The Chronicles of Narnia

            No young adult recommendation would be complete without talking about C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia.  The Chronicles of Narnia are a seven book series that features four siblings (Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy) and their adventures in Narnia.  The siblings do not appear in all of the novels, but they are a main focal point.

            There are two ways to read the series either by publication date or the chronological order of the books.  I believe the best way to read them is in the chronological order.  It helps the stories make more sense and carry on in a continuous manner.  The chronological order is as follows The Magician’s Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and The Last Battle.

            The series is fantastical and imaginative.  I would also like to point out that these are also classed as Christian books.  I want to explain that while the symbolism is present, I personally did not read those tones until I was an adult.  It is up to you as a parent to decide if you wish to explain this to your child or not.

            I love this series.  The adventures are creative and Lewis’ writing drags you into Narnia.  I highly recommend this series.  It’s recommended for ages 8 & up.  I agree with this recommendation.  I want to suggest that it makes great bedtime reading.  You can purchase the entire series as a set.  As a note, all the sets you purchase are ordered chronologically. 

It's A Book by Lane Smith

            As a child who grew up loving to read and loves reading as an adult, I love this picture book!  (Side note, there is also a board book version).  It’s A Book defends books over digital media and is a delightful story.

            It’s A Book is recommended for ages 6-10.  I believe that it also makes a perfect bedtime story for younger children.  It’s simple, effective language should bring joy and laughter to both parents and children alike.  It makes a perfect gift.

Disney Fairies Chapter Books

            I want to recommend The Disney Fairies Series as a chapter book series for young girls.  They are recommended for ages 6 & up.  I have read a few of the books and I enjoyed them.

            The Disney Fairies Series follows Tinker Bell and her friends who live in Pixie Hollow.  Each of the books incorporates teamwork, friendship and problem solving.  I’ve heard parents complain about the repetitive nature of the books.  I would like to point out that repetitiveness is a characteristic you want in a child’s chapter book series.  It helps your child become a more confident and curious reader. The more confidence they build, the greater their desire to read becomes.

            I know that there are over twenty books in the series.  The Trouble with Tink is the first book in the series.  I always recommend reading books in order for continuities sake.  I highly recommend this series for young girls who love Disney and Disney Fairies.  There are several gift sets available as well.

            Disney Fairies are also in Step Into Reading books as well.  So, if you have or know a reader who is not quite as advanced, grab them the Step Into Reading Disney Fairies book!

Peter & the Starcatchers Series

           The Peter & the Starcatchers Series by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson is a phenomenal young adults series.  It’s recommended for ages 10 & up, but I believe the age can be lowered to 8 with an advanced reader.  Disney publishes this series.

            Peter & the Starcatchers explains how Peter becomes Peter Pan.  There are five books in the series.  They are all fantastic.  Peter is the main male character and Molly is the main female character.  Molly and Peter meet on a ship that is traveling to Rundoon.  Starstuff is on the boat and both pirates and a secret organization are after it due to its special powers.  They end up on Mollusk Island and the adventures continue to take place.  I don’t want to give too much away!  I couldn’t wait to read all the books!

            I highly recommend this series to both parents and gift givers.  It’s a great bedtime and anytime story.  There are box sets if you are looking for a fancier gift.

Step Into Reading

             I haven’t recommended any early readers (ages 5 & up) as of yet.  Step Into Reading is a great early readers series.  Step Into Reading is a leveled reader series.  It has levels one to five and they increase in difficult: level one is Ready to Read and step five is Ready for Chapters. 

            They are meant for both boys and girls and have subject matter for both.  Disney has several books spread throughout the different levels.  They have books featuring characters from movies such as Cars, the Princess movies, Frozen, Toy Story and Planes.  There are also historical books and superhero books.

            This series is a fantastic early readers series.  They come in collections that have several books each and those make great gifts!

The Magic Tree House Series

            The Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne is a fantastic children’s chapter book series.  I realized I hadn’t written about a good chapter book series for children, so I think this is an excellent series to start with.

            I feel I should briefly explain the difference between early readers, chapter books, and young adults.  Chapter books are the bridge between early readers and young adults.  Early readers are leveled readers that progress in difficulty as they go up in level.  Early readers are generally recommended for ages 4 and up.  Chapter books are generally recommended for ages 8 and up.  I believe that you can lower the age if you have an advanced young reader.  Chapter books also make great bedtime stories.  As a side note, young adult books are ages 10 & up.

            Back to the Magic Tree House!  This series by Mary Pope Osborne is a fantastic series for both boys and girls.  Jack and Annie are the main characters, a brother and sister team.  One day they discover a magic tree house and are whisked off to prehistoric times.  This starts off a whole series of historical adventures.  Not only are these books great reads, but also they teach children about history and animals and many other subjects.

            At the current moment, there are about 50 books in the series.  These books will keep your kids entertained for hours.  There are several gift sets, so if you’re looking for a great gift, look no farther!

Peter Brown

Peter Brown is an amazing storyteller and illustrator.  All of his picture books are incredible.  I missed an opportunity to meet him once at Barnes  & Noble and I am still gutted!

My favorite one of his picture books is You Will Be My Friend.  It stars Lucille Beatrice Bear.  Lucille is looking for a friend. She doesn’t quite understand how to go about it and ends up frightening the other animals.  Just when she’s down in the dumps a friend comes along and it’s a flamingo.  The two of them become instant friends and have adventures together.

Peter Brown’s picture books are perfect for infants up to early grade students.  You cannot go wrong with any of his books.  I cannot recommend Peter Brown more highly.

Memoirs of A Goldfish

            Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian is a wonderfully humorous picture book.  The illustrations perfectly compliment the story.  The story features a goldfish whose bowl slowly gets taken over by decorations and other creatures.  The fish becomes angry and resentful.  Then, he’s taken out of the bowl and he realizes that he misses his friends.  Not to worry, he rejoins his friends and finds love.

            This story shows you how to appreciate what you have.  It’s an adorable story that all children are sure to love.  This picture book is appropriate for infants and up to kindergarten or first grade.

The Iron Fey Series

            The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa is an excellent teen series.  Kagawa has taken Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and collides it with the modern world.  Meghan Chase is the main character.  She is the daughter of Oberon and a mortal.  She has a best friend who turns out to be Puck aka Robin Goodfellow.  Meghan becomes aware of the fey world in a moment.  Once she learns of the existence of the fey, she opens up a can of worms.

            The series starts by her having to venture into the fey realm to save her younger half-brother, Ethan.  She makes new friends such as Ash and Grimalkin.  She goes through battles and end up in a love triangle.  This is a fantastic series for advanced middle school readers (ages 11/12) and high school students alike.  The violence is not excessive and the love story/scenes are not inappropriate at any point.

            The later books feature Meghan’s half-brother, Ethan.  Those are on my to read list!  A Midsummer Night’s Dream is my favorite Shakespeare play and Kagawa is masterful with her incorporation of the fey world into the modern world.  I highly recommend this series.

The Inheritance Cycle

           The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini comprises of four books: Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr and Inheritance. Paolini was only 19 when the first book was published, but his imagination is boundless. Some people criticize the writing, but I found the series captivating and the writing imaginative.  I couldn’t wait to finish them all.

            Eragon is the main character.  He’s a boy who ends up discovering a dragon egg.  Eragon opens a large can of worms when the egg comes to him.  The books are filled with adventure, fighting and intrigue.  The violence is not sickening, but I would still suggest it for the more mature readers.  There are also two love stories within the series.  I loved this series and I think it’s a perfect addition to any young adult’s library.  Again, I would recommend this series for advanced middle school readers and up.

Percy Jackson & The Olympians

The Percy Jackson & The Olympians Series by Rick Riordan is one of the best kids series out there, in my opinion.  Riordan has a gift for making mythology more accessible and understandable to youngsters.  I wish that this series were around when I was growing up. I would have devoured it.  Coincidently, I read through this series incredibly quickly as an adult and enjoyed it immensely.  I believe that both young readers and their parents will enjoy this series.

        The series features both strong male and female characters.  Percy Jackson discovers he’s a half-blood i.e. half-mortal and half-god.  His father turns out to be Poseidon.  Throughout the five book series, Percy has adventures, overcomes obstacles and discovers what he’s made of.

        As an interesting side not, all demi-gods have learning disabilities.  They all have ADD or ADHD and several have dyslexia.  These books could be really useful for a child who feels let out or different and either has the conditions stated or just feels that way in general.

        I cannot recommend this series too highly.  I plan to add it to my collection.  Parents and adults please note that there is violence in the fighting, but nothing overly graphic. The book is recommended for ages 10-14.  I, however, believe that you can lower that age to 7 or 8 depending on how advanced the reader is and at the discretion of the parent concerning the battles that occur.  I think it could make a great bedtime story book as well.

The Sea of Bath by Bob Logan

          The Sea of Bath is a wonderfully inventive picture book.  When I first read the book, I couldn’t believe that I had never seen a picture book with this theme before.  The store is about bath time and is told from the perspective of the toy tugboat’s captain.   It shoes his experiences with bath time and what happens at the end.

            The illustrations are whimsical and enhance the story.  This picture book is perfect for little boys.  It’s not just for boys, but also for any young child that enjoys playing with toys in the bath.  Picture books work for infants up to kindergartners.  Even if a child is advanced at a young age, they will love the great illustrations.

Jennifer Adams

     If you’re looking for a good set of board books for a newborn or infant, look no further!  Adams’ BabyLit board books are amazing.  There are excellent board book versions of classic novels such as Pride & Prejudice, Alice in Wonderland, Sherlock Holmes and Moby Dick.  The board books all feature a skill that children need to learn, such as counting, colors and opposites.  There are gift sets available.  Adams has a great collection and one can only hope that she will continue to add more.

Sandra Boynton

            No recommendation for board books and picture books alike would be complete without mentioning Sandra Boynton.  All her books are whimsical, educational and inventive.

            My favorite is Hippos Go Berserk.  This wonderful counting book is catchy and the illustrations are fantastic.  It has both counting forward and backward in the same book.  Another great thing is that Sandra Boynton has several gift sets available and you can’t go wrong with any of them.  They make great baby shower and birthday gifts for infants and toddlers.