'Eragon' leads way for gifts

December 12, 2006 12:50 am

'Eragon' is about to roar into theaters. Pick up the book, too.

CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI'S debut fantasy novel, "Eragon," was a runaway bestseller, pitting a young boy and his dragon, Saphira, against an ever-shifting mix of elves, humans, dwarves and an evil king. The long-awaited film version opens this weekend, and teens and their younger siblings will undoubtedly be lined up around the block to see it.

If an "Eragon" fan is on your holiday shopping list, you have a wealth of terrific fantasies to choose from. You'll want to make sure that your young reader owns "Eldest," the sequel to "Eragon." Then take a look at some of the classic fantasies that obviously inspired Paolini, who was only 17 when the first book was published.

Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings," the ultimate quest fantasy, is perfect for teens and motivated younger readers, while Anne McCaffrey's "Dragonriders of Pern" series about telepathic dragons and humans is recommended for readers who are especially drawn to the bond between Eragon and Saphira.

Patricia Wrede has fun with the world of dragons in "Dealing With Dragons," the first entry in her "Enchanted Forest Chronicles." Cimorene is a tomboyish princess who finds castle life boring, so she runs off to live with the dragon Kazul instead of being captured by one, as is common in her country. In between turning away princes who try to rescue her from Kazul, Cimorene discovers a wizardly plot against the dragons, and of course she plays a central role in foiling their dark schemes.

Readers in the 10 to 14 age range will enjoy this book and its three sequels, available in paperback, hardcover and audio.

Matthew Skelton's "Endymion Spring" is set at St. James College, Oxford, where Blake is living when he discovers a strange book that reaches out from the library shelf and bites him on the hand. The ancient, crumbling book appears to be wordless, but when Blake opens it a few mysterious words swim into view. The book is linked to printer Johannes Gutenberg, and Skelton takes us back to 15th-century Germany to discover its origins. Skelton weaves together stories and characters from both time periods in a book that includes heart-stopping action, a cast of odd Oxford dons, and an ending that satisfies but still leaves room for a sequel.

Readers who like their fantasy interlaced with laugh-out-loud humor are eagerly devouring Terry Pratchett's "Wintersmith," the third in his series about aspiring witch Tiffany Aching. Tiffany has interrupted the Dance of the Seasons, and now the spirit of Winter is courting her, bringing an over-abundance of ice and snow to the country. Tiffany herself is taking on some of the attributes of Summer, including "fertile feet" that cause plants to spring up in her footsteps.

The Nac Mac Feegles, the self-styled "wee free men" who protect Tiffany, have their work cut out for them. Tiny Scotsmen dressed in kilts, with bright red hair and a propensity for fighting, drinking and protecting Tiffany--the "big wee hag" as they fondly call her--the Feegles enliven an already lively narrative, crying "Waily, waily, waily" when things go wrong--and they often do before everything is sorted out.

For an inside look at how fantasy writers like Pratchett work their magic, Leonard Marcus's "The Wand in the Word" offers fascinating interviews with Philip Pullman, Garth Nix, Ursula Le Guin and many others. Pair this with a favorite fantasy book for a great holiday gift for young teens.

You can phone CAROLINE PARR, coordinator of children's services for Central Rappahannock Regional Library, at 540/372-1160 or e-mail her at
Email: cparr@crrl.org.