Another series that introduced me to the realm of fantasy, where a young boy (or girl) can rise from humble beginnings to become something so much more. Magic, battle, good versus evil, friendship ... it has it all.

A fantasy tale where the reader gets sucked into the book he is reading - literally! If you only saw the movie, there is so much more that the book offers. Great edition of this classic tale.

A Wrinkle in Time is a time travel/alternate reality tale that captivated me as much as it boggled my young mind. I was the better for reading it though, and enjoyed Madeleine L'Engle's other works as well.

Epic fantasy in a sci-fi setting. Another great example of the hero's journey and an inspiration to millions. The original 3 stories (episodes) are still the best. If you can find the orginal radio drama, it is a rare treat. More in-depth than the movies.

All of Farley's books in the series are excellent. There was a time in my life when I wanted to be a horse.

The original swashbuckling tale. This one made me want to be a pirate!

I read this ghost story/mystery when I was in 4th or 5th grade. It made quite an impression on me and I never forgot it. Well, I almost did, but was inspired recently to track it down so that my son and daughter could read it with hopefully the same thrills that I experienced.

What is it about stories from the animals' perspective that speaks so much to the young? A great adventure tale of the dog Buck who is transformed by the life in the wild, great white north. Also read White Fang by Jack London.

For fans of fantasy and role-playing like the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons, this sweeping series is hard to beat. Packed with memorable characters that face difficult decisions that the reader grows with throughout the stories.

I can list the Belgariad without also mentioned the great Magician novels of Feist's Riftwar Saga. Again, it is the detail characters that really make this come to life. Tolkienesque, but very much it's own creation. Awsome magics, existence threatening evil and two fully realized worlds round things out. Be sure to get Magician: Master as the first book ends with a cliffhanger.

It is hard to have all this other fantasy and magic without a core of mythology to build upon. The Greek myths were my first "fantasy" stories and things snowballed from there. By 5th grade I was reading any mythology I could get my hands on, from Norse to Native American.