The Author Kimberly Derting (@kimberlyderting) posted on behalf of several young adult authors a video of everyone singing winter wonderland to wish everyone merry Christmas. I love the idea every author had their name and the book they wrote.

“Video: Happy Holidays from YA authors. (Hard to believe we decided to write instead of sing, isn’t it???) tmblr.co/ZQEXexDdF7L3”

At this time of year everyone seems to be doing wish lists or top choices.  My eleven year old son and I chatted in the car about what books he would recommend to another child his age.

We agreed on two.  As this is a Vampirates fan site we tried looking at other series of books. They had to be the first in a series of books, as if the first book is enjoyed there is more in the series to enjoy.  Also fast paced and acceptable for boys and girls as then it is not written with just one type of person in mind and did not get bogged down in a certain scene.  We also ignored the ones about to be turned into a film.


H.I.V.E. (Higher Institute of Villainous Education) Series by Mark Walden (www.markwalden.net)
There are at present seven books in this series and another due out next year.

As the title indicates it follows a small group of friends who start a new school together.  Although this is no ordinary school this is the Higher Institute of Villainous Education.  They are meant to be learning how to be villains but they seem to be much better at being loyal and protecting what they believe is important in the school.  Which does include practicing what they have learnt in their lessons on anyone in their way.

My son particularly likes one character that develops as the series progresses.  My son loves computers and so I should not be surprised with his affinity to this one character.  But without his friends around him, he would not be able to get up to the high jinks he does.


The Demon Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (@sarahreesbrenna).
There are a total of three books in this series and there does not look like any more being added.

This book starts how it means to go on, Alan and Nick defending themselves (and mother upstairs) against a magician (using a demon) breaking into their house.  Add in a sister and brother needing help and enjoy the ride into their England.

We both enjoy books where one of the lead characters can use a sword and defend himself against anyone attacking him, and Nick has an affinity with knives, actually any blade he can use to protect those around him. The series of books starts in Devon and they visit several other places around England, so I also enjoyed following their progress around England in my head.


Our other favourite choices and why they did not make the top two.


Bear Grylls (@BearGrylls)
This is a must for any child who is a scout (As he is the World Chef Scout) or into Bear Grylls series on television.  But I am not sure how the indoor types would enjoy a survival adventure story.  We read the second where a plane came down in Alaska.

As we were living somewhere where the kids were still expected to play outside at breaks up to -25C at the time, it was just reaffirming what we were learning from the locals, so particularly enjoyable reading a fast paced book where we could understand why the characters reacted the why they did.


The film How to Train Your Dragon was so vaguely based on the books by Cressida Cowell that I believe the books should be read whether anyone has seen the film or not.  The only things the same seemed to be the title and the main names.  After that the film went it's own way.  The books are good for the younger audience as there are illustrations all the way through.


The Percy Jackson series have also been made into a film.  But as a family we really enjoyed reading the books by Rick Riordan at bedtime.


Books by Anthony Horowitz (@AnthonyHorowitz)
There is news that another short Alex Ryder story may be coming out for world book day in march.  Which is wonderful as the teenage spy's books have come to a natural end.  The first book was vaguely turned into a film called stormbreaker.

Anthony Horowitz has also written the Diamond Brothers series of books which we really enjoyed.  Where two brothers solve crimes through their detective agency.  They never seem to have much idea of money and the younger one does have more idea on how to solve the messes they get into.


The books being read by my son's friends at the moment are Skulduggery Pleasant and the Hunger Games.  Skulduggery Pleasant is getting darker as the series progresses (like Harry Potter did).  For the Hunger Games here is a lego trailer ow.ly/83VUK to give you some idea of the story time for the first book.


For those girls into Twilight here are a couple of series to try, complete with the obligatory love triangle.

Cassandra Clare (@cassieclare) writes two series in parallel.  The one I prefer at the moment is the infernal devices series starting with Clockwork Angel based in Victorian London where the Shadowhunters/Nephilim defend the world from demons and police the downworlders (warlocks, werwolves, vampires and faerys) and of course themselves from being seen by the mundanes.

The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa (@Jkagawa) starts with the Iron King.  It contains the characters contained in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream and brings there escapades up to date with the advent of us now dreaming about technology.


I do hope you enjoy reading in the following year as much as we did during this one.