"The Hobbit" by J. R. R. Tolkien

“The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien

Bilbo Baggins likes his life just the way it is. He has a snug hole in the ground, a well-stocked pantry, and a firm belief that adventures are nasty, uncomfortable things that make you late for dinner. Then a wizard named Gandalf makes a mark on his front door, and soon thirteen dwarves are eating their way through his larder and singing about gold.

Before he knows it, Bilbo is out the door without a pocket handkerchief, off on a quest to reclaim a treasure guarded by the dragon Smaug. Along the way come trolls with terrible table manners, goblins in the mountains, giant spiders, and a very strange creature named Gollum, who loves riddles and has a ring he’d rather you didn’t pick up. (Bilbo picks it up. Naturally.)

Tolkien’s 1937 classic is warm, witty, and full of surprises. It shows how a small, comfort-loving fellow can discover more courage, and more cleverness, than he ever expected. It’s pure fun for young readers and a joy to read aloud.

And it is only the beginning. The ring Bilbo finds leads straight into “The Lord of the Rings,” the great epic that followed. Start here, and Middle-earth is yours.

Second breakfast optional, but recommended.