Your kids have already devoured Narnia and Lord of the Rings? Here are some other fantasy novels to edify, terrify, and amuse without pumping their minds full of garbage:🧵
Five Children and It | Edith Nesbit arguably invented modern children's fantasy. This one is about, yep, five children who find a Puddlegum-ish "sand fairy." He grants wishes that go very wrong, and the results make for a charming adventure.
See also: the rest of the series
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz | L. Frank Baum's fairy tale is not much like the movie, at least in tone. Every page of this adventure fantasy brims with characters, settings, and ideas. Expect both whimsy and menace.
See also: the bajillion other Oz books
Half-Magic | Edward Eager follows in the footsteps of Edith Nesbit with well-written stories of children having magical misadventures. In this one, five siblings find a coin that grants wishes, but only halfway. Shenanigans ensue.
See also: all his other books
Howl's Moving Castle | Dianna Wynne Jones wrote densely plotted fantasies for kids. In this one, a cursed hatmaker named Sophie and a pouting wizard named Howl try to outwit a witch. Expect comedy, action, and romance.
See also: the rest of the series
Watership Down | Richard Adams wrote the greatest talking animal fantasy of all time—a strange and beautiful book about rabbits on an epic quest to find a new home. Be warned, it's more violent than you might expect.
See also: nada, thumbs way down for his other books!
Winnie-the-Pooh | A. A. Milne's famous honey-loving bear who lives in the Hundred Acre Woods is still classic. Witty, fun, and full of lively characters like Eeyore, Piglet, Rabbit, and Owl. Don't bother with the movies and shows, read this.
See also: the rest of the series
The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian | Lloyd Alexander wrote this witty adventure about a young fiddler who finds himself involved with a circus troupe, a runaway princess, an assassination plot, and an enchanted violin.
See also: The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha
Mrs. Frisby & the Rats of NIMH | In Robert O'Brien's Newberry Award winner, a widowed field mouse named Mrs. Frisby tries to cure her son. She'll need the help of some mysteriously intelligent rats. Dark, melancholy, and gripping.
See also: The Silver Crown
The Wind in the Willows | Kenneth Grahame's story is about the genteel friends Mole, Ratty, and Badger, whose friend Mr. Toad is a reckless automobile connoisseur. It's beautifully written, funny, and very British.
See also: Toad of Toad Hall, a play based on the book
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