I know it’s a good complaint to have but my 7 year old reads a lot and very rapidly. She was reading phonetically at about 22 months and has been actively reading chapter books since the age of 5. She’s gone through a lot of the Boxcar Children books, American Girl, Animal Ark, Pony Pals, Puppy Place, Andrew Lost, Bobbsey Twins, Little House on the Prairie series, Nancy Drew, The Famous Five, Ron Roy books, Jigsaw Jones, Cam Jansen and Beverly Cleary. She’s also read a lot of the kid-friendly classics like The Secret Garden. She doesn’t really care for nonfiction, so I read that to her. I can only afford to buy so many books, so I’m largely dependent on the library. She reads so fast, most chapter books are finished in 30 to 90 minutes. She’s already re-reading a lot of her books. Can anyone recommend other book series we may be missing that would likely be found at the library?
Is she too young for the Baby Sitters Club? I know there are well over 100 in the series and I loved them when I was a kid.
I’d forgotten about Baby Sitters Club. I just got a sample for the Kindle to see if she’s ready. She wasn’t ready for the Saddle Club books even though she loves the show.
Ah! I remember those days fondly…it sounds like she is reading many of the same books that I did at that age.
Have you come across the Trixie Beldon books? they were some of my favorites at that age. Somewhat similar to Nancy Drew style, but Trixie is more of a freckle-faced tomboy. I think there are actually 39 of them, they are quite fun and much more wholesome than today’s series! I think many libraries have them as well.
I found just this quick preview with a bit of information:
http://barbln.org/trixie/tb_books.htm
I will check back over some of my faves from childhood!
Kerileanne99,
Thanks for the suggestion. My daughter loves mysteries. I’d never heard of Trixie Beldon. I just checked the library catalog and they have 7 of them.
I’m not sure if she is ready but my son loved these at this age:
A Series of Unfortunate Events - 11
Spiderwick Chronicles - much easier and great stories
Edge Chronicles
James Herriot’s Treasury for Children
Now my list of books for k-3 - some of these are history and some just stories. Even if they are short reads there isn’t a bad book in this list:
Abraham Lincoln by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire
Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse by Ursula Moray Williams
Adventures of Tom Bombadil by J. R. R. Tolkein
Alligator Case and others by William Pene du Bois
And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? by Jean Fritz
Angry Giant by Oscar Wilde
Apple & the Arrow by Mary Marsh Buff
Bard of Avon: the Story of William Shakespeare by Diane Stanley
Bear Called Paddington and others by Michael Bond
Bears on Hemlock Mountain and others by Alice Dalgliesh
Benjamin Franklin by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire
Benjamin West and his Cat Grimlakin by Marguerite Henry
Betsy & Billy and others by Carolyn Haywood
Betsy & Tacy Go Over the Big Hill and others by Maude Lovelace
Billy & Blaze and others by C. W. Anderson
Book of Cowboys by Holling C. Holling
Book of Indians by Holling C. Holling
Box-Car Children and others by Gertrude Warner (the first 19 in the series)
Bright April by Marguerite de Angeli
Burt Dow, Deep Water Man by Robert McCloskey
Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George? by Jean Fritz
Capyboppy by Bill Peet
Castle by David Macauley
Cathedral by David Macaulay
Chalk Box Kid by Clyde Robert Bulla
Charles Dickens: the Man Who Had Great Expectations by Diane Stanley
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
City by David Macaulay
Cleopatra by Diane Stanley
Coll and His White Pig by Lloyd Alexander
Columbus by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire
Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh
d’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire
d’Aulaire’s Norse Gods & Giants by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire
Eric the Red & Leif the Lucky by Barbara Schiller
Fairy Doll by Rumer Godden
Finn Family Moomintroll and others by Tove Jansson
George Washington by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire
George Washington’s Breakfast by Jean Fritz
Good Queen Bess by Diane Stanley
Grain of Rice by Helena Clare Pittman
Happy Hollisters and others by Jerry West
Happy Orpheline and others by Natalie Savage Carlson
Henner’s Lydia by Marguerite de Angeli
Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
Hundred Penny Box by Sharon Bell Mathis
I, Columbus and others by Peter & Connie Roop
In Search of Troy by Piero Ventura
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Just a Few Words, Mr. Lincoln by Jean Fritz
Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling RA
Kindle of Kittens by Rumer Godden
Least of All by Carol Purdy
Leave Horatio Alone by Eleanor Clymer
Leif the Lucky by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire
Leonardo da Vinci by Diane Stanley
Lion to Guard Us by Clyde Robert Bulla
Little Pear by Eleanor Frances Lattimore
Marco Moonlight by Clyde Robert Bulla
Matchlock Gun by Walter Edmonds
Michelangelo’s World by Piero Ventura
Mill by David Macaulay
Minn of the Mississippi by Holling C. Holling
Mouse House by Rumer Godden
Mouse on the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannet
Nothing is Impossible, The Story of Beatrix Potter by Dorothy Aldis
Old Mother West Wind and others by Thornton W. Burgess
Old Woman Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle by Rumer Godden
Ordinary Princess by Mary Margaret Kaye
Paddle to the Sea by Holling C. Holling
Pagoo by Holling C. Holling
Peter the Great by Diane Stanley
Pilgrims of Plimoth by Marcia Sewall
Puppy Summer by Meindert de Jong
Pyramid by David Macaulay
Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame
Rocking Horse Secret by Rumer Godden
Sarah Morton’s Day and others by Kate Waters
Seabird by Holling C. Holling
Shhhh … We’re Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz
Ship by David Macaulay
Shoeshine Girl by Clyde Robert Bulla
Skippack School by Marguerite de Angeli
Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi
Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims by Clyde Robert Bulla
St. Philip of the Joyous Heart by Francis X. Connolly
Tale of Jolly Robin and others by Arthur Scott Baily
Tale of Three Trees by Angela Hunt
They Were Strong & Good by Robert Lawson
Three Dollar Mule by Clyde Robert Bulla
Three Young Pilgrims by Cheryl Harness
Thy Friend, Obadiah by Brinton Turkle
Tree in the Trail by Holling C. Holling
Truthful Harp by Lloyd Alexander
Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop
Twenty Elephant Restaurant by Russell Hoban
What’s the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? by Jean Fritz
Where do You Think You’re Going, Christopher Columbus? by Jean Fritz
Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May? by Jean Fritz
Who’s That Stepping on Plymouth Rock? by Jean Fritz
Why Don’t You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? by Jean Fritz
Will You Sign Here, John Hancock? by Jean Fritz
Yellow and Pink by William Steig
Yonie Wondernose by Marguerite de Angeli
Rainbow fairies series (more than 100 in the series)
Surely you have already read " the Magic Tree House" series? If not put those top of the list. There are lots (60+) of them and they are easy non fiction/ fiction stories.
Have you started on Roald Dahl? James and the giant Peach is a good starter. Then BFG.
The babysitters club has an easier level called " the babysitters little sisters club" ( I think?) they are pretty good too.
Junie B Jones books, we have about 6 there may be more.
Judy Moody she would like too.
My girls like Goosbumps ( of which there are hundreds!) and geranamo Stilton. There are heaps of those too.
My kids love reading through an entire series too. Often at a speed faster than either I or the library can get ahold of them.
Our all time favourite isn’t on your list. We absolutely love " the Faraway tree" " the Enchanted Woods" " The Folk of The Faraway Tree" and “the Wishing Chair” all are available with colour pictures! Which I highly recommend.
There is a fairly new book out called " the 27 story tree house" ( ok I can’t be sure it is ‘27’ stories?) there are 2 of them and they are very popular here. Havnt read them yet.
Have you given her any of the Usbournes classics for children books? My girls really liked those, even though I still make them read the original versions for extending comprehension. :biggrin:
I am still absolutely miffed at how hard it is to get the Magic Faraway Tree Series. Or anything by Enid Blyton in the US.
Here you are, this will help :biggrin: free worldwide delivery too!
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/search/advanced?searchAuthor=Enid+Blyton
The ones we have are the big ones with colour pictures. Hard cover 21cm by 27cm with the pretty border on the cover.
Thank you! Free shipping helps. Last time I looked on amazon the Magic Tree House books were $30-$60. It was one of my favourite series as a kid.
Most of my favorites have already been listed (I love Trixie Beldon too!). Nobody mentioned The Chronicles of Narnia, The Prydian Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander, or Alice in Wonderland, so I’ll throw those classics out there. Our oldest is named for Peter the high king, so we’re big Narnia fans at our house. 
I loved The Little Women series by Louisa May Alcott.
That is a nice list, Sonya. Thanks.
I also liked Trixie Beldon as a child.
Reflecting on what I read as a child, a lot of the books mentioned here, I wish someone had guided my reading more. There is so much great stuff to read and there is so much garbage to read. I have been guiding my kids’ reading more and have been pleased with their own interest in good literature. There are all the classics and series to choose from. What about The Lord of the Rings series? I really like the Elsie Dinsmore series. There were penned in the 1800’s and there are about 26 in the series. I am not sure if you can get them at your library. They have a Christian theme and really shaped many of my ideas on how to teach my children based on how they learned in the books.
Right now I have a bunch of library books that we are reading or want to read. Here they are.
The STory of Mankind
Celtic Fairy Tales
The Golden Fleece
Tales of the Greek Heroes
Stories from a Ming Collection
Classic Myths to Read Aloud
Sinbad the Sailor
Celtic Myths
Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths
The Children’s Homer
Aesop’s Fables
Stories From the Arabian Nights
The Adventures Of Tintin (My kids love these) There are over 20 volumes we have gotten through the library. They read these cover to cover and don’t stop until they are done.
Johnny Tremain
Red Sales to Capri (Love this book!)
The Phantom Tollbooth
Little House on the Prairie Series (I love these books)
Books that we read or want to read
Peter Pan
Pinocchio
The Original Winnie the Pooh stories (These are hilarious.)
Pippi LOngstocking
Caddie Woodlawn
Ginger Pye
A Wrinkle in Time
The Twenty One Balloons
Homer Price
Sherlock Holmes
See if you can get a copy of The Book Whisperer at your library. She has a bunch of lists in the back of books for kids in this age group. I love lists! I constantly have a list of books we want to read and books we have read. It makes keeping a fresh selection easier.
I am not sure if the Oz series were mentioned. There are many of these.
I forgot that my 8 and 11 year old are both reading The Once and Future King. It is 600 or 700 pages long and they really like it. It is all about King Arthur. That might keep her engaged for a little while.
Oh, so many memories here! What a great thread…we have an ongoing list of books to keep an eye out for great deals, and everyone’s ideas have greatly helped! Almost all of my favorites have been listed, with few exceptions. Here is a mix of others and new lit I have read to give as gifts for family
Others…
The Encylopedia Brown books…a bit easier, but fun nevertheless…
The Hardy Boys mysteries- SO not just for boys, and occasional guest appearances by Nancy Drew and gang are special treats!
The Lemony Snicket Series of unfortunate events series
The Happy Hollisters
The Rick Riordan books, new, but with ice references to mythology will not be above her–I always read any newer ‘literature’ prior to purchasing it for niece and nephews! Two separate series. start with Percy Jackson and the Olympians
The Inheritance series, Eragon and on,are not far off at all! By Christopher Paolini
The Indian in the cupboard and series (5?) were also a lot of fun by Lynn Reid Banks
I read the Percy Jackson series with my kids and we loved them. My kids read the other series without me and they really like that too.
I was thinking last night, as we were trying to decide what movie to watch as a family, that there are so few movies that I want to see, but an unlimited number of books that I want to read. I commented on this to my daughter as we cleaned the kitchen preparing for our movie. If I had it my way, we would skip the movies and read as a family. I haven’t gotten my hubby to agree on that yet. So many books, so little time. I have come to accept that I will not be able to read all the books I would like to in my lifetime. 
Ooh!
And cannot miss The Borrowers series by Mary Nash!!!
Nor Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Thanks for all the great responses. I was able to pick up a bunch of used Babysitters Club books and they’re a big hit. Trixie Belden is also working out. I’ll look into the other suggestions. Hopefully, these will be enough to keep her busy for a while.