"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all." ~Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
If you read a great book that would fit into our blog, please email us, or write a comment somewhere on the blog. We would love to post your books! The more recommendations we get, the more useful this blog is to everyone. Thank you for visiting!
Our criteria for books posted on this blog:
*Books need to be an appropriate reading level (Approximately 4th grade-9th grade)
*The subject is appropriate in nature, and not too mature for elementary aged students
*The subject captures student's interest, and keeps them involved in reading
*The books will span across different genres
Suspense/Mystery
The Westing Game is a suspenseful "murder" mystery, that will keep the kids on their toes! If they want a challenging read, this is the one for them! There are quite a few characters in this book, and they may have to keep notes to keep them all straight. :) I haven't read a mystery in quite a while, and I'm glad I read this book. It was a cute, fun book, with many puns and plays on words. The best part, I thought, was Turtle, one of the main characters who is a thirteen year old girl. Your child won't want to stop reading until they get to the very end...to see how the mystery is solved.
Grade Level Equivalent: 6.1
Helpful Resources
*I found this tool from scholastic.com, and love it! You type in a book, and it comes back with the grade level of the book, as well as many choices of books children can read, if they liked your book of choice.
Happy Exploring! Click Here: Scholastic Teacher Book Wizard
*If you are unsure of the AR level of the book you or your child chooses go to this website. You can also search for specific authors and pull up all the books they've written that have AR levels attached to them. http://www.arbookfind.com/
There are some extensive booklists on the internet, and I'll keep you posted about where some of them are. We try to post as many books as we can, but we know your child will probably be ahead of us...so these resources are just another place to find great books. Of course, it's probably a good idea to preview the books first for your child (especially the young adult ones), but have fun browsing!
Booklist!
I liked this website because first, you can click on the age group of booklists you would like to browse. (Look at the books for middle and high school age, if you are looking for a higher grade leve.) They then have lists of books for many topics such as family, fantasy, sports, writing, etc.
Happy Exploring! Click Here: Scholastic Teacher Book Wizard
*If you are unsure of the AR level of the book you or your child chooses go to this website. You can also search for specific authors and pull up all the books they've written that have AR levels attached to them. http://www.arbookfind.com/
There are some extensive booklists on the internet, and I'll keep you posted about where some of them are. We try to post as many books as we can, but we know your child will probably be ahead of us...so these resources are just another place to find great books. Of course, it's probably a good idea to preview the books first for your child (especially the young adult ones), but have fun browsing!
Booklist!
I liked this website because first, you can click on the age group of booklists you would like to browse. (Look at the books for middle and high school age, if you are looking for a higher grade leve.) They then have lists of books for many topics such as family, fantasy, sports, writing, etc.
Poetry
Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse is a beautifully written story, completely in free verse poetry. It follows the life of a young girl, Billie Jo, who is the narrator of the story. The story takes place in Oklahoma during the 1930's. This story follows Billie Jo throughout the difficult months of her life while living in the Dust Bowl. This is a powerful, emotional book, and very beautifully written.
Grade Level Equivalent: 5.1
Jack Prelutsky is a ridiculously funny poet who actually started off as an illustrator and found poetry in a round-about sort of way. He has written several books, all a compilation of several poems each centered around a certain theme. Many books ranging from GE: 1.8-6.0 with a few of my favorites below.
Awful Ogre Running Wild GE: 5.2
Awful Ogre's Awful Day GE: 5.7
The Dragons are Singing Tonight GE: 5.8
Monday's Troll GE: 6.o
Non-Fiction
I am reading this book to my class right now, and they love it. It's not easy to find a nonfiction story that can be used as a read aloud, and have the kids in rapt attention. We laugh together at the funny stories about Marley, and his crazy antics. Marley is such a lovable, adorable dog, and I think that's why he is so popular. I often find my kids reading this book on their own during reading time, so I'm glad they are interested in it. This version of Marley is the younger set's version to the book Marley and Me. It is also a fun read, because the Marley movie is coming out soon. My hopes are that kids will realize that nonfiction books can be fun, too.
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.5
Life Strategies for Dealing with Bullies was a great, useful read, and I would really recommend it to those who are struggling with, or know someone struggling with bullies. Bullying has really been in the spotlight lately, which is a good thing. It seems like it was in a large part, ignored in schools, and now more light is being shed on it. In our school, we have Bullyproofing for the 3rd graders. Our wonderful school counselor comes in once a month to the 3rd grade classes, and teaches about bullies, and what kids can do to stand up to bullies. The new school programs and books that are coming out about bullying will be a wonderful resource for this problem. The author of this particular book, Jay McGraw, is Dr. Phil's son. He wrote a book called Life Strategies for Teens. The topics he covers in this book are, "What is Bullying? E-bullying, Why Do Kids Bully Others? The Damage Bullies Can Do, Are You Being Bullied? Are You a Bully? Taking on Bullies: What Kids Can Do, No Innocent Bystanders, Educating Parents, What Kids Can Ask Schools to Do, and Forgiving a Bully."
This is a well written, informational book about Helen Keller. I liked it because it wasn't too long, yet it gave some great information, and was entertaining to read. When kids are starting out reading nonfiction books, it's most effective to start them off with a topic that is interesting to them, as well as something that is not too difficult to read. This book talks about Helen Keller's life from when she was born, to when she died. Even though I have heard about Helen Keller quite a bit in my life, there were things in this book that I had no idea about. I really liked this book, and I would definitely recommend it! This would be a great start to learn about biographies, and I really think your kids would find the way she learned to live her life as a person that was deaf and blind, extremely interesting.
Grade Level Equivalent: 5.5
Little House on the Prairie written by Laura Ingalls Wilder is a nine book series based on growing up in a close and loving family in the difficult pioneer-days. Unforgettable stories from the author's childhood. GE: 4.6-5.8
Fantasy / Sci Fi
Author: Roald Dahl http://www.roalddahl.com/ was a British novelist that wrote children's novels that usually had to do with an ordinary kid in an extraordinary position...dealing with giant peaches, children-eating giants, abusive adults, and magical chocolate factories. The children in the stories always always prevail and there are many laughs in the process! Sometimes the vocabulary is a bit advanced because he uses English words at times. He has written over 50 children's books, novels, short stories and poems. Make sure that the books you choose are children's novels rather than novel as they won't be suitable for children. Here are a few of his better known works.
The BFG-4.8: The BFG (big friendly giant) teams up with Sophie to combat the not-so-friendly giants who are intent on gobbling children.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-4.8: Charlie and 4 other kids get picked to tour the world's most wonderful (and magical) chocolate factory.
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator-4.4: Picking up from where "Chocolate Factory" left off, Mr. Wonka, Charlie, and his family are launched into space.
Matilda-5.0: Mailda uses her mental powers to get the evil headmistress out of her school.
James and the Giant Peach-4.8: James enters a peach as big as a house and goes on a wild ride.
A Series of Unfortunate Events is another series written by Lemony Snicket aka Daniel Handler. In this unlucky number 13 book series, Lemony Snicket tells the story of 3 orphaned siblings who must thwart their Uncle Olaf's plans to kill them and steal their inheritence. The author is constantly telling the reader to stop reading the books because they are too scary or too sad to bear. It is a tongue-in-cheek type of dark humor that kids seem to really enjoy. I have talked to some of my old students of this book and they either love it or hate it...I'd give it a try just in case your child loves it! (Also, it was made into a movie which sometimes helps kids to read!)
I just finished reading the book, A Wrinkle in Time. This book was written by Madeleine L'Engle in 1962. The book is about a young girl named Meg, her little brother, Charles Wallace, and their friend, Calvin, being sent on an important task of saving Mr. Murry, Charles and Meg's father. Their father is a physicist, and they have a feeling that is the reason for his mysterious disappearance. Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, guide Meg, Charles, and Calvin across time and distance, to the planet their father is on. It is then up to the three children to save their father, and get through the evilness on the planet.
Grade Level Equivalent: 5.8
~This is a fairly advanced book, but I could really see it as one that captures the interest of a certain population of elementary kids. It is an "older" fantasy book, compared to many they are reading now, so it would be a neat book for them to compare with their other fantasy and science fiction books. Have fun browsing!
~Amanda
This epic series has been since revived, with the release of the Chronicles of Narnia movie, and most recently, Prince Caspian. This is often a favorite among more advanced elementary readers, middle schoolers, and young adults.
Grade Level Equivalent: 6.1
This may be a series best suited for reading along with your child, where you read some to them, and they read some to you. This will allow for rich discussion with your child, and a higher level of comprehension for them. Have fun reading!
~Amanda
What a cute story! I read this book aloud to my third graders, and they loved it. It turns out, there are six books in this series, which is fantastic because series are wonderful at keeping kid's attention. The characters are very well written, and keep the kids completely entertained. Choose some of these books for your kids if they need a fun read!
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.9
Ella Enchanted is a charming story about a girl who had an unfortunate spell cast on her when she was born. Her fairy godmother, Lucinda, gave her the spell of obedience. This then causes Ella to have to obey every order given to her, even if it will put her in danger! This book is full of fairies, elves, ogres, giants, and of course, a prince. I listened to this book as an audiobook, and I really loved it.
Grade Level Equivalent: 5.1
I JUST started reading this book, and since it's fairly lengthy, I'm barely into it. I couldn't resist posting, though, because a lot of my 3rd graders have read it, and they really love it. This is a series, which is a plus, and I can't wait to see what all the fuss is about! It's been exciting to find all sorts of new books to read, that I wouldn't usually pick up and read! I'll keep you posted on my thoughts...
Grade Level Equivalent: 7.8
The BFG-4.8: The BFG (big friendly giant) teams up with Sophie to combat the not-so-friendly giants who are intent on gobbling children.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-4.8: Charlie and 4 other kids get picked to tour the world's most wonderful (and magical) chocolate factory.
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator-4.4: Picking up from where "Chocolate Factory" left off, Mr. Wonka, Charlie, and his family are launched into space.
Matilda-5.0: Mailda uses her mental powers to get the evil headmistress out of her school.
James and the Giant Peach-4.8: James enters a peach as big as a house and goes on a wild ride.
A Series of Unfortunate Events is another series written by Lemony Snicket aka Daniel Handler. In this unlucky number 13 book series, Lemony Snicket tells the story of 3 orphaned siblings who must thwart their Uncle Olaf's plans to kill them and steal their inheritence. The author is constantly telling the reader to stop reading the books because they are too scary or too sad to bear. It is a tongue-in-cheek type of dark humor that kids seem to really enjoy. I have talked to some of my old students of this book and they either love it or hate it...I'd give it a try just in case your child loves it! (Also, it was made into a movie which sometimes helps kids to read!)
I just finished reading the book, A Wrinkle in Time. This book was written by Madeleine L'Engle in 1962. The book is about a young girl named Meg, her little brother, Charles Wallace, and their friend, Calvin, being sent on an important task of saving Mr. Murry, Charles and Meg's father. Their father is a physicist, and they have a feeling that is the reason for his mysterious disappearance. Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, guide Meg, Charles, and Calvin across time and distance, to the planet their father is on. It is then up to the three children to save their father, and get through the evilness on the planet.
Grade Level Equivalent: 5.8
~This is a fairly advanced book, but I could really see it as one that captures the interest of a certain population of elementary kids. It is an "older" fantasy book, compared to many they are reading now, so it would be a neat book for them to compare with their other fantasy and science fiction books. Have fun browsing!
~Amanda
This epic series has been since revived, with the release of the Chronicles of Narnia movie, and most recently, Prince Caspian. This is often a favorite among more advanced elementary readers, middle schoolers, and young adults.
Grade Level Equivalent: 6.1
This may be a series best suited for reading along with your child, where you read some to them, and they read some to you. This will allow for rich discussion with your child, and a higher level of comprehension for them. Have fun reading!
~Amanda
What a cute story! I read this book aloud to my third graders, and they loved it. It turns out, there are six books in this series, which is fantastic because series are wonderful at keeping kid's attention. The characters are very well written, and keep the kids completely entertained. Choose some of these books for your kids if they need a fun read!
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.9
.jpg)
Ella Enchanted is a charming story about a girl who had an unfortunate spell cast on her when she was born. Her fairy godmother, Lucinda, gave her the spell of obedience. This then causes Ella to have to obey every order given to her, even if it will put her in danger! This book is full of fairies, elves, ogres, giants, and of course, a prince. I listened to this book as an audiobook, and I really loved it.
Grade Level Equivalent: 5.1
I JUST started reading this book, and since it's fairly lengthy, I'm barely into it. I couldn't resist posting, though, because a lot of my 3rd graders have read it, and they really love it. This is a series, which is a plus, and I can't wait to see what all the fuss is about! It's been exciting to find all sorts of new books to read, that I wouldn't usually pick up and read! I'll keep you posted on my thoughts...
Grade Level Equivalent: 7.8
Realistic Fiction
Gordan Korman http://gordonkorman.com/-An adventure author writes at an interest level for grades 3 to 5. He has written over 50 books for young people (and actually wrote his first book when he was 12!) He also has several series sets which is great because if your child can get hooked into one, they'll have many more books to continue with.
Grade Level Equivalent-4.0-4.5
Frindle - Nick plays a trick on his teacher by inventing a new word and he eventually has to deal with the consequences. GE: 5.4
The Last Holiday Concert - Because of a poor decision, Hart's music teacher puts him in charge of putting together the holiday concert. He must unite the class, gain respect for his teacher, and learn how to be a leader. GE: 5.4
Lunch Money - Greg teams up with his rival in order to write comic books and sell them at school. GE: 5.2
The Report Card - Nora is a genius and doesn't want anyone to know. Her goal? To teach people that grades aren't important. GE: 4.9
Kneeknock Rise, by Natalie Babbit is a mystery set in a small town that lies just underneath a cliff. The cliff is called Kneeknock Rise, and there are mysterious things that happen there. The townsfolk are always aflutter with talk of the famous Megrimum who they say lives in the Kneeknock Rise. The main character, Eagan, comes to the town to visit his relatives. The book follows Eagan on his journey to discover the Megrimum, and what it is really all about. It is very well written, and a quick read. This book would be a great starting point for other mysteries.
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.3
Blue Heron by Avi is a story about a girl named Maggie, who lives in Seattle, but travels to the East Coast to visit her father, her father's wife, and her new baby sister. Maggie loves magic, and she has an extremely active imagination. She uses magic as a sort of escape from her family life. When Maggie spots a blue heron in the marsh near the vacation house they are staying in, things start happening, some not so good, and she wonders if it's because of the beautiful, magical heron. I like this story because it is very well written, and I could see girls really liking it, and even finding some of Maggie that they identify with. Maggie's life wasn't always happy, but she dealt with it, and she was able to escape from it in her own way.
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.9
Grade Level Equivalent-4.0-4.5
- Macdonald Hall series: 7 books (The first of this series is the one he wrote when he was 12.)
- On The Run series: 6 total books in the series
- Kidnapped trilogy
- Dive trilogy
- Everest trilogy
- Island triology
- Slapshots series: 4 books
- Nosepickers series: 4 books
- Monday Night Football Club series: 6 series
In addition to having stock characters, exaggeration, funny one-liners, and the eventual resolution of all major and minor conflicts, Korman's best novels are successful because of the originality of the conflicts and the absurdity of the characters’ motivations, which often push the boundaries of realistic fiction. Beginning with Don’t Care High (1985), Korman has adapted his formula for a number of young adult titles, many of which have been voted ALA Best Books for Young Adults. ~The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature
Andrew Clements writes realistic fiction with mostly 5th/6th grade characters surviving school situations. They are typically clever kids who get into mischief but always learn a lesson by the end. He's a popular writer for kids whose written many books but here are a few of my favorites.Frindle - Nick plays a trick on his teacher by inventing a new word and he eventually has to deal with the consequences. GE: 5.4
The Last Holiday Concert - Because of a poor decision, Hart's music teacher puts him in charge of putting together the holiday concert. He must unite the class, gain respect for his teacher, and learn how to be a leader. GE: 5.4
Lunch Money - Greg teams up with his rival in order to write comic books and sell them at school. GE: 5.2
The Report Card - Nora is a genius and doesn't want anyone to know. Her goal? To teach people that grades aren't important. GE: 4.9
Kneeknock Rise, by Natalie Babbit is a mystery set in a small town that lies just underneath a cliff. The cliff is called Kneeknock Rise, and there are mysterious things that happen there. The townsfolk are always aflutter with talk of the famous Megrimum who they say lives in the Kneeknock Rise. The main character, Eagan, comes to the town to visit his relatives. The book follows Eagan on his journey to discover the Megrimum, and what it is really all about. It is very well written, and a quick read. This book would be a great starting point for other mysteries.
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.3
Blue Heron by Avi is a story about a girl named Maggie, who lives in Seattle, but travels to the East Coast to visit her father, her father's wife, and her new baby sister. Maggie loves magic, and she has an extremely active imagination. She uses magic as a sort of escape from her family life. When Maggie spots a blue heron in the marsh near the vacation house they are staying in, things start happening, some not so good, and she wonders if it's because of the beautiful, magical heron. I like this story because it is very well written, and I could see girls really liking it, and even finding some of Maggie that they identify with. Maggie's life wasn't always happy, but she dealt with it, and she was able to escape from it in her own way.
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.9
Historical Fiction
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is a great historical fiction book about the Holocaust. This book does a fantastic job of conveying what the people went through during the war, but it is also age appropriate. It describes to plight of a young girl, Annemarie. Annemarie lives in Denmark, and her best friend's family, the Rosens, are Jewish. The book follows the two families, and their attempts to keep the Rosens safe from the Nazis. This book is not very long, and it will keep the attention of many readers.
Grade Level Equivalent: 5.1
Bud, Not Buddy written by Christopher Paul Curtis is set during the great depression. It is about an orphan on the run from abusive foster parents in search of his father. Bud (not "Buddy") is certain that his father is a bass-player in the band, Dusky Devastators of the Depression. GE: 5.2
Little House on the Prairie written by Laura Ingalls Wilder is a nine book series based on growing up in a close and loving family in the difficult pioneer-days. Unforgettable stories from the author's childhood. GE: 4.6-5.8
The Watsons Go to Birmingham was a charming, powerful story about an African American family living in Flint, Michigan during the 1960s. The narrator of the story is Kenny. Kenny has a brother, Byron, who is an "official juvenile delinquent," and is constantly bullying Kenny. Kenny's sister is Joetta, who is a sweet little girl, and then there is mom and dad. Most of the book is hilarious story after story of the family's adventures, mainly focusing on Byron and Kenny. Byron would always get in trouble, and Kenny would always do something "stupid" that got him in trouble with his big brother. The family then decides to go visit Grandma in Birmingham, Alabama. Dad got their car, the Brown Bomber, all fixed up and ready to go. He even added a record player! Once the family gets to Birmingham, tragedy strikes, that will change their lives forever. This is a powerful story about America in the 1960s, and what the families had to endure. I would really recommend listening to this book with your child as an audiobook. The reader is awesome, and it really adds a lot to the already amazingly written book. Just to warn you, there are a few cuss words in the book, which I was frustrated about-because other than that, I do think this a book the younger kids (3rd grade and up) could read. The words were used when Byron was talking to Kenny, and I'm pretty sure it was only twice.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
