Mette Ivie Harrison, Children's writer, The Princess and the Hound, Mira, Mirror, The Monster In Me, The Princess and the Bear, Young Adult Books, Fantasy, middle grade books, middle grade science fiction, middle grade fantasy, MG fantasy, MG books, MG fantasy, Newbery, The White Mountains, Holly Black, Spiderwick Chronicles, Lloyd Alexander, The Book of Three, Well Wished, Franny Billingsley, Susan Cooper, The Dark Is Rising, The Boggart, David Clement-Davies, Kate DiCamillo, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Fire-Bringer, Roald Dahl, How to Train Your Dragon, Cressida Crowell, BFG, Half Magic, Edward Eager, Dragon Slippers, Jessica Day George, Coraline, Neil Gaiman, Cornelia Funke, Inkheart, The Thief Lord, Ghost Hunters, Ghosthunters, Among the Hidden, Margeret Peterson Haddiz, Ella Enchanted, The Two Princesses of Bamarre, Gail Carson Levine, Princess Academy, Shannon Hale, Enna Burning, The Goose Girl, Running Out of Time, Book of a Thousand Days, Hidden Talents, David Lubar, John Christopher, The Fairy's Mistake, fairy tale retellings, The Giver, The Silver Child, Cliff McNish, Lois Lowry, Wishing Moon, Michael O. Tunnell, Fablehaven, Brandon Mull, Three Good Deeds, Vivian Vande Velde, Everlost, Neal Shusterman, Hunchback, Randall Wright, The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan, Alfred Kropp, Rick Yancey

	The first fantasy series I read as a child. I suspect it underlies everything I write.	Well Wished Franny Billingsley	A great story about identity. About two girls who switch bodies and a wishing well with a mind of its own. Haunting, but not too scary, and superbly written. You won’t forget these characters or what happens to them.
The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black	This is a fun series about fairies in real life. The illustrations are luscious, as well. And there's a decidedly satisfying inner story going on that won't pass by kids unnoticed.	The White Mountains by John Christopher	I didn't discover this wonderful dystopian series for children until I was an adult, but the fear in the books is palpable, and the reality of life there clings to life here. Who are the tripods? What do they want? And will we survive their occupation?
Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper	The classic fantasy series drenched in Celtic lore, about a young boy destined to save the world.	The Boggart by Susan Cooper	Everyone knows The Dark is Rising series, but this one is lighter, funner, and the perfect thing for a reluctant reader. What if your family inherited a boggart? How would it survive with computers and the like?
How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Crowell	I loved this fun book. Perfect for boys who love dragons. It's written by a boy in the Dark Ages, and has delightful pictures to boot!	The BFG by Roald Dahl	I didn't read Roald Dahl until I was an adult, so I had my kids introduce him to me, begging me to read this book, and then others. I missed out! This is about a "Big, Friendly Giant" and the girl who lives with him.
Fire-Bringer by David Clement-Davies	I’m not a big fan of fantasies with animals as the main characters, but I made an exception for this one and I was glad I did.	The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo	I read this out loud to my kids. They just sat there, unmoving, silent, begging for more. A great story about a rabbit who becomes something more.
Half Magic by Edward Eager	This was my favorite novel when I was 10 years old. I must have read it a dozen times, and then all the sequels, too. I still think it’s a great introduction to fantasy, and to the “rules” that it involves. And the trouble children can get into when they don’t even know what they are.	The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke	I really liked how Funke slowly wove the fantasy into this story. A great story about kids who live without adults, and also of adults who live without kids, and the way they come together.
Ghosthunters by Cornelia Funke	My son loved this series! A lot of Americans don't know it, so I'm recommending it to all.	Inkeheart by Cornelia Funke	This is the story of a girl who has lost her mother, whose father is sunk deeply into books, and is then literally caught up in the world of books. What she finds there will surprise you.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman	A spooky fantasy about slipping into a world with another father and another mother, only they have button-eyes. They want your soul and they’ll pretend they love you. But the only thing you want is to get home. Neil Gaiman has a twisty mind.	Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George	One of the funnest fantasies I've read in a while. Doesn't follow the conventions, but has everything you want to keep you satisfied. Plus, who doesn't love to hear about a dragon who collects slippers instead of gold?
Among the Hidden by Margeret Peterson Haddix	A fun near-future novel about a boy who is a “third,” and illegal. He discovers there are others like him and they band together to revolt. But it doesn’t turn out as you’d expect. One of the few science fiction novels written for children but intelligent enough to be enjoyed by adults.	Running Out of Time by Margeret Peterson Haddix	A girl who lives in the past and has to get medicine to save her family. But then she discovers she doesn't live in the past, after all. She's an exhibit in a zoo, and the observers are going to let her die!
Enna Burning Shannon Hale	This was a sequel better than the original The Goose Girl. Deeper, darker (and you know I love dark). I also read it in German, which was extra fun.	Book of A Thousand Days by Shannon Hale	Shannon Hale keeps getting better and better. Based on an obscure fairy tale about a girl who refuses to marry the man her father chooses and is locked up in a tower for a thousand days. But Shannon's story is about the servant who willingly accompanies the girl into the tower, and how she gets them both out. Also what happens afterward.
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale	Well-deserved Newbery Honor. What would happen if a group of girls were told they were competing to be a princess? Sound like bad reality TV? Well, it isn't.	The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine	Even better than Ella Enchanted. A fun story about two very different sisters and how they must learn from each other to succeed. Warning—the ending may disappoint.
The Fairy's Mistake by Gail Carson Levine	This is a great series for kids just moving out of chapter books and into middle grade readers. But adults enjoy them, too! Silly, silly stuff.	Hidden Talents by David Lubar	A fun story about kids at an "alternative" high school who discover that there is a reason they're all there, and it isn't because they're bad.
The Silver Child by Cliff McNish	A weird little book about a group of five children with odd magical abilities, and how they all sacrifice for each other--and for us all.	The Giver by Lois Lowry	What would the world be like if everyone was assigned their job based on aptitude and a committee's assignment? Where would colors go? And who would keep the stories?
Fablehaven Brandon Mull	A fun fantasy about two kids who go visit their grandparents in the country. And lest you accuse me of recommending every fantasy that's published, believe me, it's not true. This is one of the best.	Wishing Moon by Michael O. Tunnell	What would you do if you got a magic lamp? It won't be all fun and games. Would you change the world?
I Was A Rat by Philip Pullman	Perhaps you will accuse me of avoiding the controversy. But this is one of my favorite of Pullman's genius work. About a rat who is turned into a boy because of Cinderella, but can't get back.	Three Good Deeds by Vivian Vande Velde	You're a goose. But you used to be a boy. How do you become a boy again? Do three good deeds? But you don't have hands, legs, or a voice. Tricky, eh? This is a writer after my own heart. The real quest for every human is to become human, truly human. In fantasy, we just tell that story a little slant.
The Rapunzel Problem by Vivian Vande Velde	Why does Rumpelstiltskin want a baby, anyway? And other questions about the fairy tale, solved through a series of different retellings. I love the idea of this book and intend to steal it soon.	The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan	My kids love these books. And they're a great retelling of the myths of the Greek gods that I used to read over and over when I was young.
Everlost by Neal Shusterman	I read this out loud to my kids and they always begged to hear more. About a girl and a boy who get killed in a car accident, and are trying to "get where they are going." Lots of surprises.	Hunchback by Randall Wright Randall Wright	A novel set in a medieval kingdom that never was, starring a hunchback with a heart of gold, who eventually gets something right.
The Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancey	I read this out loud to my kids and we all thought it was a hilarious romp. Original voice and all the magic, danger and romance you could want. About a boy who discovers he is the son of a knight of King Arthur's round table. And that gives him some pretty hefty responsibilities.
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