Can anyone suggest a Harry Potter type of book that is an outstanding child/adult read? Christmas present.?

Answer 1

You could try the Phillip Pullman series

Answer 2

If you want some truly excellent YA fantasy, I can only endorse the recommendations you've already received for Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, the work of Alan Garner (Red Shift is a truly amazing book for teenagers or adults) and Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising series - this one is especially nice for a Christmas gift as the action in one of the books (The Dark Is Rising) takes place over the Christmas period.

The Chronicles of Narnia are a good choice too, if you can overlook (or endorse) the religious aspects, and The Hobbit is another classic.

If you're looking for something with a similar premise to Harry Potter, then why not try The Worst Witch series by Jill Murphy, set in a school for witches. They don't have the epic overtones of Harry Potter, and I'm not sure how well they'd hold up for an adult reader, but I loved them when I was a kid.

Added:
Hmm, I have been checking the list to see what others recommended (looking for some good new reads myself), so I'm going to voice my approval for those who recommended Joan Aiken, Tanith Lee (some of her stuff might be a bit dark and sexual for small children, but the Piratica books are kid friendly and great) and also The Father Christmas Letters by Tolkien - a wonderful book, make sure you get it with the original illustrations!

I'd also like to add a recommendation for Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons books - they're low fantasy rather than high fantasy like the ones I mentioned previously, but they're just really solid, gripping adventure stories with a wonderful humorous thread running through them - a bit old fashioned, but none the worse for that.

Answer 3

I have read all the following and although I like harry potter, I think these people have better stories and imagination.

Philip Pullman :
The Ruby in the Smoke
The Shadow in the North
The Tiger in the Well
The Tin Princess
Northern Lights
The Subtle Knife
The Amber Spyglass

Garth Nix:
The Keys to the Kingdom Series:
Mister Monday
Grim Tuesday
Drowned Wednesday
Sir Thursday
The Old Kingdom Series Also known as the Abhorsen Trilogy:
Sabriel
Lirael
Abhorsen

Graham P Taylor (GP Taylor):
Wormwood
Tersias
Shadowmancer Novels
Shadowmancer
The Curse of Salamander Street

Answer 4

It depends on the age of the child.
Phillip Pullman is the obvious choice, but after 'Northern Lights' you might have problems if your child is a bit young - I'm not sure how young because children vary so much.
Alan Garner is always good value - 'The Owl Service' is being broadcast on BBC 7 at present - not too scary either.
Susan Cooper - another exellent read - some more scary than others.
'Narnia Chronicles' are funny as well as a good yarn, but there's a certain amount of oddly Edwardian moralising, and there's the allegorical problem as well - this may not worry you however.

If your child is under 10 have you thought of 'The Box of Delights' by John Masefield?- magical, exciting and beautifully written - also funny. Masefield was a poet as well, so his language is especially pleasant to read and to listen to. The other one (there are only two - not enough but he's been dead for a while now, so it's no use getting him up to write any more) is 'The Midnight Folk'.
Happy reading!

Answer 5

I'd have to join in & recommend Terry Pratchett - not just his Discworld series but also the Johnny series (Only You Can Save Mankind, Johnny & the Dead & Johnny & the Bomb)

Eragon by Christopher Paolini - about a boy who finds a dragon egg is also good ... plus there are more in the series to look forward to reading. (The second book is called Eldest)

Plus of course, there's the Hobbit ... a smaller bite than the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy.

There's also a load of books by Diana Wynne Jones most of which are really enjoyable.

I'd also recommend Terry Goodkind & his series that starts with 'Wizard's First Rule' but it's probably more suitable for adults & young adults, rather than children.

Depending on how young the child is, I'd also recommend having a look at some of the Dick King Smith books - especially Magnus Powermouse, which my son loved. Also for younger children are the Worst Witch books by Jill Murphy.

Answer 6

maybe not-so-well-known author I have always loved (well, since I discovered her at the age of 11 or so) is Joan Aiken. She wrote a really fun trilogy (which I think would appeal to adults as well as kids) whichj doesn;t really have an official name for the whole thing but here are the book names:

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Black Hearts in Battersea
Nightbirds on Nantucket.

This trilogy spans Europe (england) and the US.

I loved these books as a child, reread them as an older teen, then again when my child was young and yet again when my boy grew up. And maybe even more times than thosel I come back to them like a favorite movie!

Even though the protagonists are girls in some of these, there *are* important male characters. Nightbirds on Nantucket, in particular, has a great and feisty heroine as well as a conventional hero.

Aiken has another book out, Midnight Is a Place, which is very good.

These are good curling up and having hot chocolate/ hot tea with a blanket in the winter kind of books. Great to read aloud as well, either with one main reader or trade it around to see how everone does the different voices.

Well, wanted to make this plug, since so few people I've talked to know these books.

And of course, the Madeliene L'Engle trilogy of A Wrinkle in Time, A Swiftlly Tilting Planet and A Wind in the Door (right?) are a great bunch of stories as well.

Anyhow, as a pre-Potterite, I enjoy Harry Potter and remember lots of great stories before that as well.

I think some of these are the kind that can pull in all ages of family members.

Of course the complete Narnia chronicles would always be good.

And, there's always Harriet the Spy, one of my favorites even to midlife, and its sequel The Long Secret, folllowed by Sport. There is even a novel about an African American family called Nobody;s Family Is Going to Change. The author is Louise Fitzhugh.


If you wanted to give thes4e as a gift, it might be fun to read enough to find a good food-ish gift (tea, cheese or candy, hot chocolate, small cakes with colored icing, and so on) that will go with the books. Or, to read enough of the books to start a recipe file (with recipes inspired by the stories), and colelct them in a loose-leaf (or other) notebook that they can add to with their own recipes.

Best wishes to you and them

Answer 7

Harry Potter

Answer 8

The Doctor Who novels of course. They are fantastic and so much fun. One of my favourites is Only Human where the Doctor and Rose have to stop a time experiment in the Mesolithic while Captain Jack has to help a neanderthal man to adjust to 21st century life. I loved reading this so much!

I think any child would love these books - I know I did and I am 26 and don't usually enjoy a lot of Sci-Fi things. They are written to be entertaining and exciting with believable characters in amazing situations. Of course there is the excellent TV show that the books are linked to which is almost universally adored by all who have seen it. The books are highly suitable for young readers but are not specifically children's books. I would be loathed to say "they work on two levels" as this implies a hidden "adult" humour in them which is just not there - they work well for adults because they are well written without having a specific dual audience agenda.

And the covers are cool too. They are also affordable despite being hard backs!

I hope you enjoy these excellent novels.

Answer 9

If you want a really grown up read try the works of George R R Martin. It goes beyond the formulae novels otherwise you cannot go wrong with Pratchet .
Harry Potter is too much like Tom Browns School Days meets magic

Answer 10

Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen by Garth Nix are three books in a series that absolutely rocks: brilliant story writing, keeps you gripping the book, suspenseful and superbly imaginative.

The Chronicles of Narnia, for younger children

His Dark Materials: a trilogy that can be read on so many levels that it can catch readers from udner 10 to over 40. Absolutely BRILLIANT.

Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events: The last of the 13 books's just come out, and the whole series is just a magnificent read for readers of all ages. Dark, gothic, sad and comic at the same time, sarcastic, imaginative...wonderful.

The Edge Chronicles: not only are the stories outstandingly imaginative and creative, but the illustrations are mind-blowing.

Artemis Fowl books: those are so suspenseful and imaginative: a real pelasure to read and follow as a series, with characters that just catch readers like cototn on thorns!!!

Landover series by Terry Brooks: It's just so great, and chidlren enjoy it as much as adult (my mother used to read it to me when i was six-seven, i just enjoyed it enormously)

Discworld books by Terry Pratchett: those are garanteed a laugh every single time: imaginative, hilarious and original

Redwall: great adventure reading especially for kids.

hope you find what you're looking for!!!!

Good luck.

Answer 11

Phillip Pulman's His Dark Materials (Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass) is amazing and you could get a snazzy box set for a present. I also quite like Diana Wynne Jones, she's quite similar in some respects to Harry Potter (i read the Chrestomanci series).