(Part 3) Best action & adventure books for children according to redditors

Hatchet. Get him Hatchet. Perfect for middle school boys, perfect for thinking about the beauty and power of nature. He'll love it.

The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Johnathan Stroud

Hatchet meets My Side of the Mountain

The Heinlein Juveniles

1. Rocket Ship Galileo, 1947
   
2. Space Cadet, 1948
   
3. Red Planet, 1949
   
4. Farmer in the Sky, 1950
   
5. Between Planets, 1951
   
6. The Rolling Stones aka Space Family Stone, 1952
   
7. Starman Jones, 1953
   
8. The Star Beast, 1954
   
9. Tunnel in the Sky, 1955
   
10. Time for the Stars, 1956
    
11. Citizen of the Galaxy, 1957
    
12. Have Space Suit—Will Travel, 1958
    
    Also..
    
    Completely not SciFi..
    
    Hatchet

looks at flair

A lot of the supplementary information I have is from the Magic Book of Spells. Then the rest is my own analysis of the nuances of the franchise, filling in the gaps on my own, and some opinion.

Also helps that it's a communal effort.

Since Star and Marco's Guide to Mastering Every Dimension (Guide to Life) was released

Found it, thanks! I'll definitely pick it up.

EDIT: Done, will have my own spellbook in a week!

In all honesty, the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings are pretty tough to get into, since they are practically the ur-examples of fantasy, written back when a lot of commercial fiction methodology was still being developed.

When i read a book, I worry first and foremost if I'm entertained, if I am, I'll give it my recommendation, regardless of the flaws. These are the ones I think you'd find best for jumping in with.

YA/Middle Grade Books

• The Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner (post-apocalypse)
  
  
• Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan (modern kid finds he's the son of Poseidon)
  
  
• Leviathan/Behemoth/Goliath by Scott Westerfeld] (World war 1 with mechs and genetically engineered animals)
  
  
• Eragon by Christopher Paolini (a kid finds a dragon egg and fights the big bad guy. As a warning, it uses the exact same monomyth structure as Star Wars so the similarities are... apt.)
  
  
  Fantasy
  
  
• Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson (a gang of thieves try to rob the evil overlord)
  
  
• Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (a brutal war between about a half different factions over who gets the crown. Gets really complex fast so it might not be a great one to start with.)
  
  
• Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (I always say it's Oceans 11 written in the Game of Thrones world)
  Discworld by Terry Pratchet (I'd recommend not starting at the beginning.)
  
  
  Sci-Fi
  
  
• Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (it's Ender's Game. You must read this)
  
  
• Old Man's War by John Scalzi (Not sure how to pitch this. It's space marines fighting everyone)
  
  
• The Sector General Series by James White (It's like House, but in space with aliens. Not without flaws but very underrated in my view)
  
  
  Urban Fantasy
  
  
• The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (a hard boiled private eye who is also a wizard)
  
  
• Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia (Band of mercenaries hunt monsters. The author is very libertarian/right wing so if you can't stand that, you might not like the books. The kindle edition has to be bought from the baen.com bookstore)
  
  
• Grimnoire Chronicles by Larry Correia (1930's with magic, zeppelins, etc Same warning as above, but it's more subdued here.)
  
  
  Thrillers/Suspense
  
  
• Da Vinci Code/Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (even though I think Brown really needs to improve his writing style, he still can get the books going pretty intensely)
  
  
• Jurassic Park, Timeline, Congo, etc by Michael Crichton (a bit tougher reads since they're pretty scientific, but still good stuff)
  
  
• John Grisham's early work such as A Time to Kill, The Firm, Runaway Jury, etc. (legal thrillers but not hard to get into. I'm not a huge fan of his later stuff)

Adding to this bit by HeirToPendragon:

> The Lost Adventures is a collection of official comics from the series that were put in various other places (like Nick Mag). A few tell stories about what happened between seasons.

"The Lost Adventures" also includes the comics that were bundled with the DVD releases (of the non-boxed set variety), like the "Private Fire" comic which came with the Season 3 DVDs. Also, the comics collected in this book are grouped by season, which helps if you want to read them in the chronological order of the show. "The Lost Adventures" is a pretty good collection since it incudes so many comics (it is 240 pages long) and it spans all three seasons of the show, so if you only get one book to start with, this is the one to get.

The four "Lost Scrolls" books (Water, Earth, Fire, Air; alternatively, I think this one book collects all four) include some background information about the four nations in the world of Avatar as well as some first-person stories from Season 1 (basically, some episodes told from the perspective of some of the characters).

The "Earth Kingdom Chronicles" (titles start with "The Tale of [insert character name here]", available for Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Azula, Zuko; I think this one collects some but not all of them) are similar, but for Season 2 and they don't include background info, just first-person perspectives of the episodes. Basically, you follow the individual characters through Season 2.

There's also three little comics set during Season 3 ("Aang's School Days", "Sokka the Sword Master", and "Love Potion #8"). I've heard these aren't that good, but they exist so I'm mentioning them.

"Sozin's Comet" is a novelization of the series finale (the four "Sozin's Comet" episodes).

The new comics, starting with "The Promise, Part 1", are set after the end of Season 3, and those will start coming out early next year.

If you want to read all these Avatar books more or less in chronological order, you'd start with "The Lost Scrolls", then continue with the Season 1 comics in "The Lost Adventures", move on to the "Earth Kingdom Chronicles", then the Season 2 comics in "The Lost Adventures", then the three short Season 3 comics, then the Season 3 comics in "The Lost Adventures", then the "Sozin's Comet" book, then "The Promise" and all that comes after.

And, of course, there's also The Art of the Animated Series, but that's not a graphic novel and would be more for you or for your son when he's older. =)

Edited to add links.

Pretty sure you're thinking of a series called Diadem, particularly the Book of Names, though you've got the characters switched around.

For some reason I don't have the Folio Society edition. Not sure why, their books are lovely, I have quite a few others from them.

My favourite is The Philosopher's Alice, a book which I love for all sorts of personal reasons as well as being a great read. I have a pop-up edition which is pretty cool. I like Automated Alice. The BabyLit Colour Primer is great fun (we have a lot of the Babylit books). Yayoi Kusama's illustrated editon is just gorgeous. Somewhere I have some older (early 20thC) editions with illustrations other than Tenniels but my library is in a state of minor chaos and they're not where they should be. I have a stack of Tenniel editions from various times too, I think the oldest is a lovely small format version with loads of colour plates (his illustrations were redrawn in colour for those) from the early 1930s. I have a very, very battered and falling apart copy of Annotated Alice which if you don't have you should absolutely try to find because it's amazing.

The one I buy for people (usually when they have kids) and for some reason never have myself (yet) is Barnes and Noble's gorgeous leather-bound edition.

From the exhibition which ran in 2015 at the British Library I also have some postcards, a pen, a throw cushion and a mug. Because that's what happens when you have to exit through the gift shop... :)

This artwork is cover art for Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. That's what the artist says, anyways. I unfortunately cannot pin down a version of the book with this image as its cover, but I'll nevertheless link the book in question.

Artist: https://fetsch.deviantart.com/art/Throne-of-Glass-370816312

Fetsch can also be followed here: http://fetschart.blogspot.com/

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Throne-Glass-Book-ebook/dp/B007N6JEII

Fun fact: I discovered this image while searching for a female version of Vergil from Devil May Cry. She looks remarkably similar to Vergil, in my opinion. Here's two side-by-side if you wanna see for yourself: http://i.imgur.com/gcvgiYE.png

1. The Deeds of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon
   
   
2. Maybe Witch World?
   
   
3. No clue

The Dresden Files is a great series; they're sort of fantasy mystery/film noir.

The Bartimaeus Trilogy is more of a teen/young adult series, but it's still very entertaining.

Is it The Last of the Really Great Whangadoodles? I totally read this as a kid, but it's u/RiggSesamekesh's extra details that helped me find the name. I remember so distinctly the scene where he tells the kids to look up instead of looking down like everyone else, and that scene still crosses my mind when I'm walking around sometimes.

My list of authors with first books:


Elizabeth Haydon: Rhapsody; Child of Blood

Elizabeth Kerner; Song in the Silence

Elizabeth Moon: The Deed of Paksenarrion

Kristian Britain: Green Rider

Sara Douglass The Wayfarer Redemption

Robin Mckinley: The Blue Sword

Robin Hobb: Assassin's Apprentice

Mercedes Lackey: Arrows of the Queen

Anne McCaffrey: The Dragonriders of Pern

Meredith Ann Pierce: Birth of the Firebringer

Katharine Kerr: Daggerspell

After not reading them since I was a teenager, I picked them up a couple years ago when they got a new reprint: https://www.amazon.com/Tripods-Collection-White-Mountains-City/dp/1481415050/ref=pd_cp_14_1

A nice edition younger kid's chapter book. Something classic.

This one's only 12 bucks! it's old enough that most people won't have it and it's a nice book.

https://www.amazon.com/Three-Tales-My-Fathers-Dragon/dp/0679889116/

If you're thinking about Eragon, definitely check out My Father's Dragon - similar theme, but much more age appropriate for a 3.5 year old. I'd also recommend The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Pippi Longstocking, Mr. Popper's Penguins, Paddington Bear, the Dr. Dolittle books, and maybe some Roald Dahl (his stories can get a bit creepy so might not be the best for bedtime). There are also some Winnie the Pooh chapter books that might be a good transition from picture books, if he's already familiar with the characters.

To quote the actual magic book of spell www.amazon.com/Star-Forces-Evil-Magic-Spells/dp/136802050X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=magic+book+of+spell&qid=1564824742&s=gateway&sr=8-1 : "anyway, before you know it. I fell in love with myself and the two of us (me and myself) had some kids"

Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles?

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Really-Great-Whangdoodles/dp/0064403149

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles?

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Really-Great-Whangdoodles-Anniversary/dp/0064403149/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479268301&sr=8-1&keywords=the+last+of+the+really+great+whangdoodles

1. Harry Potter series.
   
   
2. Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. -- "Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. When his mom tells him the truth about where he came from, she takes him to the one place he’ll be safe—Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island). There, Percy learns that the father he never knew is actually Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon Percy finds himself caught up in a mystery that could lead to disastrous consequences. Together with his friends—a satyr and other the demigod daughter of Athena—Percy sets out on a quest to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods."
   
   
3. Artemis Fowl series -- "Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is the most ingenious criminal mastermind in history. With two trusty sidekicks in tow, he hatches a cunning plot to divest the fairyfolk of their pot of gold. Of course, he isn't foolish enough to believe in all that "gold at the end of the rainbow" nonsense. Rather, he knows that the only way to separate the little people from their stash is to kidnap one of them and wait for the ransom to arrive. But when the time comes to put his plan into action, he doesn't count on the appearance of the extrasmall, pointy-eared Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaisance) Unit--and her senior officer, Commander Root, a man (sorry, elf) who will stop at nothing to get her back."
   
   
4. Warriors series -- "For generations, four clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to laws laid down by powerful ancestral clans. But now things are changing: ShadowClan has banished WindClan and is threatening RiverClan and ThunderClan by insisting on hunting rights within their territories. What's more, each year the TwoLegs encroach further into the forest, and prey is becoming scarce. A prophecy reveals, "Fire alone can save [the] Clan." Into this dangerous situation wanders a "kittypet," a young, bright orange tomcat whose courage earns him, despite objections by some, a place as an apprentice ThunderClan warrior and the new name of Firepaw. In this first spine-tingling episode in the planned Warriors series, Firepaw learns the ways of the wild life, facing many dangers and treachery both within and without his new clan."
   
   
5. Ink World trilogy -- "Meggie's father Mo has an interesting talent: when he reads aloud, things, and sometimes people, come out of their stories and into the real world. But now the evil Capricorn wants to use Mo's talents to bring himself great wealth and power. Then Meggie discovers that maybe Mo isn't the only one who can read things to life. This is an enchanting story full of adventure, suspense, and magic. The characters are vivid and delightful. Unlike many books for younger readers there is a distinct emphasis on the importance of family as seen in the close relationship between Meggie and her father."
   
   
6. The Edge Chronicles series -- "An un-traditional coming-of-age story, the Edge Chronicles begins with Beyond the Deepwoods, in which our put-upon protagonist, Twig (a misplaced human boy who's being raised by woodtrolls) gets a hint of his true heritage, sheds his Deepwoods upbringing, and does the unthinkable: He strays from the path. Alone for the first time and surviving by his wits, Twig must surmount all manner of perils to pursue a destiny that is whisperingly, mysteriously promised to him "beyond the Deepwoods." From one frying pan to the next (but never quite into the fire) Twig either bests or befriends a ferocious, Carroll-esque menagerie of Deepwoods denizens--from foul-mouthed halitoads and red-faced slaughterers to galumphing banderbears and piranha-Tribble wig-wigs."

If you're more into world-building than story, I think you'd really enjoy some of the reference books. I'm especially thinking of the visual dictionaries which expand on the characters, planets, and tech from the movies. There's also the Galactic Maps and Complete Locations books too, which really are world building books.

The Force Awakens Visual Dictionary

Rogue One Visual Dictionary

The Last Jedi Visual Dictionary

Star Wars Galactic Maps

Star Wars Complete Locations

Please read to her "My Father's Dragon." My favorite book as a child. I still remember the day I finished reading the whole thing myself.

http://www.amazon.com/Three-Tales-My-Fathers-Dragon/dp/0679889116/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1313887592&sr=8-2

I'm pretty sure it's from this book called The Lost Scrolls. I have it stored away in a box deep in my closet and I can't seem to find it right now to verify but it looks the same. I had to find it in the kid's section of bnb.

Also, Amazon link.

[The Lost Scrolls] (http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Scrolls-Collection-Avatar/dp/1416978224/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342117293&sr=1-9&keywords=avatar+the+last+airbender)

That^

Next up for info about this (since it doens't seem like there's time or reason to include it in the rest of S3) should be when the book of spells goes on sale this summer. It's supposed to include info about Mewni's history from 13 queens, including 4 that've never even been mentioned by name in other sources.

http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-5-Minute-Stories-Minute/dp/1484728203/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449797186&sr=1-1&keywords=star+wars+5+minute+stories

You can preorder it here on amazon or barnes/etc

Yes. I bought the boxed set of all 4. The original 3 hold up. I enjoyed reading them again.


https://www.amazon.com/Tripods-Collection-White-Mountains-City/dp/1481415050/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=the+white+mountains+trilogy&qid=1572923979&sprefix=the+white+mountains+&sr=8-2

It was already answered in the r/askreddit post, but in case anyone hits this page on a search, the books are Three Tales of My Father's Dragon and The Phantom Tollbooth.

When I read what you said you wanted the first series that popped in my head was Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. It is a part of a series with a girl named Celaena who is an assassin who has been imprisoned for her crimes. I don't want to spoil anything else but its a great read. It has a love triangle in the first couple of books, but its not porn. I can't stand books like that. It is by far my favorite series and I would check out at least the first book.

Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain. This is a classic 'farm boy becomes the destined hero' story.

I actually found a 5-minute Star Wars book at the book store a few weeks ago. It's got great little stories and fantastic illustrations, straight out of all seven films, that he absolutely loves.

Here is is

This is a good children's story with 借代. 😬

Update: Sorry if the joke isn't obvious.

This is from the Diadem Series by John Peel!!

The part he remembers is the character, Pixel, who lives on a futuristic world called Calomir. The people there live entirely within VR, and all their needs are taken care of by robots or VI.

Deeds of Paksenarrion

An ebook! Thanks for the easy contest. :)

Check out John Christopher's Tripods series.

>when you write the best book about basketball ever

ahem

Yo ...I know it's a little late saying this but if you are collecting the Pokemon Black and White mangas, don't get the mini volumes. This is because a lot of content in the VIZ mini volumes is cut (like the ending). So if you are going to get more, get the normal volumes.

​

Example of the normal volumes :

https://www.amazon.co.uk/POKEMON-ADV-BLACK-WHITE-VOL/dp/142155898X/ref=pd_sbs_14_1/259-0774131-7020511?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=142155898X&pd_rd_r=e993f008-e65d-4c5e-a1f4-2ac44131cd73&pd_rd_w=N8Z8H&pd_rd_wg=mcDpg&pf_rd_p=7f9048ad-9bda-4493-8578-13e4eff8da65&pf_rd_r=2B86A0G9QJKVP6HXZH7X&psc=1&refRID=2B86A0G9QJKVP6HXZH7X

You'll love "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen! It's about a boy who gets stranded in the Canadian wilderness by himself, and how he survives. Well, more than survives - learns what it really means to live. Although the book is targeted at young adults (so it's a quick read), the themes are definitely mature, and the writing style assumes an intelligent reader. I highly recommend.

https://jedi-bibliothek.de/blog/2016/07/vorschau-und-infos-zum-neuen-galactic-atlas/

It is from this book

https://www.amazon.ca/Star-Wars-Galactic-Maps-Illustrated/dp/1368003060/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467818805&sr=8-1&keywords=Star+Wars+Galactic+Maps

Robert Sabuda. Find it here.

Amazon link

Robert Sabuda is the illustrator

These things.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003FHXMDC/

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00137NN94/

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1603201947/

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345518543/

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416978224/

They are things I've been wanting to get for a while.

Tyara, I'm not used to the username yet

/u/Dawlkins because she is a super fun person to talk to

This from her main list because come on, it's a touch and feel batman book :-)

https://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Galactic-Maps-Illustrated/dp/1368003060/

thats the newest canon one

I like Essential Atlas more, but its legends. The Galactic Maps one shows many planet surfaces with points of interest (like spots from the movies).

Example

Order it from amazon and then pray that they can ship it to you http://www.amazon.com/Pok%C3%A9mon-Diamond-Pearl-Adventure-Box/dp/1421542412

Other than that you can read it on mangahere http://www.mangahere.com/manga/pok_mon_dp/

(Warning: they do not have all of the volumes and I have yet to find a website that hosts all 8 volumes of the manga)

easily my favorite manga series! you're gonna have so much fun!

be forewarned, the pokemon Diamond and Pearl adventures

http://www.amazon.com/Pok%C3%A9mon-Diamond-Adventure-Pokemon-Paperback/dp/1421542412

is NOT part of this series. i was not aware and bought the box. it's cool but unrelated.

I have this one. My bookstore ordered the wrong copy of the book by accident but I decided to keep it anyway. It's totally awesome.

The book was better

UPDATE 2: the email Disney Publishing sent me:

"Hello,

I apologize for the inconvenience in your search, however we do not have any control over the Barnes and Noble website nor their warehouses, as they only order from us. However I did find the ISBN you have been looking for on Amazon and have attached the link below.

https://www.amazon.com/Forces-Marcos-Guide-Mastering-Dimension/dp/1484774191/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505758440&sr=8-1&keywords=9781484774199

Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you,
Thank you
Regan D.
Contact Center
Hachette Book Group"

And yes that link is the normal basic version of the book.

For ColoredPencil
http://www.amazon.com/The-Lost-Scrolls-Collection-Avatar/dp/1416978224/ref=wl_it_dp_v_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=30616FH5M0O3V&coliid=I1VLPX7NVIYO4P

Edit: I checked, used should be cool :D

Congrats on welcoming a new little man into your lives soon!

My suggestion is to keep things simple. Babies don't need much to start with and as they get older less is more. I got ideas from this site projectnursery.com when setting up ours. I ended up redoing the layout a few times now and my daughter is only 15 months! We don't have a ton of space so I took out furniture (except the crib) and kept it simple.

In the mean time I don't know what you are into as far as they style of decor so I'll share handmade items from etsy since when I can I go for something crafted by hand that could possibly be one of a kind over mass produced. I say whichever you enjoy, do!

these blocks make a nice toy or decor

wall art that is simple and will be attractive to samuel since it's black & white, babies are drawn to that in the beginning. plus it will go with everything else colorwise

i'm a sucker for baby clothes, just a heads up that going bigger in size can be useful since they grow like weeds for the first year and grow out of things quickly. when he's older you can frame this and make it part of the decor!

i find this saying really charming

this is a little pricey per letter but you can always do his nickname if you have one

this was another wall art that really stood out to me. simple and yet powerful

more art work, this one says HAKUNA MATATA made from license plates, pretty unique

another option for sharing his name on the wall

my favorite thing is subtle add ons, such as these covers for the outlets and switches

if i had the money, i'd get one of these coats probably fox or dino, but here's the amazing lion one

these hats make a really wonderful baby's first photoshoot outfit. we did a giraffe one and not have it displayed in her room

can't go wrong with a wooden toy, these are also great for teething

from amazon, you can't go wrong with a batman book for baby!

a handmade batman doll from etsy

a giant batman wall decall of the bat symbol

a batman / superman reverse cape

batman booties, we have ones similar, they are the best!

another for pictures, batbaby!

a dr. who baby carrier, skip the baby bjorn and go for something like this, better for you and baby

tardis security blanket

monthly picture video game character onesies

tardis onesie

batman onesie with cape!

this is expensive, on amazon, but a really really sweet batman chair for baby

future dr bib

i have to stop there but also thinkgeek.com has lots of baby things!

Saw this book the other day, http://www.amazon.com/My-First-Batman-Book-Touch/dp/1935703013/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333988918&sr=8-1

The best part of summer is laying outside reading!

Therefore, I submit to you, this ebook in my Digital Media list.

BINGO!

I haven't actually started either of these yet, but it'd be pretty awesome to read the Song of Fire and Ice or Percy Jackson! <3 <3

I'd like some butterbeer!

Also, I haven't read the HP books either :(

Anyone in the uk know the difference between viz kids pokemon adventure diamond and pearl and pokemon adventure diamond and pearl platinum.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pok%C3%A9mon-Diamond-Pearl-Adventure-Box/dp/1421542412/ref=pd_cart_vw_2_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1421542412&pd_rd_r=GVF734G5R0ZKCC4M3Z7R&pd_rd_w=eX3i6&pd_rd_wg=Ee0FH&psc=1&refRID=GVF734G5R0ZKCC4M3Z7R


https://www.amazon.co.uk/POKEMON-ADVENTURES-DIAMOND-PEARL-PLATINUM/dp/1421577771/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VHFM3PDJ6BQWVRP3R4NA

Be a real big help if someone can help me out figuring the difference. Or is it simply just diamond and pearl platinum contains platinum as well.

>The Last of the Very Great Whangdoodles

https://www.amazon.fr/Last-Really-Great-Whangdoodles/dp/0064403149?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-brave-fr-21&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=0064403149

One of the Diadem books maybe?

I (and most of the subreddit, from what I've read) would recommend Brandon Sanderson's Way of Kings (the blurbs are pretty bad descriptions of the book, IMO), if you haven't read it. It's long and it takes a while to build, but it's very different from the standard, cliche fantasy and at the end it is worth the build-up. My husband and I don't often like the same books, but we both agree on that one. I've read all of his books and, while I think a lot of authors tend to decline in quality the more prolific they are, he seems to avoid that. He also writes very quickly, which is a nice change from reading George R.R. Martin. I would honestly and strongly recommend anything he's written except his first trilogy, Mistborn (which, to be fair, is the first thing of his that I read and it encouraged me to read more of his work...it was just my least favorite of everything he's written).

My husband and I both also liked the Death Gate cycle (first one is Dragon Wing). It does have all the standard fantasy races, but they're used in very different ways and they're considered minor, almost disposable races instead of magical and amazing.

I liked Jennifer Fallon's Second Sons trilogy (first is The Lion of Senet). She has another pair of trilogies (The Demon Child and Wolfblade), and I would say that the Wolfblade trilogy is my favorite of all her work, but it's a bit more sword-and-board than the Second Sons trilogy.

If you're okay with young adult-appropriate fare (written in the 40s), John Christopher (who wrote the fairly famous Tripods trilogy) wrote a trilogy that was unlike anything I'd read at the time called the Sword of the Spirits. It's technically Sci-Fi, but it's more of a fantasy-scifi blend (if you've read Anne McCaffrey's Pern series, it sits on the same sort of line). It's out of print until apparently next February, but there are copies available of older editions for a penny plus shipping.

I also really liked Robin Hobb's Assassin trilogy and the books that followed. I think her later books move a little slowly and with too much repetitive internal monologue, but her world-building is amazing and very immersive. The Assassin trilogy is her first (under that pseudonym, at any rate) and moves a lot faster. Since this is in a thread about Robin Hobb and you may have already read her books, I'll also recommend Robin McKinley (different Robin)'s Damar books (The Blue Sword and Hero and the Crown). They're sometimes listed as young adult, but she's another author whose books are listed there because they're age-appropriate and not because they're dumbed down.

Of all of these, I've reread Brandon Sanderson's and Weis and Hickman's (the Death Gate cycle) books the most. They both (or all three of them, I guess) have a really smooth prose that makes fantastical things easy to read about without tons of dry explanation, and I would consider them to be the most creative with their plots, as well.

Anne Bishop (who I mentioned in my earlier post)'s Black Jewels trilogy has a really creative world and a new magic system, but again, it's a lot like Disney taking a crack at a torture porn film like Saw. It's a very unusual style that not everyone is going to enjoy. Her Tir Alainn books are both less violent and less fan-fictiony, but everything she's written after that has been flatly formulaic and based around a straight-up Mary Sue heroine, so I wouldn't bother.

At any rate, I hope something in there sounds interesting to you. Given that almost all of these are trilogies, this is a much longer list than five books, but it's hard to pick :)

I've read most of those and LOVED them. I'll just say you're looking for fictional "good books" and go from there. I recommend:

1. Lies of Locke Lamora and its sequels by Scott Lynch. My favorite books of all time--and that's saying something. It's about a gang of con-artist thieves caught between their biggest heist and a powerful mage and his employer, who wants to use them as a cat's paw.
   
   
2. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Excellent fantasy with a witty, resourceful, extremely intelligent protagonist. Set in two timelines, the protagonist is the only survivor of a gypsy clan that was destroyed by a powerful enemy he vows to hunt down.
   
   
3. The Orphans of Chaos trilogy by John C. Wright. Amazingly original fantasy, with 4 paradigms of power and featuring a showdown between the Titans and Olympian gods.
   
   
4. The Golden Age Trilogy also by John C. Wright. This is faaaaar-future sci-fi (think 1+ million years), it's extremely creative, and if anyone else had attempted to write it, it would have turned into gobbledygook.
   
   
5. The Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King starting with The Beekeeper's Apprentice. This is a re-imagined Sherlock Holmes series done very well, set after his official retirement, when he meets a young woman who matches his intellect and observation skills and decides to take her on as protege.
   
   
6. The Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix. Pretty great YA fantasy in which trained practitioners can move beyond the gates of death...and have to battle things that come back from beyond those gates.
   
   
7. The Bartimaeus trilogy by Jonathon Stroud. I had a ball with these books when they came out. Features a snarky demon and his master.
   
   
8. The Hungry City Chronicles by Phillip Reeve. Set in a post-apocalyptic type world where cities are mobile and move around, chasing smaller cities down across the landscape and cannibalizing them for resources.
   

Don't forget my first batman book: touch and feel


http://www.amazon.com/My-First-Batman-Book-Touch/dp/1935703013/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395500261&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=my+first+barman+book

Based on what you mentioned, I think that Scott Westerfield's steampunk series might be the right level for him. I'd say it's on par with Harry Potter for reading comprehension level, and if your kiddo likes Star Wars and spies, I'd certainly try him out on steampunk. [Leviathan] (http://www.amazon.com/Leviathan-Scott-Westerfeld-ebook/dp/B002PMVQ7M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1394298609&sr=8-2&keywords=leviathan) is the first one.

Also, how about the [Hardy Boys] (http://www.amazon.com/Hardy-Boys-01-Tower-Treasure-ebook/dp/B001R11C8A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1394298577&sr=8-2&keywords=hardy+boys) books? They're definitely above the level of Skippy Jon Jones, but I don't think they're as challenging as Harry Potter. And if he likes them...there are about 1000 of them, I believe.

Back to the sci-fi feel, I strongly suggest [The White Mountains] (http://www.amazon.com/White-Mountains-Tripods-John-Christopher-ebook/dp/B0045UADFS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394298635&sr=8-1&keywords=the+white+mountains) and sequels. These were serialized in the Boy Scout magazine "Boys Life" years and years ago.

And on the fantasy side, you can't go wrong with Lloyd Alexander's version of the Arthurian mythology, the [Prydain Chronicles.] (http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Prydain-Lloyd-Alexander-ebook/dp/B00FIL33QY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1394298663&sr=8-2&keywords=the+book+of+three) I've linked here to a set of all 5 for $20; I notice that the books cost $5 individually, so you save a bit on the set.

And I love love love you're encouraging him to read so much! I'm the same way with my daughter; one of my proudest moments was catching her reading by flashlight an hour after bedtime. :) Now she's even proofreading and editing my novels as I write! It seems like there's never enough emphasis on young people reading, with so much electronic competition...

The Phantom Tollbooth! Oh, and /u/BrownEyedGirl79 probably has some great recommendations here, too.

The books that got me started on fantasy were These. The only issue he might have is a few of the words are old english pronuciations i.e. Caer.

The Phantom Tollbooth

silhouettes

This craft knife is the cheapest thing almost out I have.

Or this boxed set would be awesome. Thanks!

If you're interested in a Young Adult book series where the main character does summon evil demons to do his bidding, I recommend The Bartimaeus Trilogy.

If you're interested in the physical copies, all the volumes of BW are available on Amazon. I prefer the standard manga sized book as opposed to the smaller size ones found in the box sets. Here is a link to volume 1. The remaining volumes are listed in the suggested items. I actually just finished the last volume of BW last night. It was a really solid story overall, my only complaint is that they try to incorporate all of the legendaries from that gen, and it feels pretty forced. It was still one of my favorite runs of the series though.

(Do I have to do everything myself?)
https://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars®-Secrets-Galaxy-Deluxe/dp/1452159254?keywords=star+wars+rebel+files&qid=1537611749&sr=8-6&ref=mp_s_a_1_6 https://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Awakens-Survival-Replica/dp/0794435696?keywords=star+wars+journals+rey&qid=1537611827&sr=8-1&ref=mp_s_a_1_1 (there's a ton of these so I'm not gonna look them all up but you can look in the recommended to find the rest) https://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Guardians-Galaxy-Intergalactic-Survival/dp/0794440703?keywords=gotg+rocket%27s+rules&qid=1537612130&sr=8-1-fkmr1&ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr1_1 https://www.amazon.com/Arrow-Oliver-Dossier-Nick-Aires/dp/1783295228?keywords=Oliver+queen+dossier&qid=1537612197&sr=8-1-fkmrnull&ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmrnull_1 https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Files-Matthew-Manning/dp/1449481329?keywords=the+batman+files&qid=1537612254&sr=8-1&ref=mp_s_a_1_1 (and if your hunger still isn't satisfied) https://www.amazon.com/Betty-Veronicas-Guide-Disney-Group/dp/0786855673?keywords=disney+guide+to+life+books&qid=1537612435&sr=8-16&ref=mp_s_a_1_16 https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Meets-World-Mastering-Middle/dp/1484727878?keywords=disney+guide+to+life+books&qid=1537612499&sr=8-2&ref=mp_s_a_1_2 https://www.amazon.com/Forces-Marcos-Guide-Mastering-Dimension/dp/1484774191?keywords=disney+guide+to+life+books&qid=1537612499&sr=8-3&ref=mp_s_a_1_3 https://www.amazon.com/S-T-R-Labs-Ramons-Journal/dp/1785651277?keywords=cisco+ramon+journal&qid=1537612666&sr=8-1&ref=mp_s_a_1_1 https://www.amazon.com/Tobins-Spirit-Guide-Official-Ghostbusters/dp/1608877086/ref=pd_aw_fbt_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=H1NAHC5CKM6KR406NWPQ https://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-Our-Past-Figuratively-Paranormal/dp/1101906006/ref=pd_aw_sim_14_of_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=KJTGXHC5D28RZ2Y2DW05 https://www.amazon.com/Ghostbusters-Handbook-2016-Movie-ebook/dp/B0167565VE/ref=pd_aw_sim_351_of_6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ABDC7B745X68RR3RXXE0 https://www.amazon.com/Ghostbusters-Ectomobile-Troy-Benjamin/dp/1608875121/ref=pd_aw_sim_14_of_23?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3S1SGC323GY6WQX81P9Q https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Universe-Travel-Guides-Guardians/dp/1608878546 (the last 3 are personal favorites, I really do like these kinds of books though because they immerse you so much. Have fun.)

Can't Go wrong with this classic

It's like this only non-fiction. Wow.

https://www.amazon.com/Pokémon-Diamond-Pearl-Adventure-Pokemon/dp/1421534916

There’s volume 7.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1421536714/ref=pd_aw_fbt_14_img_2/140-2082962-2260918?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=H92G8DJC4G8JY1FRP0PM

There’s volume 8.

https://www.amazon.ca/Pokémon-Diamond-Pearl-Adventure-Box/dp/1421542412

There’s the box set.

My fathers dragon. Buy the complete trilogy for like 12 bucks

http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-5-Minute-Stories-Minute/dp/1484728203

Funny you should mention that: https://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Galactic-Maps-Illustrated/dp/1368003060

I'm been trying to collect all the Pokemon Adventures Manga, and I've managed to collect all the books until Vol. 44 (https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Adventures_volume_44). However, looking online, I've only been able to see these Black and White chapters sold as Vol. 1 to Vol. 20 on amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Pok%C3%A9mon-Adventures-Black-White-Pokemon/dp/142155898X/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1537612118&sr=8-6&keywords=pokemon+adventures+vol.+1), instead of continuing from Vol. 43. I was wondering whether there is any difference in content between the ones labelled Vol.1 - Vol. 20, compared to the ones that continue from Vol.43 onwards, or whether it's just publishing differences. I was also wondering if anyone knew where to purchase the versions that continue from Vol.43 in english.

I loved that pop up book!

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and Robert Sabuda

I'm right there with you. I'm a bit old school as well. If they print it, I'll buy it. Goes for comics, novels, and even other books that aren't "novels". I like getting the Incredible Cross Sections books and the Galactic Maps type books. They're really cool!

Oh. Thanks for the info.

In a couple of weeks, this book comes out.

https://www.amazon.com/Forces-Marcos-Guide-Mastering-Dimension/dp/1484774191/ref=s9u_simh_gw_i2?_encoding=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=&pf_rd_r=36VCAHX9QCYX2GMRXD2X&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=1cded295-23b4-40b1-8da6-7c1c9eb81d33&pf_rd_i=desktop

I've been having the urge to re-read The Chronicles of Prydain but my sister was the one who had the books when we were kids.

Also, the Reading Rainbow theme is in my head now. Even this version.

this is the book that turned me into a reader when I was a kid. Anyone else?

http://www.amazon.com/Pok%C3%A9mon-Adventures-Black-White-Pokemon/dp/142155898X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1395035832&sr=8-2&keywords=pokemon+adventures+black+and+white