Filling Potter's spot—July 8, 2011
Friday, July 15th, marks the release of the final Harry Potter movie, and many die-hard fans will be eagerly waiting for the midnight showing Thursday night. The library will be showing Part 1 at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 14th, for those who would like to “refresh their memory” before watching Part 2!
And if you enjoyed the Harry Potter books but have read them all and are looking for something else to read, we have prepared several bookmarks that list other titles and series for children and teens that you might enjoy.
Eva Ibbotson was a British author who wrote a number of titles about magic and ghosts that are very enjoyable. These include “The Beasts of Clawstone Castle,” “Not Just a Witch,” “The Great Ghost Rescue,” and “The Secret of Platform 13.”
Another British author whose books have been popular for many years is Roald Dahl. Look for his books “The BFG,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “James and the Giant Peach,” “Matilda,” and “The Witches.”
Once children find a book they enjoy, they often want to read more titles about the same characters and for this reason series of books have become very popular. The books in “The Spiderwick Chronicles” by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi tell of the adventures of the Grace children, who discover a field guide to fairies and other creatures. Jane Yolen’s “Young Merlin Trilogy” tells the story of the boyhood of Merlin and how he came into his magical powers.
There are also many titles in the teen area that deal with magic, such as “Wishing Moon” by Michael O. Tunnell. Aminah, a fourteen-year-old orphan, comes to possess a magic lamp, and the wishes granted her by the genie inside it allow her to change her life. Gail Carson Levine’s “Ella Enchanted” is based on Cinderella and tells of Ella’s struggle against the childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her.
The teen area also includes many series for young people. “The Enchanted Forest Chronicles” by Patricia Wrede begins with a princess who is bored with traditional palace life and goes off to live with dragons. The four books in the series contain lots of wizards, dragons and magic.
Other teen series include Diane Duane’s “Young Wizards,” Herbie Brennan’s “Faerie Wars Chronicles,” and Anthony Horowitz’s “Gatekeepers.” They all provide lots of action, adventure, and, of course, magic.
If you’re looking for more magic in your reading, look for the bookmarks at the library that list these and more titles and series to try!
