Talk about the kidlit you're reading!
- Thread starter Kitty Pryde
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I haven't read it yet but MY NEAR DEATH ADVENTURES just came out and takes place in an 1800s lumber camp. It's humor and historical which just sounds really interesting to me.
I just finished "Extra Credit" by Andrew Clements and I really loved it! Hard to put down!
And next I start on Thickety, all the while ignoring Infinite Jest until it has to go back to the library
And next I start on Thickety, all the while ignoring Infinite Jest until it has to go back to the library
Caroline Starr Rose has some great ones. May B. is about the American frontier, and Blue Birds is about the lost English colony at Roanoke. Both were fantastic.
I loved A DROWNED MAIDEN'S HAIR, by Laura Amy Schlitz. It's set in the early 1900s
MOON OVER MANIFEST, by Clare Vanderpool won the Newberry. It's very good. Same with DEAD END IN NORVELT by Jack Gantos.
I loved Avi's THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE, which is set in the 1830s on a ship.
Just finished THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN WITCHES, by Lauren Magaziner. It's billed as Eva Ibbotson (one of my favorites) meets Roald Dahl ('nuff said), so I snatched it up. It's very silly, funny, witchy stuff I think kids would eat up. It made me think of my daughter, who always told me that her teacher was only nice when parents were around - ha ha!
Recently read MONSTROUS by MarcyKate Connolly, which is about a little girl, who is dead and brought back to life Frankenstein style. Very original and just the right degree of creepiness.
Recently read MONSTROUS by MarcyKate Connolly, which is about a little girl, who is dead and brought back to life Frankenstein style. Very original and just the right degree of creepiness.
The Roman Mysteries series by Caroline Lawrence-- Rome 58 AD
Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman-- England 1200's
The Five Ancestors series by Jeff Stone-- China 17th century
Right now I'm reading two middle grade books with my 8-year-old:
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Nicely creepy tale of a living boy being raised by ghosts, and the occasional monster, in a graveyard. More episodic than a cohesive tale, but the story world is so magical it makes you kind of want to live with ghosts in a graveyard.
Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce. About a 12-year-old boy who looks like an adult and winds up as an "adult" chaperone on a civilian space flight. Wonderful voice, and as someone who was taller than her teachers by 5th grade, I thought his observations on what it's like to be a 12-year-old frequently mistaken for twice that age were spot on.
I need to read The Graveyard Book. Well, that and quite a bit of Gaiman's stuff. I've liked what I've read of his, but for some reason, I haven't picked up some of his other books.
Me too. I was a colossal Sandman fan, but of his novels have only read Stardust and now Graveyard Book. Stardust also struck me as somewhat episodic... like the script for a great comic book. Graveyard Book is the same way.
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I LOVED The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle when I was young! I haven't reread it as an adult so I wonder if it will live up to the memory.
I'm currently reading The Fifth Wave series (YA) and The Last Apprentice series. I'm enjoying both but not necessarily loving them.
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Asking on behalf of my niece and nephew, does anyone have good recommendations for very advanced first grade readers? They are intellectually ahead of their age range, but not emotionally. They get scared pretty easily and shocked by language or rebellious kids. They recently read and loved Harry Potter 1 and 2 (subsequent ones are too scary/dark for them), Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Island of the Blue Dolphins, and various Kate Dicamillo books.
Claudine Gueh
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I'm reading STAY WHERE YOU ARE & THEN LEAVE by John Boyne. The beginning is quirky-UK style of funny, but it quickly gets honest and sad (it's about a boy whose father went and joined the army during the world war).
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Hi,
Those are all great books. Your niece and nephew sound like great little readers... keep encouraging that.
I'm not sure where their interests lie, but a good series might by the "My America" series of books - geared toward boys in the 2nd to 5th grade range. Also the "Dear Diary" series would be good for your Niece. Both series are fictional journals and diaries by children from a time in history (mostly American history - not sure if that matters or not). Most topics would be OK, although I seem to remember some on WWII that might be a little scary for a 1st grader.
Other good options would be the Narnia Chronicles. The books are not nearly as vivid and scary as the movies.
The Encyclopedia brown books can be popular at that age too. Kids love to try to figure out the mystery on their own.
And speaking of mysteries, the "Hardy boys" and "Nancy Drew" books are classic. I know they can be terribly dated, but they still manage to hold the attention of early readers very well. And there isn't anything scary or controversial about them.
Hope this helps.
SSB.
Some things my kids have liked:
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Encyclopedia Brown
Harriet the Spy
Stuart Little
Space Race
Mennyms
Charlotte's Web
Narnia
Phantom Tollboth
Mysterious Benedict Society
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
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Thanks for the recommendations! Yeah, a lot of the old books really hold up over time. They liked the first Narnia book but I don't think they've read others in the series. I'll keep in mind the other recs and pass them on!
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They LOVED Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (one of my personal favorites) and Charlotte's Web. They also liked Phantom Tollbooth but read that a while ago. I love Mysterious Benedict Society and was going to recommend them to the kids, but not sure if it might be a bit too scary for them in parts. Adding the others to the list!
Just read the Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier. I really liked his style in Peter Nimble but was a bit off-put how the story progressed (still good, just have read that type before a lot), but I must say, the Night Gardener was phenominal. Auxier has quickly become one of my favorite current authors. I will definitely be following his work forward.
My son and I are listening to Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle on audiobook, and we are loving it. It's about a bullied 8th-grade boy who sneaks off from his hometown in rural PA to audition for a Broadway musical. It's a hilarious, voice-y first-person narrator, and some deftly-handled LGBT themes-- all too rare in MG.
I thought Better Nate Than Ever was fantastic! I definitely will second it.
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Been reading a lot of kidlit lately, so here's a quick recap:
Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt: Amazing. I was completely invested from page one. This was actually shelved as YA at my library, probably because of some heavy family issues, but is really more upper MG.
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz- I think I picked this up because of recommendations on this board, and I really enjoyed it! Funny and dark, with a great narrator "warning" kids about the scary parts. Flows well--I read it in one sitting.
As if being 12 and 3/4 isn't enough, my mother is running for president--Heartfelt and hilarious.
The true meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex--Laugh-out-loud funny. An alien named JLo riding around in a hover car named Slushious? Awesome. My one complaint is that it was REALLY long, which by itself isn't an issue, but I didn't think it *needed* to be that long. Half the length could have done the same job.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda--Can't remember if I've mentioned that one yet or not, but it was SO good. Funny and sweet.
Hope everyone is doing well and reading great books!
Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt: Amazing. I was completely invested from page one. This was actually shelved as YA at my library, probably because of some heavy family issues, but is really more upper MG.
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz- I think I picked this up because of recommendations on this board, and I really enjoyed it! Funny and dark, with a great narrator "warning" kids about the scary parts. Flows well--I read it in one sitting.
As if being 12 and 3/4 isn't enough, my mother is running for president--Heartfelt and hilarious.
The true meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex--Laugh-out-loud funny. An alien named JLo riding around in a hover car named Slushious? Awesome. My one complaint is that it was REALLY long, which by itself isn't an issue, but I didn't think it *needed* to be that long. Half the length could have done the same job.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda--Can't remember if I've mentioned that one yet or not, but it was SO good. Funny and sweet.
Hope everyone is doing well and reading great books!