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| image via Barnes and Noble |
I LOVE reading books to my kids. It’s one thing that we all enjoy doing together. Hands down, our favorite series has been the Underland Chronicles aka Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. It was fantastic. My sons were 5,7, and 9 at the time, and it engaged everyone…including neighbor kids that would wander in and out during our reading time, and my husband who didn’t want us to read without him. I think girls would think it was pretty great too (I did!). The ideal age group would probably be 7-15, but it works for those younger and older.
If you are planning a big drive, this is the series to read to the group or listen to on CD. You will all love it. We talked a lot about judging others, love, loyalty, war, consequences, sacrifice, and honesty while we were reading. One warning…as the books go on in the series there is a decent amount of violence (fantastical but still violence), especially in books 4 and 5; decide if your clan is ready for it.
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Frequently Asked Questions: The Underland Chronicles
What ages are The Underland Chronicles right for?
The ideal range is about seven to fifteen, though it works for children younger and older. My sons were five, seven and nine when we read it aloud and it held all three of them — along with the neighbourhood children who kept turning up, and my husband, who did not want us reading without him.
Is it only for boys?
Not at all. I loved it myself, and I think girls would find it pretty great too. The series is often shelved as a boys’ read because the protagonist is a boy, but the story is about loyalty, sacrifice and judgement rather than about anything gendered. Do not let the framing put you off.
How violent does it get?
There is a decent amount of violence as the series progresses — fantastical, but still violence — and it is most pronounced in books four and five. It is worth deciding whether your family is ready for that before you begin, because once you are three books in nobody will want to stop.
Is it good for a road trip?
It is the series I recommend for exactly that. If you are planning a big drive, it works beautifully read aloud to the whole car or listened to together. It also generated real conversation for us — about judging others, loyalty, war, consequences and honesty — which makes the miles go faster.
