Book series for stepdaughter?

[bushdianee]

Why not try going to the Scholastic website and trying a few books from there? I teach first grade and my kids love the Junie B. series as well as the Cam Jensen books. They also love when I read the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books to them. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle is a very old series and some of the words now have new meanings kwim! I am also reading the Pippi Longstocking books. Some of my higher readers ask to borrow them when I'm finished with them.

 

[Disbound]

My daughter loved the Spiderwick series (I think the movie is coming out soon, we saw a preview the other day and it was very intense, she didn't like it but loved the books). There was a very cute series of 3 books I believe called "Catwings". I just asked my daughter and here are a few of her recommendations....Little Fur, The Legend Begins by Isobelle Carmody, The Dolphin Diaries (out of print I think but have seen the first 3 in a collective book in Borders), The Meanest Doll in the World is the first of two in a series. One of my/our all time favorites was "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" by Kate Dicamillo. She also write "Tiger Rising", "Because of Winn Dixie" and the "Mercy Watson" series, about a little pig which has great illustrations as well. Good luck and happy reading!

 

[clori]

My dd7 enjoys many of those already mentioned. Carolyn Haywood is a writer from the 1940s who wrote many books about school age children. Some have recently been republished such as "B" is for Betsy which is about a girl's first year in school (first grade). They are old fashioned wholesome stories. The reading level is probably 2nd/early 3rd grade with many pictures. Another older series being republished is about a nurse named Cherry Ames. I haven't seen them and don't recall when I read them but I think before Nancy Drew.

My dd has zero interest in Harry Potter but likes books like Magic Treehouse, Magic Schoolbus chapter books, and used to enjoy Junie B Jones. She wants to start reading the 4 book Mary Poppins series then I want to introduce her to Little House to see if she is interested.

I like to look at bookcloseouts.com since they often have older books for decent prices. I have a 3 year old who hopefully will read some of them and my niece wants to teach 3rd grade so we are also starting her classroom library for her.

 

[MiniGirl]

Have you seen the Trixie Belden series? I LOVED that one as a kid. Still have most of them too.

Oh my goodness!!!!! I LOVED those books. A friend of my moms gave them to us when her dd outgrew them. Many of them were the original hardback books. I devoured them. My mom added to the collection as they came out. When I was in high school and had a part-time job, I would still buy them. I didn't always read them, but it was important to me to have the entire series. Sometimes when I longed for a simpler time, I would pull out one I hadn't read yet and get lost in it. Of course, by then, it took only an hour or so to read it. Years later my mom gave the entire series to another friend of hers for her granddaughter. I was so sad, but in truth, I never told my mom I was saving them, so I couldn't really blame her. I still look for them occassionally though, and I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one that remembers them fondly. None of my friends ever read about Trixie, Honey, and the rest of the gang. Yes.... I can still name them all.

My dd (8) loves reading Magic Treehouse. Rainbow Fairies is her current favorite though. She does love Junie B., but prefers that I read it to her. The poor grammer throws her off and makes it difficult for her to read. I don't mind though. I love Junie. There are times when I'm reading and I just start laughing. Truth is.... she reminds me of my youngest, and I mean that in the best possible way.

 

[Chrissie-riel]

It's been a while since I posted on the Dis - life has just been in the way lately! Glad to be back......

I highly recommend the Disney Fairies books. The two big hardback ones by Gail Carson Levine (of Ella Enchanted fame) start off the storyline and have truly stunning artwork. The smaller paperback companion stories by various authors are all very nice too with moderately sized chapters, one picture per chapter and not too many made-up words. They are age appropriate for a 6 year old with lots of adventure and good morals to the story; we started reading them when DD was 6. My now 8 year old likes to keep them in her backpack and read them on the "boring" bus ride to school each morning. Happy reading!

 

[FatElvis]

Oh my goodness!!!!! I LOVED those books. A friend of my moms gave them to us when her dd outgrew them. Many of them were the original hardback books. I devoured them. My mom added to the collection as they came out. When I was in high school and had a part-time job, I would still buy them. I didn't always read them, but it was important to me to have the entire series. Sometimes when I longed for a simpler time, I would pull out one I hadn't read yet and get lost in it. Of course, by then, it took only an hour or so to read it. Years later my mom gave the entire series to another friend of hers for her granddaughter. I was so sad, but in truth, I never told my mom I was saving them, so I couldn't really blame her. I still look for them occassionally though, and I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one that remembers them fondly. None of my friends ever read about Trixie, Honey, and the rest of the gang. Yes.... I can still name them all.

My dd (8) loves reading Magic Treehouse. Rainbow Fairies is her current favorite though. She does love Junie B., but prefers that I read it to her. The poor grammer throws her off and makes it difficult for her to read. I don't mind though. I love Junie. There are times when I'm reading and I just start laughing. Truth is.... she reminds me of my youngest, and I mean that in the best possible way.

One of my people! Yeah, I just adored Trixie Belden. That's so funny about your mom getting rid of yours because my mom did the same - she sold the whole stinkin' set at a garage sale when I was in college. I was heartbroken! I've been replacing my set ever since, even paid a ridiculous $20 or so for one of the last ones on ebay. I love reading them on occasion too, just for something light & easy to read. My oldest is 6 and isn't quite ready for them, but I can't wait!

We've been reading Junie B. as well. At first I was kind of put off by them - the grammar and some of the things she says. Our school hosted a presentation by Jim Trelease - he's an expert on kids' reading - and he said those books are fine. Kids enjoy reading about someone else being bad and that they know the difference. And I guess it makes sense, I certainly enjoy some books where characters are doing things I wouldn't. And I can definitely relate about Junie and your youngest - I told my husband the other day after I read one of them, that I feared I was looking into our future. And that's only our 2nd! Who knows how baby will turn out?

 

[cruizie]

Oh I loved the Trixie Belden series as a kid. Maybe I will get her one of those as well. I am getting dd5 a Boxcar Children book for Christmas b/c I also loved that series as a kid. She also loves Mrs. Piggle Wiggle but wants me to read that to her - a little too hard for her yet. She has specifically asked for Fancy Nancy & the Posh Puppy so that will definitely be under the tree. Not a series but a super cute book.

 

[silvergoldberry]

My daughter started reading on her own 2nd half of first grade with the Lemony Snickets, but quickly accelerated to Harry Potter and LOTR on her own by the next Christmas, so it's hard to know what level to get.

Of course just because something might be below a child's reading level doesn't mean they won't enjoy it.

Barb

 

[debbiet1]

Add me to the loved Trixie Belden books also and Nancy Drew. I had the entire series of both but then my parents had water in their basement and had to throw them all out
When my daughter was 6-8 I think it was she absolutely adored animals, still does so we got her hooked on the Animal Ark series she loved them and still has them on her bookcase to this day. She's 15 now.

 

[solferino]

Both DD and I loved the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede. It's about an improper princess who befriends a dragon and adventures abound for years of her life in those 4 books. Loved that series.

 

[scrappin]

My daughter liked Dear America books - they written from a historical point of view. Not quite as hard as American Girl books.

She also liked Magic Treehouse Books and the companion books that go with someone of them for instance the story about castles and then the companion book tells all about castles.

 

[lori123]

My daughter loves Magic Tree House, Little House on the Prairie and American Girls. I also didn't care for Junie B - my daughter is sassy enough on her own - LOL.

 

[SmallWorld71]

People have given you wonderful suggestions for chapter book series!
I would like to add to the list some series books that are good ones to help readers transition from picture books to longer chapter books. They would be available at any local library and are all much loved by my 1st graders. (including my top readers as they see the humor in them)
Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel
Henry and Mudge, Mr. Putter and Tabby, and Poppleton series (all by Cynthia Rylant)
Amelia Bedilia series by Peggy Parish
Little Bear series by Else Holmelund Minarik
The Young Cam Jansen series (the same author as Cam Jansen and a good intro. to mystery books)

 

[lori123]

People have given you wonderful suggestions for chapter book series!
I would like to add to the list some series books that are good ones to help readers transition from picture books to longer chapter books. They would be available at any local library and are all much loved by my 1st graders. (including my top readers as they see the humor in them)
Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel
Henry and Mudge, Mr. Putter and Tabby, and Poppleton series (all by Cynthia Rylant)
Amelia Bedilia series by Peggy Parish
Little Bear series by Else Holmelund Minarik
The Young Cam Jansen series (the same author as Cam Jansen and a good intro. to mystery books)

Oooh YES! I completely forgot to include Amelia Bedilia! She is a MUST!

 

[AMaloy314]

I'll jump in here with some of my old favorites.

I loved Carolyn Haywood books. As another poster stated, they are very wholesome and old-fashioned but as a kid, I can remember reading them and thinking how cool it would have been to live like that.

"Katie John" series by Mary Calhoun
The "All of a Kind Family" books by Sydney Taylor

The "Encyclopedia Brown" books are good for promoting reading comprehension as the kids try to figure out the solution with Encyclopedia as they read.

The 'Bobbsey Twins' books are also good, but very innocent and wholesome.

Anything by Beverly Cleary is good.

Depending on how advanced you are talking, Judy Blume has some good ones, but you'd have to watch which ones. "Blubber" is one that I remember as being okay.

My stepdaughters liked the Mary Kate and Ashley books and Lizzie McGuire was a hit for awhile, too.

I'm not sure about these, but "The Babysitters' Club" has a lot of fans. I have never read them, so I'm not sure what age they are geared towards.



HTH

 

[shelly3girls]

My DD loved the Weather Fairies at that age!

 

[solferino]

Another set my DD loved was Airy Fairy- I think you can buy them singly, but we got a box set at Border's. Bright pink, hard to miss.

 

[ksumn1]

My DD is 9, in the 3rd grade, and reads at a 7th to 9th grade level. She loves the Harry Potter books, but I sometimes have to help explain them to her since there's so much info and backstory. So far, she's read the 1st three books.

She loves the Little House series, Lemony Snicket, the Babysitter's Club (although she skips the 1st chapter since it's a repeat of the introductions that occurs in every book) she liked the Chronicles of Narnia, Amelia Bedelia, the Ramona series by Beverly Cleary, and some of the Goosebumps books. For Christmas, she's getting Tom Sawyer, the High School Musical series, and the Hannah Montana book series. I'm writing down many of the suggeations since I;m running out of ideas myself!!

 

[KitKate]

Another vote for the Trixie Beldon series. My 7 year old just finished her first one this week, read about 6 hours just on the weekend and I found her under the covers with a flashlight as she couldn't wait to finish the book Sunday night. I read these when I was young but not so young as DD as she is more advanced than I was.

 

[AlyssinWonderland]

Both DD and I loved the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede. It's about an improper princess who befriends a dragon and adventures abound for years of her life in those 4 books. Loved that series.

I completely agree with this! I love the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. Still to this day I reread these all at least once a year! Might be a little to advanced for her right now...but keep them in mind! Fantastic collection!