Making Reading Fun - Advent Calendar Idea (Part 2)
Today we are looking at books for ages first 7 - 11/12. I want to start by saying, no one knows your child as well as you do. So please keep this in mind when you buy certain books or when you see them with certain books. While you never want to discourage a child from choosing a book they are interested in or that has caught their eye, you want to make sure you understand the context of certain books and if they are a fit with your child.
(NOTE: Ages 7 - 11/12 usually works out to grades 2/3 up to 7/8)
This one may see obvious but it needs to be said. Find something your child is interested in. Let them pick books. Take them shopping with you. If they see a cover they like, read the back, look into the book. If you think you child will enjoy it, get it for them. If not tell them what the book is about and discuss it with them. Maybe there is another book with a cover that catches their eye that they will enjoy even more.
Eric Wilson - This man is an amazing author. He is Canadian and has written a 23 children's books mostly based on places in Canada. He is a teacher so his website has a lot of resources and things like that for teachers and parents. He (used to at least) travels across Canada to talk at schools. (He visited my school when I was in the eighth grade and it was an experience!) He writes mystery books that center around Tom and Liz Austin (for the most part), a brother and sister duo that love solving mysteries. He even has a list on his website of which books are recommended for each grade (you can find that here). In school we read, The Inuk Mounty Adventure, The Green Gables Detectives, and The Lost Treasure of Casa Loma. By the time I read the third book by him, I was hooked and I own every single children's book he has ever written. So these are good for children of all ages, they range from children in grade 3 to children in grade 8.
Continue a theme. This isn't a suggestion for any book specifically but it is more a suggestion on where to go next. So by now, your child will be reading books in school. This may or may not be a good experience for them. But if they do find that they enjoyed the school book, look into other books either by the same author or in the series. I was quite surprised many years later to find that a lot of books I read in school were part of a series. I didn't know that. And I think I would have enjoyed reading the other books in the series as a child. So I will list some of the books I reading school. I don't know if they still read these books, maybe they do or maybe they are too told. But they are all obviously good for children (make sure to research them and know which are appropriate for your child's age and mentality). So the first one I can remember is Sideways Storys from Wayside School by Louis Sachar (who also wrote Holes!) and we did actually read the next book Wayside School is Falling Down! However there is a third book also to this series. And you may recognize the name they made it into a cartoon in 2005 that ran for 3 years (you can find some of these episodes on Youtube). Next I remember The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis. This was a wonderful book, very well written and an eye opener to how other people live and how fortunate we are here in Canada. Again, if your child enjoy that one there are four books in this series. The Inuk Mounty Adventure and The Lost Treasure of Casa Loma by Eric Wilson (see above), and The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner came next. (Just note that this one is about children alone living in a boxcar, so sensitive children may be triggered.) The Boxcar Children has at least ten books in that series if your child enjoys them. Following that the books became more based on what we were learning (this would be about grade 6). We read a book called The Bully Boys by Eric Walters. This is a great book especially if your child is learning about the War of 1812 or if they enjoy history (Eric Walter is also a great author with a lot of great books - including Run featuring the story of Terry Fox). We also read The Green Gables Detectives by Eric Wilson, and a book called S.O.S Titanic by Eve Bunting, this is a great book if your child is learning about the Titanic. (Again this is may be a trigger for some children.) Next we read The Outsiders By S. E. Hinton, again she has a lot of books that are set in the same universe as The Outsiders so if your child enjoyed it, they will enjoy others from her also. And finally, grade eight we read Where the Red Fern Growns by Wilson Rawls (again if you have sensitive children, this may not be the book for you), The Cay by Theodore Taylor (which dealt with racism and survival), and Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. Hatchet has a number of other books in its series also, which I never knew!
The Goosebumps Series - This series is by R. L. Stine and was very popular when I was a kid. It has become quite popular again with some new movies, and a TV show for a little while. These books are like scary stories for children. Sort of Horror lite for kids. You may find your child really enjoys them, a lot of children do. However keep in mind some of these stories do handle scary themes that may be too much for some children. The suggested grades for these books are grade 3 to grade 7.
The Bailey School Kids - These books (by Debbie Dadey) are hilarious and great little books to get your child into reading. They are on the younger side (ages 7-9) but still they are very good books and could be enjoyed by older kids too. The titles are all very fun like "Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots" or "Pirates Don't Wear Pink Sunglasses". And it follows a group of kids that are naturally curious and have wild imaginations. They are very fun, not very long books (though long for some children), and they are quite funny too.
Books that were turned into TV Shows. If your child is interested in specific cartoons, you may be able to find them as books. Now of days you may have to find them on youtube or streaming on Netflix or some other site like that but they shouldn't be hard to find if your children really are interested in them. Parents may recognize some of these titles but some of them are making a comeback with children. Shows like Jacob Two-Two (by Mordecai Richler), Noddy (by Enid Blyton), Rainbow Fish (by Marcus Pfister), Magic School Bus (by Joanna Cole), Arthur (by Marc Brown), Pippi Longstocking (by Astrid Lindgren) and others like this all come from story books! They also have more recent TV shows like The Baby Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin (which was a very popular movie in the 90s), The Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon, A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, and Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey (the last two both on Netflix).
E.B. White Books - You may recognize this man's name or you may never have heard of him, but you definitely have heard of his work. Most familiously, E.B White wrote Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, some of the best children's books ever written. And like above (and below) chances are you and your children have seen the movies or cartoons that go along with these books.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians - This series of books is a huge hit with children (ages range from 8 to 12), especially if they are interested in mythology! These books by Rick Riordan are super fun and follow the life of Percy Jackson, who discovers he is not your average teenager. There are five books in the Percy Jackson series and then a lot of books about the world and lore in the series and a few crossovers by the same author.
Books turned into movies - Again, just like the TV shows, if you child has found interest in certain movies, chances are they were from a book. And that is a great way to get your child interested in reading. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was a great children's movie with a sequel and the books by Judy Barrett are sure to promise the same. Another great movie series was How to Train your Dragon based on the series by Cressida Cowell. We also have Diaries of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, which was also turned into a movie. And what kind of list would be complete without some of the classics. Anna of Green Gables by Lucy Maude Montgomery is timeless, and if your child is interested in Green Gables in P.E.I or has read the Eric Wilson book, "The Green Gables Detectives", Anna's stories may be just the thing. Speaking of Detectives, Nancy Drew (by Carolyn Keene) has become very popular lately with a whole new round of movies. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans is also a classic that children just love. It was very popular when I was a child and has been in publication since 1939! And there are many stories of the little french girl for you children to enjoy. And of course, The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Again these were made popular by "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe", "Prince Caspian", etc. And while they are for older children they are similar to the Harry Potter books where the first ones start off "light" and then your child can grow into them.
Roald Dahl Books - If it is whimsical, fantastical, and just plain odd, chances are it was a Roald Dahl creation. Roald Dahl is famous for his unique books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matila, James and the Giant Peach, and my personal favourite The BFG. His books are so unique they really speak to children, mostly because they are not typical, because they are so full of magic and mystery.
Harry Potter Books - Now this may seem a little premature, however keep in mind that Harry Potter is a huge hit even among young children these days. The first three Harry Potter books are quite "light" and should be fine for younger children. (Again use your discretion, you know your child the best and know if they are ready for these books and if they are sensitive to the contents of each book.)
Whatever Your Child Is Interested In. I said this for number 1 but it is worth saying again. If they are a jokester, get them joke books or funny books! I personally recommend The Skinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka (This also includes The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs - a story told from the Wolf's point of view, which is very funny and also available individually). If they like history, or Science, or Geography, get them some educational books (some I recommend are National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Why by Amy Shields, Solar System for Kids by Dr. Dhoot, and Puzzled By P.J Nicholas, if they like cooking get them cook books (I recommend this one). Even comic books are great ways to get into reading (Archie Comics are becoming popular again thanks to the new show Riverdale). They don't have to read "story" books or "traditional" book. As long as they are reading it is a good thing! And it doesn't have to be a chore that way.
BONUS: Some other books and series that I love that would be great for this age group are: The Clue Hunt Series by Angie Rae Green, Dungeon Academy (a Dungeons and Dragons inspired book) by Madeleine Roux, The Paperbag Princess by Robert Munsch, The Borrowers Series by Mary Norton, A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, The Princess Bride by William Goldman (a very popular and beautiful movie), The Spiderwick Chronicles Series by Tony DiTerlizzi, Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, and the "I Am" series by Brad Meltzer.
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