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My DS nearly5 has become obsessed with chess. He got the game "No stress chess" 10 days ago and since then has played 1-2 hours every day - today it was more like 3-4 hours. He wakes up and the first thing out of his mouth is "Can we play chess?" And instead of reading at night he just wants to play chess. Does anyone know a good book that we can read to him that has a fictional character that enjoys playing chess? Or some other story about chess that might be enticing? Or something else that is about chess but maybe in a math/ science/ etc. kind of way ? Thanks!

Hi, Licorice!

Just off the top of my head, there's "The King's Chessboard" by David Birch (which is actually more about exponential doubling than about chess), and of course Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass."

I will think a bit, and see if I can turn up a couple more for you. (Wish you lived nearby and your son could give my son a game!!)

peace
minnie

Hi Minniemarx,

Thanks for the great recommendations - I will be off to the library tomorrow to get them and hopefully get DS to read them with me.

It would be fun for our sons to play with each other :*) - my own chess skills have improved a lot (starting from near zero) as I have become the main 'sparring' partner for my son. :*)

Another quick thought--I think I'm the last person in the English-speaking world who hasn't read them, but isn't there some sort of chess (wizard's chess or something??) in one (or more?) of the Harry Potter books?

I'm drawing a bit of a blank about other kids' books--there are some wonderful adult things (I've mentioned the wonderful "The Flanders Panel" by Arturo Perez Reverte in another thread...and of course there's Nabokov--"The Defense," I think?--haven't read that one, but I suspect pretty heavy going--and for a movie, apart from "Searching for Bobby Fischer," there's Bergman's "The Seventh Seal," none of which are too much use for a five year old!!!)

Sorry not to be more use....

mm

You certainly are not the last person in the English-speaking world that hasn't read the HP books - we can share that place :*)

Thanks for your help!

Just saw a book that might be interesting " Alex and the Wednesday Chess Club" by Janet Wong. It's about a four year old that loves chess until he gets defeated and then stops playing until he gets to 3rd grade and picks up the game again after not doing so well at football. The book is about the lessons about life expressed via the game of chess. It's written for kids aged 4 to 8 years old.

The site also mentions that there are not that many fictional books for kids about chess. :*(

I wish I had a bunch of ideas to offer you. I was doing the same search a few years ago, and didn't find much. I second MM's recommendation for "The King's Chessboard" by David Birch. My DS6 and DS8 still read that book from time to time.

I just looked on our library's website, and there were a couple books that came up. I'm unfamiliar with them, but here goes, "Mort the Sport" by Robert Kraus: And "How to Survive a Totally Boring Summer" by Alice DeLaCroix:

I'm not sure if you're interested in a basic book on chess, but "The Kids' Book of Chess" by Harvey Kidder was one my kids enjoyed when they were first interested in the game. It has some explanations of the pieces (not just the moves but what each piece equates to -- like the pawns being the serfs/foot soldiers, etc...), and some basic info about attack and defense and a description of Blitzkrieg.

As far as Harry Potter, it does have wizard's chess in it, and frankly when DS8 (then 6) first read it, he was most fascinated with the scene in the first book in which chess plays a big part. I wouldn't say that chess is a big theme in the series, though. And you'd have to make the call if your DS is ready for it. Frankly, I long for the day when I don't hear, "Hey, Mom, in the xth book of Harry Potter..." from one of my boys. *lol*

Good luck in your search.

Mama22Gs,

Thanks for the book titles - I was able to put a hold already on one of the books at our local library.

I have also just found " Charlie and the Chess Set" by Duane Porter which sounds interesting, too.