Introducing a Kid to Fantasy & Sci-Fi
I read someone's entry this morning and some of the comments posted to it got me to thinking a bit. The general direction of the comments were that JK Rowling has intrigued a lot of readers to the fantasy genre, and while they may read some of the "modern" fantasy, they aren't resorting to the staples of fantasy fiction.
Both of my boys like fantasy, and the older one's heading in the sci-fi direction as well. He's a bookworm of the sort that makes me look like a slow reader. What got him started? A former friend send J1 a collection of Lloyd Alexander's Prydain novels. He was barely a first grader at the time, but he dove into them and hasn't looked back since. The Prydain paperbacks are now tattered and careworn, read over and over again by J1. He then added Robin McKinley to his favorites list and devoured her offerings. Those paperbacks are as tattered as the Prydain ones. Others followed, and he didn't lay hands on a JKR book until December of last year (but has since read all but the newest one). Kids *can* enjoy fantasy that doesn't come in the Harry Potter hype... if they're introduced to it.
J1 will read anything put in front of him. He likes Alexander, McKinley, Piers Anthony, Chris D'Lacey, Cordelia Funke, Andre Norton, Philip Pullman, Jenny Nimmo, Jules Verne, HG Wells, Laurence Yep, and Garth Nix (plus others I'm sure I'm forgetting). Currently, he's still working on convincing me to give him my Anne McCaffrey Dragonriders of Pern collection (since he's already appropriated my Norton collection). He's finished off The Hobbit twice and wants the rest of Tolkien's works (the boy's far more determined a reader than his mom is there!).
J2 a bit more picky. He tends more towards books that feature animals, such as Chris D'Lacey's books. He's far more of a non-fiction reader than a fiction reader, which I can't really complain about.
But I realized today I have missed a major author in J1's fantasy book collection. He has never read any of the Narnia novels. I think he will really enjoy those, and probably J2 will as well. I need to get a Redwall book or two for J2 sometime, as I think he will really love that genre of fantasy with his love of animals as characters.
One of these days I have to get their book ratings online... they are keeping a notebook of books read, and their rating of the book's quality. I think it will be a good addition to my Books for Boys page.
Both of my boys like fantasy, and the older one's heading in the sci-fi direction as well. He's a bookworm of the sort that makes me look like a slow reader. What got him started? A former friend send J1 a collection of Lloyd Alexander's Prydain novels. He was barely a first grader at the time, but he dove into them and hasn't looked back since. The Prydain paperbacks are now tattered and careworn, read over and over again by J1. He then added Robin McKinley to his favorites list and devoured her offerings. Those paperbacks are as tattered as the Prydain ones. Others followed, and he didn't lay hands on a JKR book until December of last year (but has since read all but the newest one). Kids *can* enjoy fantasy that doesn't come in the Harry Potter hype... if they're introduced to it.
J1 will read anything put in front of him. He likes Alexander, McKinley, Piers Anthony, Chris D'Lacey, Cordelia Funke, Andre Norton, Philip Pullman, Jenny Nimmo, Jules Verne, HG Wells, Laurence Yep, and Garth Nix (plus others I'm sure I'm forgetting). Currently, he's still working on convincing me to give him my Anne McCaffrey Dragonriders of Pern collection (since he's already appropriated my Norton collection). He's finished off The Hobbit twice and wants the rest of Tolkien's works (the boy's far more determined a reader than his mom is there!).
J2 a bit more picky. He tends more towards books that feature animals, such as Chris D'Lacey's books. He's far more of a non-fiction reader than a fiction reader, which I can't really complain about.
But I realized today I have missed a major author in J1's fantasy book collection. He has never read any of the Narnia novels. I think he will really enjoy those, and probably J2 will as well. I need to get a Redwall book or two for J2 sometime, as I think he will really love that genre of fantasy with his love of animals as characters.
One of these days I have to get their book ratings online... they are keeping a notebook of books read, and their rating of the book's quality. I think it will be a good addition to my Books for Boys page.