Books for under 18s for over 18s..

[MsTattersall]

I got a tremendous hoot out of the "Artemis Fowl" series by Eoin 
Colfer. There's a new one out now, or is about to be soon. The humor 
reminds me of the best Disney animations that are geared toward kids 
but include subtle gags that only the adults get, so that it's an 
enjoyable experience for all ages. The stories aren't driven so much 
by the title character, who is an evil teenage genius, as it is by 
the fantasy characters, especially an elfish police detective named 
Holly Short and her organization, LEPRecon (Lower Elements Patrol 
Reconnaisance). It's like the "Dragnet" detectives working in the 
fairy world. 

I'm not giving up on the HP series, even if it is turning darker and 
less small-child-friendly. I don't think it was ever intended for 
children younger than "Young Adult," which technically is about age 8 
through secondary school. Certainly it is no darker or scarier than a 
lot of the old-school fairy tales those of my generation grew up on.
 
Ms. Tattersall,
who will not inflict OotP on the 7-year-old grandchild, not because 
it's too scary, but because it's too long and slow.

> > [Sabrina asked]:
> > My inquiry to you all is....was anyone (over 18) reluctant about 
reading
> > what is known as a "childrens" book?
> > Sabrina
> 
> 
> Hi there! I was very self conscious about buyingn the first HP 
initially, and 
> thought I was taking a big step backwards - but then I 
figured "What's the 
> problem, it's only escapism anyway!". I found the HP series went 
from being 
> very much a 'younger' book to far too far the other way and became 
a 
> thoroughly joyless experience, which is how I stumbled across my 
absolute 
> favourite book, The Odessa Stone. The first thing I saw in that was 
a couple 
> of pages of child-like drawings, and thought I'd chosen the wrong 
kind of 
> book, but I liked the idea of it and gave it a go. Even as an 
adult, it helped me 
> deal with losing my mother when I was 11, because the lead 
character deals 
> with the same issue in so many similar ways to me. It was the most 
involving 
> and enjoyable escape for me, and I cried, laughed (it is genuinely 
funny!) and 
> I loved the characters - especially Avalon, a fairy who I'm 
convinced is always 
> around somewhere! I hope that last part didn't sound mad. If you 
read it, 
> you'll know what I mean. It also allowed me to rediscover ABBA, 
which can 
> only be a good thing. These days books for kids aren't always 
written for kids 
> and some books get the balance so right. I just wish I'd known 
about it earlier.
> 
> Sandra (and Avalon!)