Reading Books for Almost 2nd Grader and almost 1st Grader

[dojoyates]

We are moving in a couple of months and I would love to have a list of good reading books for an almost-2nd Grader who reads voraciously and an almost-1st grader who's right behind him. I was thinking of easy chapter books that keep their interest, but aren't fantasy themed. I looked at the library the other day and I was so disappointed because most of them are so "magical" and fantasy. We've read a few of the Magic Tree House books and some are okay and others are full of new age nonsense.

Any ideas would be appreciated!!!!!

[Kendall]

Cynthia Rylant has some good easy chapter books. The Cobble Street Cousins is the name of one series. My other recommendation for those ages is picture books. A good quality picture book has a richer vocabulary and often better writing in general than an easy chapter book.

[Ali in OR]

The first thing that comes to my mind is Beverly Cleary. My dds have loved the Ralph S. Mouse books, the Henry Huggins books, and now the Ramona books. I'm not sure about reading level. We started these as read-alouds, but now my 7 yo can read them on her own. Or sometimes if a book is a little beyond her, I find that after I've read a chapter, she will re-read it on her own or read the next one.

[Chris in VA]

Try the Step into Reading books. They aren't a series of the same characters, but many different subjects. If Magic Treehouse is about right level-wise, try Step 4 or 5 books. Balto and the Volcano one were hits here.
Also, Little House in the Big Woods should be ok.
I second Cynthia Rylant books, too--the easier ones (Mr. Putter and Tabby, Henry and Mudge) are particularly wonderful.
Go to Sonlight and Winter Promise to see what they recommend. Sonlight books run "easy" and WP a little harder.

[8FillTheHeart]

My kids taht age love the Thornton Burgess books (they are animal adventure stories). My not quite so voracious readers liked the C W Anderson "Billy and Blaze series." (btw, I am assuming that they are both boys??))

[ThelmaLou]

Boxcar Children
Billy and Blaze
Nate the Great series
Henry and Mudge series
Mr. Putter and Tabby series
Amelia Bedelia series
Encyclopedia Brown books
Grandma's Attic books
I Can Read series
Let's Read and Find Out series (science oriented)

[Widdershins]

Reading what was written brought up a question of my own. I skimmed the Magic Tree House books before letting my six year old read about 30 of them. They seemed alright except for the atrocious sentence fragments. I am concerned about the new-agey stuff you mention. Can you go into further detail?

[Parrothead]

Would a leveled book (http://home.comcast.net/%7Engiansante/) list help any?

Here (http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/celoop/1000.html) is a great list of Classic books.