Finding Your Way Around This Blog

Welcome to the World's Beyond : Science Fiction and Fantasy Series For Young Adults and Emergent Readers Blog!

If you love Harry Potter but just can't read those books yet you are in the right blog. The 5-8 list will help you find similar books that will get you reading.

If you love Harry Potter but wish you could read something maybe smaller or a little easier then go to the 8 Years and up tab for similar reading.

If you have finished reading the Harry Potter series and want to read more then use the Young Adult tab to find more great reading in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Fiction genre.

If you have read all these books and are still wanting more then click on the Report Tab and scroll to the end for two tabs, one has 82 of the best children's Fantasy Fiction titles going and the other has the top 25 Science Fiction titles for children.

Still want more? Then get set to do a search of your own on the WorldCat site as you also create the list of over 3000 Fantasy and Science Fiction titles available, some in ebook form, that have been written since the year 1874! Find out how to do this search by scrolling down the Report Tab to the heading. 

How to do the BIG WorldCat search for titles. It's the work of a life time to read them all.

Navigating within this blog.

This blog is designed for young people to help them get started reading Science Fiction and Fantasy Fiction. The tabs at the top point you to easy reading chapter books and as you move to the right the list gives you books that are harder to read.

The Extra Titles Tab is a list of the  rest of the titles in a series. So you can find the next book to read.

The Definition tab explains what kinds of books are presented in this blog and the difference between Science Fiction and Fantasy Fiction.

The Report Tab is a record of the work done to produce this blog. It is intended for adults to read and is contains links to websites that contained the information used to prepare information about each book title. It also acknowledges the work of other people that has been used and where the information for the material presented came from.

The Blog Archive gives you a short cut to individual titles.

The Labels list gives you subjects and keywords that are mentioned in the blog on the home tab.Click on this to find every post containing a book with that aspect in it.

The Home tab at the bottom of the page will always bring you back to the last post on the home page.

The Old Posts is where you will find the list of teaser grabs, one for each title so you can explore from there.

5-8 Tab

This tab takes you to a short list of chapter books which share the same elements of story that are in The Harry Potter series. If you have can not read the Harry Potter books then by reading the 5-8 books and others  you will develop your reading skills to be able to read harder books. If you then go and start reading books from the 8 years and up list you will then have the reading skills to be reading the Harry Potter series with no difficulty. The last tab for Young Adults are other books to read when you have finished the Harry Potter books and you would like to read more in the Science Fiction or Fantasy Fiction Genre.

8 Years and up Tab

This tab lists all the books presented which can be read by students who have a reading age from 8 years and up. You maybe an advanced reader for a six year old and be able to read these books.

Young Adults Tab

This tab gives you further information about the taster you found on the main blog. Use this information to search the WorldCat website to find the title in a library close to you.

Extra Titles Tab

This tab lists by series all the titles that you can read to follow up on the first title in the series presented on the main blog.

Definitions Tab

The definitions Tab explains what the genre Science Fiction and Fantasy Fiction are and gives you some other interesting facts and lists to look for more great fiction to read.

Report Tab

The report tab is a document of the resources and sources used to create this blog. Please note that the hyperlinks that start with http://web.ebscohost.com will not activate due to the password interface needed for the site. All other hyperlinks worked at the time of publication to the blog.

Catalogue Tab

This tab takes you directly to the Ryde Council Library homepage and the catalogue search box.

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents

Not the first book in this series but then you don't have to read the first book to understand The Discworld. This amazing world where even the Pied Piper has a scam going...what...wait...a scam! On the Discworld, surely not!

Oh, but yes. Another off-beat adventure with more strange talking animals and in this case there's a talking cat, intelligent rats and a strange boy who isn't in charge because the animals have their tame boy working the scam for them.

Terry Pratchett wrote a few Discworld titles that are suitable for Young Adults and if you like this then by all means go and read the first in the series, The Colour of Magic. If you are not sure of the whole fantasy genre then a really good title to get you into this genre is surely Guards! Guards which was voted by the panel of Jennifer Burns' First Tuesday Book Club TV series on the ABC as a must read fantasy book.

Alanna: the first adventure

A world which would have Alanna shipped off to a temple to learn all manner of womanly pastimes and home duties for her education so she can then go to court and be wedded off to some droll noble. Not for the heroine of this series. Alanna does a swift swap with her nearly identical twin as she swaps her future with that of her brother, he won't  be disguised as a girl for long because they also teach boys magic at the temple. For Alanna however the life of a sword wielding knight is life she craves. Doing heroic deeds for her king and riding off to thwart evil is the dream job for this gal.

She is well suited to the task if she can just keep her femininity hidden until after she is knighted.

This book keeps on appearing with new a better covers to appeal to a more modern girl. This cover reminds me of another Tamora Pearce novel,Terrier also a great read.

The White Mountain

The alien have come, they have conquered and every teenager who reaches the age of 14 years undergoes the 'capping' ceremony so their lives will be filled with conformity and Will is one such teenager looking forward to life in the adult world where all your cares are taken from you and then he meets Ozymandias and his life changes forever.

He and his cousin along with a French boy John-Paul are now on a new journey, the journey to expel the Tripods from our world. A journey to find themselves and to reach the resistance fighters and join them before the tripods capture and enslave them.

This classic trilogy acquired a fourth book sometime back that explained the coming of the Tripods. All four a well worth the read for any young adult.

Here is a link to a short biography about John Christopher on Amazon books.

John Christopher

Wrinkle in time

Meg's father has disappeared and now a strange woman with the unlikely name of Mrs. Whatsit has come to give Meg's mother the news that her research physicist husband has disappeared into something he seems to have conjured up himself, the Tesseract. Mrs. Whatsit is accompanied by Mrs. Which and Mrs. Who. Could they be like the secret service Men in Black? What has Meg's father been doing for his government's secret business.

I mean Meg has heard that he is busy but he has left her life in a mess. Her brother, Charles, is some sort of savant, he didn't start to speak until he was four but you wouldn't know that because he rarely speak to anyone outside of his family.

Then Meg, her brother and their gorgeous neighbour Calvin all get swept into a fantastic rescue mission that will having them planet hopping just in front of The Black Thing, a dark force to be avoided at all cost.

A timeless classic work of science fiction which should be enjoyed by a new generation of readers.This book has been adapted into a new graphic novel, film, audio book, play and even an opera.

Ranger's Apprentice: the Ruins of Gorlan

It's time to grow up and do grown up things but prowling around at night and breaking into your lord's office can get you into all sorts of trouble. Will is tempted beyond all proportion and that small step leads him to the biggest adventure of his young life.

Award winning Australian author John Flanagan's original novel, the one read that will set you stalking the dark recesses of the fantasy section in your library again and again as you follow Will at the start of the Ranger's Apprentice series again. Just how long should you leave this book alone before you read it again? I don't know.

I keep reading it and returning it to the to be read pile and I'll enjoy it just as much.

Dragonsong

Menolly is feeling like a stranger in her own hall. Her parents just don't understand her love of music they want her to be like other girls and cut bait, gut fish and tend to her chores. When her mentor dies she has no excuse but to do what her parents want. Which is no life that she wants.

Anne McCaffrey was commissioned to write these books for girls and she did a brilliant job.

Reading these books is a joy and a leap frog into more books from this series and from a great writer.

The Wizard of Oz

THE CLASSIC FANTASY
The original books from L. Frank Baum about Dorothy and her dog Toto and their adventures in the Land of Oz. Made into many films and used as the inspiration for many more. This is the original story that started the whole series off. This book has been reprinted many times.

Here is a link to a dedicated site all about this book and the rest of the series


The Wonderful Wiki of Oz

Fablehaven

Have you ever been told not to do something? Have you ever had that magnetic attraction to be naughty? Why do we touch , 'Wet Paint' signs? It's obvious we shouldn't but we can't resist.

Seth and Kendra fall into adventure after their Mum drops them off at their Grandparent's estate and they find out what their gradfather has been hiding from them. He's just a bit reluctant to tell them that their Grandmother has disappeared as well. He's also not forward in tell them about the magical creatures that live in the back yard.

Kendra has her hands full with a brother who is as stupid as a stump as well. Seth gets everyone into trouble after repeatedly ignoring the most obvious warnings. That's brothers for you, what can you do but rescue him.

Lily Quench and the Dragon of Ashby

Lily has a family tradition to uphold as the latest Quencher! What's a quencher you ask? That is a person who has a job putting out the fires of a dragon and there is still one dragon that is making life unsettled for the good folk of Ashby. When the dragon strikes it is up to Lilly to kill it! Oh and there is another small but growing irritation in Lily's life and that is the evil Black Count. He wants to conquer Ashby which shouldn't be too hard as well, there isn't really any wall around to keep him out, not even a small fence.

So there you have it, caught between a big huge dragon and an evil Black Count. Lily is having a bad year but she is a quencher and that is the life she has been brought up to expect.

The Whispering Mountain

Don't you hate it when you are dragged into an evil tyrants plot to rule the world? Evil is always out to steal something, they can never rest. This time Owen Hughes is on a journey to find and restore a lost treasure with some rather unusual friends to help him. This is no short story, so you can really get away from your worries with this great read.

Goodknyght

How low can you go being a Swineherd, a pig-keeper and not even an Assistant Pigkeeper! Your boss has a lower lifestyle that your pigs and now he's off to Knyghtschool and you have to go and be is kicking boy. Can life turn around for Will? Can he get lucky and break away from the path life as set down for him. Will another door open for Will?

This is a fantastic read, a great book for those who like a bit of humor in their stories but who like some good detail. Read on I say and if you really need to this book is also available as an audio book.

Half Magic

Four cousins are all set to have their holidays together when Jane, the eldest, finds a magic penny that grants half a wish. Can they work together to make their wishes come true? Their summer has just become extraordinary! This is a classic that kids have loved for years.

The Merchant of Death

Just the cover alone is enough to drag me into this book. I love a good story and this sounds promising. Not your Earthly story, this book is right away from our mundane world and somewhere else entirely but is the hero of this tale, Bobby Pendragon up to the task of rescuing Denduron and Earth? Bobby has his work cut out for him.

This book can also be accessed as an ebook so you can start reading it on your reader at home from  ebook3000.com.

Dinosaurs Before Dark

Where did the tree house come from? A random wish and Jack and Annie are hurled back into the time of the dinosaurs where they are threatened by a ferocious T-Rex! Staying after sunset is not an option, the place is just way too scary but how can the children get back home?

The Magician's Nephew

This is the story of the creation of a world and the journey of two children, Diggory and Polly. Their mission is to return a witch to her world but in doing so things go horribly wrong and they find themselves in a new word where they witness Aslan the Lion blessing the animals with the power of speech. This book is delicious, it is well written and a timeless classic that has been adapted into a couple of series for BBC TV and a major motion picture series that started with the next book in the series, the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. There are picture books as well but get stuck into the novels and you will be enchanted to keep turning the pages. Buy the boxed set so you can just keep reading.

The Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson is a boy with ADD and Dyslexia and a few other problems. His Dad is a big problem because he left Percy and his Mum, his best friend is confined to a wheelchair and Percy has just been expelled from his sixth school. If you think is can get any worse you are wrong. Percy is SOOOO  not having a good day!

This book mixes  mythology and the modern day and leaves you wanting more which happily exists in this series.

This book was also made into a movie of the same title.

Midnight for Charlie Bone

Charlie Bone is a regular boy until he starts hearing people in pictures. When his horrible aunt finds out and he is sent to Bloor's Academy things really start spiralling down hill for our hero. Like Harry Potter in his first stand off with Draco Malfoy, Charlie takes a stand and he won't be bullied into evil either. A hero we can all relate to, he's just a boy who loves his Mum and who has lost his father. Well he has, hasn't he? That is what he has always been told.

Charlie makes new friends at school but he remains loyal to his old friend as well and together they save a fair damsel.

This book is by Jenny Nimo who has written picture books and other novels for children and young adults including the Snow Spider Trilogy.
Get acquainted with all her works through her website.
Jenny Nimmo's Website.


Jenny Nimmo has also authored a series, The Legends of Wales, which is about the legends of Welsh folklore.

On this blog there is another series also loosely based on Welsh Folklore, the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander. It is the second posted title on this blog and also well worth a read.Click on the Prydain label for all books based on Welsh Folklore.

The Invasion

Don't we all wish we had a first encounter with new aliens? Have you ever wished to be an animal. By combining the two you would be an animorph. Saving the world could be your next preoccupation. Can they keep going? Can they stay free to act?

The Animorphs are not your typical teenagers and they have this awesome power to transform into any animal they have ever touched. What animal would you like to change into?

This lengthy series has been adapted as a TV Series and this link takes you to the Animorphs homepage at www.scholastic.com.

Animorphs' Homepage

The Forests of Silence

An epic quest begins from the simplest origins. A man tries to save his culture for a dark force which wants to take over by hiding the treasure of the kingdom to wait for the hero as yet unborn.

Lief is that hero! Is he strong enough, clever enough and up for the challenge? With his two companions Jasmine and Barda he will face life altering challenges and if he can conquer himself,  he may just beat evil and win his land and life back.

For those aged 8+

New Girl

Adelaide Banks has gone to live on a new planet with her family and she has become a Space Agent. She and her room mate are off to investigate why Planet Polare's ice is melting. She makes an amazing discovery and the whole story isn't just about the frozen wasteland of Polare. There are other factors involved and Adelaide will have to think quickly and act smart if she hopes to pull through.

Over Sea, Under Stone.

The Dark is Rising sequence of books gave rise to a film with the same name but not the intricate plot and definitely not all the details. The book is so much better, a feast compared to a poor man's supper.

Do you like a big book? This whole series is available in one omnibus edition.

Do you like King Arthur? This book has its origins in the Arthurian Legend. There is a map to follow if only they could interpret it. There's treasure and there is evil lurking for Will Stanton and his three brothers and sisters. Time is rushing headlong to a new era. Will that be an era in the light or a dark period. Could this be a true story? It all seems so real, this is definitely fantasy fiction isn't it?

Find out by reading this yourself.

The Book of Three

Do you dream of adventure, glory and riches? Taran does but he is stuck looking after a pig. Sure she's cute, white, able to tell the future and Hew Wen's a good pig but she is still a pig and looking after her is hardly a big deal, is it? For Taran, life seems all laid out until the day Hen Wen does a runner and plunges him into an adventure that will forever change his life.

This is a classic fantasy adventure novel for kids. You will be changed forever as I was when I read it. Then I read it to a class of kids and they started babbling on about crunchings and munchings for recess and lunch. The principal tried to stop them but he liked being called great lord. The reading never stopped and the kids went on to the next four books to futher fuel their fun.

Be warned once you start this book you will be drawn into the world of Prydain and that is just the beginning.

Here's what others are saying about this book and this series.
Prydain Chronicles Review

The Field Guide

There's something lurking at Granma's house when Jared, Simon and their sister Mallory move in. There's so much to explore and that dear readers is never a good idea particularly when the children find a secret library. Don't you love secret libraries? Each book is one big secret until it is read.

This book was made into a movie, you might track down the title in your local video store and then get right into the action in all the other books in this series.

Then enjoy even more fun as you catch up on some fun activities based on this book or even look into the other books in this series. Just follow this link.

Spiderwick Chronicles Homepage

Chocolate Dreams

Spring arrives in the Candy Kingdom and Cocoa the chocolate fairy is put in charge of the chocolate eggs. Disaster strikes when the eggs are stolen can Cocoa outsmart the thief?

What a great little book to get you started into reading fantasy books. This book has really sweet pictures and how great is any book about chocolate. It makes me hungry to read it.

5-8 years list

Check out the list for young readers who would like to read the Harry Potter series but it is just slow going and hard. Well here is your list and remember that this is just a list of the first book in each recommended series. Check out the Extra Titles tab for a complete list of books in the series you are interested in.