Book suggestions 2nd grader reading at 7th grade level...

[dizneechic]

Deltora Quest is a great series, and for my DS who loves sci-fi and drawing we expanded a little with the How to Draw Deltoria Monsters book which he absolutely loved.
http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=1273324...alias=stripbooks&field-keywords=deltora quest

We have also picked up most of the Classic Starts series.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...ipbooks&field-keywords=classic+starts&x=0&y=0
They take some of the literary classics and pair them down just a bit so younger children can read and fully enjoy. At this age it's a perfect introduction to some of the masterpieces and once he's older you can read the originals.

 

[MomtoEmIs&Ow]

doesn't mean he shouldn't be reading it.

Yes, give him challenging books, but please let him also read lots of book where the content is age appropriate. Kids grow in a lot of different ways from reading....if as parents we only focus on getting them challenging books, they might lose the joy of reading.

At our school kids are forced to read at level...for some parents that forces them to have kids reading biographies because a 3rd grader really shouldn't be reading the exact same things 8th graders are.

Good luck on your quest to find challenging books for your super smart reader.

I REALLY agree with this!! THere are tons of great reads that can be missed out on. A quick easy read is nice at times. My DD and DS read quite a bit above grade level....

I always encouraged DD to pick a nice easy read once in awhile. DS is in Grade 2 and he enjoyed Charlie Bones. A quicker read for your son, but age appropriate content. I would also recommend the 39 clues books too. Judy Blume has Fudge & Super Fudge series.... If your son likes animals-cats, my Ds really likes 'Warriors' by Erin Hunter. I am not a huge fan, but they are not inappropriate.....

Also I think some of the older 'classics' are a good choice because there is not so much 'teen romance' envolved.

Just my 2 cents...

Good Luck!

 

[robinsegg]

Half Magic
Mr. Popper's Penguins
The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
The Secret Life of Dilly McBean

Biographies like:
Anna and the King of Siam
Cheaper by the Dozen (there are a number of books after this, too)
The Story of the Trapp Family Singers

 

[LizinSTL]

doesn't mean he shouldn't be reading it.

Yes, give him challenging books, but please let him also read lots of book where the content is age appropriate. Kids grow in a lot of different ways from reading....if as parents we only focus on getting them challenging books, they might lose the joy of reading.

At our school kids are forced to read at level...for some parents that forces them to have kids reading biographies because a 3rd grader really shouldn't be reading the exact same things 8th graders are.

Good luck on your quest to find challenging books for your super smart reader.

I completely agree. If he hasn't already read them, many 2nd and 3rd graders love Magic Treehouse books. Get the non-fiction guidebooks too. Lots of fun to read. Don't worry about the "level." Any reading is good reading. Get a magazine subscription - Boys Life, Nat'l Geographic for kids, Sports Illustrated for Kids.

Interest level is way way way more important that lexile or reading level at this age. As adults, we don't determine what book to read based on how easy or hard it is, we look at content, theme, genre. You should do the same for your child.

 

[crisi]

My daughter is going through the Warriors series - a ton of books and gender neutral.
My son LOVES the Gary Paulson stuff. He's read Hatchett about seven times.

Heilein's juvenile literature (but NOT his adult stuff where he goes for polygamy). Llyod Alexander's stuff (The Black Cauldron) . Susan Cooper (Dark is Rising). All good kid SF/Fantasy. Agree on the biographies as well, there are a lot of good biographies out there that are age appropriate.

 

[elaine and the boys]

Great suggestions!

 

[elaine and the boys]

I'm a middle school library assistant and I think the previous suggestions are great. But what about some middle school level non-fiction? Kids love to read about ancient cultures, astronomy, animals, sports, etc. And he'll be learning about new topics as he reads!

 

[amyy]

Not sure if these have already been mentioned but Among the Hidden and The 39 Clues series.

 

[esk]

DS likes to ready "coffee table books" or encyclopedia-type books about the things he is interested in.

For Christmas, Santa brought him a 250 page book titled "Flight" with the history of aircraft from Icarus until now. He is also interested in WWI/II/Vietnam, so we've gotten some "Time LIfe" series books from the library on those.

Dinosaurs, sharks, machines, all typical boy things, but he wants to get real in depth.

He will also read Captain Underpants. His teacher is quite disappointed, because he was reading on 6th grade level, until he started those books.

I look at this way; I read Time and Newsweek but I also love a good Life and Style or US. So we let DS wander the library at will and pick out whatever he wants. I think Santa got the Flight book at Costco.

 

[abmitch01]

I apologize if she's been mentioned, haven't read the whole thread, but Madeleine L'Engle may be a good choice. I loved her books at that age

 

[taximomfor4]

we have a very book-loving bunch of kids (and parents,lol). We have alwys pretty much just let them pick whichever books they want. 2nd grade dd sometimes still gets on Junie B Jones kicks, reading a book per day since they are waaaaay below her reading level. But my thought is, if she is reading for fun, she will be fine.

Oldest dd was about 8 when she started reading the Harry Potter books, but often jumped around in what "level" book she was reading.

So I say, let your 2nd grader go choose whatever books he wants. I have never really felt that kids have to read what is at their "reading level" as long as they are reading at all.

 

[gina2000]

Redwall series by Brian Jacques

The Type One Super Robot by Alison Prince

Any Jerry Spinelli novels

Hatchett and the sequels by Gary Paulsen

Crispin....by Avi....any books by Avi

Agatha Christie mysteries

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill

The Twenty One Balloons by William Pene du Bois

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis



Try the Newbery Award winners and runner ups.

 

[robinsegg]

I apologize if she's been mentioned, haven't read the whole thread, but Madeleine L'Engle may be a good choice. I loved her books at that age

Most of L'Engle's books are great . . . but there are a couple that give waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy too much information for a 2nd grader, imo. I think the one is "Many Waters", about the world before Noah's Flood. The other was . . . "House Like a Lotus", maybe? Too much about what the main character finds out about an adult relationship. The one after that (I think it's called "The Arm of the Starfish") has stuff about the main character and her adult-type relationship.
If I remember right, the others are mostly fine.

 

[abmitch01]

that's true about her books


I second Bud, Not Buddy. DD and DS loved that one

probably been said, Kate DiCamillo books are fantastic

 

[tommya60]

There is a great book called "Some of my Best Friends are Books" that lists many great books for advanced readers. DD enjoyed many of the already mentioned, especially the original Dr Doolittle, original Wizard of Oz series, etc. Look for the older books in the childern's section, then pre-read if necessary. He might like the Little House on the Prarie (sp) series, too. Maybe the Eragon series? I haven't read that one in a while, so you might want to pre-read...

 

[princessmom29]

These books are terrible and I would not recommend then for a 2nd grader to read them.

Why? I have read all three and read the first one to my six year old and she loves it. What is "terrible"??

 

[raftislander]

Someone mentioned Half Magic by Edgar Egan. He wrote several books with magical storylines. Any would be great for your son. Eva Ibbotson is another author with great stories although I would not start with Island of the Aunts. Jules Verne has great adventure stories. The Indian in the Cupboard series is fun. Cornelia Funke's books are great.

I read Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials series and thought they were great books but I am not sure that I would recommend the second and third books for a second grader.

 

[robinsegg]

Why? I have read all three and read the first one to my six year old and she loves it. What is "terrible"??

I'm not the PP, but the books starting with "Golden Compass" are very controversial, esp. in Christian circles, because of their worldview.

 

[princessmom29]

I'm not the PP, but the books starting with "Golden Compass" are very controversial, esp. in Christian circles, because of their worldview.

We are christian, and I don't find them to be a problem. They are after all based in a fictional world. I feel it is important for children to realize that not everyone believes as they do. I might screen the last 2 books based on the maturity level of the child, but I would think tha a mature 9-10 year old would be fine with them. A child who is easily scared, mabye not.

 

[encinc]

Great suggestions, everyone. My seven year old DS has just found the love of reading. He's been a great reader for years, but just started devouring books a few weeks ago.

I'll also suggest continuing to read to/with your son, even though he could read the books himself. Sharing a book with a child is wonderful ... and need not end just because the child is a strong reader. We're currently reading the Harry Potter series with our son. He could read the books himself, but it's fun to go through them again as a family.