Thursday, August 18, 2011

Read-alouds for a Seven-Year-Old

Okay, I just sent a list of suggested books to my friend for her son, who's going into second grade. She wanted read-alouds, but I threw in a few independent books, too. She says she's read him Charlotte's Web, which he warmed up to after a bit, and that he wasn't really interested in The Lightning Thief. Any other suggestions?

Chapter book read-alouds:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Matilda, and The Twits by Roald Dahl
The Borrowers by Mary Norton (series)
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (series)
Ramona the Pest (series), Henry Huggins, and The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
Little House in the Big Woods (series) by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Tale of Despereaux and Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Stuart Little by E.B. White
The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
--Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume, plus sequels
Sideways Stories from Wayside School and and sequels by Louis Sachar
Attack of the Growling Eyeballs by Lin Oliver (series)
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks


For him to read on his own:

—The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner
—The Magic Treehouse series by Mary Pope Osbourne
—The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black


Suggestions from the comments:

—Bridget recommends The Fairy Rebel by Lynn Reid Banks.
—Rina suggests the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, perhaps in a year or two.
—Brandy suggests the Nathaniel Fludd: Beastologist books by R.L. LaFevers, the Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald J. Sobol, and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.
—Anne recommends the classic My Father's Dragon and sequels by Ruth Stiles Gannett as a read-aloud and the Geronimo Stilton series as a read-aloud transitioning into independent reading.
—Robin has a lot of great ideas (sent by e-mail): Edward Eager's books, e.g., Half Magic, Knight's Castle, and Seven-Day Magic; Ruby Lu, Brave and True, by Lenore Look; All the Alvin Ho books by Lenore Look; Any Which Wall, by Laurel Snyder; All the Clementine books by Sara Pennypacker; Goony Bird Greene, by Lois Lowry; The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and Black Hearts in Battersea, by Joan Aiken; The Ivy and Bean books, by Annie Barrows; Lucy Rose: Here's the Thing About Me, and the sequels (Lucy Rose books and Melonhead books), by Katy Kelly.
—Lin suggests The Giggler Treatment by Roddy Doyle.

6 comments:

Bridget R. Wilson said...

I'd add The Fairy Rebel by Lynne Reid Banks. My cousin read it aloud to me when I was about 8. It's still one of my favorite books.

Rina said...

In about a year he might like the Redwall series. Maybe sooner, if he has them read to him. The early ones have some scary stuff by times, but they're terrific for kids who like animals and adventures.

Brandy said...

As a mother of a 7 year old myself I have to say these are great lists. Bit loves the Spiderwick Chronicles and has recently started reading the Nathaniel Fludd books and is enjoying them too. The Magic Tree House books have led to lots of interesting non-fiction being checked out as well. She has also started to read Encyclopedia Brown and likes those.

Reading the Little House books aloud to her didn't work for us but she likes them okay on her own.(doesn't love them). Her father just finished reading The Hobbit to her and she loved it and is begging for more. It's interesting what different kids find boring or fascinating.

KateCoombs said...

Bridget, Rina, and Brandy--Oh, good picks! I'll add a couple to the post... Thanks!

anne said...

My Father's Dragon and the rest of that group. Old but good. He could possibly read them on his own, but they are great "aloud" :D
Geronimo Stilton series -- start out reading them, he could be easily reading them on own directly.

LinWash said...

I loved The Giggler Treatment by Roddy Doyle.