The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell. "The nice thing about writing a series is that we can enrich the world constantly," said Stewart in a washingtonpost.com online discussion. Exploring the familiar makes books in series attractive to boys as well.

Dragon Slayers' Academy by Kate McMullan.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.

My Father's Dragon, a three-book series by Ruth Stiles Gannett.

The Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon.

"The Indian in the Cupboard" by Lynne Reid Banks.

"Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls. (Parent alert: A dog dies in this book, which is a little too heavy for some readers.)