Best books/authors for advanced 8-9 year olds?

[Dizneydaz]

Oh, I forgot about Series of Unfortunate Events. My DD10 loved/loves those too. She started reading them about 2 years ago.

 

[Swmr359]

Inkheart, Inkspell and Inkdeath? (I think that's the name of the last one...) I'm not sure what level they are but they are fun to read!
Oh...what about the Redwall books?

 

[Good Ol Gal]

Some other suggestions are:

the Wolf Brother series.

The City of Ember series.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

DD10 likes many of the series/authors listed already:

Harry Potter - rereading for about the fourth time
Cornelia Funke - Inkheart, Inkspell, Inkdeath - LOVES them
Anything by Kate DiCamillo
Anything by Margaret Peterson Haddix - particularly Running Out of Time, Found and Sent
Percy Jackson (has read the series twice)
Peter and the Starcatchers series
Eragon, Eldest and (sort of) Brisingr - she didn't like the last book as much as the first two

She just finished Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements and said it was great. It was actually in the Young Adult section of our public library, but I think it is closer to about a 4th/5th grade level from the few pages I've read.

She also just read Eleven Birthdays and really enjoyed it.

She likes the 39 Clues series OK, but she hasn't reread any of the books. She read Series of Unfortunate Events a few years ago and enjoyed them, but she hasn't reread those either.

 

[mrs.beast]

As a former 5th grade teacher, I would recommend some lesser known series, that the children would probably not have read yet. For reading groups we always tried to choose books that were good, but probably not too popular so that we could work on predictions, etc. If the kids have mostly read the book, it is not really a good book for instructional use.

Try Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of NIHM, Egypt Game, The Cay, Timothy of the Cay, Sign of the Beaver, A View from Saturday, The Giver,
I will post more if I can remember what I used when I taught 4/5.

 

[okeydokey]

My daughter is nine and loves the "Warriors" series about wild cats by Erin Hunter, I think it would appeal to boys and girls.

Both my kids love these.

 

[Wilsonfamily4]

Nevermind Found my answer

 

[allyphoe]

Sign of the Beaver

Just a heads-up that you might want to clear that one with the teacher before buying, because the representations of Native Americans are generally considered offensive. (See also discussions here: http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/search/label/sign of the beaver )

The Scholastic Book Wizard (http://bookwizard.scholastic.com/tbw/viewCustomSearchForm.do?RowsPerPageOptions=[10,+50]) lets you select interest level (likely to be grade level) and reading level (I'd guess 1-3 grades higher). Then once you have a search you like, pick "Available from Book Club" from the left side of the results screen. The books on that list are more likely to be available at the warehouse sale. In my experience, the "classic" books (like the Oz series, the Prydain series, Susan Coopers The Dark is Rising series) are not usually at the warehouse sales.

 

[shelly3girls]

DD is reading City of Embers for schools and is enjoying it very much. This comes from a kid who hates to read and definitely does not like girly books.

 

[KKB]

This thread definitely has my interest, being a media specialist (and having DS9 & DD11!)
I am in 2 different buildings... there are some differences, but lots of similarities.
Hot titles:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Fablehaven series
Inkheart series
Percy Jackson series
Warriors or Seekers series
39 Clues series
Harry Potter
Haddix books (Among the Hidden series)

The following series have cooled off as of recent (not dead, just quiet...)
Series of Unfortunate Events
Narnia
Redwall
Lord of the Rings
American Girl books

VERY little interest in:
Little House Series
Nancy Drew & Hardy Boys
Boxcar Children

Sign of the Beaver was a Newberry winner that has been removed from most libraries due to offensive nature to Native Americans.

The former librarian mentioned some of my old favs...that move only if I "sell" them.

GREAT books for precocious readers is Lois Lowry's The Giver, The Messenger & Gathering Blue. High on critial thinking skills. Tuck Everlasting is another philosophical novel that gets kids to think.

2 great authors for middle level boys are Mike Lupica & Anthony Horowitz. Lupicas are sports oriented, and Horowitz's LOOK like best sellers (kind of sound like them, too...suspense, high action) but read at a fifth grade level.

 

[DVCBELLE]

This thread definitely has my interest, being a media specialist (and having DS9 & DD11!)
I am in 2 different buildings... there are some differences, but lots of similarities.
Hot titles:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Fablehaven series
Inkheart series
Percy Jackson series
Warriors or Seekers series
39 Clues series
Harry Potter
Haddix books (Among the Hidden series)

The following series have cooled off as of recent (not dead, just quiet...)
Series of Unfortunate Events
Narnia
Redwall
Lord of the Rings
American Girl books

VERY little interest in:
Little House Series
Nancy Drew & Hardy Boys
Boxcar Children

Sign of the Beaver was a Newberry winner that has been removed from most libraries due to offensive nature to Native Americans.

The former librarian mentioned some of my old favs...that move only if I "sell" them.

GREAT books for precocious readers is Lois Lowry's The Giver, The Messenger & Gathering Blue. High on critial thinking skills. Tuck Everlasting is another philosophical novel that gets kids to think.

2 great authors for middle level boys are Mike Lupica & Anthony Horowitz. Lupicas are sports oriented, and Horowitz's LOOK like best sellers (kind of sound like them, too...suspense, high action) but read at a fifth grade level.

My DD 8 loves the American Girl books and the Wimpy Kid books. I also make her read some books she thinks she is too advanced for so that she can talk with her peers about them and so she is not eyeing books that are too mature for her. Right now she is begging to read Twilight.

 

[KKB]

My DD 8 loves the American Girl books and the Wimpy Kid books. I also make her read some books she thinks she is too advanced for so that she can talk with her peers about them and so she is not eyeing books that are too mature for her. Right now she is begging to read Twilight.

Some fifth graders are ready for it...the first 3 aren't bad..the fourth one gets a bit graphic w/ the pregnancy, IMO. Perfect for middle school and up, tho.

I LOVED the Little House series as a child...DD11 is a ravenous reader & darnit, can't get her to read HP or Little House!

DS14 who isn't a big reader is a big fan of Patterson's books for teens--especially on the Kindle

 

[dispor]

My kids LOVE the A to Z Mystery series (Ron Roy). My dd loves the Cam Jansen books.

Both dds loved the Junie B Jones series.

 

[wvdislover]

My DD8 really enjoys reading, too. She has just started the Wimpy Kid series this week and reads every spare minute (not too many of them, though, unfortunately, since she's so involved in dance). She was reading Magic Tree House, but got bored with them. She also loved Amulet, and is getting book 2 of that series for Christmas, as well as her first 39 Clues book. She enjoys mysteries, so I think she'll enjoy 39 Clues. Loving this thread--lots of great book ideas for her (and hopefully for DD12, who isn't that into reading...does enjoy graphic novels, though).

 

[KKB]

My kids LOVE the A to Z Mystery series (Ron Roy). My dd loves the Cam Jansen books.

Both dds loved the Junie B Jones series.

All three of these series are excellent for the typical 8-9 year old.
Also in this level include:
Magic Treehouse series
Judy Moody series
Jigsaw Jones series
Zack Files series
Marvin Redpost series
Hank Zipster series (written by Henry Winkler!)
Capitol City Mysteries (similar to A to Z)