Recently, Sophie and I have been reading like crazy. I have FAR too many library books checked out right now. A truly UNMANAGEABLE amount. But I can’t stop reserving them and checking them out! And even though we are ready for new ones before the old ones are due, we love the old ones so we wanna keep ’em. SUCH a dilemma!
I want to get into the act with Joshua, too, but I’m not sure what to even search for to reserve for him. Preschool books are so much easier to pick out that big kid books! Joshua’s a really good reader, and I want to pick out some books we can enjoy together but also that he will want to read on his own. He and Bobby have been reading through the Chronicles of Narnia for several months now, and he’s loving that. But I need some suggestions for a good book he can really get into and manage on his own.
So, if you had an almost-7-year-old boy who reads at about a 3rd-grade level – what would you recommend I get for him from ye olde library? I need your advice! So get crackin’!
Oh, P.S. – nothing scary please. I have a very sensitive little guy!
I have a son who is 8 and is also a very good reader. He loves the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, those are his favorite. He is also reading the Star Wars Trilogy books. Enjoy 🙂
I have heard great things about the Magic Treehouse series… I keep meaning to get them for Kate. Kate is loving American Girl books right now, but I guess those wouldn’t be up Joshua’s alley.
I agree 100% about it being easier to get appropriate books for preschoolers. My 2nd and 3rd graders have excelled in reading and while it is great to see them thriving in that area, it is a challenge for me to screen books now. Joshua sounds a lot like them as they were/are reading in higher grade levels. For Jake, even though they are an easy read, he really enjoys the Magic Treehouse series. He was/is sensitive, but these books have been ok for him…with the mystery, but not really scary. In first grade, he also liked the Cam Jansen books (more mystery books). I am very picky about what my kids read and there are books that are popular that I don’t like them reading, so I am finding the book search challenging. Love that your hubby is reading the Chronicles of Narnia to him. That’s next on my list of reading aloud books. (right now, we are reading the Little House series together).
Oh, I just remembered…for Christmas, I am giving Jake a bunch of books from the Boxcar Children series. They are mysteries, which he really likes, but at a more challenging reading level than the Magic Treehouse series. Just throwing that out there for ya. Sorry for the “book.” I’m pretty passionate with kids and reading.
my daughter and i just joined a parent and me book club and we are reading mrs. frisby and the rats of nimh as our first book (have not started it yet). I don’t have the other selections, but thought this one might be a good start as well. We love Magic Tree House, A to Z mysteries, Boxcar Children, EB White , The Secrets of Droon… For girls, Rainbow Fairies, Disney Fairies, American Girls history books, girl of the year books and the mysteries. Hope that helps! Oh, just remembers, we also have the Owls of Ga’hoole to read.
Both my boys liked the Magic Tree House books and I have a bunch you can borrow. They also liked Cam Jansen. Jacob loved the Boxcar Children books when he was little. Both of my boys also loved reading nonfiction books as well – James really preferred nonfiction to fiction for quite a while! And they both like Encyclopedia Brown and every version of the Star Wars Jedi books (Anakin, Obi Wan, Qui Gon Jin….). I am sure there are others – I’ll check my library in the basement!
I have to suggest the Magic Tree House books as well. My daughter starting reading those because she was required to read one of them during the summer between 3rd and 4th grade and she loved it. We’ve been collecting them ever since. You can usually find a really good selection of them at Target.
I was going to say Magic Tree House, too!
The Mouse and the Motorcycle, by Beverly Cleary. There are a couple of other books about Ralph the mouse too. My boys LOVE it! They’re at the read-aloud age, but it’s probably about a 3rd grade reading level. A sweet, adventurous story.
i don’t have kids but i have been reading kids books with my little sisters and i second the recommendation of the the diary of a wimpy kid books. fantastic! i read them on my own so i could know what my sisters were talking about. i was (and still am) a voracious reader as a kid. i LOVED LOVED LOVED the boxcar children books. i loved reading about how they built their home. i haven’t read any of them but my sisters are devouring the magic tree house books. i bought them captain underpants and that was a big hit this summer.
oh yeah…i bet he could start reading roald dahl books. maggie, my 8 year old sister, got some at the library this summer. roahl dahl is still one of my favorite authors. just a warning, i will probably be back with more recommendations later. reading is something i am very passionate about and i love thinking about the books i read as a kid.
Definitely, Magic Treehouse, Erin is on the same level and loves them(she is starting those and also reading the Junie B. Jones series). I had a teacher tell me Boxcar Children. I also think there is a boy series that parallels Junie B. Jones, just cannot remember the name….
I gave your Mom and Dad all my “Sugar Creek Gang” books. He might like them. We always did, I remember Mother reading them to us when we were kids, and Shelby and Donovan loved them too.
At 7, I was reading history and biographies from the G-town Library.
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Magic tree house. My son loved reading that series.
I vote for Cam Jensen or Geronimo Stilton. All the other books my 7 year old likes are really girly 🙂
Louis Sachar’s Sideways Stories from Wayside School books are very cute and funny (great for boys!), though they might be a little challenge. They are pretty simple chapter books.
Stellaluna’s a cute short book.
The Boy Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews is a sweet, neat one written by a Christian guy.
Judy Moody is a good book. Even though it’s about a girl, she’s a tomboy and coonects w boy readers.– a good transition into chapter books.
If you’re looking for a good “dad (or mom) doing the reading” book, you have to check out the Shadow Children series (starts with Among the Hidden) by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Actually all of her books are amazing, but that series is her best.
and there’s always those good ‘ole Frog and Toad books!
I’m going with Diary of a Wimpy Kid as well as Captain Underpants…my mom and dad had given the entire series to my nephew and he has LOVED reading them, and quite frankly still does!
Another suggestion is Pee Wee Scouts. I always loved them. They are short chaper books.