Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Recommended Resources Book recommendations: age 6-8

Hi everyone - I have been asked to create stickies for threads with lists of book recommendations gathered from member posts for different age ranges (0-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, 13+). Here is the thread for the 6-8 age range.

Thanks for setting these threads up, Mark!

I am the "moderator" of the 6-8 list, which means that if people make suggestions for books in this age range, I will edit this post to add them to a master list, so they are all together on the first page. Feel free to post your suggestions, and also any suggestions for list format, etc. I will link to the book on Amazon if I can find it there.

Books for gifted kids aged 6-8
Fiction
the Secrets of Droon series by Tony Abbott
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
Jenny and the Cat Club (and others) by Esther Averill
Poppy and others by Avi
Basher books series by Simon Basher
Oz series by L. Frank Baum
The Penderwicks (series) by Jeanne Birdsall
The World According to Humphrey series by Betty G. Birney
The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black
Faraway Tree series and others by Enid Blyton
Paddington Bear (and others) by Michael Bond
Secrets Series by Pseudonymous Bosch
Green Knowe series by L. M. Boston
Flat Stanley series by Jeff Brown
The Miniature World of Marvin and James (and others) by Elise Broach
The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley
Lauren Ipsum by Carlos Bueno
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Ruby Redfort: Look Into My Eyes by Lauren Child
anything by Beverly Cleary
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
Eleanor by Barbara Cooney
How to Train your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell
The Adventures of Vin Fiz by Clive Cussler
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
The BFG by Roald Dahl
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl
Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl
George's Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl
The Lemonade War and others by Jacqueline Davies
The Secret Science Alliance by Eleanor Davis
26 Fairmount Avenue and sequels by Tomie DePaola
City of Ember and others by Jeanne DuPrau
Half Magic (and others) by Edward Eager
The Saturdays (and others) by Elizabeth Enright
The Familiars series by Adam Jay Epstein
My Mom the Pirate by Jackie French
The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester
Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
My Father's Dragon (and others) by Ruth Stiles Gannett
The Fairy Doll by Rumer Godden
The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden
Asterix comics by Rene Goscinny
13 Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths
The Genius Files and sequels by Dan Gutman
George’s Secret Key to the Universe by Stephen and Lucy Hawking
”B” is for Betsy (and others) by Carolyn Haywood
Redwall and others by Brian Jacques
Finn Family Moomintroll (and others) by Tove Jansson
Toys Go Out series by Emily Jenkins
We Can’t All Be Rattlesnakes by Patrick Jennings
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
The Secrets of Hexbridge Castle and sequel by Gabrielle Kent
The Water Horse (and others) by Dick King-Smith
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Galaxy’s Most Wanted by John Kloepfer
Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson
Catwings (and others) by Ursula Leguin (be sure to preread, as this author spans a very wide age range)
A Wrinkle in Time and others by Madeline L’Engle (first book is also available as a graphic novel).
the Narnia series by CS Lewis
The Year of the Dog and others by Grace Lin
Pippi Longstocking (and others) by Astrid Lindgren
Dr Dolittle series by Hugh Lofting
The Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace
Gooney Bird Greene series by Lois Lowry
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (and others) by Betty MacDonald
Dragon Slayer's Academy by Kate McMullan
Wildwood and sequels by Colin Meloy
The House at Pooh Corner (and others) by A.A. Milne
Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat
While Mrs. Coverlet Was Away and Mrs. Coverlet’s Magicians by Mary Nash
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head by Bill Peet
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
Nick and Tesla’s High Voltage Danger Lab and sequels by Bob Pflugfelder and Steven Hockensmith
Jigsaw Jones by James Prellar
Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve and Sarah Mcintyre
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and others by J.K. Rowling
The Lighthouse Family (and others) by Cynthia Rylant
Alec Flint series by Jill Santopolo
The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka
Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor series by Jon Scieszka
A Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
To Catch a Mermaid (and others) by Suzanne Selfors
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
A Whole Nother Story series by Cuthbert Soup
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Geronimo Stilton series by Geronimo Stilton
All of a Kind Family (and others) by Sydney Taylor
The 13 Clocks by James Thurber
Dragonbreath series by Ursula Vernon
Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Calvin and Hobbes comics by Bill Watterson
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
Little House in the Big Woods (and others) by Laura Ingalls Wilder (some of the later books in the series may not be of much interest to younger kids)
Tailchaser’s Song by Tad Williams
Dealing with Dragons and sequels by Patricia Wrede

Non-fiction(ish)
This list includes stories that are technically fiction, but their primary purpose is to teach instead of to tell a story. This separation was a judgment call, and I’m willing to move books from one category to another if asked
Beast Academy math books
The Day-Glo Brothers by Chris Barton
Tell Me a Picture by Quentin Blake
The Elements: The New Guide to the Building Blocks of Our Universe by Jack Challoner
The Magic School Bus books by Joanna Cole
Phineas L MacGuire series by Frances O’Roark Dowell
The Great Scientists by John Fardon (no luck finding this on Amazon – any more hints?)
Did Fleming Rescue Churchill? by Jamies Cross Giblin and Eric Brooks
The Elements and Mad Science by Theodore Gray
Where's Wally series by Martin Handford (do you mean Where’s Waldo? No luck finding Wally on Amazon)
Horrible Science series
Horrible History series
Junior Genius Guides
Muse magazine
Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas by Jim Ottoviani
Q is for Quark by David M Schwartz
G is for Googol by David M Schwartz
You Can Count on Monsters by Richard Evan Schwartz
Encyclopedia Brown by Donald Sobol
Human Body Theater by Maris Wicks (graphic novel)
Banker to the Poor by Muhammad Yunus (prereading recommended as it touches on sensitive subjects)
Science Comics series by Various

Read aloud suggestions
I'm keeping these separate on the list for now, but any of the above books might be read-alouds if you prefer
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones (7 books in this Chrestomanci series)
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein

Thanks Mark and ElizabethN!

Roald Dahl Books:
James and the Giant Peach
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The BFG
Matilda
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
Danny the Champion of the World
George's Marvelous Medicine

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (and others)—Betty MacDonald
The Spiderwick Chronicles--Holly Black
The Night Fairy—Laura Amy Schlitz
Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, The Trumpet of the Swan—E.B. White
Owls in the Family--Farley Mowat
Beverly Cleary
Pippi Longstocking (and others)—Astrid Lindgren
My Father's Dragon (and others)—Ruth Stiles Gannett
Finn Family Moomintroll (and others)—Tove Jansson
The Lighthouse Family (and others)—Cynthia Rylant
All of a Kind Family (and others)—Sydney Taylor
Jenny and the Cat Club (and others)—Esther Averill
Half Magic (and others)—Edward Eager
The House at Pooh Corner—A.A. Milne
The 13 Clocks--James Thurber
Mr. Popper's Penguins
the Narnia series--CS Lewis
Catwings (and others)—Ursula Leguin
Paddington Bear (and others)—Michael Bond
Little House in the Big Woods (and others)—Laura Ingalls Wilder (some of the later books in the series may not be of much interest to younger kids)
The Fairy Doll—Rumer Godden
The Story of Holly and Ivy—Rumer Godden
A Cricket in Times Square--Selden
the Secrets of Droon series--Tony Abbott
DragonSlayer's Academy--Kate McMullan

Detective Series:
- Droon Series (Abbott)
- Jigsaw Jones (Prellar)
- Encyclopedia Brown (Sobol)
- Geronimo Stilton (Stilton)
- Boxcar Children (Warner)

Fantasy Series:
- How to Train your Dragon series (Crowell)
- Flat Stanley series (Brown)
- Dragon Slayer Academy series (McMullan)
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; The Glass Elevator (Dahl)
- Oz series by Baum

Talking Animals:
- Dr Dolittle series (Lofting)
- My Father's Dragon trilogy (Gannett)
- Cricket in Times Square (Selden)
- Jungle Book (Kipling)

Classics for read alouds:
- The Hobbit (Tolkein)
- Narnia (Lewis)
- Peter Pan (Barrie)
- Moby Dick (Melville)

Question for the moderator. There are a number of books that easily fit into more than one category. Should we post it to both? For example a lot of 8-12 year old fiction, is good for this age for a very advanced reader or as a read out loud but still good for kids 8-12.

I think it should probably be posted in both.

I will add the rest of the books suggested, but it will probably take me a little while to look them all up on Amazon. Posting with links would make my job shorter, but it's not a requirement.

I am also soliciting suggestions for breaking the main list up into categories, as I can see that it is already really too long.

Dealing with Dragons -- Patricia Wrede

Read outloud or advanced readers
-------
The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones
(7 books in this Chestomancy series)

Picture books with more text
-------
The Dragon who Lost his Head,
Eleanor -- by Bill Pete
The Stinky CHeese Man & Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Sciekska & Lane Smith

Science/Math
----------
Magic School Bus Books by Scholastic
Q is for Quark
G is for Google by David M Schwarz, Kim Doner

Junior Genius Guides -- seems to be a newer series, written by a man who held a record in Jeopardy! winnings. DS7 loves them.
http://pages.simonandschuster.com/juniorgeniusguides

The Miniature World of Marvin & James, also Masterpiece by Elise Broach