Book suggestion for reading PreK + (girl themed, but could be a good springboard for boys that...

[KCMichigan]

So many of us are always looking for good , age-appropriate books for early readers :

My DDs picked up this book at the library and LOVED it:

 http://www.amazon.com/Braving-Lake-American-Innerstar-University/dp/1593697570/ref=pd_sim_b_4

Yes, it is a commercial character (which my girls dont really know much about)--- but honestly it was age appropriate and they LOVED the choose-your -own adventure format. It is a chapter book with a bunch of nicely done pictures.

Its has an emphasis on character  building and how the choices you make impact your friends and activities. In no way did it try to sell the doll line or any of the other books. No, it is not great literature or will it ever be a classic- but the format and the topic was perfect right now for what we needed.  

We have used it as a great springboard on honesty, how to treat others, what happens with the choices we make, etc.

As a point of reference : my DDs are 5.75 and reading roughly at early 3rd grade. They will be going in to K or 1st in the Fall. The topics in this book are ones that we have been talking about a lot lately (how to be a friend, how to make choices, how to handle fears, how to be honest, etc).

There are a few others in the series (so I cant say about the other book topics) that we are getting them from the library- but I thought I would pass it along for other families that may be looking for good books for the 5+ category that match a fluent young reader to appropriate content.

[Geofizz]

All the American Girl books are well done. I like that they have a strong girl as the central character throughout. They are generally historically accurate and they tackle some of the more regretable parts of US history. The writing is basic, but includes more variety to the language than other drivel produced for that market.

Sensititve kids should avoid the Addy series (slavery + separation of the family) that lead to nightmares in this house when DD was that age.

The publisher contracts authors who are already writing fiction for kids, generally from that time period. Read through the back material for the author and check out other books by the person. We have found really good stuff that way.

[Hopefulmama]

Thank you for sharing. DD will be six next month and is reading at a 5th grade level. So it's been challenging to find something that is age appropriate. She found some Barbie books at the library, which I didn't say no to because she was excited to be able to read them, but the content is less than stellar.

[KCMichigan]

Originally Posted by Geofizz 

All the American Girl books are well done. I like that they have a strong girl as the central character throughout. They are generally historically accurate and they tackle some of the more regretable parts of US history. The writing is basic, but includes more variety to the language than other drivel produced for that market.

Sensititve kids should avoid the Addy series (slavery + separation of the family) that lead to nightmares in this house when DD was that age.

The publisher contracts authors who are already writing fiction for kids, generally from that time period. Read through the back material for the author and check out other books by the person. We have found really good stuff that way.

They are American Girl- but they are in 'real time' vs historical.

I do like the classic AG books and we have a few available (and yes, the Addy series is put away for now due to a very sensitive DD). Both the writing and pictures are a lot different in the books I posted and to be honest, I did not realize they were AG for a while!

[LynnS6]

My 7 year old dd recently started the American Girl stories. She likes the American Girl mysteries much better than the shorter ones that seem to be more tied to the dolls. I was a bit unsure about the books because of the commercial tie in, but it's perfectly possible to read those without knowing/caring about the dolls. They're interesting stories. They have historically accurate content, and they have a couple of pages of non-fiction in the back to further explain the time period. Dd was reading about the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 in one of the books today, and another one inspired her to search for more information about the depression. I vastly prefer those to the vapid Rainbow Magic books. (And she's pretty sensitive and wasn't bothered by the Addy stories, so it's just something to watch for.)

This is a good time to plug the wiki: Books for Early Advanced Readers:

http://www.mothering.com/community/wiki/books-for-early-advanced-readers

[Geofizz]

Originally Posted by LynnS6 

My 7 year old dd recently started the American Girl stories. She likes the American Girl mysteries much better than the shorter ones that seem to be more tied to the dolls. I was a bit unsure about the books because of the commercial tie in, but it's perfectly possible to read those without knowing/caring about the dolls. They're interesting stories. They have historically accurate content, and they have a couple of pages of non-fiction in the back to further explain the time period. Dd was reading about the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 in one of the books today, and another one inspired her to search for more information about the depression. I vastly prefer those to the vapid Rainbow Magic books. (And she's pretty sensitive and wasn't bothered by the Addy stories, so it's just something to watch for.)

This is a good time to plug the wiki: Books for Early Advanced Readers:

http://www.mothering.com/community/wiki/books-for-early-advanced-readers

After you've exhausted the American Girl books, check out the Dear America and Royal Diaries books. They have a similar feel. DD can now hold her own playing Chronology as a result!

We've past the "early advanced reader" stage with DD but we're into this next stage of development where again the books out there aren't a great fit. I've had to institute a 4:1 deal. For every 4 books she rereads, she reads one new one. Yay summer.

[LynnS6]

Originally Posted by Geofizz 



After you've exhausted the American Girl books, check out the Dear America and Royal Diaries books. They have a similar feel. DD can now hold her own playing Chronology as a result!

We've past the "early advanced reader" stage with DD but we're into this next stage of development where again the books out there aren't a great fit. I've had to institute a 4:1 deal. For every 4 books she rereads, she reads one new one. Yay summer.

Thanks for the recommendations. I think we've moved beyond the "Early Advanced Reader" stage too. Dd just finished Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince in 4 days! We're on the way to exhausting the American Girl books by the end of the summer. 

[Geofizz]

Originally Posted by LynnS6 

Thanks for the recommendations. I think we've moved beyond the "Early Advanced Reader" stage too. Dd just finished Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince in 4 days! We're on the way to exhausting the American Girl books by the end of the summer. 

With you're DD's history of liking fairy stories as well, try the Sister's Grimm next.

More here: http://geofizzgirl.livejournal.com/142087.html
And here ( see comments, too): http://geofizzgirl.livejournal.com/139158.html

[TinyMama]

Thanks for the suggestions here, and the link to the wiki!

DD just started on the Rainbow Magic books.  Vapid is an excellent word for them, but how could I deny her?!?  There is so little that is appropriate right now--even Ivy and Bean has some mean aspects that I'd rather not explain to a 4 year old.  (She is also enjoying Ivy and Bean, but not as much as Rainbow Magic.)

The other series she has really loved is the books linked to the PBS show, "Martha Speaks."  They're longer chapter books, not the picture books that are also available.  We like the show, and there doesn't seem to be any merchandise linked to it.  

[LynnS6]

Originally Posted by TinyMama 

Thanks for the suggestions here, and the link to the wiki!

DD just started on the Rainbow Magic books.  Vapid is an excellent word for them, but how could I deny her?!?  There is so little that is appropriate right now--even Ivy and Bean has some mean aspects that I'd rather not explain to a 4 year old.  (She is also enjoying Ivy and Bean, but not as much as Rainbow Magic.)

The other series she has really loved is the books linked to the PBS show, "Martha Speaks."  They're longer chapter books, not the picture books that are also available.  We like the show, and there doesn't seem to be any merchandise linked to it.  

There is, according to the children's librarian at the library where my SIL works, some value to the Rainbow Magic books. The predictable plot and characters means that the kids can gain fluency pretty quickly with them. They certainly helped dd with that. I think Geofizz has described these as "the gateway drug". They were certainly that for dd. She devoured all she could in August of last year and was done with them. This summer, she's been reading Harry Potter, the American Girl books, and slumming it a bit with some Magic Kitten/Magic Pony books. Alas, she can read one of those in about 20 minutes. Dd LOVED Ivy and Bean at age 6, so maybe they're a theme that is better for a child who's a bit older? I bet she'd like the Magic Fill-in-the-Animal books. You can also try the Magic Treehouse books (also the 'same' plot, but at least more interesting) or move up to the Boxcar Children. 
 

[TinyMama]

Originally Posted by LynnS6 

There is, according to the children's librarian at the library where my SIL works, some value to the Rainbow Magic books. The predictable plot and characters means that the kids can gain fluency pretty quickly with them. They certainly helped dd with that. I think Geofizz has described these as "the gateway drug". They were certainly that for dd. She devoured all she could in August of last year and was done with them. This summer, she's been reading Harry Potter, the American Girl books, and slumming it a bit with some Magic Kitten/Magic Pony books. Alas, she can read one of those in about 20 minutes. Dd LOVED Ivy and Bean at age 6, so maybe they're a theme that is better for a child who's a bit older? I bet she'd like the Magic Fill-in-the-Animal books. You can also try the Magic Treehouse books (also the 'same' plot, but at least more interesting) or move up to the Boxcar Children. 
 

Okay, I can totally see how she is gaining fluency with the Rainbow Magic books.  Also, these are the first longer books that she's been motivated to read all the way through (and then through again, and again, and again...).  I hope they are a gateway drug, although I'm not quite sure what they're a gateway to.  I will definitely try Magic Kitten/Magic Pony books next.  She doesn't seem interested in Magic Treehouse, although I've tried a couple of those.  The Boxcar Children is not a great idea for her right now, b/c she's obsessed with death--aren't their parents dead in that book?
 

[Geofizz]

Originally Posted by TinyMama 
 I hope they are a gateway drug, although I'm not quite sure what they're a gateway to. 

Reading. 

Today DD spent 3 hours at day camp, 2 hours at the pool, an hour and change building marble runs with her brother, helped me make dinner, and logged 3 hours reading.  Today she finished off Journey to the Center of the Earth, re-read a few fairy books, and started a Wolves of the Beyond book.  She's got two more novels from the library she plans to read tomorrow, it looks like she took out a chemistry/elements book to reread, but she's already made it clear that she needs a trip to the library tomorrow.  She's thinking geology books, or maybe something about the Civil War, plus the last of the Wolves series, and see if the librarian has anything else set aside for her.

Yeah, we're well enough known at the library that children's librarians keep a pile of books aside for DD when they bump into something she'd like.

What started as me biting my tongue on yet her reading yet another  Rainbow Magic book has become a love of stories, a love of the reading process, reading for information, a huge vocabulary (though oddly pronounced), and an enthusiasm for reading her favorite books to her brother.  Yes, she still checks out Rainbow Magic books.  I've made my peace with it.