Posted somewhere else but I'll try here too:
Does anyone know any book series, preferably fantasy, that centers around either tweens or young teenagers?
I would prefer fantasy really or stories with a fantasy element. I've read some scifi but it tends to depress me for some reason.
Don't get me wrong, I loved reading The Forever War and the Black Library stories by Dan Abnett and McGraham are a guilty pleasure but obviously I don't want that here.
I'm NOT looking for high literature or anything that's nesisarily extremely good.
I'll be honest: As a reader I'm kind of like someone who consumes junkfood, I've read stuff like The Brothers Karamazov (great book!)but in the end I like escapist stuff that either makes me feel good or appeals to my senses. I've heard intellectuals say you shouldn't read for fun..well I read for fun, sorry if that makes me just as bad as kids who read Twilight.
I'd prefer if people didn't recommend Animorphs but if the books are really great or something I'll consider them. I'm no stranger to stuff I normally wouldn't admit to reading an "adult" (I love the Redwall books).
Preferred age would be 10-14, maybe teens but not into the college ages.
I'm very open to suggestions, I do not mind "trashy" romances but I've already read Lolita and again that's not fantasy.
My prime example of the kind of fantasy book I dig would have to be Philip Pullman's Northern Light's Trilogy also known as His Dark Materials. Lyra is precious and the story ends with her around 13-14. She's perfect to me, she's adventorous and curious yet the way she's described sounds so adorable and attractive.
The end of the last book and the build up of her romance with the boy really moved my heart and I'm pretty damn cold. I cried when I finished reading, at 2 am.
FUCK the movie. I refuse to watch it, I did once I heard they were casting Nicole Kidman as Miss Coultier, the evil, beautiful "brunette" mother. Right. Also heard they took out most of the religious stuff. I don't want to see how the characters look in the movie because I have my perfect images of them in my head.
That series to me is the kind of thing I would love to read but I've accepted there's probably not much else around like it.
I read the bridge to terabithia in the 5th grade, which was kind of a bad time for me in my life so my memory of the book is kind of tainted. If its really good I might try picking it up again.
Something I'd like to re-state though: there needs to be elements involved with either girls and boys or just girls. I don't want to read a story with just young boys. I've read some good books as a kid that did the latter (like The Giver) but I don't want that.
Part of the reason I ask this is because I've gone back to writing again and want some inspiration. I'm not trying to write high prose but just stories about kids interacting in fantasy worlds or maybe realer scenarios later on. Mostly for my own pleasure.
Thank you for any help.