Oooh, the Sil's a good read- I suggest taking notes, though. Seriously. I was 9 when I began the Sil, and ended when I was 12. It can get really complicated, but it's AMAZING.

My favorite Sil tale is definately Earendil the Mariner, or maybe Feanor and Melkor with the whole Silmarils ordeal. The descripitive nature of EVERYTHING just makes the book stand out on it's own.