Best Children's Sword & Sorcery Fantasy Books
A young boy, lying awake one Christmas Eve, is welcomed aboard a magical trip to the North Pole . One couldn't select a more delightful and exciting premise for a children's book than the tale of a young boy lying awake on Christmas Eve only to have Santa Claus sweep by and take him on a trip with other children to the North Pole. Amazon Exclusive: A Letter from Chris Van Allsburg Over the past twenty-five years, many people have shared stories with me about the effect that reading The Polar Express has had on their families and on their celebration of Christmas. A dozen years earlier the woman, who had no children of her own, befriended a neighbor, a boy of about seven, named Eddie. She had a collection of picture books, which she read to him, but around the holidays, the only story he ever wanted to hear, over and over, was The Polar Express . One year she offered to give him the book, but Eddie declined because he wanted to hear her read it aloud to him, which she continued to do every year until the boy and his family moved away. Eddie, quietly and a little self-consciously, read The Polar Express . Chris Van Allsburg Recipes and Activities to Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of The Polar Express (Click on Images for the Recipe or Activity [PDF])Snacks for Santa Candy Cane Sugar Cookies Polar Chocolate Nougat Caramel Squares Christmas Snowball Cookies A Polar Express Word Search A Polar Express Crossword A Polar Express Maze PreSchool-Grade 2-Chris Van Allsburg's Caldecott-winning Christmas classic (HM, 1985) is 15 years old, but it is a timeless story that just keeps getting better. As the Polar Express pulls into town one Christmas Eve, offering a magical, unforgettable trip to the North Pole, a young boy boards the train.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The book. originally purchased for my grandson included a bell."
"It is filled with music from the movie and combinations that mix the scores together especially with the songs a) The Polar Express sung by Tom Hanks and b) Suite from the Polar Express."
"We were all pleased with this lovely book and the extras, including my own kids---who read the book before the 'grands' read it."
"This is probably a book for the older kids- 7-10, but it's definitely a fun book to read to the little ones for the holidays."
"I bought this book for my 5 year old son this year because I bought tickets for the GSMR train ride."
"The story is so magical, you can really feel the spirt of Christmas in this book."
"First edition."
"This is a beloved children's book."
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the second book in C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia , a series that has become part of the canon of classic literature, drawing readers of all ages into a magical land with unforgettable characters for over fifty years. Four adventurers step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land enslaved by the power of the White Witch. This is a stand-alone read, but if you would like to explore more of the Narnian realm, pick up The Horse and His Boy , the third book in The Chronicles of Narnia . Beginning with Chapter One when Lucy looks into the wardrobe and discovers Narnia and the faun, readers will find that this timeless story can still work the magic that C.S. Narnia fans will want to listen to this story over and over again, and new fans will be created as they listen for the first time.-Ginny Harrell, William McGarrah Elementary School, Morrow, GA.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book should be required reading for all children with vivid imaginations."
"We love this book and it is the perfect intro for my 3 and 5 year old boys who now can't wait to read more C.S."
"A story full of mystery and adventure, written for children, but so delightful that adults love it too!"
"A great book for anybody between the age of 9-13."
"I remember reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when I was in the 5th grade."
"I bought this book because It was the one missing on the collection and it is the same."
"Great read aloud."
"My daughter loves this and now had to watch the movie!"
This book features vivid, full-color layouts with Kindle Text Pop-Up Eric hates taking a bath. Thankfully, Eric's mom and dad have the perfect plan to help their little boy. How to catch a monster is a fun and beautifully illustrated book with a surprisingly sweet ending that all readers will surely enjoy. One of the most professional looking indie ebooks I've seen and on par (or above) with published children's books. Every day I read a lot, and out of every children's book I have seen...well, ever...this is hands down the best of the best. My kids fell completely in love with this book from the very first page. I have bought a lot of kids books for the kindle in the last year and been disappointed with a number of them because the story was too short or too long or the pictures looked lousy on the kindle, but this one was perfect.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The twist at the end is super cute... And now my son is asking me to make cookies so every night he can call a monster to play with him before bed :). I'll be purchasing more books from Michael Yu in the future."
"Simple story line with unexpected twist."
"This book is fun, my son liked it."
"A very amusing book with colourful illustrations."
"This is one of my 4-year-old grandson's favorite bedtime books."
"Eric is your typical 4 year old who doesn't want to follow a normal bed time routine. One night his mother comes up with the idea that if Eric brushes his teeth, washes his face and puts on this pajama then climbs into bed and recites: "Monster, monster, one, two, three... won't you come out and play with me?"
"The first time I read this book to my grandson, he asked me for some chocolate chip cookies for his "monster"."
"The pictures are great and the story is the perfect length for a little one not to get bored."
Best Children's Coming of Age Fantasy Books
Harry must allow Professor Snape to teach him how to protect himself from Voldemort's savage assaults on his mind. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is currently the featured read in Pottermore’s Wizarding World Book Club. As his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry approaches, 15-year-old Harry Potter is in full-blown adolescence, complete with regular outbursts of rage, a nearly debilitating crush, and the blooming of a powerful sense of rebellion. Somehow, over the summer, gossip (usually traced back to the magic world's newspaper, the Daily Prophet ) has turned Harry's tragic and heroic encounter with Voldemort at the Triwizard Tournament into an excuse to ridicule and discount the teen. With an overwhelming course load as the fifth years prepare for their Ordinary Wizarding Levels examinations (O.W.Ls), devastating changes in the Gryffindor Quidditch team lineup, vivid dreams about long hallways and closed doors, and increasing pain in his lightning-shaped scar, Harry's resilience is sorely tested. The head of the Ministry of Magic is determined to discredit Dumbledore and undermine his leadership of Hogwarts, and he appoints nasty, pink-cardigan-clad Professor Umbridge as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and High Inquisitor of the school, bringing misery upon staff and students alike. There are a lot of secret doings, a little romance, and very little Quidditch or Hagrid (more reasons for Harry's gloom), but the power of this book comes from the young magician's struggles with his emotions and identity.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"SPECIAL NOTE: For U.S. customers purchasing the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, you will notice the text has NOT been converted to the "Americanized" version of the original U.S. releases (with the exception of changing all "Philosopher's Stone" mentions to "Sorcerer's Stone"). Good or bad is naturally for each reader to decide--just know, if you plan to read the books while listening to Jim Dale's audiobooks, you'll notice a few superficial differences. The quality of this new illustrated edition is phenomenal. All chapter intros are illustrated."
"IMPORTANT: For U.S. customers purchasing the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, you will notice the text has NOT been converted to the "Americanized" version of the original U.S. releases. This difference isn't as prominent or noticeable as it was with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone, but still something to keep in mind. Also, to answer a question that has come up quite a bit, this is the FULL BOOK and not an abridged or shortened version. Underneath the book jacket, the novel is bound in a sturdy orange hardback with green lettering on the spine."
"I was ravenous to get my hands on my copy as soon as it was delivered this morning, but was quickly disappointed. But when I took a close look at my dust jacket, I was extremely upset to find that the gold foil lettering for "Harry Potter" had been rubbed away and destroyed completely in some places leaving ugly, black matte in its place-- pock marking the otherwise handsome gold lettering. Needless to say I'm in awe how Bloomsbury has managed to put together such an incredible project, with JK Rowling's remarkable literature and Jim Kay's otherworldly illustrations-- and allowed it to be put together in a low quality binding! Not all alone in a box... Update (October 9th): I have finally received my new book and it was in much, much better condition. The cover and spine were tight, intact and falling apart from the binding like my original copy."
Best Children's Paranormal, Occult & Supernatural Books
After an assignment leads to both a grisly discovery and a disastrous end, Lucy, Anthony, and their sarcastic colleague, George, are forced to take part in the perilous investigation of Combe Carey Hall, one of the most haunted houses in England. The world is still reeling from an infestation of malevolent, deadly ghosts that can only be detected by Talented youngsters with rare psychic sensitivities. Combe Carey Hall is “the most haunted private house in England… an ugly oppressive mongrel of a building,” and the trio quickly realizes that the dangers they face have human as well as supernatural sources. Young Lucy Carlyle joins Anthony Lockwood and George Cubbins to become Lockwood & Co., three kids using rapiers, iron chains, and magnesium fire to handle Visitors. Best known for the Bartimaeus books, beginning with The Amulet of Samarkand (2003), Stroud writes for a younger audience in book one of the Lockwood & Co. series and delivers some chilling scenes along the way.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It's such a genius idea to have this story start with something that is already accepted by the people in the book because it makes it easier for the reader to get acclimated to the world he has built. Lockwood and George are hysterical, and I love the way they bring Lucy into their trio."
"This series was requested by a high-schooler, so we added it to our Public Library."
"My daughter had to read a book over the summer while school was out to be tested on after school restarted in the fall."
"The stories have enough twists and turns to hold this 56 yr old grandma's attention and moves along fast enough to hold my 10 yr old gran daughters attention."
"I really like this book and recommend this to anyone who likes the ghost/mystery gander of books. AWESOME FANTASTIC AUTHOR, AND FANTASTIC BOOK, ✌ -peace."
"Yes, on the surface, there was a a certain predictability to some of the behavior of the characters, but I did not feel as though this detracted from the story."
"I listened to the audio book and the narrator had an older voice than the character, which I found distracting at times."
"When I read that he had a new books (the first in a new series, I believe), I quickly requested a Kindle sample. THE SCREAMING STAIRCASE takes place in an alternate-now London in which the nation is plagued by dangerous "Visitors" (ghosts) that can only seen and hunted by children. There are agencies that can be hired to rid a property of its problems; the agents are children, though there are some adults that supervise the agencies."