|
Heroes, Dragons, and Wizards
As school lets out and summer approaches, it is important to keep young imaginations challenged and
active. What better way to spend a summer than engaged in heroic adventures filled with knights, knaves, heroines, queens, kings, wizards, dragons, castles, and elves? This Showcase features
children's fantasy and adventure books that will make summer a fun-filled, imaginative time.
Please browse the titles below and click on those that interest you to see cover art and a full book
description. Some of the titles may also include examples of interior art that offer a clearer representation of the actual book. The titles included in the Showcase are selected by their publishers
who provide the art and descriptive information.
These books are available at your local bookstore, which we urge you to patronize. Your local
bookseller can supply these titles and offer professional, informed help in selecting other good books for children. Check the American Booksellers Association's directory of member bookstores for a bookseller near you.
If you do not have convenient access to any local bookstores, you can purchase these CBC Showcase books online from independent bookstores at BookSense.com.
CBC Showcase is a bimonthly thematic bibliography available only online. Please visit the Showcase Archive to view previous lists, which include Poetry Titles, Math and Counting Books, Folk and Fairy
tales, The African-American Experience, and Humorous Books.
The next Showcase featuring children's books about religion, faith, and belief will be online as of July 1.
The Amber Spyglass
, by Philip Pullman. Ages 14 and up. The Amber Spyglass brings the intrigue of The Golden Compass
and The Subtle Knife to a heart-stopping end, marking the final volume of His Dark Materials as the most powerful of the trilogy. (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers)
Behold...The Dragons
, by Gail Gibbons.
All ages. In this dazzling compendium, "master of children's nonfiction" (ALA Booklist) Gail Gibbons fascinates readers with facts about these beloved creatures. (HarperCollins Children's Books)
The Book of Dragons
, by Michael Hague. All ages.
Michael Hague breathes fire into seventeen classic dragon tales in this handsome anthology. (HarperCollins Childrens Books)
Charles A. Lindbergh
, written by James Cross Giblin, illustrated with photographs.
Ages 9 and up. A detailed, fluent biography of a unique American. (Clarion Books)
The Complete Chronicles of Narnia
, written by C.S. Lewis, illustrated by Pauline Baynes. All ages. It is impossible to assess the impact
that The Chronicles of Narnia have had upon children's fiction, fantasy literature, and the collective imagination of the English-speaking world in the 50 years they have been in print. (HarperCollins Children's Books)
The Coyote Bead
, by Gerald Hausman.
Ages 9 and up. Native American magic abounds in this tale of a young Navajo and his shaman grandfather. Based on a family story that took place during the Long Walk. (Hampton Roads Publishing, c/o Young Spirit Books)
Dinosaur Bob
, by William Joyce. Ages 4-8.
The Lazardo family has brought home a new pet--a giant, green, baseball- loving dinosaur named Bob! (Laura Geringer Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Dragon, writen and illustrated by Jody Bergsma. Ages: 3-10.
An exciting story about a prince and a dragon born on the same day whose destinies are forever entwined. (Illumination Arts)
Dragon Prince
, written by Laurence Yep, illustrated by Kam Mak.
Ages 5-8. An adaptation of the classic Beauty and the Beast tale, based on ancient Chinese mythology, and an unforgettable adventure filled with magic, treachery, and love. (HarperCollins Children's Books)
The Dragons are Singing Tonight
, written by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Peter Sis.
All ages. A favorite poet and a gifted artist conspire to bring dragons to life, in 17 poems filled with humor, magic, and originality. (Greenwillow Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
The Edge on the Sword
, by Rebecca Tingle. Ages 12 and up.
"You will be important to many people," her mother tells fifteen-year-old Aethelflaed. She is King Alfred's eldest daughter, after all. But her royal blood makes her a target as well, vulnerable to those who would wish to hurt the king. (G. B. Putnam's Sons)
Elwood and the Witch
, written by Nicholas Heller, illustrated by Jos. A. Smith. Ages 5 and up. A breathtaking ride through
the night sky as Elwood the pig accidentally steals a witch's broom and begins to fly. (Greenwillow Books)
George Shrinks
, by William Joyce. Ages 3-7.
He's smart. He's swift. He's small. The heroic George is back in a stunning re-issue of the original classic. (Laura Geringer Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
The Great Good Thing
, written by Roderick Townley.
Ages 10 and up. Fictional characters have lives of their own--off-line, as it were--in this fantasy/adventure in praise of the power of "story." (Atheneum Books for Young Readers/ A Richard Jackson Book)
The Hero and the Crown
, by Robin McKinley.
Ages 9 and up. For over a decade, Robin McKinley's saga has gripped the imagination of readers and caused critics to hail her as a master of fantasy. (Puffin)
The Hero and the Crown
(School and Library Binding), by Robin McKinley. All ages. Winner of the Newbery Medal--a classic fantasy of dragons, wizards, a magical sword, and a young woman's fight against a powerful evil. (Greenwillow Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Heroes, written by Robert Cormier.
Ages 14 and up. Laurel-Leaf. Francis Joseph Cassavant is eighteen. He has just returned home from the Second World War, and he has no face. He does have a gun and a mission: to murder his childhood hero.
King of Shadows
, written by Susan Cooper. Ages 10 and up.
A Newbery Medal winner raises the curtain on a spectacular fantasy set in Shakespearean England. (Margaret K. McElderry Books)
The Leaf Men
, by William
Joyce. Ages 3-8. Tiny of body but brave of heart, The Leaf Men will finish what they start! (Laura Geringer Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
The Little Wizard
, written and illustrated by Jody Bergsma.
Ages 3-10. Together with his companions, Greystone the dragon and Tomas the cat, Kevin unravels the curious prophecy in an adventure of enchantment and self-discovery. (Illumination Arts)
Odysseus in the Serpent Maze
, written and illustrated by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris. Ages 8-12.
Prince Odysseus is 13-years-old and anxious for adventure. But when it finds him, he'll need all his wits and some help from his friends to survive. (HarperCollins Children's Books)
REM World, written by Rodman Philbrick.
Ages 9-14. REM World is a middle-grade fantasy novel where the future will soon cease to exist, unless an eleven-year-old, overweight boy named Arthur Woodbury figures out how to save the universe--fast! (The Blue Sky Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.)
Rowin of Rin
, by Emily Rodda. Ages 7 and up. Fast-paced fantasy featuring a dangerous quest to the top of a
mountain, a fire-breathing dragon, and a young boy who learns bravery. (Greenwillow Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Secret Sacrament
, by
Sherryl Jordan. Ages 12 and up. Gabriel is destined to become a healer. His gift brings him between the powerful Navoran Empire and the Shinali people. The fates of two nations hang in the balance--so does Gabriel's life. (HarperCollins Children's Books)
The Stones Are Hatching
, by Geraldine
McCaughrean. Ages 10 and up. Acclaimed British author Geraldine McCaughrean draws on centuries-old magic lore in this “richly imagined fantasy” about a boy who must save England from a dragon and its hatchlings. (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Street Magic
, Book Two in THE CIRCLE OPENS
Quartet, written by Tamora Pierce. Ages 10 and up. Former "street rat" Briar Moss must face his past when he discovers a young mage in need of a memoir. (Scholastic Press)
Tales of King Arthur: Excalibur
, by Hudson Talbott. All ages.
In the third volume of this series, young Arthur struggles to become a king--not only in name, but in the depths of his being. (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Tales of King Arthur: King Arthur and the Round Table
, written by Hudson Talbott.
All ages. The second volume of this series retells the saga of Arthur's early days leading Britain, building Camelot, and dedicating the Round Table. (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Tales of King Arthur: The Sword in the Stone
, By Hudson Talbott.
All ages. The first volume of the Tales of King Arthur series introduces younger readers to the classic story known as "The Sword in the Stone." (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Treasure at the Heart of Tanglewood
, by Meredith Ann Pierce. Ages 12 and up.
Meredith Ann Pierce's acclaimed fantasy novels include the Darkangel Trilogy and The Woman Who Loved Reindeer. (Viking Children's Books)
The Water Horse
, written by Dick King-Smith, illustrated by David Parkins. Ages 8 and up.
From the author of beloved Babe comes the soon-to-be-classic story of how--thanks to the love and kindness of the human family that raises him--the Loch Ness Monster found his home. (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers)
Women Warriors
, written by Marianna Mayer, illustrated by Heller Julek. Ages 9 and up. Twelve thrilling tales of war
and bravery, bitterness and triumph, featuring fierce and fearless women from around the world. (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Year of the Griffin
, by Diana Wynne Jones. Ages 10 and up.
The breathtakingly brilliant sequel to Dark Lord of Derkholm, from a master of the fantasy genre. (Greenwillow Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
|