(Part 2) Best fantasy & magic books for children according to redditors

I found his novel. You can read some of the first pages they are pretty great first sentences below.

>It was three years ago that Sael and Daz entered the war.
>"Daz slow down!" Sael called to Daz as he ran outside the university and down the cobblestone bridge.

Princess Princess Ever After

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1620103400

Did you, by chance, learn from this book? It helped me get my Dragonology degree

Let's meet Zack!

Also... he's a published author, go buy 10 copies lol

I wrote a book and self-published it on amazon two weeks ago. I started writing it January of 2016 as a serial on a fiction hosting website and I only finished editing and polishing it now. I go by the pen name Virlyce. My book is called The Blue Mage Raised by Dragons and it has been successful way beyond my expectations (I expected to sell around 20 copies honestly). I've hit amazon's best seller rank of 400 in the paid kindle store and it's not even offered for KU. I've reached top ten for fantasy>humorous, fantasy>sword&sorcery and it feels amazing.
Right now, I'm proofreading it by having someone read it out loud to me, so I can confidently request paperbacks and audiobooks for my novel. Writing feels great.

Uprooted is phenomenal, tonally/stylistically I’m not sure I’ve ever read anything like it. For a loose take on Rumpelstiltskin, take a look at her new book Spinning Silver, as it is equally good (though in a different way). Uprooted was derived from a polish fairy tale in much the same way, but the execution is so deft you would never know it if it weren’t pointed out. Lately I’ve been very disappointed with YA/Adult Fantasy book endings, but this one was fulfilling and conclusive in just the right way. Seriously, check them out.

I don’t know if you do much YA, but Tamara Pierce has been one of my favorite authors since childhood. Her early works are aimed slightly younger, but more recent books (I would recommend starting with The Provost’s dogs trilogy) are solid YA.

Similarly, I loved the world building in Sharon Shinn’s Elemental Blessings collection. Although the stories fit together nicely, each book is written as a stand alone narrative, a format I don’t often find but enjoyed (less pressure to read multiple books just to complete the storyline, fewer elements to juggle and keep in your head over an extended plot arch, etc.)

Also, I never hear it mentioned, but Maria Snyder’s Study series, beginning with Poison Study is quite good as well.

I hope you find something that sounds like a good fit, and I’m glad you asked the question, since I’m hearing some good suggestions that I now want to read too.

His fantasy writing looks kinda entry level

In this case, you can get pretty close to your wish.

It sounds very similar to Enchantress of the Stars . The author Sylvia Engdahl wrote a series in this universe,. The Wikipedia description is not super great either for the book.

Edited: it has been a long time since I read the book. The amazon description is better. enchantress of the Stars

I do have a favorite trope! It's the like Knight/Princess trope. It comes in multiple forms, like bodyguard and rich girl, etc. I don't even know why I like it so much. It's not even always like a butch/femme thing, but occasionally it happens. I always like that like Stoic/sweet juxtaposition that is common between the knight and princess. Ones like https://www.amazon.com/Princess-Ever-After-Katie-ONeill/dp/1620103400

This?

http://www.amazon.com/Outer-Limits-Vanished-Tor-Paperback/dp/0812575644/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345238965&sr=1-2&keywords=outer+limits+john+peel

I'm 99% those definitions are from a book called Dragonology (as in 100% they are in that book, 99% sure OP got them from there). I used to have a copy when I was young and still use those same definitions.

Link to Amazon UK page

It's written like a textbook/victorian field notes thing. Actually a pretty good book for imaginative kids (and, if I'm being honest, adults too. I might actually go see if it's in the house somewhere.)

EDIT: I assume most of the "information" in that book is generated by the author, but I'm not sure how much of it is just written up from general folklore/mythology. I'd say very little based on how specific and categories the stuff is compared to folklore and mythology, which are almost always HUGELY unspecific about descriptions on... anything.

This is going to seem like a really strange choice, but it's coming from another 16 year old. I recommend Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman, as it is one of my absolute favorite books. It may only appeal to him if he likes science or engineering, but it's worth a shot regardless.

In a similar vein to the Chronicles of Narnia, may I recommend The Hobbit/ The Lord of the Rings? Both are great stories that he may like. Although they are not the best written books in terms of writing quality (in my opinion), the Inheritence Cycle by Christopher Paolini might appeal for entertainment value. Perhaps a lesser known author that I greatly enjoy is Megan Whalen Turner, author of The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia. I just became aware of this book and have thus never read it, but A Conspiracy of Kings by the same author is bound to be good.

Steering away from fantasy, he may also like science fiction. I recommend any Ray Bradbury. Most of his stories are short, so for someone who doesn't read often they are great. My favorite are the Martian Chronicles, but R is for Rocket is also a good compilation. All of the Artemis Fowl series are recommended as well.

If I think of any more, I will certainly edit this post.

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Mage-Raised-Dragons-ebook/dp/B0738SBVTF

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/5029/the-blue-mage-raised-by-dragons
Here's one I like.

If "until the end of the universe" counts as "forever", check out The Starlight Crystal by Christopher Pike. It's a YA novel, so even though I remember really liking it in junior high, YMMV as to how well it holds up. Same goes for The Ellimist Chronicles which will probably only make sense if you're familiar with the Animorphs series.

If you're willing to accept side characters rather than protagonists, there's Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged and Marvin in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, as well as Anne Poole in Fine Structure.

And if you're interested in movies with this theme, you might like The Man from Earth.

I am going to take issue with that Brave New World and Hunger Games are dystopian, but not science fiction" line. The article linked to explain that distinction is based around the idea that dystopia must involve an ideological critique and uses The Matrix as an illustrative example, but doesn't seem to talk about what makes something science fiction rather than just blanket speculative fiction. (e.g. According to the author, The Matrix is not dystopian because the central narrative line is a messiah's human triumph over machines in thriller format, not the prediction/parable about humanity's end that would mark it as dystopian according to the thesis. I disagree.)

As far as I'm concerned, science fiction incorporates technology and/or science that is conceivable, but not currently available. So I'd say Brave New World's Bokanovsky's Process and The Hunger Games' genetic engineering in the form of mockingjays and tracker jackers as well as the flight craft and force fields and massive leaps in other technologies easily qualify them both as sci-fi. And dystopian.

So ha. ^Though ^you ^might ^get ^me ^to ^argue ^that ^Brave ^New ^World ^is ^actually ^utopian.

More Recommended Dystopian Sci-Fi Reads:

• Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (adult literary sci-fi). Hyper-relevant commentary on social stratification, corporate power, class warfare, and rampant genetic engineering. One of my favorite books ever. Companion volumes (not sequels) are The Year of the Flood and MaddAddam
  
• Feed by M.T. Anderson (YA sci-fi), where everyone has the internet in their heads from birth. The consequences of instantaneous gratification and hypercapitalism. Super depressing and yet another one of my favorite books.
  
• Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (YA and a free ebook, btw). Maybe not the best ever, but hyper-relevant and you can treat it as a primer on internet security, higher level math, and coding. In near-future California, a teenage hacker is swept up by the Department of Homeland Security following a terrorist attack. Serious social commentary on mass surveillance and privacy.
  
• World War Z by Max Brooks, bearing no resemblance to the movie beyond the name (adult post-apocalyptic, an easy - and favorite - read. The abridged audiobook is good too). Despite the zombie apocalypse, this might not even count as dystopian because the interconnected interview narratives about the triumphs of human ingenuity are pretty uplifting. Themes of social change, the levels we'll sink to for survival, resilience...
  
• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (YA sci-fi). At 16, the perfect society will make you pretty... And dumb. Society's obsession with beauty, etc, etc. I thought the series went downhill, but this is worth reading.
  
• Habibi by Craig Thompson (adult graphic novel). Half exegesis, half narrative about a post-apocalyptic Middle East mixed with stories from the Qu'ran and Arabian Nights. Deconstruction of the human spirit in a dying world, mainly.
  
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (adult literary). If you've even seen the movie trailer, half of the slow build to "something is not quite right" in the book is lost.
  
• Incarceron and Sapphique by Catherine Fisher (YA steampunk-ish). This almost broke my favorite books list. Almost. Two worlds: one steampunk, labyrinthine prison, one fake medieval "real" world.
  
  Dystopian and Not Quite Sci-Fi Recommendations:
  
  
• The Giver by Lois Lowry (MG). Forget the movie trailer. The book we read back in elementary school was more about a utopian society going back to a simpler time and a 12-year old discovering the cracks and making his own decisions.
  
• Wicked by Gregory Maguire (adult literary fantasy). Different once again from the Broadway show, this is The Wizard of Oz told from the POV of the Wicked Witch of the West. All about the nature and definition of evil, but even then it might not count as dystopian. The Wizard is a Nazi, btw.
  
• The Selection by Kiera Cass (YA popcorn). This is seriously only making the list because of the popcorn aspect and where it seemed like it was going to go before The One ruined all the political drama and revolution that could have happened. Basically a fun Mary Sue-fest about princess lessons in a future-North American caste society.
  
• How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff (YA spec fic). Anorexic teen during WWIII. Plenty of survival and resilience questions, but no new tech, so not really sci-fi, I'd say.
  
• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (adult literary spec fic). Could arguably belong on the list above, but there's not much in the way of technology. At all. With declining birth rates due to pollution, the US becomes a theocracy. Written in response to the rise of evangelical politics in the 80s much like Oryx and Crake was in response to the politics of the early 21st century, but the main takeaway I got from it was that anthropologists are unconscionable.
  
• Into the Forest by Jean Hegland (adult literary spec fic). I didn't like this one at the time because the symbolism was so heavy-handed it bordered on magical realism and I couldn't understand the MC's decisions, but it grew on me in retrospect. After a flu pandemic, two teenage sisters live mostly on their own.
  
  But really, this whole article setup is eerily reminiscent of the "____ Literary Trope is Not Worthy!" followed by "Rebuttal!" linkbait we've been seeing a lot.

Haven't seen a lot of Final Fantasy style Blue Mages in books. The Blue Mage Raised by Dragons is the only one I'm aware of that does it directly, and I haven't actually read that one myself.

I'll probably put one in one of my books eventually, but that'll be a ways off.

Three of the best after Ice and Fire:

The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix (trilogy)

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman (trilogy)

The Earthsea series

Website. Amazon. My work here is done. Oh and cool book OP.

A wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin. I found this book at about the same time I found Ender's Game.

dragonology?

That’s so weird, I was just looking at the hardback box set because my best friend asked for it for her birthday, but gosh dang the set costs $56.99!

It sounds like it could be part of a series - The Outer Limits: The Vanished, by John Peel.

>Where is everybody?
>
>The alarm clock goes off. You wake up and get ready for school, just like every other day. So what's the big deal? Well, what if one morning you suddenly discovered that you were one of the last surviving people on Earth? That's right, everyone else has disappeared. No idea how, no idea why, just...gone--vanished. This has come true for a small group of teenagers who have just awakened to their worst nightmare.
>
>But it gets worse. Someone--or something--is hunting them down.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple


Every Day by David Levithan


Tree of Codes by Jonathan Safran Foer


Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

This is my daughter's favorite book! Princess Princess Ever After

There was a thread yesterday with a lot of suggestions for an 8 year old girl

I'd imagine it's all good for a 7 year old too?

Illustrated Hobbit is probably great too. I had some hobbit comic as a kid and I loved it.

There's also Princess Princess: Ever After

how do you feel about these reviews? Do you take them into consideration for your next book?

well, there was a post here a few days ago about the amazon lightning deal for the Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey (Collector's Edition) which i suppose would be considered not run of the mill since there are only 3,000 copies. mine just got delivered yesterday and it's fantastic! i havent had time to fully go through anything yet, but im looking forward to it :) the monster book of monsters is sweeeet :D

I always tell people to read The Wanting Seed. Such an amusing yet thought-provoking read.

Edit:

• The Wanting Seed by Anthony Burgess
  
• Matched series by Allie Condie
  
• The Barcode Tattoo series by Suzanne Weyn
  
• Violet Eyes by Nicole Luiken
  
• Shade's Children by Garth Nix
  
• The Game by Monica Hughes
  
• The Uglies series by Scott Westerfield
  
• Proxy series by Alex London
  
• The Maze Runner series by James Dashner
  
• Incarceron series by Catherine Fisher

David Levithan also wrote Every Day, which is one of my favorite YA books. The main character can't really be defined, so they're not really gay or straight or anything.

> Fitting a Cop into a Fantasy game doesn’t really work, though a City Guard would.

False, it just has to be done right.

Something you may want to consider is a bullet-format list. People are less likely to read long paragraphs, so you could do:

• Choose your character details so that they will keep you entertained the entire campaign while not annoying your friends (too much). Just be aware that picking a silly name or background can become stale as it wears thin over a few sessions. How serious do you want to be?
  
• Concept is the most important factor to deciding details and backgrounds. The earlier in the process the better. At this point you just want to pick a Theme that can be as short as one word and up to a full sentence. All you need to start is a basic idea of the basic World of a system.
  
  Fitting a Cop into a Fantasy game doesn’t really work, though a City Guard would. Already with just that you likely know you are a fighter type character (knight/fighter/barbarian/etc). You can expand on that concept with descriptions like “Alcoholic” or “Shady” to expand on what kind of Guard you are. Taking that up to a full sentence can bring out all the more. “George was a City Gaurdsman who was kicked out for Shady habits and forced to take up Mercenary work.” This might lead to a more stealthy combat character, possibly a split Rogue/Fighter, that is working for personal greed or just plain laziness.
  
• The Truths that binds the Lies. Writing and playing a character takes some imagination to place yourself into that person’s shoes. The primary factor that can assist or break immersion is your own experience.
  
  Having a young player (pre-driver’s license) choose a Professional Stunt Driver makes for a dissonant game as realism has to be put on hold for any Car Chase that might come up. This isn’t a perfect example as younger groups would tend to the silly side of things and suspension of realism isn’t a big deal.
  
• From here it gets down to each game’s mechanics. “The Devil is in the Details” as they say but hopefully this will get you started. Sometimes that’s the hardest thing to do.
  
• Small details brought from your personal background gives life to the characters you play. It is difficult but not impossible to play a role you have little knowledge about. But the more you add to a character you can’t see yourself doing, the more difficult it will become to play.
  
  From here it gets down to each game’s mechanics. “The Devil is in the Details” as they say but hopefully this will get you started. Sometimes that’s the hardest thing to do.

Shameless self promotion for my book! :) http://www.amazon.com/Dreamers-Story-Sam-Kullen/dp/1460919513/ref=la_B005H7HJRI_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348363790&sr=1-1

You may like it, look into it, you can get a sample, too.

I would also strongly suggest the Pendragon series by DJ Machale. Very awesome books.

Enchantress from the Stars? http://www.amazon.com/Enchantress-Stars-Sylvia-Engdahl/dp/0142500372#productDescription_secondary_view_pageState_1418509244301

I saw this link in my Twitter feed tonight, and thought I would share it! This is seriously one of the better indie fantasy reads I have read and it was only Volume 1. I believe that the Kindle version is only .99, so give it a look.

The interior art was pretty cool in the first book. Volume 2's interior art looks pretty cool as well, and thought it was worth a look.

EDIT: Apparently, Volume 1 is actually free on Amazon right now

Never mind, I found it. I guess I just hadn't looked hard enough. It was "The Outer Limits - The Vanished"

I really like his writing. Every day (also by Levithan) has a ftm in there for a brief moment, but I really liked that book regardless.

[The Godking's Legacy]
[The Blue Mage Raised by Dragons]

Tamora Pierce's Beka Cooper series is written in first person (diary format). Main character's in training to be a police officer of sorts. I love Tamora Pierce, but the format honestly makes it my least favorite of her Tortall series, even though it's longer and more mature than most (the others are in third person).

http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%83%8F%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%BB%E3%83%9D%E3%83%83%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BC%E3%81%A8%E8%B3%A2%E8%80%85%E3%81%AE%E7%9F%B3-1-J-K-%E3%83%AD%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B0/dp/4915512371/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1346437145&sr=8-14

You have a point. What I think is dangerous about that approach is that the criteria for banning a book is never really defined properly.

You could, in all fairness, say that this book encourages witchcraft - a serious charge in some parts of the world. It should, therefore, be banned. This book openly advocates the use of illegal drugs. This one commands you to stone misbehaving children and give your daughters to slavery if necessary (haw haw).

If you ban one book, where do you draw the line? Who gets to decide what's acceptable and what's not?

Like another commenter said, you should start with something you enjoy—either something in a genre you enjoy or a book you've read before and really enjoyed.

I enjoy anime and have read some manga in English, so I plan on reading more in JP as I gain experience. I've started with Yotsubato which is beginner friendly and has English translations, in case you need them. Sometime next year, I plan on starting to read novels. I've decided to get the first two Harry Potter books. Why Harry Potter? Well, it's a series I've enjoyed before. It has been years since I re-read a HP book, but I was super obsessed with them as a kid, so I'm thinking, I'll be able to maintain interest. Another reason is that since HP is written in simple, child-friendly language, I'm assuming the JP edition will be too. I've read some comments on Amazon and people are saying that they are using it to improve their Japanese and that it's a great resource for Japanese learners as it is simple enough to follow what's going on. I also read somewhere that the first few books in the series have a lot of Furigana (thus beginner-friendly), but as you get to the later books, they start using less Furigana. I plan on starting with the first two books (Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets). When I'm done with those, if I'll still be interested in continuing with HP, I'll get the rest of the box-set, otherwise I'll move to another book.

I remember I really enjoyed The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword, both by Robin McKinley. They both have very strong female characters, and are simply riveting.

Another good one is The Forgotten Beasts of Eld

I also highly suggest (but for later in life, I'm reading them now and I'm 21) the Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin. They're fantasy novels but they take a very realistic approach to things, and involve real-life non-prettified views of sex and love and all sorts of relationships. But, they do involve things like abuse and incest (though not superfluously, it is just part of the novels) so I'd wait until she's old enough to handle it.

Well here’s paperback, and Here’s E-book
Oh, btw, if you want it, This is audiobook 1 , 2 , 3 and 4

This was the first. They've covered a number of topics since. The books are kid-friendly, but the sheer amount of going the extra mile for the sake of making something cool and artful I feel would grab anyone's attention.

It blurs the line between genres, but I'd highly suggest Perdido Street Station by China Miéville.

Since you liked Left Hand of Darkness, check out LeGuin's A Wizard of Earthsea, and if you like it, the subsequent sequels.

The updated and optimized Kindle version of the first volume of The Realmwalker Chronicles is now free through January 1, 2015 on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Realmwalker-Chronicles-P…/…/B00PRXE7EU

But this is not just about giving e-books away. All of us at Realmwalker Publishing Group are very proud of the work that we have put into the series, but we are also very interested in giving back to the community. To that end, we have decided to provide a little incentive to get as many readers as possible to download the first volume for free.

At the indicated download milestones below, we will not only provide a series related release/reveal for the fans, but we will also donate a specific amount toward the literacy charity Reading is Fundamental (http://www.rif.org). Literacy is the key to unlocking the doors to individual potential, and we support that cause wholeheartedly, regardless of what is being read.

100: $10 Donation / Reveal Volume 2 Chapter Titles

200: $10 Donation / Reveal Chapter 14 Header Art

500: $20 Donation / Reveal Chapter 15 Header Art

750: $20 Donation / Reveal Chapter 16 Header Art

1000: $40 Donation / Reveal Chapter 17 Header Art

1500: $50 Donation / Reveal Chapter 18 Header Art + 1st Interior Illustration

2500: $50 Donation / Reveal Chapters 19 and 20 Header Art + Volume 1 Paperback price lowered to $6.95 until January 18th, 2015

5000: $100 Donation / Reveal Chapters 21, 22, and 23 Header Art

10,000: $200 Donation / Reveal Chapters 24, 25, and 26 Header Art

15,000: $200 Donation / Reveal Chapter 27 and 28 Header Art + 2nd Interior Illustration

20,000: $300 Donation / Reveal Interior Illustration by Spenn: “The Archives of the Adu’ Ay a Sel”

50,000: $500 Donation / Free Download Release of the short story: “The Rat Baron of Dakeon”

• Total Donation possible to Reading is Fundamental: $1500
  
  Please feel free to share this information with anyone! Let's hit 50,000 downloads by the end of New Year's Day! Thank you for all of your support!

1. The most expensive item in my list is this: http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Page-Screen-Filmmaking/dp/1612185916/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=345MFG5W6EVRO&coliid=IDFABSA9B9J4Z it's a collectors edition of Harry Potter page to screen filmmaking journey
   
2. I want it because its a collectible. I love collecting anything Harry Potter that I can!
   
3. If I never got it, my life would still go on as it nor,ally does, though this. Though this set would be amazing to have.
   
   Thanks for taking the time to check these out! Awesome contest idea!
   
   Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds is going to be running through my head all day now!
   
   

http://www.amazon.com/Outer-Limits-Vanished-John-Peel/dp/0812575644

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00B3MTA8W/ref=mp_s_a_1_sc_1?qid=1396493589&sr=8-1-spell&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70

Fuck yeah it is an amazing book. Does he like fantasy books? You could try the Inheritance cycle they are pretty good books, dragons, elves, dwarves, riding dragons and all that, I just finished the last one and it was amazing(if he doesn't like them you might).

Drift. I highly recommend it. In my mind, it's up there with The Blue Sword.

Drift features a cool Aztec-ian world and a unique magic system. It's so integral to the plot that I actually can't describe it without spoilers. The author, MK Hutchins, has had a number of great stories published over at IGMS in the past year.

Is it Enchantress from the Stars? Link to description

You have so much wonderful reading ahead of you! I am almost a tiny bit jealous. :-)

Try Tamora Pierce's novels for sure. They are all good, but her earlier books are geared more towards young readers than some of her newer ones. Personally, I would start with the [Protector of the Small] (http://www.amazon.com/First-Test-Protector-Small-1/dp/0375829059/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407034954&sr=1-1&keywords=first+test) series. If you like it, you can go back and read the two earlier Tortall series (the Song of the Lioness series and the Wild Magic series). If you like it but find it a little juvenile, read the [Daughter of the Lioness] (http://www.amazon.com/Tricksters-Choice-Daughter-Lioness-Book/dp/0375828796/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407035106&sr=1-1&keywords=tricksters+choice) series and the [Beka Cooper] (http://www.amazon.com/Terrier-Legend-Beka-Cooper-Book/dp/0375838163/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407035135&sr=1-1&keywords=becca+cooper) series instead.

For the Arthurian element, definitely consider the Mists of Avalon, which is the Arthurian myth retold from all female POVs, including Morgaine (aka Morgan Le Fay).

However, without a shadow of a doubt, my all time favorite fantasy novel with a female POV is the Deed of Paksenarrion, by Elizabeth Moon. It's actually a trilogy published as an omnibus edition and is one of my all-time favorite books. I have read it a million times and I still feel the same sense of joy when I get ready to start reading it again. Honestly, I can't really describe the impact this book has had on me, especially as a woman who loves fantasy and sci-fi. I hope you will give it a try!

*edited to add links and fix a few embarrassing typos!

The Vanished (The Outer Limits series) by John Peel is similar, but it begins with a boy waking in his room, alone. I'm not sure if it was published in other languages.

https://www.amazon.com/Outer-Limits-Vanished-John-Peel/dp/0812575644

Heh, yes, I read. I just finished Ryszard Kapuscinski's Travels with Herodotus (decent), and before that Richard Brautigan's The Abortion: An Historical Romance 1966 (excellent). Neither of those count as fantasy, though...

Maybe you'd like Robin McKinley's books? I read The Blue Sword when I was in high school and thought it was awesome; most of her other stuff is pretty fun too. Oh, and I second I-330's mention of Patricia C. Wrede - that series was so good.

Oliver, congrats on the publication. I started writing my own YA book around that age, and I envy your courage and ability to put yourself out there while you're a YA yourself. Wishing you all due success, I hope you don't mind me offering you a marketing tip. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1460919513/ is also a direct link to your book, just shorter and so more... elegant.

Not the same thing but I believe people deserve to know that this exists

Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey (Collector's Edition)
http://amzn.com/1612185916

Is it Realmwalker Chronicles?

https://www.amazon.com/Realmwalker-Chronicles-Pillars-Natura-Maior-ebook/dp/B00PRXE7EU/

This list is always from some alternate universe. This week it somehow omits Brandon Sanderson's The Rithmatist (but does list a dozen reprints and audiobook releases of books that are already out.) Site doesn't even have comments section so readers can add the obvious weekly omissions.

The linked page is of the paperback edition. The preview is the kindle edition, which has the title page identical to the hardcover edition. I have that hardcover edition, and I can guarantee that it has furigana (as seen on this user photo).

Brandon Sanderson - The Rithmatist

Thank you for holding this contest :]

Any particular reason you chose the word unicorn?

Have a great day! (:

Reading a book called The Blue Mage Raised by Dragons by Virlyce https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0738SBVTF/ref=ppx_yo_mob_b__o0_img?ie

https://www.amazon.com/Inheritance-4-Book-Eragon-Eldest-Brisingr/dp/030793067X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Aren't these basically the same but cheaper?

But really, it's on amazon. They were having a limited time special for the whole set. Got it all for $130!

There's also a book that's similar to this called Every Day.

I really hoped the thumbnail would appear for this post! Come on, NYT gallery ....

Anyhow, though I didn't know who they were until recently, as a child I was instantly drawn to books illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. I had to have every book I found featuring their art, including novels by Isabel Allende. I loved to read, but I'm sure I read more because of the artists' work. Other favorites I wished were illustrated by the couple — they made characters complex, dignified and multiethnic, overall more like the world I knew than the one reflected by most book covers.

Image Google "Leo and Diane Dillon art" for more excellence.

Non-mobile link since Amazon doesn't make it easy to go from the mobile to desktop version.

American link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Rise-King-Arthur-Legend-ebook/dp/B00B3MTA8W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396475528&sr=8-1&keywords=Rise+of+King+Arthur+%28The+Legend+of+King+Arthur

These are not new, as I read them when I was a teen, but they're some of my all time favorites for non-romance YA books.

• A previous comment mentioned Leviathan by Scott Westerfield, anything by him is really good. In particular, I loved the Uglies, Pretties, Specials, Extras series.
  
  
• Todd Strasser is most famous for The Wave, but all of his books are great.
  
  
• Charlie Bone books are reminiscent of Harry Potter in terms of plot, though I've always viewed the Charlie Bone series as the better of the two.
  
  
• Embrace by Jessica Shirvington had strong romantic undertones, but that definitely wasn't the focus of the book.
  
  
• Nightshade by Andrea Cremer is a bit more focused on the romantic entanglements, but is heavily focused on the supernatural as well.
  
  Edit: Mixed up two of my recent reads /facepalm

I love fantasy, Sci-Fi magic and what not. I'm currently reading The Night Angel Trilogy So far I like them a lot. The Inheritance Cycle is another one of my favorites, book four comes out soon :) Harry Potter is great too. I also really enjoyed The House of the Scorpion, although I'm not really sure how you'd classify this one, I guess Sci-Fi works.

Hmm, they may not qualify as 'sad but inspirational,' but here are a few personal favorites that should be good to get in to the swing of reading.

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress - Revolution on the Moon! Also a bit sad at times.

A Wizard of Earthsea - First (and very good) book in an outstanding series.

Dragonology?

I sort of create a soundtrack of sorts in my head when I'm reading a really good book. For example when I read Christopher Pike's The Starlight Crystal I thought that if they made a movie out of it, one of the main songs on the soundtrack should be savage garden's To the moon and back

I remember a rather popular one where Draco was sorted wrong in an attempt to please his father (I guess?) but he still picks fights with the trio nearly every chance he gets.

He does still display some Slytherin tendencies, of course, but it's obvious he belongs in Gryffindor. Give me a moment to find it.

Edit: Here. It's the first of a series, and it goes through all seven years, though Draco isn't the focus for some most of them.

This is also a plot of a novel I read for school. "Starlight Crystal"

https://www.amazon.com/Starlight-Crystal-Christopher-Pike/dp/0671550284

what if i got it from here

You could search the ISBN on Amazon.com. Find the ISBN for the right edition on Goodreads and you can find the British versions of the books with no problem.

Eg. http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Philosophers-Stone-Rowling/dp/0747532745

You could try The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson, it's YA, but it was an interesting read.

I don't know anything about this show, but on a hunch, you guys might like The Rithmatist.

That's adorable! :D

I will say the worst part of writing is the typically conflicting advice you will get on various parts of your book. It's all good. :D

This advice might help you though. In your description, tell the story of your BOOK, not your individual protagonists. And, in general, if there is an unfamiliar/invented term, explain it a bit. This book does a good job of showing how to explain invented words in a description: http://www.amazon.com/The-Rithmatist-Brandon-Sanderson/dp/0765320320/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1372721642&sr=8-2&keywords=sanderson

A classic one