I'm seeking some book recommendations to get my dd back into reading again.

[gandpsmommy]

Dd7 was enthusiastic about reading until a few months ago. She loved being read to as a baby, toddler, and preschooler, and would often request and sit through mutiple readings of books way above her age level. When she was a toddler and preschooler she would sit and look through books and "read" them, telling the story herself. She asked me to teach her to read when she was 4.5 years old and by the time she was 5.5 yo she was reading on a second grade level. I'm guessing that right now she is reading on about a fourth grade level and learning on about a fifth grade reading level.

I never used to have to think about reading because she just did it. She would take a big stack of picture books with her into the bathroom and read for half an hour. When she first started reading she wanted to read to us all the time. At the end of kindergarten she was excited about being able to read read children's novels, so she started reading Charlotte's Web on her own in her room during her free time, and she checked out the Boxcar Children from the library to read to us in the evenings. She loved to read.

Well, a few months ago she apparently lost interest in reading. She still likes me to read to her since we bought The Penderwicks and The Incredible Journey of Edward Tulane a few weeks ago, but I am still having a difficult time interesting her in something to read. Last year she read Little House on The Prairie and started one of the others in the series. We own the whole series, but she said she's tired of them. Reading, of course, is not negotiable. She will be required to read something aloud with me for school and I will require her to read to herslef for 15-30 minutes a day as well. I just wish I knew what I could do to reignite her love of reading.

I'm looking for good picture book suggestions and for ideas of novels that might spark her interest. Some of her favorite books that I have read with her over the past few years have been James and The Giant Peach, Charlotte's Web, The Trumpet of The Swan, and The Wheel on The School.

For literature we are studing Greek myths and Norse myths, so I'm just looking for something a little lighter for her reading time with me that might get her excited about reading again.

During her free reading time she has been reading The Mouse and the Motorcycle, but I'm not sure her heart's really into it.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Wendy In KS]

But, she is the product of having an older sister who LOVES every book and can breeze through them effortlessly.

Anyways, one of my dd's favorite books that she couldn't put down was Matildla. She also really enjoyed The Witches and a lot of other Roald Dahl books.

One other book she enjoyed was The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles.

Good luck, I know how hard it is to spark that desire to "just go grab a book a read!"

[nmoira]

Have you tried the Freddy books by Walter R. Brooks? The first is Freddy Goes to Florida.

[LibraryLover]

For light reading, my youngest enjoyed The Spiderwick Chronicles at that age. They are about faires and brownies and such. It's a good story if you are ok with that genre of books. She also loved Dahl's Witches, and The BFG. See a theme here? lol

Another little series she enjoyed is The Princess Tales by Gail Levine: http://www.amazon.com/Fairys-Mistake-Princess-Tales/dp/0060280603 These are short, so she will blow through them. But there are 5. lol The girls are not your typical princesses waiting to be rescued, either.

The Cobble Street Cousins series, by Cynthia Rylant might be 'too easy' , but I can't say enough about them. They are tender and sweet and loving. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/002-5797079-8264032?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=The+Cousins+Rylant&x=13&y=23 Of course, in general, I can't say enough about how much we adore Rylant. She is the Henry and Mudge author, but also writes books for older kids. We loved The Islander, and The Van Gogh Cafe esp. But oh, that series The Light House Family! I cried. lol I loved them as a 40-something, so I always tell people not to shy away from them becuase they are too picture book-ish. The language and writing style is top notch. The family loves each other and helps all the creatures by the sea. Lovely. Here's an excerpt from the first book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/068984882X/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link

[Dana in OR]

Did you know that Alexander McCall Smith wrote children's books? I love his "No. 1 Ladies Detective" series and I recently bought a couple of his kids books on Amazon.

The Five Lost Aunts of Harriet Bean
Akimbo and the Crocodile Man

are the ones I have and they are well written, and the level of difficulty I think you are looking for.

Hope this helps, and I'm sure your daughter will come around.

~Dana

[emeraldjoy]

They just read a The Tale of Desperaux; and loved it.
Julie of the Wolves
Shiloh
Five Children and It
To name a few. I will ask my daughter when she wakes up.....
e

[jamnkats]

I empathize with you. My 14yo was always my "good" reader. I have to admit that I took a certain amount of pride in his reading - like it reflected well on me. As a radical unschooler I must admit it was a kind of proof that what we were doing was *working* and *right* (for our family - I'm radical in our approach; not in thinking that our way is best for everyone).

So I think I had a lot invested in his ability to read. He has been reading on a freshman college level for over a year now. His brother (12yo) started reading at 10 and while I haven't tested him, I'm pretty sure he is either at grade level (whatever it is) or just below. But he will readily take up a book and read it. So, check 2 off the list. :)

The girls aren't reading but the 8yo is really really close. Ooops - she just turned 9.

The 14yo has recently (last few months) just not really had the interest in reading that he used to. So at first I gently encouraged him (his is my shining star after all! :)) and briefly considered more. I recommended books and even without coercion, I'm sure he knows I'm more comfortable when he's reading. If he stopped reading right now and never read another book he'd still be "ahead" of most of his peers. But that isn't what I'm hoping for for him. So I had to stand back and figure out what is my hope for him and more importantly - what is HIS goal? I am hoping that he develops a love of reading and thirst to acquire knowledge that lasts his entire life. I am hoping he constantly challenges himself and exposes himself to different ways of life, thought, culture, etc. Forcing him or guilting him or strongly encouraging him to do something he is not interested in doing will not foster any of those desires but instead turn him off of that which he previously loved.

So I read good literature to him and don't even ask what books he's read lately. And we discuss the literature and poetry and for now, that is good enough. And if I don't have time to read to him or we miss a week here or there, in the grand scheme of things, it isn't the end of the world.

I hope some of our journey has been helpful to you and your daughter.

[charlotteb]

Has she read any of the American Girl books? My daughter and I have started reading them. We have decided to go in order, so we started with the Kaya books and are now in the middle of the Felecity books. She loves them!
There are also the Girls of Faith books, which are very similar, but more christian. I have looked over those and they look nice as well.

[H.S. Burrow]

At that age my kids loved the Magic Tree House books and their research guides.

DS also liked the Geronimo Stilton books...think Sherlock Holmes with a mouse. The illustrations are really cool.

[Kathleen in VA]

For light reading she may enjoy Milly, Molly, Mandy (http://www.veritaspress.com/prodinfo.asp?number=340034), Baby Island (http://www.veritaspress.com/prodinfo.asp?number=520100), Ballet Shoes (http://www.veritaspress.com/prodinfo.asp?number=490080), the other "Shoe" books by Noel Streatfeild. Also, my children all enjoyed Farmer Boy the best of all the Little House books so perhaps she could give that a go. It contains much more humor than the others, imo.

[nmoira]

Do you have a selection of books at an easier reading level than what she's capable? Kids often prefer "easy" reading for independent pleasure reading. You could also try reading a chapter or two aloud and moving on to something else. That might be enough to whet her appetite.

I've been trying to think of the books DD really enjoyed up at that level.


The Far-Flung series by Stewart and Riddell
Geronimo Stilton (on the easier side)
Here be Monsters by Alan Snow (this is very fun)
the Spiderwick books
Garth Nix's Seventh Tower series
the Freddy books
Enid Blyton -- Faraway Tree, Wishing Chair, books of short stories
Eleanor Estes
Measle books by Ian Ogilvy
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Paddington books
books of fairy tales, folk tales, myths from around the world (Geraldine McCaughrean and Neil Philip have good collections)
Horrible Histories
Edward Eager's magic books

[Carol in Cal.]

"Half Magic" would have DD practically breathless with laughter. That's a higher reading level than you're talking about, but if you read it to her first she will probably enjoy reading it to herself later.

The Ramona books by Beverly Cleary are very engaging for that age, and about the right reading level. Since she is tired of Little House books, I don't think she will like the MTH books as they are even more formulaic and are at an easier reading level.

Don't neglect the harder Dr. Suess books--they are SO entertaining, and really pull kids in. "The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins", "The Sneetches", "Horton Hears a Who", and the one about the last of the local trees are good for that age.

Keep reading to her, and make sure that she knows that you'll continue to do so.