Chapter book recommendations for family read-aloud?

[Pepe]

Hey there--seeking something long and compelling to read aloud with DS, 6 (who does typically like books intended for older kiddos).  Along these lines, we have thus far enjoyed most of the Harry Potter series, The Red Pyramid, The Spiderwick Chronicles, some Roald Dahl...for information on interests, DS likes things such as Star Wars (though I don't find it very riveting), pirates, geography, ninjas, animals, soccer, war (though again, not my thing), Martin Luther King, and Abraham Lincoln, to name a few.  Help us find something to while away the rainy Saturdays!  Thanks.

[ollyoxenfree]

These are all young adult fiction, but if he's enjoyed Harry Potter and Rick Riordan, then you'll find them on the same shelves at the bookstore or library......... 

The Bartimaeus Trilogy (starting with The Amulet of Samarkand) by Jonathon Stroud (about a boy magician and a djinni he calls forth)

Airborn (and sequels Skybreaker and Starclimber), a terrific steampunk adventure trilogy by Ken Oppel (set in an alternate history with transoceanic passenger cruise airships that float on a lighter-than-hydrogen gas). In case you aren't familiar with steampunk, it's a genre that tweaks our history and technology - kind of like science fiction/fantasy, but set in the past instead of the future. 

Leviathan (and Behemoth and Goliath) by Scott Westerfeld, another steampunk adventure set on an airship in an alternate timeline to our own, this time at the outset of World War I. There's a little bit of actual history woven into the fictional and the author's afterword discusses some of it. The war scenes aren't too gruesome, but you might want to do a little pre-reading if you have any concerns about that sort of thing. 

The Sea of Trolls and sequels by Nancy Farmer 

Since you mentioned The Red Pyramid, I figure you already know about the Percy Jackson series, but just in case, I'll note it too..... 

[Daffodil]

Have you read the Narnia books yet?  If not, they'd probably be a great choice.  I read Cornelia Funke's Inkheart series to my DD just before she turned 6, and The Indian in the Cupboard and a couple of the sequels when she was 6.  I really enjoyed Inkheart and the sequels myself.  The Bunnicula books by James Howe have been big hits with my kids.  DD was 6 when I read the first couple to her, and DS has enjoyed them even younger than that.

Some other series that might work for a 6 year old, but might be even better when he's a bit older:

the May Bird series by Jodi Lynn Anderson

The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart

the Silverwing series by Kenneth Oppel

the Swallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome

Some other books that are good, but not particularly long:

Peter Pan

The Silver Crown - Robert C. O'Brien

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH - Robert C. O'Brien

Ronia the Robber's Daughter - Astrid Lindgren

Mio My Son - Astrid Lindgren

The Brothers Lionheart - Astrid Lindgren

Coraline - Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman

The Princess and the Goblin - George MacDonald

Igraine the Brave - Cornelia Funke

Dragon Rider - Cornelia Funke

The Mouse and the Motorcycle - Beverly Cleary

Ginger Pye - Eleanor Estes

Mr. Popper's Penguins - Richard and Florence Atwater

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - Grace Lin

It sounds like your kid likes things that are exciting and maybe a bit scary, so I included some that would be too scary for some 6 year olds.  But I'm pretty sure all the books I listed are ones at least one of my kids listened to and enjoyed at 6 or younger.

[Emma Bryan Fuller]

We love Roald Dhal too.

My kids love Enid Blyton. the Magic Faraway Tree. Also, the adventure books. The Castle Of Adventure etc. All by Enid Blyton.

[Owen'nZoe]

What about Mary Pope Osborne's retellings of the Odyssey? They are definitely aimed at an older child than her Magic Treehouse books. You mentioned his interest in stories about war, and some historical interests as well, so I think these might really resonate with him.

And while I've not read these, other children I know who liked the Mary Pope Osborne books also enjoyed the Percy Jackson series.

[LuckyMommaToo]

We're currently reading All-of-a-Kind Family and everyone is enjoying it. Caddie Woodlawn is another one I'd recommend. (Both of these are books I loved when I was little!)

-e

[ollyoxenfree]

I mentioned the Rowan of Rin series by Emily Rodda in another thread and I can't believe that I neglected to include it here. It's probably more age suitable for a 6 y.o. than some of other books I referred to upthread. 

Also the Dragonling series by Jackie French Koller and the Dragons series by Patricia Wrede - Dealing with Dragons etc. 

The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DeCamillo

The Dimwood Forest Chronicles by Avi (Poppy, Poppy and Rye, Ragweed etc.) 

[beanma]

Originally Posted by Daffodil 
Some other books that are good, but not particularly long:

...

Dragon Rider - Cornelia Funke

...

It sounds like your kid likes things that are exciting and maybe a bit scary, so I included some that would be too scary for some 6 year olds.  But I'm pretty sure all the books I listed are ones at least one of my kids listened to and enjoyed at 6 or younger.

I second "Dragon Rider", but I think at 500+ pages it's plenty long. It's not a series, though.

For serieses(eses) we've enjoyed "The Sisters Grimm" by Michael Buckley (short books, but there's 8 or 9 of 'em, strong male characters, too, and the sisters are tough) and Garth Nix's "Keys to the Kingdom" series (kinda weird and might be a bit out there for a 6 yr old, but my 8 yr old has been game).

If he likes witches and wizards he might like the "Chrestomanci" books by Diane Wynne Jones.

Also, "The Dark is Rising" by Susan Cooper series might appeal to him.

My number one recommendation for a 6 yr old boy would be "Dragon Rider", though!

[A&A]

The Magician's Elephant is a great book to read out loud.

[Igraine]

We loved these books, Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #1 by Michelle Paver.

http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/0060728256.asp

We read these allowed when my youngest was 4.5 and my oldest was 7.5. 

We read all of the Magic Tree House books and have read many of the "boxcar Kids". I, personally, grew bored with these.  My kids like to have pretty much anything read to them so we do chapter books and picture books.

[DaRkY]

Don't forget Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren or poetry authors like Shel Silverstein.

[erigeron]

We read the Wizard of Oz series aloud when I was a kid. Most people only know of the first book but there are 14 by L. Frank Baum, and then other people took over the series but Baum's work is what I know best.

[SweetSilver]

What a great thread!  I'm going to be referring to it for ideas for my family.

If you don't mind some mildly crass humor, the "How to Train Your Dragon" series is great fun.  So much fun to read aloud, funny and adventurous.  I loved it so much I usually read ahead after the girls were asleep.  Eventually, my 7yo decided dragons should be red (??!!) and dropped the series.  Maybe later we'll keep going.

[aHikaru]

winnie the pooh, the little prince and charlottes web

[lorijds]

The Redwall books by Brian Jacques sound like they would be interesting to your child.  The language (and some of the themes:  war, hunger, power, family) is very advanced, but the actual characters are all animals.  Redwall is an abbey/monastery in the medieval times.  There are pirates, traders, warriors, monks, and orphans;  gentle, kind creatures and evil, cunning ones.  It's really quite fantastic.