Desperately need suggestions for books to read to kid!

[MorningGlow]

Okay folks, despite the fact that I was an English major in high school, college, and grad school; taught school for one whole year (!) :P; and am a writer by trade, including fiction...I have exhausted all my ideas for what to read to MG Jr. (boy, 7) at bedtime. Seeking suggestions, but before you pony up, be aware that I think he's too young for the "DU go-to for all book threads", To Kill a Mockingbird. :evilgrin:

Perhaps some of the menfolk can make suggestions about their favorite books when they were little? I admit that I had my nose in girlie stuff like Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and Cherry Ames for so long that I likely missed out on some good boy stuff. MG Jr. likes fantasy and humor. Tends to zone out with older, more formally written books, but has patiently put up with me reading some of the classics to him and likely can handle more.

For reference, we have worked our way through the following already:

- the Harry Potter series (twice)
- the Narnia series
- the Percy Jackson series (thinly veiled Harry Potter copycat, but with Greek gods--amusing in its own right)
- A Wrinkle in Time
- The Phantom Tollbooth
- both Alice books
- James and the Giant Peach (I'm considering more Dahl)
- Charlotte's Web
- the Pippi Longstocking books
- Harriet the Spy
- the Ramona books
- Half Magic
- the Paddington series
- all the Pooh books

I'm sure there have been more; those are just off the top of my head.

Right now we're in the middle of The Hobbit.

So...what am I missing? :hi:

[BurtWorm]

1. Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson

[MorningGlow]

2. Cool

I've never heard of it--will check it out. :hi:

[BurtWorm]

6. Here's a link

http://www.moomintrove.com/014030150X-1-detail.htm

[HopeHoops]

3. There are always the Hardy Boys books. I still have my DAD'S copies.

They're bound in a sort of dark tan cover. The ones I got as a kid had a 70's cover that was blue I believe. They're in a box right now. The stories are a little dated, but still engaging and there are a shitload of them.

A series my kids all loved was The Magic Tree House - a little lower reading level, but a good one when he starts curling up in a corner with a book and ignoring you for hours.

[MorningGlow]

13. True

They bored me, but again, I was looking for books with more of a girlie bent when I was young, so I only read one or two HB books before I gave them up. (And I've never really been a big mystery fan.) I have some lying around somewhere, maybe in my mom's attic, that my aunt gave me when her sons grew up. They are the blue front/yellow back ones like my Nancy Drew books, but I remember seeing the tan ones from the '40s in my neighborhood library when I was little!

A friend of mine also recommended the Magic Tree House books, but I'm with you--I think he should read those on his own when he's a little more adept.

Thanks! :hi:

[HopeHoops]

36. The A to Z Mysteries were also popular with my kids.

They're 15, 17, and 19 now (all girls).

[MorningGlow]

38. I was also thinking of Encyclopedia Brown

I enjoyed those when I was young even though I wasn't a huge mystery fan. I'm not sure how interested MG Jr. is in mysteries, but the only way to find out is to try one, right?

Ooh ooh I also just answered my own question--remembered How to Eat Fried Worms! Right up a little boy's alley--grossness.
:rofl: :puke:

[cyberswede]

67. My kiddo LOVED Encyclopedia Brown at age 7

My son is 10 now (and a voracious reader). I read him an Encyclopedia Brown book when he was in first grade, and he loved it so much he checked out every other EB book at the library. We also bought every one we could find whenever we were at consignment shops.

He particularly liked trying to solve the mysteries - and reading the solutions in the back of the books.

[Sweet Freedom]

4. ummm....

The Trumpet and the Swan
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Stuart Little
A Cricket in Times Square

How about the Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket? There are at least 13 books.

[MorningGlow]

16. Oh yeah, Lemony Snicket!

I've been scouring the old classics for so long I've forgotten about the new classics that I've never read! :)

We did read Stuart Little and The Mouse and the Motorcycle books too--forgot to list those!

All good suggestions. Thanks! :hi:

[MilesColtrane]

5. "The Mad Scientists' Club"

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_23?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+mad+scientists+club&sprefix=the+mad+scientists+club

[MorningGlow]

19. Neat

I totally missed out on these. I think he'll like them, judging by the descriptions! Thanks! :hi:

[jcboon]

One of my favorites

[jcboon]

69. One of my favorites

[era veteran]

7. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Was written as a serial so is a good chapter reader.

[MorningGlow]

21. I had moved my copy to his bookshelf

But I wasn't sure he'd like it. I might give it a try, though. A lot of classics he resists in the beginning he ends up loving.

[Richardo]

8. Carl Hiaasen's young reader books: Particularly "Hoot"

All the funny without the adult language - nice environmental message too, as well as a 'new kid in school' plot.

[MorningGlow]

24. Ooh, good idea

I remember Hoot from my years as a bookstore slave--er, employee. Thanks! :hi:

[Richardo]

30. Ha! That's where I came across it, too -- while I was part-timing at B&N

:hi:

[MorningGlow]

32. Borders slave here!

:hi:

[Lisa D]

9. Here are some of our favorites:

The Mad Scientists' Club
The True Adventures of Charlotte Doyle
My Father's Dragon series

[MorningGlow]

25. Going on the list!

Thanks, Lisa! And welcome to DU! :toast:

[Lisa D]

27. Oops

I meant "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle"

[AngryAmish]

10. Clive Barker

That should keep the little bugger up all night.

[MiddleFingerMom]

22. That was my first thought when I saw your subject line -- a future TV program...

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..."and on tonight's program we have MG Jr, a man who has not slept since the year 2010.
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[MorningGlow]

26. ...

:spank: :rofl:

On edit: He does NOT need any more reasons not to sleep--he's good enough at that already! :P

[AngryAmish]

53. No tears, lil MorningGlow

It is a waste of good suffering.

[MorningGlow]

59. Darn you and your forbidden hotlinks, AA!

You make the dragonfly cry. :cry:

[Fleshdancer]

11. I highly recommend Wolves of the Beyond: The Lone Wolf

My daughter picked this at the school book fair last year and LOVED it. I was curious so I picked it up and couldn't put it down...it's so beautifully written. Since then I've loaned it my book club friends and everyone adores it. There's now a second book to this series which I bought but haven't read yet.

http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Wolf-Wolves-Beyond-Book/dp/0545093104/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1290446069&sr=1-1

Description:

The literary grandchildren of Richard Adams’ Watership Down (1974) proliferate in this complex and nuanced talking-animal adventure. Lasky’s descriptions of a newborn wolf pup’s craving for light, milk, and meat are wonders of sensory economy—immediately you’re invested in his struggle. But wolf custom decrees that he be abandoned to die because of a deformed paw. A childless bear named Thunderheart finds the pup and names him Faolan. Under her guidance, he grows to be unusually strong and savvy. Then a tragic event compels him to seek out his own kind. This is a soulful, searching read consumed with the spiritual journeys of animals and the ethereal connection between slayer and slain. At times it becomes mired in mythos, but when the story lets loose, it pays off, as when Faolan encounters a metalsmithing owl (with connections to Lasky’s Guardians of Ga’hoole series), who rights the wolf’s crooked path. A sedate start to the Wolves of the Beyond series, perhaps, but with an invigorating ending that bodes well for the next volume. Grades 5-8.

[MorningGlow]

28. That sounds good

Thanks! :hi:

[spinbaby]

12. We enjoyed The Penderwicks

Also try The Mysterious Benedict Society and When You Reach Me.

http://www.amazon.com/Penderwicks-Summer-Sisters-Rabbits-Interesting/dp/0440420474/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1290446483&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Mysterious-Benedict-Society-Trenton-Stewart/dp/0316003956/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1290446386&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/When-You-Reach-Rebecca-Stead/dp/0385737424/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1290446422&sr=1-1

[MorningGlow]

29. Kid? Heck, I want to read The Penderwicks myself!

"Nice horsie"--that made me :rofl:

Thanks, Spinbaby! :hi:

[TZ]

14. Defintiely do more Dahl.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Glass Elevator are good.
He might like certain Judy Blume books about Fudge ..I think I read them when I was 9 or 10. Pretty funny
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Judy-Blumes-Fudge-Box-Set/Judy-Blume/e/9780142409060

[spinbaby]

20. Matilda is always good

One of my favorites.

[MorningGlow]

31. I was thinking of picking up the Charlie books

as the next books in our list.

Fudge was good too--enjoyed that myself (I was a HUGE Judy Bloom fan). As long as we don't include Then Again, Maybe I Won't!
:rofl:

[MiddleFingerMom]

15. Any of the series of books about the Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

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He wrote about 20 of them (and there have been another 10-20 "authorized" novels
written since his death.
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"The Road to Oz" was probably my favorite growing up. We had an edition from about
1916 and the pen-and-ink illustrations of the Nome King (who was tunneling UNDER
the desert that protected Oz) scared the shit out of me.
.
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.
This page shows collector's editions -- there are contemporary editions that are
very affordable.
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http://www.rareozbooks.com/Frank-Baum-available-books.html
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And "The Princess Bride"!!! You could be reading an adventure novel to a child about
someone reading an adventure novel to a child.
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[MorningGlow]

33. Yes!

I do have the Oz books on my list in fact. And The Princess Bride--d'oh--how did I forget that?! I've been trying to get him to watch the movie but he hasn't yet. I think I have a copy of the book somewhere, too...must hunt...

Thanks MFM! :hi:

[DebJ]

60. My children saw Princess Bride about that age, and to my

surprise, they memorized almost the entire film. They watched it over and over, and then re-enacted it about the house.

We can no longer say "That's possible"...without one of us saying, "Pig".

Westley: It's possible, Pig, I might be bluffing. It's conceivable, you miserable, vomitous mass, that I'm only lying here because I lack the strength to stand. But, then again... perhaps I have the strength after all.



“You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never to get involved in a land war in Asia. And only slightly less well known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!”


Never get involved in a land war in Asia.........sigh.

[newcriminal]

17. Captain Underpants

[spinbaby]

23. Probably for younger readers

Captain Underpants is great, but interests younger children than are interested in Harry Potter.

[MorningGlow]

34. I have heard those are great

I think I will try to get him to read those by himself. (He resists independent reading--think these might sway him?)

[spinbaby]

18. Oh, one more

The Hunger Games.

http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Trilogy-Boxset-Suzanne-Collins/dp/0545265355/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1290446661&sr=1-1

[MorningGlow]

35. Those are "the next Twilight movies", right?

I've heard they're good. Are they a bit much for a 7YO? Should I wait a little longer?

[Chan790]

39. I think they're too mature for a 7YO, but that's me.

I also got 25 pages in and lost interest.

My advice on kids and books is the same as ever. Start reading it in the bookstore and figure out whether on not you want to child exposed to it. It's the same as TV...you got to know what your kids are watching.

You know all this already, you didn't need me to say it.

[MorningGlow]

43. Yeah--he SAYS he can handle all kinds of stuff

and it's mama who says "Er...no" (although I'm FAR from a helicopter parent). Luckily he's not prone to nightmares and there doesn't seem to be anything that really disturbs him, but I do run interference on some stuff.

[spinbaby]

44. You seem to have a pretty mature 7-year-old

His literary interests are far more advanced than those of my 8-year-old nephew. The Hunger Games is surprisingly not gory, although it is an intense read. Maybe wait until next year.

Oh, have we mentioned Holes?

[MorningGlow]

45. I have unashamedly indoctrinated him in two things

good books and British culture (bonus if a good book is British). My little Anglophile can't wait to visit the UK and proudly wears his "I am the Stig" t-shirt.

I'll keep Hunger Games on my list for later. Holes...yeah, I remember that one! :)

[Chan790]

37. My recommendation would have been The Hobbit...

Beyond that? That's a tougher one...my favorite book when I was that age was {u]Brighty, Burro of the Grand Canyon. by M. Henry. Also I loved some Jack London. O. Henry is awesome and is broken into short stories, though you should read ahead one or two to make sure you skip over the rare one that might be beyond a 7 year old. Ransom of Red Chief is a classic, as is Gift of the Magi(and the holiday season is coming up.) The lighter Dickens (A Christmas Carol).

If he doesn't scare easily, Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories (but not Hound of the Baskervilles. I'm 30 and it still creeps me out. The Red-Headed League is safe for a child, the others read first.) If you think he can handle it, Watership Down.

The Redwall,Inkheart, and Eragon series.

Let me get back to you on this, my best friend's wife majored in Children's Literature in college. It's all she reads for the most part.

[MorningGlow]

41. Exactly!

Authors like Jack London and AC Doyle are what I missed out on in my youth. Mr. MG would recommend Doyle too--he's a big Holmes fan. I know he's got The Red-Headed League around here somewhere...

Thanks also about the fantasy series--I forgot about those! :hi:

[Arugula Latte]

86. I read and re-read all the Marguerite Henry books when I was a kid

Misty of Chincoteague, Black Gold, Born to Trot, Stormy, Justin Morgan Had a Horse, etc. etc.

[Xithras]

40. The Tale of Despereaux

The movie wasn't bad, but the book is much, much better. It's a fun read, and it's broken up nicely so it can be spread out over about a week of reading.

[MorningGlow]

42. Another one I'd forgotten about!

DUers rawk. Thanks, Xithras! :hi:

[Xithras]

47. No problem, I'm borrowing about half this list myself.

Either I or my wife read to our 6 year old every night, and I've run into the same problem. My house has a HUGE library, but half the time I can't find anything interesting to read him.

My teenage son handed me the Tale of Despereaux about a month ago. I'd forgotten about it too, but I'd bought it for him when he was eight, and he loved it so much that it's been in his nightstand for all of these years. It was "his" book, and he didn't want it out on the bookcases. He finally decided to pass it on to his little brother.

So, when I saw this thread, it naturally popped into my head. :)

[MorningGlow]

51. Aw, a family tradition

That's nice. :) Isn't it gratifying to know that your teenage son fondly remembers some of the books you read him?

[Rabrrrrrr]

46. Lolita. Joyce's Ulysses. Mein Kampf. 1983 Chevy S-10 Owner's Manual. Pillow Book.

[Chan790]

48. I find Proust most excellent at putting kids to sleep.

I love it now. At 11. it was boring.

[MorningGlow]

50. To the naughty corner with you

:spank: :rofl:

[Pacifist Patriot]

104. You forgot Lady Chatterly's Lover and Crime and Punishment.

[spinbaby]

49. One more

Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry. I was obsessed with it at around that age.

[MorningGlow]

52. That sounds familiar too

Dang, my list is getting pretty long! (I love it!) :)

[rurallib]

54. How's about something old fashioned like some Mark Twain books?

like Tom Sawyer et al.?
Or maybe some O. Henry short stories. They always made our kids think a bit.

[MorningGlow]

56. I did suggest Tom Sawyer to him just the other day, in fact

He was less than enthused, but I might give it a try anyway.

[surrealAmerican]

100. Even better, how about "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court"?

It's a great read-a-loud: very funny!

Of course, you will first have to read some relatively "straight-up" telling of the legends. I can recommend the books by Howard Pyle. It's a somewhat dated writing style, but your son should not have any trouble with it, judging from what you've already read to him.

[Pacifist Patriot]

105. Great one!

[fizzgig]

55. what about the his dark materials trilogy?

it might be a bit mature for him, but i know nothing about kids. where the red fern grows and summer of the monkeys were two of my favorites when i was younger and i think he's about the right age for the boxcar children series.

you can't go wrong with the fudge books or more dahl, either.

[MorningGlow]

58. Alas, HDM annoyed the shit out of ME

I couldn't make it through the first book. He's gonna have to discover those on his own when he's old enough. :P

My mom read him one of the Boxcar Children books. He was "meh" about it. Might try them again, though.

[Lars39]

57. Artemis Fowl, Indian in the Cupboard

Sherlock Holms, Treasure Island

[distantearlywarning]

61. I LOVED all the Shoes books by Noel Streatfeild

Some of them have some male characters in them, but they might be a wee bit girly for a young boy.

[guitar man]

62. If you can find a copy

"Rackety Boom"

I loved this one when I was a little boy

[hobbit709]

63. Heinlein, Clarke, Asimov for starters.

[TrogL]

65. Avoid later Heinlein

He turns into a pervert after about 1970.

[jcboon]

68. RLS

"Treasure Island"
George MacDonald, "The Princess and the Goblin"
Lloyd Alexander,"The Black Cauldron"(a little intense for 7)
E.B. White "The Sword in the Stone and "The Once and Future King"
P.L. Travers, "Mary Poppins"
Hugh Lofting, "Dr. Doolittle" (the sanitized version)
"The Jungle Book"

[suninvited]

64. do explore more Dahl

the BFG is great. My kids loved it around that age.

I read the Bobbsy (sp) twins and Hardy Boys at that age, too.

[mopinko]

77. james and the giant peach, charlie and the chocolate factory

dahl is great. creepy but sweet.

[TrogL]

66. You can download out-of-print teenager series

like Tom Swift

http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/www/appleton/

[proteus_lives]

70. I always thought the choose your own adventure books were fun.

[MorningGlow]

73. So did I

Kind of a video game before video games! Are they still around?

[proteus_lives]

74. I'm not sure if they make new ones.

But you could probably find a stack of them on the cheap at places like Amazon.

[hedgehog]

71. If he can handle Harry Potter, is he ready to move up to Treasure Island?

Try the Sword in the Stone (The Once and Future King may be too mature.)

[MorningGlow]

72. That one is on my list, yes (Treasure Island)

We did read the first section of The Once and Future King--essentially The Sword in the Stone--up to the point where Wart is reluctantly crowned king.

[applegrove]

75. How about Shel Silverstein's poem. Like the book "Where the Sidewalk Ends".

[Xipe Totec]

76. Scheherazade nt

[pamela]

78. From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler

http://www.amazon.com/Mixed-Up-Files-Mrs-Basil-Frankweiler/dp/0689711816/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

[Arugula Latte]

84. Second this. I loved "Mixed Up Files" when I was a kid.

[mopinko]

79. phillip pullman-his dark materials

the golden compass, the subtle knife, and the amber spyglass. you will love these as much as he will.

[WolverineDG]

80. He might like "Farmer Boy"

Almanzo was about 8 or 9 in that book.

dg

[Arugula Latte]

85. I was going to suggest the Little House books, and Farmer Boy was my favorite.

[csziggy]

81. Rudyard Kipling - The Jungle Books. NOT the Disney version, the originals

My Dad read those to me when I was a kid from the copy his mother read to him when he was a boy.

Walter Farley - The Black Stallion - especially neat for boys since the protagonist is a boy. Walter Farley wrote a whole series of Black Stallion and Red Stallion books. I am not sure how accessible they are these days. Many were re-issued when the movie was released, but they may have disappeared again.

Here are links to Newberry and Caldecot Award books, and books ranked by grade level:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Newbery-Award-Winners

[Dinger]

82. Laura Ingalls Wilder Books

Always loved them, still do & still read them.:)

Start out with Little House In The Big Woods.

On edit, try starting with Farmer Boy. It's based on the life of Laura's husband Almanzo, in northern New York State. It's from a boy's perspective, so he might like that.

[murielm99]

83. Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen

This book seems so real that many people do not realize it is fiction. Even the National Geographic thought the protagonist, Brian, was a real person. They asked Paulsen how to contact the kid for an interview!

This book even gets to kids who don't like to read. It has two "sequels" that your son might enjoy. After you have read "Hatchet," he may ask you to read him anything by Paulsen.

[NuttyFluffers]

87. Bone is a great graphic novel.

the pictures and humor make for great bedtime material.

a surprisingly interesting one would be Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. they do read off a bit better in pieces than all in one go. Hobbit works better for the younger age. more epic adventure w/o all the metaphysical questions.

[distantearlywarning]

88. Oh! Also books by Zilpha Keatley Snyder!

My favorite was The Egypt Game.

[Arugula Latte]

89. The thread is getting long, so I'm not sure if anyone has said "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH"

Loved that one when I was a kid.

Also, "The Mouse and the Motorcycle"

[MicaelS]

90. Rocket Ship Galileo by Robert Heinlein

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_Ship_Galileo

Teenage boys help their genius uncle build a spaceship, fly to the Moon, and fight and defeat Nazis while on the Moon.

Followed by all his Scribner Juveniles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinlein_juveniles

1. Rocket Ship Galileo, 1947
2. Space Cadet, 1948
3. Red Planet, 1949
4. Between Planets, 1951
5. The Rolling Stones aka Space Family Stone, 1952
6. Farmer in the Sky, 1953
7. Starman Jones, 1953
8. The Star Beast, 1954
9. Tunnel in the Sky, 1955
10. Time for the Stars, 1956
11. Citizen of the Galaxy, 1957
12. Have Space Suit—Will Travel, 1958

[GoCubsGo]

91. I always enjoyed the books Marguerite Henry wrote

She was most famous for her books about animals, especially horses. My favorite was "Misty of Chincoteague".

Another that I enjoyed was "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell. It was based on a true story about a young native girl who was stranded on an island off the coast of California for 18 years.

[TZ]

93. She's wonderful

I have an autographed copy of her "Album of Horses" at home.

[MrsMatt]

92. Jonathan Stoud

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartimaeus_trilogy
they are very imaginative, funny, and teaches you to read footnotes!

Madeline L'Engle's other books



oops - forgot
Michael Scott's series "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel"
http://www.dillonscott.com/the-secrets-of-the-immortal-nicholas-flamel/index.htm

Angie Sage's Septimus Heap series
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angie_Sage

[LWolf]

94. Well, let's see:

7 is not too old for picture books. Some favorites I've refused to let go of, even though my sons are in my 30s, my grandson 10:

"Finding The Green Stone," by Alice Walker
Anything by Patricia Polacco and Byrd Baylor
"Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch

Novels:

Any in John Erickson's prolific "Hank The Cowdog" series. Even better, listen to the author read it on CD.

The "Series of Unfortunate Events" books are not my favorites, being too formulaic and too predictable, but kids seem to love them, and they are great vocabulary builders.

"Mrs. Pigglewiggle" books, even though they are old.

The "Danger Boy" books, highly recommended:

http://www.dangerboy.com/

"The Hobbit," of course.

My grandson has enjoyed the 39 Clue series. Me, not so much.

The "Alfred Kropp" books by Rick Yancey

"Chasing Vermeer" and the sequels by Blue Balliett...love them.

The "Wimpy Kid" books seem popular, but I haven't read them to give a recommendation.

The "Inkeart" series by Cornelia Funke; readers can't help but love it, and it's better than the movie. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter alone will give you a huge reading list.

Also, "The Thief Lord," by Cornelia Funke.

Phillip Pullmans "His Dark Materials" trilogy; perhaps a little mature, but so are some on the list you've already read.

"Holes." Enough said.

Susan Coopers "The Dark is Rising" series. I read these with my grandson a few years back when we saw the dreadfully dumbed-down, Americanized movie; he thought the movie was "cool," so I had to read the whole series with him so he'd "get" the story. Besides, I like it, lol.

Some other favorite authors, if he's ready for them: Gary Paulsen, Edward Bloor. E.L. Konisberg.

"Peak," by...I can't remember. Teenager climbs Mt. Everest.

I've got plenty more. Let me know if you run dry. :hi:

[DarkTirade]

95. The Gammage Cup is a good fantasy story I read as a kid. Can't remember the author's name offhand.

If you're looking for more Dahl, I recommend Danny, Champion of the World and The BFG.

[KamaAina]

96. Starabella!

Wonderful kids' entertainment with an emphasis on acceptance. The music was composed and performed by a friend of mine who has autism; it is her story of growing up.

http://www.starabella.com

Join us in our Bright New World!

[BlueIris]

97. I like Joan Aiken. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, A Touch of Chill.

Please get A Touch of Chill ASAP. It's a short story collection that tickled me pink when I was about ten. And fifteen. And twenty five.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

98. Brian Jacques' Redwall books, Felix Salten's Bambi books...

My kids also enjoyed Classic Fairy Tales and Choose Your Own Adventure books.

Happy reading!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

99. Oh, and Stephen Hawking's children's novel tinged with astrophysics...

"George's Secret Key to the Universe"

[surrealAmerican]

101. Peter Pan.

... and don't accept an "abridged" or "adapted" edition. The original is a great book.

... and, likewise, The Wizard of Oz series. L.Frank Baum wrote 14 books in this series. A few of them are not quite as good, but most are wonderful (as are his non-Oz books).

[Brother Buzz]

102. Tales of the Fish Patrol by Jack London

A nice used copy should not cost much in a used bookstore, but the book is in the public domain and can be downloaded from the internet free and legal (under a hundred pages).

Good short stories that boys really dig. One chapter a night would be keen!
Chapter 1: White And Yellow
Chapter 2: The King Of The Greeks
Chapter 3: A Raid On The Oyster Pirates
Chapter 4: The Siege Of The "Lancashire Queen"
Chapter 5: Charley's Coup
Chapter 6: Demetrios Contos
Chapter 7: Yellow Handkerchief

[Pacifist Patriot]

103. Absolutely need more Dahl!

My sons' favorites have been:

Witches
BFG
Danny Champion of the World

I love reading Dahl aloud because I get to use some really cool voices and accents. BFG is particularly good for that.

The Warriors series by Erin Hunter are huge right now. My 10 year old and his 9 year old cousin have read like umpteen million of them over the last several years.

What's really cool is I recently found a box of books my mom saved from when I was a kid. Most of the stuff is way out of print and incredibly dated, but interesting to read to my kids. The Little Leftover Witch, Dixie North, Mr. Popper's Penguins (still in print) and What the Witch Left most recently.

Unfortunately, I cannot get my hands on a book I loved when I was a little girl. I don't remember the title or the author, just that it was about an African girl who was one of the daughters of her village chieftan and she ends up getting to go on an elephant hunt. I know my kids would adore it too, but memory is just not good enough anymore.

[lunatica]

106. Charlotte's Web and Stuart LIttle

Both are all imagination in a fantasy world. Two of my favorite books when I was a kid.

[Old Troop]

107. How about the "Hardy Boys?"

[MorningGlow]

108. OMG, DUers rock

Thanks so much to everyone for all the book suggestions! Wow! :wow: I'm overwhelmed! Thanks for the reminders of favorite books that I had forgotten to put on the list, suggestions for books I've never heard of, supporting ideas I'd toyed with...and reminding me of ones that we have read and I forgot to put on the already-read list. (D'oh!)

I think, if I bookmark this thread, I'll have more than enough books to take MG Jr. through to adolescence!

Thanks again, Loungers! :yourock: