I finally started reading the Hobbit to my child, and now there are tears in my eyes.

My kid is autistic and possibly has ADHD, so sitting still for books has always been a struggle. His attention would wander (which I understand and never made him feel bad for) unless it was something incredibly silly. But now that he's in middle school, I decided to buy the Hobbit and read it to him.

He sat still for almost an hour before bed, leaning in close, deep in attention to the story so far, and he watched me with closely when we got to Misty Mountain being sung by the dwarves. He fell in love with the world and we're only that far. Once I told him "And with that, we stop for the night", he asked "Is the chapter over?" When I told him no, he asked "Can we read more tomorrow night?"

I told him yes and had to leave the room to cry. I never thought he'd get to this point where he'd be so drawn into a story, since previous efforts at this haven't gone nearly as well. I finally found something that not only is he interested in, but that we can share. Tolkien's works have always been close to my heart because of my love for them, but now I get to share that love of the world built by Tolkien with him.

Having said all that, I do have a question: Are there any other books by Tolkien that have a similar tone to them, or a similar feel in the subjects presented (either within the LOTR universe or outside of it)? It's going to take a bit to get through the Hobbit with the speed we're going, but I'd like to have choices ready for him once we get through this. I've never been so proud, and my heart has never been so full and happy. I'd like to be able to share more with him, but haven't read a great deal of the stories outside of LOTR, the Hobbit, or the Silmarillion (it is weirdly hard to find any of his books outside of those in my local library).

Any and all advice is deeply appreciated!

Editing this to add: I've got tears all over again. These suggestions are amazing, and I'll definitely be beefing up my little library I have at home. And to all those who shared stories of reading to their kids, or being read to, please know your words stories touched my heart, and I'm so glad you all know this joy, too. This community is truly amazing, and I appreciate every single person who's commented. 😭💚