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Cheerful fantasy and humorous fiction, 2nd-4th grade level

MercyA

By MercyA,
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MercyA

MercyA

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Please help! I'm quickly running out of fiction for my voracious reader. She loves fantasty (especially involving fairies, mermaids, and princesses) and humor (like Pippi Longstocking, Mr. Popper's Penguins, Amelia Bedelia chapter books, and the 13-Story Treehouse). Some series she's loved are Catwings, Whatever After, Flower Fairies, Rescue Princesses, Rainbow Magic, Magic Treehouse, Never Girls, The Unicorn's Secret, Mermaid Tales, Pocket Cats, and Fairy Realm. We don't mind twaddle here. ;) She also likes fairytale and folktale anthologies and short stories with morals (like In Grandma's Attic). 

 

She doesn't care for middle-school type girlish drama, mysteries, or historical fiction. She loves animals and will read some animal books, but the stories have to be intriguing.

 

She is easily disturbed by any kind of non-slapstick violence. Stories that are even mildly scary will keep her up at night. (She was bothered by the Secrets of Droon series and couldn't read any of the Magic Treehouse books involving mummies or ghosts). Anything involving extreme sadness, death, or sexuality is out.

 

Anything from a 2nd to 4th grade reading level should work.

 

Any and all suggestions are welcome!!

Guest

Guest

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Anything Roald Dahl. We got a great compendium box set at Costco :)

Guest

Guest

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And if you don't mind twaddle I absolutely adore Louis Sachar. The Wayside School books hold a special place in my heart and he hasn't written anything I've seen that isn't fantastic.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Louis-Sachar/e/B000AQ44EM

 

It's not quite fantasy but there is plenty of make believe silliness.

Ali in OR

Ali in OR

Posted
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She might like The Penderwicks. In a year or two, she may be able to handle The Sisters Grimm (funny, fairy tale characters, but some stuff may be scary. I have very insensitive girls so I can't really tell).

  • Like 2
OhioMomof3

OhioMomof3

Posted
Posted

The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic.

 

Here's a review that I copied and pasted from Goodreads that a reader, Becca, wrote of the book:

 

Persimmony Smudge can't help but march to a different saxophone.. er... accordion... Well, you get the idea. To the rote and unimaginative, she's an odd little girl with the vexing inclinations of an explorer or even (gasp) an artist. Yet her unwillingness to conform to the mundane ultimately leads her on a grand journey of redemption.

 

Trafton's writing voice is vibrant. She brings the levity and wit of Lemony Snicket into a story less dolorous but equally rousing. Her craftsmanship is creative and exquisite, so that I found myself rereading sentences so perfectly constructed, I wanted to shout.

 

A Trafton reader will get the sense that a great deal of fun was had in the making of story. The chapter titles alone are worth the cost of the book, with gems such as: "CH 15: 'In Which It is Better to Be a Noble Worm than a Dead Frog (or Something Like That.)'" and "CH 9: 'In Which a Lyre Tells the Truth (Perhaps)'". While reading, I felt a bit like I was watching an Olympic athlete, fitted with years of hard practice, caught simply in the childlike bliss of a ten-point vault. Light. Strong. Perfect execution.

 

As I read, I found myself soaking not only in the primary plot, but also in the underlying layers of truth beneath it. This book functions on multiple levels, ministering to the spirit as well as the mind, and an astute reader will glean something from every one of them.

 

One last note. This is a book you'll want to buy in printed form (not an e-version). Everything about its physical appearance is beautiful. The size, heft, illustrations, pages, make it a tactile delight.

 

Five stars for the debut of a brilliant new children's author. Encore!

  • Like 1
Guest

Guest

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The Ordinary Princess by MM Kaye is a must read for every little girl. My boys all love this book, too and have read it many times.

 

The Dragon of Lonely Island {I don't remember the author}

 

Dominic by William Steig

 

David and the Phoneix

kiwik

kiwik

Posted
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I have boys with the same problems. Ds7 reads and enjoys Nanny Piggins, Mary Poppins, Captain Underpants at the moment. They have both enjoyed all Andy Griffiths, Nick Flowers and Kate Dicamillo books we have read.

 

Eta. Ds7 read Mary Poppins and Nanny Piggins on a kindle as they are a bit thick to appeal right now but have a chapter by chapter approach which makes it easier to read slowly.

Edited by kiwik
  • Like 1
Cinder

Cinder

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Has she tried the Clementine books? Goofy, silly fun.

 

I saw someone recommended Warriors. My dd (11yo) tells me these have violence--descriptions of cats tearing each other's guts out.

  • Like 1
kentuckymom

kentuckymom

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I second the Humphrey series (about a classroom hamster)

 

Also try Magic Animal Friends series

 

and Magic (insert animal here) books. There's a Magic Kitten series, a Magic Puppy series, and a Magic Pony series that I know about. There are probably more.

 

And, yes, Warriors would definitely be too violent, and possibly too high a reading level as well. 

 

 

  • Like 1

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