book series recs - plowed through Roald Dahl

[CloudBee]

I need some solid (thick) chapter book recommendations. DS (7) has read through just about everything on his shelves and we don't know what to hand him next. He always has his nose in a book. He loves Dog Man, Roald Dahl, Hardy Boys, Bad Guys, Stick Cat, Stick Dog, the works. He's also read through some classics this such as the abridged Swiss Family Robinson and Call of the Wild. We have DK and Usborne reference books galore. 

He needs a new book series! And not something like Dog Man or Bad Guys that can be read in one sitting before bed. For a kid that likes the silliness that is Roald Dahl and classic stories like Swiss Family Robinson, what would you suggest? He also loves Calvin and Hobbes and Peanuts comics, but we aren't looking for more graphic novel or comic suggestions.

He dislikes Harry Potter, dragons, and sci-fi fantasy. He also doesn't like Big Nate or Diary of a Wimpy Kid any more. He isn't a huge fan of Who Was or I Survived for fun reading as I often assign those for homeschool. Books along the lines of Flat Stanley and Magic Treehouse are quick reads for him, so not those.

Tell me what you've got! I really want to order something that I can buy in bulk. Ha!

He's like a lost puppy wandering the house telling me he doesn't know what to read. I need to stock those shelves!

Thanks  

[ilikedonuts]

Boxcar Children

I have girls so these are probably too girlie (and also not a series) but over quarantine my 8 year old devoured so many classics like Anne of Green Gables, Wizard of Oz (this was her absolute favorite), Secret Garden, A Little Princess.

[CloudBee]

Dec 30, 2020 22:32:51 GMT -5 ilikedonuts said:

Boxcar Children

I have girls so these are probably too girlie (and also not a series) but over quarantine my 8 year old devoured so many classics like Anne of Green Gables, Wizard of Oz (this was her absolute favorite), Secret Garden, A Little Princess.

Oh! We have the first 4. He tried out the first one last year and put it down. I'm going to make him re-read the first and see if it sticks! Sometimes that's what it takes for him to fall in love with a series. Man I would love for him to read those. I really enjoyed them as a kid.

I own the entire Anne of Green Gables collection. DH gave it to me for Christmas! There are 8 books in that collection/series. I will show it to him tomorrow and see what he thinks. 

The Wizard of Oz! I never think of that as being a book! Thanks for suggesting.

[CloudBee]

Does anyone else feel like there's a big old gap in offerings for kids who have graduated from Magic Tree House but aren't ready for much of the content in the young adult section? He's fairly sensitive to rude humor and content that doesn't feel appropriate. He actually gave away all of his Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Big Nate books on his own accord a few months ago. LOL.

No one seems to write chunky wholesome books for the 8-12 age range. It's allll graphic novels these days. He loves those - but again, he can't really dive deep into graphic novels because they are short reads despite their thickness. I know he is a bit ahead with his reading, which makes finding age appropriate content even more difficult.

[Saudade]

DS1 (almost 9) plows through Boxcar books at the rate of 1/day but he really enjoys them.

For xmas this year I gave him the following:
Front Desk
Desk of Zoe Washington
Enola Holmes

They're all girl main character but that was purposeful on my part. He started Front Desk first and is LOVING it. It's probably a bit old for your DS but mine won't stop talking about how much he loves it.

My brother gave suggestions for my DS:
Tom Swift
His Dark Materials
Encyclopedia Brown

My brother and I were both very voracious and precocious readers. I read the His Dark Materials when it first came out even though it was a bit mature for my age and even though I hated fantasy with a passion. I loved it though for some reason.

[wavepool]

My seven year old got a Balto book he loved. Otherwise, he's liked Last kids on earth (he didn't like Harry Potter yet either). He loves the you choose books and our library has the old series and a newer one, so probably twenty total.
He loves I survived, but I see that's not one that would work. I know what you mean about bad guys- done in less than an hour! At least he reads them again.
Oh! Bill Wallace- have you tried his? Meanest hound around and Snot Stew are favorites.

[wavepool]

If he likes outdoor stuff, Hometown Hunters by Lane Walker has been recommended to us by a couple of friends with boys the same age, but I keep hoping our library will get it so I don't have to buy them.

Wayside School books? They're silly. If he likes Minecraft, my son has enjoyed the Diary of a Minecraft Zombie series.

I loved Ramona as a kid, and it's silly without quite being Junie B Jones, who drives me nuts. Don't know if a boy would be interested.

[redheadk]

Another plug for boxcar children. Dd likes A-Z Mysteries (definitely check out from the library, they are not a long read at all but there are 26 which makes up for it a bit). She loved the Hopeless Heroes series (fun twist on Greek mythology). She’s currently very into the Magic Misfits series from Neil Patrick Harris. She’s not big into HP, either, so these may appeal to him. You could also try the Kate DiCamilo books.

[CloudBee]

Maybe it would help if I gave insight into what he enjoys?

- We've read a lot about early Americans crossing the frontier. He's seen Little House on the Prairie. But he's fascinated to know what life was like for Native American children. Are there any chapter books about the day in the life of a Native American 100+ yrs ago?

- boy sails around the world - anything like that out there?

- child / pet dog relationship (He loves things like Shiloh and The Flop-Eared Hound.)

- Real life adventure with a child as the main character

- child scientist or child inventor

- George Washington Carver (has read a few about him... what about fiction along similar lines?)

- child who plays chess

Is there anything out there like this? ^

I have about 10 books arriving tomorrow from The Good and The Beautiful. They carry a lot of old and hard to find books and sort them by reading level. He's loved everything I've ordered from that website, but they can be $$. I just want to throw $40 at a huge block of shrink wrapped books. LOL.

[CloudBee]

Dec 30, 2020 22:48:49 GMT -5 Saudade said:

DS1 (almost 9) plows through Boxcar books at the rate of 1/day but he really enjoys them.

For xmas this year I gave him the following:
Front Desk
Desk of Zoe Washington
Enola Holmes

They're all girl main character but that was purposeful on my part. He started Front Desk first and is LOVING it. It's probably a bit old for your DS but mine won't stop talking about how much he loves it.

My brother gave suggestions for my DS:
Tom Swift
His Dark Materials
Encyclopedia Brown

My brother and I were both very voracious and precocious readers. I read the His Dark Materials when it first came out even though it was a bit mature for my age and even though I hated fantasy with a passion. I loved it though for some reason.

I die when we order a book and he's done in a day. DIE.

Encyclopedia Brown! I need to check to see if he's read the ones on his shelf. I actually don't think he has. I bet I could buy a massive lot of those used from an online site. 

[CloudBee]

Dec 30, 2020 23:00:48 GMT -5 wavepool said:

My seven year old got a Balto book he loved. Otherwise, he's liked Last kids on earth (he didn't like Harry Potter yet either). He loves the you choose books and our library has the old series and a newer one, so probably twenty total.
He loves I survived, but I see that's not one that would work. I know what you mean about bad guys- done in less than an hour! At least he reads them again.
Oh! Bill Wallace- have you tried his? Meanest hound around and Snot Stew are favorites.

Choose Your Own Adventure was a hit for a while. I believe we own all of them. This reminds me that I should see if I can get him back into the Oregon Trail version of those. There are a bunch.

Last Kids on Earth - I know he's thumbed through it. I should pull that out tomorrow, too, and ask if he's read the entire thing. I scored it for $1 at Goodwill last year.

Balto! Great suggestion.

I have not heard of Bill Wallace. I will take a look. Thank you!

He really likes "The Littles" but most of them are now out of print and very difficult to find. I wish I could find someone selling their old set for cheap, because they are also fast reads. But man are they good.

Humphrey has been hit or miss so I stopped buying those. (hamster)

[devonpow]

Has he read the Indian in the Cupboard or the Sign of the Beaver? Neither are part of a series but sounds like they fit his interests

[CloudBee]

Dec 30, 2020 23:03:29 GMT -5 wavepool said:

If he likes outdoor stuff, Hometown Hunters by Lane Walker has been recommended to us by a couple of friends with boys the same age, but I keep hoping our library will get it so I don't have to buy them.

Wayside School books? They're silly. If he likes Minecraft, my son has enjoyed the Diary of a Minecraft Zombie series.

I loved Ramona as a kid, and it's silly without quite being Junie B Jones, who drives me nuts. Don't know if a boy would be interested.

Ohhh, I haven't heard of Hometown Hunters. I will check those out.

Wayside School he loved. He also has the Minecraft Zombie books.

Ramona - I also got those for $1 at Goodwill but he won't touch them. Maybe I could assign one for school. Ha!

[devonpow]

Island of the Blue Dolphins is also a great book about day to day life of an indigenous person, I was OBSESSESD with it as a kid

[CloudBee]

Dec 30, 2020 23:23:03 GMT -5 devonpow said:

Has he read the Indian in the Cupboard or the Sign of the Beaver? Neither are part of a series but sounds like they fit his interests

I think he's read Indian in the Cupboard, but I don't think we have Sign of the Beaver! That sounds so familiar.

We have My Side of the Mountain and Hatchet but I am not sure if he's ready for that content yet? Would a sensitive 7 year old do ok with those?

I have Toliver's Secret and A Lion to Guard Us in our school basket. I should see if he might want to read them for fun.

You guys are great. Thank you for your ideas.

[CloudBee]

Dec 30, 2020 23:24:43 GMT -5 devonpow said:

Island of the Blue Dolphins is also a great book about day to day life of an indigenous person, I was OBSESSESD with it as a kid

Oh man I loved that book. We definitely have it packed away somewhere. I need to make sure it's appropriate for him. I think I was in 6th grade when I read that. I remember reading about abalone and that pulling me down a rabbit hole in the school library. SUCH a good book. Maybe I will re-read that myself this winter.

[devonpow]

Dec 30, 2020 23:27:35 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

Dec 30, 2020 23:24:43 GMT -5 devonpow said:

Island of the Blue Dolphins is also a great book about day to day life of an indigenous person, I was OBSESSESD with it as a kid

Oh man I loved that book. We definitely have it packed away somewhere. I need to make sure it's appropriate for him. I think I was in 6th grade when I read that. I remember reading about abalone and that pulling me down a rabbit hole in the school library. SUCH a good book. Maybe I will re-read that myself this winter.

I’m from Santa Barbara and she is buried at the Mission there. I used to visit the graveyard there and read the book lol. I was an interesting child

[CloudBee]

I wonder if he would like The Borrowers? Amazon has a boxed set of 5 for $20.

[CloudBee]

Dec 30, 2020 23:29:42 GMT -5 devonpow said:

Dec 30, 2020 23:27:35 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

Oh man I loved that book. We definitely have it packed away somewhere. I need to make sure it's appropriate for him. I think I was in 6th grade when I read that. I remember reading about abalone and that pulling me down a rabbit hole in the school library. SUCH a good book. Maybe I will re-read that myself this winter.

I’m from Santa Barbara and she is buried at the Mission there. I used to visit the graveyard there and read the book lol. I was an interesting child

That is so cool.

[hermione]

39 Clues and its various spin off series
The Fudge Series by Judy Bluhm
Mr. Lemoncello’s Library series
The Genius Files series
Origami Yoda series
Theodore Boone series

[ilikedonuts]

Dec 30, 2020 22:41:05 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

Does anyone else feel like there's a big old gap in offerings for kids who have graduated from Magic Tree House but aren't ready for much of the content in the young adult section? He's fairly sensitive to rude humor and content that doesn't feel appropriate. He actually gave away all of his Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Big Nate books on his own accord a few months ago. LOL.

No one seems to write chunky wholesome books for the 8-12 age range. It's allll graphic novels these days. He loves those - but again, he can't really dive deep into graphic novels because they are short reads despite their thickness. I know he is a bit ahead with his reading, which makes finding age appropriate content even more difficult.

I’ve had the same issue finding age appropriate books too. My 8 year old basically flies through everything in an hour or two and has since she was 5. She’s also super picky about actual series. I end up just getting so many first books in any series I can find and toss them in her room and see if she actually picks it up on her own and mentions she likes it.

Have you looked at the Book Wanderer Series (or maybe it’s called Page and Co)? Those were winners this summer. She also just read the first Wild Robot book and the second one is waiting at the library fir us.

Book Scavenger series is in her too read along with the first Mr. Limencello’s Library.

[kershnic]

Not a series, but I loved this book as a young child, and recently ordered it to read to my kids. We haven't read it yet, so I'm going off of my 30 year old memories. It's not available on Amazon, but I ordered it from the Mesa Verde store, which is also where I got it as a child.  Bringing this up because you mentioned day in the life of Native American books.

www.mesaverde.org/coming-gray-owl

[ilikedonuts]

He’d fly through the whole series in like a day because they are very easy reads but the Zoey and Sassafras series is cute. Also the Rosie Revere chapter books. Super easy but cute.

Can you check out library books?

[gastro]

Dec 30, 2020 23:27:35 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

Dec 30, 2020 23:24:43 GMT -5 devonpow said:

Island of the Blue Dolphins is also a great book about day to day life of an indigenous person, I was OBSESSESD with it as a kid

Oh man I loved that book. We definitely have it packed away somewhere. I need to make sure it's appropriate for him. I think I was in 6th grade when I read that. I remember reading about abalone and that pulling me down a rabbit hole in the school library. SUCH a good book. Maybe I will re-read that myself this winter.

My DS just read that for school and he’s in fourth grade so it should be be fine for your DS.

Suggestions I don’t think have already been mentioned are Brixton Brothers, Warriors (there are so many of these), Percy Jackson, Land of Stories, some stand alone not series but good books are Infinity Year of Avalon James, Tristan Strong, Echo Mountain, Mrs Frisby and rats of NIMH.

[havarti]

Dec 30, 2020 23:35:02 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

I wonder if he would like The Borrowers? Amazon has a boxed set of 5 for $20.

I was going to suggest the Borrowers.  Maybe Redwall?  There are a bunch in that series.

[devonpow]

What about Lemony Snicket?

[loira]

What about a set of classics abridged for children? Someone gave me a set of these when I was about that age and I really liked them but could not tell you now what exact set it was.

Do you have access to a library? I feel like that would be a lot easier than buying books he might read in 1 day and feeling frustrated, but it's COVID and libraries may not be open where you live.

[kershnic]

I'm not super sure on the reading level of these books, but some ideas.

The Faraway Tree Collection
Five Children and It
Railway Children
I don't know if they'd be too girly, but Dancing Shoes, etc.
Pippi Longstocking
Betsy Tacy
Heidi
The Wheel on the School
Hans Brinker
Maniac Magee

[Dumbledork]

The Floors series by Patrick Carman is very Willy Wonka-like. I loved it.

[Dumbledork]

I would also suggest following some book people on IG. ‘Reading in the middle grades’ isn’t bad but I wish she were more diverse. She does well including racial diversity, but seriously lacks for lgbtqia.

I know your kiddo isn’t near ready for middle school, but a lot of middle school accounts will read and rec books for lower grades and reading levels. Those accounts will also give you more “suggested follows” who may be more focused on younger ages.

I’ve found that asking parents and even sometimes librarians for books recs gets me a lot of repeated classics, which is fine, but I think it’s super important to use books as a way to introduce kids to diversity and the classics aren’t great for that.

Following local book stores and ig accounts gives me a lot of fresh recs and honest reviews.