Favorite books by Tolkien aside from LOTR?

[Kfamily]

My dd is already loving the LOTR series by Tolkien. She is interested in more of his books. I would love to pick up a couple for Christmas for her. Does anyone have any favorites that I might consider? She is reading/learning the "elvish" language online. I might like a book for that too, if that exists!:lol:

 

Thanks!

[redsquirrel]

My husband liked something called.. The Silmarilion or something like that. I think it is the history of middle earth? I am not sure. I am not a Tolkien fan myself so I haven't really engaged.

 

There are a bunch of books attributed to JRR tolkien and his son. I think those are books that his son made by compiling unfinished or unedited writings.

 

There is also a Gowan and the Green Knight retelling by Tolkien.

[Kfamily]

Thanks Redsquirrel, I have been considering The Silmarillion, but had heard from another homeschooling mom that it is a heavy read. Hmmm, not sure...

 

Does anyone like this one?

http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Middle-Earth-Revised-Karen-Fonstad/dp/0618126996/ref=pd_sim_b_6#_

 

or this one?

 

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Middle-Earth-Robert-Foster/dp/0345449762/ref=pd_sim_b_1

Edited November 23, 2010 by Kfamily

[Guest]

I got The Silmarillion as an audiobook for dd for Christmas. I also bought Tales From the Perilous Realm, which is a collection of shorter stories.

 

The Magical Worlds of The Lord of the Rings by David Colbert is an easy read going into some of the history and biography behind the books. Dd has also read several books about the making of the movies.

 

Dd has also spent an enormous amount of time reading Tolkien fan fiction online. There are continuations, back stories, and spoofs, hundreds and hundreds of them. Dd adored them and has been writing her own spoofs modeled on some of her favorites. If you are interested, I'll ask her what website she was using; it seemed to be quite "clean" and appropriate for a young teen.

[Kfamily]

Yes, thank you KarenAnne, I think she would really like the website.

 

I'll look at Tales From the Perilous Realm and the book by David Colbert too. ETA: I just looked at these and they look great!!

 

Thanks!:001_smile:

Edited November 23, 2010 by Kfamily

[JudoMom]

My ds10 (an avid, obsessed Tolkien fan) is reading the Simi-whatever (he didn't get his appreciation for fantasy from me :001_huh:). I believe I'm getting him this for Christmas. He got this Visual Companion last year and LOVES it.

[Kfamily]

Oh wow, these look great too. I will get some double duty for these since my younger dd is really into Tolkien right now too.

 

Thanks JudoMom!

 

If fact, maybe I will get one or two big ones for my older dd and surprise my younger dd with something for her too.

[Kfamily]

Any suggestions for Tolkien's elvish language...I looked at Amazon, but of the ones I thought might work they received poor reviews...hmmm?

[Hedgehog]

We have The Silmarilion and it is a bit heavy going. Even DH, who is well into fantasy, ground to a halt with it. The Hobbit is obviously a good one.. DD11 wants to read it so that's probably going to be her Christmas present.. I actually can't understand why DH doesn't have a copy of it already!

[Kfamily]

Thanks! Yes, I've heard that The Silmirillion is heavy too. I think I will wait on that one. She did read The Hobbit already.

[Michele B]

The Silmarillion is fantastic! That said, it took me (as an adult) several reads to keep straight all the names! :001_smile:

 

What about Farmer Giles of Ham?

http://www.amazon.com/Smith-Wootton-Major-Farmer-Giles/dp/0345336062/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1290551982&sr=1-2

[Kfamily]

Thanks Michele, this looks good too!

[Guest]

The fan fiction site is http://www.fanfiction.net

 

Dd says that the stories are sorted by book (go to Lord of the Rings); they're also rated and there's an explanation of the ratings, so you can figure out which section is a good place to turn your child loose.

 

Dd particular recommends the story "Leave It to Beavers" by Aristor on the Lord of the Rings section (if your child enjoys spoofs).

[King Alfred Academy]

"Letters from Father Christmas" is a collection of letters he wrote and pictures he drew for his children as Father Christmas. It is a sweet book and has inspired us to do the same for our boys. :001_smile:

[Lori D.]

Well, of course The Hobbit, if she hasn't already read that! :) As to which edition, I recommend the wonderful, The Annotated Hobbit hardback, with extensive and fascinating margin notes by Douglas Anderson.

 

The Silmarillion is quite different from Lord of the Rings; it is the creation myth and short, often incomplete, myth tales about many of the ancient elvish heros -- a bit like reading the Greek myths, only it is the Middle Earth ancient myths.

 

Children of Hurin, which was an unfinished, unpublished epic by Tolkien, was recently completed and released by his son Christopher. It is a tragic tale -- it feels very much like a cross between The Iliad and Beowulf. Wonderful, powerful epic, but may be more appreciated by adults.

 

The Father Christmas Letters is an absolutely charming family favorite; the collection of letters and watercolor illustrations Tolkien did each year for his children. Father Christmas and his adventures with his main helper, the North Polar Bear. There are many moments that will remind you of The Hobbit.

 

Mr. Bliss is a very light and charming children's story (published as a picture book) that Tolkien wrote for his own children. The misadventures of Mr. Bliss in his automobile tour (reminiscent of Mr. Toad's adventures in Wind in the Willow).

 

Tolkien wrote several short stories; usually you find the first one listed put together with one or the other of the other two stories in a single paperback:

- Farmer Giles of Ham -- very funny and tongue in cheek; Tolkien having fun with medieval English characters, setting, and place names

- Smith of Wooten Major -- a lovely tale

- Leaf by Niggle -- lovely, poignant tale, as close to allegory as Tolkien ever got

Or, you can get all three, along with Roverandom and poems about Tom Bombadil in the volume: Tales from the Perilous Realm

 

Roverandom is the weakest of Tolkien's works; a story he wrote for his son when he lost a favorite toy.

 

And then of course, there is a series of volumes of "Unfinished Tales" that Christopher Tolkien compiled and edited from his father's notes.

 

 

A non-fiction resource that is very nice is The Atlas of Middle Earth, with many maps and text to guide you through the world of Middle Earth as seen in the story of Lord of the Rings.

 

And finally, Tales Before Tolkien, edited by Douglas Anderson, is a collection of fantasy short stories by authors who inspired Tolkien. A few are a bit mature, but nothing inappropriate. Of course none are BY Tolkien, and only a few are as well-written as Tolkien's works. :)

 

I do NOT recommend (for non-adults) the collection, After the King: Stories in Honor of J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Martin Greenburg, as several of the stories have very adult material in them.

[Kfamily]

Wonderful, thank you all!

 

KarenAnne, thanks for the link. I'm going to show that to dd today!

 

KingAlfredAcademy, thank you. "Letters From Father Christmas" sounds very good. I think this will be a good one to give my younger dd. She loves Tolkien too and this woud be a surprise for her.

 

LoriD, thank you, you are always so helpful!

 

I'm thinking:

"Letters From Father Christmas"

the two short stories Michele linked at Amazon (Farmer Giles and Smith of Wooten Major)

maybe the histories (Judomom) and or one of the anthologies or larger books on/about Middle Earth

 

 

still wondering about the elvish language?

 

Thanks to all of you!:001_smile::grouphug:

[Lori D.]

till wondering about the elvish language?

 

 

There are several books available at Amazon, but I think I would start first with the free websites, and see how she gets on, and what resources the websites might recommend:

 

The Elvish Linguistic Fellowship

Arwen Undomiel

Ardalambion

The Council of Elrond

 

 

One last book recommendation for you; while it is not Tolkien, it is a wonderfully written trilogy of books on a well-developed world: the Earthsea trilogy by Ursula LeGuin: Wizard of Earthsea; The Tombs of Atuan; The Farthest Shore. I do NOT recommend the fourth book (Tehanu) for youth, as it has many adult situations and is intended for adult readers.

 

And while I think it is very derivative (the author was obviously highly influenced by Lord of the Rings and the Star Wars movies), and only mediocre in quality of writing, there is the Eragon series; 3 of the 4 books have been published so far. I only have read the first book; younger DS who loves these says the second and third books have some swearing, violence, and more mature situations.

[Kfamily]

Fabulous LoriD, thank you!

 

I know both girls have seen Arwen Undomiel since I see them on that site daily, but some of the other sites will be new. They will love that! I agree, the websites might be better than the books that are available right now. For now, they are copying words and their meanings off the websites and keeping a notebook of them.:DThis will do for now. I thought if I could find a book or dictionary that would be helpful, but I'm concerned about the reviews I'm reading from Amazon. I think I'll wait on this until I can find the right one.

 

I'll take a look at the other two series you mentioned.

Thank you.

[PeterPan]

Kfamily, I looked at other Tolkein works for my dd after she went on her LotR binge, but the rest (aside from Hobbit) flopped. Similarrion was too hard for her to plow through. Karen's idea of doing an audio version might work, at the right age. Some of his other works (lesser known fiction) were charming but too young. Not to be depressing, but I'd check stuff out from the library before you buy.

 

Have you considered a sideways move to Oz? Or maybe she's already read that series? Dd likes it too, and it would make a memorable present. That's terrific that they're enjoying the linguistic side of it. Doesn't scratch an itch for dd, sniff, sniff...

[Kfamily]

Hi Elizabeth!

 

I actually just purchased several things:D...

 

I bought these:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Histories-Middle-Earth-Volumes-1-5/dp/0345466454/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1290636345&sr=1-1

 

(which she hinted for)

 

http://www.amazon.com/Letters-Father-Christmas-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0618512659/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1290636390&sr=1-1

 

(this is for younger dd)

 

http://www.amazon.com/Smith-Wootton-Major-Farmer-Giles/dp/0345336062/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1290636449&sr=1-1

 

(this one, which isn't very expensive so....)

 

http://www.amazon.com/Magical-Worlds-Lord-Rings-Masterpiece/dp/0425187713/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1290636524&sr=1-2

 

(which was also very inexpensive)

 

and her main gift-the dvds LOTR extended edition

 

What are the series by OZ?

 

Thanks Elizabeth! I hope this turns out okay.:D

[PeterPan]

Oz, you know, like Dorothy, the Wizard of Oz... by Frank L. Baum... There was a whole series of them. My dd read LoTR through 8-10 times until I made her stop. (This was in a period of 2-3 months, overkill!) Now she has been reading Oz books. Me oh my.

[Kfamily]

Thanks Elizabeth! I thought you meant Oz as in The Wizard of Oz, but I didn't realize there was a whole series of them. :lol:

 

I don't think we have this one yet, I'll see if I can pick up the first one for her and see how she likes it. She loves when she likes a book and finds out there are more!

[JudoMom]

It's not a book, but my ds10 is getting this board game.

[Kfamily]

Oh JudoMom, this looks really good...:lol:

 

I know they would like this!

[Tohru]

I wanted to pop in and say that the Similarion was originally suppose to be printed concurrently with LOTR as a supplement to LOTR and not a book to be read straight through. It was Tolkein's idea that if the reader came across something of interest in the LOTR and wanted more detail, they could read it in the Similarion as a reference. It would go indepth about the topic, such as the history or myth. Reading the reference elsewhere wouldn't disturb the flow of the LOTR story. He was a genius.

 

I learned this in Literary Lessons from the LOTR.

 

 

And I agree with LoriD that the Earthsea trilogy is fantastic.

[Kfamily]

Ahh, very helpful, thank you. I wish I had bought it for her now. Oh well, if anything I could get it for her on her birthday and she could use it when she rereads the trilogy.

 

I will look for the Earthsea trilogy too.

 

Also, if I had known how much she would love these books I would have happily used Literary Lessons From the LOTR! I have eyed it sooo many times.:lol: I was going to finally force The Hobbit on her this year by making it part of her literature for school. For some reason, this was one series that I wanted to wait on until I had her geniune interest. I am so glad I waited. I could have forced these on her while younger, but I've learned the value in waiting.

Knowing it was coming later in the year, and having watched The Fellowship of the Ring movie are what finally caught her, I guess. She picked up The Hobbit and there has been no turning back yet.

 

I still have my younger dd and her fascination...I could use Literary Lessons with her...:D

 

ETA: I would use Literary Lessons later with dd, not now.

[8filltheheart]

Also, if I had known how much she would love these books I would have happily used Literary Lessons From the LOTR! .

 

One of my kids had already LOTRs several times before used LL. LL gave her a greater appreciation for so much of the story and definitely for the skill of Tolkien.

 

FWIW.....my ds is also fascinated with elvish. I just asked him and he said theire is a book on Amazon on elvish. He is in the middle of doing something, though, and doesn't remember the title.

 

Also wanted to say that my kids checked Tolkien's book of poetry on Tom Bombadil out of our library. They enjoyed it.

[Kfamily]

Thanks 8FilltheHeart,

 

I could consider using some of Literary Lessons from LOTR with her...hmmm, that would give me reason to have it now...! She's only read half of the series so far (the remaining two books of the series are part of her Christmas gift as we didn't already have them).

When I placed the order for her for her Christmas gifts, I had a poetry book (I think these poems were from The Hobbit, so this might be a different book from which you are referring...) in my cart, but then removed it when I saw my overall price!:D Anyway, she does love poetry and has already memorized part of one. I'll check our library. If she loves it, I could always get it for her for her birthday.

 

I'm curious about the elvish book. I've looked online and the reviews from Amazon weren't encouraging. I'm thinking I'll learn more about this and may find the right one later.

Edited November 28, 2010 by Kfamily

[Debbie in OR]

I could consider using some of Literary Lessons from LOTR with her...hmmm, that would give me reason to have it now...!

 

I believe they recommend going through the books once before starting LLfLotR. My ds read the books last summer and I was bummed, thinking we wouldn't be able to use LL but I read somewhere in the opening pages that it is actually helpful (unless I dreamed this....:tongue_smilie:).

[Guest]

I believe they recommend going through the books once before starting LLfLotR. My ds read the books last summer and I was bummed, thinking we wouldn't be able to use LL but I read somewhere in the opening pages that it is actually helpful (unless I dreamed this....:tongue_smilie:).

 

Dd had read LotR about five times through and seen the movies a number of times before we got hold of Literary Lessons, and it made it really fun and easy for her to pick up all the references to symbols and images that wove throughout all the books. Re-reading and thinking about how parts interrelate is crucial to literary analysis, and the more you have read and know the text really well before you begin to approach it critically, the better -- especially for kids just beginning to learn about analysis.

[Kfamily]

Wonderful! I may make Literary Lessons From LOTR my Christmas present this year! :001_smile:

[Debbie in OR]

Dd had read LotR about five times through and seen the movies a number of times before we got hold of Literary Lessons, and it made it really fun and easy for her to pick up all the references to symbols and images that wove throughout all the books. Re-reading and thinking about how parts interrelate is crucial to literary analysis, and the more you have read and know the text really well before you begin to approach it critically, the better -- especially for kids just beginning to learn about analysis.

 

Excellent! Finally, I got something in the right order! :tongue_smilie: