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Summary: The Best Books
Review: After I read these books I was so astonished about what I had read. The last two books were sad but that made the other books good. I loved the books.
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Summary: One of the Great Series's
Review: I couldn't keep my nose out of Susan Cooper's series. I read the books all the way through with no breaks and loved every bit of it. The plot is exciting and the characters are enticing. I hope that everybody has a chance to read this wonderful series.
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Summary: These are NOT Harry Potter...
Review: I bought these books on the recommendations of several readers who claimed that they were as good as or better than the Harry Potter books. I have to disagree.These books are written in the general mode of C.S. Lewis's Narnia: basically normal kids have secret adventures in what's effectively another world. There are many mysterious characters and events, and everyone comes out all right in the end. The Harry Potter books, on the other hand, bring magic to life in a way that seems real: the kids at Hogwarts are just like familiar kids at school, acting in the way kids expect each other to act, with the minor addition of magic. And that's what makes it different and compelling: its sense of being familiar. I don't mean to criticize Susan Cooper, who after all wrote quite a charming series. I'm sure that children everywhere will enjoy this series, especially if they like Narnia. I just want to contradict the people who claim The Dark Is Rising is better than Harry Potter. Sorry, but it isn't.
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Summary: please read the most underrated series of recent times
Review: I grew up in the era of The Babysitter's Club and Sweet Valley High books. Thankfully, I was introduced to Cooper's series when I was ten. Arguably, Cooper surpasses the likes of JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, and Lloyd Alexander as she weaves the most fantastic legends that still echo through my mind fifteen years later. I've been fortunate enough to be exposed to wonderful literature on a daily basis as I am in graduate school for English lit; however, I've yet to find a series so riveting, so engaging, and so haunting as The Dark is Rising. Spread the word. Watch out, Harry Potter...
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Summary: The Dark is Rising Series
Review: I have read these books since I was in 7th grade. We were required to read the Newberry and Newberry Honor books. Since then, I am still reading this whole series. Susan Cooper's books are one of the best. Once you start reading these books you can't put them down. If you're a young reader or older one like me, it doesn't matter because you can read this series at any age.
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Summary: Rivals Harry Potter
Review: I admit to being a middle-aged adult who first read these books as an adult. For my money these books are every bit as good as some of the better known classics of kiddy lit like the Chronicles of Narnia and A Wrinkle in Time. If you liked Harry Potter (and I'm a HP fan), you'll like these books. They share many of the same elements: a basis in classics (in this case British folklore), quests, good vs evil, kids having to make important decisions, magic and mystery. My favorite of the series is The Dark is Rising. (I'm not related to Will)
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Summary: A series to get lost in
Review: I read through the series first in case my daughter(10) had any questions. After reading the Rowling series, she went through the Narnia series very quickly, and I was recommended to Cooper's books. Not only did she read and enjoy the books, but she has branched off in the library into any book on King Arthur and British historical fiction. As an avid reader, it is great to see her go after subject matter on her own, without being prodded. I've also noticed a drastic pull from reading marketed series like the babysitter's club or as such. She wants real books!
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Summary: Still a favorite after 20 years
Review: I read this series over and over in elementary school, and I have now purchased them for my own children. Susan Cooper weaves an amazing amount of British lore into her stories that piqued my interest as a child and is still a fun read so many years later. I just finished reading the first book to my oldest children and they can hardly wait for the next one to begin. I also like how she was able to depict the existence of evil without having a storyline that is too dark or frightening, but still remains exciting and appropriately tense.
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Summary: Engrossing, engaging, and generally wonderful!
Review: This is one of the best series of books I have ever read. I first read the series as a teenager, and continue to enjoy it now as an adult. Susan Cooper creates a wonderful fantasy world, equal to those created by C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, or Tolkien. Truly a wonderful read!
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Summary: The greatest children's series ever
Review: I read this series to my children many years ago when it first came out. I can only say that it is engrossing, haunting, energizing, and uplifting. It is about the grand battle over time between Good and Evil all wrapped up in a story about three normal British kids, two brothers and a sister, and their family connection to the Arthurian legends. If you want your kids to CARE about Good and recognize the power of Evil, this is your best vehicle. I can't tell you how great this series is. It has stayed vividly in my mind for almost 20 years, and I still try to buy it for gifts.
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