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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 73
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 73 |
Oh I am so excited to find this thread! What a great idea! We are all book fiends at our house, and finding quality books of an appropriate reading and interest level can be so challenging. I especially appreciate people including notes on scary topics for sensitive kids.
I second the Magic Tree House Series suggestion. Those are the books that really got my DD5 excited about reading on her own. She just couldn't wait for me to be available to read to her. We have found that a few of them have topics too scary for her such as ghosts and mummies, but they are easy to avoid.
For science enthusiasts, I recommend the Magic School Bus chapter books. (Not the MSB picture books, though those are good too for a lower reading level.) They are at a slightly higher reading level (~grade 3.5) than the Magic Tree House books and are packed full of science facts. They are about a class of students who often take magical field trips in their school bus with their eccentric teacher. Each book concentrates on one topic such as space, bones, or bats. My DD5 is very sensitive to scary topics and has not been bothered by any of these books.
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 182
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 182 |
Let me say again, I love this thread! My DH, on the other hand, may not be so thrilled when he sees the latest Amazon charge.  Thanks, everyone!! Also, for parents of boys: I find this website interesting ( http://www.guysread.com/) but I wish the suggestions were better organized by reading ability level.
Mom to DYS-DS6 & DS3
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 229
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 229 |
STORY/PICTURE BOOKS:
1) Burt Dow, Deep Water Man by Robert McClosky (IMO the smartest childrens book ever written-)
2) Henry Builds a Cabin and others in the series (cute simpel storeis based on H.D.Thoreau.)
3) Miss Rumphius
4) Amos and Boris by william Steig (also Brave Irene)
5) The little red lighthouse and the great gray Bridge
CHAPTER BOOKS
Most Roald Dahl (all about 4th grade level, very funny books):
-George's marvelous Medicine
-The Twits
-The BFG
-James and the Giant Peach
-Catwings - about 2-3 grade level, very sweet, great for boys or girls and animal lovers
-Gooseberry Park- Cynthia Rylant
-Dinotopia- James Gurian - original beautiful picture books (with very challenging and interesting text)..
-Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
happy reading
irene
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 155
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Posts: 155 |
We are using the "easy" version of the classics - though depends on what age and whether the parent finds the material appropriate. Good ones for boys so far have been: Robin Hood, Oliver Twist, Moby Dick, Dracula;
I've heard Diary of a Wimpy Kid is good for around 8-9 yrs old that like humor?
I would also look for easy versions of Count of MonteCristo and anything by Victor Hugo. No need to shy away from the classics!
The Green Book is also a neat story on Amazon - about a family that have to leave earth for a new planet.
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 229
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Posts: 229 |
The easy versions of the classics have interested me too. I'm split between giving them those, or having them listen to audio books of the "real thing".. The original Peter Pan (not sure of author, i think his name is JM Barrie) book is a tough tough read- full of British-isms, etc. I just purchased the audio book of it and am curious if my DD7 will have interest in it and be able to absorb some of the vocabulary this way. He loved listening to the unabridged versions of: The BFG, Trumpet of the Swan, James and Giant Peach (after reading book), and Matilda. We have many other audio books but those are the favorites so far. But Peter Pan would be a much bigger deal since i think it runs about 8 hours.
irene
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,917
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Another one for boys. I see that Roald Dahl has been mentioned quite a bit, but no Charlie. My DS5 asked the other day if we could buy Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (the sequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), because he loved it so much. We didn't like the Chocolate Factory quite as much, but that's good too. The main reason DS loves the Glass Elevator is that it involves space wars against the Vermicious Knids, shape-shifting blobs that can destroy pretty much anything (but the glass elevator is Vermicious Knid-proof, and they burn up if they enter the Earth's atmosphere). The Vermicious Knids have come up in many of DS's own stories.
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 229
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Posts: 229 |
iagree with st pauli girl, "charlie" gets the most attention but i feel other dahl books are even better, not so spoiled by hollywood giving us images of what it should look like!
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 312
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Posts: 312 |
We loved "The Twits" and "The BFG" by Roald Dahl but I have to say to use caution with "James and the Giant Peach" for the sensitive kids out there. My son didn't make it thru the first chapter. Diary of a Wimpy kid was EXCELLENT for any one who has dealt with being the underdog! I just called hubby to pick up the "Glass Factory" book. I forgot about that one. Thanks StPauliGirl. We also love the "Captain Underpants" and "Flat Stanley" and "Roscoe Riley Rules" series about boys who seem to find themselves in trouble a lot. 
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 229
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Posts: 229 |
yes i should have mentioned James and giant peach starts out with the shock of the boys parents being eaten by a rhino loose from the zoo. My son read it AFTER "The enormous crocodile" and other Dahl books so he was accustomed to the comedy/tragedy elements. He still can not watch most Disney movies so he is also sensistive. This should be discussed prior to reading any Dahl.
irene
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 282
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My kids are both huge fans of Roald Dahl--I think the BFG has been the hands down favorite.
For a read aloud, the Narnia series was good for our DS. It's not my style, so DH read it to DS7 (who was 6 at the time). I got a good deal on the entire set on CD (yay for clearance sales!) and we have been listening in the car (generally when we have longer drives to make). So far we've made it through the first 3 books. It's been a good way for me and my DD to get on board with the series so that we can have it in common with DS.
Speaking of DD....My voracious reader, who was always reading (and finishing) seveal books as once, is suddenly having a hard time connecting to books. She has read a couple of short books this summer and has been working her way through Grimm's Fairy Tales, but has mostly been picking books up, reading a chapter or two, and then abandoning them with a sigh. I'm not sure if it's just that nothing is measuring up to the last book we read, or what's up. Has anyone else had a similar experience? DD is just shy of 10.
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