Of course I'm going to recommend my own books! It's my blog, after all. Need I say more? This is a classic tale everyone should at least be given the opportunity to read. Tolkien! The perfect time to introduce your child to this most excellent work is during the middle grade/tween years. I know this feels like an obvious recommendation, but I keep running into people who haven't read THE HOBBIT by J. (Series starts with THE GOOSE GIRL, but they can be read in any order.) Slow and thoughtful stories, they are a pleasant corrective to our fast-paced world. A mix of traditional fairy tale retellings and original stories-all sharing the same story universe-THE BOOKS OF BAYERN contain and elevate the sort of virtues and virtuous characters any parent would be happy to have their tween child reading. These books, by Shannon Hale, were such an enjoyable discovery. Buy this series for your middle-grade reader, and then read it yourself. The fourth book, TARAN WANDERER, is one of the most profound books I have ever read. This series is pure delight, with some of the most truly delightful characters I have ever encountered in any fiction, ever.

Although Lloyd Alexander's THE CHRONICLES OF PRYDAIN have been around for decades, have sold millions of copies, and have won prestigious awards, it seems as though the tale of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper is one that causes perennial confusion when I bring it up. Adults and older children can easily read this short story in a single sitting, or it makes for a wonderful family read-aloud. First invented by Tolkien to console his son, Michael, over a favorite lost dog toy that got left on a beach vacation, it is full of whimsy and puns and fancy and Tolkien's characteristic wit. Published posthumously, this is the tale of a toy dog that finds its way to the moon and back. I love finding lesser-known titles by well-known authors, and that is what ROVERANDOM by J. With clear biblical content tying each story in a narrative arc that leads to Christ, and a graphic novel structure that makes reading it fun and engaging for young readers, Aaron Armstrong's EPIC DEVOTIONS is the perfect book to give a child who wants to start the spiritual discipline of a self-driven devotional time. It can be difficult to find a devotional book for that transition age between picture bibles and when kids and teens feel comfortable reading the bible on their own. He doesn't do that with any other book, period. I will admit up front that I have not personally read this series, but THE BAD GUYS series of books, by Aaron Blabey, is one I have to recommend for young readers (or middle grade readers who struggle with reading) because my reluctant reader LOVES this series, begs for each new book, and reads them cover-to-cover as soon as he has one in hand.

The chronicles of prydain age level