School's out, or A scary magical adventure
Monday, June 22, 2009 at 10:25PM 
Our last-day-of-school tradition involves a trip to the bookstore to sign up for the summer reading program (we signed up for the one at the public library already) and pick out a brand new book. This year Leo, who has always liked realistic fiction (think Andrew Clements), surprised me by wanting what he described as "scary magical adventure books." Scary? That didn't sound like Leo. It did, however, sound like some of his friends. Fortunately there were a lot of scary (but maybe not too scary) magical adventure books to choose from, and in no time he had acquired a tall stack and was inspecting them before deciding which one to buy. He decided on 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson, on the strength (I think) of its gorgeous green cover. He hasn't read it yet.
I wanted to show you a picture of the stack of books in question (so shiny!), but a bookseller politely informed me that photography was prohibited in the store. Company policy. To keep customers from buying the books online or checking them out of the library, maybe? I was mortified, apologetic, defensive, and finally understanding, if also unconvinced. Anyway, before I photograph the stack of scary magical adventure books we did check out of the library (ahem), please let me know what you would recommend in that genre, for an almost-9-year-old boy going on his very first one.
[Updated to add: Charlotte is looking for 70s-era fantasy books for a nine-year-old girl today. I am partial to the 70s myself, having done some growing-up during them; and I think fantasy books cross over gender (and time) well. Check out her recommendations!]
Reader Comments (4)
How about James and the Giant Peach?
I just posted the start of a similar list for a nine year old gir!
Thank you! I just read that one aloud to the kids, and it was perfect. Roald Dahl is so matter-of-fact about scary things that the kids forget to be scared of them.
I have Half Magic on our summer list. I haven't read it yet, but it sounds magical.
How about The Phantom Tollbooth? Is it too soon for that?
My favorite 70s era one (aside from Wrinke in Time), which was also sci-fi and which is now out of print, was The Missing Persons League by Frank Bonham.
A picture book to recommend. It is very unusual and I tend to keep it for the older children in school as it is quite dark. I think it's great to share picture books beyond early years:
The Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman.