The Underland Chronicles, by Suzanne Collins, is a series of five books written for older children (but adults will enjoy them also). It starts with Gregor the Overlander, "…a kid from New York City, who falls out of his laundry room into a fantastical subterranean world called the Underland. Accompanied by his toddler sister, Boots, he encounters giant talking creatures-- cockroaches, bats, spiders and rats--and an unusual society of humans. And they’re all expecting him...(Scholastic Press, 2003)"
I came across this series while searching for more books for my son to read. He just finished The Lightening Thief (Percy Jackson), so I went to author Rick Riordan's website to see if he had any recommendations.
I gobbled this series up, as did my then nine- or ten-year-old. (If I'm not familiar with a book, I like to read through it before my kids do.) It has action and adventure, themes of compassion and loyalty, and life-size talking rodents and insects (great for boys!). It also introduces the uninformed about what a prophecy is in a kid-friendly way. This is a great way to parallel how prophecies in the Bible are understood and is a great conversation starter. Advancing toward the last book in the series, Gregor matures in the way that only experiencing pain and suffering can bring.
This series is great for older kids (like eight to ten) or preadolescents, depending on reading comprehension. Child readiness would also depend on how prepared they are for subjects like illness, injury and death. Like I said earlier, adults will also enjoy this as the series is a quick and easy read.
Read this if you like: Harry Potter series, Lord of the Rings trilogy, Chronicles of Narnia.
