I have some pretty avid readers in my home. Consequently I am always on the lookout for new books that are good for them to read. So I thought I would share some of what we have read on here with all of you and ask you to share any other books you would recommend. I'll sort the books by level.
Easy Chapter Books:
My kids have love the following series:
A-Z Mysteries
Magic Tree House
Magic School Bus
Cam Jensen Books
Some of the Junie B. Jones (I don't like the attitude of some of them.)
Pretty much anything by Roald Dahl - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, BFG, James and the Giant Peach etc...
Nacy Drew books by Keene and pamintuan
Little Apple Fairy Books
American Girl Books
A little Harder:
Beverly Cleary's Ramona books and Ralph S. Mouse books
Judy Blumes Superfudge books and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
All the Junior Classics for Young Readers
Socks
The Boxcar Children Series
Other harder Chapter Books We have loved:
Walk Two Moons
Because of Winn Dixie
Julie of the Wolves
Daddy Longlegs
The Learnin Dog
Tuck Everlasting
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
Holes
Rules
Warriors
Finally
My Side of the Mountain (one of Sabrina's favorites)
The Penderwicks
Number the Stars
Gathering Blue
Rebel Hart
Percy Jackson
Kane Chronicles series
Harry Potter Series
Chronicles of Narnia
Bridge to Terabithia
Moon over Manifest
Fablehaven
School of Fear
The Doll People
Great Brain books
Secret Garden
Anne of Green Gables
Magyk
Suddenly Supernatural
Mysterious Benedict Society
Mother Daughter Book Club Series
Frindle
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
A Wrinkle in Time
Hoot
Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites
My Sister the Vampire
Books for middle school: This is where I am REALLY needing help. I need books appropriate for my 11 year old that are on a 7-8 grade reading level. Most of the books below are not really that reading level but are for more mature readers. Sabrina isn't quiet to the level of Jane Austin or many other classics.
MazeRunner series
Hunger Games
Mistborn
On our To Read List:
Betsy Tacy Books (4th grade level)
Little Women (I love this and I need to see if Sabrina can tackle it yet.)
The Lord of the Rings
The Hobbit
Okay readers. Give me some of your best suggestions for chapter books for kids (especially that middle school age!) Hope you find a book or two on here your kids haven't read yet that they might enjoy.
28 comments:
It's been a while since I read them, but two big favorites are The Goose Girl (the first of the Books of Bayern series) and Princess Academy, both by Shannon Hale. SOOOO good! And perfectly appropriate for young girls.
As a young girl I read the Children of the Promise series by Dean Hughes. It's an LDS series. I really loved them and read them again in my later teen years. There was also the Babysitters Club, maybe? Good luck in your search and thank you for sharing your list. My five year old son loves to read and I'm sure this list will come in handy one day:) well some of them. He may pass on American Girls;)
I absolutely Love this list! Thank you for sharing. I can't wait to get started. My children love to read and I'm ready to move onto chapter books. I have a few for your 11 year old. Lily's Crossing: Patricia Reilly Giff, Bell Prater's Boy: Ruth White, The Midwife's Apprentice: Karen Cushman, Esperanza Rising: Pam Munoz Ryan, The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler: EL Konigsburg, The Laulene McDaniel books were cute, The Giver: Lois Lowry, The Trouble with Lemons: Daniel Hayes, The Indian in the Cupboard; Lynne Reid Banks. I hope you enjoy some of MY favorites! If you have any additionals or would like some more titles on my book shelf my email is vkhunsaker@gmail.com :)
Where the Red Fern Grows
There is a great 3 book series out by Mildred D. Taylor "Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry" "Let the Circle Be Unbroken" and "The ROad to Memphis" I think my kids read it around fifth or sixth grades. The Little House series is also great for a little younger readers.
Anne of Green Gables
Ella Enchanted
The Babysitter's Club
Boxcar Children
As she gets closer to entering the YW program, Invaluable by Holly J Wood would be a good one.
LOVE this!!! So grateful for some new ideas!!! I have a 12 year old girl in the 7th grade a boy in 5th and a girl in 3rd! Thanks for all the lists!!! I'm going to go find Invaluable right now!!!
We also love Savvy and Scumble by Ingrid Law, love everything from Shannon Hale, very age appropriate except the Austenland series, that is for adults. There are so many on this list that we love. Have been reading the Divergent series, like Hunger Games a little, more romance, it's more appropriate for older middle school, high school. We love anything by Kate DiCamillo. The Mercy Watson series is great for 2-4 grade readers. Such a great list, we're always on the hunt for new books!
So...I am not sure if you have used or heard of an AR (Accelerated Reader) program, but, it's what I used in Utah as a teacher and is here in Alabama as well, that helps to give a grade level to books and they can take tests to check for comprehension after reading. With that being said, if you want to search for grade level appropriate books (based more on the vocabulary not always the content I think) an AR list is a great place to start. Try this one, it seemed to be a decent list although I have seen better and worse out there...
http://mitlib.sdln.net/arreadinglevel.html
The code on the far left refers to grade level and month, so a 2.1 would refer to a reading level of a second grader in their first month of school, or a 7.8 a seventh grader in the 8th month of the school year, the second column is how many points they can earn taking the AR test at the end of the book. Enjoy and good luck! Some of your books are already on her level now :) Have you tried The Lord of the Rings books? I enjoyed them.
Hi there! You don't know me, but I have been following your blog. I love to read your incite and even though I have not experienced the trials that you have I feel like I connected with you because I too have children around the same ages as yours.
I am asking a favor. I was wondering if you had any advice you could give me on what I can do and or say to a dear friend who's baby passed away.
Thank you so much!
chrissylichty@embarqmail.com
The Secret Zoo series
The Magic Thief series
Adventurers Wanted (just heard about this one - haven't read it yet...)
These might be a bit young for middle school but maybe they will be interesting for someone!
Just a thought on little women...it was on the honors reading list for my 9th grader, and she didn't enjoy it. I love it buy am suggesting you might want to wait on that one!
The Giver. It can work n many levels depending on how deeply you think about it.
Or other books by Lois Lowry
Roll of thunder hear my cry
Diary of Anne frank
Tuck everlasting
Bridge to terabithia
The lion, te witch and the wardrobe
Sisterhood of the traveling pants
Island of the blue dolphins
Where the red fern grows
the little miss pepperpot series were my fave growing up, i am am from the uk, so i am not sure how easy they are to find here, but soooo fun and wholesome, I have also heard the "horrible histories" series are fab for kids, making true life history more animated
Fablehaven series by Brandon mull totally fabulous
As a fifth grader I got lost in The Borrowers series by Mary Norton. Just loved them.
An oldie but a goodie for me at that age was "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm".
The Hour Glass Door series is still a bit old for her but are great. They are by Lisa Mangum.
One of my very favorite books in middle school was The Giver by Lois Lowry!!! Even ten years later, I still love reading it. Also, the Among the Hidden series by Margaret Peterson Haddix and Homecoming by Cynthia Voight are good for middle school readers!
Hello,
I've followed your blog for sometime but never commented. I have a list for you -various ages.
Redwall Series- Brian Jacques(there is a series for younger kids as well as older kids. I like the older one:) ), Narnia series-C.S. Lewis,Bunnicula-James Howe, The Buddy Files-Dori Hillstead Butler, Dragon Keepers-Kate Kilmo, Nate the Great series, Trixie Belden series, The Indian in the Cupboard series, The Kingdom Keepers series, The Castle in the Attic - it's sequel Battle for the Castle, The Egypt Game, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, The Black Stallion series, Misty of Chincoteague(and several other books by the same author), The Lottery Rose-by Irene Hunt (this book is sad you may wanted to read it first to see if it works for your daughter),Summer of the Monkeys, and The Sisters Grimm series. Sorry this is so long but I am an avid reader myself and was a teacher before I was a mom! Hope there is some ideas that will add to your workable list.
Ann Michelle
Actually I should give you a heads up on The Lottery Rose- I was thinking of the main charater when I suggested it and I forgot that another charater loses his life in an accident similar to your daughter - you may want to scratch that from the list. Sorry!
One I just recently read was Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix. It was really good, suspenseful, and clean! I think Sabrina would really enjoy it. There are also many books after it, but my friend told me that the first was the best (like always!)
Also, if Sabrina really likes adventure/mystery, there's a series called the Alex Rider series, which I've read one book, and all my friends looovvveeeee! one last series I have heard of is the Artemis Fowl series, apparently kind of like Harry Potter! hope this helps :)
I forgot! You have also GOT TO HAVE SABRINA READ THE FOLLOWING!!!!
Michael Vey and Michael Vey 2 by Richard Paul Evans (he's the one who did the Christmas Box book)
and also by Richard Paul Evans
The Sunflower! Very, very good books!
One of my favorite series is "The Series of Unfortunate Events." Now, I'll have to start thinking...
Maybe this has been said, I haven't read the comments, but "Matched" by Ally Condie is the first of a 3 book trilogy. The second book is "Crossed" and I can't remember the name of the third:) The first book was listed as a 4th grade level but my 2nd grader reads many 4th grade level books with no problem and I think Matched would have been a little hard for her... Also, "Princess for Hire" is the first book in another 3-book trilogy and it is written by Lindsey Leavitt who grew up (and is currently living) in Vegas! Her books are great YA books. She also wrote Sean Griswold's head which would be middle school level. Enjoy!
And yes, the AR program is FANTASTIC. I also live in Utah and it is so so so helpful!
I have printed out all these suggestions! Thank you so much.
Two more ideas: Go through the Newbery Medal winners (esp the ones from long ago) - you may have to order through ILL, but most are extremely good:
http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal
Also, I love the handbook "Honey for a Child's Heart" by Gladys Hunt. It is full of lists, wonderful essays, lots more about children's books. If you haven't read it - go get it! Totally one of my all-time favorite books EVER. :>
I'm in 8th grade, but I love anything by Gail Carson Levine. Some of my favorites are Ella Enchanted, which I know has already been said, fairest (a sequel about arieda's sister), tale of two castles, and the two princesses of Bammarre. I also love the E.D. baker books, (start with The Frog Princess). Shannon Hale's book Princess Academy and the sequel Palace of Stone would be great books for her. A Wrinkle in Time by Madison L'Engle, which is also a series, would be great for her. Eva Ibbotson is a great author, and I also love the Children of the Lamp Series by P.B. Kerr. Mandy and the last of the really great whangdoodles are good books by Jule Andrews Edwards, The Latter Dsy Spies series is good, The LaceMaker and the Princess is good, but it's about the French revolution. She would also love anything by Roald Dahl! The Emily Windsnap books if she hasn't read them are good, if a little below her reading level
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