, so who the heck are we to recommend
good children's and YA fantasy fiction? That's why we've asked
two thirteen-year-old avid readers—and excellent writers
in their own right—to give us the lowdown on ten of their
favorite fantasy books and series.
 Midnight
Magic
By Avi
This Italian Renaissance tale begins when the servant Fabrizio
accompanies his master, Mangus the magician to the king's
castle. There, Mangus is told to dispel a ghost that the princess
Teresina claims is haunting her. But Mangus doesn't believe
in ghosts. While trying to figure out what the mysterious
apparition actually is, Fabrizio and Mangus find themselves
entangled in a huge conspiracy. With realistic characters
and an enjoyably surprising plot twist at the end, Midnight
Magic is fantasy, historical fiction, and mystery all
in one suspenseful book.
I
Am Morgan le Fay
By Nancy Springer
In I Am Morgan le Fay, novelist Nancy Springer writes
a rich and poignant piece of tragedy and fate. Living in a
war-torn medieval land, Morgan discovers a magical blue stone,
then finds out that she is fey, or "of the faeries." She trains
her magic and becomes powerful, but one by one she loses all
that she loves to fate. In this book Morgan tells about the
fleeting joy that life has brought her.
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The
Chanters of Tremaris Trilogy
(The Singer of All Songs,
The Waterless Sea, The Tenth Power)
By
Kate Constable
On
the planet Tremaris, certain people are gifted
with a talent: the ability to perform magic
through different kinds of song. However, one
man is determined to be skilled in all of the
Nine Powers of magic-a supposedly impossible
feat that would make him tyrant of all of Tremaris.
In this spellbinding trilogy of courage and
friendship, chanters named Calwyn and Darrow
travel to far-off lands to stop this man from
uniting Tremaris the wrong way.
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 The
Blue Roan Child
By
Jamieson Findlay
One
day, a wild horse's colts are stolen from the evil lord Ran,
and a girl named Syeira forms a bond with the mare, communicating
with her through smells, to get the colts back. They journey
through difficult lands and meet strange people, and on the
way, Syeira learn things about her mysterious father. Beautifully
written, The Blue Roan Child is the perfect adventure story
for fantasy lovers.
I,
Coriander
By Sally Gardner
I,
Coriander is a magical story narrated by Coriander Hobie,
a young girl who grows up in London during the Commonwealth,
living a happy life as the daughter of Thomas, a merchant,
and her mother Eleanor. Later, she learns of her mother's
true identity and enters the fairy world of her mother's past.
There, she must learn to use her mother's fairy shadow to
defeat an evil queen and save her prince. I, Coriander is
full of vivid descriptions, realistic old-fashioned dialogue,
and has a wonderfully satisfying ending.
 Ella
Enchanted
By Gail Carson Levine
In this variation of "Cinderella," Levine blends classic fairy
tale elements with new, original ideas, such as the humor
and emotion surrounding a fairy's terrible curse on a young
girl: Ella must follow every order that is directed at her.
Readers follow her as she journeys to finishing school, meets
new friends, and falls in love.
Wildwood
Dancing
By Juliet Marillier
Wildwood Dancing is a variation of the fairytale "Twelve
Dancing Princesses," but instead of twelve princesses, there
are five sisters. Jena, Tatiana, Julia, Stela, and Paula enter
a secret world where they dance every full moon. Unfortunately,
Tatiana falls in love with a vampire there, and their greedy
cousin Cezar is slowly becoming more powerful back at home.
Jena struggles to solve all these problems while trying to
defend her family against vampires and other creatures of
the forest. Wildwood Dancing is an exciting and magical
Transylvanian story with a pleasant surprise at its end.
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The
Waterstone
By Rebecca Rupp
Written in a style slightly similar to a legend,
The Waterstone is an adventurous journey
about friendship and loyalty. It tells the story
of Tad, an ordinary boy of the Fisher tribe who
suddenly begins to hear strange voices in his
head and finds that he is not so ordinary after
all. He is the Sagamore, the only person who can
save the tribes when their small world begins
to dry out. Tad sets out on a quest to retrieve
the stolen Waterstone, which has the power to
restore their water. He must carry the burden
of his responsibilities and face great dangers,
including battling a witch. |
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 The
Goose Girl
By Shannon Hale
When Crown Princess Ani journeys to Bayern to marry a prince,
she is mutinied upon by her guards and lady-in-waiting. Ani
must use her gift of animal-speaking to hide in Bayern as
a commoner until she can claim her rightful title. This book
is an enchanting story filled with magic and suspense as Ani
tries to avoid her ruthless former guards.
The Two
Princesses of Bamarre
By Gail Carson Levine
Addie and Meryl are two princesses who share a strong friendship,
though they have different personalities. Princess Addie is
timid and fearful, while Meryl is daring and adventurous.
Unfortunately, when Meryl catches a mysterious and deadly
plague, it is Addie who must find the courage to search for
the prophesied cure. Though written like a fairy tale, this
book carries some deeper meaning, such as the theme of finding
courage and conquering fears to save someone else.
(July,
2007)
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