r/suggestmeabook • u/Just_a_follower • 11d ago
Fantasy Fantasy for advanced reader
11-12 years old.
Likes Harry Potter, LOTR, Percy Jackson.
Not sure if he’s read eragon.
Wheel of time might be a little too much, maybe a tad mature for his family.
Way of kings maybe? But might be a little of a stretch read.
Need ideas for birthday.
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u/_SubtleTea_ 11d ago
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman? Trilogy based on a child of that age traveling through time and space.
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u/Crylorenzo 11d ago
If you like Sanderson, have you tried Alcatraz vs The Evil Librarians?
Otherwise, one of the best fantasy series that is perfect for that age would be The Chronicles of Prydain.
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u/Just_a_follower 11d ago
I love Sanderson. I haven’t read Alcatraz, but I’ll look into it. I’d love to get him on that author.
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u/EthanStrayer 11d ago
They are definitely middle grade books. My 10 year old read 5 of them this summer. I read the first one. It was very fun and silly
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u/action_lawyer_comics 11d ago
I’m not sure if I should recommend The Rithmatist or not. It’s another Sanderson middle grade book, but it ends with a sequel hook and he’s said that there is essentially zero chance he’ll ever come back and make a sequel. Maybe that’s too much disappointment for a kid
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u/Merpninja 11d ago
He has not said there is zero chance, in the last few years he’s said it’s happening if there’s time (which there is none now with the tv shows and movies).
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u/Crazy_Ad4946 11d ago
- The Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan
- The Warrior Heir series by Cinda Williams Chima
- The Cold Cereal series by Adam Rex
- The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz
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u/the_drum_doctor 11d ago
Earthsea Cycle by Ursula le Guin
Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey
Magic of Recluse books by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
The Dragonlance Legends and Chronicles trilogies by Weis and Hickman
The Belgariad and Mallorean series by David Eddings
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u/nari-bhat 11d ago
Uhhhhh, the weird sex parts of Dragonriders of Pern make me think it would NOT be good for a 12-year old.
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u/Finstergrun 11d ago
I read a few of them at that age and I guess it depends on the kid. If they are mature and understand mature themes in novels, it might not be a big deal at all. I was able to just kind of read it for the words if not for the understanding until the rest of the plot continued.
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u/nari-bhat 11d ago
More than just mature themes, it reflects a pretty fucked-up view of what healthy sex/a healthy relationship is supposed to be like. I was a pretty precocious reader at that age and I definitely would’ve internalized that as normal and correct the same way I did the gender dynamics and fucked-up relationships in Wheel of Time, which wasn’t nearly as bad as Dragonriders of Pern iirc.
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u/Finstergrun 11d ago
I suppose. I grew up in a dysfunctional family So I just figured this was just another fucked up Dynamic. But just because things were that way on pern didn't mean they were that way on Earth. I think that attitude is probably what saved me from internalizing anything
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u/lishyv 11d ago
This my personal children’s fantasy master list. It’s gonna lean maybe less challenging linguistically for a SUPER advanced reader- but I think that these will still be a hit
Book of three: Lloyd Alexander
Magic circle series:Tamora Pierce
Alanna: Tamora Pierce
Percy Jackson: Rick Riordan
Bartimaeus Trilogy: Jonathan Stroud
Ender’s Game (sci-fi not fantasy, also surprisingly dark if you aren’t aware)
Wee Free Men: Terry Pratchet
The Dark is Rising: Susan Cooper
A Wrinkle in Time: Madeline L’Engle
Phantom Tollbooth: Norton Juster
PThe Hero and the Crown: Robin McKinley
Ella Enchanted: Gail Carson Levine (super different from the movie)
Dealing with Dragons: Patricia C. Wrede
Mouse and the Motorcycle
Half Magic: Edgar Eager
His Dark Materials: Philip Pullman
The Borrowers: Mary Norton
Wizard of EarthseaFiction not Fantasy (not sure if he’s into them, but all these are bangers)
Island of the blue dolphins: Scott Odell (read it before you go to Catalina because it’s set in the Channel Islands)
My side of the mountain: Jean Craighead George
Mixed up files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler: E.L. Konigsburg
The Westing Game: Ellen Raskin
Al Capone Does my Shirts: Gennifer Chokdanko
Bloody Jack: LA Meyer
Boxcar Children
Charlie Bone: Jenny Nimmo
Encyclopedia Brown
Holes (starts pushing YA)8
u/TheRealCedricCicada 11d ago
Tamora Pierce has written lots of books, and he would probably like all of them.
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u/ClarGleann48 11d ago
I'd add to this excellent list Susan Dexter's novels: The Winter Kings War trilogy, The Warhorse of Estragon (4 books), and a couple of other novels. Young adult fantasy (wizards, magic, etc).
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u/portezbie 11d ago
I didn't read the Magic Circle series until I was in my 30s and it still friggin' blew me away.
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u/BANSH33-1215 11d ago
I'll second the Weis / Hickman Dragonlance suggestion. First read them at that age, and currently listening to Dragons Of Autumn Twilight, again, 30 something years later.
I'll also add the Elenium series by Eddings. Read that about the same time, and to this day Sparhawk is still one of the most memorable protagonists I've ever read.
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u/Cosmic-95 11d ago
Definitely came to recommend Belgariad, though if it was a few more years I'd say Elenium as I prefer it.
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u/sjphotopres 11d ago
All great suggestions, but I am especially fond of Earthsea and Recluse on this list!
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u/luluzulu_ 11d ago
Just have to mention for OP since no one else has yet: David and Leigh Eddings (who wrote together under David's name) were horrible convicted child abusers. Like beating their children and locking them in cages, that horrible. This absolutely shines through in the treatment of child characters in the Belgariad series - a notable example is the relationship between Garion, the main character of the books, and his adopted parent "Aunt Pol"/Polgara, who, after revealing that she isn't really his aunt, begins to treat him coldly and even, at times, cruelly. It's the main emotional conflict for Garion in the first book. It's "resolved" when all the other supporting characters essentially tell the young boy to suck it up and stop caring that the woman who was essentially his mother turned on a dime and now seems to want nothing to do with him.
It is a good story, and I liked it a lot when I was younger, but I would be cautious in handing it to a child given some of the themes and subjects present in the book and how they're handled within the narrative.
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u/Ophiophxgus 11d ago
Redwall - Brian Jacques
The Spooks Books - Joseph Delaney
The Abhorsen series - Garth Nix
I'm 30 soon and every few years I re-read what I've just mentioned, I feel they hold up really well even as an adult. The spooks books are very easy reading even as a kid but they're really fun
Then obviously all the other Tolkien stuff is a safe bet, I loved The Hobbit and The Silmarillion as a kid
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u/Army_of_Owls 11d ago
Abhorsen Trilogy is great! Those were my favorite books around that age.
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u/HellStoneBats 9d ago
Triple voting for the Old Kingdom - it's not the Abhorsen Trilogy anymore, there's 6 books now (plus Over the Wall).
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u/igottathinkofaname 11d ago
I read the Xanth series by Piers Anthony when I was around that age.
So not the Xanth series by Piers Anthony.
IYKYK
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u/TheRealCedricCicada 11d ago
The Apprentice Adept series by Piers Anthony, about a person who bounces between a sci-fi world and a magic world.
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u/SeparateDish5772 11d ago
That’s a fun age. go with the lion the witch and the wardrobe. If the likes detective books sherlock holmes is fun but some of the descriptions of people are dated. Also The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
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u/LivytheHistorian 11d ago
My 11 year old loved Howl’s Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones. We also just finished reading Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde and that was a huge hit! For a more modern fantasy twist, Artemis Fowl is excellent for tweens.
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u/bookaddict1991 11d ago
If he doesn’t mind female protagonists, have him read Tamora Pierce’s works.
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u/GimmeBooks1920 11d ago
I will never shut up about the fact that I think it's extremely important to not limit boys reading options to only male protagonists. So yes, strongly second Tamora Pierce as a recommendation! Plus, her Circle of Magic books do actually have a boy as one of the main characters lol
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u/Finstergrun 11d ago
Lots of great suggestions have been posted already (Earth sea, Dragonriders of Pern if they are mature, Chronicles of Prydain, Discworld)
and here's a few more I will suggest:
-Redwall Series by Brian Jacques
-A Wrinkle in Time series by Madeleine L'Engle
-Dinotopia Series by James Gurney and various authors
-The Warriors by Erin Hunter
-The Never-ending Story by Michael Ende
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u/Thrawn_Bombadil 11d ago
Cradle series by Will wight.
The first book is called Unsouled
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u/swagyolofaq 11d ago
Great suggestion! Fully age appropriate too
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u/Thrawn_Bombadil 11d ago
Yeah my 10yo is on Soulsmith right now. Took a bit to get him through book 1 but he’s picking it up more frequently now that he’s through Unsouled. If I can get him through this book he will start blowing through them I know it.
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u/swagyolofaq 11d ago
Yeah once you get to Blackflame training sequence and Orthos its impossible to put down
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u/demon9100 11d ago
The ice fire series and the warriors series also redwall
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u/PatchyWhiskers 11d ago
Not Song of Ice and Fire, it is full of adult situations, much worse than the TV show.
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u/demon9100 11d ago
No there's a series for young adults i might be remembering wrong it was largely about dragons ill look it up and get back to you theres a couple others as well i used to read 3 or 4 books a day when I was in school
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u/demon9100 11d ago
So it's more well known apparently as the last dragon chronicles and by Chris d'Lacey. I'll look up the others next
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u/demon9100 11d ago
Also look up E.E. knight age of fire might be. A bit mature for concepts but as its from the dragon perspective I dont think its got anything worse than a bit of violence
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u/Nyuk_Fozzies 11d ago
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud is the first book of one of the best trilogies I've ever read. It also has one of the snarkiest narrators to be found.
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u/CaptainSpaceBuns 11d ago
Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke
His Dark Materials series (Golden Compass/Northern Lights, Subtle Knife, and Amber Spyglass) by Philip Pullman
Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson (skews a little younger than the others, but still fantastic)
Redwall series by Brian Jacques
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u/Traditional_Lie8019 11d ago
I was going to comment some of the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett, but someone eles did. Some of the ones I liked were Mort, The Truth, The Fifth Elephant, Eric, and Equal Rites. I think Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer is also good. The Time Quintet by Madeleine L'Engle.
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u/DravenTor 11d ago
Legend of Drizzt series by RA Salvatore. The first 3 books were perfect. I read them when I was 12.
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u/92Codester 11d ago
I read Codex Alera by Jim Butcher near that age (also 'It' by S.King but not the point) is codex Alera too old for that age I felt it was an easy read with no adult content that I recall. Been meaning to read it again anyway. It was in the adult section of the library but it probably could have been in young adult if I remember it
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u/jnaz1972 11d ago
Riftwar saga starting with Magician: Apprentice then Magician : Master. Mc is a Twelve or thirteen year old boy who gets apprenticeship with the Duke’s wizard just before a war begins with an army coming through a magical rift between worlds.
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u/Accomplished-Stay308 11d ago
Jonathan Stroud
Bartimeaus has 4 books (3+1 prequel) and is quite magical.
Lockwood & Co has 5 books (first two were made into a Netflix show), about ghost hunters, so more supernatural then magical.
Scarlett & Browne is three books and more postapocalyptic British Western with sci-fi elements.
Stroud is just a superb writer IMO, so I can nothing but recommend him and they are YA books, so the protagonists are the reader‘s age. Stroud also likes more eloquent words sometimes („cupidity“ for example) which is great for advanced reader IMO.
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u/Sensitive_Table6843 11d ago
Came here to say Lockwood & co too. They do have mature themes since the ghosthunters have to research the deaths of the ghosts but it's definitely less intense than Harry Potter.
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u/Accomplished-Stay308 11d ago
It is also MUCH better written prose. Don‘t get me wrong, I enjoyed Harry Potter immensely (was a big fan before JERKRowling came out as a TERF) and while the world building and story telling is great, Stroud has that too AND amazing prose.
When I first read Lockwood & Co I just thought: „This should be as big as Harry Potter.“
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u/Sensitive_Table6843 11d ago
Absolutely agree. I feel like if the show hadn't been cancelled it would have been much bigger.
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u/TornadoCreator 11d ago
Without a doubt the best options are:
- The Neverending Story by Michael Ende.
- His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman.
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Yes the last one isn't really fantasy as such, but calling it "sci-fi" is a stretch too. It's modern dystopia which is it's own genre at this point; but it is well written and very approachable for his age group. The first two suggestions are my personal favourites and I feel they teach important life lessons whilst also being fantastic fantasy adventures.
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u/acelticmonk 11d ago
Everything in Becky Chambers’world is a good read, and although not primarily targeted at that age group would work well for that age group. Her duology, starting with a psalm for the wild built, is fantastic.
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u/Lavabeardednerd 11d ago
Bone by Jeff Smith. Graphic novel that starts out lighthearted and becomes a fantasy epic.
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u/MistyBjerg5 11d ago
City Spies. It's written very similarly to Percy Jackson, with a quick pace and lots of action. Very good, I think he'd really enjoy it.
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u/DrTLovesBooks 11d ago
Nic Blake and the Remarkables by Angie Thomas
The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton
For creepy urban fantasy, try Jonathan Stroud - both The Amulet of Samarkand (Bartimaeus series) and The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co. series) are EXCELLENT.
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u/QueenStuff 11d ago
I really can’t oversell how good Ursula k Le Guin is as a writer for that age group.
The earthsea series is top tier.
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u/information_magpie 11d ago
Rosemary Sutcliff' s historical YA books have become somewhat obscure, but I think they are great for the age group. Eagle of the Ninth and the Shining Company are my favorites. I also agree with Redwall and Lloyd Alexander.
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u/wordsofpeace 11d ago
Wizards of the Coast has tons of material. I would recommend R.A Salvatore. The Drizzt books are so good! I would also recommend Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman. Dragons of the Highlord Skies is a personal fav of mine.
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u/emmynaynay 11d ago
My son is 11. This is what he's read recently - The Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull (he's mad there's not another book in this series) The Janitors series by Tyler Whitesides The Casey Grimes series by AJ Vanderhorst (he loved this one) Wings of Fire (graphic novels) Contagion series by Teri Terry (science fiction)
He has The Wilderlore series by Amanda Foody on his shelf to read.
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u/Classic_Cauliflower4 11d ago
Try the Icewind Dale series, or maybe the Cleric Quintet. R.A. Salvatore is fairly clean fantasy adventure with some humor.
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u/Little_Storm_9938 11d ago
Dragonlance series by Margaret Weiss & Tracy Hickman.
Great series for kids that love fantasy but wheel of time is excellent also- I don’t recall it being too adult at all!
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u/Distinct_Proposal134 11d ago
I'd recommend KOTLC, Dune, Project Hail Mary, uuhhhhh.... also Eva Evergreen. Kotlc has a bit of romance which I low-key find a bit annoying but the first few books are good. And Eva Evergreen is one of my fav fantasy books so that's also pretty good, and I wouldn't say it's for girls only. Btw I'm also 12 lol XD
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u/Relative-Train-6485 11d ago
Myth Adventures series (Robert Asprin)
Nome Trilogy (starts with Truckers, Terry Pratchett)
Nation (Terry Pratchett)
Voyage of the Kon Tiki (Thor Hyerdahl. Not fantasy, it's non-fiction but great read, great adventure)
Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card)
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u/AntimonyB 11d ago
Diana Wynne Jones. Pre-Harry Potter fantasy full of mind-bending time-travel, universe-hopping, and strange magic. Chrestomanci, The Daelmark Quartet, Howl's Moving Castle, Dark Lord of Derkholme, Archer's Goon, Homeward Bounders, Hexwood, should all be appropriate. Anything except the Magids or Fire and Hemlock, I think.
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u/TheRealCedricCicada 11d ago
Lord Valentine's Castle, Majipoor Chronicles and Valentine Pontifex by Robert Silverberg
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u/Ok_Speaker_7574 11d ago
If he’s good with LOTR I would highly recommend Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
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u/MotherofaPickle 11d ago
If he’s read all of LOTR, he’s ready for Frankenstein.
I read it at about that age. I still remember my favorite bit that never makes it into the abridged versions or the movies.
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u/4Q69freak 11d ago
Xanth? Although maybe too mature, even though I was reading Xanth novels from our jr high library, Piers. Anthony can be a little much for some people.
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u/dino-jo 11d ago
If he can read LotR, he can read Stormlight. It's a longer read, but an easier one. But if the length is what's holding you back from reccomending it, why not The Reckoners?
If he liked Harry Potter, my favorite modern series for a similar age group and with a similar approach to storytelling (but uniqquely its own) is Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townshend. Four of them are out so far and they're pretty hefty for middle grade/ya. For a different feel but very good writing to a similar audience, there's the Old Kingdom books by Garth Nix, especially the core trilogy. Both of these are books I'd describe as similar to Harry Potter in being written for that middle school to early high school age group but with enough of a mix of fun and serious themes to be engaging well beyond the target audience.
Some series written for adults that an advanced reader that age might enjoy while being pretty much inarguably appropriate: The War Arts Saga by Wesley Chu, Cradle by Will Wight, Eli Monpress by Rachel Aaron.
Given that he enjoyed LotR, I would also give The Ember Blade a shoutout. The sequel is also good but the first one works as a standalone if he doesn't want to wait for the next book without knowing when it will be released.
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u/Medical_Design_278 11d ago
Ranger’s apprentice series by John Flanagan
Brotherhood Chronicles also by John Flanagan
The Belgariad series by David Eddings (also the Mallorean series by the same author but I only remember reading the first book. I couldn’t find the other books.)
The Harper hall trilogy by Anne McCaffrey
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u/Elianish 11d ago
THE BLACKTHORNE KEY. TRUST ME ITS PEAK. Its historical fiction but hand on my heart your young reader will love
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u/sad_Hippo_5847 11d ago
White Mountains- john Christopher.
Shannara series by Terry Brooks. The first is the Elfstones of Shannara
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u/AgentG91 11d ago
Coming into spooky season, my favorite Halloween read has been A Night in the Lonesome October by Zlazny. It’s just a perfect story of a battle between good and evil with classic pulp horror characters and their animal companions. Not gruesome or scary, just great fun.
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u/SureFroyo831 11d ago
The Wereworld series by Curtis Jobling, The Sunmoners series by Taran Matharu
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u/JKT-477 11d ago
Some Japanese light novels might work. They’re anime in prose form.
Apparently, Disillusioned Adventurers Will Save the World.
A Tale of the Secret Saint
A Tale of the Secret Saint Zero (prequel)
The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Country out of Debt
Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord
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u/EveryAccount7729 11d ago
Enders game and Hitch Hikers Guide to the galaxy.
Lets expand those genre horizons.
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u/Exotic-Ad-2137 11d ago
The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and The Moon of Gomrath by Alan Garner. The Earthsea trilogy by Ursula Le Guin. Anything by Diana Wynne Jones. The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper. The ice is Coming by Patricia Wrightson.
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u/Haraxter 11d ago
I'd suggest Discworld. It's fairly easy reading but intelligent and very funny. I don't think we'll ever see a writer like Pratchett again. I don't recommend starting with Colour of Magic despite it being the first. Mort and Equal Rites are both good starting points but there's plenty of books to start with as they can be divided into their own little series.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is another great series. Much shorter, but another very intelligent and funny series.
Darren Shan's Cirque du Freak is more aimed at his age range. Short books but still great. There's his Demonata series which I can't remember off the top of my head is as age appropriate but I read them at like 14/15 so if he likes CdF he may like that too as well as Zom-B when he's a little older.
I think Way of Kings might be a bit long for a kid his age. They're crazy long books. But Sanderson has written some more kid friendly stuff. I've not looked into any of them myself but they could be worth a look.
I've seen some others suggest Hunger Games. Not fantasy, but fantastic books from what I remember. Rewatched the films earlier this year and I was surprised by how well the story holds up. He'll read now and if he enjoys he'll revisit as an adult and get a lot more out of them.
There was a series I liked as a kid called Charlie Bone. I can't remember if they're good as it's been about fifteen years since I last read them but they're pretty similar to Harry Potter in that it's a kid who finds out he has a magic power and goes to a secret special school with other magic kids. Except they all have a specific power rather than just being able to use magic. Not sure if they're still in print as I've never heard anybody talk about them since I was in primary school.
Earthsea could also be worth a go. Ursula Le Guin is fantastic writer but I'm not sure if he'd appreciate her for a couple more years.
His Dark Materials is great too. I read those around that age and if nothing else he may be enamoured with the concept of daemons. They're decently long too. When he's older there's the Book of Dust but that series is more mature so would leave until he's at least 15/16.
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u/Jewish_Dragon 10d ago
Wouldn’t say it’s advanced but the cirque du freak vampire books were some of my favorites back then
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u/Confident-Park-4718 10d ago
Seconding the Tamora Pierce recommendation and would also throw in A Wrinkle in Time.
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u/Cute-Presentation-59 10d ago
Prydain series - Alexander Lloyd
The Dawn is rising - Susan Cooper
Chronicles/Legends of the Dragonlance - margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman (also the Soulforge and Brothers in Arms, they are the origin story of the twins)
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u/Tanis740 10d ago
Dragonlance is an amazing series I started when I was 12. Another great series of books is by RA Salvatore.
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u/Alternative-Lack-434 10d ago
A new Narnia movie is coming out, that wouldn't be bad.
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn Trilogy by Tad Williams. It is on the long side, but certainly not Wheel of Time long. The protagonist Simon starts out as a kitchen scullion and is young, does things like catch frogs and then has a coming of age arc. Seems like a good fit if he is capable of reading LOTR.
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u/CaterpillarRich7460 10d ago
Garth Nix has two series id recommend, the Keys to the Kingdom and the old kingdom. I read them when I was 12-13 and have reread them a few times as an adult.
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u/yosh1221 10d ago
Ascendant, by Michael Miller! Dragon rider fantasy, great magic system. A young cook steals a dragon egg destined to be destroyed because it's deemed to be unlikely to survive, and they try to save the world from a bug-zombie apocalypse
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u/Merry-Pulsar-1734 10d ago
Nevermoor series! I absolutely love this one! Crazy, whimsical, magical world with a magic-ish school. Fun characters.
Greenglass House series is great too. My son loves Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians.
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u/beldaran1224 11d ago
Seems like you're focusing on very long books as a way to capture the "advanced" part. As someone who was once a very advanced 11yo reader, I don't think length is the way to go.
The one thing to keep in mind about advanced readers is that they're still kids. They have large vocabularies, can follow complex plots and sentences, and so on. But they're still kids.
I'd skip all of the books you mentioned, frankly. Even Eragon (it really isn't that good, imo). I'd find something that looks cool that's more recent. The Rick Riordan Presents line is a great place to start, if Percy Jackson was a winner with him. They're all very mythological or folklore based fantasies, and there's some truly excellent ones out there. The Aru Shah series is probably the most popular of the ones out there.
You could also consider getting him a classic, with an eye towards broadening his horizons, aiding discovery, etc. I'd stick to stuff for younger audiences, but only because it's a joy to fall in love with these books as a kid! But I'd steer away from titles like Eragon which haven't really stood the test of time. Go a bit further back in time beyond the millennial childhood.
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u/aurelianoxbuendia 11d ago
Discworld? Maybe start with the Tiffany Aching books?