Chapter books for easily scared 1st grader

[chocolategoggles]

Any recommendations for a first grader who reads at a 3rd grade level but is easily scared?  She really throws herself into a story.... She's tried Boxcar Children and Magic Tree House, but she says they scare her too much.  She did like the Thornton Burgess' Adventures of.... (reddy fox, sammy jay, etc) series.  

[Earthmerlin]

What about the rainbow/jewel fairies series? It's not high quality literature but it's not scary & I think it's around a 3rd grade level. My 6 year old 1st grade daughter likes these stories. Now that I think of it, she also enjoys the original Angelina Ballerina series too--you may need to provide 'as needed' decoding help though.

[Vida Winter]

Harley, by Star Livingstone

[Guest]

Beatrix Potter

Winnie The Pooh

 

 

[MeaganS]

Princess in Black worked for my dd.

[chocolategoggles]

She liked Princess in Black... we've read Beatrix Potter and Winnie the Pooh aloud as a family but it's been while, so maybe I'll have her try those.  I'll look at the others, too.  Thanks for the ideas!

Edited May 1, 2016 by chocolategoggles

[MeaganS]

She liked Princess in Black... we've read Beatrix Potter and Winnie the Pooh aloud as a family but it's been while, so maybe I'll have her try those. I'll look at the others, too. Thanks for the ideas!

There are more books in the princess in black series too, so she could try that if she hasn't already.

[Jackie]

She might also enjoy the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. My often scared girl loves those!

[UCF612]

My son loved (still loves really) Geronimo Stilton books.

[SilverMoon]

If she liked Burgess' Adventure stories you might look at some of the Jean Craighead George books. One Day in the Alpine Tundra, One Day in the Woods, etc are really close to the same level and size as the Burgess stories. There's also the Thirteen Moons and Seasons of the Moon series from the same author.

Edited May 1, 2016 by SilverMoon

[alisha]

I have one who is in 3rd grade who still doesn't like Magic Treehouse because they're too scary.

 

He's enjoyed: Dr. Doolittle, Pippy Longstocking, Frindle, Flat Stanley, Lady Lollipop and others by Dick King-Smith. 

 

Though I'm not sure of their reading level as we did them as read alouds. (He's not reading at grade level quite yet).

 

Hope this helps some-it's very difficult to find a book that's not too scary (or edge of your seat climactic), but not boring, either.

[Tanaqui]

Do they really have to be chapter books? I often find that picture books are at a fairly hard "reading level", and yet, they're frequently written to be less frightening.

[Artichoke]

Understood Betsy is one of our favorites. 

[blondeviolin]

Mercy Watson.

 

Also, Scholastic has a series of books called Branches that are pretty good too.

[chocolategoggles]

Do they really have to be chapter books? I often find that picture books are at a fairly hard "reading level", and yet, they're frequently written to be less frightening.

 

Very good point.  

[HomeAgain]

What about American Girl?

[Vintage81]

Owl Diaries (there are 3 books, a fourth coming soon)

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Amelia Bedelia series is one my 1st grader loves.  

Anything by Lobel (Frog and Toad, Owl at Home, etc), although these are usually 1-2nd grade reading level.  My girl reads and re-reads these ALL THE TIME.  I think they are comforting to her.  

She also loves Linnea's Almanac and the other Linnea books.  

 

[Wheres Toto]

What about the rainbow/jewel fairies series? It's not high quality literature but it's not scary & I think it's around a 3rd grade level. My 6 year old 1st grade daughter likes these stories. Now that I think of it, she also enjoys the original Angelina Ballerina series too--you may need to provide 'as needed' decoding help though.

 

These are what I was thinking.  Nothing scary at all.

 

 

My son loved (still loves really) Geronimo Stilton books.

 

My dd really likes the Thea Stilton books.  Similar to Geronimo Stilton but more "girl-y".  She's always telling me about the things she learns about in these books. 

[knitgrl]

Mercy Watson.

 

Also, Scholastic has a series of books called Branches that are pretty good too.

 

Our daughter finds Magic Tree House too scary, as well. She read Mercy Watson on her own and now she is into Geronimo Stilton. She really liked Wizard of Oz as a read aloud.

 

Edited May 1, 2016 by knitgrl

[Alice]

Ivy and Bean 

The Fancy Nancy chapter book series (they are mysteries but very mild mysteries) 

 

[kirstenhill]

Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace (she would probably like the first three or maybe four of the books in the series...the final six books are aimed at a bit older audience).

[Emba]

What about the Fancy Nancy books?  There are some chapter books, I've only read a couple but they didn't seem scary at all.  Or the Arthur books?

[chocolategoggles]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!  She loved Frog and Toad, Mercy Watson, Fancy Nancy, Ivy and Bean, and Amelia Bedelia, but those are all a 1st/2nd grade level.  She still reads those on occasion, but she needs more of a challenge.  I just bought Betsy-Tacy, so I'm hoping that works out!  I think we'll also try a few American Girl (I'd forgotten about those) and Ramona... Geronimo Stilton didn't scare her, but it didn't interest her, either.  I might try to convince her to give that series another try, though.  

Edited May 2, 2016 by chocolategoggles

[Ausmumof3]

If she likes animals there are a lot of different animal rescue type series around that appeal to my 7yo - also animal ark etc series. They aren't brilliant literature but fill a gap for getting things moving.

[Emba]

A Bear Called Paddington, by Michael Bond 

 

 

[CJSquared]

What about the Little house on the Prairie series? Or Anne of Green Gables? I loved those when I was her age! :)

[wendyroo]

Milly Molly Mandy?

[Tinkerbell]

If she likes Thornton Burgess books, then she will love Arthur Scott Bailey. The one downside is that it's hard to find the actual books because they were written so long ago. They are available for free in the public domain. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=arthur+scott+bailey&go=Go

My ds read them on his kindle.

Edited May 7, 2016 by Tinkerbell

[Upptacka]

I second the Betsy Tacy series.....my 2nd grade (very sensitive) daughter loved those! She has also enjoyed the little house books and pippi longstocking.

[BrittanyM]

The Hundred Dresses, a sweet story my 2nd grader read aloud to me recently

 

I didn't see Charlotte's Web or Stuart Little suggested. I loved the Betsy Tacy books growing up too!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[blondeviolin]

If animal stories are good, anything Kate DiCamillo, EB White, and Avi.

[chocolategoggles]

The Hundred Dresses, a sweet story my 2nd grader read aloud to me recently

 

I didn't see Charlotte's Web or Stuart Little suggested. I loved the Betsy Tacy books growing up too!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

We read Stuart Little and Charlotte's web outloud last year and she enjoyed them... I had forgotten about the Hundred Dresses, though. She'll like that I think!

 

 

If she likes Thornton Burgess books, then she will love Arthur Scott Bailey. The one downside is that it's hard to find the actual books because they were written so long ago. They are available for free in the public domain. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=arthur+scott+bailey&go=Go

My ds read them on his kindle.

 

These look fabulous! We have a kindle :) 

 

Milly Molly Mandy?

 

Milly molly mandy was the first book she read (after Mercy Watson) because she loved it so much when I read it to her :)