fiddlemath comments on [Book Suggestions] Summer Reading for Younglings. - Less Wrong
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Seconding Phantom Tollbooth.
The Phantom Tollbooth is enjoyably mind-opening, if handed to a child at about the right age. It's very light-hearted, but is liable to instill thinking about thinking. I read it when I was 10, and again at 12, and again at 14, and again at 16, getting deeper appreciation each time.
Also, I suspect the Tiffany Aching books are ideal - but I'm a huge Discworld fan, ymmv.
Fourthing Phantom Tollbooth.
Voting this back up from -1. It appears someone has been downvoting all instances of anyone seconding others' recommendations. Why do this? Multiple recommendations for a single work provide additional useful information; that multiple people agree that the work is worthwhile, and think so strongly enough to vocalize their support after it's already been raised to attention.
They may be doing so because they think simple upvoting is a better way to to second recommendations. However, this isn't really the case because many recommendations mention multiple books, so doing so would not clearly endorse a specific book.
Plus, upvoting doesn't distinguish between "I agree that some or all of these books are good recommendations," and "Thanks for suggesting some plausible sounding candidates."
I agree that The Phantom Tollbooth is especially useful for multiple reads. I read it when I was 8, then when I was 10, then 13, and again when I was 15. It's a wonderful example of a multi-layered children's book that adults can appreciate on an entirely different level than kids.
Also, it taught me much of the basics of good writing, in a way that primed me for reading, eg, Orwell's essays on the use and abuse of the English language.