THE HOBBIT by J.R.R. Tolkien

One evening in the late 1920s, J.R.R. Tolkien took a break from grading papers and wrote out on a stray sheet of paper a single sentence: "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." He wrote no more at the time, but that modest beginning resulted, almost a decade later, in the publication of The Hobbit, an endearing and enduring classic of fantasy literature. Despite my admiration for Tolkien, I hesitated before reading this book to my youngest son (then seven years old), fearing that the language might be too difficult for him to follow. Yet, despite a few challenging passages, we made it through, and my boy is a Tolkien lover for life.

THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES by Arthur Conan Doyle

One hundred years before the first Harry Potter novel, Sherlock Holmes inspired readers almost with the same fervor and devotion. When the author tried to kill off his celebrated detective, readers protested so vociferously that Holmes was brought back to life for additional tales. But don’t tackle the first Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet -- few youngsters will have patience for the long digressions in that work -- but go directly to The Hound of the Baskervilles, serialized in the Strand magazine to great acclaim in 1901 and 1902. Here Conan Doyle mixes in elements of suspense and adventure tales with his standard detective story devices. The result is a classic of genre literature that will still delight readers today.

ERAGON by Christopher Paolini

Why can’t a dragon be a cozy pet? Eragon turns the scaly nemesis of so many children’s tales into a warm-and-fuzzy advocate of righteousness and proper behavior. It is hard to believe that Christopher Paolini wrote this book while still a teenager. The prose at times is merely workmanlike, but the tale is vivid and communicated with passion. My youngest son had just turned seven when we read this book, yet he showed tremendous enthusiasm for all 544 pages, and was ready to tackle the sequel, Eldest, when we were finished.