I came upon 'The Dark is Rising' collection quite by accident as I'd bought a collection of books for my Kindle and these books were part of the collection. They're a bit like the Harry Potter books or the Phillip Pullman trilogy in that they transcend children's literature and are equally suitable (and spell-binding)for adults. Susan Cooper writes from a well-informed perspective and you really feel that she's gone right inside the heads of the children involved. I loved that element of danger and risk and the unexpected was usually very unexpected but beautifully planned. A great read, believable characters, many nail-biting moments and good solid happy endings. What more could you ask for?