Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Recommended Resources Need book recommendations for a 4 yo....

I am in desperate need of book suggestions for my DS, who turned 4 this summer. The problem is that I don't think there is anything that will challenge him with reading, at least not that he is able to comprehend. So at this point, any type of chapter book or series that is interesting would be good. If there was something like the Junie b. Jones series only for boys that would be good. Right now he is currently reading Runaway Ralph (our first big chapter book). Mostly we read it together but sometimes he reads a chapter on his own. He is also recently into Shel silverstein and reads those on his own as well (for some reason he never wants to read these ones together...unless he finds them particularly funny and then wants me to read them out loud). He likes books like Mr. Putter and Tabby, and Nate the Great, and Henry and Mudge...but we have read them all and they are Way to easy reading for him. He likes the magic school bus, and magic tree house sometimes. But unfortunately even though he can read them... I don't think he comprehends books made for 5th or 6th graders and the content is questionable. We have read a lot of the ones suggested from some of my best friends are books.

Any other suggestions?? We make regular trips to the library so I am up for anything.

Geronimo Stilton, Melvin Beederman. My DS7 loved Junie B. Jones - it's not really a "girlie" book. How about magazines? Highlights, National Geographic for Kids, Ranger Rick? We had a post about a month or so ago that asked this same question. You might search for it. Lots of great ideas there.

ETA: Oh, and we found some fun books by Brian Cleary. They're about parts of speech. One of them is "A Mink, A Fink, and a Skating Rink" or something like that. He has a whole bunch of them and they're all rhyming and silly.

Well, it's not quality literature, but DS loves the Secrets of Droon series. They are listed at AR levels from 3 to 4.

DD used to love Berenstein Bears books. They are not chapter books but the reading level is probably 3rd or 4th grade.

Definitely I will look for the other post. I figured someone must have asked that at some point. I will have to check Junie b. jones. He read a couple cam jansen ones and liked it and we got a Ramona book just for fun, so you never know.

I will have to check out the other suggestions as well. The Brian Cleary seems right up his alley. He practically came out of the womb interested in rhyming, LOL. Thanks!

never heard of secrets of droon. Is is scary? DS does like berenstein bear books. We have read a ton...but there are a ton more so I should get more of those.

Mrs. Pigglewiggle, and Captian Underpants.

You might try reading to him "A Phantom Tollbooth" and see if it holds his attention.

Smiles,
Grinity

There's nothing graphic, but DD thought they were scary at that age. DS5 doesn't seem to be bothered by them. It's of the good vs. evil fantasy genre.

Take a look at the Magic School Bus series and the Magic Tree House series. The first covers scientific adventures. And the second covers historical adventures.

Ah, good thread! A few chapter books that my DS5 enjoys and has for a while:

- Horrid Henry series (Francesca Simon)

- Worst Witch series (Jill Murphy): this is clearly for girls but he didn't mind, probably as the covers aren't pink :-)

- Flat Stanley

We find that fiction is not where DS gets his reading challenges, though: any fiction that's interesting and not too scary for him is easy for him to read. His challenges come from non-fiction reading, mostly science books/magazines/websites, some aimed at adults.

But also, the great thing about the library is that it's fine to get things without knowing whether they'll be hits or not, so I recommend encouraging him to pick things up and not putting him off if they're apparently inappropriate. We've had some surprising successes.

The most surprising perhaps was not from the library: I was reading Seamus Heaney's Beowulf translation - which is fantastic, btw. DS asked what it was, and on hearing that it was a story involving monsters and a dragon, wanted to hear some. We ended up reading the whole thing aloud to him, to his great delight (and ours: reading it aloud definitely adds something). Apparently scary things aren't scary if they're in poetry, or something.

Cap't Underpants- Pilkey 3-4th grade level- the cap't underpants is a little cheeky (no pun intended), they are about the misadventures of two boy who like to play pranks. They hypomtise there principal and he becomes cap't underpants and bad guys show up and the two boys, with the help of cap't underpants somehow always save the day.

Ricky Ricotta- Pilkey 2-3rd grade level A boy mouse and his robot fight bad guys and always save the day, usually learn a lesson.

There are about 9 books in each series.... they are pretty cheep, they have them at target.

DS7 Loved both of those at that age.