book series _end of first grade level

[Thursday Girl]

ok so dd is reading and her teacher would like her to get into a book series, a good one (like the teacher needed to tell me that but a lot of the kids are reading crap books) but does anyone have any suggestions foe a series of books?

Junie b jones, i don't like. Magic Treehouse is too long for her to stay interested just yet as she is only 4.5 and just can't read to herself for that length of time.

thanks
courtney

[LilyGrace]

What about The Littles? I think there's about 10 of them out now - fairly short, decent writing, written for the 1-2nd grade level.

[jen in co]

Fairy Books - Rainbow Fairies, Weather Fairies, Jewel Fairies
The Mercy Watson books -- amazing illustrations for an early reader chapter book (author is Kate DiCamillo I think)

[Thalia the Muse]

If Magic Treehouse is too long, I'd look at something like Henry and Mudge or Mr. Putter and Tabby.

[GruppieGirl]

Originally Posted by Thalia the Muse

I'd look at something like Henry and Mudge or Mr. Putter and Tabby.

I second these two series. My second grader loves Mr. Putter and Tabby!

[UUMom]

I agree that if MT is too long, The Littles and the Fairy books are as well. They may in fact be longer than the early MT.

So, I would think Mr Tabby. I think Mercy Watson might be the ticket as well. But also, Sly The Slueth (there are 3, I believe, about a girl detective), Nate The Great (boy detective), The Light House Family series (especially wonderful, and there are 5). There is a cute little series called Ivy and Bean, which might be too long, but I think they are shorter than MT and Littles. There are at least 3 of those.

A bit longer than The Light House Family, is the The Cobblestreet Cousins series, all by the same author. Wonderful stuff there, sweet illustrations, and an author I trust. Anything by Cynthia Rylant is worth a good long look. When you have The Cobble Street Cousins and Cynthia Rylant, I don't think you have to think about Junie and all the nasty things she has to deal with. (I don't mind the MT series-- the children are kind to each other, and there is no "stupid, big fat mouth' stuff. Rylant steers well clear of that sort of banality).

[wildmonkeys]

Cam Jansen (also about a girl detective), the Frog and Toad books, the Little House chapter books, Henry and Mudge have all been enjoyed around here.

[Thursday Girl]

thanks for the suggestions i am puttin gsom eon hold at the library

[UUMom]

Absoltuely Frog and Toad. I forgot about those. All of my kids loved them. In the same vein, Mouse Tales and Mouse Soup. Funny and clever.

[AngieB]

My dd loved the Lighthouse Series by Cynthia Rylant
http://www.amazon.com/Storm-Lighthou...5795066&sr=1-1

This is the same author who wrote the Henry and Mudge books.

[TEAK's Mom]

Most of my suggestions have already been made, but I do remember at that age, my dd1 like the Catwings books by Ursula LeGuin. They're cute and pretty short.

[Lingmom]

I don't understand why chapter books would be a good idea. I think if your 4 yr old is having trouble staying concentrated on novels because of her age, why not just have her read shorter stories? A lot of good quality children's books have reading levels of first or second grade, so they'd be appropriately challenging and her attention would be held.

And if you want her to experience a longer story, then you should be reading it to her... in which case I wouldn't bother with a first grade level because the writing style is pretty poor and the vocabulary is limited. With my kindergartner, we read more interesting chapter books that she wouldn't be able to read alone -- and we talk about the vocabulary and the plot and the characters. But when she reads alone, she reads children's books that are appropriate for her age and reading level.

[KtClaire]

I like the Little Bill series (end of gr 1 / early gr 2 rdg level.) I think there's a tv show that I'm not familiar with, but the books are very easily related to by kids.

Although I agree with the above poster wondering why the push to ch. books.

[ecoteat]

I don't know of any chapter books that would be appropriate for a 4 year old. I'd stick with picture books that can be read in one sitting. Just because she can read the words on the page of an early chapter book doesn't mean she should or that she can really comprehend or keep the story going from one reading session to another. This is a tricky thing I deal with when choosing books for my students. It's hard to find books that meet kids' needs developmentally and academically, especially when they are above or below grade level in reading skills.

[AngelBee]

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[Thursday Girl]

I am not making her read anything, if she doesn't want to read she doesn't have to. i do read longer stories to her and she is very capable of following the story.

The reason i am looking into the short chapter books and series is b/c her teacher asked us to look into them. If she doens't want to read them i won't make her. I think her teacher would just like her to stick with a charchter and get into that and be able to follow her from book to book. But I follow DD's lead on all of this. I don't think it is so much that she can't follow the long story as she justr gets intimidated by the amount of words on a page. I am perfectly happy with her sticking to the regular stories but I am also willing to have some of the other books laying around the house so when she does want to pick them up theya er already available. I just want GOOD books for her to read, strong females and complex charcters, not so much little pony and disney princess which there seems to be a lot of.

[Tinkerszs]

There is an American Girls book series. The books have gorgeous pictures on every page and it reads more like a long picture book.

[Thursday Girl]

i love the american girl series i have read some of them to dd before, and i have 5 of the dolls. (they were my sisters and Mine when we were young). I had to put them up b/c both dd's were being to rough with them, but it really jumpstarted her interest in the stories.

[momtokea]

Little Bear series, by Maurice Sendak.
I second Frog and Toad series.

[neptunemama]

A lot of great suggestions here. Also check out Nate the Great.