Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Mother daughter book club book?

Anne of Green Gables?

I loved the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series when I was her age. It's 3rd grade level and has not so subtle sub text about the importance of bathing, eating your veggies and so forth.

http://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Piggle-Wiggle-Betty-MacDonald/dp/0064401480

Here's another wonderful series my DD loved :http://www.amazon.com/Dealing-Dragons-Enchanted-Forest-Chronicles/dp/015204566X

It's very girl positive although it is 4th grade level.

Let us know what you pick and how it goes. Sounds like fun. This is making me look forward to our book this summer - Joy Luck Club and our Chinese cooking experiences.

The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper. I've read them all again at least twice as an adult. They might be a year or two too old for her right now in terms of literary complexity, I'm not a good judge of what a 3rd grade reading level is.

Others childhood books I've pondered checking out from the library again recently are the Princess and the Goblin (can't remember the author) and The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews. I also liked The Little Princess. I don't remember liking the Secret Garden as much.

There is a series of books marketed for ages 9 and up called The Mother-Daughter Book Club. Each book in the series has the mothers and daughters in the story reading one of the classics (like Pride and Prejudice, Anne of Green Gables, etc.) as part of a book club, and each story also mirrors the book they are reading. So, for instance, what is happening in the lives of the girls is similar to what is happening in the lives of the characters in the books they are reading (but on a preteen level). My DD10 read them last year and loved them, and they have served as a jumping-off point for her to start reading some of the classics.

I second the poster who mentioned "Island of the Blue Dolphins." My DD8 and I are reading it together now. We have also learned all about the geography of the west coast, the different tribes, all the wildlife. It has been a great starting point for her to explore lots of other topics. I found a study guide online that we have used as a discussion starter. Best of all, it has really brought us closer together as mother and daughter.

Some other favorites . . . Phantom Tollbooth, Where the Red Fern Grows (a great book but can be rough for sensitive kids), The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (as suggested by another poster), The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander, Mr. Poppers Penguins, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, My Side of the Mountain.

My DD loved anything by Kate DiCamillo- The Tale of Despereaux, Because of Winn Dixie. She also loved one called "The Name of this Book is Secret." Have to admit I didn't read it, but she loved it. It's part of a series.

I am enjoying reading everyone's suggestions. This is giving me some great ideas for our next book to read together.

Absolutely second The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles -- one of my favorite books of all time, even now! Some other really excellent ideas above.

How about Beverly Cleary books? Ramona is very popular now with the advent of the new movie, and there are several books about her. Also Henry and Ribsy, and Ralph the Motorcycle Mouse.

The Shoes books are excellent and I always loved them, still do. Ballet Shoes, Theater Shoes, Skating Shoes, Circus Shoes, etc., by Noel Streatfeild.

Paddington books are good as well, and the Tee-Bo series about a talking dog, and the Moomintroll books.

I can't wait till DD5 is old enough for some of these -- they're all sitting on her shelf or in boxes, waiting for her interest to catch up! :-)

I'm doing this with my son right now. He's six and we just started Roald Dahl's The Witches! So far it is working well and I read a chapter or two ahead and plan a little activity we do together. He was so into it today that he forgot about wanting to play Wii!