What To Buy Kids This Holiday Season
Following up on last week’s “What to Buy the Harry Potter Generation,” I thought I’d help out the younger readers this week, just in time for some last minute scrambling to the bookstores. Children can be difficult to buy books for, mostly because their interests seem to be so specific. The key, in my experience is to get something larger-than-life and imaginative, in order to break away from that rut of seeing books as “boring.” Without further ado, here are some of the best books you can get your kids into this holiday season.
The Harry Potter series (First Book: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)
This series pretty much has to be on the list of any kid who hasn’t read them. Its influence even created my last review, so you can imagine the impact it has on kids. Speaking from personal experience, many friends of mine probably wouldn’t be interested in reading if they hadn’t jumped into these books as a kid. Following the life of young famous wizard Harry Potter, the books detail his entanglement in a battle against Magic Hitler and document his life from age 11 to 17, allowing the protagonist to grow alongside the reader, to some extent. I won’t waste much more time on the plot, since you probably know it anyway. The series is filled with beloved characters, true lessons of morality and obligation, and sheer adventure. I’ve yet to meet a child that didn’t fall in love with the magical universe of Harry Potter.
The Artemis Fowl series (First Book: Artemis Fowl)
Coming in on the other end of the heroic spectrum is the Artemis Fowl series. This eight part series tells the tale of Artemis Fowl II, a 12-year-old criminal mastermind, as he constructs various heists to better his fortune. Young Artemis, as all good anti-heroes, grows along the way, and ultimately becomes an ally for the very people he targeted in the first place. While magical elements are definitely present in Artemis Fowl, the series takes a more techno-thriller approach to the whole storyline, making Artemis a sort of anti-Bruce Wayne at first. Artemis Fowl, as a result, is just a shade darker than the early Harry Potter books.
This series earns its place for a unique message that is often glossed over if ever addressed in other series: just because you screw up doesn’t mean you can’t be a hero. The action, technology, and fantasy is just plain cool, and has managed to hook a generation of kids to reading. What more could you ask for?
The Star Wars: Legends MEGAseries (First Recommended Book: Jedi Apprentice: The Rising Force, OR, Heir to the Empire)
Star Wars is an interesting series, based on the fact that there are dozens of books with no particular reading order. Since the Star Wars movies and games highlight thousands of years of history for the series, there is any number of places in the history that a book can occupy. My first recommendation, Jedi Apprentice: The Rising Force is specifically geared towards younger readers, and follows a 12-year-old Obi Wan Kenobi. Since the Jedi Order has a cutoff of 13-years-old for apprenticeship, Obi-Wan is in danger of being removed from the Order if he can’t find a master. At the same time, Master Qui Gon Jin is returning to the Jedi Temple after a long mission, meaning that Obi-Wan has one chance to secure his place as a Jedi. Jedi Apprentice highlights the Jedi side of Star Wars, playing up the search for a place to belong, and the struggle of isolation that Jedis face. Beyond that, it is a gripping action series that has a protagonist that is easy to identify with. It remains, in a sea of books, one of the best places for a kid to start reading.
On the Dark(er) Side, we have the Heir to the Empire, the first part of the Thrawn trilogy. Heir follows Grand Admiral Thrawn in the time following the Empire’s loss of the second Death Star. Thrawn is one of the Empire’s greatest war heroes, and takes it on himself to enlist the aid of a Dark Jedi in destroying the New Republic. At the same time, our favorite ragtag team of heroes are fighting deceit and shadow attacks by the Empire, which is seeking to destabilize the political climate of the New Republic. What follows is a classic Star Wars romp across the galaxy, full of space battles, lightsaber swinging, and smugglers’ tricks. While a bit darker than Apprentice, Heir is the perfect place to pick up the story if your child has seen the movies, and you can bet a fair amount of influence will be in the newest film. As a proper Star Wars sequel, you can expect the familiar themes of controlling your inner aggression, self-sacrifice, redemption, and courage. With all the Star Wars mania we will likely see for the next decade, it is the perfect time to jump on board.
Hopefully, this list will make shopping for kids just a little bit easier this holiday season. Two classics and a megaseries will give kids plenty to read, and many of the books will be perfectly enjoyable to read alongside your child. Quite frankly, there is a reason these series remain the ones to reach for years after their release; we simply haven’t seen another series compare in quality. As always, I’ll keep my eyes peeled for the next rising star series. Good luck to everyone, and I hope your kids have a blast with these books!
