10 favourite books for my growing, traveling kids

My kids are turning 8 and 12 this year, and I can hardly believe that they are so grown up. They have been traveling since they were babies, teaching me a whole lot about air-travel, parenting, and both myself and themselves in the process. They both really love books and stories, and through the years we've gone through picture books, fairytales and all sorts of other tales. Here are 10 of their current literary favourites.


1. Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien
My daughter is absolutely in love with Tolkien's world already. She might end up a bigger Tolkien-geek than I am, though time will tell... This story works for younger kids, teens, and adults, and has truly become a modern classic.


2. His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman
This trilogy of fantasy books is probably better suited for kids age 11 and up (and I mean up to adult age!), and Pullman has really created a fantastic and very original world. Great for reading out loud, or by yourself.


3. Animorphs, by K.A. Applegate
This book series is a new discovery in our home, even though the books are several years old by now. A group of kids fight back against an alien invasion, and can morph into various animal shapes. There are apparently 54 books in all!


4. The girl who loved wild horses, by Paul Goble
This beautifully illustrated book tells a very original and captivating story about a young native American girl and her love of horses, and the horses that come to love her.


5. 125 True Stories of Amazing Animals, by National Geographic Kids
Non-fiction books are a big hit at our house currently, and this easy-to-read book is one of the favourites.


6. The Ice Dragon, by G.R.R. Martin
Written by the author of "A Song of Ice And Fire"-books (made famous on TV as "Game of Thrones"), this is a book for children, young adults and adults. It's beautifully told and illustrated and very evocative. It's not for the smallest children, but definitely a fantastic story.


7. My Noisy Body, by Liza Fromer
Another non-fiction hit at my house, this book teaches kids a lot of true, interesting and rather hilarious facts about the human body. A great read for kids who will get a chuckle out of it for sure.


8. The Dog Breed Bible, by D. Caroline Coile
We got a dog this year, and the kids love looking at pictures of and reading about dogs. My daughter has become very interested in learning about various dog breeds. This books has lots of great pictures, and even though the text isn't written for kids, it still works great if your children already have an interest in dogs. 



9. Adventure Time Vol 1, 2, 3, and so on, by Ryan North
The crazy world of Adventure Time has become one of my kids' favourite TV-shows, and these comic-books are also popular reading. Get ready for the awesome weirdness of the Land of Ooo!


10. Weird But True!, by National Geographic Kids
Easy to read amazing and weird facts about various creatures and phenomena in the world: perfect for new readers to read by themselves. Get ready to learn some of those weird facts as your child follows you around and reads them to you (this might have happened to me).