It’s not D&D directly, but Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain are in my opinion the best kids’ fantasy ever written. I’m in college now and I still love them! I love The Hobbit (LotR is my favorite book period but it’s not really for kids), but these books might be even better! Trust me, your kids will love them...and you’ll probably enjoy them too. Seriously, I can’t recommend them enough!
I honestly don't like Narnia and my daughters did not like it either. The hobbit is OK, although the style might be a bit old, and there is indeed a large gap with the Silmarillion and the lord of the rings.
I love Pratchett, but it's mostly second degree humour, so it's a question of taste, but I would not recommend it for junior readers.
How can The Hobbit be "OK," without it, D&D would not exist.
This is very true! The Hobbit started it all. Then LOTR. (Both btw are fantastic books)
Altogether my daughters and I spent about six months reading from the Hobbit through Lord of the Rings straight through. We were fans. As far as it not being for everyone, I think for some readers who want a bit more grit to their fantasy, it might be a little too pastoral and also frustrating to people allergic to extended details on flora. A friend of mine who I play with and whose opinion I usually respect once told me, "I gave it a try, but honestly I just got bored with all the trees."
I think the guidance on Salvatore and Dragonlance are good. But to slip into "that Dad" mode I'll say that there's a big drop in quality in writing from the more "literary" work offered in its place, including Pratchett, and the stuff published by TSR in the 80s/90s. I've heard Salvatore's improved, but in some spot checks I've done, I don't really see it. There's also some fairly retrograde by 2020 standards in gender dynamics. An early chapter of The Crystal Shard ends with one of the barbarians chieftains shouting "Bring on the women!" or something to that effect. I think he might have even said "wenches." Daughters might feel a little awkward and I don't know if I had sons I'd want that sensibility floating around in their pre-adolescent minds. In Dragonlance there is significant sexual tension between a number of characters which is fairly frank by fifth grade standards (meaning you have some characters who are admittedly naive but some more worldly characters who are all seem to think of physical attraction at a high school level, but not a current high school understanding). LotR had it's "betrothed" issues too but it was more chaste than some of the innuendo and grabbing you get in DL. I'd actually argue if there's a good graphic novel edition of Dragonlance of Salvatore's work, go with that and save yourself some bad prose.
Something fantastic, but also contemporary and grounded more in the heads of modern kids would be Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books and the expanded world he's build around them. It's closer to modern/urban fantasy in that the character, who are kids and I think reflect how kids see themselves nowadays, are contemporary mindset but also mostly demigods from a variety of pantheons so you have sort of secret wars within pantheons in our contemporary world.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I honestly don't like Narnia and my daughters did not like it either. The hobbit is OK, although the style might be a bit old, and there is indeed a large gap with the Silmarillion and the lord of the rings.
I love Pratchett, but it's mostly second degree humour, so it's a question of taste, but I would not recommend it for junior readers.
How can The Hobbit be "OK," without it, D&D would not exist.
Tolkien’s great, but I kind of doubt he’d even get published today. His style feels a bit dated. Love the books, but I totally get Lyxen’s point.
With regards to Terry Pratchett: pick up the 5 Tiffany Aching books - as Davedamon said - before trying the regular Discworld books. They’re technically part of the Discworld series, but they’re written more towards a younger audience - they’re a coming of age tale, essentially. They’re really, really, really good (though the last one suffers slightly from Pratchett’s advancing Alzheimer’s by the time he wrote it).
Names I haven’t seen here yet: Diana Wynne Jones - particularly the Chrestomanci books, the Dalemark quartet and the Moving Castle (which Miyazaki’s / Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle was based on) books; Neil Gaiman - just make sure to pick up the books meant for a younger audience, like Coraline, Stardust or the Graveyard Book, not something like American Gods; Kelly Barnhill (the Witch’s Boy, the Girl Who Drank the Moon); and Brian Jacques (the Redwall series).
None of these are particularly D&D-related, but they’re all great fantasy books for children.
There is an awesome movie on Youtube that you can watch for free. It is a Norwegian fairy tale, well-dubbed into English from the original Norwegian.
It is surprising because it is a straightforward presentation of the historical fairy tales. It is charming, innocent, and appropriate for kids (and for adults who are in a good mood).
I loved it. Very D&D too!
The "ash lad" is a kind of masculine version of "Cinder"-ella.
There is a ton of good fantasy for middle-grade readers (age 9-12).
The Magisterium series by Holly Black Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan The Wings of Fire series by Tui Sutherland (about actual dragons, so not purely a D&D experience)
Neil Gaiman - just make sure to pick up the books meant for a younger audience, like Coraline, Stardust or the Graveyard Book, not something like American Gods;
As you can tell from my profile pic, I love Neil Gaiman. The man could publish his grocery list and I'd buy three copies.
But for young readers Coraline, Stardust, The Graveyard Book, and The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish. Neverwhere is great as well, if a little older skewing, but the mythology is brilliant.
I agree about Stardust, but Coraline scared all the teenage girls that have attempted it, my three daughters and at least four others in my goddaughter's sisterhood...
The movie is just as scary, but that’s not so bad if it’s a shared experience and the kids are watching it with a parent or older siblings. Which makes me think it’s probably ok if it’s a parent reading the book to their kids as well, even for younger ones or kids that scare a little more easily. Plus, if you’re there you can reassure them it’s just a story - a very scary, very well-written story, but just a story.
Jasper Fforde Has The Dragonslayer series. I haven't read them but I saw the tv adaption of the first one. It's a weird amalgamation of modern ideas in a fantasy medieval setting. If you don't mind stepping further away from the traditional fantasy genre his Thursday Next series and Nursery Crime Division series are smart, funny, and fantastically absurd.
But if we are going a bit far from the original question, I certainly would like to mention Brandon Sanderson. First, there are some really good children books there, with Alcatraz and especially The Rythmatist, which is easily one of his best books. It's less D&D but all the Reckoners series is also quite good in the superhero genre. After that, the longer sagas are not for younger children, not because of traumatizing content (especially compared to Coraline :D), but mostly because of the length. Everything Mistborn is fantastic, and the Stormlight Archives is fantastic as well.
After that, I'm a big fan of the Wheel of Time (Robert Jordan but finished by Sanderson), again the length night be a deterrent, but my daughters have read it in their teens, and my youngest daughter has even read it twice, it is really rich and with incredible characters and stories. I would read it again, if I had the time...
Come on, I read this whole thread hoping that no one had posted Sanderson so that I could.... :)
I would highly recommend almost anything Sanderson wrote. I would start with The Rithmatist, which is intended for a younger audience but still manages to have a complex plotline and interesting world. The only problem with it is that we never know when we will get the sequel...
I think that you could also read Elantris at a pretty young age. Mistborn I would wait until their teens, not really because of questionable content but because they would appreciate the complex story more. The Stormlight Archive is also great (I am actually rereading Oathbringer right now), but is already a massive series and its only a third of the way done. Stormlight was the book that really made me love epic fantasies. It is very unique and not a Tolkien clone.
I would not start with The Wheel of Time. It takes a lot of investment to read, and you have to enjoy epic fantasy before starting it.
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A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
I didn't really like Warbreaker. The magic system wasn't that interesting to me, and I didn't like the characters that much. It was supposed to be a romance, but I liked the romance in the Stormlight Archive more.
Skyward was also pretty fun.
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A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
Awesome! Thanks so much!
A New DM up against the World
Altogether my daughters and I spent about six months reading from the Hobbit through Lord of the Rings straight through. We were fans. As far as it not being for everyone, I think for some readers who want a bit more grit to their fantasy, it might be a little too pastoral and also frustrating to people allergic to extended details on flora. A friend of mine who I play with and whose opinion I usually respect once told me, "I gave it a try, but honestly I just got bored with all the trees."
I think the guidance on Salvatore and Dragonlance are good. But to slip into "that Dad" mode I'll say that there's a big drop in quality in writing from the more "literary" work offered in its place, including Pratchett, and the stuff published by TSR in the 80s/90s. I've heard Salvatore's improved, but in some spot checks I've done, I don't really see it. There's also some fairly retrograde by 2020 standards in gender dynamics. An early chapter of The Crystal Shard ends with one of the barbarians chieftains shouting "Bring on the women!" or something to that effect. I think he might have even said "wenches." Daughters might feel a little awkward and I don't know if I had sons I'd want that sensibility floating around in their pre-adolescent minds. In Dragonlance there is significant sexual tension between a number of characters which is fairly frank by fifth grade standards (meaning you have some characters who are admittedly naive but some more worldly characters who are all seem to think of physical attraction at a high school level, but not a current high school understanding). LotR had it's "betrothed" issues too but it was more chaste than some of the innuendo and grabbing you get in DL. I'd actually argue if there's a good graphic novel edition of Dragonlance of Salvatore's work, go with that and save yourself some bad prose.
Something fantastic, but also contemporary and grounded more in the heads of modern kids would be Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books and the expanded world he's build around them. It's closer to modern/urban fantasy in that the character, who are kids and I think reflect how kids see themselves nowadays, are contemporary mindset but also mostly demigods from a variety of pantheons so you have sort of secret wars within pantheons in our contemporary world.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Tolkien’s great, but I kind of doubt he’d even get published today. His style feels a bit dated. Love the books, but I totally get Lyxen’s point.
With regards to Terry Pratchett: pick up the 5 Tiffany Aching books - as Davedamon said - before trying the regular Discworld books. They’re technically part of the Discworld series, but they’re written more towards a younger audience - they’re a coming of age tale, essentially. They’re really, really, really good (though the last one suffers slightly from Pratchett’s advancing Alzheimer’s by the time he wrote it).
Names I haven’t seen here yet: Diana Wynne Jones - particularly the Chrestomanci books, the Dalemark quartet and the Moving Castle (which Miyazaki’s / Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle was based on) books; Neil Gaiman - just make sure to pick up the books meant for a younger audience, like Coraline, Stardust or the Graveyard Book, not something like American Gods; Kelly Barnhill (the Witch’s Boy, the Girl Who Drank the Moon); and Brian Jacques (the Redwall series).
None of these are particularly D&D-related, but they’re all great fantasy books for children.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
Go to the library, and check out a scifi/fantasy book. Skim thru it to see if the tone and style interest you and your kids.
One summer I read maybe 40 scifi books from the library. It was awesome!
he / him
There is an awesome movie on Youtube that you can watch for free. It is a Norwegian fairy tale, well-dubbed into English from the original Norwegian.
It is surprising because it is a straightforward presentation of the historical fairy tales. It is charming, innocent, and appropriate for kids (and for adults who are in a good mood).
I loved it. Very D&D too!
The "ash lad" is a kind of masculine version of "Cinder"-ella.
The Ash Lad: In the Hall of the Mountain King
youtube ' com/watch?v=l68a7v4u8MM
he / him
Every one of those is very good.
I am an average mathematics enjoyer.
>Extended Signature<
As you can tell from my profile pic, I love Neil Gaiman. The man could publish his grocery list and I'd buy three copies.
But for young readers Coraline, Stardust, The Graveyard Book, and The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish. Neverwhere is great as well, if a little older skewing, but the mythology is brilliant.
The movie is just as scary, but that’s not so bad if it’s a shared experience and the kids are watching it with a parent or older siblings. Which makes me think it’s probably ok if it’s a parent reading the book to their kids as well, even for younger ones or kids that scare a little more easily. Plus, if you’re there you can reassure them it’s just a story - a very scary, very well-written story, but just a story.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
And eventually good wins out over evil. Nothing wrong with a good scare, either.
You guys have been a great help!
A New DM up against the World
Much appreciated! I will be wary
A New DM up against the World
Also what are everyone's thoughts on Tad Williams and his Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy?
A New DM up against the World
Also what are everyone's thoughts on Tad Williams and his Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy?
A New DM up against the World
didnt mean to say that twice
A New DM up against the World
How about Kristen Britain's Green Rider series? Kind of skews younger, but they were fun reads.
I love Memory, sorrow and Thorn. it's fantastic.
Have you read his Otherland series? More sci-fi than fantasy but still brilliant.
Jasper Fforde Has The Dragonslayer series. I haven't read them but I saw the tv adaption of the first one. It's a weird amalgamation of modern ideas in a fantasy medieval setting. If you don't mind stepping further away from the traditional fantasy genre his Thursday Next series and Nursery Crime Division series are smart, funny, and fantastically absurd.
You love it or you hate it and not for children: The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever.
playing since 1986
Come on, I read this whole thread hoping that no one had posted Sanderson so that I could.... :)
I would highly recommend almost anything Sanderson wrote. I would start with The Rithmatist, which is intended for a younger audience but still manages to have a complex plotline and interesting world. The only problem with it is that we never know when we will get the sequel...
I think that you could also read Elantris at a pretty young age. Mistborn I would wait until their teens, not really because of questionable content but because they would appreciate the complex story more. The Stormlight Archive is also great (I am actually rereading Oathbringer right now), but is already a massive series and its only a third of the way done. Stormlight was the book that really made me love epic fantasies. It is very unique and not a Tolkien clone.
I would not start with The Wheel of Time. It takes a lot of investment to read, and you have to enjoy epic fantasy before starting it.
A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
My Improved Lineage System
I didn't really like Warbreaker. The magic system wasn't that interesting to me, and I didn't like the characters that much. It was supposed to be a romance, but I liked the romance in the Stormlight Archive more.
Skyward was also pretty fun.
A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
My Improved Lineage System