I like O.S.Card's alternate history series.
I tried to read Tolkin, when I was 22 and it a bore and absolutely unreadable! Everyone kept telling me that THE HOBBIT and the Ring books were right up my allesy; they weren't and still aren't. But the damned HIPPIES sure loved those books.
"A WRINKLE IN TIME" and the rest of that series, is really quite good for kids, as are the NARNIA books.
And I think that Jack Finney's novels, novellas, and short stories would really suit a lot of 11,12, and 13 year old as well as adults.
But this whole anit-Potter industry is just plain crazy and I don't even like the books; find her writing to be 10th rate Roald Dahl, as a matter of fact.
Same here. Liked the movies, though. Go figure.