For the Kids:
Knights vs. Dinosaurs, by Matt Phelan - Oh, this was a really fun and quick story. Remember the knights of the round table, stories of Merlin and those guys? Well, in this story they're up to no good and being generally lazy because there aren't enough dragons to go around. So, what does Merlin do, but decide to send them back in time to the age of the dinosaurs! Chaos, and team bonding, ensues. Such a fun book and deeper than I expected.
Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat, by Johnny Marciano - I picked this up for my daughter's birthday and enjoyed reading it along with her. Klawde is indeed an alien warlord and comes to Earth and has to encounter all the things that are normal to humans. In the meantime, there's a summer camp with a nefarious plot happening, and his own intergalactic plans to work on. Great fun, not very long, and entertaining. There's a second book in the series too, if your kid wants to continue (and book three is due to arrive in October).
Cleopatra in Space series, by Mike Maihack - One of our families favorite graphic novels. It is what it sounds like, but Cleopatra is a tween (maybe 13?) and has to deal with a lot of things. She's impulsive and clever, skilled and smart, and more than a little reckless. This series is wonderful for adventure and friendship with delightful characters and compelling illustrations. Loved it.
The Princess in Black series, by Shannon Hale - Whenever there's a new one in the series we buy it. Shannon Hale is a great author and this series is fun. It's at that stage where it's definitely a chapter book, but not too much of a challenge to read, and still has phenomenal illustrations. The princess in question is also a crime fighting ninja determined to protect her kingdom. It's great for empowerment, strong female characters, great friendships, and figuring out how to be yourself when people think you should only be something particular, like a princess.
The Wizards of Once, by Cressida Cowell- audiobook is good - We listened to this on a few family road trips recently and it's a wonderful audiobook narrated by David Tennant. It's about a part of a fantastic world where the specialties and powers of magic and warriors clash and combine. The characters we follow are from each sides of the contention and as you can imagine, chaos ensues. This is the same author of the How to Train Your Dragon series, and her wit and cleverness is illuminated with Tennant's skillful narration. A really fun series, we are planning to listen to book 2 soon.
The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster – audiobook narrated by Rainn Wilson is good - Both my kids and I have read the paperback version and then listened to the audiobook and loved them both. It is a fun story that you should read if you haven't yet. Juster wrote it as a diversion for himself while he was supposed to be writing a book about something like city planning. It details the story of Milo who can't be bothered with anything, always wants to be somewhere else, and is generally just not interested in anything. Suddenly, a tollbooth arrives that he puts together and uses to travel to a strange place with tons of wordplay and lessons that are not at all what you expect and even more fun. I was preparing for this to be an overused and cliché filled story, but it was charming and unique and filled with wordplay that made us all chuckle and think. Delightful for everyone in your family.
Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, by Kate DiCamillo - this is a fun story about a girl, FLora, and a squirrel, Ulysses, and what happens when the squirrel in question is sucked up into a vacuum. Something happens that connects the two of them that becomes a bit of a superhero journey of discovery. This story is a great adventure, has wonderful humorous and unexpected plot twists, and deals frankly with parents who aren't the best examples. I appreciated this story for it's adventure, and it's honesty in some of the more difficult ideas that people you're related to aren't always the best humans, and I was impressed with DiCamillo's ability to deal with some difficult things. It was really great. There are also some parts of the story told in comic form, and my kids really enjoyed reading those parts of the story that are illustrated.
Phoebe and Her Unicorn Series, by Dana Simpson - One of my go-to recommendations for kids these days, this is a really fun comic series about a girl and her unicorn and their adventures together. I hesitate only a little to compare it to Calvin & Hobbes, but it is just as great in the "kid and maybe not real best friend discuss life and meander the woods together" way. It's funny, insightful, silly, and great if you have a reluctant but smart reader who needs something to get lost in for a while. It's really fun and fast to read.
The Percy Jackson series, by Rick Riordan - My ten year old says all his friends have read this series and talk about it. He read the first one really fast, it prompted some trips to the library to research Greek mythology, and now he has pressed it into my hands and is reading the second book. It's on my list to get to soon, and I'll let you know how that goes.
How to Train Your Dragon Series, by Cressida Cowell - Probably my son's favorite series, he and his dad have read all 13 (?) or so books at least twice. I'm sure you've seen the movies or at least know about them, this is the source material and from what I've heard it is just as delightful, clever, exciting, and compelling as they films. From what I've read by Cowell, I've been impressed at her ability to create immersive worlds that you never question, and her wonderfully real characters who make difficult decisions and are fun to spend time with. If you are in need of a series to try with or for your kids, or kids you know, this would be one to give a try for sure.
