Our 7.5 year old Ryan listened to all of the Magic Tree House books by audio (from the library on CD or downloaded through the library from Overdrive) when he was 5 and 6. But since he started reading himself when he turned 7, he has enjoyed reading Dick King-Smith books such as Babe: The Gallant Pig which was made into the movie Babe, Cam Jansen Mysteries, Secrets of Droon series (audio books available), and Beast Quest series.
Ryan also liked the audiobooks: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo and Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl.
We continue to recommend Jim Trelease’s recommendations for books to read to kids in The Read-Aloud Handbook—the only book you need to buy–for everything else, there’s the library. I read to Ryan Poppy by Avi which I recommend.
I am now reading Christian singer Andrew Peterson‘s series: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, North! Or Be Eaten, Monster in the Hollows. We are in the middle of the second book. The first book has a slow first 100 pages of background information but then it is fun. Our 5 year old Jacob couldn’t handle the vocabulary but Ryan loves it. (We are reading to Jacob The Boxcar Children: series books 1-2 instead). We enjoy Peterson’s music for us as adults (try Counting Stars) and have seen him in concert and he has three great Slugs and Bugs kids CD’s so we have some “relationship” and trust with him. All of the Peterson stuff is at our Blacknall Presbyterian church library.
Also looking forward to reading a chapter Advent book with the kids starting today: Jotham’s Journey: A Storybook for Advent by Arnold Ytreeide–one of three by Ytreeide that can be read during Advent. (Bartholomew’s Passage and Tabitha’s Travels) are books 2 and 3)–recommended by Jodi Fernando.
Also looking forward to Dangerous Journey: The Story of Pilgrim’s Progress recommended by Curtis Freeman.
Comments
2 responses to “First chapter books for 7 year olds and other 2nd grader book recommendations”
Excellent! Thanks so much. I was wondering about the Magic Tree House books for Sam (almost 5), and this just pushed me over the edge.
And I’m checking out that Advent book.
Have you read My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannet? One of my favorites…
http://www.amazon.com/Three-Tales-My-Fathers-Dragon/dp/0679889116/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354478396&sr=8-1&keywords=my+fathers+dragon
Yes, we like My Father’s Dragon. The Magic Tree House series is great for exposing kids to history and international cultures and I do love audiobooks in the car. But the theology is worse than bad. A lot of Pantheism: being one with nature. The Western stories are safer about George Washington and Thomas Edison, etc. are safer than the Eastern ones (India, Ninjas, etc.) I don’t want to be responsible for corrupting your Sam! We definitely recommend Trelease for other recommendations for 5 year olds–I can’t remember how old your Sam is.