I our never ending search for new books for DS7, I came across a copy of 20,000 leagues under the sea. DS loved it and has told everyone he knows that they should read it.

I was recently chatting about my childrens//YA favorite books of all times. I will admit that some of these were 'read aloud' to DS14 at a much younger age, but I enjoyed and remembered them.

Lois Lowry books, such as:
1993 The Giver, winner of the 1994 Newbery Medal
2000 Gathering Blue
2004 Messenger
2006 Gossamer
or by Jerry Spinelli,
Stargirl 2000
Maniac Magee 1990
Loser 2002
or Bruce Coville's
Series
Magic Shop

The Monster's Ring. Aladdin (1989). ISBN 0671693891
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher. Aladdin (1992). ISBN 0671747827
Jennifer Murdley's Toad. Aladdin (1993). ISBN 0671794019
The Skull of Truth. Aladdin (1999). ISBN 0671023438
Juliet Dove, Queen of Love. Harcourt (2003). ISBN 0152045619
Space Brat 2: Blork's Evil Twin
Space Brat 3: The Wrath of Squat
Space Brat 4: Planet of the Dips
Space Brat 5: The Saber-Toothed Poodnoobie
Rod Albright Alien Adventures

Aliens Ate My Homework
I Left My Sneakers in Dimension X
The Search for Snout (Aliens Stole My Dad in the UK)
Aliens Stole My Body

This batch is a bit tougher to chew:
Annals of the Western Shore is a children's book series by Ursula K. Le Guin. Each book has different main characters and settings, but the books are linked by some recurring characters and locations. Gifts won the PEN Center USA 2005 Children's literature award.[1] Powers further won the 2008 Nebula Award for Best Novel. [2]

It consists of three books:

Gifts, 2004
Voices, 2006
Powers, 2007

Here's one lovely enough to read aloud to the whole family:
Seedfolks (1997) is a novelette written by Paul Fleischman,
and by Gail Carson Levine, Dave at Night (1999)

The Phantom Tollbooth is a children's adventure novel and a modern fairy tale published in 1961, written by Norton Juster and illustrated by Jules Feiffer, who wrote, A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears.

Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time?
Love and More Love,
Grinity

I'm sure these have come up before, but DD7 and I are reading "George's cosmic treasure hunt" by Stephen and Lucy Hawking and she is eating it up.
It got her thinking so much that I now have to find an astronomy professor at the local university who is willing to talk to her about some of the ideas brought up in it because I do not know the answers to her questions, and I know that some of the questions don't have answers yet, but she's not willing to believe me that even the astronomers don't know some of the answers yet!
We already read George's secret key to the universe and she loved that one too.

Has anyone read any of the books from the "Secret Series" by Pseudonymous Bosch
such as "If you're reading this, it's too late"
http://www.amazon.com/Youre-Reading-This-Late-Secret/dp/0316113689/ref=pd_sim_b_1

looks like an interesting series to read and wasn't sure what others thought and the appropriateness for a 6yo.

Shellymos
It sounds terrific! My DS almost 5 would love it so i hope someone sounds in about appropriateness. On amazon they relate it to lemony snicket which has too much stuff I am not sure mine is ready for. He does get afraid of things, but sometimes it's just that he can't stop thinking of them. I have sort of decided that right now for chapter books I can't move him up, he is loving the magic school bus chapter books, but the chapter books older than this all have inappropriate elements, school kid relationships he doesn't get yet or hasn't experienced. In the George books by hawking he was distracted by the great story and didn't pay much attention to the bullying. But in science books, I am, constantly looking for more depth in a format that still appeals to him visually. Wow did I get long winded for a I haven't seen it yet, but love the suggestion, sorry!!!

DeHe

Secret Series by Bosch is a fun read for kids. It depends if your child is bothered by talks of death or not and bad guys. My DC didn't like bad guys last year but we've introduced them a bit and this year, not a problem at all. Really enjoyed the series.

lol DeHe, I can't figure out if DS is bothered by any of that stuff. He doesn't seem to be...but we haven't delved into certain things that I don't think he is ready for. Although he has read many books that I haven't yet. I just got him Phantom Tollbooth a couple days ago and he is almost done, and he is almost through the second book of the mysterious benedict society that he is reading with DH at night. We also read the george books and he really liked them a lot. We haven't read Harry Potter and some of those books though because I am not sure he is ready for that. It's so hard to know and I don't have time to read every book first.

Thanks Jesse, we may be brave and try it. Maybe I will order the first one and read it before Christmas and give it to him if I think it is okay. Is there actual death, or talk of death? Is there lots of violence?

shellymos, if he's read mysterious benedict society 1,2 then I'm thinking he'll be fine with the secret series. I think the benedict society books were heavier in terms of moral issues and possible violent scenes

there is an assumption of death and talks about it, but of course, the story has a twist. You'll enjoy reading it!

thanks Jesse, I really don't know much about the mysterious benedict society other than the fact I read the first couple chapters on my own and a few chapters here and there with DS. He loves the series though. I am looking forward to reading a series with him. DH always gets the good parts : ) He has read the last couple books with him, so it's definitely my turn. I will have to check this one out. Thanks again.

We just found the Eva Ibbotson books. They remind me of JK Rowling meets Roald Dahl.