My ds loves Happy Hollister books, Trixie Belden, Bobsey Twins...

[KIN]

But he has read and re-read them again and again. What are some other books along these lines that he could get at the library or I could buy used? He reads many other books for his required reading but goes back to these for free time. He is reading on an 8th grade reading level (but obviously is reading lower books for fun!), if that helps!

[Dana in OR]

Alfred Hitchcock's Three Investigators series - it features three boys who solve mysteries. I have collected many ex-library copies for my daughters since our grown sons had loved them so much.

Also, the Hardy Boys would be worth a try. We have heard some of them on tape that were pretty good.

[KIN]

Would the Three Investigators be appropriate for a 2nd grader?

[Hilary in MI]

How about:
Swallows and Amazons (and the rest of the series) by Arthur Ransome
Enid Blyton's books
http://www.enidblyton.net/
Peggy Parish's kids and mysteries books, like Pirate Island Adventure, The Ghosts of Cougar Island, etc.

[Sweetest]

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner? My daughter is in second grade and also an advanced reader (currently finishing the Harry Potter Series). She really enjoys these and they are pretty easy reading. There are also a ton of them...We haven't even made a dent.

She also loved The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White (one of my favorites when I was little)

How about some of the Beverly Cleary books...my daughter loves the Ramona books.

I loved Trixie Belden when I was a kid...I need to get some of those for my dd!

[Sasharowan]

I second the Enid Blyton and the Boxcar Children series. Also Nancy Drew, I was reading her in 1st grade. Tom Swift is kind of like the Hardy boys, but in space.

[Linda...inOwasso]

My dd7 loves the Happy Hollisters too! Have you tried any books from the Freddy the Pig series by Walter Brooks? She loves them and so do I!! Check them out on amazon --- there are several and they were written around the same time as the Hollisters.

For easy reading, she enjoy the Dragon Slayer's Academy books by McMullan? Similar to Harry Potter, but much easier reading. Also, what about the Wishbone Dog books? They are a series of books based on classics but all starring Wishbone the dog as the protagonist. DD loves them! I think they're published by Scholastic.

HTH!

[RoughCollie]

Boxcar Children
Danny Dunn
Nancy Drew
Hardy Boys
Three Investigators

Edward Eager's books
Beverly Cleary's books
Carolyn Haywood's books

[mellifera]

Would the Three Investigators be appropriate for a 2nd grader?

I wouldn't have a problem with them.:)

[OhElizabeth]

My dd was like that last year (2nd), except her thing was comics, which she would read for hours if I let her. I finally created a diversified genre reading list where she had to fill in books for each genre each week and read across the spectrum. I've also worked really hard to create shelves and shelves of TQ books (historical fiction, non-fiction, you name it) that she goes back and reads, even when we're no longer on that time period. I have no problem with loving Boxcar or whatever, as my dd certainly does. I just found it had swung too far that way and needed to be balanced out with more serious reading. And now that she's been through a number of the time periods (ancient egypt, ancient greece, etc.), the books she read back then are old friends and pleasurable to read again.

Yes, we like Freddy the Pig, Calvin & Hobbes, any of those fun series. She went through a Little House stage last year, so that might be another thing to get him into.

[KIN]

I finally created a diversified genre reading list where she had to fill in books for each genre each week and read across the spectrum.

I have done the same thing, and he reads many different kinds of books. But, his love is mysteries. :) So, I'd wanted some other options for during his free time. Thanks for your input.

[Lori D.]

gr. 1-2 reading level:
- Nate the Great (Sharmat)
- Aunt Eater (Cushman)
- Inspector Hopper (Cushman)

gr. 2-4 reading level:
- Jigsaw Jones (Prellar)
- Cam Jansen (Adler)
- Sly the Sleuth (Napoli)
- Third Grade Detectives (Stanley)
- various titles by Doug Cushman


gr. 3-6 reading level:
- Roman Mysteries (Lawrence)
- American Girl History Mysteries (various authors)
- Encyclopedia Brown (Sobol)
- Boxcar Children (Warner)

gr. 4-8 reading level:
- Trixie Belden (Campbell)
- Nancy Drew (Keene)
- Hardy Boys (Dixon)
- Samurai Mysteries (Hoobler)
- Hardy Boys (gr. 4-8)