I have a daughter in sixth grade who is a voracious reader, though not as far ahead of herself, grade-wise, as yours. Going back a year or so, she was very fond of Gary Paulsen, who writes books about children surviving on their own in the wilderness. (Hatchet is one title, there are others I can’t think of just now.) She also very much enjoyed Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech.
When I was 9 or 10 I was entranced by Louisa May Alcott’s novels. I loved the stories and I also enjoyed decoding the old-fashioned language. Just recently, I reread Eight Cousins and Rose in Bloom. It was absolutely delightful.
I just flagged down my daughter to ask for recommendations. She suggested Sharon Creech, Phoebe Stone’s All the Blue Moons at the Wallace Hotel, Mildred D. Taylor (Roll of Thinder, Hear My Cry and Let the Curcle Be Unbroken), and Kevin Henkes’ Words of Stone. (Henkes also writes wonderful picture books for younger children-Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse, Chester’s Way, etc.)
Darnit! You guys have mentioned almost everything that I was going to say!
The Phantom Tollbooth: Best book ever, IMHO. The Westing Game: Great, fun, engaging book. I just re-read it.
**Anything Roald Dahl. Well, any kid’s book by him, anyway. :eek: **
I would also recommend the John Bellairs books–The House With the Clock in its Walls is the first in a series. These were so much fun.
Oh, and How to Eat Fried Worms.
Y’know, at this point, I would caution against giving her too much serious/challenging reading. Mix it up and make sure she reads some easy and fun stuff, too. That will help establish the reading habit.
Please let us know if she reads any of the suggested books and if she likes them!
One of the many reasons that I love my fellow Dopers: You guys have already listed almost all my favorites!
You hit upon a topic near and dear to my heart. I have already begun collecting all the books that I loved as a child so my niece (and my own children, when I get some) can enjoy them. Some of the ones I loved best from childhood are kind of hard to find now, some are out of print. Still, a resource like Half.com can get you hits on many of them. Books that I consider childhood necessities (that haven’t already been mentioned) include:
The Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books by Betty MacDonald - kind of old-fashionedy, to the point of not being especially PC, but I still love them . . . The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks The Owlstone Crown by X.J. Kennedy - out of print, but if you can find it . . . Jumanji and anything else by Chris Van Allsburg - they’re mostly picture books, but they’re beautiful . . . The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsberg Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall The Neverending Story by Michael Ende Superfudge, et al. by Judy Blume
Again, let me say thank you!. So many great-sounding suggestions. If we’re not careful, she’ll have her reading list set out until her sophomore year at college!
I was going to suggest Little House on the prarie series, the Chronicles of Narnia, Judy Blume books, and Charlotes Web.
Those are the ones I started with at her age.
All of the others suggestions are great, and have kind of helped me out a bit also.
Now, are some of those books going to be good for an 11year old that has already read things like Interview with a Vampire, and the Mists of Avalon. She is the one I have a hard time buying for, and she always has her nose in a book.
No wonder we are spending a fortune on glasses for her.
Diana Wynne Jones writes excellent stories. A child will enjoy her children’s stories…and so will an adult. In the US, you’ll mostly find her books in libraries, for some reason. I’ve had to be very quick to pick them up at a book store.
Her books are mostly fantasies set or connected with this world. I credit Jones for giving my dyslexic daughter an incentive to read for pleasure. I read aloud to my daughter from the time she was quite small (I think I started when she was about 3 months old) and Jones’ books are long enough that I’d read chapters, rather than the whole book. But Lisa wanted to find out what happened next…so she actually picked up the books and struggled through them. A child who already loves to read will likely devour these books.
And make sure that you read them yourself! Many writers who target adults don’t tell stories half as well.
Can’t believe nobody’s mentioned The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. She probably won’t absorb everything, but she’ll love the book enough to read it again and again.
Another one of my favorite children’s books is Escape To Witch Mountain. Forget the lame Disney movie made out of it, the book is a kid’s sci-fi classic.
Classic books. Generally adventure-type stuff. Kidnapped, Robin Hood, 1001 Arabian Nights, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, etc. All hard-bound with color-plate illustrations, mostly by N.C. Wyeth. Beautiful books that will last, and all good reads. My folks read 'em to me when I was a wee one, and I plan on doing the same.
Swallows and Amazons
Arthur Ransome. Several groups of kids growing up in England (the lake district) and then sailing about the world. I can’t remember if all of them ever meet or not, but the books are all loosely connected. Wonderful, in my opinion. Seven of them, if I recall correctly.
Pretty much all my other favs have been mentioned. Particular seconds to the Green Knowe and Dark is Rising suggestions.
Oh, and this sounds rather horrible, and I apologize to Tsugumo, but do her a favor, and keep her away from the Dragonlance. The very first few were merely so-so, and the rest are horrid. Perhaps they’ve picked up since then, but I doubt it. There is so much better fantasy out there that she could read.
I had the same problem with the only “Dark is Rising” book I read-- its philosophy was too vague and shapeless, though it managed to connect to the real world by using physical symbols.
A couple of good books that haven’t been mentioned are The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet, by Eleanor Cameron, and The Trolley Car Family (by another Eleanor, Eleanor Clymer)- not to be confused with The Railway Children, by E. Nesbit- anything of Nesbit’s is good. And don’t forget Hans Christian Anderson, and Grimm; preferably in the most politically incorrect, least watered-down versions. Aesop and LaFontaine, too. Doctor Dolittle! Freddy the Pig, if you can find him at the library; I personally wouldn’t pay $16.95 per hardback copy.
Zenster, the book you’re likely thinking of is “The Good Master” by Kate Seredy (anything by her would be great for a bright kid to read). Folks should probably start with “The Good Master” and then move on to “The Singing Tree” which happens later in the series. To learn more about Kate Seredy and her work, try: http://www.oklahoma.net/~silvrdal/seredy.html
of course, how could anyone forget, DUNE one of the best sci-fi books ever written.
I would go against Jodi and alonicist. I thougouhly enjoyed those books as a child. The Dark is Rising is a great series.
Also not recomended yet is Robert Zelazny’s Amber series. We have one poster named after it, Arden Ranger and it’s a very well written series as well.
I would stay away from the xanth books. The first ones are good, but the devolve rapidly into pre-teen smut.
I suggest anthing by Tamora Pierce, especially the Lioness quartet. Also the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede, Madeline L’Engle’s books, Tanith Lee’s Black Unicorn, any books by Ann Rinaldi if she likes historical fiction, One of my all-time favorite books is Juniper by Monica Furlong.
OLDSCRATCH – Just to reiterate, I didn’t say I wouldn’t let my kids read The Dark Is Rising, I said I wouldn’t let my seven year old kid read it. Twelve, yes; ten, maybe; seven, no.
Wow, hearing all these suggestions makes me remember what I loved to read.
I agree with Jodi on The Westing Game and Ellen Raskin’s other books like: The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel), or Figgs & Phantoms
I also agree with Edwardina about The Never Ending Story Which is infinitely better than the movie. Also, much like Enderw24’s idea, with The Princess Bride (Another classic) Both of these are great to read to her or have her read to you. One of my good friends read The Neverending Story to me last summer and it was an experience that I’ll never forget.
For a BIG list of some of the best children’s literature ever written check out http://www.ala.org/alsc/newbpast.html and http://www.ala.org/alsc/newbery.html they lists of the Newberry Award(For Excelence in American Literature for Children) winners all the way back to 1923. When I looked at the list I saw some of my all time favorites like ** Adam of the Road**,Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, and **The Whipping Boy **.
Now, I have a question for everybody. When I was young I read a story about a boy who was entered in a Fried Chicken Eating Contest, and drove around the country in a car shaped like a pickle. As crazy as it sounds I know this book existed, but I can’t remember the name for the life of me. It was a lot of fun and made a good break from all the “Serious Literature” (as serious as childrens books get anyway) that I read. Another good break was, the Sideways Stories from Westside School I still read them.
One of my all-time favorite books is Juniper by Monica Furlong.