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My son is an avid reader and a very strong one at that but at age 7 he is stuck on reading these chapter books that are well par for literature?  I am trying to find some good series that he could read that would perk his interest and be literature rich.  He loves series... ?  Any suggestions?  He has gone through the Cul de Sac Kids (loves these and still rereads them over and over...um why?)  The Boxcar Children &The Bobsey Twins and most of the Magic Tree House books (trying to steer away from these).  Thanks for any suggestions!  

Forgot to mention he loved The Penderwicks series and we are listening to the last one that just came out now.  ?

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-Little House on the Prairie

-Ramona books by Beverly Cleary

-Encyclopedia Brown by Donald Sobol

-Fudge books by Judy Blume

-Redwall by Brian Jacques

-Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

-Nate the Great by Marjorie Sharmat

-The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald

-Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon

-The 39 Clues, various authors

-How to Train your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

-Roald Dahl books

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Narnia

Little House

 Redwall (there are 22 of these!)

Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

The Black Stallion and sequels

My Side of the Mountain and sequels

Swallows and Amazons

Half Magic and sequels

Sarah, Plain and Tall and sequels

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First, I wouldn't worry too much about him reading the piles of series books that are out there. He's obviously a voracious reader if he's already read that list above.

Also, seven is a tricky age for a kid who is really ahead with reading. The books that are written for 7 yos are mostly Magic Treehouse style books and a few things that are a bit more literary, yeah, but series chapter books are the bread and butter of most 7 yo readers. There's a ton of great information in them. The repetitive plots are mindnumbing for adults, but they teach 7 yos about plot and characterization and so forth. My experience is that when most 7 yos - even smart, book loving 7 yos - start reading books that are really intended for much older kids - that they enjoy them, but they often don't really retain much or get out of them the things that readers are "supposed" to get out of them. Which is totally fine! But is also something to be aware of. Like, someone mentioned Lloyd Alexander's other series... his Westmark series is clearly intended for older readers and deal with complex questions about the nature of war and censorship and types of governments. It's okay for a 7 yo to read them. It won't hurt. But he also might get other good things out of Magic Treehouse or Secrets of Droon or something. Just... food for thought. I think a lot of parents rush their kids away from that level of reading too quickly.

With a kid who is reading that volume of stuff, you need a Lori D. list because she'll list a ton of stuff. But off the top of my head...

Moomintrolls - fantasy, weird, silly and fun
The Saturdays - since you said he likes The Penderwicks
Edward Eager's Half Magic series - great older fantasy
Freddy the Detective - dog detective, old fashioned series
A Series of Unfortunate Events - weird and dark but in a fun kid way
Lemoncello's Library series - and Grabbenstein's other books - fun real world fantasy series
Winston Breen series - a fun puzzle mystery series
Books of Elsewhere - fun fantasy series

I assume he's tackled Harry Potter and maybe Percy Jackson?
 

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Has he read any of the Ron Roy mystery series? My 8yo loved these series:

A-Z Mysteries (26)

Calendar Mysteries (13)

Capital Mysteries (at least a dozen)

She also loved the Happy Hollisters. There are about 33 of those.

If I think of anything else, I'll post some more!!!!

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Thanks everyone for your ideas...sad that many we have read but maybe he'd like to read again.  Thanks for your words of encouragement and I guess I shouldn't worry too much I was just trying to see if there was more out there I am not aware of.  ? Yes you are right he loves mysteries.  We have done the Saturday's too because of his Penderwicks love.   And yes, Lori D is awesome!  

Lloyd's Alexander books -The Chronicles of Prydain    I am unfamiliar with so will check out is there anything questionable for a 7 yr. old to read? 

I am looking into the Redwall series too, looks promising.  Thanks so much!!

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4 minutes ago, CTVKath said:

Has he read any of the Ron Roy mystery series? My 8yo loved these series:

A-Z Mysteries (26)

Calendar Mysteries (13)

Capital Mysteries (at least a dozen)

She also loved the Happy Hollisters. There are about 33 of those.

If I think of anything else, I'll post some more!!!!

Yes he has I forgot to mention he has finished the capital mysteries and read some of the a-z mysteries but I haven't heard of the Hollisters....will check out!  (wow they look great!  never saw those before thanks for the suggestion!)   I was hoping to find good literature rich books but not sure if I'll find that in a series.  ?  Thanks everyone!

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Has your son read the Sugar Creek Gang series? We haven't read them yet but they are on my list to find used.

A couple of other series that we haven't tried yet but are older and would eventually be on my son's list. (He's 6 and barely out of CVC.) These are also older books.

Tom Swift

Rover Boys

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W

1 hour ago, CTVKath said:

Has your son read the Sugar Creek Gang series? We haven't read them yet but they are on my list to find used.

A couple of other series that we haven't tried yet but are older and would eventually be on my son's list. (He's 6 and barely out of CVC.) These are also older books.

Tom Swift

Rover Boys

He has read some of the Sugar Creek Gang series but wasn't hooked.  ?  May try again....I am going to look into the others you have mentioned.  You all are awesome!  Great ideas!!

 

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For resources of book lists check out Jim Treleases Read Aloud Handbook, Honey for a Child’s Heart, and the Read Aloud Revival blog/podcast. Yes, these are geared toward reading aloud but you will get lots of ideas as to what ages books are geared toward. 

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I guess I'm a little flummoxed. There are hundreds of books that we've named. Your 7 yo has really read most of them - not just the series like the Rob Roy books and the Magic Treehouse level stuff (which, of course a 7 yo could have read hundreds of those... they're so short) but also the series that are thicker, like the Little House books and the Moomintrolls and all the Great Brain books and all the Roald Dahl books and all twenty or so 39 Clues books and so forth? Elizabeth Enright, the Melendy books, the Narnia books, all the Harry Potter books... really? Because, if so, wow. You've got a reading machine on your hands! There are always more books... but I'd just keep cleaning out the library if he's really read everything we're naming. Nothing in the middle grades section will hurt him. If yours is one of those evil library that combines MG and YA books, make the librarians check everything, I guess. Most libraries don't, but I have heard of a few that do.

 

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27 minutes ago, Farrar said:

I guess I'm a little flummoxed. There are hundreds of books that we've named. Your 7 yo has really read most of them - not just the series like the Rob Roy books and the Magic Treehouse level stuff (which, of course a 7 yo could have read hundreds of those... they're so short) but also the series that are thicker, like the Little House books and the Moomintrolls and all the Great Brain books and all the Roald Dahl books and all twenty or so 39 Clues books and so forth? Elizabeth Enright, the Melendy books, the Narnia books, all the Harry Potter books... really? Because, if so, wow. You've got a reading machine on your hands! There are always more books... but I'd just keep cleaning out the library if he's really read everything we're naming. Nothing in the middle grades section will hurt him. If yours is one of those evil library that combines MG and YA books, make the librarians check everything, I guess. Most libraries don't, but I have heard of a few that do.

 

 

He has read quite a large amount...he is one of those kids who I have to tell to stop reading and go do something else because if left he would just read ALL day!  I haven't heard of the Moomintrolls, Great Brain books or the 39 clue books you mentioned so will have to do some digging there and I won't allow my kids to read Harry Potter...but as to the others yes he has done most.  I am interested in a few of those older series you all mentioned and am so excited to check out if I can find them.  ?  I also found at the library the Redwall series which he has not done along with Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander and Freddy the Detective so will try those.  Thanks for all of your ideas...you guys are great!!

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He has gone through the Cul de Sac Kids (loves these and still rereads them over and over...um why?)

 

Because repetition is comfortable, and it also helps him learn.

You might try some of the following:

Crunch

Clementine

The Year of the Book

The Year of the Dog

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher

 Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen

Alvin Ho

Bobby the Brave

The Midnight War of Matteo Martinez

Save Me a Seat

The Great Shelby Holmes

Stef Soto, Taco Queen

Lola Levine Is Not Mean

Lowji Discovers America

How Tia Lola Came to Stay

 Bayou Magic

Seaglass Summer

Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh

Strawberry Hill

Gertie's Leap to Greatness

Dog Days: The Carver Chronicles

Zapato Power

Ruby Lu, Brave and True

Horrible Harry

EllRay Jakes

Calvin Coconut

Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities

Milo and Jazz Mysteries

Nikki and Deja

The Stories Julian Tells

Clubhouse Mysteries

Clayton Byrd Goes Underground

Dragonbreath

Also, some graphic novels:

El Deafo

Amulet (can be a little scary)

Squish

Babymouse

Chad and Mal

Bone

Astronaut Academy

Cardboard

Zita the Spacegirl

Amelia Rules

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Geronimo Stilton 

The Warriors series by Erin Hunter

Goosebumps by R.L. Stine

Charlie Joe Jackson series by Tommy Greenwald

Frank Einstein series and Time Warp Trio series by Jon Scieszka

Animal Ark series by Lucy Daniels

Vet Volunteers series by Laurie Halse Anderson

American Chillers series by Jonathan Rand

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They aren’t technically series but anything by Beverly Cleary, Dick King Smith, or EB White would be appropriate and they are good. Don’t forget non-fiction. Just go to the library and pick a subject.

I have a boy who is a reader like that. Fortunately he didn’t/doesn’t mind rereading books. He has been a voracious reader since he was 6 and he’s now 10, we have not run out of books yet. 

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