Krystyl Farmer Library Columns

Fantastical Reads every child will love! by Krystyl Farmer

by Krystyl Farmer
by Krystyl Farmer

Fantasy books are a favorite genre of many people because we are not confined to the limits of the world when we are reading it. We can literally read about anything our heart desires when we pick up a fantasy book. What better way to hit those Summer Reading goals than to begin a fresh fantasy series?

Geronimo Stilton books by Geronimo Stilton (pseudonym for Elisabetta Dami) are all about a mouse-tastic journalist whose true passion is writing tales of epic adventure! Geronimo’s adventures feature a squeaking good team of characters and lots of silly fun! His sister Thea even has her own series of books. They travel to epic kingdoms of fantasy, they wander back in time, and they traipse through the entire world of Mouse Island uncovering mysteries.

Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling is one of the most popular fantasy series known to the world. Set in Europe, Harry is the brown-headed step child in his aunt and uncle’s house. On his 11th birthday he gets a letter of enrollment from the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry, Hogwarts. As Harry makes friends at school, he begins to learn a lot about himself and his abilities. One dark wizard was responsible for the deaths of many people, Harry’s parents included, and Harry will stop at nothing until he defeats him once and for all.

The Chronicles of Avantia by Adam Blade; In Avantia there are good and bad Beasts, young Tanner sees firsthand how good they can be when a Flame Bird throws an evil warlord to his death. Eight years later, while training with Firepos, he is finally ready to avenge his father’s death when another army comes ravaging his world. As Tanner’s quest becomes more difficult he has to fight temptation.

The True Story series by Liesl Shurtliff borrows classic fairy tales from our childhoods and gives them back to us completely new and re-vamped! Rump, Jack, Red, and Grump are the titles in the series and, as you can probably guess, they are about Rumplestiltskin, Jack the Giant Slayer, Red Riding Hood, and Grumpy the dwarf, respectively. These books are a fresh retelling of the old classics because instead of just telling us the same old story we know, she weaves the old storyline into something magical.

These suggestions will hopefully get you started on your own fantasy journey. All of these titles and many more are available at your local public libraries. If we don’t have what you’re looking for in print, check out Overdrive, an electronic audiobook database accessible through www.myhlc.org. Remember, Summer Reading Programs are happening RIGHT NOW at a library near you, so call your local branch of the Heartland Library Cooperative for more information.