Hey, YA People

[stacer]

Other miscellaneous:

Boston, L.M. The Children of Green Knowe. San Diego: Harcourt, 1955.
Margaret Mahy, The Tricksters (1986)
Nesbit, E. Five Children and It. London: Penguin, 1902.
Billingsley, Franny. Well Wished. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997.
Edward Eager, Half Magic (1954)
Funke, Cornelia. The Thief Lord. Frome, England: Chicken House, 2002.
Allende, Isabel. City of the Beasts. New York: HarperCollins, 2002.
Babbit, Natalie. Tuck Everlasting. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1975.
Almond, David. Skellig. New York: Random House, 1998.
Janet Taylor Lisle, Lost Flower Children (1999)

[stacer]

Okay, so I think some not-so-recommended might have gotten onto the list, because this is a list I made for my fantasy class as a suggested future reading list. I'll see if there's anything on my shelf that I've bought since I wrote this up. But this is pretty exhaustive.

[stacer]

Here are some annotations class members put together that describe some of the books mentioned above. Sorry about the apostrophe problem. I'll fix it in a minute.

MAGICAL ADVENTURE
Edward Eager, Half Magic (1954)
Four children find the cure for a boring summer in a magical coin that grants half a wish at a time. A clear homage and near plagiarism of E. Nesbitt's works, Half Magic disturbs the modern reader with the mother's strange and sudden housewife reformation. The episodic format and magical object place the title comfortably within the subgenre. (Jo Biviano)

Rita Murphy, Night Flying (2000)
The women of Georgia's family can fly. As her first solo flight approaches, Georgia uncovers the past and has to stand up for her birthright. Although Murphy could have filled out her story more, Night Flying is a lovely coming-of-age tale. Set in what appears to be today's world, the fantasy element is small, but Georgia's nighttime adventures are truly magical. (Jenn Bittorf)

Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl (2001)
Twelve-year-old genius Artemis Fowl gets more of a "magical adventure" than he bargains for when he attempts to reestablish his family's corrupt fortune by stealing from the fairy People. Action-adventure meets hard-boiled comedy as the ever-intrusive narrator and detailed character development further the plot and lend to the believability of the fantastic secondary world. Gratuitous violence contrasted with mildly sophisticated, lighter humor, however, proves a dangerous juxtaposition. (Meredith A. Reed O'Donnell)

[stacer]

ANIMAL FANTASY

Dick King-Smith, Babe: The Gallant Pig (1983)

Raised by a sheepdog mother, Babe the pig works hard to be the best sheep-pig he can. His work ethic and respectful manner alter the way of life on his English farm. Babe is a simple, moving story with entertaining and memorable characters. As animal fantasy, it is somewhat more realistic than others, as the animals only communicate with other animals, not humans. (Sarah Imholt)

Jacques, Brian Redwall (1986)

Redwall features likeable characters and an engaging plot; however, there are several worrying inconsistencies and editorial errors which detract from the story. More egregious is the portrayal of a sparrow tribe whose language is disturbingly stereotypical of the broken speech of non-native English speakers. Despite its flaws, the book provides an accessible introduction to high fantasy for inexperienced readers. (Hilary Kissel)

Kenneth Oppel, Silverwing (1997)

The runt of his colony, Shade becomes a nervous warrior in the battle between bats and the rest of the animal kingdom, while searching for his lost father. This brilliantly written coming of age story about a young bat who dares to disturb the universe contains lyrical explanations of echo-vision and other batty characteristics. A sophisticated animal fantasy, less comic and more philosophical than most. (Meera Sethi)

[stacer]

TRAVELLING TO OTHER WORLDS

Pope, Elizabeth The Perilous Gard (1974)

Exiled to Elvenwood Hall, deep in the forests of Derbyshire, Kate Sutton becomes embroiled in an age-old conspiracy between the Wardens of the Holy Well and the Fairy Folk who live below it. This high-fantasy (or is it historical conjecture?) set in Tudor England is notable for its richly drawn settings and its Austenesque heroine, whose self-respect, pluck and composure are effective means and admirable ends. (Dylan Ward)

Michael Chabon, Summerland (2002)

Chabon's bloated, self-indulgent attempt to create an all-American Middle Earth or Narnia uses baseball as a metaphor for the meaning of life. A myriad of culturally diverse myths and legends fill out the 500 page epic about a boy's quest to save his father -- and the universe -- from a slippery Coyote. This richly archetypal fantasy suffers from a case of too many frills and not enough attention to plot and character. (Meera Sethi)

Clive Barker, Abarat (2002)

SUMMARY: Tired of her school and home life, Candy walks out of school to a grassy field at the edge of town where she begins an unexpected trip to Abarat, a world made up of islands that represent each hour of the day. This "other world" struggles more between evil and less evil than it does good versus evil, and Candy is caught in the mix.

COMMENTARY: The "otherness" of this book is filled with jaw dropping imagination and detail. The book itself ($25!) is beautifully illustrated by Barker. The visual depiction of certain characters, while stunning, sometimes felt redundant and/or imposing. The landscapes, however, were both beautiful and helpful. In his anticipation of the next book, Barker leaves a lot of questions unanswered and there is a general lack of central conflict. The story is dreamlike and multi-layered but some sections were down right gruesome and while I don't think kids are that easily "damaged," I wouldn't recommend it to kids under 12 (and even then it wouldn't be a child with a weak stomach.) But I would recommend it to any adult fan of fantasy. (Vanessa Valliere)

[stacer]

Garth Nix, Sabriel (1995)

Something has happened to Sabriel's father, a necromancer called the Aborsen and she must travel into the Old World to find him. The Old World is full of magic, and Sabriel's own knowledge of the world of the dead is put to the test. Nix creates a vivid secondary world, and the unique concept of seven bells that can command the dead is fascinating. (Kristen Schliefer)

Megan Whalen Turner, The Thief (1996)

In this tale the reader journeys with Gen, a skilled thief, as he is forced by the king's advisor to search for an ancient treasure. Gen's story is interspersed with creation stories from the land's pantheon to give the reader an almost tangible view of Turner' fantasy world. Although there is a group on a quest, this is not high fantasy in the traditional sense as the reader is blind to many of the characters' true motives, including Gen's. (Christi Showman)

Cynthia Voight, Elske (1999)

Raised by a ruthless warrior tribe, Elske escapes through her grandmother's self-sacrifice; the boldness of a woman raised without compassion gives her an honesty unfamiliar to the mercantile society she joins. Becoming the liberator of an exiled Princess, she returns with her to recapture her kingdom (and find true love). Although Voigt explains too much in this feminist quest, she's a masterful stylist. But does the imaginary historical setting qualify it as fantasy? (Alison Corning Clarke)

[stacer]

TRAVEL TO THE PAST

Jill Paton Walsh, A Chance Child (1978)

A neglected child, Creep slips through time and emerges a witness to the horrors of the (child) labor during the Industrial Revolution in England. Creep's brother, Tom, pursues Creep in the present, and finds him not in his physical person, but in his written testimony. Paton Walsh's time travel fantasy is remarkable for its lack of sentimentality, and for the agency it grants its child characters and its implied reader. (Dylan Ward)

Jane Yolen, The Devil's Arithmetic (1988)

At her family's Passover Seder, Hannah is transported back in time. Taking on the persona of Chaya, an orphan sent to live with her aunt and uncle, Hanna is captured with a wedding party and sent to the camp via cattle car. Hanna witnesses firsthand the horrific life of Nazi Poland death camps. Though conversations right after Hanna's transportation often give too much information, making them seem stiff and unrealistic, the overall arc of the story and Chaya's eventual sacrifice are touching and hopeful. (Stacy Whitman)

Susan Price, The Sterkarm Handshake (2000)

A complicated time-travel story about Andrea, a modern American anthropologist, who is transported back to the 16th Century Scottish lowlands. There, she falls in love with Per, the son of the Scottish clan leader, and must choose between the two worlds. The book provides a gritty look at issues concerning the evils of capitalism, the environment, intimate relationships, culture, and the contrast of life-style in terms of modern technology. (Alicia Peralta)

[stacer]

WITCHCRAFT AND SORCERY

Patricia Wrede, Dealing with Dragons (1990)

In this cross between fairy tale revisioning and tale of witchcraft, Wrede's unconventional heroine abdicates her role as fairy tale princess and decides to work for a dragon. Although Wrede seems to be striving for a theme of independence and feminism, Cimorene's reward for saving the dragon kingdom, permanent employment as the dragon's housekeeper and cook, weakens the message considerably. (Hilary Kissel)

Patrice Kindl, Owl in Love (1993)

This intriguing tale is the story of a girl who is more owl than human and who can shift between the two forms. As Owl struggles to resolve her dual natures she also learns about love and friendship. This story is both haunting and humorous. However, Owl's almost complete inability to comprehend human behaviors is not always convincing. (Jenn Bittorf)


PARALLEL WORLDS

Joan Aiken, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (1962)

Cousins Sylvia and Bonnie enjoy the riches of Willoughby Chase -- until Bonnie's parents leave them in the care of the ill-willed Miss Slighcarp. With the help of their friend Simon, the two escape an orphanage and devise a plan to regain the estate (Willoughby Chase). The Victorian parody went over my head, but I enjoyed the story. Where is the fantasy -- wolves jumping into trains? (Kristin Schleifer)
 
Neil Gaiman, Coraline (2002)

SUMMARY: Coraline is living a "boring" life with her work absorbed parents and elderly neighbors until she explores the previously undiscovered parallel world that exists on the other side of a door in the family's study. From the moment she discovers this threshold until the story's fascinating conclusion, Coraline lives a riveting and horrific adventure.

COMMENTARY: In this, my favorite book of the semester (excluding Tuck Everlasting), the language is spare, concise and tight. The mood is expertly created and appropriately eerie. The images are vivid and grotesque. The story is fast paced and the stakes are high. Class discussion revealed that the story is multi layered and complex, especially with regard to this particular "parallel world" and the continual spider images. Does the "other world" exist in the belly of a spider? Is there a will at work that is bigger than the "other mother"? Creepy and fantastic. (Vanessa Valliere)

[stacer]

MYTH FANTASY

Alan Garner, The Owl Service (1967)

Set in a Welsh valley, three teenagers, Alison, Roger and Gwyn, are involved in a love triangle tragedy that happened a long time ago. Their love, hate and bitterness relates to not only a past mystery but also social class issues. Alan Garner successfully weaves a Welsh myth into his modern tale, creating the tension among the characters from two generations. (Winnie Shen)

Virginia Hamilton, The Magical Adventures of Pretty Pearl (1983)

The goddess Pretty Pearl descends from Mount Kenya, travels and settles in the American South during the Reconstruction. Pretty Pearl learns a hard lesson when the settlement is up-rooted and must find a new home. A borderline picaresque novel, Pretty Pearl is infused with too much mythology, and folklore to be satisfying for the common reader. The story is also slow going -- it starts specifically on page 190. (Alicia Peralta)

Franny Billingsley, The Folk Keeper (1999)

When Corinna is assigned as the Folk Keeper of a grand estate, her only thought is to do all she can to keep the vicious Folk at bay. But there are secrets that both she and the estate have that may change her whole world. Billingsley weaves Celtic myth into this coming of age story, creating a fantasy world that is at once new and exciting, yet still familiar. The first person narrative in journal form, however, is not always effective. (Christi Showman)

[stacer]

SCIENCE FICTION

Peter Dickinson, Eva (1989)

Eva awakes disoriented and confused; she has been in a car wreck. Her body was mangled beyond recovery so her consciousness was transferred to the body of a chimpanzee. A novel of the near future, Eva questions the connections between human and primate relations and carries a strong ecological message. It is not overly technical but delves heavily into primate society. (Sarah Imholt)

Lois Lowry, The Giver (1993)

Lowry is chillingly thorough in her depiction of a futuristic world devoid of feelings and color, where rigidity and order are emphasized and individuality is minimized. When he turns twelve, protagonist Jonas is selected to be the honored Receiver of past memories. Experiencing both pleasure and pain beyond his previous grasp of emotion, Jonas discovers everything that his "perfect" world is missing and dares to become a reader's hero. (Susan Warhover)

M. T. Anderson, Feed (2002)

In a highly commercialized, consumerist culture, this dystopian novel follows Titus, who travels to the moon on spring break with his buddies, meets Violet, and gets his internet implant (the "feed") hacked. Violet doesn't buy into the teen culture and is much more verbal, creating an interesting contrast between her intelligence and Titus's inability to use an already devolved language. Frequent use of expletives, though offensive, is appropriate in this case: when the characters don't have the words for a thought, they resort to meaningless curses and phrases, an extrapolation of current trends. (Stacy Whitman)

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

/me watches Stacer's post count take off.

[stacer]

Yeah, I don't normally talk this much, do I? Sorry about the large number, but I do hope the info helps.

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

eh, it wouldn't all fit in one post anyway. it's fine to me. It's not like you're jsut posting tons of useless info that no one asked for. I just find it amusing.

[fuzzyoctopus]

wow.

[Moriosta]

Thank you so much Stacer!  Wow!  Now I do not have to worry about finding any more books.  Thanks that helped alot!  Oh and thank you to the others that recomended books.  I appreciate it.