Some of the best kids' books
Thu Feb 28, 2008 at 10:57:21 AM PDT
This is a fun diary as there are so many avid readers on this site. Thanks for the list, Katherine! -Elisa
In the past 7.5 years I have waded through an awful lot of crap in the name of getting my kids to enjoy reading. And it has worked - they are both big readers (the older one independently; my 4 year old still relies on us to read out loud to him). But not every moment has been a song of joy. There is a lot of junk out there, and some gold nuggets among the sea of junk.
I'd be interested to hear what you and your kids have really enjoyed. Below I list several of the books we have loved, and some we've hated.
I have two boys, ages 4 and 7.5.
Some of the ones we like:
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. So much to discuss and think about; a high degree of complexity in plot and characters for a kids' book.
The A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy. Much simpler than Harry Potter but an appealing, smart, nice group of 3 spunky kids who go around their Connecticut town (and occasionally farther) solving mysteries. Occasionally scary to my kids, but mostly ok. He also has a new series called the Capital Mysteries which I think is not quite as good but still worth reading.
Half Magic by Edward Eager (and other Edward Eager books). I remember loving this book as a kid and I just got it and read it to my boys. They absolutely LOVED it. It's about a family of four children who discover a magic amulet that provides half of what you wish for (for example, the boy wishes to be on a desert island and they end up in the desert instead). It's thoughtful and funny and the kids are realistically portrayed.
Dan Gutman's Baseball Card Adventure books (Honus and Me, The Babe and Me, etc.). If your children like baseball and history as mine do they will enjoy these books about a father and son who go back into time and meet some famous ballplayers of the past. Well written and interesting.
Cam Jansen mysteries by David Adler. These are about a girl with a photographic memory and her friend, a boy named Eric. They solve various mysteries. They can be repetitive (particularly the parts about Cam's amazing memory) but in general they're pretty entertaining. Plus they have a "quiz" at the end where the kids get to try to remember the details in an earlier picture, which my kids like to do.
Anything by Cynthia Rylant. These are easy readers for younger kids. They include the Poppleton books, the Henry & Mudge books, the Mr. Putter and Tabby books, and the High Rise Private Eyes. My kids have loved all of them.
Amber Brown books by Paula Danziger. These are good and the kids are realistic, but can be kind of depressing (Amber's parents get divorced).
Judy Moody and Stink books by Megan McDonald. My kids LOVE these books. They are about a brother and sister who are maybe ages 7 and 9 or so. The books are funny and true to life.
A few I hate:
Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne. While I appreciate the goal of these books, to introduce history and science in a child-friendly way, the writing style is so boring and repetitive that it drives me crazy to read them.
Pretty much anything about any cartoon characters (Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, and the like). Incredibly boring.
Please add your favorites (or hates) below!
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