Caribbean Queen Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 I am so excited! My mother came to visit us and was so pleased with how much my son likes books and how well he reads. My mother just offered to buy my son "all the books he can read." !! Whoo Hoo! I need book suggestions ladies. I want chapter books that look like chapter books. I don't want colorful picture books. He thinks he is too old and advanced for picture books *cough, snort.* Short books with short chapters and black and white drawings are welcome as long as they are "real" chapter books. I don't want twadddle, fluff or drivel. I didn't read him the Illiad in Greek - while his hands lay folded over his slate - when he was 3 years old - just to fill his mind with Junie B. Jones and Magic Treehouse garbage now. (Just kidding about the Illiad - but I really do dislike twaddle) The reading level can be up to about 6th grade, although easier books are welcome. So far I had him look at My Father's Dragon and some books by Roald Dahl and he liked the Dahl books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 It's a neverending search !! Here are some ideas: illustrated Classics series- these are really very well done last year in first my sin read most of Gary Paulson's books non fiction- my son has read A tOn of nonfiction lately!!! I would get lots of DK Encyclopedias! They are pricey but worth it. Uncle Arthurs Bedtime Stories Hero Tales That's all for now.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 Beverly Cleary books (there are several about Henry Huggins) Owls in the Family Nate the Great series Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 I didn't read him the Illiad in Greek - while his hands lay folded over his slate - when he was 3 years old - just to fill his mind with Junie B. Jones and Magic Treehouse garbage now. (Just kidding about the Illiad - but I really do dislike twaddle) I agree about Junie B. Jones, but Magic Treehouse is educational! :D You might consider this fluff too, but what about A Series of Unfortunate Events? They define a lot of words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 What about: Charlotte's Web Sarah, Plain & Tall The Little Prince Because of Winn-Dixie The Courage of Sarah Noble Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bird Girl Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Check out the Sonlight catalog for tons of quality children's literature. I could repeat many of their selections, but it wastes space! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caribbean Queen Posted November 22, 2009 Author Share Posted November 22, 2009 Calming T I love the DK books suggestion. Illustrated classics are very well done, but abridged. Has anyone read the Bible one? My son likes realistic stories and he is very down-to-earth. He would like Uncle Arthur's bedtime stories. I read on Amazon that someone said the stories of being buried alive and burned in a house gave them nightmares. Have you run across scarey stories? Even if you have, I am still considering that book. I could use it as a read aloud and skip any stories that I want. ondreeuh I think my son would like Henry Huggins. Gardening Momma I took a peek at the first A Series of Unfortunate Events book. It's about miserable orphans, which is a common topic for literature. It is borderline twaddle? Eh. I might as well save my Miserable-Orphan 'points' to use on Dickens one day. It's the same with Child-Lost-in-the Wilderness books. There are so many that I only want to choose the best. crimson wife Is The Little Prince as weird as I think it is? I am curious about that one. I think I might like to read that book myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenL Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 What about The Mouse and the Motorcycle? Chronicles of Narnia? Swiss Family Robinson? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Beverly Cleary E. B. White Narnia Doctor Dolittle books Oz books Dahl books (as you mentioned) Little House books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JESSICAinMD Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Check out the Sonlight catalog for tons of quality children's literature. I could repeat many of their selections, but it wastes space! :iagree: I love love most of the selections in the Sonlight Catalog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehogs4 Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 interestingly, my son is reading Alice in Wonderland at the moment and really likes it! I second anything by Beverly Cleary...these have really helped stoke the fires of reading independently for him. The Great Brain series by J.D. Fitzgerald is another HUGE favorite of my son and his dad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yvonne Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Thornton Burgess: The Adventures of Reddy Fox, The Adventures of Johnny Chuck, and others (My boys read all of them, most of them at least twice, when they were 6 & 7.) These are very nicely illustrated, unabridged versions of some classics my boys have liked: Dr. Dolittle http://www.amazon.com/Voyages-Doctor-Dolittle-Illustrated-Library/dp/0448418630/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258860857&sr=8-1 Wizard of Oz Swiss Family Robinson (might be better as a read-aloud. Also, SFR was originally written in French/German, so this is a translation, like any other English version.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Gardening MommaI took a peek at the first A Series of Unfortunate Events book. It's about miserable orphans, which is a common topic for literature. It is borderline twaddle? Eh. I might as well save my Miserable-Orphan 'points' to use on Dickens one day. It's the same with Child-Lost-in-the Wilderness books. There are so many that I only want to choose the best. I don't know how a kid would perceive them, but I found them amusing twaddle with vocabulary definitions thrown in. The orphans were somewhat miserable but it was more in a humorously we're-smart-and-independent-and-we'll-solve-this-mystery-and-get-away-from-the-bad-guy sort of way. It is twaddle, but it's the sort of twaddle I wouldn't mind my kids reading when they're older. I'll wait a couple of years to have my now 6 yr old read them, because even if her reading level were up to the point of chapter books, she'd be asking me questions every other line (because she does that now!! with everything!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alte Veste Academy Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Since you are absolutely opposed to twaddle of any kind, the perfect booklist for you is located at Ambleside. Click on the booklist link for each year and scroll down to poetry and literature, which is followed by additional free reading suggestions. True classics. Zero twaddle. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Check out the Sonlight catalog for tons of quality children's literature. I could repeat many of their selections, but it wastes space! I love, love, love the SL 2 intermediate readers. DD likes most of them, is reading them all and they are perfect for the reading level, ramping up as the year progresses. Some of the non-fiction SL 2 Regular Readers were good too, but he might consider them too babyish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Catwings and its sequels by Ursula K. Le Guin are some lovely first chapter books. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Catwings and its sequels by Ursula K. Le Guin are some lovely first chapter books. Regards, Kareni I second this, these were among my dd's favorites at 6. Besides taking a look at the SL 2 intermediate and 2 advanced readers (you can always save those for later if they look too long), take a look at the Core K read aloud list. Many of the Core K read alouds are short classics that your ds could read to himself if he's reading well. (Cappyboppy, My Father's Dragon, The Family Under the Bridge, etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 There are great selections in the Chinaberry Books catalog too. Click on Early Elementary (4-9), then browse topic (in the drop down menu) Beginning Chapter Book Series. A Series of Unfortunate Events is not twaddle. References to classical literature and culture and history fill the pages so you can hardly go a paragraph without finding something of literary merit to discuss. The author does not use fluff descriptions but is always careful with each of his words. When people describe Daniel Handler, and if you ever have the pleasure to meet him or see him speak, the only word you can use is apt. Or maybe effing brilliant. But I'll say apt here because this a family board. The Spiderwick series has been popular with my early readers. The books have a very Victorian kind of feel that satisfies children who need to be treated as adults. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Jenny and the Cat Club Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meet me in paris Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 A Series of Unfortunate Events is not twaddle. References to classical literature and culture and history fill the pages so you can hardly go a paragraph without finding something of literary merit to discuss. The author does not use fluff descriptions but is always careful with each of his words. When people describe Daniel Handler, and if you ever have the pleasure to meet him or see him speak, the only word you can use is apt. Or maybe effing brilliant. But I'll say apt here because this a family board. :iagree: I love him! We listened to all 13 books in the car, and it was so fun. I always recommend these books, both the audio and the print, because they are very, very well written (although formulaic, but the kids really respond to that). I think this series is a great stepping stone to more complex literature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deana FL Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 I just have to say "Thank you" for categorizing this book as "non-twaddle" ...it was this series that really turned my daughter "on" to reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caribbean Queen Posted November 22, 2009 Author Share Posted November 22, 2009 So far I've picked The Great Brain Doctor Dolittle Ozma in Oz (I read others aloud) Henry Huggins DK Encyclopedia of something or other A Grain of Rice (from Sonlight website) Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelmorris Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 http://charlottemasoneducation.wordpress.com/2007/05/30/literature-by-grade/ Scroll down the list is at the bottom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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