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Children's books

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Original poster

The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin

34 replies

EyeoftheStorm · 12/02/2015 12:36

Almost finished reading this with DS1 (10). One of my favourite childhood books and I hadn't revisited it for a long time.

Reading it aloud to him was like reading it for the first time. So beautifully written that it's more like poetry than prose. So dark and powerful and fascinating.

Every time DS asked a question to clarify what was happening or what something meant, his question was answered in the next couple of sentences. Like the writer was answering him.

I love reading books with him. We have similar tastes. Though he plotted Sparrowhawk's journey on the map of Earthsea, while I've never given it more than a quick glance.

What shall we read next? This book has been the pinnacle so far.

OP posts:
Messygirl · 12/02/2015 17:44

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Onelittlepiglet · 12/02/2015 17:40

I always loved the dark is rising too! How about alan garner - weirdstone of brisingamen etc or the chronicles of prydain by Lloyd Alexander (based on welsh mythology and a set of five books I think).

Takver · 12/02/2015 17:31

Yes, that's her. I actually didn't read Howl until very recently, I must have been in my late teens when it was published. I do like it, but I prefer her earlier books on the whole.

SecretNutellaFix · 12/02/2015 16:39

What about Penelope Lively? I loved The Ghost of Thomas Kempe when I was about ten.

Original poster
EyeoftheStorm · 12/02/2015 16:35

Not yet - I like to mix it up. Have them in an omnibus edition but want to spread the pleasure out.

Diana Wynne Jones? Did she write Howl's Moving Castle?

OP posts:
Takver · 12/02/2015 14:57

Diana Wynne Jones? The Power of Three / Homeward Bounders / Dogsbody in particular (just mentioned the first two on another thread this morning!)

I assume you've read the next two Earthsea books with him already?

Original poster
EyeoftheStorm · 12/02/2015 13:59

Very similar wave length to you.

Read The Dark is Rising with him already and that was another highlight. As I'm reading, I'm thinking this is really hard - complex language, difficult vocabulary and hard to read characters. Maybe that's why we keep going back to these books because they stay with you because you can't really get to the bottom of them at 10.

Terry Pratchett is a great idea - he will love the word play.

Started Wolves of Willoughby Chase with DD1 but she doesn't like any sense of danger to characters so was quickly put aside. Hoping that fades soon as all we're left with is Rainbow Fairies and even those are touch and go sometimes!

OP posts:
BlueChampagne · 12/02/2015 13:42

OK - for contrast, how about Terry Pratchett? Current issues in fantasy setting with a good helping of comedy.

BlueChampagne · 12/02/2015 13:40

It's fab isn't it - I'm looking forward to ours reaching the age to read it. Maybe you need to read something completely different now - maybe modern and comic.

However, on a similar theme (in my mind), have you read Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series, or Joan Aiken's Wolves of Willoughby Chase series?