Hey, YA People

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

i don't know what book it is, but I think that description is more or less the main reason why fantasy fans have a hard time converting non-fantasy fans to the genre.

[fuzzyoctopus]

While on the subject, there's this fantasy book, and the main hero starts off by running around the streets (I get the impression he was a bit of a street rat) and it talks about how he can smell blood and death all around him.

I find myself saying this far too often... but I think I saw an X-Files episode like that.

[Moriosta]

Hey! I am EUOL's little sister.  I was woundering if someone knows any good teenager fantacy books?  Or you can call them young readers.  

[stacer]

You'd call them YA, or young adult. I have a list, but I don't have time to post it tonight. I'll try to get to it by the weekend.

[fuzzyoctopus]

Patricia C. Wrede's dragons series- "Dealing with Dragons", "Calling on Dragons", and "Talking to Dragons". (Possibly those last two are backwards, it's been a while.)

Anything by Dianna Wynne Jones, especially "Howl's Moving Castle"

Monica Furlong's series is good too, - "Juniper", "Wise Child", and "Colman"

If you can find a copy (it's out of print and highly-sought, but a lot of libraries carry it) read "Winter of Fire" by Sherryl Jordan.

Stacer's list will be impressive, and so I won't even try to approach it.  This is just what comes to mind right now.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

I had already read Lord of the Rings long before I was a teenager. therefore, I didn't see a need to read anything that was not "adult." I don't think my reading level was unique, esp. among those on this board. So I was reading "adult" fantasy, not "young adult." My suggestion list for teens is about the same as it is for adults.

[EUOL]

"adult" fantasy

Which, according to the literary segment of the population, IS young adult literature.  In my library back home, all fantasy was put in the teens section, no matter what it was.

[GorgonlaVacaTremendo]

If you're looking for good fantasy-type books try his dark trilogy by Phillip Pullman; The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.

[stacer]

"His Dark Materials," to be more exact. They're very well-written, though personally I disagree with the sentiments expressed in them. Okay, here's my list. Some middle-grade books may have slipped on the list, as I read it all. If I recommend it, it's a great story, period, no matter what age group it's marketed to.


Retellings of folk and fairy tales:

Maguire, Gregory. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. New York: HarperCollins, 1999.
Levine, Gail Carson. Ella Enchanted. New York: HarperCollins, 1997.
Napoli, Donna Jo. Beast. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000.
McKinley, Robin. Rose Daughter. New York: Greenwillow, 1997.
McKinley, Robin. Beauty. New York: HarperCollins, 1978.
Napoli, Donna Jo. The Magic Circle. New York:                      , 1993.
Napoli, Donna Jo. Zel. New York: Penguin Putnam, 1996.
Yolen, Jane. Briar Rose. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1992.
McKinley, Robin. Spindle's End. New York: Penguin Putnam, 2000.
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Just Ella. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999.
Levine, Gail Carson. Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep. New York: HarperCollins, 1999.
Levine, Gail Carson. The Fairy's Mistake. New York: HarperCollins, 1999.
Levine, Gail Carson. The Princess Test. New York: HarperCollins, 1999.

[stacer]

Using the old stories--fairy, myth, and legend--to fuel new ones

Billingsley, Franny. The Folk Keeper. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999.
Corbett, Sue. 12 Again. New York: Dutton Children's Books, 2002.
Colfer, Eoin. Artemis Fowl. New York: Hyperion, 2001.
Colfer, Eoin. Artemis Fowl: The Artic Incident. New York: Hyperion, 2002.
Jones, Diana Wynne. Fire and Hemlock. New York: HarperCollins, 1975.
Garner, Alan. The Owl Service. New York: Henry Z. Walck, 1967.
Cooper, Susan. Over Sea, Under Stone.
Cooper, Susan. The Dark is Rising. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1973.
Cooper, Susan. Greenwitch.
Cooper, Susan. Silver on the Tree.
Cooper, Susan. The Grey King. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1975.
Alexander, Lloyd. The Book of Three. New York: Holt, Reinhart and Winston, 1964.
Yep, Laurence. Dragon of the Lost Sea. New York: HarperCollins, 1982.
Dalkey, Kara. Little Sister. New York: Penguin Putnam, 1996.

[stacer]

Satire/tall tale/humorous
     
The Princess Bride
Dahl, Roald. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. New York: Knopf, 1964.

Witches, sorcerers, and dragons (and other magical people/creatures)

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1997.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1998.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1999.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 2000.
Fletcher, Susan. Dragon's Milk.
Fletcher, Susan. Flight of the Dragon Kyn.
Fletcher, Susan. Sign of the Dove. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996.
Wrede, Patricia C. Dealing with Dragons. New York: Scholastic,             .
Wrede, Patricia C. Searching for Dragons. New York: Scholastic, 1990.
Rita Murphy, Night Flying (2000)
Rees, Celia. Witch Child. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick, 2000.
Rees, Celia. Sorceress. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick, 2002.

[stacer]

Quest/High Fantasy

Ursula LeGuin, A Wizard of Earthsea (1968)
Phillip Pullman, The Golden Compass (1995)
Megan Whalen Turner, The Thief (1996)
Cynthia Voigt, Elske (1999)
Nix, Garth. Sabriel. New York: HarperCollins, 1995.
Nix, Garth. Lirael. New York: HarperCollins, 2001.
Nix, Garth. Abhorsen. New York: HarperCollins, 2003.
McKinley, Robin. The Hero and the Crown. New York: Greenwillow, 1984.
McKinley, Robin. The Blue Sword. New York: Greenwillow, 1982.
Tolkein, J.R.R. The Hobbit. New York: Ballantine, 1937.
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Fellowship of the Ring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1955.
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Two Towers. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1954.
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Return of the King. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1955.
Dickinson, Peter. The Ropemaker. New York: Delacorte, 2001.

[stacer]

Lewis, C.S. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. New York: MacMillan, 1950.
Elizabeth Pope, The Perilous Gard (1974)
Michael Chabon, Summerland (2002)
Clive Barker, Abarat (2002)
Neil Gaiman, Coraline (2002)
Diana Wynne Jones, Witch Week (1982)
Joan Aiken, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (1962)

[stacer]

Leaning more toward science fiction, though some are debatable:

Farmer, Nancy. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm. New York: Penguin Putnam, 1994.
Maguire, Gregory. I Feel Like the Morning Star. Cambridge: Harper & Row, 1989.
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the Hidden. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1998.
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the Imposters. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001.
Nix, Garth. Shade's Children. New York: HarperCollins, 1997.
Lowry, Lois. The Giver. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993.
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Running Out of Time. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995.
M. T. Anderson, Feed (2002)

[stacer]

Science fiction:

Card, Orson Scott. Ender's Game. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1977.
Card, Orson Scott. Ender's Shadow. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1999.
L'Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time. New York: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 1962.
Herbert, Frank. Dune. Chilton Way, Pa.: Chilton Book Co., 1965.

New Technology/Biotechnology

Farmer, Nancy. The House of the Scorpion. New York: Atheneum, 2002.
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Turnabout. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000.
Peter Dickinson, Eva (1989)