Momof3 Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Anyone have a list of nice, simple chapter books (not interested in dark, depressing, shocking, heavy-topic stuff) for my ds4? He reads at a 3rd to 4th grade level, and my problem is that it seems like everything geared for that age is sooo dark nowadays! Ds4 is extremely sensitive. He likes adventure but can only take so much suspense. He's read some Little House, Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little...and a few of the BJU chapter books. (We'll prob do Narnia at some point, but he's not quite ready for that yet.) He does enjoy non-fiction as well. I'm looking for well-written non-morbid children's chapter books. :) Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rush Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 I have a 4-years old too who is reading at the same level and he currently loves a Geronimo Stilton series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathnerd Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Have you tried Magic Treehouse series? (they are OK except for a little suspense and a few scary animals occasionally) And Flat Stanley books? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 My Father's dragon and 2 sequels by Gannett The last little cat by Meindert DeJong (this is probably too easy but it is a beautifully written book with a lovely story) Winnie the Pooh The wheel on the school Misty of Chincoteague Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Beverly Cleary -- the Ramona series and the Henry Huggins series and Ralph Mouse Thornton Burgess -- my ds just LOVED these lovely animal stories. Don't tell anyone, but he still reads them when he's feeling sick sometimes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Thought of a couple more. George Selden -- Cricket in Times Square and sequels Mr. Popper's Penguins Dick King-Smith (maybe? not sure how suspenseful these are) Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (may need to wait on these too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendag Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 I'm in the same boat with my kids, especially my ds. :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Magic School Bus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Secret 7 or famous 5, noel streetfield, boxcar children (prob a bit easy). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagoshannon Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Amelia Bedelia! I was excited to find that they just started making chapter books. There are 2 out now and a third is on its way. They're about Amelia Bedilia when she was a child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reign Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Boxcar children? Or maybe time warp trio. That would probably be on the easy side. It's adventure but silly not scary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyliejo Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 My 5yr old son loves the Boxcar Children. He is also sensitive to intense scenarios but the adventures in these books suite him perfectly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I have a kid who was like that around the same age. The Boxcar Children (have some mild suspense to them) and The Magic Treehouse are very formulaic, but I think once they know they always turn out okay, they feel safe in reading them. Ditto Thornton Burgess Cynthia Rylant books-Cobblestreet Cousins maybe? The Lighthouse Family is sort of in between a picture and chapter book, but very charming and cozy. Cam Jansen Geronimo Stilton TumTum and Nutmeg (and sequel) Misty The Toothpaste Millionaire (can't remember the whole story but not scary) Henry Huggins Mouse and the Motorcycle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raptor_dad Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 At that reading level we really enjoyed Mr Popper's Penguins. The 3 Pippi Longstocking books were also favorites. The Clementine books are basically updated Ramona books without the heavy family issues. Another recommendation slightly above your current range is the first 2 Dr Dolittle books. They are 5th grade level but there are illustrated versions by Michael Hague for the first 2 books that are excellent. -chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RachelFM Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Hey, we live in that boat! My 5 year old has been reading for almost two years, which has meant hundreds of books checked out from the library. My basic rule of thumb has been to go for things that are either non-fiction or involve talking animals. The fiction items I would add to the already great list begun are the "Toys Go Out" books by Emily Jenkins, the Soup books by Robert Newton Peck, lots of stuff by Daniel Pinkwater, the Dodsworth books by Tim Egan, the Paddington books by Michael Bond, the Akimbo books by Alexander McCall Smith and the Mercy Watson books by Kate DiCamillo. Please also run to your library and get "How to Scratch a Wombat." Don't be afraid to swing for the fences with things like Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling or more challenging classics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2smartones Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I'll agree with a lot of them that have already been mentioned. We had the same problem with my kids (although, oddly enough, my oldest LOVED Kate DiCamillo books when he was 4, even though they're very intense at times). Another suggestion is to look for classics and look at the chapter book line that Barefoot Books has. My kids also liked a few Greek mythology stories (screened, of course!). Oh, wait - there is also a great children's series by Silver Falls Publishing (independent publisher... but I don't think it's in print anymore... I think it's only available as ebooks on Amazon... we got it when it was still in print). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkd Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Anna Hibiscus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3 Posted March 14, 2013 Author Share Posted March 14, 2013 Great! Thanks so much! I have read a few/several of the suggestions (Thorton Burgess, Mouse & the Motorcycle, etc.) aloud to the kids already...but appreciate the reminder. Ds4 would prob enjoy revisiting those on his own. And I've got a looong list to take to the library with me this weekend! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanikit Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 Most of the Beverley Cleary Books (Socks, Mouse and the Motorcycle, Ramona, Henry Huggins etc) Many of the Dick King Smith Books (all the early reader ones are fine and most of the others too - I have only read most of the animal ones however, so not too sure about some of them) Professor Branestawm - get the versions with single stories in them and larger print as the print size gets very very small in the collections. Meindert De Jong writes a number of books that would be suitable Picture books with good vocabulary as many of them are at a fourth grade reading level and are just right for 4 year olds since that is who they are meant to be read to. Many of the Enid Blyton books (though even these need to be watched for archaic ways of relating to people - the Magic Faraway Tree series, The Wishing Chair and even the Naughtiest Girl in the school series seem to be ok) My 5 year old enjoyed hearing The Indian in the Cupboard but this one is rather full of suspense and possibly not suitable for sensitive children Pippi Longstocking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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