Books for an 8 y/o

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Katie1723

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My 8 y/o grand daughter has requested “chapter books” She feels she’s “too big for the other kind”. So to that end, I need help with some good titles. She reads a bit above her grade (going into 4th) level. So any suggestions would be much appreciated. I told her mama I would not buy her toys. I will buy her books. And her love of reading showed on her report card. 😃

Kathy
 
Stay-at-Home Catholic Dad of 3… is me! (and proud to be)

I have three children and my middle child (son, just turned 10 yesterday…[HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLE!!!] ) he loves to read too. He has had a love for reading since he could read and I have always bought books or we go to the library once a week and he checks out what he wants.

Several series of books that he has enjoys over the years are:

Magic Tree House series. You can get them at the library or a book store and even Target carries them. These are great books with a few pictures and about 60-80 pages each (not too long but enough to keep their interest)

Junie B. Jones series. These are cute books about the same as the last series in type and length. They too can be found at the library and book stores.

My son reads the Hardy Boys books too. You can find Nancy Drew books at the library to see if she likes that kind of reading.

Scholastic Books has a lot of book series geared toward readers at this age. If you can get them hooked on reader at this age they will be readers for life.

If you go to your library ask someone where the shelves are for the :

Newbery and Caldecott winners are. These are awards given to certain books and they are all really good.

Summer time is here and nothing knocks out the “Mom/Dad…I’m BORED” blues like a good book… at least for a few hours…hopefully.😉

The key is to find a type of book that she enjoys reading and encourage those books. As her love for reading grows introduce new styles of books and she will be more receptive. I have even read some of my sons books and it gives us something to talk about.

Have fun:thumbsup:

Paul
 
You may also want to post this in the “parenting” or “family life” forums. Many Moms and Dads there will probably come flying at you with suggestions!
 
If she’s reading at 4th grade level, I think the “Little House” books might be a good start!

“Hank the Cowdog” series is a lot of fun! And for more “serious” reads, there’s the “Childhood of Famous Americans” series (both are geared for ages 8-12.)
 
If she likes ice skating, she might enjoy my novels:

jazzicals.com/

The novels have a definite Catholic worldview and the two main characters are devout Catholics.

The stories are about skating, but there is a lot more “story” than just skating.

The 3rd novel, a holocaust story, will be out soon (this summer). Watch for it.
 
Looking for things simliar to Harry Potter? Has she read Potter?

Narnia series is also a children’s classic, I got this book The Chronicles of Narnia for my 9 years old little cousin as a birthday gift.

However, in the interest of being helpful Lord of the rings, anything by Emily Rodda if you can get it wherever you live, Eoin Colfer, or Christopher Paolini is quite good.
 
When I was nine my girlfriends and I were into the Nancy Drew mysteries, especially the old ones. I also highly recommend the Chronicles of Narnia (though that may be better for reading along with a parent, since some of the language is British).
 
As far as the Junie B. Jones series goes, I would encourage you to look at it first before you give it to your grand daughter. My dd picked one of the books up at her school’s book fair and dh and I do not like it. We only have this one and we will not be getting the rest of the series. The main character has a really bad attitude. The book we have is “The Stupid Smelly Bus”.

As far as books that dd likes and has asked for here is our 8 yrs list of recomended books.

Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne. We all really like this series. DD has checked out a number of the books from the library and we have liked them all. Definitely a second 👍 on this series.

The series by Dianne Ahern is also really good. What is great about them is not only are they mysteries but they are mysteries set in a Catholic environment.

Lost In Peter’s Tomb
and
Break In At The Basilica

DD has also shown an interest in the Anne Of Green Gable series that has been on PBS recently and wants the books.

Others have already given you some excellent recomendations so I won’t repeat anything else. 🙂
 
I posted this in the popular media forum and someone suggested I post here also…book recommendations for an above average 8 y/o grand daughter who wants to read “chapter books”

Thanks,
Kathy
 
I remember when I first started reading chapter books, I was reading Little House on the Prairie (sp?), about the childhood of Laura Ingalls. The main set is nine books I think, then there are other sets focusing on Laura’s daughter and her mother’s childhood. All together, there are at least 15 separate books. I read them again and again because they were so enjoyable for me.
 
lisa238 said:
I remember when I first started reading chapter books, I was reading Little House on the Prairie (sp?), about the childhood of Laura Ingalls. The main set is nine books I think, then there are other sets focusing on Laura’s daughter and her mother’s childhood. All together, there are at least 15 separate books. I read them again and again because they were so enjoyable for me.
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thanks Lisa. I appreciate your suggestion.

kathy
 
I was a huge bookworm at that age, and also reading well above grade level. My aunt was a public school librarian and gave me many wonderful books. I was just thinking about how I’d like to keep those books for my own children to read.

I recommend the Anne of Green Gables series, and anything else by L.M. Montgomery for that matter. I also enjoyed A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter. If I think of more later, I’ll post again.
 
Three books that have good reading lists are

The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease
Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt
A Landscape with Dragons by Michael O’Brien

I enjoyed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and James and the Giant Peach.
 
In addition to the above, The Boxcar Children and the Elsie Dinsmore Series (can be gotten on Vision Forum) which are very faith oriented. My 9yo dd loves them.
 
Oooo!!! I was a bookworm at 8 to, I second the Anne of Green Gables collection (I think there is 4 of them?) and I adored them!

I also loved St Claires and Mallory Towers series by Enid Blyton, The Baby Sitters Club By Anne M Martin? - theres about 200 hundred of them plus 50 or so special editions and a movie!!

🙂
 
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