This is the foundation of modern fantasy for a reason. It’s a massive, beautiful, sometimes-plodding epic that treats its readers with immense respect. It doesn't talk down to kids, which means it requires some heavy lifting in the vocabulary department.

If your kid is used to the 'snackable' pacing of modern middle-grade fiction, they might find the first half of this book a slog. But as a shared experience—either through an audiobook or reading it together—it’s unbeatable. It builds the kind of mental stamina that modern media usually erodes.