Selected Item
Captain Underpants Collection
Who would think a book called Captain Underpants would make a top list but it is more than worth. The humor is pretty silly with references to farts and toilet time but my son (and actually now my daughter) love this series.
amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/New-Captain-Underpants-Collection-Books/dp/0439417848/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304801270&sr=1-1
Who would think a book called Captain Underpants would make a top list but it is more than worth. The humor is pretty silly with references to farts and toilet time but my son (and actually now my daughter) love this series.
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Chronicles of Narnia
My son just started reading this at 7.5 years old so definitely think its for the 7+ age set.
Narnia . . . where a dragon awakens . . . where stars walk the earth . . . where anything can happen. Experience The Chronicles of Narnia in its entirety in time for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third movie in the motion picture epic. This...
amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Narnia-Box-Set-Lewis/dp/0061992887
My son just started reading this at 7.5 years old so definitely think its for the 7+ age set.
Encyclopedia Brown Series
My husband read these as a boy and so introduced them to my son when my son was about 4 years old. First they read them together and now my son reads them alone. I love that they incorporate critical thinking - you need to try to solve the case.
amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Brown-Box-Set-Books/dp/0142409855/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310493081&sr=1-1
My husband read these as a boy and so introduced them to my son when my son was about 4 years old. First they read them together and now my son reads them alone. I love that they incorporate critical thinking - you need to try to solve the case.
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Magic Tree House Series
I don't even know how many books are in the Magic Tree House series (more than 30 I believe) but enough to keep a young reader engaged for a long time. My son has powered through 20+ of them and still goes back to the earlier ones to re-read once in a while.
Get ready for a world of adventure with the first four titles in the beloved Magic Tree House series!Jack and his little sister Annie are just two...
amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Tree-House-Boxed-Books/dp/0375813659/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304801075&sr=1-1
I don't even know how many books are in the Magic Tree House series (more than 30 I believe) but enough to keep a young reader engaged for a long time. My son has powered through 20+ of them and still goes back to the earlier ones to re-read once in a while.
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Dragons of Blueland Series
A young boy recounts his father's adventures on an island where animals are endowed with human traits. There are several books in the series and they are great.
amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Fathers-Dragon-Ruth-Stiles-Gannett/dp/0394890485
Suggested by Erin:
A young boy recounts his father's adventures on an island where animals are endowed with human traits. There are several books in the series and they are great.
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The Spiderwick Chronicles
My sister turned me onto the Spiderwick Chronicles and they were a big hit. My son (then just about to turn 6) whizzed through the series and absolutely loved them.
amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Spiderwick-Chronicles-Boxed-Set-Lucindas/dp/0689040342/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304800976&sr=1-1
My sister turned me onto the Spiderwick Chronicles and they were a big hit. My son (then just about to turn 6) whizzed through the series and absolutely loved them.
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Harry Potter Series
JK Rowling is a genius. The first books in the Harry Potter series are appropriate for a 5 year old yet still a fun read for an adult. The language challenged my son but in a good way.
Fabulous Box Set Containing Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban,...
amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Paperback-Boxed-Books/dp/0439434866/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304800828&sr=1-12
JK Rowling is a genius. The first books in the Harry Potter series are appropriate for a 5 year old yet still a fun read for an adult. The language challenged my son but in a good way.
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Secret Agent Jack Stalwart Series
Our son started reading these at about 6 but got more interested at about 7 years old. They are fairly easy reads - I would compare them to the Magic Tree House series.
In this action-packed new series, nine-year old secret agent Jack Stalwart travels the globe in search of his missing older brother Max while solving international crimes for the Global Protection Force.
amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Agent-Jack-Stalwart-Dinosaur/dp/1602860041
Our son started reading these at about 6 but got more interested at about 7 years old. They are fairly easy reads - I would compare them to the Magic Tree House series.
The 39 Clues Series
Might be better for slightly older readers, but won’t disappoint. A wealthy matriarch scatters cryptic clues to a mysterious fortune around the globe and a brother / sister team try to find all the clues. It does have some scenes where the children are nearly killed by their competitors and many of the competitors are not fair, nice or moral people, so these books are for the high end of this age group. Great series though.
amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Maze-Bones-39-Clues-No/dp/0545060397/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310800217&sr=1-1
Suggested by Erin:
Might be better for slightly older readers, but won’t disappoint. A wealthy matriarch scatters cryptic clues to a mysterious fortune around the globe and a brother / sister team try to find all the clues. It does have some scenes where the children are nearly killed by their competitors and many of the competitors are not fair, nice or moral people, so these books are for the high end of this age group. Great series though.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid
I originally thought the content in this book would be too mature for my kindergarten-aged son but someone gave him the book and he loved it. He continues to go back and re-read sections of it.
amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Diary-Wimpy-Kid-Jeff-Kinney/dp/0810993139/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1306353444&sr=1-3
I originally thought the content in this book would be too mature for my kindergarten-aged son but someone gave him the book and he loved it. He continues to go back and re-read sections of it.
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The Five Ancestors Series
If your son is at all into ninjas, then he will love this series. We just got the first three in the series and my son is loving them.
amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Tiger-Five-Ancestors-Book-1/dp/0375830723/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304817596&sr=1-2
If your son is at all into ninjas, then he will love this series. We just got the first three in the series and my son is loving them.
Warriors Series
Although Amazon recommends this series for 10 & up, my 6 year old is loving it. It's about clans of cats. Sounds strange but both my nephew and now my son can't get enough.
amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Warriors-Box-Set-Erin-Hunter/dp/0061477931/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326238346&sr=1-3
Although Amazon recommends this series for 10 & up, my 6 year old is loving it. It's about clans of cats. Sounds strange but both my nephew and now my son can't get enough.
"Fudge" Series by Judy Blume
Any of the “Fudge” Series by Judy Blume (Superfudge, Fudge-a-mania, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing). Great stories from the 1970’s that I read as a kid. Entertaining for both of my kids.
amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Fourth-Grade-Nothing-Blume/dp/0142408816/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310798500&sr=1-5
Suggested by Erin:
Any of the “Fudge” Series by Judy Blume (Superfudge, Fudge-a-mania, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing). Great stories from the 1970’s that I read as a kid. Entertaining for both of my kids.
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A Series of Unfortunate Events
This series has 13 books in it. Every parent I talk to raves about it.
amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Unfortunate-Events-Books-1-13-Complete/dp/B001NDH3QC/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304818622&sr=1-7
This series has 13 books in it. Every parent I talk to raves about it.
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The Hardy Boys Series
My husband, my father and my brother all read The Hardy Boys. I recently saw the series on a friend's son's bookshelves and knew I had to add to this list. It will be fun for my husband to re-read these with our son.
Grownups will remember Frank and Joe Hardy and their ability to solve even the most baffling of mysteries. The first book was published in 1927, and over the years the series has sold over 50 million copies.
amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Hardy-Boys-01-Treasure-ebook/dp/B001R11C8A/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1326733207&sr=8-4
My husband, my father and my brother all read The Hardy Boys. I recently saw the series on a friend's son's bookshelves and knew I had to add to this list. It will be fun for my husband to re-read these with our son.
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Usborne Illustrated Stories from Dickens
The classics may be a little advanced and wordy for a 5-7 year old reader but Usborne does a great job condensing things so they are just right for that age group. This particular book has the Dickens classics but Usborne has others focused on Greek Mythology, Shakespeare and Grimms fairytales.
amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Usborne-Illustrated-Stories-Dickens-Sebag-Montefiore/dp/0794526284/ref=pd_sim_b_3
The classics may be a little advanced and wordy for a 5-7 year old reader but Usborne does a great job condensing things so they are just right for that age group. This particular book has the Dickens classics but Usborne has others focused on Greek Mythology, Shakespeare and Grimms fairytales.
Encyclopedia & Reference Books
If you have gone through chapter books and are looking for something different that is appropriate for young children, why not buy some encyclopedias and other reference books. There are some great ones to choose from including DK Publishing, Smithsonian and Usborne. My son can get lost in these for hours.
Looking at the technology all around us-and then explaining how it works, the How Things Work Encyclopedia lifts the hood of a car engine, gets inside a TV set, and discovers the power of invisible microwaves.
amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/How-Things-Work-Encyclopedia-Publishing/dp/0756658357
If you have gone through chapter books and are looking for something different that is appropriate for young children, why not buy some encyclopedias and other reference books. There are some great ones to choose from including DK Publishing, Smithsonian and Usborne. My son can get lost in these for hours.
More Recommendations: Great Kid Books
Come check out my wide range of recommendations. You can search by ages or interests. If you like what you see, subscribe using email or an RSS feed.
A site to help parents find great books for the children, ages 4 - 14, developed by Mary Ann Scheuer, a school librarian, mom and book lover.
greatkidbooks.blogspot.com
http://greatkidbooks.blogspot.com
Suggested by Mary Ann Scheuer:
Come check out my wide range of recommendations. You can search by ages or interests. If you like what you see, subscribe using email or an RSS feed.
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