Top Ten Tuesdays (3)

MY TOP TEN FAVORITE CHILDREN'S/MIDDLE-GRADE BOOKS/SERIES-self explanatory. These do not include Children's classics like Peter Pan though as most of those popped up on my favorite Classics book list. These are in no particular order.

1) The Harry Potter Series by J.K.Rowling-Do I even need to say why this is on here? It's Harry Potter. If you haven't heard of it or know anything about it, you must have been living under a rock or something. Just read the books, there is very good reason these are hyped and have become so popular.

2) The Percy Jackson/Kane Chronicles/Lost Heroes books by Rick Riordan-All of these take place in the same universe from what I've been able to see so I count them as one series. But for your sake I'd start with Percy Jackson which is the best. Mainly these books deal with mythology. The gods are still among us and breeding halflings all over the place. Percy is the son of Poseidan which is not as fun as it sounds.

3) The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis-Admitedly I have issues with some of the sexism in these books but that is the time period. But these books have lasted long for a good reason.

4) The Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander-If you're trying to place this series, The Black Cauldron is the second book. Now you're remembering, right? This series has never gotten enough love (Disney's version of Black Cauldron did NOT help matters0 and it's a shame. It's well written, and has all the makings for a great series of movies if they would be done right. But sadly I don't see that happening in the future.

5) The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi-This little known gem is about a girl who goes on a sea voyage and winds up being involved in a power struggle between the crew and the captain and becoming a sailor herself when women simply didn't do that sort of thing. I read somewhere that there is a movie in the works with the blond girl from Atonement as the lead. Please dear God let this be true and let it get made. I WANT THIS MOVIE even more then I want the Hunger Games movie ;ducks from Hunger Games fans;

6) The Sister's Grimm series by Michael Buckley-Another little known series that doesn't get enough love. This is a hilarious series about two girls who live in a town that's full of the real life people from fairy-tales who are known as the Ever Afters. They are descendants of the Brothers Grimm who help the Ever Afters whenever there's a crisis. Great series especially as it follows the BOOK versions of the fairy tales, not the more well known movie versions. It's a great series to intice your kids into reading the books instead of the movies and I dare you not to fall in love with Puck. This is also apparently being made into a movie. Please happen, movie just please be better then Inkheart.

7) Bridge to Terebithia by Katherine Paterson-A fantastic book about friendship that is a good one if your kid is struggling with the idea of death. This will open the discussion for it at least. If not it's a good book anyway about a boy and a girl who become friends and deal with their issues by escaping to a fantasy world in their imaginations. I also rec the Disney movie which didn't totally ruin it for a change. If this makes you interested, it has the guy who is playing Peeta in it if you want to see if he's got any acting skills (he does, see also The Kids Are All Right).

8) The Inkheart Trilogy by Cornelia Funke-Please ignore the horrible movie that was made from this, it totally ruined it. Inkheart is about a father and daughter who have the gift of making things come to life when they read out loud. For instance if they read a passage describing Tinkerbell from Peter Pan. Tink pops out of the book. Unfortunately this gift causes loads of problems for their family. Like I said, movie screwed things up, when you read it, you'll see why.

9) The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman-A deliciously spooky book from the brilliant mind of Gaiman (see Stardust, Coroline, and others) about a boy who's family is murdered and he gets taken in by a family of ghosts and lives his life in a graveyard.

10) Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh-A book about a girl who wants to be a spy and gathers gossip by writing it in her notebooks. Unfortunately her notebook falls into the wrong hands and her friends and classmates learn what she really thinks about things. Great coming of age book, I also recomend the movie with Rosie O'Donnell and Michelle Trachtenburg (Dawn from Buffy).

Well that it's for me. You guys have no idea how hard it was to choose just ten. I had to leave out Black Beauty, Anne of Green Gables, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Charlotte's Web and many more. So what are your favorites?

Next Week's Top Ten: Urban Fantasy books