How To Bring Up a Fantasy Reader?
•top 5 imaginative and foster child fantasy books•
My love for fantasy books – and books as a whole – started when I was a little girl. This passion was a consequence of the books I encounter in my family. These moments brought me up to the point where books are my greatest love – and that’s what I wish you and your children. Thus, I want to share with you my selection of the best child fantasy books that will help you bring up another fantasy reader!
#5 House of Secrets by Chris Columbus & Ned Vizzini
Cover image © HarperCollins
Three siblings – Cordelia, Eleanor and Brendan – used to have a perfect life. But after their father lost a job, they are forced to give up the past lifestyle and start a new one. They buy an old house and without even starting to feel normal again, the siblings get banished from the human world. Turns out that the former house owner, occult novelist, Denver Kristoff, kept a secret about his legacy. This particular secret made the three children teleport to the world of the Kristoff’s books, alongside with the house. And that’s how their adventure in literary world begins...
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This book gives me similar vibes to Brandon Mull’s ‘Fablehaven’. Both have great sibling dynamics, and very specific kind of humour that are great to read both at the mature and young age. I like also the idea of visiting the literary lands... That would be great to be able to experience that kind of adventure.
#4 Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
Cover image © Scribner & Schuster
12-years-old Sophie by accident turns out to be an elf. Now, all of her abnormalities finally make sense... But after moving to the land of the Lost Cities, she faces more and more complications, including trying to fit in in the elf world, fighting with the evil and discovering her past.
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My classmate recomended me this series and I can't believe I hadn't read it when I was 10 (in Poland it isn't popular book series at all). I would have been obsessed with this book! But reading it for the first time when I was 16, I was more than disturbed by a childishness of characters. While reading you cannot not notice how a world-building, characters and a plot is built in infantile way. I even couldn't have bear some jokes because of their puerility.
I also can't put my hate for Sophie Foster into words. She's giving me so hero-syndrome vibes and I just cannot understand why everyone in her world is so in love with her. I mean, she was tried to be written as a character with a tragic past and fate, but all she gets from lot is just perfect. SHE's too perfect despite being described as imperfect. It frustrates me so much.
But at the end of the day, I'm not 100% sure I am a proper reviewer, cause know that I see the downsides of this series only because of my age. So, I would definitely recommend 'Keeper of the Lost Cities' for your child, but not you, if you're an adult without masochistic fetish.
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Be careful!
There's a spoiler about Sophie Foster's love life below. If you want to have a first-time experience with this thread, make sure to scroll down and come back later to compare our approach on this topic.
Love threads are another thing frustrating me as a mature reader...
Excuse me, can we talk about the fact that 12-years-old girl have more complex love life then I do at the age of 18?! She not only is widely in love with Fitz since the volume one, but also both Keef and Dex (her so-called cousin, I want to add...) are in love with her so badly. Excuse me?!
Then, I'd been waiting for only 7 books to Sophie finally confessing Fitz her love. The process of Sophie's confession was so ridiculous - it lasted since the first book until the 7th. I'd understand if it was only hard for her - I mean, who does like love-confessing - but the infacility of the circumstances was overly annoying. Every time she was just to tell him she loves him, something always happened: a coming of a friend, a war... Anything. So, I was more than reliefed when it finally happened.
But then, in the 8th Shannon Messenger does the Tamlin move. She drastically changes the character building of Fitz, making him a jerk and Sophie his ex-girlfriend! The only time I am grateful someone followed Sarah J. Maas' footstep. The moment of Fitzphie breaking up was unforgettable. As a Keephie shipper I was delighted! Due to my age, I don't read KoTLC for a plot (c'mon, I have so many books with a more sophisticated plot) but for the ships and characters. And every next book I am becoming more and more captivated by Sophie and Keefe's dynamic. So cute! And at the end of the 9th novel, Keephie is finally a thing! I knew my shipping intuition wasn't wrong about those two. I also love Keef more than Sophie does. He's soo perfect!
#3 Vampirates by Justin Somper
Cover image © Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Dark story of the pair of twin siblings, Grace and Conor, that combines all the best – pirates, vampires and complicated intrigues!
The series tells the story about exactly what the title suggest – vampires, who live aboard the pirate ships flying the flag of pirates. Although the idea might sound absurd, ‘Vampirates’ is a special series kept in the climat of pseudogothic, packed with engaging but dangerous adventures, friendships and blood. And it all aboard the pirate ships, in the future world whose almost whole planet is sunk under ocean. The main characters are Conor and Grace, siblings sharing the dual POV, that turns out to be the descendants of the vampire.
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I love this series so much! It is engaging so much! The characters are so mysterious, the antagonists so malicious, and most importantly – the vibe is just inimitable! I fell in love with this universe as a girl and even now, at the age of 18 and being an adult, I still can’t imagine my reader life without it. Also, I may still have a crush on one of the characters that appears at the 2nd or 3rd book called Johnny Desperado... He’s a vaquero from the Mexican – Texan border and is definitely one of my favourite characters ever. He’s so perfectly morally grey, balancing between good and evil, and selfishness, chivalrous and funny, and very emotional in the bottom of his macho heart of a cowboy.
However, I must warn you, if you are a parent – you child has to be old enough to read these books ‘cause of the amount of the brutality included in the plot. It is vampire world, after all! I would say that PG is about 12 years old.
#2 Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Cover image © Scholastic
I’m pretty sure I don’t have to explain anyone what ‘Harry Potter’ is about but long story short – it's a touching story of a British orphan, who turns out to be a wizard and the Chosen One capable to fight with the evil.
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‘Harry Potter’ is the book that probably engaged me the most when I was little. Entering the world of Hogwarts, I wasn’t able to put the books down even for the minute. And although I find the character building of Harry one of the most annoying ever, other fantastic elements definitely compensate for the lack of a bearable main character. Beautiful friendships, engaging action, family secrets, and most importantly – wildly complex world building, that is literally breathtaking! Another great pro of ‘Harry Potter’ is definitely a fact that it can be read both by adults and children. No wonder that that many potterheads are adults!
If I were a parent, I would make everything for my child reading ‘Harry Potter’. It’s beautiful series that really awakes the belief in magic in a little soul, and I will never forget the times I literally believed I would get the letter from Dumbledore. That’s the perfect childhood memory I wish every child could be able of having.
I have to add a very specific disclaimer for parents – make sure that your child will read ‘Harry Potter’ all 4 volumes after ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ at the appropriate age. The 4th volume contains the first death descripted striaghtly in the narrative and it’s the first to be so brutal.
#1 Fablehaven
by Brandon Mull
Cover image © Scribner & Schuster
Seth and Kendra Sorensons are pair of siblings who are forced to spend their holidays at their grandparents’. The Sorensons Grandpas are quite emotionally distant and introvert creatures, thus their relationship with Seth and Kendra doesn’t really exist. So, when the siblings are made to visit the grandparents at their isolated from the world villa in the middle of nowhere, Connecticut, they aren’t happy at all. Fortunately for Seth and Kendra, the holidays aren’t going to be the bore they expected.
Suddenly, Kendra discovers that her grandpa, Stan Sorenson, is in fact a caretaker of a preserve and sanctuary of magic, called Fablehaven, the siblings start to be part of the universe they didn’t even expect to exist. But when Seth commits a blunder and accidentally causes a vanishing of his grandpa and his friends, the siblings begin their story arc as a pair of heroes who are trying to save their family.
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The whole series ‘Fablehaven’ and its sequel series, ‘Dragonwatch’, is definitely the best fantasy series I’ve read as a child. It developed my imagination and belief in magic even better than ‘Harry Potter’ thus I personally find it so magnificent and nostalgic at the same time. The whole world of magic preserves, totally amazing built characters and their dynamics, a humour you won’t be able to resist – it's all included. Also, the great family and friendship values, the ecological content... It’s all ‘Fablehaven’. And most importantly – the action so engaging, you won’t be able to put the books down and end up reading them for the whole night.
I highly recommend these series not only for child readers, but also the adult ones – for instance, my mum read the books last summer, and she was delighted.
So, as you can see, bringing up a fantasy reader isn't that difficult. All you need is a guide that help you sellect all the best for your little reader!
Oh, and by the way - let me know whether you want to get a part 2 since I have read multiple both magnificent and terrible child fantasy.
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