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I'm going to be giving a set of Susan Cooper books to a child, as a Midwinter gift. I wish I could have read _The Dark Is Rising_ for the first time under those shivery conditions. I'd like to suggest she read that one first, and right away. Or maybe the household could start reading it out loud at bedtime (not that I have any ulterior motives in wanting to hear her father read, when the dark is rising and the Walker is abroad. *grin*)

I discovered these books the summer after I turned 10. I read _Over Sea, Under Stone_, then hurried to the library for _The Dark Is Rising_. I know the two stories are almost completely independent, so I'm not really worried that the kid will lose valuable clues by skipping the first book in the series. My concern is just that she's 8...If _The Dark Is Rising_ is a little too hard for her current skill level, _Over Sea, Under Stone_ (which seems a bit simpler) might grab her. I don't know her well enough to gauge her current reading level with any accuracy. Her mother said she'd be ok with Cooper, though I don't know how much of that is skill and how much is scariness. It's been at least 15 years since her mother read any of the books.

For those of you who love these particular books:
If you were reading them again for the first time, would you want to read _The Dark Is Rising_ first, at Midwinter? Or does the season not matter to you?
Do you perceive _Over Sea, Under Stone_ as being significantly easier to read or more accessible than the other books? Is this likely to make any difference to a bright 8-year-old?

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