Alice Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 My 6 year old is a new reader and of course he likes books totally different from what his brother likes/liked so I’m looking for new suggestions for him. He is looking for books with animals as main characters. He likes funny books and those with a little adventure but nothing super scary. He has a very tender heart and gets upset if anything bad happens to the animals. He can handle a little suspense or danger if he knows it will be ok in the end. :) He LOVED the Tumtum and Nutmeg books and wants more like those. He also really liked the Swordbird series when I read it out loud to him. He can read very well but gets a little fatigued if it’s a book with long chapters or that is more difficult. So for example, he and I are reading Trumpet of the Swan together. He can read it but he would never read that one on his own, it’s too difficult. We read it a few pages at a time together as his “reading lessonâ€. He’s enjoyed reading Encyclopedia Brown (the short chapters), Magic Treehouse, some of the Dick King-Smith books, and lots of the transitional kind of books like Henry and Mudge or Amelia Bedelia. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNW Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 The Wind in the Willows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted May 28, 2013 Author Share Posted May 28, 2013 The Wind in the Willows? Good idea, we’ve read it aloud and he liked it. I think the language would be on the challenging side for him. I’m looking more for books he can read on his own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNW Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Frog and Toad? That might be too babyish. But I think they're so funny and cute. Also there are some really cute ones, not chapter books, but a little on the long side...Bullfrog Builds a House, But No Elephants, and Rabbit's New Rug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoundAbout Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 My son also loves animal stories. His favorites are the Thorton Burgess ones - especially Reddy Fox, Paddy Beaver, and Jimmy Skunk. We also loved the Cat Pack Gang books by Phyllis Naylor Reynolds: The Grand Escape The Healing of Texas Jake Polo's Mother Carlotta's Kittens Also Snake and Lizard by Joy Crowley. They are short vignettes like Frog and Toad but more like a chapter book in text density and complexity. We also LOVED Harry the Poisonous Centipede and the two sequels. Really funny and probably the perfect reading level for your son. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Mercy Watson is a series about the adventures of a pig. Mr Putter and Tabby is a series by the same author as Henry and Mudge (Cynthia Rylant). The dog (Zeke) is always up to mischief and my ds thinks he is hilarious. His two favourites that revolve around Zeke are "Stir the Soup" and "Walk the Dog". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted May 28, 2013 Author Share Posted May 28, 2013 You guys have good taste! Lots of the ones you mentioned are favorites here too (Mr, Putter and Tabby, Frog and Toad). I know about Mercy Watson but I’ll have to try them again with him, my oldest was kind of lukewarm on them. (Which probably means that the younger son will love them. ) And I’m off to look up the Cat Pack Gang and the Poisonous Centipede ones. Keep the suggestions coming, please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Commander Toad books Mrs. Frisby and the rats of NIMH (there are others in the series too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinannie Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 My son also loves animal stories. His favorites are the Thorton Burgess ones - especially Reddy Fox, Paddy Beaver, and Jimmy Skunk. We love Thornton Burgess too. Our favorites are Old Granny Fox, Bobby Coon, and Bowser the Hound. They are wonderful stories!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted May 28, 2013 Author Share Posted May 28, 2013 Commander Toad books Mrs. Frisby and the rats of NIMH (there are others in the series too) Again, great taste! He loved Commander Toad and read through a bunch of those. I had no idea there was more Mrs. Frisby! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
three4me Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Another vote for Burgess books! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadsandLilysMom Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 My girls adored TumTum and Nutmeg too. My oldest daughter has been on a greek mythology kick lately, but she devoured animal stories before that. A few others we have enjoyed: Kenny and the Dragon ( a retelling of The Reluctant Dragon) Young Freddle Angus and Sadie How to Scratch a Wombat Amoung the Night People, Amoung the Pond People series by Clara Dillingham Pierson (very sweet and gentle) Thorton Burgess Thirteen Moons series by Jean Craighead George We also read The One and Only Ivan as a read aloud. It was fantastic, but there are sad parts and a few things about animal cruelty I censored. The other read aloud we truly enjoyed was Wesley the Owl. There were a few parts about mating and the mechanics of how to kill a mouse for owl food that I censored, so I have not given it to my girls for indpendent reading. The book was fantastic though and really spurred a huge interest in owls in our house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 The Catwings series is pretty good. (I can't believe he's 6 already, Alice! Still have fond memories of our walks in the marsh!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted May 28, 2013 Author Share Posted May 28, 2013 My girls adored TumTum and Nutmeg too. My oldest daughter has been on a greek mythology kick lately, but she devoured animal stories before that. A few others we have enjoyed: Kenny and the Dragon ( a retelling of The Reluctant Dragon) Young Freddle Angus and Sadie How to Scratch a Wombat Amoung the Night People, Amoung the Pond People series by Clara Dillingham Pierson (very sweet and gentle) Thorton Burgess Thirteen Moons series by Jean Craighead George We also read The One and Only Ivan as a read aloud. It was fantastic, but there are sad parts and a few things about animal cruelty I censored. The other read aloud we truly enjoyed was Wesley the Owl. There were a few parts about mating and the mechanics of how to kill a mouse for owl food that I censored, so I have not given it to my girls for indpendent reading. The book was fantastic though and really spurred a huge interest in owls in our house. Thanks for all the suggestions! I’ll have to look these up. We did The One and Only Ivan also. He liked it a lot but I warned him that it would be a little sad but would end well. I also skipped one really sad and gruesome part. The Catwings series is pretty good. (I can't believe he's 6 already, Alice! Still have fond memories of our walks in the marsh!) I know, it’s crazy! We still go there fairly frequently and I think about you and Barb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Peter Rabbit of course! How about a Beatrix Potter collection? The original Winnie the Pooh James Herriot's Treasury for Children Aesop Fables Parables from Nature (higher level, great read aloud) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kentuckymom Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 I recommend looking for the Puppy Place series and the Kitty Corner series by Ellen Miles. They each feature a brother/sister pair whose families foster puppies/kittens. They're from the point of view of the kids, but the animals always play a big role in the stories, and the chapters are quite short and not too tiring for a beginning reader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in LV Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 My son enjoyed the Dodsworth series (I think 4 books total). They are about the level of Henry & Mudge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 You absolutely must read Owls in the Family to him! One of my all-time favorites!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 By the way, my almost 7 year old absolutely loves mercy Watson and elephant and piggie books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 By the way, my almost 7 year old absolutely loves mercy Watson and elephant and piggie books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 http://www.arbookfind.com/advanced.aspx Choose the reading level and specific animal you're interested in from the drop-down boxes. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 You absolutely must read Owls in the Family to him! One of my all-time favorites!! By the way, my almost 7 year old absolutely loves mercy Watson and elephant and piggie books. Yep, he loved Owls in the Family! Also the Elephant and Piggie books. http://www.arbookfin...m/advanced.aspx Choose the reading level and specific animal you're interested in from the drop-down boxes. Enjoy! Great! Thank you ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Some that my kids love: Angus and Sadie by Cynthia Voight Pick of the Litter by Bill Wallace James Herriot's Treasury for Children Beatrix Potter The Mouse and the Motorcycle The Cricket in Times Square Black Beauty Anything by Marguerite Henry - these would probably be RA still for your DS. My kids absolutely loved Misty of Chincoteague and White Stallion of Lippizza. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 Brambly Hedge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.