Jump to content

Menu

10-12 grade reading level recommendations for 9y.o


Recommended Posts

I tried to sum it up in my post title. I'm having a hard time keeping my son in books this summer. He's reading 100-200 pages a day. He started reading Dracula which I think might not actually be appropriate, but I am glad he's reading at a higher level. I need some idea for redirection and also to keep his kindle full.

 

We have covered many of the suggestions I have seen around the forum.. Artemis Fowl, Mysterious Benedict, etc. Classic-ish decent literature ideas would be very welcome, or whatever your avid readers enjoyed at this age.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's been a long time since I was this kind of reader, but a couple authors came to mind.  I *think* most of them are 9 yo appropriate as far as content, but, obviously, your judgement is best.

 

 

Brian Jacques' Redwall series

 

L. Frank Baum's Oz series

 

Jules Verne

 

Call of the Wild/White Fang (these are bit intense, but I loved them at 10)

 

Oliver Twist

 

Treasure Island

 

I was a very girly reader, so I'm having a hard time thinking of gender neutral/boy titles.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm trying to put my kids in Jules Verne and Jack London and Mark Twain. But their interest flags quickly with that material. Lord of the Rings holds them a little better. But it's summer...they're reading for 3-4 or more hours a day, and if a lot of it is low-level (DD8 is on a weird Big Nate kick) I just let that go for now.

So on that vein, some material that they've enjoyed around that age but that's well below 10-12th grade in level would include the Chronicles of Prydain, the Enchanted Forest series, and anything/everything Rick Riordan. ;) Oh, and Alcatraz and the Evil Librarians.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has he read the Freddy the Pig books?   (They're much less juvenile than the series title sounds, but not exactly high school level literature.)  The first book is called Freddy Goes to Florida, and there are 20+ in the series.  Some are out of print, but you should be able to find them in eBook format.

 

I also look at the list of 1000 Good Books when we run out of reading material.   

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also have a voracious 9 year-old, but he is also very sensitive.  Therefore, we are making sure that he has a chance to read EVERYTHING that is age appropriate, and it doesn't matter if he gets through a book in less than an hour.  He advanced so quickly that I know there are books that I don't want him to skip just because they are "below" his reading level.  For example, this week he's reading lots of Beverly Cleary books, and we're doing the Little House on the Prairie series together because I enjoy it.  None of these are challenging literature for him, but they are books that I still remember in detail from when I was a kid, and I don't want him to miss out.  So what I'm saying is, if you were a reader, what were YOUR favorites?
And the way that we are accomplishing this is for him to read on a Kindle Paperwhite.  I like it because it has less eye strain than an LCD screen.  I can load on 10 library books at a time for free (depends on your local library), and I can reload as often as I need.

Other stuff that he has loved:  Mrs. Piggle Wiggle (and series), Pippi Longstocking (and series), Harry Potter (up through book 4, and now we stop until he's ready for the mature content), some of the Judy Blume books (Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing, for example), Bunnicula series, Phantom Tollbooth, A Wrinkle in Time series, Black Stallion series, Roald Dahl books.  

ETA:  I just reread that you are already using a Kindle, so I'm sure you doing the refill every few days like I am!

ETA2:  To actually challenge his reading skills, we generally go to non-fiction.  He likes science and technical reading, so we let him loose there.

 

Edited by ThoughtfulMama
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's been a long time since I was this kind of reader, but a couple authors came to mind.  I *think* most of them are 9 yo appropriate as far as content, but, obviously, your judgement is best.

 

 

Brian Jacques' Redwall series

 

L. Frank Baum's Oz series

 

Jules Verne

 

Call of the Wild/White Fang (these are bit intense, but I loved them at 10)

 

Oliver Twist

 

Treasure Island

 

I was a very girly reader, so I'm having a hard time thinking of gender neutral/boy titles.

I was a girly reader too, at that age, hence my troubles :) I kind of hate promoting gender stereotypes in book titles but the reality is, he isn't going to want to read most of the books that I loved :-p Oh well. We are who we are. Thanks for the suggestions!

 

The Jungle Books might be one he'd enjoy. Maybe Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles, too.  I adored that in 6th grade, so I can't think there'd be anything off about it.

 

Thank you!  And he did just finish Riki-tiki-tavi. He probably needs the rest.

I'm trying to put my kids in Jules Verne and Jack London and Mark Twain. But their interest flags quickly with that material. Lord of the Rings holds them a little better. But it's summer...they're reading for 3-4 or more hours a day, and if a lot of it is low-level (DD8 is on a weird Big Nate kick) I just let that go for now.

 

So on that vein, some material that they've enjoyed around that age but that's well below 10-12th grade in level would include the Chronicles of Prydain, the Enchanted Forest series, and anything/everything Rick Riordan. ;) Oh, and Alcatraz and the Evil Librarians.

Yeah I am not worried about the low level stuff -- he reads tons of it. I just started him on Animorphs and Goosebumps, which are finished in a few hours per book. I just want him to have material available that is on level and a bit of a stretch.

 

Has he read the Freddy the Pig books?   (They're much less juvenile than the series title sounds, but not exactly high school level literature.)  The first book is called Freddy Goes to Florida, and there are 20+ in the series.  Some are out of print, but you should be able to find them in eBook format.

 

I also look at the list of 1000 Good Books when we run out of reading material.   

I have never heard of those, thanks!

 

I also have a voracious 9 year-old, but he is also very sensitive.  Therefore, we are making sure that he has a chance to read EVERYTHING that is age appropriate, and it doesn't matter if he gets through a book in less than an hour.  He advanced so quickly that I know there are books that I don't want him to skip just because they are "below" his reading level.  For example, this week he's reading lots of Beverly Cleary books, and we're doing the Little House on the Prairie series together because I enjoy it.  None of these are challenging literature for him, but they are books that I still remember in detail from when I was a kid, and I don't want him to miss out.  So what I'm saying is, if you were a reader, what were YOUR favorites?

And the way that we are accomplishing this is for him to read on a Kindle Paperwhite.  I like it because it has less eye strain than an LCD screen.  I can load on 10 library books at a time for free (depends on your local library), and I can reload as often as I need.

 

Other stuff that he has loved:  Mrs. Piggle Wiggle (and series), Pippi Longstocking (and series), Harry Potter (up through book 4, and now we stop until he's ready for the mature content), some of the Judy Blume books (Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing, for example), Bunnicula series, Phantom Tollbooth, A Wrinkle in Time series, Black Stallion series, Roald Dahl books.  

 

ETA:  I just reread that you are already using a Kindle, so I'm sure you doing the refill every few days like I am!

 

ETA2:  To actually challenge his reading skills, we generally go to non-fiction.  He likes science and technical reading, so we let him loose there.

 

Oh I forgot about Bunnicula! I loved those.  I was a girly reader, as mentioned above. Everything I loved has a strong female lead.. Dealing with Dragons, The Farthest Away Mountain, Wrinkle in Time, Witch of Blackbird Pond.. and then Watership down and Anna Karenina. That is all I can remember loving before 6th grade. Oh and Goosebumps and Choose your own adventures! But my goal is NOT to have to reload his kindle every 35 seconds, especially when he needs a new book *NOW*, at the moment of bedtime, while I have 2 other kids crying and one trying to sneak outside :)

Here are some lists that I put together:

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/listmania/byauthor/AJ9YYU9EDTNHJ

Those are super. Thanks!

 

 

Thanks everyone. This should keep him busy for the rest of the summer at least :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading book list

Non-fiction

 

At this age my sons enjoyed The Great Brain series by Fitzgerald, Homer Price by McCloskey and the Boys Against the Girls series by Naylor as their page turners. They started getting in to sci fi with Heinlein's Have Space Suit, Will Travel as well as the usual ones recomme ded.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My eldest is enjoying Sherlock Holmes, Philip Pullman, Trenton Lee Stewart, Enid Blyton, Terry Pratchett, Rudyard Kipling - Captains Courageous, non-fiction books. which he reads much more than fiction.

Also we are following Mensa list and he's currently re-reading all the greatest what he read for the last 4 years.

This Autumn-Winter I will try to give him Jules Verne, Jack London, Mark Twain, Alexandre Dumas, etc

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...