"Looking for books suitable for kids" Topic

Specifically I'd like some advice on decent books about King Arthur, Greek and Norse mythology or other interesting legends and fairy tale. My kids are 12 and 9 and I was hoping to find something that might appeal to their age group.

It's possible that the 12 year old might be ok with the Osprey's on the subjects. T.H. White's Once and Future King series of novels are also possible. I'm afraid I can't think of anything else currently in print.

Rosemary Sutcliffe's King Arthur Trilogy link
How about Henry Treece's Viking Saga? link

Roger Lancelyn Green wrote a fair few, Tales of the Greek Heroes, Myths of the Norsemen, etc.

Anita Ganeri's Norse Myths and Legends is a good one for kids. It should suit your younger one, because it has lots of colour and interesting stories. At that age, I really enjoyed Roger Lancelyn Green's Myths of the Norsemen. It has fewer pictures and a lot more text, so not all kids would be as interested in it, but it might be a good one for your older child. Thor Ewing's Viking Myths is pretty good too.

For Arthur, I would second T. H. White, but I cannot immediately think of anything Greek.

Gerald Morris's Squire Tales series
link

John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series
link

If you don't mind Christian fiction, Chuck Black's Kingdom and Knights of Arrethtrae series
link

Second The Once and Future King.

For historical works the old Landmark books are often easily found on EBay and in used book stores. These are historical titles, often penned by the same author who wrote the adult book, like 30 Seconds Over Tokyo. I believe there are titles on Vikings, King Arthur, etc.

Yes certainly Henry Treece and Rosemary Sutcliff also Alfred Duggan.

Edith Hamilton's old warhorse, Mythology, gives an excellent survey of the Greek myths, with a smaller section on the Norse/Germanic tradition. For a slightly younger audience, but with gorgeous illustrations, is Ann Turnbull's Greek Myths.

The Sword in the Stone, the first novel in The Once and Future King series, would be perfect for your girls. While still very good, the later novels are considerably darker, and deal with some more mature themes. I have to admit that even as an adult my favourite is that first story. Pure magic.

Wonderful to see Sutcliff and Treece being recommended.

When I was 10 or 11 my schoolteacher read Treece's " The Horned Helmet " to the class and in the past 35 years I've re-read it many times.

Teen Librarian/MG author weighs in:

Sutcliff has both an Arthurian trilogy and her Post-Roman historical novels. The former are fine for both ages; the latter are better for the 12 year old.

T.H. White's The Once and Future King is a bit too mature, but The Sword In the Stone (essentially the first half of TOAFT) is perfect for both ages.

Don't forget classics like The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle, or King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table.by Roger Lancelyn Green. And why not try a modern version of Mallory? He's the original, and quite readable.

For fun, of course, there's always Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

A popular modern fantasy series is The Lost Years of Merlin by TA Barron, which focuses on the young Merlin becoming a wizard.

Jane Yolen's The Sword of the Rightful King is worth a look, though it's probably slightly mature for the 9 year old in certain themes.

And one cautionary warning: Do NOT let them read The Mists of Avalon. It is extremely graphic in its depictions of sex and rape, It's in the adult section of your library for good reason.

Don' overlook Bulfinch.

I neglected to mention Andre Norton's Steel Magic, which features a group of modern kids transported into Arthur's realm, armed only with the stainless steel tableware from a picnic basket. But these steel utensils are the bane of the evil Morgan Le Fay and her other-worldly minions, and Merlin sends each child on a quest to aid Arthur in recovering his own steel blade, the legendary Excalibur. Great fun, with truly evocative moments.

Other Arthurian bits: There's a very Sutcliffian "historical Arthur" tale in Andre Norton's Dragon Magic (essentially an anthology of connected short stories), and a delightful Arthur episode in Edgar Eager's Half Magic. (Both children will love this book.)

Hope this helps!

Thanks everybody. Gave me lots of books to try and dig up.

Second all the excellent suggestions above, and add that Ursula LeGuin's a Wizard of Earthsea, and CS Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia [especially the Horse and His Boy], would tick the generally-interesting fairy-story boxes. My middle brother learned to read from CS Lewis, having previously been such a slow developer that my parents feared he might be retarded.

'The Hero's' by Charles Kingsley, my childhood introduction to Jason, Perseus et al

See also this, the Illiad for children

link

We read it at school in the early 60's

That's a great anecdote, Legbiter. He seems to have been a kindly man, with a genuine love for children.

Maybe not the late added last Earthsea book which is a bit more adult themed.

Henry Treece – The windswept city is a great retelling of the siege of Troy. link

Not myths but The siege of Swayne Castle by R.C. Sherriff is a great story for that, or any other, age group.

Heroes, Gods and Monsters of Greek Myth by Bernard Evslin

Robert Graves wrote one book "for young people", The Siege and Fall of Troy, in 1962. The Folio Society did a beautiful edition in 2005 which would become the treasured possession of a book – loving 12 year old.
Big second to Andre Norton.I ate up her SF and fantasy from age twelve on,in fact just came across and reread Judgement on Janus--still exciting,after all these years. There's a current of optimism running through all her works that might make for a refreshing break from the dystopia sourness seemingly pervasive in today's YA fiction;see her entries in the Encyclopedias of Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Aside from those genres, Huon of the Horn is a riff on Roland, and Shadow Hawk, pretty much straight historical fiction about Egyptian revolt against the Hyksos, is still the best novel of ancient Egypt I've ever read (I'm open to suggestions).

One thing to keep in mind: Tolkien was once asked to participate in a colloquium on reading "suitable for young people". Or maybe it was "children". In any case, he declined, because he felt strongly that children's minds grow by reading books that are "above" them,not at their "level". He disapproved of talking down to children,whether in person on in the pages of a book.

And he included The Hobbit in that disapproval,above least in the parts where he had "talked down" to his own readers.

I would suggest "Once and Future King" although it may be too intricate for very young children, I would certainly suggest Pyle's King Arthur, especially the illustrated version. You can also get books of reprints of old "Prince Valiant" comics, going back to the very first strips. The illustrations are beautiful and the stories are very good.