Passing on the Torch

One of the joys of parenthood is passing on your bad habits to your kids and I have been hopeing that I can pass on my love of Sci-Fi and Fantasy literature to my 12 year old step daughter.  This has been a struggle (personally, I blame Jacqueline Wilson novels) but my heart skipped a beat when she brought home her Key Stage 3 reading list from school.  Here are some of the titles:

The Hobbit

Plague 99

The Mortal Engines

The Wind Singer

The Crysalids

The Hunger Games

Classic 20th Century Fiction:

• The Hobbit (JRR Tolkien) - Despite her reticence to read my dogeared and yellowed 1973 copy which was handed down from Father to Son many moons ago (the book is one year younger than I am).  By the time you read this we will be over half way through and I think she's secretly enjoying it (but trying not to show it).  Of course I couldn't help myself but to put on a good Andy Serkis voice whilst reading the part of Gollum.

Science Fiction and Fantasy

• Plague 99 (Jean Ure) - I know absolutely nothing about this book and am quite worried that other books by her have titles like "Girlfriends: Pink Knicker's aren't Cool" or "Frankie Foster Freaks Out!"
  
  
• The Mortal Engines Quartet (Phillip Reeve) - I've been waiting for a good excuse to read these.  I've been lusting after the Dystopian Wars miniatures from Spartan Games which appear to be inspired by them.
  
  
• The Windsinger (William Nicholson) - From what I can glean from the internet this looks like a run of the mill fantasy trilogy.  We may have to pass on this as I'd really like to get her opinion on Trudi Canavan's Black Magician Trilogy.
  
  
• The Chrysalids (John Wyndham) - Can't wait to read this with her.  She really enjoyed the BBC2 version of The Day of the Triffids.
   
  
• Harry Potter (Series) - J K Rowling - She's expressed a strong dislike of Mr Potter, so we're going to have to skip these (which I'm rather glad about as I think they're purile derivative nonsense as well).
  
  
• The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins) - I know nothing aboout this book other than that it is being made into a movie slated for a 2012 release starring Jennifer Lawrence (who played Mystique in X-Men First Class).  It's IMDB summary is "A young girl volunteers to take her sister's place in a fight to the death in a dystopian future" so sounds promising then.
  
  
• I am Number Four (Pittacus Lore) - We really enjoyed the movie and I suspect that the book is a lot better.

Oh and the rest of the books on the list are:

Pre 20th Century Fiction

• What Katy Did (Susan Coolidge)
• Heidi (Johanna Spyri) - I used to love watching this on TV as a kid.
• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Lewis Caroll)
• Black Beauty (Anna Sewell)
• Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
• Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
• Oliver Twist (Charles Dickens)

Classic 20th Century Fiction

• Lord of the Flies (William Golding) - This is a must read.
• Ballet Shoes (Noel Streatfield)
• The Secret Garden (Frances Hodges Burnett)
• Peter Pan (JM Barrie)
• Anne of Green Gables (LM Montgomery)
• The Little House on the Prairie (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
• The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (CS Lewis)
• The Railway Children (E Nesbit)

Modern Fiction

• A Series of Unfortunate Events (Lemony Snicket)
• Girl Missing (Sophie Mckenzie)
• The Princess Diaries (Meg Cabot) - Got to read this.
• Noughts and Crosses (Malorie Blackman)
• Refugee Boy (Benjamin Zephaniah)
• Step by Wicked Step (Anne FIne)
• Saffy's Angel (Hilary McKay)
• Lola Rose (Jacqueline Wilson)
• Feeling Sorry for Celia (Jacyln Moriarty)
• The Exiles (Hilary McKay)

Biography/Autobiography

• Diary of Anne Frank (Anne Frank)
• When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (Judith Kerr)
• Chinese Cindarella (Adeline Yen Mah)
• My Family and Other Animals (Gerald Durrell)
• All Creatures Great and Small (James Herriot)