Book Series for 8 year old girl?

[minnieandfamily]

I have an 8yo DD in the 3rd grade who loves to read! Currently her favorite series are:

Whatever After (by Sarah Mlynowski)
Dork Diaries
Cupcake Club (by Sheryl and Carrie Berk)
Rescue Princesses
Starring Jules (by Beth Ain)
Humphrey (series about a hampster by Betty Birney)

Some classics that she has enjoyed recently:
Charlotte's Web
The Courage of Sarah Noble
Sarah, Plain and Tall
and I just ordered the Little House series for Christmas!

By the way, there is a 30% off any book promotion (up to $10) on Amazon now until November 30th. Works on book sets too....in fact, I used it to purchase the Little House box series for my DD.

Looks like there are lots of other great suggestions on this thread as well (which I'll have to check out too!)

 

[auralia]

Little house on the prairie

 

[ktlm]

I asked DD and in addition to the ones I already posted, another one was the whatever after series. She has read all of those and really likes them.

 

[snkasweet]

My dd 9, loves to read as well. She just recently read " The Land of Stories" series written by Chris Colfer. There are three so far. She has loved them, as well as the " Ever After High Series" and ". Spirit Animals" series. She has read three of the " Little House on the Prairie " books too. Good luck. I'm sure she'll love any that you choose.

 

[Angeni11]

A Wrinkle in Time (the whole series).

It still is one of my favorite books.

 

[ktlm]

Okay, I'm thinking Ramona/Judy Blume books, Magic Tree House (but they look kind of young??), or Nevergirls (again, maybe too young?)

If she is a heavy reader, Magic Treehouse is probably way too young for her. Those were kindergarten and first grade for DD. DD has read Nevergirls in the last 6 months or so and likes them. They are a lower reading level, but she still likes them. I think their reading level is rated at about halfway through 2nd grade. I would stay away from Judy Blume and leave those up to her parents. One of them lets kids know about Santa, and there are others that deal with things like puberty, divorce, teen sex and bullying.

 

[LJSquishy]

If she is a heavy reader, Magic Treehouse is probably way too young for her. Those were kindergarten and first grade for DD. DD has read Nevergirls in the last 6 months or so and likes them. They are a lower reading level, but she still likes them. I think their reading level is rated at about halfway through 2nd grade. I would stay away from Judy Blume and leave those up to her parents. One of them lets kids know about Santa, and there are others that deal with things like puberty, divorce, teen sex and bullying.

Yikes! I didn't know that about the Judy Blume books...As a kid I only read one or two of them. Thank you for that info, I will definitely stay away from those!

 

[jacknsally19]

What about Mary Poppins books or The Wizard of Oz books ? Also, Alice in Wonderland and Through the looking glass.

Robin McKinley is great but I think I would hold off until 5th grade

 

[LostMason]

My 7 year old is a crazy reader. She loves the Little House books, Boxcar Children, Geronimo/Thea Stilton, and the Fairy series by Daisy Meadows.

For Christmas, I am getting her the Whatever After books, and probably one or two of the Humphrey ones to see how she likes them.

 

[ktlm]

Yikes! I didn't know that about the Judy Blume books...As a kid I only read one or two of them. Thank you for that info, I will definitely stay away from those!

You are welcome! I was looking at them for DD, and checking them out, and decided we would hold off on those for now. I got to thinking, the series you mentioned may be the enchanted forest chronicles? That one is about a 5th grade level I think. The secret zoo is 3rd or 4th. If it is enchanted forest chronicles, magic treehouse would be way too young for her, and I probably would not do never girls unless she asked for them as those would be quite a bit below her reading level too. Has she done any of the Harry Potter books? I have let DD read the first 2 and she loved them. I'm debating whether she is old enough for the third. If if is the enchanted forest chronicles, I think that is about a princess. So she would probably love something like half upon a time, or the wide awake princess books. E.D. Baker has at least 1 or 2 series other than the wide awake Princess books too. The Whatever after books are a little lower level, but if she is a disney kid, it is a pretty funny twisting of the princesses-two modern day kids travel to the fairy tale land and I think somehow they always screw up the princess' story and have to fix it. I think in the first one, the boy stops Snow White from eating the poison apple, but then she doesn't get the prince because she didn't eat it, so they have to fix it.

 

[nadira36]

The books she read were "The Cats of Tanglewood Forest" and "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon"

And if I am wrong about the first, then get that for her immediately! It's great! Our girls devoured both of those books very quickly!

The only book listed so far that, IMO, will come even close to matching those books is "A wrinkle in Time" - all Madeline L'engle books are amazing though! Also a strong female protagonist, which I feel is very important for young girls. (ETA - didn't notice the first person suggest Anne of Green Gables - it's a different genre than you mentioned, but the writing is superb)!

Our girls did like the 'rescue Princess' books, but they are very light and fluffy in comparison to the ones you mentioned. I enjoyed them too, but by no means was I excited to read them. (also ETA: These books are good in that there was no reason why they were bad - many books have something that has to be talked about with our girls i.e. girls are actually allowed to do x, y, Z, or wow,t hat person is really mean, is that really the way you'd want a friend treating you etc. In these the girls did the rescuing, not the boys, and they over all treated everyone with respect. I'd place this for a read allowed book to young children or as a first reader).

Gail Carson Levine has some fun stories (Ella Enchanted) a spin on fairy tales. It's been a while since I read them though.

Terry Prachett has a young reader series (within Disc World) beginning with "Wee Free Men" The protagonist is a 9 yr old girl, Tiffany Aching, who happens to be a witch (though she doesn't know it). By no means would this be 'literature' as the first two books, but a great read just the same. Though the theming is a bit more mature I don't recall anything overtly too mature for my 8 yr old to tackle. She loved the adventures Tiffany went on - but only read the first 2 books in the series.

Our girls are getting American Girl stories for Christmas, after they read those, I think we'll start "Anne of Green Gables" I've been dying for them to be old enough to enjoy the story! I think my 8 yr old just might be there now.

Has your niece read "The Hobbit" yet? We read that one to our DD - she enjoyed just closing her eyes to visualize but she LOVED the book!

 

[nadira36]

Okay, I'm thinking Ramona/Judy Blume books, Magic Tree House (but they look kind of young??), or Nevergirls (again, maybe too young?).

Winnie the Horse Gentler books sound perfect, as she is obsessed with horses (she lives on acreage but they won't let her get a horse yet), but she is not raised in a religious household so is there a strong God/religious message in them? She has gone to church with her grandparents a few times but her parents are not raising her with a religious upbringing so I don't want to gift her books that have a religious focus.

Yes, Magic treehouse, Never Girls, Rescue Princess are all early reader books. A voracious reader would finish them in roughly an hour or so. They also don't get the hear pounding with adventure.

 

[figment3258]

Dork diaries
Never girls
Kingdom keepers

 

[LJSquishy]

Thanks for the continued suggestions! I'm still going to look into the others mentioned.

I ended up purchasing the first two books in the Whatever After series. I let my husband look at a few of the choices and he helped narrow it down. I almost bought the first Spirit Animal book but it almost sounded slightly too advanced (even though it has the same reading level as Whatever After) but I'm keeping it in my cart just in case. You've all been so helpful!

 

[princesspwrhr]

• Ramona series by Beverly Cleary
• (actually anything by Beverly Cleary is great)
• Fudge Series by Judy Blume
• Ivy & Bean series by Anne Barrows
• Spiderwick Chronicles by Toni DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
• Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickett
• Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riodan
• Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson (better for an older 8- villians take over Disney and capture kids...)
• Little House on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Peter and the Star Catchers Series by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry
• Kate DiCamillo has great books- like Tale of Desperaux and Because of Winn Dixie, she also has a series called Mercy Watson that is funny
• Magic Treehouse series might be nearing the end of it's reign with 8year olds, but there's over 40 books (all for around $3-4)
• Katie Kazoo Switcharoo by Nancy Krulick
• Inkheart Series by Cornelia Funke
• Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
• My kids have all read or listened to the full Harry Potter Series by 8, but some of it may not go over with all parents so use best judgement there
  

 

[princesspwrhr]

Just bought these for a 4th grader that I babysit. I started to wonder if they aren't a bit too young for her. I hope not, as both I and dd loved them at that age.

Regarding Ramona- no- not too young. I have 2 fifth graders who still LOVE these books. I've been reading them to the girls since they were small. They grow well with kids.

If she is a heavy reader, Magic Treehouse is probably way too young for her. Those were kindergarten and first grade for DD. DD has read Nevergirls in the last 6 months or so and likes them. They are a lower reading level, but she still likes them. I think their reading level is rated at about halfway through 2nd grade. I would stay away from Judy Blume and leave those up to her parents. One of them lets kids know about Santa, and there are others that deal with things like puberty, divorce, teen sex and bullying.

You should be okay with the Fudge series (Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Fudgeamania, Double Fudge, Super Fudge and Otherwise Known as Shelia the Great) Freckle Juice and the younger Fudge Series- The Pain & The Great One are also good choices. I'd let her parents get her Are You There God, It's Me Magaret, Blubber, Tiger Eyes and Forever. Those 4 are coming of age and/or difficult subject books. She also has some older teen and adult novels.

 

[ktlm]

Regarding Ramona- no- not too young. I have 2 fifth graders who still LOVE these books. I've been reading them to the girls since they were small. They grow well with kids. You should be okay with the Fudge series (Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Fudgeamania, Double Fudge, Super Fudge and Otherwise Known as Shelia the Great) Freckle Juice and the younger Fudge Series- The Pain & The Great One are also good choices. I'd let her parents get her Are You There God, It's Me Magaret, Blubber, Tiger Eyes and Forever. Those 4 are coming of age and/or difficult subject books. She also has some older teen and adult novels.

Actually, I think superfudge is the one that tells kids about Santa. DD is still a believer, or at least claims she is, so I would not be happy if someone started her on that series yet. I agree if the 4th grader hasn't read them yet, she should still love Ramona. With great classic books like that series, reading level doesn't matter that much.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I just wanna say YEAH for your niece!! Reading is awesome on so many levels. Can't help with a book series for the age /girl but good luck!

 

[calablovedisney]

Just going to mention 2 mo.re series here
Boys VS Girls series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, the first book is called The Boys Start the War
My daughter ended up reading that series together with my husband and it was great time for them to spend together.

And..

The Doll People Series by Ann Martin, The first book is called The Doll People and then there are 3 more after that, I think. My girls both loved these and I see girls across several grade levels reading them at the school I work in.

​

 

[mechteach]

Terry Prachett has a young reader series (within Disc World) beginning with "Wee Free Men" The protagonist is a 9 yr old girl, Tiffany Aching, who happens to be a witch (though she doesn't know it). By no means would this be 'literature' as the first two books, but a great read just the same. Though the theming is a bit more mature I don't recall anything overtly too mature for my 8 yr old to tackle. She loved the adventures Tiffany went on - but only read the first 2 books in the series.

I came here to post a suggestion, and received a great one, too! I used to love Terry Prachett (don't know why I stopped reading him ), and forgot that he had a series for young people. Thanks for the recommendation!

My recommendation also might be a tiny bit on the mature side, since the books are set in a middle school, but both my daughter (now 11) and son (8) have loved the Tom Angleberger books. The series that begins with "The Strange Case of Origami Yoda" is terrific. The books are all written from a number of different points of view (boys and girls), and are basically about being true to yourself (but done in a fun manner). Since it is in middle school, there are occasionally mild crushes that show up in the books, but a 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend' is just someone with whom you want to sit on a bus on field trip, nothing more serious.