Reading recs needed for 9yo DD...

[aleutsi]

For the longest time, she was stuck on Fairy books. She was even hesitant to try the Magic Treehouse books from Debra... but I bribed her to get her started ($ for each book read)... now she can't stop with them (and no longer cares about the bribe). She's constantly giving me (unasked for) oral book reports. Telling me how she wants to write to the author (oh, she's on a first name basis with her now... the other day I mentioned something about authors learning all they can in life, even taking notes, so they can have things to write about.. and she said "Oh, like how Mary knew about the rain forest?") and a few times coming to me about how she would have structured a sentence differently, or used another word in place of one the author used.

BUT these books are a breeze for her to read, she can read one book in about 3 dedicated hours (which is a fast pace for her and her lazy eye problems). I'd like to introduce her to something a little meatier when she's finished with these books (1-28).

I asked if she'd be interested in Harry Potter, but she said the movies were too scary for her and she doesn't want to read the books. Obviously I don't want her to get frustrated with reading, so nothing too hard. And I'm not planning to ban this series, there are plenty of "easy" books left for her to read, I just want her to also read things more challenging from time to time... or if not more challenging, maybe just longer.

She likes fairies and magic, obviously.. but she's also loving the historical fiction in these tree house books and has commented on how cool it is that they are pretend characters doing both real and unreal things. She also loves the brother/sister interaction... "Mary did a good job showing how brothers and sisters interact with each other". So maybe she'd be willing to stray away from the more fantasy type books now. And if not, I can always bribe her again... once she gets into the story, it's really hard for her to put it down, LOL!

[Bickery]

Boxcar Children? Lots of sibling interaction there!

Warriors was/were really popular in my dd's 3/4th grade class.

I love Betsy/Tacy -- there are just a few and they are not formulaic as are so many other serieses.

[indigo]

For the longest time, she was stuck on Fairy books. She was even hesitant to try the Magic Treehouse books from Debra... but I bribed her to get her started ($ for each book read)... now she can't stop with them (and no longer cares about the bribe). She's constantly giving me (unasked for) oral book reports. Telling me how she wants to write to the author (oh, she's on a first name basis with her now... the other day I mentioned something about authors learning all they can in life, even taking notes, so they can have things to write about.. and she said "Oh, like how Mary knew about the rain forest?") and a few times coming to me about how she would have structured a sentence differently, or used another word in place of one the author used.

BUT these books are a breeze for her to read, she can read one book in about 3 dedicated hours (which is a fast pace for her and her lazy eye problems). I'd like to introduce her to something a little meatier when she's finished with these books (1-28).

I asked if she'd be interested in Harry Potter, but she said the movies were too scary for her and she doesn't want to read the books. Obviously I don't want her to get frustrated with reading, so nothing too hard. And I'm not planning to ban this series, there are plenty of "easy" books left for her to read, I just want her to also read things more challenging from time to time... or if not more challenging, maybe just longer.

She likes fairies and magic, obviously.. but she's also loving the historical fiction in these tree house books and has commented on how cool it is that they are pretend characters doing both real and unreal things. She also loves the brother/sister interaction... "Mary did a good job showing how brothers and sisters interact with each other". So maybe she'd be willing to stray away from the more fantasy type books now. And if not, I can always bribe her again... once she gets into the story, it's really hard for her to put it down, LOL!

Enid Blyton: http://www.amazon.com/Faraway-Tree-Collection-Enid-Blyton/dp/0603560733/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214262921&sr=8-1

you can find it cheaper than this.

[hamamelis]

Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede. Seriously. DD loved them. (As did I- so sad when the last book ended)

Thora (about a mermaid) (2 or 3 book series)

Emily Windsnap (another mermaid) (3 book series according to DD)

[lunita]

Which fairy books has she read? If she hasn't read the Disney Fairies and Fairy Realm, that might be a good direction to head in.

Spiderwick? They've got fairies/magic and siblings.

Judy Blume really nails sibling/family interaction in the Fudge books. The first is Tales of a Fourth Grade nothing.

I have Debra's Droon books, and if you think your dd might like them, I can mail them to you http://www.tonyabbottbooks.com/secrets_of_droon.html

Judy Moody and "Stink" are cute. From what you've said about your daughter, I think they might really appeal to her.

[KMP]

Has she read "The Doll People" by Ann Martin yet?

[Kari]

Do you think she might be interested in the Little House on the Prairie books? Also, there is a series of historical fiction book for girls her age called the "Dear America" series that might catch her fancy.

:-)

For the longest time, she was stuck on Fairy books. She was even hesitant to try the Magic Treehouse books from Debra... but I bribed her to get her started ($ for each book read)... now she can't stop with them (and no longer cares about the bribe). She's constantly giving me (unasked for) oral book reports. Telling me how she wants to write to the author (oh, she's on a first name basis with her now... the other day I mentioned something about authors learning all they can in life, even taking notes, so they can have things to write about.. and she said "Oh, like how Mary knew about the rain forest?") and a few times coming to me about how she would have structured a sentence differently, or used another word in place of one the author used.

BUT these books are a breeze for her to read, she can read one book in about 3 dedicated hours (which is a fast pace for her and her lazy eye problems). I'd like to introduce her to something a little meatier when she's finished with these books (1-28).

I asked if she'd be interested in Harry Potter, but she said the movies were too scary for her and she doesn't want to read the books. Obviously I don't want her to get frustrated with reading, so nothing too hard. And I'm not planning to ban this series, there are plenty of "easy" books left for her to read, I just want her to also read things more challenging from time to time... or if not more challenging, maybe just longer.

She likes fairies and magic, obviously.. but she's also loving the historical fiction in these tree house books and has commented on how cool it is that they are pretend characters doing both real and unreal things. She also loves the brother/sister interaction... "Mary did a good job showing how brothers and sisters interact with each other". So maybe she'd be willing to stray away from the more fantasy type books now. And if not, I can always bribe her again... once she gets into the story, it's really hard for her to put it down, LOL!

[Bonny]

the American Girl books are very popular with my girls lately (nt)

[ecilA]

I'm readnig one that my 10 year old dd really wanted me to read. It is potentially scary I guess in that it deals with overcoming a bad situation but I thought I'd mention it and when I searched for the author found that it will be coming out in movie form in a third of a year. Anyway, The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau is the book and there are 3 other books in the series.

As for classics (which is my usual area of knowledge lol) has she tried Anne of Green Gables? In the fantasy genre The Chronicles of Prydain was a favorite of mine though maybe easy reading for her. Now I'm brain farting on older books. How about Sea of Trolls? The Bartimaeus Trilogy?

[ellis]

The Great Brain books by John D. Fitzgerald are historical fiction and very entertaining.

My 10-year-old likes books about young people doing exciting/brave things - or maybe I just like those and keep giving them to her. She enjoyed all the American Girl books in the Kit and Molly series. They are fairly easy but fun.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsberg
Because of Winn Dixie
Holes

For things with more of a fantasy element there's
Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards (yep, THE Julie Andrews)

Also
Half Magic

[victoria]

I was going to suggest Spiderwick, too. D and I just finished reading them. He read the first 4 Harry Potter books and I wish he had stopped with number 3 (he read them when he was still 7 yo). The Spiderwick Chronicles are short and easy reads, to me it was like one book divided into 5. Also it is about 3 siblings and their adventures with faeries.

Um. We have been reading The Great Brain here too, and I love those books. I read them when I was about 10. So fun.

Donna Jo Napoli writes really cool books based on fairy tales. A lot of her books are more YA fiction and have stuff I wouldn't want a 9 yo to read, but she has J books too...
http://www.donnajonapoli.com/elementary.html
The Prince of the Pond and its sequel(s? oh I see it's a trilogy) were really cute and fun, based on the frog/princess/kiss story but from the frog's point of view. It could be a little difficult for your dd (it was for my son, I don't think he finished it) because she writes the language the way the frog would say it and it's not exactly standard English.

(OT, I know) I love her YA books for me, check them out:
http://www.donnajonapoli.com/ya.html
I haven't read all of these, must go to library website and see if more of them are available. Spinners and Zel were the first 2 of her books I read and I really liked them. I read Bound without reading the back cover or anything and it was a fun surprise to figure out what the story was referencing.

[stickcow]

Clarice Bean was a hit with my daughter. It's not fantasy, but she still got sucked in.

I'm at work right now and can't think of the others.

There's one about a family of giants she enjoyed too.

She loves the American Girl books.

What I do when I can't figure out what she might like to read is to hit Bookpeople here in austin. There is a genius working the children's department. I went in and told him how old she was, and her reading level, and that she liked girlie books/fantasy and everything he's suggested she loved.

Our big problem was that she was 7, and reading on a much higher level, but didn't enjoy the topics. She was in love with Junie B Jones, but would finish a book in 30 minutes.

[ecilA]

Did anyone mention redwall yet? It's not fairy but it's fantasy, a bunch of woodland creatures in a semi medieval setting. The coolest part (many think) is the food, it all sounds very delish even if we (humans) wouldn't actually eat any of it.

[Bickery]

Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede. Seriously. DD loved them. (As did I- so sad when the last book ended)



I grabbed the first couple from the library for DD. :fingers:
When she starts rereading things like Avalon (http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Avalon-Quest-Magic/dp/159315013X/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214754189&sr=8-7) :nono: I take action! :shockfunny: