Reading for kids of all ages

As you may gather, you should check Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/), which may have some of these even if I haven't indicated that it does.

Analog SF Magazine -- http://www.analogsf.com -- for older kids, teenagers, and up. You'rre never too young to start reading the good stuff!
The Oz series, beginning with The Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum. Picked up later by Ruth Plumly Thompson. Good for the younger kids aged 6 or so, basically as soon as one can read. Available from Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/.
Enid Blyton (author, British) -- many adventure and mystery series written for kids. May be hard to find over here in NA, and seemingly a bit obscure for Project Gutenberg. Try Google or Amazon.
Edgar Rice Burroughs (author): his Mars series (of which I've read the whole thing -- number 7, A Fighting Man of Mars, is particularly memorable and romantic), his Tarzan series (of which I have read only the first), and his Venus series (of which I haven't read any). Suitable for older kids. He's written more, aimed at young adults -- boys. Some are available from Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/.
Robert A. Heinlein (author) -- "juveniles" written for Scribners. Aimed at boys. Minimum age to appreciate these might be 10, but they'll want to reread these when older, to pick up what they missed the first time. Ask your librarian for help choosing these (Heinlein's adult stuff gets quite risque).
Rudyard Kipling: Just So Stories and The Jungle Book. Available from Project Gutenberg.
Mark Twain (real name Samuel L. Clemens): Tom Sawyer. Available from Project Gutenberg.
The Essential Fantastic Four, (collections) Marvel Comics -- b&w reprints of the early color comics. Turns kids on to science and engineering. Also good for the younger kids. Give them to girls, too, and see what they think!
Tom Swift (aimed at boys), The Hardy Boys (ditto - boys into detective work - made into a TV series in the 70s, featuring 18-20-somethings rather than boys)
The Narnia series, C. S. Lewis. Girls, too, like these! -- from what I heard girls discussing when I was in school.
The Doctor Dolittle series, Hugh Lofting. More aimed at boys. A couple are available from Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/.
Robin Hood (many different versions)
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (many different versions) -- There's also a Norse saga about a Norse analog of King Arthur: Hrolf Kraki's Saga, by Poul Anderson, although this has adult content. It's noteable, however for its story of a King with his hall of heroes, each of whom have his own series of legends.
Ivanhoe, Sir Walter Scott -- once when my father saw me reading this, he commented that it was too old for me. However, I got a lot out of it. Along with Robin Hood, it had tales of persecution of Jews (told in a disapproving way, which is good). I firmly believe that someone should be allowed to read anything they're capable of sticking at. I have found that when I reread some of these stories in the light of later experience, I see much that I hadn't understood previously, but that doesn't mean that the earlier reading shouldn't have been done. How else can the experience be gained?
Starswarm, Jerry Pournelle. More aimed at boys.
Harry Potter (series), J K Rowling
The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien. Somewhat more aimed at boys.
The Neverending Story, Michael Ende. I'm sure girls would like this one as much as would boys.
Star Prince Charlie, Poul Anderson and Gordon R. Dickson; also Earthman's Burden and the "Hokas" series by the same authors. See my Poul Anderson pages for more on him.
Vault of the Ages, Poul Anderson -- aimed at boys. AFAIK, the only "juvenile" that Anderson wrote on his own. Try libraries and used-book stores. Comic-book stores often carry used SF books.
Watership Down, Richard Adams, 1974. The adventures of a brave band of rabbits seeking a new home after their original warren was bulldozed for a housing development. Was made into a movie with exquisite animation.

The "Bone" comic series (55 issues). PG for violence. http://www.boneville.com (See comments on my FandSF page).

I've heard that the G. A. Henty (author) series of historical fiction is good, too, but I haven't read any. See http://www.henty.com/. Available from Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/.

Myths and legends of Gods and heroes (aside from the obvious Bible stories): ancient Greece, the old Norse, Asian Indian, North American Indian, etc. As long as you get the kids' versions, they'll be "clean" enough, as were those that I read. However, all religious myths and legends from every culture are full of sex and violence (if you look up the versions that hew close to the original -- Jerry Springer certainly hasn't invented anything new) and in my experience the grimmest tales of all come from the old Norse (in fact some Norse tales constitute horror, at least in part). The kids' versions are still highly recommended for their educational value (here, the antics of Loki, God of Mischief are cute and amusing. Even Ragnarok -- the end of the world -- isn't too hard for a kid to bear). Otherr myths and legends: those of the Japanese, of which I have read little, and of the Chinese of which I have read less. Those of other cultures should certainly be worth digging up, too.

I also recall a series about twins that my mother had; each book was about a different set of twins (each set a girl and boy fraternal pair) in a different culture. The first book might have been titled "The Cave Twins". I remember "The Swedish Twins" and "The Chinese (and/or Japanese) Twins". Author: Lucy Fitch Perkins, ca. 1916. Some are available from Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/.

I also recall the Half Magic series by Edward Eager that I read when I was in public school. Four children find a "half magic" coin that gives half of any wish, leading to many interesting adventures.



Don't hold the "boys" books back from the girls (or vice-versa). Give them to the other kids too, and see what they think!

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Revision History: Jan 28, 8, 2006, Dec 23, 2005, June 20, 6, 4, 3, 1, May 31,
Created May 30, 2004