Escape awhile into fantasy world

Breathe a sigh of relief, teens -- finals are over. You’re probably

ready for an escape, but spring break is still two months away. In

the meantime, why not lose yourself in a great fantasy novel or two?

Terry Pratchett is well known for his Discworld novels for adults,

but recently he’s written some books geared toward young adult

readers. “The Wee Free Men” relates the adventures of witch-to-be

Tiffany Aching, who has to rescue her baby brother from the Queen of

the Faeries, armed with a frying pan and the help of 6-inch-tall,

kilt-wearing blue men (pixies, really) called the Nac Mac Feegle,

whose favorite pastimes are drinking, fighting and stealing. In the

sequel, “A Hatful of Sky,” Tiffany and the Feegles deal with a

mysterious creature called a “hiver.”

Pratchett fans might also enjoy “Dark Lord of Derkholm” by Diana

Wynne Jones, in which the wizard Derk and his magical family have to

masquerade as “evil forces” and create an elaborate pretend war to

fool parties of tourists from a nonmagical world.

If your fantasy preferences run more toward fairy-tale settings,

try the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede. These are

lighthearted books that take classic fantasy elements -- dragons,

knights, princesses and wizards -- and turn them on their heads. They

are thoroughly enjoyable, quick and humorous reads. The series begins

with “Dealing with Dragons,” followed by “Searching for Dragons,”

“Calling on Dragons” and “Talking to Dragons.”

In a similar, romantic but atypical fairy-tale style, Jean Ferris’

“Once Upon a Marigold” tells the story of a young orphan boy who has

been adopted by a troll and falls in love with a princess he sees

from afar. Or try “Sorcery and Cecelia” by Wrede and Caroline

Stevermer, a nice mix of fantasy and historical fiction told through

letters between two cousins in England in 1817, whose desire for

adventure gets them tangled up with some nasty wizards. A second book

of adventures follows, called “The Grand Tour.”

Younger teens might enjoy “Peter and the Starcatchers” by Dave

Barry and Ridley Pearson. This is an imaginative retelling of the

origins of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys by two well-known adult

writers. This book is also available on CD, read by the wonderful Jim

Dale -- the same actor who reads the Harry Potter audiobooks.

Another good choice for this age group is “Dragon Rider,” by

Cornelia Funke. When his home is threatened by humans, a dragon named

Firedrake sets off on a quest to find a legendary land, with the help

of a brownie and an orphan boy.

For older readers, try “Trickster’s Choice” and “Trickster’s

Queen” by popular fantasy writer Tamora Pierce. Kidnapped and sold as

a slave, Alianne must use the lessons learned from her warrior mother

and spy-master father in order to survive on her own in a world rife

with political intrigue and treachery. Or take a look at “Faerie

Wars” and its sequel, “The Purple Emperor,” by Herbie Brennan -- the

story of a young man whose family problems recede into the background

when he encounters a faerie prince from another land.

Pick up a great fantasy novel and lose yourself in another world.

It’s a great escape, and you don’t have to wait for vacation!

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Genesis Hansen. All titles may be

reserved from home or office computers by accessing the catalog at

https://www.newportbeach library.org. For more information on the

Central Library or any of the branch locations, please contact the

Newport Beach Public Library at (949) 717-3800, option 2.