# Fantasy Books for Boys **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 13, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-books-for-boys/606042 "2011-12-13T15:58:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-books-for-boys/606042/41 "2011-12-14T18:58:00Z")
> [@well\_he\_s\_back](#): > > I know I’m being a jerk, but please - no one should read Terry Brooks Shannara thinking it is original. they should only read it, if they must, after Lord of the Rings, and they can come to their own conclusions. > [@Hello\_Again](#): > > I agree in full, except I would user much stronger language, were it appropriate. > [@Zsofia](#): > > I’d just stop writing after “nobody should read Terry Brooks Shannara”. Seriously, there are so many GOOD books around, why give a kid crap? > [@well\_he\_s\_back](#): > > totally agree, and with Hello Again as well. Just trying not to come on too strong. I really do HATE those Brooks books. HATE HATE HATE. > there, that does feel better. Meh… I only ever read the first two back in the 70s. I consider them kids books and a much simpler writing style than Tolkien, therefore easier to read. I don’t know why anyone would so vehemently hate them, I consider them along the same vein as the Dragonlance books, Robert Jordan, Harry Potter, and John Grisham.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-books-for-boys/606042/42 "2011-12-14T19:06:30Z")
I can’t really personally recommend this because I tried to read it and didn’t like it, but a lot of people seem to like “Eragon” and its sequels. Personally I think it read a lot like a book written by a moderately talented teenager (which it was) but a younger kid might like it. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-books-for-boys/606042/43 "2011-12-14T19:10:08Z")
Sparky - I hate Brooks because he so blatantly stole from Tolkien. Stole. not “was inspired by.” putting out 10th rate rip-offs of a book I love does not endear me. Infovore - I tried reading Eragon (I’ve read most of the books mentioned in this thread). I think it’s crap, but kids eat it up. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-books-for-boys/606042/44 "2011-12-14T20:46:09Z")
> [@well\_he\_s\_back](#): > > Sparky - I hate Brooks because he so blatantly stole from Tolkien. Stole. not “was inspired by.” putting out 10th rate rip-offs of a book I love does not endear me. The odds are still good the OP’s 11-year-old won’t care, and will enjoy the Shannara series more than he would Tolkein. That’s the point of the recommendation. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-books-for-boys/606042/45 "2011-12-14T20:59:51Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > [The Dark is Rising series](http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Rising-Boxed-Set-Greenwitch/dp/1416949968/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323793738&sr=1-1), by Susan Cooper. The first is “Over Sea, Under Stone.” British legend and druidic lore is the foundation of the fantasy. I second (or is that third) the recommendation, but it might be better to start with the seond book of the series, **The Dark is Rising**. As a child, I thought it was miles better than the first one. > [@Sparky812](#): > > URL=“[http://hem.passagen.se/peson42/lgw/books/b\_earths.html](http://hem.passagen.se/peson42/lgw/books/b_earths.html)”]The Earthsea series - by Ursula Le Guin! Another good one, I read this at primary school. 11 might not be too young for Lord of the Rings. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-books-for-boys/606042/46 "2011-12-14T22:07:40Z")
My son really enjoyed _[The Ranger’s Apprentice](http://www.rangersapprentice.com/)_ series by John Flanagan. And by “really enjoyed” I actually mean, could not put down. ETA: The author just started a second series. He seems like a great guy. He returned my son’s email to him within a couple of days. That impressed me. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-books-for-boys/606042/47 "2011-12-14T23:40:36Z")
The [Danny Dunn](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Dunn)series. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-books-for-boys/606042/48 "2011-12-15T04:15:28Z")
> [@unwashed\_brain](#): > > The odds are still good the OP’s 11-year-old won’t care, and will enjoy the Shannara series more than he would Tolkein. That’s the point of the recommendation. Exactly. > [@well\_he\_s\_back](#): > > Sparky - I hate Brooks because he so blatantly stole from Tolkien. Stole. not “was inspired by.” putting out 10th rate rip-offs of a book I love does not endear me. Meh… I can see from this and your posting history you have much more invested in this than the average 11 year old. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-books-for-boys/606042/49 "2011-12-15T05:26:31Z")
I recommend the [Redwall series](http://www.redwall.org/books.html) by Brian Jacques. Yeah they’re anthropomorphic animals but theres plenty of medieval era combat and the stories are incredibly well written. I was 16 when I discovered them and I read maybe 5 before I went on to other things. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-books-for-boys/606042/50 "2011-12-15T07:14:51Z")
I know a lot of kids are enjoying this one: > **[Alex Walker and the Circus of Secrets preview chapter (The Adventures of Alex...](https://www.amazon.com/Walker-Secrets-preview-chapter-Adventures-ebook/dp/B00440DQIK)** > > Alex Walker and the Circus of Secrets preview chapter (The Adventures of Alex Walker Book 1) - Kindle edition by Mayo, Michael. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and... ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-books-for-boys/606042/51 "2011-12-15T07:46:48Z")
At that age my kids loved Michael de Larrabeiti’s [Borribles Trilogy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Borribles). ---
**Author:** ![Levolor\_the\_Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc8723/32.png) [@Levolor\_the\_Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Levolor_the_Blind)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-books-for-boys/606042/52 "2011-12-15T07:58:14Z")
Paizo has a beginner’s boxed set for the Pathfinder RPG. He’s about the age he can handle full-frontal nerdity. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-books-for-boys/606042/53 "2011-12-15T08:06:31Z")
Some cool and interesting suggestions here for my nephews. Thanks! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-books-for-boys/606042.md?page=2)