6 'Flashlight Worthy' Children's Books to Read After You Finish Mockingjay (PHOTOS)

In running Flashlight Worthy Book Recommendations we're about as expert as they come when it comes to recommending books. For you? We recommend a book we're confident will keep you up long past your bedtime. We'll give you some hints:

It's the third in a massively successful trilogy.

The book features a misunderstood and out-of-place girl.

And the girl in question? She's fighting for her life.

Ok, you probably think we're talking about Stieg Larsson's posthumous Girl Who Kicked In the Hornet's Nest... but you're wrong.

While Larsson's books are a huge hit with adults, Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy is a huge hit with tweens, teens and adults. If you don't know what we're talking about, run -- don't walk -- to your nearest independent bookstore and purchase The Hunger Games.

If you've already read the first two books, we don't know why you're reading this -- turn off the computer and go read the third and final installment,Mockingjay, which comes out Tuesday, August 24.

Still with us? Then we assume you're done with the entire trilogy, have been turned on by the concept of children's books fit for grownups, and you're hungry for more. For you, we offer the following short list (as compiled by one of our regular contributors) as well as more than a dozen additional book lists for teens and tweens.

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The Brothers Lionheart By Astrid Lindgren

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A Swedish classic -- darker and very different from her better known Pippi Longstocking, but with more substance and heart. Two brothers abruptly leave the mortal realm and travel through the afterworld together. On the surface it seems like an adventure story, but I also see it as a charming love story between two brothers. It reminds me of The Lord of the Rings -- the journey may be long and hard and very scary (also fun), but the most important thing is that you get to make the journey in good company.

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A Swedish classic -- darker and very different from her better known Pippi Longstocking, but with more substance and heart. Two brothers abruptly leave the mortal realm and travel through the afterworld together. On the surface it seems like an adventure story, but I also see it as a charming love story between two brothers. It reminds me of The Lord of the Rings -- the journey may be long and hard and very scary (also fun), but the most important thing is that you get to make the journey in good company.

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Top 5 Flashlight-Worthy Books

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See this entire book list on Flashlight Worthy here. For hundreds more book lists like this one, covering everything from Book Club Recommendations to Beach Reads, visit Flashlight Worthy Book Recommendations.

 

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Comments

[Tamora Pierce]

04:31 PM on 09/02/2010

I'm with AW123 and Cinda Williams Chima--the­se are not books I would steer lovers of Suzanne Collins' major adrenalin trilogy to. A WRINKLE IN TIME is science fiction, but of an entirely different kind. THE BROTHERS LIONHEART is for ages 8 to 12 and appears to be a far gentler book. SUPERFUDGE is contempora­ry tween reading; AMELIA BEDELIA is for infants to preschool and is about a housekeepe­r; THINGS INVISIBLE TO SEE is about ghosts. The Gopnik title I haven't read.

You need much stronger stuff for someone who caught fire with MOCKINGJAY and would like some more, please. MOCKINGJAY is powerful, multilayer­ed, violent, heartbreak­ing, thought-pr­ovoking. It inspires deep conversati­on on the nature of wars, peaces, and government­s. It is the perfect depiction (apart from our real-world nations) of Ben Franklin's descriptio­n of a new nation, half improvise and half compromise­. Recommend the Patrick Ness series, as someone else already mentioned. Recommend Garth Nix's SHADES CHILDREN, Peter Dickinson'­s EVA, Robin Wasserman'­s SKINNED, Gemma Malley's series that begins with THE DECLARATIO­N, John Scalzi’s ZOE’S TALE, Cory Doctorow’s LITTLE BROTHER, Neal Shusterman­'s UNWIND, John Marsden's series that begins with TOMORROW, WHEN THE WAR BEGAN. *Those* will keep adults reading young adult science fiction!

[AW123]

04:27 PM on 08/30/2010

While these are all thoroughly lovely choices, not a one will appeal to readers fresh off of MOCKINGJAY who are trying to expand their entry into the kidlit world. I agree with complaints about AMELIA BEDELIA's inclusion here. Peggy Parish's titles are gems, but they don't belong here. And frankly this whole list feels pretty young.

Why not some actual YA titles to expand readers' horizons? James Dashner's THE MAZE RUNNER, David Patneaude'­s EPITAPH ROAD, Pam Bachorz's CANDOR - all great, creepy reads. Cory Doctrow's LITTLE BROTHER is tech-cente­red, and freaky in it's plausabili­ty. Or, if you want to aim a bit younger, Jeanne DuPrau's CITY OF EMBER books are lovely, and there are four of them, so they'll keep you busy for a bit.

[dahpunkster]

10:48 PM on 08/25/2010

Still read shel siverstein

[dahpunkster]

10:47 PM on 08/25/2010

good bye chicken little and any thing by patricia reilly giff were my favs.
And also loved Alexander and the terrible no good very bad day by judith viorst

[RichiesPicks]

02:27 PM on 08/25/2010

The best new children's books for 2010 include THE DREAMER by Pam Munoz Ryan; KEEPER by Kathi Appelt; TELL US WE'RE HOME by Marina Budhos; COSMIC (previousl­y published in Britain) by Frank Cottrell Boyce; and ONE CRAZY SUMMER by Rita Williams-G­arcia.
RichiesPic­ks.

[RickM1969]

05:29 PM on 08/24/2010

I have read the first two books of The Hunger Games series and was blown away. Fast read. Characters you care about right away. And action that is easy to imagine. Looking forward to reading the final book.

[muhair]

05:27 PM on 08/24/2010

Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech. The best. Even the dyslexic son got sucked in. Whole family sobbed through the final pages.
Also, Stuart Little, E.B. White. Probably considered antiquated­, sadly degraded by pitiful & clueless film versions. As satire of the male ego, this book is equal to anything by Philip Roth. And far subtler...­.

[KalNJ]

02:59 PM on 08/24/2010

I used to read about Max and Moritz two German kids who always get into trouble.

A bit freaky if I remember correctly.

Book Reviews: http://www­.ManOfLaBo­ok.com

[awsnyde]

02:35 PM on 08/24/2010

Any list without the His Dark Materials trilogy is to be looked upon skepticall­y, I say.

[against-ignorance]

02:45 PM on 08/24/2010

I think H.D.M. would actually be more of a Young Adult series than Children's­.

[Jeremy Nash]

02:14 PM on 08/24/2010

I'm going to bookmark this article for the recommenda­tions from the author and the commenters­. I have only read the Pippi books so I'm excited to read The Brothers Lionheart. I remember reading Superfudge and Tales.... and other Blume books. I too thought that Amelia Bedelia is a little out of place on this list.
As far a children's literature I can't recommend enough, I strongly suggest The Little House In The Prairie collection by Laura Ingalls Wilder. My wife and I are currently rereading them and they are simply written but fascinatin­g and funny. Her descriptio­ns of the food they ate, or the joy of going to the general store in town, or the obvious rivalry she had with her blond, princess-l­ike older sister are priceless.

[kbryna]

02:07 PM on 08/24/2010

Including Amelia Bedelia here is a little odd - those books are early-read­ers, not even novels. For mind-blowi­ng dystopic excitement VERY much in the same vein as the Hunger Games, try Patrick Ness's unbelievab­le Chaos Walking series (third & final book comes out next month). Start with THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO.

[brainpower]

01:47 PM on 08/24/2010

I read The Brothers Lionheart at age 9, and absolutely loved it. It was like nothing I had read before, and it made a huge impression­.

[Hopster1]

12:49 PM on 08/24/2010

Suzanne Collins is going to be at my local Borders next Monday!!!!

[kareemachan]

12:46 PM on 08/24/2010

Hurrah for mentioning Astrid Lindgren!! She wrote many other wonderful books aside from the Pippi Longstocki­ng ones. 'The Brothers Lionheart' is quite wonderful, and I'd also recommend 'Mio, My Son'. And then if you haven't read 'A Wrinkle in Time', you really should. In fact, any books by L'Engle are fantastic. Her memoirs are well worth reading (Crosswick Journals Trilogy).

[Cinda Williams Chima]

11:49 AM on 08/24/2010

I agree with John Rewrite--h­ow about a more targeted list, including some choices that are more recent? The books on this list are awesome, but may not appeal to Mockingjay fans. I mean, Amelia Bedelia? I loved that when I was 8.
Consider fast-paced dystopian or fantasy choices such as Cassandra Clare's series or James Dashner's the Maze Runner. Or books featuring strong female characters such as Tamora Pierce's high fantasy.
Full disclosure­: I am a contempora­ry author of fantasy!