Joker Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 My 4th grade dd has always been a reader. Lately, she's been into series. Recently she read the Lemony Snicket and Percy Jackson series. She's found other series that she would like to start but they are all sci-fi or magic. We don't have anything against these but I want her to try something new. She has been reading these kind of books for a while. She would like action / adventure stories. Someone had recommended The Shadow Thieves (my dh skimmed through and he said there was a particularly bloody scene) and the Septimus Heap series (magical, again) so I was wondering if you had any ideas. She can read right around a sixth grade level. She likes historical / biographical stories if that helps. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Has she read the The Thieves of Ostia (The Roman Mysteries) by Caroline Lawrence? My dd has loved the Roman Mysteries series. Most of what my dd reads other than that and Calvin and Hobbes seems to be somewhat magical. By her definition, she likes books in which magical things happen to ordinary children. It is all my fault for letting her read E. Nesbit books. She is currently reading Through the Looking Glass - again somewhat magical. For nonfiction, she was buried this morning in Do Not Open by John Farndon when I left for work. She loves that it tell secrets like what is inside Cheyenne Mountain and how magic tricks are done and stuff like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 My dd has loved the Childhood of Famous Americans books for years now, and they might be something that would interest your dd. They're on a lower reading level but SO delightful. Some other series she has enjoyed: -Living Forest series about animals by Sam Campbell -Freddy the Pig -Roman Mysteries -Time Warp Trio -Good Times Travel Agency -series about the Vikings (Raiders from the Sea, etc.) by Lois Johnson -Animal Ark -Lang Fairy Tales -Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden (mysteries) -Boxcar Children -Chronicles of Narnia Some of the classics like Swiss Family Robinson are very imaginative and fun too, so don't write them off. It all depends what catches their fancy. The VP catalog is terrific for keying you into classics that will engage kids. They have them divided by suggested grade, just to put you on track of when your dd might enjoy them. You can also look at their history listings, which are particularly good for finding in-print historical fiction. For oop and older historical fiction, the TQ guides are gold mines. I would suggest trying something like the Lang books or Narnia if you're looking for richer or clean options with magic-type elements. That should get you started on some of our favs from the past year. The TQ guides, VP catalog, and also "Who Then Should We Read?" would clue you in to more options. PS. My dd loves Calvin & Hobbes too! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 American Girl has a series of books - History Mysteries - I think the reading level is above that of the regular Meet Kit, Meet Samantha, etc. series. Swallows and Amazons series Thornton Burgess has a series on nature and animals - Adventures of ______. Anne of Green Gables series Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 PS. My dd loves Calvin & Hobbes too! :) :) I think there is a time period when it is the best thing for them to read - they have the right reading level, are developing a true sense of humor and have enough context to understand the jokes. I get many book ideas from the VP catalog. It has been the best resource for selecting appropriate content that is at a higher reading level. I can usually select books from my dd's grade level or one level above and have them be the right level and not have material that isn't appropriate for a sensitive but advanced reader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted October 10, 2009 Author Share Posted October 10, 2009 Thanks! I think the Roman Mysteries and the Raiders from the Sea will be a good fit. My library has none of the Roman Mysteries, of course. I'll try to find these and see if they're something she'll be interested in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Yup, Roman Mysteries and Raiders elevated themselves to bathroom reading in our house. They're THAT good. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted October 10, 2009 Author Share Posted October 10, 2009 Yup, Roman Mysteries and Raiders elevated themselves to bathroom reading in our house. They're THAT good. :) :D Now I really must find them! We don't have many THAT good here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Everything I listed for you is that good, lol. We read a lot of historical fiction in our house, so it's always interesting to me to watch and see which stuff gets RE-read. And those particular books get read over and over and over... Swiss Family Robinson was another particular favorite of my dd's. It totally surprised me, because I wouldn't have expected it and don't recall it being a fav of mine when I was young. It's so adventurous, to her it's like more Boxcar, just on a higher level. She also liked Huck Finn for the same reason, though I think she likes Swiss Family Robinson better (and rereads it more). Those Lang Fairy Tale books are sort of the ultimate, so definitely search them out. You might have to start them as read alouds, just to get her into it and used to the sentence structure, which is more complex than our everyday speech. There are a whole bunch of them in the series, and each has a color. On a lighter note, have you considered periodicals like Nature Friend or God's World News for Kids? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 I don't know if these fit into the action/adventure category, but my 9 yo dd loved Where the Red Fern Grows and The Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls. She goes around raving about them to everyone. "They are the best books ever." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i.love.lucy Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 There is a series about a nurse set in WW II times (I think) and her name is Cherry Ames. Someone here recommended it and we have really liked them. "Cherry Ames, Student Nurse" "Cherry Ames, Camp Nurse" "Cherry Ames, Department Store Nurse" you get the idea. Really sweet and old fashioned! We also like the Elsie Dinsmore books by Martha Finley. For books not in a series, some of our recent favs have been: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane The Doll People The Castle in the Attic + Battle for the Castle The Marguerite Henry Horse books Ballet Shoes + Theater Shoes ,etc Homer Price Indian in the Cupboard Emily's Runaway Imagination Little Princess Baby Island + Caddie Woodlawn Year of Miss Agnes Hitty Gone Away Lake HTH!!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 I have lots of fantasy/sci fi recommendations, but I won't list them since you're looking for recommendations away from that genre. historical fiction series recommendations: Lady Grace Mysteries (Cavendish) - set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth Enola Holmes Mysteries (Springer) - little sister of Sherlock Holmes, my favorite of all on this list Samurai Mysteries (Hoobler) - set in Samurai Japan Roman Mysteries (Lawrence) - set in Roman times, Vesuvius erupts during 2nd book Five Ancestors (Stone) - set in medieval China Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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