southmetromom Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 (sigh) We just finished reading ALL of the Billy and Blaze books. (I even lost my head and bought Billy and Blaze and the Gypsies, which is oop). My dd is 8 and an animal lover. The reading level was perfect for her, and she enjoyed taking turns reading a page with me. What next? Can anyone recommend some great literature at about that reading level for my daily reading with dd? She loves animals and princesses, but if it is wonderful literature it needn't be restricted to those topics. TIA Sandy in CO southmetromom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beach Mom Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 We read through all of those books too. I was happy to move on, but DS did love that series. Veritas Press has a collection called Advanced Readers Animal Collection - it is a set of books targeted at about the same reading level as Billy and Blaze. The books included are Barry the Bravest Saint Bernard, Dolphin Adventure, Five True Dog Stories, Stone Fox, and Tornado You can purchase the set from them or find the books at your library. We have found their recommendations to be a good fit. There is also a boys and a girls collection that are a good fit for this reading level. We are using the books from the boys collection. I found most of them at our library. Here's the link http://www.veritaspress.com/products.asp?dept=1012&pagenumber=4&sort_on=&sort_by= Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Alfred Academy Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 What about the Thornton Burgess books? :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 M. Henry (King of the Wind is a good starting place) The Black Stallion books William Briscoe's series (OOP) Thor the Moose, Bounder the Rabbit, Sleeky the Otter, etc. We have read these over and over and over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crowscreek Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Thanks for bringing this up! I haven't heard of that particular series and I am excited to check it out! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southmetromom Posted November 13, 2009 Author Share Posted November 13, 2009 These are wonderful recommendations! And of course, you're welcome -- I bet I heard about Billy and Blaze right here on this board (only, it was the Old Board in those days, she said, scrolling madly down the screen). Sandy in CO southmetromom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Two series by the same Swedish author: Maj Lindman "Snipp, Snapp, Snurr" books ("Snipp, Snapp, Snurr and the Reindeer" is one title I can remember out of this series. "Flicka, Ricka and Dicka" books ("Flicka, Ricka and Dicka bake a cake" is one of this series' titles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 (edited) Maybe the James Herriot's Treasury for Children ? Okay, these are probably not great literature, but Frog and Toad? the Mouse and Mole books by Wong Herbert Yee? Tum Tum and Nutmeg? Brambley Hall? Books by Dick King-Smith (Babe, etc) or Farley Mowat? Edited November 13, 2009 by stripe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca VA Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 I second the recommendation about the Thornton Burgess books. They're so much fun to read, especially when you have someone to read them with! The animals are always getting into the silliest predicaments! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southmetromom Posted November 17, 2009 Author Share Posted November 17, 2009 Thank you! More great ideas. Some of these I've read and forgotten about. Thank you! Sandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandtinagilbert Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Frog and Toad Little Bear Cork and Fuzz American Girl (can grow as her levels increase) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Where can I get these with big print and lots of space? I have the Dover editions because I LOVED these when I was little, but there is no way ds can read from those. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 I'd guess the version by Yesterday's Classics is more spaced out. I haven't seen their version of any Burgess book, but I have a couple others, and they are formatted for easy reading, or so it seems to me. They've printed the bird and animal books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rookie Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Both of ds have loved these! I have never met others who like them tool. My Father's Dragon is another nice read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 (edited) READERS (about Billy and Blaze reading level; a few above or below that level) with real life girls - B is for Betsy (Heywood) - Betsy and Tacy series (Lovelace) - Understood Betsy (Fisher) - The Courage of Sarah Noble (Dalgliesh) - Grandma's Attic series (Richardson) - House on Rocky Ridge (Macbride) -- series following Laura Ingalls Wilder's descendants - Sarah Whitcher's Story -- Colonial US pioneer girl and a bear - Phoebe the Spy (Griffin) --American Revolution - true story - The Little Riders (Shemin) -- WWII occupied Europe girl who saves the town clock figures - Helen Keller (Davidson) -- very nice biography - Hannah (Wheldon) -- blind pioneer girl - Mercy Watson series (DiCamillo) - Naya Nuki: The Shoshone Girl Who Ran (Thomasa) -- true story - Cam Jensen -- or -- Young Cam Jensen series (Adler) -- girl detective - The Big Balloon Race (Coerr) - Pocahontas: An American Princess (Milton) - The 18 Penny Goose (Walker) - Sacajawea (Milton) - The Daring Escape of Ellen Craft (Moore) - Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie (Roop) - Abe Lincoln's Hat (Brenner) - The Josefina Story Quilt (Coerr) - Clara and the Bookwagon (Levinson) - Clementine series (Pennypacker) with real animals - Dolphin Adventure; Dolphin Treasure; The Dolphins and Me (Grover) - Follow My Leader (Garfield) - Five True Horse Stories (Davidson) - Five True Dog Stories (Davidson) - Nine True Dolphin Stories (Davidson) - Horse Heroes (Petty) - Barry, the Bravest St. Bernard (Hall) - Buddy, the First Seeing Eye Dog (Moore) - The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto (Standiford) - Man O'War: The Best Race Horse Ever (Mckerly) - A Horse Named Seabiscuit (Duvowski) - The Bravest Cat: The True Story of Scarlett (Driscoll) with talking animals - Catwings series (LeGuin) - My Father's Dragon (Gannett) - The Dragon's Scales (Albee) fantasy with girls - The Golly Sisters Go West (Byars) -- tall tale - The Golly Sisters Ride Again (Byars) -- tall tale - The Littles series (Peterson) - Toots and the Upside Down House (Hughes) - The Borrowers series (Norton) - Flower Fairies Friends series (Barker) - Pippi Longstockings; Pippi in the South Seas (Astrid) - Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series (Betty MacDonald) princesses - A Grain of Rice (Pittman) - Sim-Chung and the River Dragon (Schecter) - The Warrior Maiden (Schecter) - Princess Lulu Goes to Summer Camp (Cristaldi) -- tall tall READ ALOUDS with princesses - A Little Princess (Burnett) - Land of Oz; Ozma of Oz (Baum) -- lively sequels; skip Wizard of Oz (dull/long) - The Ordinary Princess (Kaye) - The Princess and the Goblins (MacDonald) Wonderful out-of-print collection of tales by Ruth Manning-Sanders, with great illustrations by Robin Jacques; "The Book of...": Princes and Princesses; Kings and Queens; Faeries; Mermaids; Giants; Dragons; Witches; Wizards; Ogres and Trolls; Magic Horses... etc. with real girls - Baby Island (Brink) - The Hundred Dresses (Estes) - The Secret Garden (Burnett) - Hitty, Her First Hundred Years (Field) - Land of Oz; Ozma of Oz (Baum) -- lively sequels; skip Wizard of Oz (dull/long) - Half Magic; Magic by the Lake, Knight's Castle; Time Garden (Eager) - Five Children and It; The Phoenix and the Carpet; The Amulet; The Book of Dragons (Nesbit) with real animals - Mountain Born (Yates) -- boy, sheep, and shepherding family - Chucaro: Wild Pony of the Pampa (Kalney) -- boy and his horse - Daughter of the Mountains (Rankin)-- Tibetan girl tries to recover her dog - Rascal (North) -- boy and a racoon - Shiloh (Naylor) -- boy and a dog - Owls in the Family (Mowat) - Ginger Pye (Estes) -- brother and sister and their cute personable dog - The Black Stallion, The Black Stallion Returns, Island Stallion (Farley) - My Side of the Mountain (George) with talking animals - Mr. Popper's Penguins (Atwater) - The Cricket in Times Square (Selden) - Charlotte's Web; Trumpet of the Swan (White) - The Mouse and the Motorcycle (McCleary) - Ben and I (Lawson) - Mr. Revere and I (Lawson) - The Rescuers, Miss Bianca, Miss Bianca in the Orient (Sharpe) - Basil of Baker Street (Titus) - Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (O'Brien) - Wind in the Willows (Grahame) - The Reluctant Dragon (Grahame) - Rabbit Hill (Lawson) - The Tale of Despereaux (DiCamillo) Edited November 19, 2009 by Lori D. fixed typos; added info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandtinagilbert Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 READERS (about Billy and Blaze reading level; a few above or below that level) Lori, I curtsy before you. Indeed you are a Queen Bee. Thank you for this fantastic list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted December 5, 2009 Share Posted December 5, 2009 Two series by the same Swedish author: Maj Lindman "Snipp, Snapp, Snurr" books ("Snipp, Snapp, Snurr and the Reindeer" is one title I can remember out of this series. "Flicka, Ricka and Dicka" books ("Flicka, Ricka and Dicka bake a cake" is one of this series' titles. Jean, I just wanted to thank you for these suggestions -- I'd never heard of the books, but I found some at my library. We've really enjoyed them! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southmetromom Posted December 7, 2009 Author Share Posted December 7, 2009 Thank you! Sandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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