My oldest son and I have been reading The Magic Treehouse series. I love them. He loves them. It's great. Though he prefers that I read to him, he can read through giant chunks of these book on his own, with a little effort. That has been a very positive thing.
Thing is - I am an older parent - and I don't recall any books like this from my youth. It was either "Run Spot Run" or you made the leap to Susan Cooper, Madelaine L'Engle, Heinlein's children novels, the Little House on the Prairie series, and so on...
Are there other chapter books along the lines of the Magic Treehouse books that you'd recommend? I'd like to find some at the same reading level (or maybe even slightly lower) for him to read on his own this summer.
Thanks!
ETA: My son is 7 and he loves to read. He is not way ahead of the curve for his age on reading level, so part of my goal here is to find books he can read on his own. We read the higher level books to him. His Dad read the first Harry Potter book to him (1st time for both of them!:) and they both loved it, but my son asked to stop during Book 2 because it was "too scary."
There are LOTS of great suggestions here. He just finished reading a Clone Wars book on his own...I am just hoping to surprise him with some books before vacation this summer, ideally ones he can read on the big family road trip. : )
Thanks for all of the great suggestions.
I drop my oldest off at school at 9 and then I am at work for the next 8-12 hours, so visiting with the school librarian would be a challenge. My husband is a stay-at-home Dad. He likes that our sons are readers, but he is not a reader himself, so he'd feel like I was asking him to add a pointless errand into his day.
I can email the teacher, and she is always responsive, but there are lots of great suggetions to check out here too. I REALLY appeciate them.
Thanks to all of you for responding.
Stuart Little, Charlotte's Web, Frog & Toad (they are individual stories packaged into anthologies), The Borrowers (Aloft, Afield, Afloat and the original) (some of the language is a bit archaic and it is British English), Paddington Bear. I am 46, my son is six and I read all of these (one of The Borrowers books is newer) as a child.
My kids loved the "Nate the Great" series by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat.
Nate is a boy "detective". The characters are very interesting. We really enjoyed them.
Hi, always check the DRA reading level to be sure the book is not too easy or difficult. Your teacher can tell you the DRA level. Here is a list of books (series) that he may take interest in!
Encyclopedia Brown
Hank the Cowdog
Nate the Great
Bill Peet (author)
Dragon Slayer's Academy
Judy Moody
Ramona Beezus
Beverly Clearly
Amelia Bedilia
Boxcar Kida
Olivia
Bailey School Kids
Miss Coleman's Class
Flat Stanley
Geronomo Stiltz
The Borrowers
Nancy Drew
Dollhouse Family
Judy Blume (freckle juice)
Ready Freddy
The older kid series of MTH (Merlin Missions)
Hope this gives you some ideas! The teacher is the best bet to give you ideas on age appropriate. It is important that he is not just 'reading", but actually comprehending! You can also do a google search for books like... The scholastic books website offers a ton of great ideas too! My daughter is an avid reader (usually 1 MTH book in a day; she starts it at night before bed, takes to school for independant readig, then finishes that night before bed!) I was in your boat last summer. I often have a hard time keeping enough books for her to choose from! Reading is the base for everything, good for him he enjoys it! Does your school have a school website and a Library page, this could be another resource!
Smiles,
C.
I volunteer at the elementary school library and see lots of chapter series books checked out & coming back: The 39 Clues, A to Z Mysteries series by Ron Roy, Diary of A Wimpy Kid, Katie Kazoo, Nate The Great, Cam Jansen, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Goosebumps....
My son has enjoyed that Baseball Card Adventure Series by Dan Gutman as well as the Choose Your Own Adventure books and the I Survived series.....
Your best bet is to ask his teacher for recommendations. There are LOTS of great series out there, and they are all leveled. The teacher will make the best recommendations based on your son's current reading level. Sometimes parents find the teacher's recommendations too "easy" but it is important for a child to really master one level before moving on to the next one. A child should be reading fluently, not stumbling over so many words that they can't follow the story.
My son is like the president of the Magic Tree House fan club or something. He's obsessed. I've have worked with him on taking an interest in other books, since he's read every MTH book 5+ times, and here are a few series he's really liked:
Time Warp Trio (a LOT like MTH)
Oliver Moon
Franny K. Stein
Flat Stanley (might be perfect if you're looking for something a little easier than MTH)
Secrets of Droon (I really liked this for my own son because the books jump a reading level -- they get harder as kids go through the series, so it sort of gently challenges them)
Captain Underpants (I don't know if you want to go there; I had/have misgivings myself, but my son loves these)
For nonfiction series, I also recommend trying the MTH Fact Trackers and the "Who Was" biography series.
Finally, one "big chapter book" my son loved was Three Tales of My Father's Dragon. The reading level is very similar to MTH, and it's sweet, beautifully told, and fast-paced -- it's a great intro to reading a longer book in multiple sittings.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you want authors' names or more specific info/details on any of them.
I remember reading the Pee Wee Scout series and Goosebumps series. I also really like Roald Dahl books and The Indian in the Cupboard (but I think that one might be a little more advanced). Have you read Harry Potter yet?
This link might also be useful http://www.amazon.com/Good-Early-Chapter-Books/lm/RVB1Y24...
Horrible Harry series is great
the wayside school series is good
junie b jones
when he is just a little bit older the hank the cowdog series was my sons favorite
As others note, ask his teacher. Ask the school librarian too -- they have vast knowledge of all kids' books and know what's right for each kid's reading level. And go to the local library! Ask for the children's librarian there.
The books mentioned below are all fine (though I am not a fan of Junie B. Jones books and know other parents who aren't either -- the main character is pretty rude and uses terms like "dumb" and "stupid" that I don't think kids need to see at this stage). I would add that your boy might like the A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy; Carole Marsh's series of kid mysteries that take place in real historic sites; anything by Roald Dahl, though I would read those with him because Dahl is pretty twisted but deliciously so; 39 Clues as others note; and don't forget Encyclopedia Brown books! He may be too young yet for the books of Andrew Clements but when he's maybe in third to sixth grades, have him read "Frindle" and other Clements books (Clements does write some that are more for middle schoolers so ask the librarian, but we love all his books). Do ask the librarians too!
Ron Roy writes the Ato Z mystery series which someone else mentioned. He also is writing Calander mysteries January joker etc etc, about the younger siblings of the A to Z mystery crew. I think the calander books would be a better fit right now for your son. AND Ron Roy writes the Capital mysteries which is set in DC and looks good to me. Our library has his books on Cd, as well as, MTreehouse and Jb jones and my kids love to listen to them.
Hi E.!
Have you looked at "39 Clues"? This is a series involving 2 young people on worldwide adventures. Not particulalry strenuous reading, but very entertaining for young people!
My daughter loves those, and also likes the A-Z Mystery series. They are a little easier, maybe, but quick-moving stories that are about kids, too. I like the Boxcar children, too, but a couple of my kiddos do and a couple don't, so that series is hit or miss. :)
How old is your son?
I like the "Redwall" series of books.
By Brian Jacques.
LOVE this book series.
Once I read book 1, I had to get all the others.
It is adventure stories.
But this is above the Magic Treehouse books.
Well, actually it is for ages 8 and up.
I don't know how old your son is.
I like these series of books even as an adult. It is for adults or children.
And I am giving mine, to my daughter who is 9.
Look up the books on Amazon, because then you can read the reviews of it. Literally, hundreds of 4-5 star ratings. On this book.
My daughter loves the Secrets of Droon series by Tony Abbott. It's similar in reading level to the Magic Treehouse series, and has that same kids-save-the-world theme. My daughter would MUCH rather be running around like a hooligan than sitting down reading, but she will sit and read one of these books. The books are published by Scholastic, too, so you may even be able to order them via your school's book order program and earn the school some money. ;)
visit the library and talk to the librarian.
Aside from what you've already listed (GREAT books) just a smidge up from Treehouse (still has pictures in the same way)
- Artemis Fowl (we skipped this level, but they're super popular)
- Encyclopedia Brown (SHORT stories, so he can probably do them on his own)
- Geronimo Stilton
The NEXT level I'm simply in love with and includes
Harry Potter
Percy Jackson
39 Clues
Black Stallion
(and most of the ones you listed... along with Mark Twain)
Level Beyond that
Sherlock Holmes type ... but you've got a little bit there
My almost 8 year old love the Geronimo Stilton Books. They have illustrations and are very colorful and even though they are way too easy for him to read, he still enjoys them quite a bit.
If you're looking for a little bit harder books there's How To Train Your Dragon Series by Cressida Cowell. Also the Stink books by Megan McDonald, the A to Z Mysteries (I can't recall the author).
