The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Collins

Reprints of these novels are being marketed as "in the tradition of Harry Potter" but they were originally written in the 1970s and really are not much at all like the Harry Potter books. Written for young adults, the only things they have in common with HP is that the protagonists are kids, the battle is between good and evil, and there are some adults who are good guys and help out, along with some who are bad guys and try to defeat the children in their quests. Oh, and the kids are all English.

With all that said, the books are well written even though they are aimed at young children and the storylines are simple.

Over Sea, Under Stone introduces the Drew children - Barney, Jane, and Simon - and their quest for a grail. Not _the_ grail, the one Jesus used at the Last Supper, but rather a grail crafted in the time of King Arthur that tells of the battle of Light and Dark and how the great king of the Light can return again to England.

They find the grail but lose the manuscript that would translate the inscription - that waits for the third book, Greenwitch. But in the second novel, The Dark Is Rising, we meet young Will Stanton, a seventh son of a seventh son who, on his eleventh birthday, must gather the six signs of the light and use them to drive off the darkness.

The fourth book, The Grey King, takes Will to Wales to meet Bran, a boy who is odd in more ways than one. An albino, he seems strangely out of time. But with Bran's help, Will is able to recover the golden harp, which is one more of the magical tools, and wake the sleeping warriors that will help battle the influence of the Grey King that is assisting the Dark.

The final novel, Silver on the Tree, unites all five children - the Drews, Will, and Bran - to fight the final battle against the Dark. Each faces his or her great fear in the process.

The sequence becomes more sophisticated and intriguing as it goes on. The first book is simplistic, but Collins' work becomes deeper and more tightly written as the series continues. By the time we reach the last two books, the story has become interesting enough to keep one reading. While it is not as detailed and well-plotted as some more recent young adult series, it is worth reading and a good effort in its own right.