violamama Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 My son's turning 9 next week and we have a 3 week trip but he's all out of books to read. He adored the first 3 books of Harry Potter. I asked him to wait to read further because he's a bit sensitive and imho a little young for the next books. He is finishing book 5 of Gregor the Overlander this week, as suggested by the board a few months ago. He is "interested in battles, and adventures, but not so much people just bickering or being snappy with each other." A friend recommended the Wimpy Kid series but I don't think he'd like that because I skimmed the first one and it seemed to focus a lot on "jerks", as the author calls them. He doesn't like stories where friends or siblings treat each other poorly as a main plot device/ character trait. He'd prefer the story be about them "doing stuff or achieving things." More intense/violent stuff would probably also not be his cup of tea (which is one reason we're waiting on continuing Harry). We've had long discussions about the wars in Gregor, initiated by my son because it effected him. He decided it was worth reading because he likes the story and the characters so much. Any recs? Well written non-fluff would be icing on the cake. TIA!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom Time Warp Trio? Sisters Grimm The Mysterious Benedict Society Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi mum Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Has he read the Redwall series? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I haven't read these in a long time, so I can't remember them well enough to know if they fit your criteria, but I'll toss the idea out and maybe someone more familiar can agree or disagree. Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Peter and the Starcatchers was good. You can get a review at Focus on the Family. They often have good reviews since they are looking for things that might be offensive and inappropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 The Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull. (And anything else by Brandon Mull.) Rick Riordan has several different series--the Percy Jackson series, the Heros of Olympus Series and the Kane Chronicles, all very good. I'll second the Chronicles of Prydain too. Has he read the Chronicles of Narnia? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Ds2 started Percy Jackson after Gregor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okra Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I second the Redwall series! Great books with lots of action. Also Peter and the Starcatchers I also like a lot. For age 8 going on 9, personally, I would save the Hobbit and Artemis Fowl for later. Others I would recommend: Andrew Clements Books The Swindle Series The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 My resident book lovers suggested: Boxcar Children Geronimo Stilton Island of Thieves Loki's Wolves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain series. (First book Book of Three) (probably the most similar to Gregor) The Complete Adventures of the Borrowers by Mary Norton MRs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Chronicles of Narnia Encyclopedia Brown books The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall Clementine by Sara Pennypacker How to Train a Dragon by Cressida Cowell (With the caveat that the characters don't always treat each other well) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 The Poisons of Caux by Susannah Applebaum. There are 3 books, I think, and the main character is a girl, but my ds13 liked them at your son's age. Also, a big hit at our house was the Secret Series, starting with The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch. 5 books in the series. Lots of good suggestions in this thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 The Magic Thief series? I was also going to recommend Fablehaven. Maybe the Septimus Heap books? Similar to Harry Potter... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Chronicles of Prydain. Seconding Redwall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Lol, we adored Gregor as well. I thought that was a fantastic series. My entire family got into that one. My husband misses reading that one aloud. I still think about Gregor occasionally. So, the Chronicles of Prydain, The Hobbit, Percy Jackson, and Secret of NIMH are all great suggestions. And what about some Neil Gaiman books? The Graveyard Book is also about a boy in an unusual community, lol. I also highly recommend his book Odd and the Frost Giants. It's more of a Novella, but it is wonderful. And on a different tact but with the focus on great and memorable characters, I also suggest The Penderwicks books. They are not fantasy, but about some sisters and their friend and their family etc. But my boys just loved them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Kate Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I know these have all been mentioned, but I have to say The Mysterious Benedict Society, The Narnia series, and The Penderwicks series are all fabulous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 IMHO, Harry Potter isn't really any darker than the Gregor the Overlander series. Definitely give The Mysterious Benedict Society a go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Ds's favorites in the same period as Gregor have all been mentioned, but I'll put them together: Percy Jackson Peter & the Star Catchers Redwall All great adventure series that don't get too dark. There is quite a bit of violence, but no more than Gregor and the early Harry Potters. All three series grab readers and don't let go. Redwall was probably a little less loved than the other two, but he read several of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I made this list focusing on three main criteria: Diversity (didn't accomplish that as much as I would've liked this time around), speculative fiction (nearly all these books are fantasy or sci-fi) and a male protagonist. I can make another list with more female protagonists, if your nine year old has not been infected with "oh, no, not a book about a girl!" as our culture seems to encourage in so many young boys. Or if I read your post wrong and he's also interested in contemporary fiction, I can do that. There are, of course, many other books I didn't list simply because others already had :) I thought it best to focus on books you may not have heard of. The Darwen Arkwright books. Boy at the End of the World The Menagerie Scumble (and also Savvy) Powerless Half Moon Investigations Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It The Inquisitor's Apprentice the Chrestomanci books the Dalemark Quartet Galaxy Games Alcatraz and the Evil Librarians The Boxes (and also Marco's Millions) Beasties The Young Wizards series (for bookish kids of my generation, saying The Oath and hoping our book would turn into the manual was like going to bed hoping for a Hogwarts letter or poking around in closets looking for Narnia. I was too old to do the first, and too sensible to make much of the second, but I really wanted to be a Diane Duane wizard) The Offenders: Saving the World While Serving Detention Dragonwings Un Lun Dun The Conch Bearer The Savage Fortress Archer's Quest The Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull. (And anything else by Brandon Mull.) I want to like Brandon Mull, I do, but every one of his books I've picked up left me feeling icky whenever it comes time for him to talk about race. And given how much those books seem to be a white world, that's... really unpleasant. YMMV, of course, that's just the impression I always get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I forgot Chrestomanci! My 9 year old has been burning through everything by Dianna Wynn Jones he can find. Right now he is in the middle of The Tale of Time City Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 IMHO, Harry Potter isn't really any darker than the Gregor the Overlander series. Definitely give The Mysterious Benedict Society a go. I think it's darker. Gregor has that mouse genocide. I am like one of the only people who thought Benedict Society was not all that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I think it's darker. Gregor has that mouse genocide. I am like one of the only people who thought Benedict Society was not all that. The author talks too much. Those books could've been half the size with no loss of content. I forgot Chrestomanci! My 9 year old has been burning through everything by Dianna Wynn Jones he can find. The only thing I don't like about her books is that she has a tendency to just tack on a random romance at the end. Drives me batty, and there's no way you can tell me the relationship in Fire and Hemlock isn't creepy. When Polly met Tom he was an adult and she was, what, ten? Ew. But her middle grade books (as compared to her YAs) are terrific, aren't they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I want to like Brandon Mull, I do, but every one of his books I've picked up left me feeling icky whenever it comes time for him to talk about race. And given how much those books seem to be a white world, that's... really unpleasant. YMMV, of course, that's just the impression I always get. I cut your quote since I cannot bold on my tablet... I'll cop to only reading the first 2 of the Fablehaven series, and to taking DS's enthusiastic reading/retelling as an indicator of the rest. He tends to be moderately sensitive to things like violence and dark situations, so I figured they'd be safe. I'll need to go back through I guess, to see if I agree with your assessment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 The author talks too much. Those books could've been half the size with no loss of content. The only thing I don't like about her books is that she has a tendency to just tack on a random romance at the end. Drives me batty, and there's no way you can tell me the relationship in Fire and Hemlock isn't creepy. When Polly met Tom he was an adult and she was, what, ten? Ew. But her middle grade books (as compared to her YAs) are terrific, aren't they? Oh I so disagree! Gregor was just right in every way. Flawless. I don't mind the romance bits in Diana Wynne Jones books. Most of them don't have a romance anyway. Fire and Hemlock is probably one of my least favorite of hers ever though. And sometimes the romance is sweet, like in Howl's Moving Castle. And it's integral to the plot. We're in the middle of Conrad's Fate as our read aloud at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I cut your quote since I cannot bold on my tablet... I'll cop to only reading the first 2 of the Fablehaven series, and to taking DS's enthusiastic reading/retelling as an indicator of the rest. He tends to be moderately sensitive to things like violence and dark situations, so I figured they'd be safe. I'll need to go back through I guess, to see if I agree with your assessment. I may be more sensitive to it because the first Mull I read was The Candy Shop War which really smacked of exoticism in the worst way. This review and the comments therein help explain the issue, thank you Google. I don't think I managed to even finish the first Fablehaven book, so once again I turned to Google to find this summation. Another perspective is shown here. I was raised to pay attention to this sort of thing, so even today I notice it readily. Other people notice other things. Oh I so disagree! Gregor was just right in every way. Flawless. I should have snipped! The Benedict Society are the ones that are too long! I like Gregor too :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violamama Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 I'm so very grateful for this board and your thoughtful posts. I know I wax sappy like this every time, but thanks again. When I was too young (like seriously, 8 or 9), I somehow ended up reading those J M Auel smutty weird poorly-written neanderthal books. I would like to avoid him reading that kind of mind-altering schlock until he is old enough to mediate its effect on his world view. Frankly, I believe I had some messed up ideas about sex, marriage and race that were planted by that series and corroborated by stuff I pulled together due to my own immaturity. I also read a LOT of Stephen King and was regularly freaked out under my covers half the night because they were too much for me and I couldn't put them down. Wish I hadn't read either so young. There are so many wonderful suggestions here. We went to Powell's this morning and got book 1 of Redwall (he liked it from first glance) and the first pseudonymous bosch. We looked at Fablehaven, but he wasn't as interested. The Percy Jacksons are a little fluffy/loose, and for some reason he's decided they don't look all that interesting (I swear I didn't give him my opinion!). I bet we'll read them soon anyway, just for the mythology reference fun. I have been confusing the Spiderwick Chronicles, (and I hated the divorce / pseudo killing of the dad / constantly bickering siblings plot lines I saw in the movie) with the Penderwicks this whole time. I will need to check out the Penderwicks because I had written them off. Two questions: 1. Have any of you read Wildwood or is that kind of a local phenomenon? (We often hike in the woods where it's supposed to be set, and I thought with the talking animals described on the flyleaf he might dig it.) 2. The comments about Gregor being dark do concern me. I think the generalized atrocity of war kind of dark he can handle... but maybe I'm being naive in categorizing that differently than the mean-ness of personal acts in intimate relationships. My question: Do you read everything your kids read at this age? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I have been confusing the Spiderwick Chronicles, (and I hated the divorce / pseudo killing of the dad / constantly bickering siblings plot lines I saw in the movie) with the Penderwicks this whole time. I will need to check out the Penderwicks because I had written them off. Two questions: 1. Have any of you read Wildwood or is that kind of a local phenomenon? (We often hike in the woods where it's supposed to be set, and I thought with the talking animals described on the flyleaf he might dig it.) 2. The comments about Gregor being dark do concern me. I think the generalized atrocity of war kind of dark he can handle... but maybe I'm being naive in categorizing that differently than the mean-ness of personal acts in intimate relationships. My question: Do you read everything your kids read at this age? Penderwicks has very sweet siblings relationships. And my boys like them very much so don't write them off as girl books. The sisters do bicker, but they also stand with each other in important times. There's no divorce. The mother died before the series begins. Also, they're not fantasy, so there's that. I've read Wildwood. I love the Decembrists and I love the illustrator but I found the book disappointing so I didn't read the second. It wasn't bad or anything and I can imagine a lot of people liked it, it just didn't live up to my expectations, which may have been too high. I felt like it jumped back and forth between perspectives too much, among other things. It's not a local phenomenon - it was featured in a lot of indie bookstores over here on the east coast too. I don't read everything my kids read. They don't read a ton, so I could... but honestly I'm okay with them accidentally reading a Jean Auel book (metaphorically speaking, I've read those, so I'd catch them). I know a lot of parents aren't, but I think it's okay to rely on recommendations and reviews instead. Of course, I think it's also nice to read along with your kids sometimes so you can have informal talks. Gregor is a good example of a series that fosters that sort of thing with good potential discussions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 When I was too young (like seriously, 8 or 9), I somehow ended up reading those J M Auel smutty weird poorly-written neanderthal books. I would like to avoid him reading that kind of mind-altering schlock until he is old enough to mediate its effect on his world view. Smutty? You must have different filters. There's tons of sex, but it's all so boooooooooring. In, out, in, out, in, out - like the freaking hokey-pokey! Could be worse. It's not Flowers in the Attic or anything :) My question: Do you read everything your kids read at this age? Yes, but then I really enjoy kidlit and YA. Unless I see a negative effect on them from reading something, I don't really *care* what they read that much. I encourage some books over others (so if asked, I'm more likely to suggest Earthsea than LotR, or Discworld than Xanth, or The Pickpocket's Tale than Little House), but even the books I don't encourage have a place on our shelf or, at worst, on the library shelf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Thought of another series, the We Are Not Eaten By Yaks series. Those are the books which taught me about sea nomads, who actually exist and weren't simply made up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 It's neither fiction nor a series, but ... How about Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty by Joy Masoff? (I can attest that this book has great kid, teen, and husband appeal!) The author also wrote Oh, Yikes!: History's Grossest Wackiest Moments. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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