s/o if she loves ... Wendy Mass' Willow Falls

[LaughingCat]

I know this is very similar to the If she loved Fault in Our Stars... thread BUT the problem is the number of books DD reads/listens to is extremely small (dyslexia and prefers books she 'knows' already even for audiobooks) -- Willow Falls is the first series she has gotten into on her own and has now made it through every book (mostly via audiobook -- but the initiative to do it on her own is key).  But I haven't read any of the books recommended on the other thread --  and presenting DD with a big pile of books to pick from never works ---  so if you could only recommend 1 or 2 books --what would you consider be most similar to the Willows Falls books? 

 

FWIW her previous loves (from read alouds,then listened to many times on audiobook)--

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles

The Grimm Legacy and The Wells Bequest

also she read and said she loved several Dork Diaries books (but did not continue on reading the series)

also read and said she loved Wonder (but did not relisten to)

 

Books she has liked (from read alouds) but has not loved :

Dragonsong/Dragonsinger

Tuesdays at the Castle

A Wrinkle in TIme

Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

The first of the Winding Circle books by Tamora Peirce

So you Want to be a Wizard

The Outsiders

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

The Lightning Thief

 

and many more I'm not thinking of right now... and you can definitely see my leaning towards fantasy in this list lol

 

(eta more book titles)

 

[Chrysalis Academy]

My dd also loves this series.  I think she'd say the other books she has loved that are the most similar are A Mango Shaped Space (also by Wendy Mass) and books by Rebecca Stead: When You Reach Me, Liar and Spy, and Goodbye Stranger.

 

Ok, that was 4 books, sorry - but just two authors!  ;)

[deerforest]

Oh gosh. Willow Falls is probably one of my DD's favorite series; I'm the one who started the other thread so she would probably love many of the middle grade ones that Farrar suggested there. DD has read most of them and loved them.

 

I absolutely agree with Rose's suggestions. I'd probably include Savvy, Skumble, and Switch set too by Ingrid Law. Perhaps a Snicker of Magic too. Tangle of Knots. Those are all a nice combo of contemporary fantasy. They stay just on this side of contemporary for my DD to like them. 

 

If she hasn't read the Penderwicks, it's a great series. 

 

The Calpurnia Tate sequel.

 

Gah! I can't choose just two!

[LaughingCat]

Actually I have actually read When You Reach Me - and I don't think it is quite right - not 'light' enough imo-are her other books similar? Eta- also, isn't it set in the recent past? Books from MY childhood timeframe don't seem to appeal to her

 

Calpurnia #2 would work for a read aloud only.

 

The Ingrid Law books look very interesting tho.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Ok, Shannon's top suggestions for similar books:

 

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler - EL Konigsburg

The View from Saturday - ditto

Mockingbird - Katherine Erskine

 

She says the other Rebecca Stead books are of similar "weight" to When You Reach Me.  We both adored Goodbye Stranger, but it had intense themes. Age appropriate, but intense.

 

She also loved Caddie Woodlawn and suggested that, if your dd hasn't read it.

[LaughingCat]

We did The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler a year ago as a read aloud -- she liked it but didn't love it.   Plus I just asked her if she might want to read it herself during her reading time and she said no.   So far anyway, all the books I've read to her set in the 70's/80's have not piqued any interest in follow up.  My guess is that what she likes about the Willow Falls books is:  contemporary, correct age levels, small bit of fantasy, 'light' reading.   

 

I put The View from Saturday and Mockingbird on hold to look at.  

 

Also left out that DD has read Wonder on the other thread -- this one she says she loves -- but there is no rereading, no relistening to the audio.  Which pretty much says to me that she doesn't really love it.  Of course it is possible to love a book and not re-read it -- but in this case, IMO  she only read it at all because I told her she had to pick something 'new' and she already knew the story and she had to be badgered into doing her reading time while reading it. I think Wonder is just a book she can mention to friends as 'a favorite' and they know the book.    The Willow Falls books oth, I don't think  I could stop her from reading/listening to.   Also I have tried offering other books similar to that with no interest.   

 

Don't mean to be slamming the suggestions! It is just seems so hard to find something that she really loves -- and really loves seems to be what it takes to have any reading at all outside of 'required' or 'badgered into'.   And that 'contemporary tween fantasy' category is not one I've been interested in at all, so my knowledge is limited.   

[Chrysalis Academy]

My younger dd is similar, it's hard to figure out what she loves.  If she loves something she re-reads it multiple times, but it is hard to get her to read new things. I've asked here for suggestions multiple times, and the hit rate is only about 10%. I keep asking, though, hoping maybe someday I will figure out her tastes!  They are oddly eclectic, I haven't found the common thread yet.