Note: These booklists are not intended to be a comprehensive children's fantasy literature bibliography. Penguin/Puffin kept many children's classics in print in paperback through the sixties and seventies, but has fewer now than they used to. Random House's Red Fox imprint has been reissuing many classics lately. If you or your bookstore can't find a book in "Books in Print" or listed on the major on-line bookstores such as Amazon Canada, Amazon USA or Amazon UK, or try searching for used copies.
Essay # 1: Children's Fantasy: What and Why?
J.R.R. Tolkien
(originally published by Allen and Unwin; now by HarperCollins)
The Hobbit (1937)
The Lord of the Rings (although always intended to be read as a whole, The Lord of the Rings first appeared in one volume only in 1968)
vol. 1 -- The Fellowship of the Ring (1954)
vol. 2 -- The Two Towers (1954)
vol. 3 -- The Return of the King (1955)
J.K. Rowling
(Bloomsbury; Raincoast in Canada; Scolastic US)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997; Smarties Book Prize; Children's Book Award)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000; Hugo Award)
Philip Pullman
His Dark Materials Trilogy
(Knopf; Del Rey paperback)
Northern Lights/The Golden Compass (1995)
The Subtle Knife (1997)
The Amber Spyglass (2000)
Brian Jacques
(published by Red Fox)
Redwall (1986)
Mossflower (1988)
Mattimeo (1989)
Mariel of Redwall (1991)
Salamandastron (1992)
Martin the Warrior (1993)
The Bellmaker (1994)
Outcast of Redwall (1995)
The Pearls of Lutra (1996)
The Long Patrol (1997)
Marlfox (1998)
The Legend of Luke (1999)
Lord Brocktree (2000)
The Taggerung (2001)
Lloyd Alexander
Prydain books (published by Dell)
The Book of Three (1964)
The Black Cauldron (1965; Newbery Honor)
The Castle of Llyr (1966)
Taran Wanderer (1967)
The High King (1968; Newbery Medal)
Susan Cooper
The Dark is Rising series (in paperback from Collier USA, Puffin in the UK; one volume edition as "The Dark is Rising Sequence" from Puffin)
Over Sea, Under Stone (1965)
The Dark is Rising (1973; Newbery Honor; Carnegie Commendation)
Greenwitch (1974)
The Grey King (1975; Newbery Medal; Carnegie Commendation)
Silver on the Tree (1977)
George Orwell
Animal Farm (1945)
Beowulf (most likely composed in the eight century A.D.; the only surviving manuscript dates from around the year 1000)
The Epic of Gilgamesh (probably composed between 3000 and 2000 B.C.)
The Odyssey (composed circa 800-700 B.C.)
©2001 K.V. Johansen |
