While Waiting for Harry Potter: Readers' Comments

I'm away from home, visiting my grandchildren (good), and sharing computers with their two busy parents (not easy), so I won't be posting much til after I drive back from Ohio on Thursday. However, you readers have been making some very good suggestions.

Fantasy fans have responded with a lot of good alternatives to the titles in the "Waiting for Harry Potter" post. Here are some of their suggestions to fill the months before the hero of Hogwarts is back with us:

"Anonymous" recommends three fantasy novels for middle readers : The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, and Wintersmith, all of which star nascient witch Tiffany Aching and her quirky pictsie helpers.

A character who might be Tiffany's best friend is found in Jennifer Murdley's Toad, by Bruce Coville. Jennifer is a girl whose lack of beauty and popularity troubles her until she buys a talking toad and learns that she has some special powers of her own.

"Pete" reminds us not to forget the Redwall series, which has enough books to keep most readers busy until July 21.

"JackC: suggests books by Diana Wynne Jones, especially Charmed Life.

"Anonymous" (#2) offers the MYTH Books, < by Robert Asprin as "great reads."

"Anonymous" (#3) reminds us of Jenny Nimmo's Children of the Red King series, beginning withMidnight for Charlie Bone.

Thanks again for sharing your favorites!