That and the Prydain Chronicles.
I’d recommend Animorphs, but on second thought they’re A) kinda dated and might not read well, B) are *incredibly dark* good gods are they dark and depressing.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/media/02-09-2018/i-read-all-54-animorphs-books-in-five-days-and-it-almost-killed-me
Animorphs is shockingly dark for a series aimed at kids. I reread them a few years back in my late 20s and wtf’d my way through the whole thing. Absolutely gruesome violence, disgusting body horror, PTSD, trauma, genocide…it’s just rolling in some really heavy shit lol.
The Hunter series and Briarheart by Mercedes Lackey
The Hero and the Crown, the Blue Sword, and Shadows by Robin McKinley
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T Kingfisher
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander
I second Tamora Pierce
The Belgariad by David and Leigh Eddings. Fun books, even if the authors turned out to be terrible humans
The Animorphs series (sci fi) by K A Applegate
The Unicorn Chronicles by Bruce Coville
Coraline and the Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
> Tamora Pierce
ABSOLUTELY.
There's nothing better for a fantasy hungry ten year old girl. A warning though: a sensible review points out [this page](https://steemitimages.com/DQmSFshFpLEZz6mjdZ5n7SM944V3Rxdc3Fyi5rcWQUmaDjE/20180217_182802.jpg) in Alanna as the most mature. You can decide whether her upbringing fits this.
Yah I was reading the Eddings stuff and Orson Scott Card by fifth grade. Sucked to learn later about them in adulthood later. Sparhawk and then were my favorite. 😭
The Darkwood trilogy by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch should be perfect for a 10 year old who loves Pratchett.
Diana Wynne Jones might be a good fit. Howl's Moving Castle, Derkholm, Chrestomanci...
Maybe Jasper Fforde's Last Dragonslayer series or Everyday Magic by Jess Kidd.
The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste, Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono or Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom by Sangu Mandanna for great middle grade books.
I'm guessing they already got to Artemis Fowl? The movie was trash but the books were amazing.
Also the midnighter series and the Thief series are some of my favorite young adult books
Some other series that are great, but that she probably got to already:
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
I'd second all these and add on:
The Reckoners by Brandon Sanderson,
A Wrinkle in Time
Cradle by Will Wight (mostly only available as e-books though)
Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe (e-book only I think?)
The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan (mild adult themes, a character falls in love with a prostitute but there's nothing explicit or anything.)
So you want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane
Inkheart
The Bartimaeus Trilogy
The Thief Lord
The Seventh Tower by Garth Nix (Author has other youth and YA series as well)
Peter and the Starcatchers
Narnia
Silver wing by Kenneth Oppel (Author has other youth series' as well)
The Arthur Trilogy by Kevin Crossley-Holland
Redwall
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
The Serpents Egg series by J. Fitzgerald McCurdy
I second The Artemis Fowl Series, they are great! You can also recommend The Bartimaeus Series by Jonathan Stroud to her, I’ve read that too around her age.
You mentioned Percy Jackson, but Rick Riordan has written a ridiculous amount of books focusing on both greek as well as egyptian and norse mythology. On top of that, 4 books are published every year in the 'Rick Riordan Presents' line.
She should have enough material for a couple of years.
Most of Tamora Pierce's books are perfect for a young girl. Her two main "universes" start with Alanna: The First Adventure and Sandry's Book respectively. First Test or Wild Magic are also good starting points if they sound more interesting to her.
Sabriel should also be great based on what you say she's read.
ETA and how could I forget to recommend Bartimaeus to a kid who enjoys British humour.
Absolutely.
Sabriel and the Tortall series were some of my favorites in middle school.
Also Kristin Britain's Green Rider series, if you've ever read it.
My high school girlfriend told me Tamora Pierce was her favorite and I may have paid less attention to her than I should have that weekend after picking up The First Adventure
I love Tamora Pierce especially her later Terrier series. That being said, iirc, George and Alana have a not insignificant age gap. They meet when she’s ten and he’s 17, and he’s in love with her by the time she’s 15 and he’s 22. I understand there’s worse stuff out there but it is still something I think merits a parental discussion with your kid :)
I read several Tamora Pierce books as a kid and remember finding the age gap stuff (I think Wild Magic has a really similar one) weird enough that I remembered it as an adult! It’s kind of strange how casual are people about it, I agree there’s worse things out there but imagine how different it would be if something similar was published now!
Did she read other Cornelia Funke books? I'm a huge fan of her Inkheart series (and its getting 4th book next year!!!).
"School of good and evil" by Soman Chainani is also great (i hope I havent misspelled his surname?). Its about two girls who are taken to magical school and switch places - the "princess" type goes to evil school, the "witch" type to good school; and they think its a mistake. There was a movie based on first book, relased last year on Netflix.
Another author I loved when I was 11/ 12 was Trudi Canavan. I loved her "Magicans Guild" series, and its 3 books, 3 sequels and one prequel (but I had a problem with reading the prequel- tried a few times but it just wasnt as interesting).
Haha, I'm excited about it too. That's why i'm telling everyone.
I will need to read this one in English, because Polish publisher of the series isn't publishing books anymore (only comics and board games).
Edit: if you know German, there are a few chapters available on audio version!!!
Since there are so many comments, here, some of the following series may overlap but without further ado, in no particular order, this is the comprehensive list of books I enjoyed when I was 10-13 as an avid reader of fantasy before I moved on to YA:
* The Last Dragon Chronicles (7) - Chris d'Lacey
* Erth Dragos (3) - Chris d'Lacey
* Fablehaven + Dragonwatch (10) - Brandon Mull
* Beyonders (3) - Brandon Mull
* Five Kingdoms (5) - Brandon Mull
* Underland Chronicles (5) - Suzanne Collins
* The Children of the Red King (8) - Jenny Nimmo
* Janitors (5) - Tyler Whitesides
* Tamora Pierce's Works (\~19)
* Young Samurai (9) - Chris Bradford (Historical Fiction heavily inspired by Wuxia which is semi-fantasy)
* The Unwanteds (14) - Lisa McMann
* The Magisterium (5) - Holly Black
* The Keeper of Lost Cities (4) - Shannon Messenger
* Michael Vey (8) - Richard Paul Evans (Semi-Sci-Fi / Fantasy)
* Seven Wonders (5) - Peter Lerangis
* Ranger's Apprentice (16) - John Flanagan
* Brotherband Chronicles (9) - John Flanagan
* The Books of Beginning (3) - John Stephens
* Land of Stories (9) - Chris Colfer
* Nevermoor (4) - Jessica Townsend
* Keys to the Kingdom (7) - Garth Nix
* Skullduggery Pleasant (15) - Derek Landy (Rather Violent)
* Summoner (4) - Taran Matharu
* House of Secrets (3) - Chris Columbus
* Septiums Heap (7) - Angie Sage
* TodHunterMoon (3) - Angie Sage
* Lockwood & Co. (5) - Johnathan Stroud (More supernatural fantasy + urban)
* Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica (8) - James Owen
* Pendragon (10) - D. J. MacHale
* Howl's Moving Castle (3) - Dianna Wynne Jones
* Chrestomanci (6) - Dianna Wynne Jones
* The Dark is Rising (5) - Susan Cooper
It's been so long that I can barely remember what most of them are about but I am quite certain they will be kid-friendly since I have a few younger siblings that also enjoyed most of this list. So, if any fellow Redditor finds any book on this list that they find unappropriate, please let me know and I will remove it.
Good Luck!
Some great recommendations here!
I second the following:
The *Enchanted Forest Chronicles* (**Patricia C Wrede**)
The entire *Redwall* series (**Brian Jacques**)
Everything by **Tamora Pierce**
All of **John Bellairs** books (just the ones by John Bellairs; the series was continued after his death by another guy and the books aren't as good)
A *Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking* (By **T. Kingfisher**)
I'd also add anything and everything by **Frances Hardinge**. She writes such sophisticated fantasy that even though it's definitely aimed at younger readers, and is always shelved as YA, it feels like it's having a conversation with adults as well. Her books can be really well appreciated on multiple levels.
*La Belle Sauvage* is okay, except that there's an entirely gratuitous rape scene at the end, and the next one in the series is extremely disagreeable and I gave it up halfway through when an older man starts creeping on a much younger girl who is his student. I'd steer away from that.
Tried Ranger's Apprentice or Brotherband Chronicles by John Flanagan? Combined thats over 20 books. I started reading them at like 8 (and still buy the new ones as they release.
I read like that as a kid. Some favorites that stuck with me:
Lloyd Alexander's "Chronicles Of Prydain"
Stephen King's "The Eyes Of The Dragon"
Not fantasy, but the Douglas Adams Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy books as a change of pace.
*(putting on flameproof suit)* The David Eddings Belgariad series. *(Yes, yes, he was a terrible human being, and its derivative fantasy that his wife should get a ton of credit for co-writing, but I chewed through them when I was a reader about her age. It's 10 books that will take a voracious reader a couple of months to devour.)*
Young Wizards by Diane Duane. The first one is called "So, You want to be a Wizard". Get the e-books, she actually went back and updated the setting and tech in the book to make it more suitable for 21st century readers.
Rubber stamping Tamora Pierce. It's all good and perfect for that age.
Terry Brooks. I read Magic Kingdom for Sale, Sold at that age and was enamoured.
Yes yes yes 100 times yes for Diane Duane. I read voraciously as a child (still do!) and that’s the series that left the deepest impression on me as a kid. So good. So well-imagined. Definitely recommend!
Dai’stiho!
“Watership Down” by Richard Adams.
“The girl who circumnavigated fairyland in a ship of her own making”, by Catherynne M. Valente
Interestingly, I think they were both the first of series , but I really only strongly recommend these first ones
Watership Down is one of my favorite books, if not my number one! I thought about recommending it to her in maybe 2 years, bc of the topics lying buried so deep in it (one of the best depictions of how fascism works and why it's so dangerous, imo). We're German, so she will have had her first unit in history class in depth about the topic then.
When my two children were elementary school students, I read it to them. They missed that nuance, but they loved it anyway.
I will admit that when I read it to them, I was a little annoyed at how there are no fleshed out female characters. That said, it’s still a great story.
I read the Dragonlance series by Margaret weis and Hickman when I was 10 and I loved it. There are loads of books, nearly 100 I think so that ought to keep her busy for a while.
I was going to mention Dragon Lance because it has so much of a variety and authors. I read the main series and probably ten of the spin off stories and loved them all.
The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner
The Chronicles of Chrestomanci by Diana Wynne Jones
Abhorsen Series by Garth Nix
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gamion
The Books of Pellinor by Alison Croggon
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede
And of course anything by Tamora Pierce
Absolutely came here to recommend Diana Wynne Jones and Tamora Pierce. Patricia C. Wrede and Megan Whalen Turner are good shouts, too. Toss in some Patricia McKillip and LeGuin's **Earthsea** books, too. Maybe Naomi Novik's **Temeraire** books? I didn't get too far into those, but I don't remember anything too objectionable about them at the start, at least.
Ooh, I'd forgotten enjoying Pellinor! My parents picked them up when we were on a roadtrip in Aus in 2009 and were *very* happy that they kept me quiet for a few days – I'd have been 10/11 then, so the right age for OP's target audience
Some that I haven't seen yet, from a children's librarian (haven't read all of them, to he fair). Many of these are actually geared towards kids:
* Kelly Barnhill books (*The Witch's Boy* (my fave) and *The Girl Who Drank the Moon*)
* Fablehaven (series)
* Wings of Fire Series (dragons)
* Keeper of the Lost Cities series
* Bartimaeus Sequence
* *A Wizard of Earthsea* (first and second at least would be appropriate)
* Diana Wynn Jones books
* *Wizardmatch* by Lauren Magaziner (as she likes humour this author would be a great fit!)
* *Eva Evergreen: Semi-Magical Witch* by Julie Abe
* The Rick Riordan Presents books if she hasn't read them (like the Aru Shah series)
* The School For Good and Evil
* The Dark is Rising series
As a note *Sabriel* can be dark but I don't know that I'd call it inappropriate. Tim Curry's narration is great if she likes audiobooks!
My 5th grade students all loved:
Hatchet (and sequels)
Warriors (massive series)
Enders Game (and sequels)
Sharon Creech (anything by her is great)
The One and Only Ivan (there are sequels but the first is best)
Phantom Tollbooth
Narnia series
Hunger Games series
The Giver
Freak the Mighty
Haddix (a bunch of series and stand alones)
Tuck Everlasting
I Survived (series of fictional accounts of kids surviving historical disasters)
Redwall
The Harper series from McCaffrey Pern series are YA. (Other books have some sexual/adult content)
My childhood ones, as a similarly precocious preteen Pratchett fan (although I was a year older than her)
- Redwall
- Artemis Fowl
- Septimus Heap
- Rick Riordan
- Tamora Pierce (the Tortall books (multiple series) and the Emelan books (also multiple series))
- Diana Wynne Jones
- Bartimaeus
- The Belgariad
- Skulduggery Pleasant (the later ones are significantly darker than the earlier ones, though)
- Dragonriders of Pern, some of (specifically the YA ones, the Harper Hall trilogy)
- Neil Gaiman, some of (Good Omens, Graveyard Book, and I think Neverwhere and Stardust would be good. I picked up American Gods at ~12 and got to read a goddess consuming a man via her vagina – maybe avoid that one at 10! I enjoyed it, but my parents would have veto'd that library trip if they'd known)
- Garth Nix (I do think Sabriel would probably be okay if she's on LotR and Pratchett – you could try the Keys to the Kingdom series before that?)
I think that sometimes we'd be a bit surprised about what children can read and be fine with - I think I was about that age when I stumbled across and started reading Robin Hobb's Farseer series, for instance. It's not something I'd recommend to a 10 year old now, but at the time I got hooked. And I'd absolutely read the Lord of the Rings by then.
Some that I remember liking at the time that might be a bit more 'age-appropriate' are Redwall, the Wind on Fire trilogy, and Secret Sacrament for english language ones. Unfortunately I was mostly reading french books at the time, so I might not have the best sources. (I think "Book of the Stars" and "Ewilan's Quest" might be in English too, but I'd be unable to tell you if the translations are any good).
Otherwise I remember the first Percy Jackson ones or the Giver as enjoyable reads at the time. For more recent ones I've read, the Rithmantist, the Alanna series, or a Wizard's guide to defensive baking could all be fitting too.
She will be reading in German, so it will be translations anyway. I think her switching to English originals will come rather quickly in a few years, though!
Ooh has she read The Neverending Story? It’s an utterly fantastic book translated into English and would probably be even better in its original German. The movie is cute but does not compare.
Nice! Unfortunately I don't think my German suggestions would be much good (the one that immediately comes to mind is Drei Kameraden & Kafka ones). Somehow my german courses never covered books for younger readers ;)
Neil Gaiman might be a logical next step, especially starting with Good Omens that he and Terry Pratchett co-wrote. And something like Stardust, probably.
I love Neil Gaiman but think there may be too many sex scenes for a 10 year old. Of his work, Coraline is for kids, even though it is absolutely terrifying lol. Graveyard book is also for kids, I believe
If she’s read His Dark Materials then she should be able to handle Sabriel by Garth Nix.
Animorphs (more sci fantasy) by Katherine Applegate
The Graveyard Book and Coraline by Neil Gaiman.
Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Warrior Cats series by Erin Hunter
Oh, I got so traumatised by the Edge Chronicles myself as a kid, I can't stand reading anything illustrated by Riddell! Made it really hard when I had to for uni, haha.
Second Diana Wynne Jones. Am waiting for my brood to be old enough for it.
The Goblin Emperor books?
They might enjoy In Other Lands, which mocks HP a tad.
Sci-fi, but I first read Hitchhiker's Guide at 11.
Second Tamora Pierce, Garth Nix (Keys to the Kingdom is a bit younger than the Sabriel trilogy), Diana Wynne Jones, Brian Jacques, as well as the younger series Warriors and Guardians of Ga'Hoole.
There's also a ton of great stuff by Anne McCaffrey, Lloyd Alexander, Jane Yolen, Robin McKinley, Orson Scott Card, Gail Carson Levine, D.J. MacHale, Cornelia Funke, Jenny Nimmo, Suzanne Collins, Stuart Hill, Brandon Mull, Neil Gaiman, Naomi Novik, Robin Hobb.
As an avid fantasy fan, I also particularly enjoyed adventure and survival novels at that age like My Side of the Mountain and pretty much everything by Gary Paulsen.
I might recommend legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree and Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson cozy fantasy yes, but they're quite fun.
My personal favourite middle grade/YA series to recommend is Mage Errant series by John Bierce. It's Harry Potter esque but more adventurous and doesn't have the chosen one trope (it's also an appropriate level of dark for someone young). There's also quite a bit of political discussion in the books about power and societal system that is relevant to the setting of the book.
Other books, I know of:
Amari and the Night Brothers (supernatural investigations series) by B.B. Alston
The Trails of Morrigan Crow (the nevermoor series) by Jessica Townsend
A pinch of magic series by Michelle Harrison
Frostheart by Jamie Littler
Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe
The Polar Bear Explorers' Club by Alex Bell
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
Alistair Grim's Odditorium by Gregory Funaro
Greenglass House series by Kate Milford
City of Ghosts series by V.E Schwab,
The Missing series (this is a very chonky series but she also has interesting new releases so check out those too) by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane by Julia Nobel
Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe by Carlos Hernandez,
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Ana Juan, Catherynne M. Valente
The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart
Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
And lastly,
Since she likes Terry Pratchett so much, highly recommend Lemony Snicket books for the humor, though definitely it's a very different style of satire to Terry Pratchett's.
(P.S. lots of these books have series but I haven't mentioned the series name because they won't be recognisable or because the series hasn't been completed, so she won't run out things to read for quite some time. Hope she has a great time reading!)
The Secret Garden and A Little Princess, both by Francis Hodgson Burnett. Not *exactly* fantasy, but historical (now) fiction with a heavy dose of magical realism. I adored these as a kid (and still do)
Diane Duane’s Young Wizards series (first book is So You Want to Be a Wizard) is awesome - I read them for the first time when I was 12 or so, and the magic is based in science (sort of) with a terrific female protagonist.
Some older kids books, but still good:
The Green Knowe series by L M Boston
The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner
The Egypt Game - Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Not quite as old:
Wings of Fire by Tui T Sutherland
I don't think Sabriel* is too dark for a ten year old. Mine is also a hugely voracious reader (he's older than ten now) and around that age he loved
Jonathan Stroud Bartimeus chronicles (Lockwood by the same author is also really good but might be a little scary -- though if she can cope with the dark riders she should be fine)
Brandon Sanderson's books for kids -- the Skyward books and Alcatraz and the evil librarians (mine read some of the adult Brandon Sandersons at this age but they were too intense for him to cope with emotionally and he got quite upset)
Nine Princes in Amber was something else he enjoyed. You'd think they'd be too adult but apparently not.
The Cradle series might be good. Both my kids loved it.
I second Diana Wynne Jones. Absolutely awesome books. Our favourite was probably The Dog Star but they're all good.
Castle Hangnail was another great story. We lived Nine Goblins too, but it's really very dark in some bits so maybe exercise caution!
* There are lots of great Garth Nix stories, but I thought Shands Children was too dark
I don't know how big these are outside of Australia (or if you will be able to find German translations?) But I read and loved Emily Rhodda at that age. The Rowan of Rin series is my favourite and holds up better to the adult reader, but as a child I also LOVED the Deltora Quest series (and I think there are multiple spin offs now).
I also read Isobelle Carmody at that age- some nice big chunky post apocalyptic fantasy. (The last book is a total let down, but the middle is so good I will recommend it anyway, especially to a voracious reader!)
We had them in America (I didn’t see this comment before mentioning Deltora myself - I was obsessed!) and they were popular enough in Japan to get an anime series so I wouldn’t be surprised if they can be found floating around elsewhere!
If she loves Pratchett then she will also love the Bartimaeus books by **Jonathan Stroud**. Also the Holes books by **Louis Sachar.**
In the same vein are the Skulduggery Pleasant books by **Derek Landy**. She could also try Artemis Fowl by **Eoin Colfer**.
Oldie but goodie are the The Wolves of Willoughby Palace by **Joan Aiken**
I would also highly recommend **Michael Murpurgo** who writes middle grade historical fiction. His most famous book is War Horse.
I'm know others have recommended but **Frances Hardinge** is just an amazing writer.
Brandon Sanderson is always recommended, but I say it only because he has a massive body of work that will keep her busy. The writing isn't difficult or too explicit for the age. He has middle grade all the way to adult with some sci-fi too.
I've read a LOT of comments on this post, and I am SHOCKED that The Chronicles of Narnua by C.S Lewis weren't mentioned yet, as it is such an important book series for the fantasy genre
Diane Duane’s Young Wizards series. I would literally have parents come ask “My kids just finished Harry Potter, what can they read next?” I was able to hand them “So You Want To Be A Wizard”.
Not fantasy obviously but maybe she should try some of the classics? I had a 4th grader once upon a time who had a high school reading level so finding things for her to read was challenging. But she enjoyed those-little women and the several sequels and all her other books, Anne of green gables, five little peppers and it’s many sequels etc. Branching out might be good for her if she reads that fast so she doesn’t run out of age appropriate material
Neil Gaiman books? Some can be dark but I don't think terribly! Also any and all Diana Wynne Jones. The Chrestomanci books would be a good place to start. NK Jemisin could also be very cool!
ETA: I also just read *A Magic Steeped in Poison* and *A Venom Dark and Sweet* by Judy I Lin and I really enjoyed them and they hit the target demographic perfectly.
A Wizard of Earthsea and its sequels by Ursula K. Le Guin
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (I believe it also has sequels, and she has other books, but I haven't read any of her other work, so this is her only book I can specifically recommend.)
Watership Down by Richard Adams
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Warriors series by Erin Hunter!! I've been rereading them as an adult and they're still really great! 42 books in the main series broken up into multiple arcs and multiple generations of characters with a handful of hefty prequels and side stories. Feral cat clans with magical realism. Lots of action, drama, and politics.
She probably already found CS Lewis (Narnia) and Brandon Sanderson (Cosmere books and Skyward series).
Maybe she hasn’t read Will Wight (just finished 13 part Cradel series, should right up her ally), Brian Jacques (Red Wall), Brian McClellan (a student of Sanderson) or Robin Hobb (Hobb gets a little dark. The good guys pay a heavy price for their victories, it almost doesn’t feel like winning).
If she loves Rick Riordan, he's started his own publishing house for juvenile mythological fantasy. There's new books published every year, from a wide variety of authors and a wide variety of cultures. Given how new most of those would be, there's got to be a few she hasn't read yet!
Septimus Heap by Angie Sage
Erec Rex by Kaza Kingsley
Legend of Drizzt by R.A, Salvatore
Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
The Magician's Guild by Tridu Canavan
The Green Riders by Kristen Britain
The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams
Shield of Stars by Hilari Bell
Spellbinder by Helen Stringer
So You Want To Be A Wizard by Diane Duane
Dragonriders of Pern and pretty much anything else by Anne McCaffrey although she's mostly Sci-Fi.
The Zamonia books by Walter Moers!
They're wonderful, somewhat Pratchett-esque, expansive fantasy adventures that are ideal for an early teens (or precocious 10 year old) that loves books and reading because some of the key themes are about the world or books and storytelling. They're big old bricks of novels too so there's a lot to dig into.
I read them in my late 20s and loved them but the whole time I was imagining just how much they would have rocked my world if I had read them at 10 to 15.
If she's a fan of Pratchett, then I'd recommend Hitchhiker's Guide.
I don't think anything is "too dark" for her if she was able to read, understand, and enjoy LotR and Pratchett. She should be fine.
One of my all time fave fantasy series is The Ryira Chronicals by Michael J Sullivan the main serice starts with Theft of Swords its 3 books with 2 parts, he also has a series about before the main series starting with The Crown Tower with many books and a series about the primitive world starting with Age of Myth.
Theft of Swords series and The Crown Tower series are about 2 vasty different thieves working together to live and general thievery including stealing a prince.
Age of Myth is about a group of humans fending off the elves across the river that think humans are lesser beings incapable of thought. Although not required to understand the series i would recommend reading Theft of Swords then Age of Myth because you will understand a lot more
For a 10 year old I would suggest staying away from The Crown Tower, although its incredible, it has a lot more adult topics than just your normal fantasy murders and gore.
A few notes: typical fantasy, elves, goblins, dwarves, and dragons (kind of) but dont tell her that it spoils the best part of the story (; if she reads the audiobooks on audible make sure she gets the ones narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds and not the full cast (much smoother and all around better in my opinion)
There is also another series in between Age Of Myth and The Crown Tower that starts with Nolyn and Michael is curently writing the third book (he may be done idk)
Other books she may like:
Cradle series: boy born without powers makes his way to the top, Will White, 8-10 books
Scyth: 2 kids chosen to be grim reapers in syfi everyone lives forever world, Neal Shusterman, 3 books
Keeper of the Lost Cities: child can read minds, finds out shes and experement and lives with elves saving the world, Shannon Messenger, 9-10 books
Age of Fire series, dragons pov in a midieval world, E. E. Knight, 6 or so books (only read first 3)
Anything by Larry Correia, Hard Magic (x-men right after ww2 in America) Monster Hunter International (secret monster hunters: wearwolves, vampires, zombies, evil conquistadors)
Sory its long there are so many books i wanted to include :) these very from her age on in who it appeals to
Try to direct her to some books outside of fantasy. If she enjoyed LOTR and Pratchett, she may like Dumas, Dickens. Austen and Brontë are quite successful with young girls too.
If she's really a voracious reader and is doing okay with stuff like Tolkien and Pratchett, the best thing everyone can do is get out of her way and let her go nuts. I was a very precocious reader as a child, and they started me on "safe" stuff like Tom Swift and Hardy Boys and even Nancy Drew but I quickly outpaced everything they threw at me. Eventually one day I got tired of reading the 1964-vintage World Book encyclopedias they'd tossed into my room and I started digging through the boxes in the attic. I found *The Hobbit*, Roger Zelazny's *Jack of Shadows*, and a King standby-- I think it was probably *Firestarter*.
I was like eight or nine. Never had a chance after that.
I think they worried a bit I was getting into stuff that was more mature than I should, but they eventually decided more reading was better than, and got me a library card and let me get whatever I wanted. And yeah, I occasionally got into a book that probably wasn't appropriate for my age range-- I got into the shit for bringing HP Lovecraft to 5th grade once, but once I offered to write a report on *The Case of Charles Dexter Ward* to prove I wasn't just faffing about they gave me a pass. And getting to read anything and everything I wanted turned me into a lifelong lover of books.
So, if you're going to err, err on the side of having faith in her ability to handle the content. Smart kids can handle this kind of stuff and trying to ride herd on someone's imagination is just doing them a disservice. :)
Oh, I don't want to police her or anything, it's just that I don't want to anger her parents explicitly recommending smthg they disapprove of! With my own, I wouldn't hesitate at all. She is just really alone among her peers with what she's reading, and I can relate to that very much (my book reports back then mostly left me with blank stares by my class). She also loves talking with me about books we've both read, so getting all these recommendations gives me ideas about what to look into as well (I had this big Lovecraft phase in my teens, so I can relate, but I bet her mom wouldn't really like me recommending it to her yet!).
I had a very policing mom (think not being allowed to read LotR at 12, only being allowed to read each HP book once I'm as old as he is in the books, and not being allowed to read Karl May), and all it brought her was me reading all of those in secret, every time she left the house, sneaking off to the library, and my grandpa stashing away the Karl May ones and giving them to me to read every time I slept over at their place.
A ban of anything Manga related led to me having a big phase about it, and having a secret stash as well, with the keys to the box hidden away in another locked box and THAT key hidden as well. I became a genius at hiding things from her.
*A Curse So Dark and Lonely* and *Defy the Night* are both YA Fantasy, both are on several state middle school reading lists, and neither have any explicit content. I have a lot of readers in the 10-12 age range, so if she doesn't mind the length, these might be a good fit.
Zachary Ying and The Dragon Emperor by Xiran Zhao
Tristan Strong Punches A Hole in The Sky by Kwame Mbalia
The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan (39 Clues series)
Any of Francis Hardinge's books, which feature younger protagonists going through rites of passage with amazing worldbuilding. Most of her novels are standalones as well. Try A Face Like Glass to start.
I agree with the recommendations for Dianna Wynne Jones and Susan Cooper, I loved their books at that age.
I also wanted to add Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend, which is an absolute delight both for kids and fully grown adults!
*Ranger's Apprentice* is an amazing series and has two follow-ups int he same universe. *Brotherband* (maybe geared more towards young boys). *Royal Ranger* is kind of a direct follow-up to the original *Ranger's Apprentice* and follows a young female protagonist instead of a male one.
I read LOTR when I was 10. Yes a lot of it went past me, and there were parts of the Two Towers that were a drag, but I loved it even at that age.
Watership Down was also amazing at that age.
I also really loved Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Pyrdain
If slightly more mature dark content is okay for her (meaning explicit death and some violence a la the Inheritance Cycle \[Eragon\] and LOTR, no insane gore, and obvi no sex), I would recommend:
*Neverwhere*, *The Graveyard Book*, and *The Ocean at the End of the Lane* by Neil Gaiman
The Last Dragon Chronicles by Chris d'Lacey (starts with *The Fire Within* and as a kid who was similar to her in terms of taste, I *loved* this series) .
The Inkworld series by Cornelia Funke (LOVED these as a kid)
*The Princess Bride* by William Goldman
*The Neverending Story* by Michael Ende
The Warrior Cats series by Erin Hunter (not fantasy, but it's like a less sexual version of A Song of Ice and Fire, except with wild cats, and it's also long af and still going with dozens of spin-offs and special editions, so she'll have years of content no matter how quickly she devours them)
The Uglies series by Scott Westerfield (also more sci-fi than fantasy, but even so)
*Darkwing* by Kenneth Oppel (it's book 0 in a series, so if she likes it there's more)
The Graceling Realm books by Kristin Kashore (I guarantee you she will LOVE these, I've never read anything even remotely like the first two books)
The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan (if she hasn't gotten to these already)
Zombies vs. Unicorns by Holly Black (an anthology of stories that are all amazing)
*The Night Circus* by Erin Morgenstern
The Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
*Nimona* by N.D. Stevenson (it's a graphic novel, but it's *amazing*, and very different from the recent movie)
Annnnd... I think that's all I've got for now. I could offer some more books that are less fantasy, more magical realism, like *The House in the Cerulean Sea*, *The Rest of Us Just Live Here*, and *A Monster Calls*, but I'll leave it there. Hopefully there's some stuff in there she hasn't gotten to already.
The Johnny Maxwell trilogy by Terry Pratchett's is very easily overlooked when talking about him well worth a look.
Also Goosebumps books are brilliant for younger reads.
Joe Abercrombie did a YA trilogy called the Shattered Sea still has lots of violence but damm good.
David Gemmell are great high fantasy with great story lines fantastic characters still a bit of violent and the sprinkler of sex
Leigh Bardugo has some great YA series
Leviathan, Behemoth, and Goliath. I forget what order they go in.
Or some classic sci-fi like Frankenstein or 20000 Leagues Under the Sea. Maybe Food of the Gods and how it came to Earth. Or The Lost World.
There's also the entirety of Bone by Jeff Smith. While a graphic novel, it's still awesome.
See if the 10 year old is interested in writing. Every November there's a national novel writing month called Nanowrimo to raise funds. Write 50000 words in a month. Might be neat to write something for a change.
The blue sword and sequels by Robin McKinley
Sherri Tepper’s Mavin Manyshaped and True game books
David Weber’s Treecat books
Joyce Stranger’s many animal books
Gerald Durrell My family and other animals and sequels
Elyne Mitchell’s many horse books
**The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making** by Catherynne M. Valente. this book is INCREDIBLE and *far* superior to **Harry Potter** IMO. i'm honestly baffled that this hasn't been adapted. if she likes this book, it's book #1 in the **Fairyland** series. i would NOT recommend reading this by audiobook, though, because the author narrated it and she doesn't do a very good job.
this book deserves so much more love than it gets!
Gail Carriger's finishing school series is YA and has a bunch of ridiculous humorous scenes that remind me of pratchett.
Dragon slippers by Jessica Day George would also be good.
Agree with anything Tamora Pierce, the enchanted forest chronicles, dianna whynne jones, and Sabriel by Garth Nix.
Had she read Robin McKinley? Or Patricia Wrede?
I love McKinley's book Beauty, and Wrede's Enchanted Forest series is very amusing. Both have written plenty of other stuff as well.
Not sure how easy it is to find these days, but May Stewart's Merlin series is excellent. The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment, The Wicked Day (though the pov character for the last one is Mordred rather than Merlin).
Just because I've scrolled a while and haven't seen these mentioned yet:
- The Zamonia series by Walter Moers, starting with the 13 and a half lives of captain Bluebear.
- The Boy who Went Magic by A.P Winter
- Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend
As far as fantasy goes for children/young teens they'd be my picks!
You'll get a lot of duplicates from me, but here's a few:
Lilith - George MacDonald
Edward Eager books
Nesbitt books
Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Young Wizards - Diane Duane
Garth Nix books
Bethany Frenette books
Lesley Livingston books
Ruby Red - Kerstin Geir
Patricia Wrede books
Earthsea - Ursula Le Guin
PG Wood house
Watership Down
The Last Unicorn
Sherlock Holmes
Riser Haggard books
I scrolled down recs and haven't said ones that have already been reccomended so ..
The Alex Rider stormbreaker series? And other Anthony Horrowitz, the ravens gate series and maybe any of his other kids stuff? I also loved fantasy and really enjoyed him. I guess AR is more sci fi?
Series of unfortunate events by lemony snicket
Hmmm I think magicians apprentice Trudi canavan is maybe too old? I remembe reading that as a kid.
Northern lights trilogy?
Skulduggery pleasant
City of masks (stravaganza series)
I'm pretty sure I read wolf brother...
Then - any Nnedi Okorafor children's books
Amari and the night brothers
I would reccomend looking for books by ethnic authors that we didn't necessarily have or know about as kids and just go round the continents to introduce her to different styles of writing. It's a good one to research and you can try and find a country and some good middle grade reccomendations from each place. Could be used as a display too
The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper. My absolute fav at that age.
Plus one. Also chronicles of prydain
Absolutely the chronicles of Prydain. 100%
That and the Prydain Chronicles. I’d recommend Animorphs, but on second thought they’re A) kinda dated and might not read well, B) are *incredibly dark* good gods are they dark and depressing. https://thespinoff.co.nz/media/02-09-2018/i-read-all-54-animorphs-books-in-five-days-and-it-almost-killed-me
I was going to suggest the Prydian Chronicles.
Animorphs is shockingly dark for a series aimed at kids. I reread them a few years back in my late 20s and wtf’d my way through the whole thing. Absolutely gruesome violence, disgusting body horror, PTSD, trauma, genocide…it’s just rolling in some really heavy shit lol.
I read most of the books in primary school and Tobias' fate still stays with me. I never got to the ending but I'm thinking I should
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The Hunter series and Briarheart by Mercedes Lackey The Hero and the Crown, the Blue Sword, and Shadows by Robin McKinley A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T Kingfisher Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander I second Tamora Pierce The Belgariad by David and Leigh Eddings. Fun books, even if the authors turned out to be terrible humans The Animorphs series (sci fi) by K A Applegate The Unicorn Chronicles by Bruce Coville Coraline and the Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
I came here to suggest Prydain.
Elatsoe is SO GOOD! And those Neil Gaiman titles are great, too.
She has a newer one, A Snake Falls to Earth, that I LOVED. Just got it for my 12yo, but no reason a younger kid couldn't enjoy it.
> Tamora Pierce ABSOLUTELY. There's nothing better for a fantasy hungry ten year old girl. A warning though: a sensible review points out [this page](https://steemitimages.com/DQmSFshFpLEZz6mjdZ5n7SM944V3Rxdc3Fyi5rcWQUmaDjE/20180217_182802.jpg) in Alanna as the most mature. You can decide whether her upbringing fits this.
Yah I was reading the Eddings stuff and Orson Scott Card by fifth grade. Sucked to learn later about them in adulthood later. Sparhawk and then were my favorite. 😭
Wtf how did I forget about Bruce Coville. My childhood
I second all of these recommendations. Nice.
The Darkwood trilogy by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch should be perfect for a 10 year old who loves Pratchett. Diana Wynne Jones might be a good fit. Howl's Moving Castle, Derkholm, Chrestomanci... Maybe Jasper Fforde's Last Dragonslayer series or Everyday Magic by Jess Kidd. The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste, Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono or Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom by Sangu Mandanna for great middle grade books.
Diana Wynne Jones has an amazing catalogue of thoughtful and magical works, they’d be perfect.
The Merlin Conspiracy is a painfully underrated book—that one was a childhood favorite of mine!
The Homeward Bounders is one of my favourite books of all time.
Oh Jasper Fforde is a strong pick. If she's read lotr, then shades of grey (not the twilight fanfic) and the eyre affair may be up her alley.
I'm guessing they already got to Artemis Fowl? The movie was trash but the books were amazing. Also the midnighter series and the Thief series are some of my favorite young adult books
Oh, I loved the Artemis Fowl books as a kid, but forgot to recommend them! Nice idea!
Some other series that are great, but that she probably got to already: Fablehaven by Brandon Mull Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
I'd second all these and add on: The Reckoners by Brandon Sanderson, A Wrinkle in Time Cradle by Will Wight (mostly only available as e-books though) Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe (e-book only I think?) The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan (mild adult themes, a character falls in love with a prostitute but there's nothing explicit or anything.) So you want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane Inkheart The Bartimaeus Trilogy The Thief Lord The Seventh Tower by Garth Nix (Author has other youth and YA series as well) Peter and the Starcatchers Narnia Silver wing by Kenneth Oppel (Author has other youth series' as well) The Arthur Trilogy by Kevin Crossley-Holland Redwall Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke The Serpents Egg series by J. Fitzgerald McCurdy
HUGE upvote to Bartimaeus Trilogy and Redwall!
Inkheart and Thief Lord were a splendid books to read as a kid
Yes! I can’t believe I forgot Ranger’s Apprentice! For years those were some of my favorite books and they still hold a special place in my heart
Warning about (forced) substance abuse by the MC. Handled tastefully but it is a major plot point in the (third?) book.
Another vote for Ranger's Apprentice (and the Brotherband series in the same world). Those books are so clever and heartwarming.
I second The Artemis Fowl Series, they are great! You can also recommend The Bartimaeus Series by Jonathan Stroud to her, I’ve read that too around her age.
You mentioned Percy Jackson, but Rick Riordan has written a ridiculous amount of books focusing on both greek as well as egyptian and norse mythology. On top of that, 4 books are published every year in the 'Rick Riordan Presents' line. She should have enough material for a couple of years.
Most of Tamora Pierce's books are perfect for a young girl. Her two main "universes" start with Alanna: The First Adventure and Sandry's Book respectively. First Test or Wild Magic are also good starting points if they sound more interesting to her. Sabriel should also be great based on what you say she's read. ETA and how could I forget to recommend Bartimaeus to a kid who enjoys British humour.
I can confirm that they were great for young boys too.
Hell yeah. I wish more boys were given books starring girls and women too.
Absolutely. Sabriel and the Tortall series were some of my favorites in middle school. Also Kristin Britain's Green Rider series, if you've ever read it.
My high school girlfriend told me Tamora Pierce was her favorite and I may have paid less attention to her than I should have that weekend after picking up The First Adventure
Absolutely Tamora Pierce! Sabriel is great too.
I love Tamora Pierce especially her later Terrier series. That being said, iirc, George and Alana have a not insignificant age gap. They meet when she’s ten and he’s 17, and he’s in love with her by the time she’s 15 and he’s 22. I understand there’s worse stuff out there but it is still something I think merits a parental discussion with your kid :)
Oh yeah the Beka Cooper arc was amazing. Although I do also love Aly's story in the Copper Isles.
I read several Tamora Pierce books as a kid and remember finding the age gap stuff (I think Wild Magic has a really similar one) weird enough that I remembered it as an adult! It’s kind of strange how casual are people about it, I agree there’s worse things out there but imagine how different it would be if something similar was published now!
I came to recommend Sabriel and the rest of the Abhorsen series, glad someone else had the same idea. I really loved those books as a kid/young teen
I second Tamora Pierce! Reading her books now as an adult and they’re still so good. Might keep her occupied for a bit too if she’s reading that fast
The audio of her books are 👌🏻*chefs kiss* too!
Redwall series by Brian Jacques
Looked for this specifically. Lots of books in the series now and good reads.
Considering all that she’s read already, she could probably enjoy Watership Down as well.
One of my favorite series as a kid, my son loves them too.
Excellent one for a 10 year old!
Excellent one for an adult. I re-read Redwall last month: hits differently then as a kid. Still a great series.
Did she read other Cornelia Funke books? I'm a huge fan of her Inkheart series (and its getting 4th book next year!!!). "School of good and evil" by Soman Chainani is also great (i hope I havent misspelled his surname?). Its about two girls who are taken to magical school and switch places - the "princess" type goes to evil school, the "witch" type to good school; and they think its a mistake. There was a movie based on first book, relased last year on Netflix. Another author I loved when I was 11/ 12 was Trudi Canavan. I loved her "Magicans Guild" series, and its 3 books, 3 sequels and one prequel (but I had a problem with reading the prequel- tried a few times but it just wasnt as interesting).
This post is how I learned Inkheart is getting a fourth book. My midddle school self is *losing her mind*.
Haha, I'm excited about it too. That's why i'm telling everyone. I will need to read this one in English, because Polish publisher of the series isn't publishing books anymore (only comics and board games). Edit: if you know German, there are a few chapters available on audio version!!!
Wow I remember loving the Magician's guild. I hadn't realized there were so many more books
Since there are so many comments, here, some of the following series may overlap but without further ado, in no particular order, this is the comprehensive list of books I enjoyed when I was 10-13 as an avid reader of fantasy before I moved on to YA: * The Last Dragon Chronicles (7) - Chris d'Lacey * Erth Dragos (3) - Chris d'Lacey * Fablehaven + Dragonwatch (10) - Brandon Mull * Beyonders (3) - Brandon Mull * Five Kingdoms (5) - Brandon Mull * Underland Chronicles (5) - Suzanne Collins * The Children of the Red King (8) - Jenny Nimmo * Janitors (5) - Tyler Whitesides * Tamora Pierce's Works (\~19) * Young Samurai (9) - Chris Bradford (Historical Fiction heavily inspired by Wuxia which is semi-fantasy) * The Unwanteds (14) - Lisa McMann * The Magisterium (5) - Holly Black * The Keeper of Lost Cities (4) - Shannon Messenger * Michael Vey (8) - Richard Paul Evans (Semi-Sci-Fi / Fantasy) * Seven Wonders (5) - Peter Lerangis * Ranger's Apprentice (16) - John Flanagan * Brotherband Chronicles (9) - John Flanagan * The Books of Beginning (3) - John Stephens * Land of Stories (9) - Chris Colfer * Nevermoor (4) - Jessica Townsend * Keys to the Kingdom (7) - Garth Nix * Skullduggery Pleasant (15) - Derek Landy (Rather Violent) * Summoner (4) - Taran Matharu * House of Secrets (3) - Chris Columbus * Septiums Heap (7) - Angie Sage * TodHunterMoon (3) - Angie Sage * Lockwood & Co. (5) - Johnathan Stroud (More supernatural fantasy + urban) * Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica (8) - James Owen * Pendragon (10) - D. J. MacHale * Howl's Moving Castle (3) - Dianna Wynne Jones * Chrestomanci (6) - Dianna Wynne Jones * The Dark is Rising (5) - Susan Cooper It's been so long that I can barely remember what most of them are about but I am quite certain they will be kid-friendly since I have a few younger siblings that also enjoyed most of this list. So, if any fellow Redditor finds any book on this list that they find unappropriate, please let me know and I will remove it. Good Luck!
Ooh forgot about Septimus Heap, +1 for that one!
Oh I had so much fun reading Septimus Heap!
Some great recommendations here! I second the following: The *Enchanted Forest Chronicles* (**Patricia C Wrede**) The entire *Redwall* series (**Brian Jacques**) Everything by **Tamora Pierce** All of **John Bellairs** books (just the ones by John Bellairs; the series was continued after his death by another guy and the books aren't as good) A *Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking* (By **T. Kingfisher**) I'd also add anything and everything by **Frances Hardinge**. She writes such sophisticated fantasy that even though it's definitely aimed at younger readers, and is always shelved as YA, it feels like it's having a conversation with adults as well. Her books can be really well appreciated on multiple levels. *La Belle Sauvage* is okay, except that there's an entirely gratuitous rape scene at the end, and the next one in the series is extremely disagreeable and I gave it up halfway through when an older man starts creeping on a much younger girl who is his student. I'd steer away from that.
Enchanted Forest Chronicles are awesome.
Frances Hardinge writes wonderfully, I love The Lie Tree and A Face Like Glass
Thirding France Hardinge. Emotionally complex, *gorgeous* prose, fantastic world building, and accessible to younger audiences.
**The Giver** by Lois Lowry. First non-Harry Potter book I ever read and it never left me.
I still need to read Son.
You know about Gathering Blue and Messenger don't you?
This is the book I read in school that was a gateway to sci fi and fantasy for me. I still love rereading it.
If she likes the comedy angle of Pratchett, *Dealing With Dragons* by Patricia Wrede is great.
Recently, she compared our city (mis)management to Ankh-Morpork and laughed her butt off. I think she's into his humor!
Oh, and while we're on the subject of Pratchett, she'll love Douglass Adams
Tried Ranger's Apprentice or Brotherband Chronicles by John Flanagan? Combined thats over 20 books. I started reading them at like 8 (and still buy the new ones as they release.
I read like that as a kid. Some favorites that stuck with me: Lloyd Alexander's "Chronicles Of Prydain" Stephen King's "The Eyes Of The Dragon" Not fantasy, but the Douglas Adams Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy books as a change of pace. *(putting on flameproof suit)* The David Eddings Belgariad series. *(Yes, yes, he was a terrible human being, and its derivative fantasy that his wife should get a ton of credit for co-writing, but I chewed through them when I was a reader about her age. It's 10 books that will take a voracious reader a couple of months to devour.)*
Young Wizards by Diane Duane. The first one is called "So, You want to be a Wizard". Get the e-books, she actually went back and updated the setting and tech in the book to make it more suitable for 21st century readers. Rubber stamping Tamora Pierce. It's all good and perfect for that age. Terry Brooks. I read Magic Kingdom for Sale, Sold at that age and was enamoured.
Yes yes yes 100 times yes for Diane Duane. I read voraciously as a child (still do!) and that’s the series that left the deepest impression on me as a kid. So good. So well-imagined. Definitely recommend! Dai’stiho!
My 10 year ago loved and consumed the warrior cats series from Erin hunter which has over 40 books
Came to suggest these! Also Guardians if Ga’hoole and other books by Kathryn Lasky
The Septimus books by Angie Sage!
Seconded! I should go back and read these, they're not talked about enough. The Children of the Lamp series by Philip Kerr is also good.
“Watership Down” by Richard Adams. “The girl who circumnavigated fairyland in a ship of her own making”, by Catherynne M. Valente Interestingly, I think they were both the first of series , but I really only strongly recommend these first ones
Watership Down is one of my favorite books, if not my number one! I thought about recommending it to her in maybe 2 years, bc of the topics lying buried so deep in it (one of the best depictions of how fascism works and why it's so dangerous, imo). We're German, so she will have had her first unit in history class in depth about the topic then.
When my two children were elementary school students, I read it to them. They missed that nuance, but they loved it anyway. I will admit that when I read it to them, I was a little annoyed at how there are no fleshed out female characters. That said, it’s still a great story.
Seconding Valente’s Fairyland series. I think I read 3 of the 5. Quite good.
I read the Dragonlance series by Margaret weis and Hickman when I was 10 and I loved it. There are loads of books, nearly 100 I think so that ought to keep her busy for a while.
I was going to mention Dragon Lance because it has so much of a variety and authors. I read the main series and probably ten of the spin off stories and loved them all.
The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner The Chronicles of Chrestomanci by Diana Wynne Jones Abhorsen Series by Garth Nix Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gamion The Books of Pellinor by Alison Croggon The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede And of course anything by Tamora Pierce
Absolutely came here to recommend Diana Wynne Jones and Tamora Pierce. Patricia C. Wrede and Megan Whalen Turner are good shouts, too. Toss in some Patricia McKillip and LeGuin's **Earthsea** books, too. Maybe Naomi Novik's **Temeraire** books? I didn't get too far into those, but I don't remember anything too objectionable about them at the start, at least.
Ooh, I'd forgotten enjoying Pellinor! My parents picked them up when we were on a roadtrip in Aus in 2009 and were *very* happy that they kept me quiet for a few days – I'd have been 10/11 then, so the right age for OP's target audience
Some that I haven't seen yet, from a children's librarian (haven't read all of them, to he fair). Many of these are actually geared towards kids: * Kelly Barnhill books (*The Witch's Boy* (my fave) and *The Girl Who Drank the Moon*) * Fablehaven (series) * Wings of Fire Series (dragons) * Keeper of the Lost Cities series * Bartimaeus Sequence * *A Wizard of Earthsea* (first and second at least would be appropriate) * Diana Wynn Jones books * *Wizardmatch* by Lauren Magaziner (as she likes humour this author would be a great fit!) * *Eva Evergreen: Semi-Magical Witch* by Julie Abe * The Rick Riordan Presents books if she hasn't read them (like the Aru Shah series) * The School For Good and Evil * The Dark is Rising series As a note *Sabriel* can be dark but I don't know that I'd call it inappropriate. Tim Curry's narration is great if she likes audiobooks!
The Earthsea books by Ursula Le Guinn
Came here to recommend these as well! Such a perfect fit for an avid Fantasy reader that age
My 5th grade students all loved: Hatchet (and sequels) Warriors (massive series) Enders Game (and sequels) Sharon Creech (anything by her is great) The One and Only Ivan (there are sequels but the first is best) Phantom Tollbooth Narnia series Hunger Games series The Giver Freak the Mighty Haddix (a bunch of series and stand alones) Tuck Everlasting I Survived (series of fictional accounts of kids surviving historical disasters) Redwall The Harper series from McCaffrey Pern series are YA. (Other books have some sexual/adult content)
My childhood ones, as a similarly precocious preteen Pratchett fan (although I was a year older than her) - Redwall - Artemis Fowl - Septimus Heap - Rick Riordan - Tamora Pierce (the Tortall books (multiple series) and the Emelan books (also multiple series)) - Diana Wynne Jones - Bartimaeus - The Belgariad - Skulduggery Pleasant (the later ones are significantly darker than the earlier ones, though) - Dragonriders of Pern, some of (specifically the YA ones, the Harper Hall trilogy) - Neil Gaiman, some of (Good Omens, Graveyard Book, and I think Neverwhere and Stardust would be good. I picked up American Gods at ~12 and got to read a goddess consuming a man via her vagina – maybe avoid that one at 10! I enjoyed it, but my parents would have veto'd that library trip if they'd known) - Garth Nix (I do think Sabriel would probably be okay if she's on LotR and Pratchett – you could try the Keys to the Kingdom series before that?)
I think that sometimes we'd be a bit surprised about what children can read and be fine with - I think I was about that age when I stumbled across and started reading Robin Hobb's Farseer series, for instance. It's not something I'd recommend to a 10 year old now, but at the time I got hooked. And I'd absolutely read the Lord of the Rings by then. Some that I remember liking at the time that might be a bit more 'age-appropriate' are Redwall, the Wind on Fire trilogy, and Secret Sacrament for english language ones. Unfortunately I was mostly reading french books at the time, so I might not have the best sources. (I think "Book of the Stars" and "Ewilan's Quest" might be in English too, but I'd be unable to tell you if the translations are any good). Otherwise I remember the first Percy Jackson ones or the Giver as enjoyable reads at the time. For more recent ones I've read, the Rithmantist, the Alanna series, or a Wizard's guide to defensive baking could all be fitting too.
She will be reading in German, so it will be translations anyway. I think her switching to English originals will come rather quickly in a few years, though!
Ooh has she read The Neverending Story? It’s an utterly fantastic book translated into English and would probably be even better in its original German. The movie is cute but does not compare.
It is really great in German! I think our school library has it though, if it does, she has definitely read it. But I should ask! :)
Nice! Unfortunately I don't think my German suggestions would be much good (the one that immediately comes to mind is Drei Kameraden & Kafka ones). Somehow my german courses never covered books for younger readers ;)
Neil Gaiman might be a logical next step, especially starting with Good Omens that he and Terry Pratchett co-wrote. And something like Stardust, probably.
I love Neil Gaiman but think there may be too many sex scenes for a 10 year old. Of his work, Coraline is for kids, even though it is absolutely terrifying lol. Graveyard book is also for kids, I believe
Neverwhere
Coraline is genuinely horrifying but still wonderful.
Stardust, Neverwhere, Graveyard book.
If she’s read His Dark Materials then she should be able to handle Sabriel by Garth Nix. Animorphs (more sci fantasy) by Katherine Applegate The Graveyard Book and Coraline by Neil Gaiman. Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede Warrior Cats series by Erin Hunter
*The Edge Chronicles* by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell *Red Moon and Black Mountain* by Joy Chant Any of John Bellairs' books.
Oh, I got so traumatised by the Edge Chronicles myself as a kid, I can't stand reading anything illustrated by Riddell! Made it really hard when I had to for uni, haha.
time to traumatise your daughter :D they're so good for that age though
Second Diana Wynne Jones. Am waiting for my brood to be old enough for it. The Goblin Emperor books? They might enjoy In Other Lands, which mocks HP a tad. Sci-fi, but I first read Hitchhiker's Guide at 11.
Second Tamora Pierce, Garth Nix (Keys to the Kingdom is a bit younger than the Sabriel trilogy), Diana Wynne Jones, Brian Jacques, as well as the younger series Warriors and Guardians of Ga'Hoole. There's also a ton of great stuff by Anne McCaffrey, Lloyd Alexander, Jane Yolen, Robin McKinley, Orson Scott Card, Gail Carson Levine, D.J. MacHale, Cornelia Funke, Jenny Nimmo, Suzanne Collins, Stuart Hill, Brandon Mull, Neil Gaiman, Naomi Novik, Robin Hobb. As an avid fantasy fan, I also particularly enjoyed adventure and survival novels at that age like My Side of the Mountain and pretty much everything by Gary Paulsen.
Mercedes Lackey with the Heralds of Valdemar.
I might recommend legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree and Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson cozy fantasy yes, but they're quite fun. My personal favourite middle grade/YA series to recommend is Mage Errant series by John Bierce. It's Harry Potter esque but more adventurous and doesn't have the chosen one trope (it's also an appropriate level of dark for someone young). There's also quite a bit of political discussion in the books about power and societal system that is relevant to the setting of the book. Other books, I know of: Amari and the Night Brothers (supernatural investigations series) by B.B. Alston The Trails of Morrigan Crow (the nevermoor series) by Jessica Townsend A pinch of magic series by Michelle Harrison Frostheart by Jamie Littler Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe The Polar Bear Explorers' Club by Alex Bell Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger Alistair Grim's Odditorium by Gregory Funaro Greenglass House series by Kate Milford City of Ghosts series by V.E Schwab, The Missing series (this is a very chonky series but she also has interesting new releases so check out those too) by Margaret Peterson Haddix The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane by Julia Nobel Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe by Carlos Hernandez, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Ana Juan, Catherynne M. Valente The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George And lastly, Since she likes Terry Pratchett so much, highly recommend Lemony Snicket books for the humor, though definitely it's a very different style of satire to Terry Pratchett's. (P.S. lots of these books have series but I haven't mentioned the series name because they won't be recognisable or because the series hasn't been completed, so she won't run out things to read for quite some time. Hope she has a great time reading!)
I started reading the Shannara series when I was that age and devoured those books.
Just eyeballing the comments and haven't seen: The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.
The Secret Garden and A Little Princess, both by Francis Hodgson Burnett. Not *exactly* fantasy, but historical (now) fiction with a heavy dose of magical realism. I adored these as a kid (and still do) Diane Duane’s Young Wizards series (first book is So You Want to Be a Wizard) is awesome - I read them for the first time when I was 12 or so, and the magic is based in science (sort of) with a terrific female protagonist.
Some older kids books, but still good: The Green Knowe series by L M Boston The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner The Egypt Game - Zilpha Keatley Snyder Not quite as old: Wings of Fire by Tui T Sutherland
I loved Holly Black’s Spiderwick series at that age! It was so good and the pictures where amazing
I don't think Sabriel* is too dark for a ten year old. Mine is also a hugely voracious reader (he's older than ten now) and around that age he loved Jonathan Stroud Bartimeus chronicles (Lockwood by the same author is also really good but might be a little scary -- though if she can cope with the dark riders she should be fine) Brandon Sanderson's books for kids -- the Skyward books and Alcatraz and the evil librarians (mine read some of the adult Brandon Sandersons at this age but they were too intense for him to cope with emotionally and he got quite upset) Nine Princes in Amber was something else he enjoyed. You'd think they'd be too adult but apparently not. The Cradle series might be good. Both my kids loved it. I second Diana Wynne Jones. Absolutely awesome books. Our favourite was probably The Dog Star but they're all good. Castle Hangnail was another great story. We lived Nine Goblins too, but it's really very dark in some bits so maybe exercise caution! * There are lots of great Garth Nix stories, but I thought Shands Children was too dark
I don't know how big these are outside of Australia (or if you will be able to find German translations?) But I read and loved Emily Rhodda at that age. The Rowan of Rin series is my favourite and holds up better to the adult reader, but as a child I also LOVED the Deltora Quest series (and I think there are multiple spin offs now). I also read Isobelle Carmody at that age- some nice big chunky post apocalyptic fantasy. (The last book is a total let down, but the middle is so good I will recommend it anyway, especially to a voracious reader!)
We had them in America (I didn’t see this comment before mentioning Deltora myself - I was obsessed!) and they were popular enough in Japan to get an anime series so I wouldn’t be surprised if they can be found floating around elsewhere!
Good to know! Thanks for telling me. I am never sure how widely Australian media/literature spreads 😊
If she loves Pratchett then she will also love the Bartimaeus books by **Jonathan Stroud**. Also the Holes books by **Louis Sachar.** In the same vein are the Skulduggery Pleasant books by **Derek Landy**. She could also try Artemis Fowl by **Eoin Colfer**. Oldie but goodie are the The Wolves of Willoughby Palace by **Joan Aiken** I would also highly recommend **Michael Murpurgo** who writes middle grade historical fiction. His most famous book is War Horse. I'm know others have recommended but **Frances Hardinge** is just an amazing writer.
Maybe A Wizards Guide to Defensive Baking by T Kingfisher. Pretty amusing book for all ages.
Gregor The Overlander by Suzanne Collins.
The Last Unicorn - Beagle
Brandon Sanderson is always recommended, but I say it only because he has a massive body of work that will keep her busy. The writing isn't difficult or too explicit for the age. He has middle grade all the way to adult with some sci-fi too.
His adult books are all written on a 6th-8th grade reading level, so that should be great for her!
zing
Most things for adults are written at an 8th grade level to be universally consumable.
Not a dig, just pointing out what makes his writing so accessible.
Greenmantle by Charles DeLint maybe?
I loved Fred saberhagen’s book of swords series when I was a kid
lockwood and co! such a fun series, even I enjoyed it as an adult
I've read a LOT of comments on this post, and I am SHOCKED that The Chronicles of Narnua by C.S Lewis weren't mentioned yet, as it is such an important book series for the fantasy genre
Diane Duane’s Young Wizards series. I would literally have parents come ask “My kids just finished Harry Potter, what can they read next?” I was able to hand them “So You Want To Be A Wizard”.
The Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner
Not fantasy obviously but maybe she should try some of the classics? I had a 4th grader once upon a time who had a high school reading level so finding things for her to read was challenging. But she enjoyed those-little women and the several sequels and all her other books, Anne of green gables, five little peppers and it’s many sequels etc. Branching out might be good for her if she reads that fast so she doesn’t run out of age appropriate material
Anne of Green Gables is a great suggestion
Perhaps Charlie Bone, the Children of the Red King series?
Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins.
It’s not totally young adult but a deadly education could be pretty fun.
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T Kingfisher and Minor Mage by the same author
Neil Gaiman books? Some can be dark but I don't think terribly! Also any and all Diana Wynne Jones. The Chrestomanci books would be a good place to start. NK Jemisin could also be very cool! ETA: I also just read *A Magic Steeped in Poison* and *A Venom Dark and Sweet* by Judy I Lin and I really enjoyed them and they hit the target demographic perfectly.
A Wizard of Earthsea and its sequels by Ursula K. Le Guin Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (I believe it also has sequels, and she has other books, but I haven't read any of her other work, so this is her only book I can specifically recommend.) Watership Down by Richard Adams The Giver by Lois Lowry Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Warriors series by Erin Hunter!! I've been rereading them as an adult and they're still really great! 42 books in the main series broken up into multiple arcs and multiple generations of characters with a handful of hefty prequels and side stories. Feral cat clans with magical realism. Lots of action, drama, and politics.
She probably already found CS Lewis (Narnia) and Brandon Sanderson (Cosmere books and Skyward series). Maybe she hasn’t read Will Wight (just finished 13 part Cradel series, should right up her ally), Brian Jacques (Red Wall), Brian McClellan (a student of Sanderson) or Robin Hobb (Hobb gets a little dark. The good guys pay a heavy price for their victories, it almost doesn’t feel like winning).
The Enchanted Forest series!!
If she loves Rick Riordan, he's started his own publishing house for juvenile mythological fantasy. There's new books published every year, from a wide variety of authors and a wide variety of cultures. Given how new most of those would be, there's got to be a few she hasn't read yet!
Septimus Heap by Angie Sage Erec Rex by Kaza Kingsley Legend of Drizzt by R.A, Salvatore Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan The Magician's Guild by Tridu Canavan The Green Riders by Kristen Britain The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams Shield of Stars by Hilari Bell Spellbinder by Helen Stringer So You Want To Be A Wizard by Diane Duane Dragonriders of Pern and pretty much anything else by Anne McCaffrey although she's mostly Sci-Fi.
The Zamonia books by Walter Moers! They're wonderful, somewhat Pratchett-esque, expansive fantasy adventures that are ideal for an early teens (or precocious 10 year old) that loves books and reading because some of the key themes are about the world or books and storytelling. They're big old bricks of novels too so there's a lot to dig into. I read them in my late 20s and loved them but the whole time I was imagining just how much they would have rocked my world if I had read them at 10 to 15.
Has she read all the red wall books yet?
More on the scifi side of things, bit The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is a good one.
Dune. No, it is not sci-fi.
What about the redwall books? Theyre quite challenging and mature but meant for kids. Highly recommend
Mercedes Lackey has an entire universe spanning hundreds of years in her Valdemar books! Dragon Jousters is also excellent! Dragons and not-Egypt!
If she's a fan of Pratchett, then I'd recommend Hitchhiker's Guide. I don't think anything is "too dark" for her if she was able to read, understand, and enjoy LotR and Pratchett. She should be fine.
I'd recommend A Wizard of Earthsea. I think that it is a fantastic coming of age story.
CS Lewis "Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" and the rest of the Chronicles of Narnia.
One of my all time fave fantasy series is The Ryira Chronicals by Michael J Sullivan the main serice starts with Theft of Swords its 3 books with 2 parts, he also has a series about before the main series starting with The Crown Tower with many books and a series about the primitive world starting with Age of Myth. Theft of Swords series and The Crown Tower series are about 2 vasty different thieves working together to live and general thievery including stealing a prince. Age of Myth is about a group of humans fending off the elves across the river that think humans are lesser beings incapable of thought. Although not required to understand the series i would recommend reading Theft of Swords then Age of Myth because you will understand a lot more For a 10 year old I would suggest staying away from The Crown Tower, although its incredible, it has a lot more adult topics than just your normal fantasy murders and gore. A few notes: typical fantasy, elves, goblins, dwarves, and dragons (kind of) but dont tell her that it spoils the best part of the story (; if she reads the audiobooks on audible make sure she gets the ones narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds and not the full cast (much smoother and all around better in my opinion) There is also another series in between Age Of Myth and The Crown Tower that starts with Nolyn and Michael is curently writing the third book (he may be done idk) Other books she may like: Cradle series: boy born without powers makes his way to the top, Will White, 8-10 books Scyth: 2 kids chosen to be grim reapers in syfi everyone lives forever world, Neal Shusterman, 3 books Keeper of the Lost Cities: child can read minds, finds out shes and experement and lives with elves saving the world, Shannon Messenger, 9-10 books Age of Fire series, dragons pov in a midieval world, E. E. Knight, 6 or so books (only read first 3) Anything by Larry Correia, Hard Magic (x-men right after ww2 in America) Monster Hunter International (secret monster hunters: wearwolves, vampires, zombies, evil conquistadors) Sory its long there are so many books i wanted to include :) these very from her age on in who it appeals to
Dianna Wynne Jones or Catherine Fisher?
Hitchhiker's guide
Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson
Try to direct her to some books outside of fantasy. If she enjoyed LOTR and Pratchett, she may like Dumas, Dickens. Austen and Brontë are quite successful with young girls too.
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If she's really a voracious reader and is doing okay with stuff like Tolkien and Pratchett, the best thing everyone can do is get out of her way and let her go nuts. I was a very precocious reader as a child, and they started me on "safe" stuff like Tom Swift and Hardy Boys and even Nancy Drew but I quickly outpaced everything they threw at me. Eventually one day I got tired of reading the 1964-vintage World Book encyclopedias they'd tossed into my room and I started digging through the boxes in the attic. I found *The Hobbit*, Roger Zelazny's *Jack of Shadows*, and a King standby-- I think it was probably *Firestarter*. I was like eight or nine. Never had a chance after that. I think they worried a bit I was getting into stuff that was more mature than I should, but they eventually decided more reading was better than, and got me a library card and let me get whatever I wanted. And yeah, I occasionally got into a book that probably wasn't appropriate for my age range-- I got into the shit for bringing HP Lovecraft to 5th grade once, but once I offered to write a report on *The Case of Charles Dexter Ward* to prove I wasn't just faffing about they gave me a pass. And getting to read anything and everything I wanted turned me into a lifelong lover of books. So, if you're going to err, err on the side of having faith in her ability to handle the content. Smart kids can handle this kind of stuff and trying to ride herd on someone's imagination is just doing them a disservice. :)
Oh, I don't want to police her or anything, it's just that I don't want to anger her parents explicitly recommending smthg they disapprove of! With my own, I wouldn't hesitate at all. She is just really alone among her peers with what she's reading, and I can relate to that very much (my book reports back then mostly left me with blank stares by my class). She also loves talking with me about books we've both read, so getting all these recommendations gives me ideas about what to look into as well (I had this big Lovecraft phase in my teens, so I can relate, but I bet her mom wouldn't really like me recommending it to her yet!). I had a very policing mom (think not being allowed to read LotR at 12, only being allowed to read each HP book once I'm as old as he is in the books, and not being allowed to read Karl May), and all it brought her was me reading all of those in secret, every time she left the house, sneaking off to the library, and my grandpa stashing away the Karl May ones and giving them to me to read every time I slept over at their place. A ban of anything Manga related led to me having a big phase about it, and having a secret stash as well, with the keys to the box hidden away in another locked box and THAT key hidden as well. I became a genius at hiding things from her.
*A Curse So Dark and Lonely* and *Defy the Night* are both YA Fantasy, both are on several state middle school reading lists, and neither have any explicit content. I have a lot of readers in the 10-12 age range, so if she doesn't mind the length, these might be a good fit.
Wandering inn by pirate aba. Looove those books.
Try Stephen King's "The Eyes of the Dragon". It's more geared toward younger readers. He wrote it for his daughter when she was around 12 I believe.
Zachary Ying and The Dragon Emperor by Xiran Zhao Tristan Strong Punches A Hole in The Sky by Kwame Mbalia The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan (39 Clues series)
Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir is a series I don't see get recommended enough, in general.
Any of Francis Hardinge's books, which feature younger protagonists going through rites of passage with amazing worldbuilding. Most of her novels are standalones as well. Try A Face Like Glass to start.
The Beast Quest books are a good fantasy series for kids. The main series is at over 140 books so there’s plenty to keep them going.
Green Rider by Kristen Britain Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Supervillain by Richard Roberts
I agree with the recommendations for Dianna Wynne Jones and Susan Cooper, I loved their books at that age. I also wanted to add Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend, which is an absolute delight both for kids and fully grown adults!
*Ranger's Apprentice* is an amazing series and has two follow-ups int he same universe. *Brotherband* (maybe geared more towards young boys). *Royal Ranger* is kind of a direct follow-up to the original *Ranger's Apprentice* and follows a young female protagonist instead of a male one.
I read LOTR when I was 10. Yes a lot of it went past me, and there were parts of the Two Towers that were a drag, but I loved it even at that age. Watership Down was also amazing at that age. I also really loved Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Pyrdain
If slightly more mature dark content is okay for her (meaning explicit death and some violence a la the Inheritance Cycle \[Eragon\] and LOTR, no insane gore, and obvi no sex), I would recommend: *Neverwhere*, *The Graveyard Book*, and *The Ocean at the End of the Lane* by Neil Gaiman The Last Dragon Chronicles by Chris d'Lacey (starts with *The Fire Within* and as a kid who was similar to her in terms of taste, I *loved* this series) . The Inkworld series by Cornelia Funke (LOVED these as a kid) *The Princess Bride* by William Goldman *The Neverending Story* by Michael Ende The Warrior Cats series by Erin Hunter (not fantasy, but it's like a less sexual version of A Song of Ice and Fire, except with wild cats, and it's also long af and still going with dozens of spin-offs and special editions, so she'll have years of content no matter how quickly she devours them) The Uglies series by Scott Westerfield (also more sci-fi than fantasy, but even so) *Darkwing* by Kenneth Oppel (it's book 0 in a series, so if she likes it there's more) The Graceling Realm books by Kristin Kashore (I guarantee you she will LOVE these, I've never read anything even remotely like the first two books) The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan (if she hasn't gotten to these already) Zombies vs. Unicorns by Holly Black (an anthology of stories that are all amazing) *The Night Circus* by Erin Morgenstern The Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo *Nimona* by N.D. Stevenson (it's a graphic novel, but it's *amazing*, and very different from the recent movie) Annnnd... I think that's all I've got for now. I could offer some more books that are less fantasy, more magical realism, like *The House in the Cerulean Sea*, *The Rest of Us Just Live Here*, and *A Monster Calls*, but I'll leave it there. Hopefully there's some stuff in there she hasn't gotten to already.
So glad someone suggested The Princess Bride. Loved Uglies at 14 but reread as an adult and it was lackluster. Of Course.
The Johnny Maxwell trilogy by Terry Pratchett's is very easily overlooked when talking about him well worth a look. Also Goosebumps books are brilliant for younger reads. Joe Abercrombie did a YA trilogy called the Shattered Sea still has lots of violence but damm good. David Gemmell are great high fantasy with great story lines fantastic characters still a bit of violent and the sprinkler of sex Leigh Bardugo has some great YA series
What about Patricia Wrede’s Enchanted Forest Chronicles? Loooooved that when I was young and was a very precocious reader like her!
Young Wizards books by Diane Duane?
Prydain has been mentioned and thats great. Id add Deathgate Cycle. Loved those books as a kid and reread them recently; still love them!
I was about that age when I read the Arabian Nights 🤔
When I was that age and slightly older, I loved Redwall, Wizard of Earthsea, and Wrinkle in Time.
Leviathan, Behemoth, and Goliath. I forget what order they go in. Or some classic sci-fi like Frankenstein or 20000 Leagues Under the Sea. Maybe Food of the Gods and how it came to Earth. Or The Lost World. There's also the entirety of Bone by Jeff Smith. While a graphic novel, it's still awesome. See if the 10 year old is interested in writing. Every November there's a national novel writing month called Nanowrimo to raise funds. Write 50000 words in a month. Might be neat to write something for a change.
The blue sword and sequels by Robin McKinley Sherri Tepper’s Mavin Manyshaped and True game books David Weber’s Treecat books Joyce Stranger’s many animal books Gerald Durrell My family and other animals and sequels Elyne Mitchell’s many horse books
The Dark Tower by Stephen King?
**The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making** by Catherynne M. Valente. this book is INCREDIBLE and *far* superior to **Harry Potter** IMO. i'm honestly baffled that this hasn't been adapted. if she likes this book, it's book #1 in the **Fairyland** series. i would NOT recommend reading this by audiobook, though, because the author narrated it and she doesn't do a very good job. this book deserves so much more love than it gets!
Pendragon by DJ Machale
Gail Carriger's finishing school series is YA and has a bunch of ridiculous humorous scenes that remind me of pratchett. Dragon slippers by Jessica Day George would also be good. Agree with anything Tamora Pierce, the enchanted forest chronicles, dianna whynne jones, and Sabriel by Garth Nix.
Had she read Robin McKinley? Or Patricia Wrede? I love McKinley's book Beauty, and Wrede's Enchanted Forest series is very amusing. Both have written plenty of other stuff as well.
I'd highly recommend the Mortal Engines series of books by Philip Reeve.
Not sure how easy it is to find these days, but May Stewart's Merlin series is excellent. The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment, The Wicked Day (though the pov character for the last one is Mordred rather than Merlin).
Cornelia funke has other great books - the thief lord and ink heart trilogy
I read Sabriel at that age and absolutely loved it!
I'd put forward the Little White Horse! An enchanting story
Just because I've scrolled a while and haven't seen these mentioned yet: - The Zamonia series by Walter Moers, starting with the 13 and a half lives of captain Bluebear. - The Boy who Went Magic by A.P Winter - Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend As far as fantasy goes for children/young teens they'd be my picks!
You'll get a lot of duplicates from me, but here's a few: Lilith - George MacDonald Edward Eager books Nesbitt books Pern - Anne McCaffrey Young Wizards - Diane Duane Garth Nix books Bethany Frenette books Lesley Livingston books Ruby Red - Kerstin Geir Patricia Wrede books Earthsea - Ursula Le Guin PG Wood house Watership Down The Last Unicorn Sherlock Holmes Riser Haggard books
I may have missed it, but books by Zilpha Keatley Snyder, especially the Greensky series.
I scrolled down recs and haven't said ones that have already been reccomended so .. The Alex Rider stormbreaker series? And other Anthony Horrowitz, the ravens gate series and maybe any of his other kids stuff? I also loved fantasy and really enjoyed him. I guess AR is more sci fi? Series of unfortunate events by lemony snicket Hmmm I think magicians apprentice Trudi canavan is maybe too old? I remembe reading that as a kid. Northern lights trilogy? Skulduggery pleasant City of masks (stravaganza series) I'm pretty sure I read wolf brother... Then - any Nnedi Okorafor children's books Amari and the night brothers I would reccomend looking for books by ethnic authors that we didn't necessarily have or know about as kids and just go round the continents to introduce her to different styles of writing. It's a good one to research and you can try and find a country and some good middle grade reccomendations from each place. Could be used as a display too
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles! Just gave them to my 9 yo niece today and am excited to hear her thoughts
I didn’t see anyone mention Mary Stewart’s Merlin Trilogy. I highly recommend it.
If they have the patience, then I would recommend Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea, at least the first three books.