Five Great Fantasy Novels for the Whole Family

Growing up, my parents did their best to make sure that we got to spend time together as a family. Movie nights were probably the most common, with the occasional board game night. While these times are important to me and shaped many a happy memory, the ones I remember the best are those in which we read together. 

Now, before I continue, it's important to understand that I don't mean that we read some short, little bedtime story before we drifted off to dreamland. Once a week our family would all gather in the living room. We’d have tea and possibly cookies, as our dad would read a few chapters to us. Both my sister and I were quite awake, riveted by tales of mystery and adventure!

While many a tale was told, to me the ones that always stuck out took place on other worlds; stories packed with magic and excitement, each page full to the brim with ideas; subtle reflections of our own world around us. These stories not only fueled my imagination, they also sparked a passion for genre writing that is very dear to me.

Reading with the family was a very special time for me and, as such, I hope others enjoy this experience as well. If you already do this with your family, or you would like a few recommendations to get started, you've stumbled across the right blog.

So, without further ado, here are five fabulous fantasy books for the whole family, in no particular order.  

Redwall

While this is a fantastic and full-blown series, the first book is simply titled Redwall. It's a story told from the perspective of anthropomorphic animals set during a time of medieval-level technologies and beliefs. The very talented Brian Jacques weaves the tale beautifully, writing in the specific speech patterns of his various characters (which may be a little hard on the person reading aloud). I will say the series is a little bloody from time to time but should be fine for those around age 7 or so. 

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

C.S. Lewis’ story may be a little dated, but even now it is most certainly relatable to both kids and adults. As with many tales of fantasy, this particular story pulls from various mythologies and beliefs, most notably the Christian religion. The characters are well put together and even the unearthly, supernatural Aslan is inspiring and understandable. It's a classic tale of good versus evil, and it's hard to go wrong. 

The Book of Three

Not only is this a great family book, it's one of my all time favorites! Inspired greatly by Welsh mythology, author Lloyd Alexander takes his readers on a tale of grand adventure, teaching all along the way what it means to be a real hero. With lovable and strong characters, this story has world building that will probably remind you of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, with a much more kid-friendly approach. 

A Wrinkle in Time

This is the third title I have listed that is older than I am but has stood the test of time. While some would say this book is much more in the vein of science fiction, I personally believe it is just as much fantasy. Madeleine L'Engle is a brilliant author who delves into a lot of political commentary, dealing with cold war topics relevant at the time of writing, in such a way as to be a wonderful read for adults while still entertaining children. As she looks at humanity through a strange, otherworldly lens, much of what L’Engle has to say still applies to our society even now,

The School for Good and Evil

The newest book on my list, this story is what happens when you mix some of the basic ideas in Harry Potter and the classic fairy tales we all grew up with into one beautiful concoction. Soman Chainani tells the story of two girls sent to the school of good and evil. One will learn to be a good villain in the school for evil, the other a princess in the school for good. But when the girls are seemingly sent to the wrong schools they both learn a lot about themselves. Ultimately this story teaches a lot about the beauty beneath one's own skin, turning many classic fairy tale tropes on their heads to help children see that what’s in our hearts is what matters most.