[PeacemongerMom]

I want to know your favorite children's books. My son is losing interest in books, I think it's because he's ready to move on to slightly longer more complex stories that will engage him more. It could be me, but I'm having a hard time finding some in between books. It seems that most children books go from simple picture books to early readers and chapter books like Magic Tree house or Junie B Jones.

The reason for my search for new books is actually two part, the first being the reason above and the second because of his interests TV character stories, pointless violent stories/tv/characters, I'd like to show him that there is more variety out there and other topics can be fun and interesting too but I'm struggling to find it, at his age level. So please share any suggestions you have.

 

[NZJMama]

Harold and the Purple Crayon

Caps for Sale

Dr Seuss books

How do dinosaurs series by Jane Yolen

I read Charlotte's Web to my 4 and 6yo

Little Critter series by Mercer Mayer

Non-fiction books about dinosaurs, weather, sharks or whatever their current interest is

Those are a few off the top of my head. We also have our fair share of super hero, transformer and Star Wars books. They are far from my faves, but I try not to make a big deal out of it and just have a variety of books available. We go to the library weekly and they each pick out their own books and I try to find some that I think they would like for more variety. They also like books on CD.

 

[Katielady]

My 5yo likes a few Easy Reader series. Harold and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant is a great series with a lot of heart. There's also Nate the Great, not sure of the author. He likes mysteries and stories with any kind of surprise.

A friend also suggested we check out the nonfiction section at the library and that has opened up a whole treasure-trove! I always thought of that area as being for bigger kids, but they do have picture books and easy readers mixed in. There's a series he loves with these sort of comic-book style characters that teaches you how your body works: http://www.amazon.com/Your-Body-Battles-Skinned-Knee/dp/0822568144

Hope that helps! We went through something similar and I found it heartbreaking that he didn't want to read picture books any more, but it helped a lot when we started getting more "big-kid books." You're on the right track!

 

[Daffodil]

Are you looking for books that you can read to him, or books he can read to himself? I imagine you probably want read-alouds. It sounds like you think he's not ready to listen to chapter books yet, but have you tried any with him? He might enjoy things like Magic Treehouse or Junie B. Jones, but you'd probably have more fun reading something that wasn't written for beginning readers to read to themselves - something like Pippi Longstocking or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

There are also plenty of picture books that are interesting for older kids. Dr. Seuss is always a great choice - not so much the simple ones like The Cat in the Hat or Green Eggs and Ham, but the longer ones like Scrambled Eggs Super or Happy Birthday to You. Magic Schoolbus books are good, too. (The original books by Joanna Cole are better than the ones based on the TV show.) If he likes action and violence, maybe you should browse the fairy tale section at your library. He might like something like Iron John.

 

[tbone_kneegrabber]

• Let's Read and Find Out Science books are pretty good. They aren't "stories" they are non-fiction books about all different stuff. Ds loves them, we usually get 2-5 each week at the library
• We find that library variety really helps out, so going to the library every week or so and checking out 10-15 books keeps things lively, then you can also just try out all sorts of books and then return them if you don't like them.
• Mo Willems books appeal to children through a variety of ages (I've found) because of the subtle jokes and amazing facial expressions of the characters. The Elephant and Piggie easy reader series is really funny and I have seen kids who can read a chapter book in one sitting, still pick them up and read them.
• Folks tales are a big hit around here, especially Anasi the Spider books
• Skippyjon Jones
• Series seem to be very popular. Kids get to know the characters and see them in a variety of settings. I think that is why many kids enjoy TV show based books, because they already "know" the characters. One way that we have found series like that is just by going to the library and scanning the shelves for a group of books that all look similar and see what they are.
• As previously mention, Henry and Mudge (discovered by above method), Frog and Toad, Little Bear,

 

[reezley]

- Henry and Mudge series

- Nate the Great series - these were a big favorite (Sharmat is the author)

- a few "graphic novel"/comic book type kids' books. Benny and Penny is one, can't remember others.

- there are a couple "Ladybug Girl" picture/story books. My son loved these, cute story of a girl (one with a boy too) playing outside being "Ladybug Girl!"

- New favorite is "Traction Man meets Turbo Dog". Also technically a picture book, but a good fun story to read.

- Kids' nonfiction section of the library. There are so many great and fun-looking books about weather, math concepts, inventions, world records, etc...

 

[LynnS6]

Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo is a great little series with amazing illustrations -- it's a 'light' chapter book.

Cam Jansen

A to Z mysteries

Geranamo Stilton

Magic School Bus -- there are chapter books as well as picture books

 

[JudiAU]

I'd start reading some chapter books, including ones with more light hearted themes like Franny K. Stein. Things like Peter Pan or Treasure Island of Little House on the Prarie, Anne of Greene Gables, Noel Streetfield, tradtional adventure stories, maybe abridged like Peter Pan or Treasure Isalnd DH has started reading the D'Aulaires

Nonficton are great reads at that age

Some works that are most sophisticated in lanugage, theme, or art longer works by Seuss, Jimmy Liao, Art& Max, Red Sings from the Treetops

Have you read in poetry? His Shoes were far to tight or

Also, there are several other threads on mothering for this topic.

 

[SweetSilver]

We just send "The Pirate Cruncher" back to the library--what a hoot!

"Skippyjohn Jones" and others are fun and pure silliness.

"Tyrannosaurus Drip" about a duck-billed dinosaur egg that accidently lands in a T. Rex nest.

Another vote for all the "Henry and Mudge" stories!

The "Clubhouse" series of picture books: "The Dangerous Snake and Reptile Club", "Space Station Mars" etc.

My girls love age-appropriate science books about sharks and dinosaurs.

My oldest daughter, 6, has been read "The Hobbit" 3 times already! Lucky for her I am such a big Tolkien fan. Right now we are almost finished with "The Two Towers". And she's sticking with it! She looooves the monsters and couldn't wait to read it after I told her about how the Balrog would fight Gandalf. She thought nothing could be scarier that Smaug, or more powerful than Gandalf.

"Farmer Boy" is a really great read, probably simple enough for a determined reader, and a story we have enjoyed many times.