Books to Read to a Nine-Year Old Boy

[ouisey]

My son and I like to read together every night. Right now we're half-way through the Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper.

I'd like to start reading books to him that are a little more thought-provoking. I think we're going to read Animal Farm by George Orwell next, and then maybe To Kill a Mockingbird.

Can anyone else recommend any good literature to read with a child? Nothing too frightening, but something that provokes discussion about weightier matters as we read it.

[Mr. Moto]

I think discussing books with your son is wonderful, but are you just reading to him? Or is he reading books as well?

At age nine I was doing all of my own reading, though I wasn't discussing books with my parents much. That came much, much later, when I was reading more adult fare.

I think a shift to a more "book club" approach might be fun. You can read the books at the same time, yet separately. Then you can get together and talk about them.

Thanks for the idea. I'll have to try it with my kids.

[ouisey]

He's an avid reader on his own as well. Its amazing how interested kids are in reading when they're not allowed to watch TV:)

We read together for about a half-hour everynight. Sometimes he reads to me, and other times I read to him. Its been a nice bonding time for both of us since he was very small.

[Spudo]

Terry Pratchett's children's books are quite good. The Wee Free Men, it's sequel A Hat Full of Sky and The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents. I've only read the first two but enjoyed them quite a bit (I'm 20). The first two deal with a young girl as she learns to be a Witch. Along the way she gets help and protection from a band of drunken little blue men, the Nac Mac Feegle. Pratchett presents and deals with meaningful ideas and situations in rather goofy ways. Plus they're a good intro into the Discworld series of books!

[Mockingbird]

So many books to read:

Final Exit - Derek Humphries
The Amityville Horror - Jay Anson
The Anarchist's Cookbook - Anonymous
In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
Sybil - Flora Rheta Schrieber
It - Stephen King
Flowers In The Attic - V.C. Andrews
The true crime books of Ann Rule
The Joy of Painful Sex
How to Roll a John for Fun & Profit

[cher3]

If you haven't done them already The Hobbit and maybe even The Lord of the Rings are fun. He could probably also handle some Twain or Dickens.

[monstro]

My fifth grade teacher read "The Incredible Journey" to us, and I still remember how much I looked foward to reading time.

In my sister's class, the teacher read "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voight. It's a sad story (mother goes bonkers and abandons her kids) but it's a good one too.

My mother always told us stories that she had made up. No offense to the children's authors out there, but my mother's stories were the best because they were so crazy. Since my sister and I were doing our own reading, it wasn't a big deal to get "read to" (especially at nine and ten-years-old). My mother's stories were as entertaining and educational as any "real" story, but better because there was a limitless supply of them. I don't think she ever read us a single book.

[SaxFace]

I recommend "Summer of the Monkeys", I think by Wilson Rawls. It's about a young boy in the 1800's who spends his summer capturing escaped circus monkeys in his Ozark family farm's woods. There are a lot of nice themes throughout the book and although I have never read it (it was an out loud book by a teacher) I remember it well and fondly.

[Kallessa]

I would highly recommend the works of Katherine Paterson. One of the best known is The Bridge to Terabithia, a moving story of being different, a friendship, and death. However all of her books (at least all that I have read) are marvelous, and often incorporate themes that could lead to a good discussion.

Although often somewhat sanitized when written for a younger reader, biographies are also a great way to lead into discussions--Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, Jesse Owens, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Susan B. Anthony, Sojouner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Clarence Darrow, Cesar Chavez, Joe Hill--the list is endless.

Another source for discussion starters would be looking at the mythology and folk tales of various cultures. I don't have a name off the top of my head, but I remember one book (may be a lower reading level) that had several creation myths in it. There are any number of fine books re-telling the major myths of different cultures, though, so if it interested the two of you, you shouldn't have problems finding them.

And just for fun, if he likes fantasy, the David Eddings books (esp. The Belgarion) are suitable for his age level. The basic "journey to discover who you are" story, it has some fighting, but nothing too gory, a little romance, and enough action to move the story along without sacrificing character development. Not as good a Lloyd Alexander (but similar to the Book of Three series), or Susan Cooper, but much better written than anything by Terry Brooks.

[mlerose]

CS Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia if he likes fantasy
Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game for a sci-fi setting but real-life issues; is also is about super-smart kids who are expected to save the world, taken advantage of by all the adults around them. Very interesting
TH White's The Once and Future King if he likes Arthurian stuff after finishing the Susan Cooper series
Chris Crutcher's Staying Fat for Sarah Burns, another issue book. Very, very well-written
Wilson Rawls' Summer of the Monkeys. A teacher in 7th grade read this out loud to us, but I think it could be appropriate for a 9-year-old.
What about Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn? I suppose it really depends on how mature your son is and what kinds of issues you're willing to tackle while you read together.

I'm glad you read to him. I fully intend on doing the same thing when I have kids.

[Mockingbird]

Lady Chatterley's Lover - D.H. Lawrence
Mayflower Madam - Sydney Biddle Barrows
Death and Dying - Elizabeth Kubler Ross
The Kinsey Report - Alfred Kinsey
Magick Without Tears - Alister Crowley
American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis
The Grifters - Jim Thompson
The Satanic Bible - Anton LaVey
Good Omens - Neil Gaiman and Terry Prachett
Postcards from the Edge - Carrie Fisher

[Ukulele Ike]

Nothing like running a bad joke right down into the ground is there, eh, Mockingbird?

[Syntropy]

They're a little dated, but my kids both loved Edgar Eager's books at that age
Half Magic, The Time Garden, Knight's Castle & Magic by the Lake
Danny, Champion of the World
The Great Brain (all of them)
Wrinkle in Time .
If he's more advanced, you might try the Artemis Fowl series; jr. spy stuff, my boy ate it up. Also The Thief of Always by Clive Barker which was surprisingly age appropriate (I've read his adult stuff *shudder*). Same with Stephen King's Eyes of the Dragon.

[Mockingbird]

Nothing like running a bad joke right down into the ground is there, eh, Mockingbird?

Bad joke?

Hmph.

I guess some of us care more about having a well rounded child than others.

:D

[Mr. Moto]

He's an avid reader on his own as well. Its amazing how interested kids are in reading when they're not allowed to watch TV:)

We read together for about a half-hour everynight. Sometimes he reads to me, and other times I read to him. Its been a nice bonding time for both of us since he was very small.

Cool, thanks. Our twins get no TV as well. This is, however, easier to enforce at age 20 months. :D

I'll just sit back and watch the recommendations roll in, in that case.

One thing I found at that age was that books and magazines about activities I liked doing were very interesting. Around age ten I got a very good book about fresh and saltwater fishing for my birthday, right at a time when I was doing lots of fishing with my grandfather. I read that particular book quickly, and then reread it several times.

[Dung Beetle]

Nothing like running a bad joke right down into the ground is there, eh, Mockingbird?
Right in the OP she says she's going to read the kid How to Kill a Mockingbird. I'm not surprised Mockingbird has other suggestions!

I never miss a chance to recommend the Lemony Snicket books. My seven and twelve year old are devoted to them.

[Risha]

I'd recommend anything by Garth Nix (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0064471969/qid=1091143683/sr=8-13/ref=pd_ka_13/103-5576104-6402244?v=glance&s=books&n=507846), though Amazon lists some of them as 12 and up, so you might want to take a peek at the library before giving it to a nine year old. (Personally, I was reading far more adult fare much younger, but everyone has different standards. Nix is nothing bad or very gruesome, just kind of scary.)

Also, anything (aside from her one adult book) by Diana Wynne Jones (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0064473562/qid=1091144015/sr=1-7/ref=sr_1_7/103-5576104-6402244?v=glance&s=books), especially if he enjoys Harry Potter.

Both authors are excellent writers, and create unique, fascinating, and detailed fantasy worlds. I still count the two books listed above as some of my favorite novels.

[Peter Morris]

I'd like to start reading books to him that are a little more thought-provoking. I think we're going to read Animal Farm by George Orwell next, and then maybe To Kill a Mockingbird. .

good choice.

[AveDementia]

I've been looking up a kids version of the story of Shacketon's Voyage, but without any luck. It would be perfect. It's got adventure, danger, survival, human ingenuity and best of all no one dies. Being set in Antartica it's far enough away not to be too scary, but still be exciting.

Endurance by Alfred Lansing is excellent, but the vocabulary might be a bit advanced for a nine year old. It's a page-turner from beginning (http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/078670621X/ref=sib_dp_pt/104-9685944-6202326#reader-link) to end.

Maybe in a couple of years?

[masonite]

Nine isn't too old to read to kids, of course, but he's approaching the age where he ought to be reading on his own. Do you ever read half a chapter to him, then let him finish on his own if he want to?

I advise pushing the envelope, as well. If Narnia doesn't interest him, how about the first book of the Space Trilogy? My dad read that one to me when I was way too young for it, and it instilled a lifetime desire to expand my horizons and reading abilities.

The best method to encourage child reading, in my experience, is to set an ABSOLUTE lights-out policy, then ignore the light you see under the door. :)

[ouisey]

So many books to read:

Final Exit - Derek Humphries
The Amityville Horror - Jay Anson
The Anarchist's Cookbook - Anonymous
In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
Sybil - Flora Rheta Schrieber
It - Stephen King
Flowers In The Attic - V.C. Andrews
The true crime books of Ann Rule
The Joy of Painful Sex
How to Roll a John for Fun & Profit


I thought about Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates but somehow I think the phrase "I'll fuck you til you bleed blue guts" isn't quite suitable for a boy his age.

[ouisey]

And just for fun, if he likes fantasy, the David Eddings books (esp. The Belgarion) are suitable for his age level. The basic "journey to discover who you are" story, it has some fighting, but nothing too gory, a little romance, and enough action to move the story along without sacrificing character development. Not as good a Lloyd Alexander (but similar to the Book of Three series), or Susan Cooper, but much better written than anything by Terry Brooks.

He's read the Lloyd Alexander books on his own, I'm happy to report. Its funny you mention David Eddings because I was just wondering if he might like the Belgariad. Its been close to 20 years since I've read them, but I don't think I remember anything unsuitable in them. I've also been thinking of recommending Feist's Riftware saga to him.

[jbarro]

Elementary school teacher chiming in here - I think it's fantastic that the OP is still reading aloud to a 9 year old. Too many people give up on that special time as soon as their child learns to read. What better way to: A) express the importance and value of reading; B) model advanced reading behaviours and critical thinking about literature; and C) expose the child to wonderful books that they cannot yet read independently?

Some book suggestions:

Any of Gordon Korman's books. For example, You Can't do that at Macdonald Hall and the rest of that series are hilarious fun. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0590326457/qid=1091324551/sr=8-6/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i6_xgl14/002-8076846-8380035?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
His adventure books, such as the Dive or Everest trilogy, are excellent adventure stories with lots of topics to discuss such as the ideas of bravery, fairness, etc.

I'll try to think of some more tomorrow. . .

[jbarro]

Elementary school teacher chiming in here - I think it's fantastic that the OP is still reading aloud to a 9 year old. Too many people give up on that special time as soon as their child learns to read. What better way to: A) express the importance and value of reading; B) model advanced reading behaviours and critical thinking about literature; and C) expose the child to wonderful books that they cannot yet read independently?

Some book suggestions:

Any of Gordon Korman's books. For example, You Can't do that at Macdonald Hall and the rest of that series are hilarious fun. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0590326457/qid=1091324551/sr=8-6/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i6_xgl14/002-8076846-8380035?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
His adventure books, such as the Dive (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0439466148/qid=1091324551/sr=8-4/ref=pd_ka_4/002-8076846-8380035?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) or Everest (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0439405068/qid=1091324551/sr=8-3/ref=pd_ka_3/002-8076846-8380035?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) trilogy, are excellent adventure stories with lots of topics to discuss such as the ideas of bravery, fairness, etc.

I'll try to think of some more tomorrow. . .

[jbarro]

Sorry for the double post :smack:

[dalej42]

I've read throgh this entire post. Did I not see any Judy Blume? Judy Blume's books are a must for every kid. Start with the Fudge books, but allow your kid to read the teen ones as he gets older.
I'll exempt the 3 or 4 she has written for adults.

How about the Bible? Regardless of anyone's religious beliefs, an understanding of the Bible will help any student.

[QuarkChild]

When I was about 8 years old, my father read The Chronicles of Narnia and A Wrinkle in Time to me. Neither could be described as educational, although the latter promotes respect for science and math. They both have Christian references in them, but they are pretty subtle--I didn't catch on to the Christianity aspects until I re-read the books as an adult. I also recommend The Midnight Fox. I think that would make a wonderful story to read aloud.

If you want something a bit more literary, how about The Little Prince?

Oh, and I second the nomination for The Once and Future King. I read it in 7th grade and loved it. I think it would be suitable for a nine-year-old.

[Jinx]

My son and I like to read together every night. Right now we're half-way through the Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper.

I'd like to start reading books to him that are a little more thought-provoking. I think we're going to read Animal Farm by George Orwell next, and then maybe To Kill a Mockingbird.

Can anyone else recommend any good literature to read with a child? Nothing too frightening, but something that provokes discussion about weightier matters as we read it.

If your son is handling such books at age nine (not ninth grade?), then I'd think you'd both enjoy "Watership Down" by Richard Adams. It is an enjoyable tale of rabbits faced with real-life morale decisions and political issues. It is not a frightening story. I think you won't be able to put this book down! Give it a try!

If he is age 9, he'll also enjoy "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" but Scott O'Brian, IIRC. Very interesting tale of ingenious problem solving. It's a Newberry Award winner. I enjoyed both books...at different ages.

Oh, "The Push-Cart War" is another light-hearted novel about real civic issues when the age trucks push out the old-time pushcarts of NYC. I forget the author!
- Jinx

[QuarkChild]

Oh yeah--"Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH"--that's one of my favorites.

By the way, I would hold off on reading Animal Farm until the boy learns Russian/Soviet history. I had to read that book in 9th grade, and I missed most of the references because I really didn't have a good idea of Stalin's place in history, and didn't have the vaguest clue back then who Trotsky was. Of course, one can read the book without understanding the historical context, but that seems kind of pointless. If you want to introduce him to Orwell, I would suggest 1984 as a more accessible choice. On a related note, Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is very accessible as well.

Unless, of course, your son already knows about the history of the Soviet Union, or you are willing to give him the necessary background.

[Kallessa]

He's read the Lloyd Alexander books on his own, I'm happy to report. Its funny you mention David Eddings because I was just wondering if he might like the Belgariad. Its been close to 20 years since I've read them, but I don't think I remember anything unsuitable in them. I've also been thinking of recommending Feist's Riftwar saga to him.

I worked in a bookstore and often had to recommend fantasy for kids and I never had a complaint about Eddings, plus one of my nephews liked fantasy and his parents were a bit picky (more about violence than sex--but then, I can't offhand think of a really sexy fantasy). I think Feist is a great choice as well, the only problem may be keeping all the characters straight. The companion books written by Janney Wurts (Servant of the Empire) are also very good.

A classic that I always loved is the Count of Monte Cristo, and it has several themes that could lead to good discussions--envy, revenge, slavery, justice, prison, and the list goes on. The Three Musketeers is another good one. They could be difficult for him to get through on his own, but as read-aloud books, they should be okay.

If he does enjoy the King Arthur legend, I'll add to The Once on Future King, the Merlin series written by Mary Stewart (The Crystal Caves; The Hollow Hills; the Last Enchantment; This Wicked Day). The first two are the best, the last one is about Mordred and I never thought it matched the others as well. She does treat the legend in a rather adult manner (Arthur has all the male babies killed after he learns he fathered Mordred, and Merlin is the illegitamate son of a noble woman, for example). Rosemary Sutcliffe on the other hand, goes to the historical roots of the legend and The Sword At Sunset portrays Arthur as Romanized Briton who unites the various kings through his position as Warlord in the on-going wars against the Saxons. Sutcliff has several historical fiction books written for juveniles--several about Roman Britain, and a few a bit later in British history, and I always enjoyed them.

And if he does like this type of historical fiction, Cecelia Holland (in my opinion the best historical fiction author) has writen several juveniles as well as her adult stuff. Her adult stuff is often very psychological and so may go right over a nine-year old's head, but her books for younger readers were excellent--there's one about Fredrick Barbarossa that I particularly remember.

I suppose that I should confess that I've never really gotten the distinction between children/adult books once the reading level ceases to be an issue, so some of my suggestions may sound a bit strange. My Mom's theory on what we all read was that if we didn't understand it, we'd get bored and not read it, and if we understood it, there was no reason for us not to be reading it. As a result (especially since two of my sisters were much older) I started reading adult books and classic literature pretty young. My recollection is that sexual themes went right over my head for years--I got a shock when I re-read certain books in high school or college! So, with that caveat, I hope at least of few of my suggestions get a chance. ;)