Needing chapter book suggestions for my dd8

[A home for their hearts]

I'm just now getting my dd8 back into reading chapter books. We have been taking turns reading out load, I read a page and then she reads a page. I'm really not sure what her reading level is right now. We just finished a Katie Kazoo book and she did pretty well with it. What I'm really wanting her to read is some good literature not just whatever is popular with the kids these days. Any suggestions?

[Karin]

Hmm, I'm not sure if this is classic literature, but it's certainly not popular with kids these days. My second one liked the Betsy-Tacy books, at least the first few. Of course, this was for fun reading on her own. Most of the more literary books we do I read or we do with books on tape.

[Kelley]

My daughter enjoyed "The Cobble Street Cousins" by Cynthia Rylant.
Kelley

[AngieW in Texas]

If you want books that are great for reluctant reader girls, then I can give you a great list. They aren't great literature though.

What about Animal Ark Pets? They aren't pop or fad books, but they are about the same reading level as Katie Kazoo. They're nice, sweet stories. The Animal Ark books are at 4th grade reading level and my dd didn't like those because sometimes the animal in the story died. In Animal Ark Pets, everything always worked out. Animal Ark Pets is at 3rd grade level.

My oldest and my middle (but not my dyslexic youngest) enjoyed Betsy-Tacy until the girls in the stories got a few years older than they were. They also enjoyed Gone Away Lake and Return to Gone-Away Lake.

The Cricket in Times Square series is the one "literature" series that my youngest has enjoyed. There are actually quite a few books: Cricket in Times Square, Tucker's Countryside, Harry Cat's Pet Puppy, Chester Cricket's Pigeon Ride, Chester Cricket's New Home, Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse, The Old Meadow. We only read the first three, because I already owned them. My library only had the first book.

series that are good for 2nd-3rd grade level readers
Big Apple Barn
Rainbow Magic Fairies - very girly
Katie Kazoo
Cobble Street Cousins
Pony-Crazed Princess - very girly
My Secret Unicorn - girly, but not as much as the ones that I marked as very girly
The Littles
Animal Ark Pets

I don't think any of these series really qualify as "literature", but they are good for reluctant readers.

[A home for their hearts]

If you want books that are great for reluctant reader girls, then I can give you a great list. They aren't great literature though.

What about Animal Ark Pets? They aren't pop or fad books, but they are about the same reading level as Katie Kazoo. They're nice, sweet stories. The Animal Ark books are at 4th grade reading level and my dd didn't like those because sometimes the animal in the story died. In Animal Ark Pets, everything always worked out. Animal Ark Pets is at 3rd grade level.

My oldest and my middle (but not my dyslexic youngest) enjoyed Betsy-Tacy until the girls in the stories got a few years older than they were. They also enjoyed Gone Away Lake and Return to Gone-Away Lake.

The Cricket in Times Square series is the one "literature" series that my youngest has enjoyed. There are actually quite a few books: Cricket in Times Square, Tucker's Countryside, Harry Cat's Pet Puppy, Chester Cricket's Pigeon Ride, Chester Cricket's New Home, Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse, The Old Meadow. We only read the first three, because I already owned them. My library only had the first book.

series that are good for 2nd-3rd grade level readers
Big Apple Barn
Rainbow Magic Fairies - very girly
Katie Kazoo
Cobble Street Cousins
Pony-Crazed Princess - very girly
My Secret Unicorn - girly, but not as much as the ones that I marked as very girly
The Littles
Animal Ark Pets

I don't think any of these series really qualify as "literature", but they are good for reluctant readers.

What a great list! I will look into these. thanks

[Karen in CO]

.

[jail warden]

Highland School (http://www.thelatinschool.org/summer-reading.html)

[SBP]

I've never heard of the Katie Kazoo books, so I'm not sure if what I'm recommending is comparable, but some of the books that have been hits with my DD8 have been:

Sarah, Plain and Tall and sequels
Charlotte's Web
The Courage of Sarah Noble
Because of Winn Dixie
the Little House books

The only series books she's read much are the Boxcar Children and some of the American Girl books, but she's enjoyed those.

Happy reading :)

SBP

ETA: I forgot Betsy-Tacy - she loves those too and has read them all.

[A home for their hearts]

ETA: I forgot Betsy-Tacy - she loves those too and has read them all.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Do you know the name of the first Betsy-Tracy book and how many are in the series?

[AngieW in Texas]

* Betsy-Tacy (1940)
* Betsy-Tacy and Tib (1941)
* Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill (1942)
* Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown (1943)
* Heaven to Betsy (1945)
* Betsy in Spite of Herself (1946)
* Betsy Was a Junior (1947)
* Betsy and Joe (1948)
* Betsy and the Great World (1952)
* Betsy's Wedding (1955)


cut-and-pasted from Wikipedia

My girls only read the first four.

[flutistmom]

Although they don't exactly fit into the category "Great Literary Works," DD (7) adores Judy Blume's "Fudge" series. And since they are fairly easy to read, I have found that they are great for practicing expression when reading aloud. The American Girl historical character books are also a favorite in our house. They provide a fun way to spark an interest in history, and can very easily be used as a starting point for a unit study.

Beat of luck to you and DD, whatever you choose!

-Robin