@ Book Present Recs?

[wawa]

Feel free to chime in with your own specific wants here if you're looking for books for your own kids for presents.

It's become a holiday tradition that I get my kids a box set of something from my childhood for xmas, which we then read together 1-2 chapters at a time as a bedtime story for the next several months. So far we've done the first half of Harry Potter, most of Narnia, the Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper, Tamora Peirce's Alanna and Kel series, and currently reading through a full set of the Animorphs (which my lovely MIL found at a used book sale because pretty sure it's all out of print.  which are SUPER DARK. jeez kid me.).  I think I'm forgetting something in there, but you get the gist. They're 8 and 10 now, and so far this shows no signs of stopping since they take story time VERY seriously.

I'm trying to decide what I'm getting them this year.  They're old enough now to pick Harry Potter back up and finish it, especially after being inundated with kids with PTSD in Animorphs, but I don't really want to give the Terf my money.  maybe I can find it used?  
There's lots more Tamora Pierce we could do.  Either Daine, Bekka Cooper, the Trickster books or the Circle of Magic books. Though not sure i'm ready to deal with the adult relationships in some of those. So probably circle of magic.

Or we could venture into stuff I didn't read as a kid...though keeping it fantasy genre has been a general consensus.  Is Percy Jackson actually good?  Other recs?

[lostrn]

I didn't really like the Percy Jackson series actually. Have you done the Gregor the Overlander series? Maze runner (might be a little too old for them)?

[sent]

My DD has been reading The Babysitter’s Club which isn’t the same genre as the books you listed but is from our childhoods. I was surprised when she checked them out at the library. I never read them as a kid because my mother wouldn’t let me which is a whole different tangent, but I remember going to friends’ houses who would have the entire collection on their bookshelves. They’ve been rewritten as graphic novels for today’s kids.

[imimahoney]

Percy Jackson is great. Wings of Fire is a popular choice if they like dragons. My 11 yr old loves the Secret series.

a.co/d/i1xkWN8

[gardengal]

I really liked Percy Jackson.

Wings of Fire & Amulet (<~ I think might just be a graphic novel tho) we’re also hits.

And, a recent book fair purchase was & my 10yr devoured both books: www.amazon.com/Insignificant-Events-Cactus-Dusti-Bowling/dp/1454923458

eta: we also liked Mysterious Benedict Society on Disney & I keep meaning to get those books from the library. 

[wawa]

Nov 27, 2023 6:32:07 GMT -5 imimahoney said:

Percy Jackson is great. Wings of Fire is a popular choice if they like dragons. My 11 yr old loves the Secret series.

a.co/d/i1xkWN8

They've read all (most?) of the wings of fire books on their own from taking them out at the library.

That Secret series does look up their alley...

[wawa]

Nov 27, 2023 6:31:03 GMT -5 sent said:

My DD has been reading The Babysitter’s Club which isn’t the same genre as the books you listed but is from our childhoods. I was surprised when she checked them out at the library. I never read them as a kid because my mother wouldn’t let me which is a whole different tangent, but I remember going to friends’ houses who would have the entire collection on their bookshelves. They’ve been rewritten as graphic novels for today’s kids.

My 8 year old has been getting the graphic novel versions from the library.  Some little turdnugget was mocking him for reading "girl books" but he has continued to bring them home so he's not letting it stop him. 

[wawa]

Nov 27, 2023 6:28:25 GMT -5 lostrn said:

I didn't really like the Percy Jackson series actually. Have you done the Gregor the Overlander series? Maze runner (might be a little too old for them)?

oh....have we done gregor??  Need to go check Shorti's shelves.  I think I'm remembering buying them for my nephew.

I don't think we're quite at Maze Runner yet. Trying to stop shy of full on dystopia for now.  

[gardengal]

Nov 27, 2023 8:10:09 GMT -5 wawa said:

Nov 27, 2023 6:31:03 GMT -5 sent said:

My DD has been reading The Babysitter’s Club which isn’t the same genre as the books you listed but is from our childhoods. I was surprised when she checked them out at the library. I never read them as a kid because my mother wouldn’t let me which is a whole different tangent, but I remember going to friends’ houses who would have the entire collection on their bookshelves. They’ve been rewritten as graphic novels for today’s kids.

My 8 year old has been getting the graphic novel versions from the library.  Some little turdnugget was mocking him for reading "girl books" but he has continued to bring them home so he's not letting it stop him. 

Not fantasy, but would Anne of Green Gables appeal if he’s open minded?

[statgirl]

Percy is wonderful. The original series is reread by my 8/11 year olds regularly. The companion series are good too—I liked Apollo.

From childhood, my kids still like hearing Ramona read to them. I switched to mysteries at similar age and want to try the cat who… with them.

[mcppalmbeach]

Fantasy was never really my genre, but what about “classics” like Roald Dahl or the Mouse and the Motorcycle series? I’m jealous that your kids love this! I tried similar with my kids and it never took off.

[wawa]

Nov 27, 2023 8:14:35 GMT -5 gardengal said:

Nov 27, 2023 8:10:09 GMT -5 wawa said:

My 8 year old has been getting the graphic novel versions from the library.  Some little turdnugget was mocking him for reading "girl books" but he has continued to bring them home so he's not letting it stop him. 

Not fantasy, but would Anne of Green Gables appeal if he’s open minded?

LOL, that's the one I forgot.  We read the Emily books up to where she gets married because ew boring a while ago, and Anne is on our list, but I already own the full set.

[mcppalmbeach]

Also I LOVED the Pippi Longstocking series as a kid. Disclaimer: I’m not really sure if it holds up today or is problematic now. I don’t remember it that well. Kate di camillo would be great or eb white has a boxed set if you want to traumatize them with charlottes web

[mcppalmbeach]

Also loved the bunnicula series as a kid. I read it in second grade so it might be too young?

[wawa]

Nov 27, 2023 8:21:24 GMT -5 mcppalmbeach said:

Fantasy was never really my genre, but what about “classics” like Roald Dahl or the Mouse and the Motorcycle series? I’m jealous that your kids love this! I tried similar with my kids and it never took off.

I already own a lot of those.  We've done a few Roald Dahl.  We also read the Secret Garden and the Never Ending Story.  And...I'm sure some others. I'd have to go look at the shelves.  Could add more Roald Dahl to the collection though. Good idea!

I have...a lot of books.  Though a good chunk of my collection from my teen/kid years was shared with my sister  so she has a lot of it.  (like the harry potters and tamora peirce books) and some of it ended up getting yard saled when my family moved while I was off at college.  (my narnia books, my susan coopers...)

I somehow missed the mouse and the motorcycle, but just looked it up and I think the 8 year old would love that.  It reminds me of the Indian in the Cupboard, which i loved but suspect may have some problematic aspects?  Anybody know if that one holds up with some terminology explanation?

[jinkies]

Not from our childhood, but my son really liked Kenneth Oppel books. The Boundless was his favorite. We also read the series that started with Airborn.

[theoriginalbean]

Also not from childhood, but if they're into fantasy then the Golden Compass series is pretty awesome.

My Harry Potter fan kids did enjoy Percy Jackson, too.

[gerberdaisy]

We're reading the Wild Robot series right now and enjoying it

[sporklemotion]

Series of Unfortunate Events?
My fantasy loving daughter liked When the Mountain Meets the Moon. I don’t know if it’s fantasy— she read it at school.

[wawa]

Nov 27, 2023 9:37:14 GMT -5 theoriginalbean said:

Also not from childhood, but if they're into fantasy then the Golden Compass series is pretty awesome.

My Harry Potter fan kids did enjoy Percy Jackson, too.

LOL, it is.  I read that one as an adult. Adding it to the list.  

I wish i could buy alllllll the books. 
I also was looking at my original list and realized we never did Earthsea, so I've got that now in the hopper too.  

[glw]

I loved the Lemony Snicket and Mrs. Pigglewiggle series around that age.

[jene]

DS1 (9) is super into The Familiars series. H is reading it with him, but it seems like Harry Potter, but with animals?

[picksthemusic]

DD really liked Series of Unfortunate Events (Lemony Snicket) and devoured those at that age. She tried Percy Jackson but didn't really get into them. I'm trying again with DS. For DS we did the Bunnicula series, which still holds up. They're quick reads overall, but good bedtime chapter stories. Also for DS, he really liked Henry Hecklebeck, and DD loved Heidi Hecklebeck. They are quick reads and pretty easy for kids to read on their own as chapter books.

[fortnightlily]

I was really into the Redwall series by Brian Jacques as a kid.

[wawa]

I promised the kids a trip to the used book store since they both missed the school book fair being sick, I'm goign to try to track down Bunnicula and Roald Dahl there...

[neverfstop]

If your kids liked Series of Unfortunate events, mine are enjoying watching it on Netflix right now.
www.netflix.com/title/80050008

[lessel]

Nov 27, 2023 9:38:21 GMT -5 gerberdaisy said:

We're reading the Wild Robot series right now and enjoying it

Ditto this. Not sure the ages you're looking for, by my 8yo loves this series. (We read it to him.)

[estrellita]

I'm not sure if box sets exist for these, but some series (some are more a collection than a chronological series) I liked were:
Boxcar Children
Babysitters Club
Wayside School
Choose Your Own Adventure

Other ideas my 8 year old likes (most are graphic novels):
Dog Man / Cat Kid
Minecraft
Pokémon
Pizza and Taco
Catstronauts
Jedi Academy

[wawa]

Nov 27, 2023 16:17:25 GMT -5 estrellita said:

I'm not sure if box sets exist for these, but some series (some are more a collection than a chronological series) I liked were:
Boxcar Children
Babysitters Club
Wayside School
Choose Your Own Adventure

Other ideas my 8 year old likes (most are graphic novels):
Dog Man / Cat Kid
Minecraft
Pokémon
Pizza and Taco
Catstronauts
Jedi Academy

I loved the boxcar children so much. for some reason the one where they helped a lady fix up her motel sticks in my head like a burr and i think of it every time I drive by a little rundown motel.  (which is like...weekly at a minumum)  also the scene in the first one where the big sister tells the littles they have to eat ice cream instead of a popsicle when they had money for a treat because it'll fill them up better. And the chipped cups.  OMG.  memories!  Might not read that one to them, but I have to find it so they can read it themselves at least...

I loved everything that involved kids just like, setting off into the world and figuring it out.
See also: My Side of the Mountain. 

Also a big fan of wayside school.

[meanie]

Fun! I love buying my kids the books I read at their ages.

- Goosebumps

- Nancy Drew

- Anne of Green Gables

- Christopher Pike books - careful though, I remember a few ~racy~ kissing scenes

- Boxcar Children

- Sweet Valley High

Ahh I remember being obsessed with Animorphs!