If someone had told me five years ago, that I would one day become a children's librarian, I'd have said he or she were one brick short of a load. I was terrified of children, especially in groups, where I was afraid they would develop a pack mentality, sense my fear and zero in for the kill. How ironic that I now spend my days working with children, helping them develop their literacy skills and recommending books for them to read. Even more ironic is the fact that I love everything about it: the joy of working everyday with youngsters at the beginning of life's journey and the fun of building my knowledge by reading a wide variety of children's books. Although I read any genre, fantasy is my favourite, so I decided to review some titles for readers aged nine to twelve.

My favourite fantasy series at the moment is the Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins. In the first book, Gregor the Overlander, 11-year-old Gregor is stuck at home caring for his baby sister and his ailing grandmother. When his sister falls through a chute in the laundry room, Gregor tries to rescue her and discovers a hidden world beneath the earth's surface, inhabited by translucent-skinned humans, giant rats, bats, spiders and cockroaches. I especially enjoyed the scenes with Gregor’s two-year-old sister Boots. She has a talent for making friends with the various bugs and arachnids and her amusing relationships often save the day for the older kids. There are five books in the series, each as good as the last and if you like the Underland Chronicles, Suzanne Collins is also the author of a fabulous trilogy for teens that begins with The Hunger Games.

If you liked Harry Potter, you may enjoy the adventures of 10-year-old Charlie Bone. The Children of the Red King series, by Jenny Nimmo, features eight books which all hold up well over the course of the story. In the first book, Midnight for Charlie Bone, Charlie discovers that he can hear people talking in photographs. Suddenly, his mean and previously neglectful grandmother and aunts take an interest in him and Charlie is sent to Bloors Academy for ‘gifted children’. Charlie must learn to fit in and find out what it means to be an endowed child of the Red King. There are similarities to the Potter books: gifted children with magical talents are sent to a special school but here the comparison ends. Bloors Academy is no Hogwarts and the evil villains are much closer to home.

The latest novel from children’s author Grace Lin is a real treat. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a departure from her last two award-winning books, The Year of the Dog and The Year of the Rat. Beautifully illustrated, the book is part adventure, part Chinese mythology. It tells the story of Minli, a young girl who steals away from home to seek her family’s fortune. Raised on her father’s stories, she sets off to find Never-Ending Mountain and the Man in the Moon so that she may ask him how to save her family from poverty. As she travels, she meets many characters, each telling his or her own story, which in turn advances Minli’s quest.

Since I joined the Children’s Department at CPL, I have read many juvenile books but rarely found any as enjoyable as the ones above, so try these. Everyone should occasionally escape to another world. For fantasy, and many other genres for kids and adults, visit your local public library.