100 Random Books

I saw this list somewhere with the caption "The BBC thinks you've only read SIX of these books! Check how many you've read...!" But a quick google search revealed this exact list and especially the caption did NOT generate from BBC. 

(As I suspected. They don't usually try to taunt and insult their readers--as far as I know.)

So, it's just a random list of random books. Despite that, I wanted to see how many I've actually read. Some I've never even heard of, some I started but didn't finish, and some I know enough about to not WANT to read them. (I'm looking at you Wuthering Heights.)

I'm going to bold the ones I've read start to finish, and if you see any I *haven't* read that you absolutely LOVE, let me know!

And maybe you'll see some that I've read that you want to try!

1 Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen I've read all of her's and love them.

2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien. Nope. Tried in 5th grade and couldn't get into it.

3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte LOVE IT!

4 Harry Potter series – JK Rowling (all) Yep. Love.

5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee One of my all time favorites.

6 The Bible - Not from cover to cover, but lots of it over and over...;)

7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte Nope. I like happy endings.

8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell

9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman Doug liked this one. Didn't interest me.

10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens back in 9th grade.

11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott Just read it last year and loved it.

12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy (Started didn't finish

13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller Don't think so.

14 Complete Works of Shakespeare Some, not all.

15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier LOVE

16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien YES

17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks  

18 Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger I hate this book

19 The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger

20 Middlemarch – George Eliot  LOVE these and the BBC miniseries

21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell

22 The Great Gasby – F Scott Fitzgerald Loved, but didn't watch the movie

23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens LOVE the book, LOVE the BBC miniseries

24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy Just started it.

25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams So so funny 

26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh

27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky Yep.   

28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck Not yet, but I love Steinbeck so I'll get to it.

29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll 

30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame

31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy

32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens One of my favorites

33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis I think I started them but never finished in grade school

34 Emma – Jane Austen

35 Persuasion – Jane Austen 

36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis

37 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini I DID NOT LIKE THIS BOOK

38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Berniere

39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden

40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne

41 Animal Farm – George Orwell

42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown

43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez 

44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving

45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins LOVE

46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery 

47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy 

48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding 

50 Atonement – Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel

52 Dune – Frank Herbert Could.Not.Get.Into.This.Book.

53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons 

54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen

55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth 

56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens 

58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon

60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez 

61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck

62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov

63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt 

64 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold I HATE THIS BOOK

65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas

66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac I HATE THIS BOOK TOO

67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy

68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding 

69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie

70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville

71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens

72 Dracula – Bram Stoker  

73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett

74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson

75 Ulysses – James Joyce 

76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath

77 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome

78 Germinal – Emile Zola 

79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray

80 Possession – AS Byatt 

81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell 

83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker

84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro

85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert

86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry  

87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White

88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom

89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton 

91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad NOT my favorite!

92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery 

93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks

94 Watership Down – Richard Adams

95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole

96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute LOVE Nevil Shute

97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas  

98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare

99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl 

100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

Happy Reading,

Emily

How To Train Your Dragon Series by Cressida Cowell - Age 8-12

Wanna know how to REALLY upset your local librarian? Hold up a copy of "How To Train Your Dragon" and say:

"This is a BOOK?!?"

This is how Sam managed to annoy OUR local librarian, and how, a few years ago (shortly after the first movie came out) we discovered these books. (The librarian was a HUGE fan of the books. Not so much the movie.)

"How to Train Your Dragon" is actually a series of 12 books written by British Author Cressida Cowell. Ms. Cowell had an amazing upbringing on an unpopulated island off Scotland that I wish I could replicate for my kids. So obviously, she is the perfect candidate to record Hiccup's memoirs.


(The above box set only includes titles 1-11. I can't find a box set with all 12. )

While I have not read these, Sam (who is 12 but started reading the series 3-4 ish years ago...) LOVED THEM.

If you ask what his favorite book of all time is, he will say this entire series.

Sam is a little picky about his books, takes his sweet time reading them, and can't be bothered to push through something if it's the least bit slow/boring/annoying or uninteresting. So this is high praise indeed.

These books are fairly easy reads. Not too many words per page and lots of simple but cute illustrations. They are also funny. A big bonus for the readers in my family. We LOVE funny.

So if you have a kid who needs a good long series, likes dragons and battles, and loves to laugh, this might be the series you're looking for.  Since I haven't read these, I don't know if they appeal equally to girls. Don't know if they have many female characters or how girls are represented in the books. If you have a daughter who has read them, let me know what she thinks!

{Post edit: Two different mom's of girls told me on FB their daughters liked these and one said the audio version is great for road-trips!!}

HAPPY READING,
Emily


From the How to Train Your Dragon Website:
In the beginning, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was the most put upon Viking you'd ever seen. Not loud enough to make himself heard at dinner with his father, Stoick the Vast; not hard enough to beat his chief rival, Snotlout, at Bashyball, the number one school sport and CERTAINLY not stupid enough to go into a cave full of dragons to find a pet...

Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life by Jason Hanson - Age 13+

This was an entertaining/fun/disturbing/eye-opening read...
I had Max (15) and my sister read it, and I want Doug to read it too. But I decided NOT to let Sam (12) and Gabe (9) read it because of his real world examples of people being hurt by bad guys. (Even though he is trying to arm you with techniques that will help you protect yourself.)

Don't get me wrong, it is not unduly graphic in any way, and the boys would probably not be phased--I'm just being extra sensitive to their sensitivity.

(On a side-note, I would love, love, love to see a version of this book written specifically for kids/teens.)

Anyway, quite awhile ago, I saw this guy on Shark Tank trying to sell the "Sharks" on his Spy School idea. His business got funded and led to him writing this book. I read a review of it somewhere, remembered the author from Shark Tank, thought how much Gabe wants to be a "secret agent" and put the book on hold at the library. (I plan to buy a copy--just haven't gotten around to it yet.) I was glad I did, even though I decided not to let Gabe read it.

Now, since this book was written to build his business, he pushes a LOT of different products you can buy: All available on his sensory-overload weird and convoluted website(s). Reading the book DID make me want to spend $600 on spy gear, but instead I just bought a few little things on Amazon. I.E., Paracord, a lock pick set (for the boys for fun) and a tactical pen.


{Turns out, you can't buy every spy gear item under the sun or your spouse may suspect you are planning to murder him and leave the country.}

Anyway, whether you dream of being an international man of mystery, a secret agent, or even a Bond girl, this was a great read that also happens to have a lot of helpful information in it. I hope you'll check it out and let me know what you think in the comments!

Happy Reading!!
Emily



P.S. This post contains affiliate links.

Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer Nielsen

The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen is the first book of hers I read, and it remains my absolute favorite. Not only did I LOVE the first book, (Could NOT put it down!) the second and third books were great too!  {Now, how often does it happen that the final book isn't a complete let down?! I'm looking at you Divergent and Hunger Games!}


This is an action-oriented fantasy that revolves around political intrigue in a kingdom far, far away. (No magical creatures in this book.)


I was quickly captivated by the street-smart, clever, semi-criminal main character Sage, and can honestly say, that I didn't see the final plot twist coming (in any of the books) despite the fact that this book was written for an early middle-grade audience. (Booklist says grades 4-7) I also loved how the series ended though I wished it didn't.

I highly, highly recommended these books and wouldn't hesitate to recommend buying them. (If you're the type of person who likes to have books to share, lend, re-read.)
If you have no kids, buy them for yourself. They are really fun to read.


Now, once you've read The Ascendance Trilogy, you are going to want to check out some of Jennifer Nielsen's other books.

I have read
"A Night Divided",
"The Scourge",
and "The Mark of the Thief" trilogy, (though I haven't finished the third book in that series.)

"A Night Divided" is written about 12-year-old Gerta who lives in Berlin when the wall goes up and is cut off from her father and brother. This is a great book for introducing this important historical event, but while "The False Prince" felt like it appealed to me as an adult as much as it would have to me as a kid, "A Night Divided" feels like it is written for 12-13 year olds.
Maybe the plot isn't as deeply developed as I would have wanted or maybe the ending is a little too pat. The point is, it is a great book, and a book I want my kids to read for the historical insight they will gain, but I would have been just as happy to have it from the library.

{Did you ever read the book "So Far From the Bamboo Grove"? I read that as a kid, loved it, thought about it often and re-read and loved it as an adult. It was a book that seeped into my soul. "A Night Divided" is not quite at that level.}

"The Scourge" was a page-turner, but I think I just wasn't overly in love with the ending or the characters. I liked it, but I didn't finish it wishing there was a second book. Doug said he really enjoyed it though, and Max sped right through it with no complaints.

Finally, "The Mark of the Thief" books were good but not as captivating for me as "The False Prince". They take place in ancient Rome and involve, magic, magical creatures, Roman games, Caesar, and the gods Mars and Diana. If you or your kids are Percy Jackson fans, you might really really dig these. I loved the first one, but now that I'm on the third, I'm a tiny bit over the magical battles--which is why I haven't finished it yet. However, Max will probably pick it up and finish it in one sitting.

Hope you've found something to peek your interest. If you've read any of these, I would love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading,
Emily

P.S. This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links. They do not, however, change the price of the books.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart -- Ages 10/11+

I have a confession. I read this book about 5 years ago. And I'm pretty sure I read the second one. I am NOT sure if I read the third one and definitely didn't read the fourth. Three and four may or may not have been written yet...


Here is what I do know: I read the first book and loved it.
Max read it and loved it.
We gave it to Max's friend Lauren and SHE read it and loved it.

And as far as I know, every kid on the face of the planet who has read this book...

...has loved it.

(Please correct me if I'm wrong!! If you or your kid hated it, this is information we need to know!;)

This is a pretty long book. 500+ pages, so NOT for a beginning reader. But I believe it appeals equally to boys and girls and has a nice blend of clever, independent kids, and exciting adventures with a lot of mystery and problem-solving mixed in. I would have loved it as a kid. (And, as I said, loved it as an adult.)

Amazon age range is 8-13 for the first book, 10-13 for the whole series.
(But as we know from The Lego Movie...
Son: "It says Ages 5-12" Dad: "That's just a suggestion!!")

Read it and let me know what you think! And tell me if I need to go back and finish the series!!

Happy Reading,

Emily

Common Sense Media says:
Parents need to know that The Mysterious Benedict Society is the story of four gifted kids, all orphans age 12 and under, who are recruited and then trained by Mr. Benedict and sent to a remote boarding school to learn more about an evil mastermind bent on taking over the world. There's little violence beyond some mild fistfighting and a near kidnapping, where perpetrators are knocked out with a tranquilizer gun. Teamwork, creative problem solving, and the love of the truth are keys to the kids' success. This is the first in a four-volume series. 

P.S. If you liked this post, please leave a comment or share it!

P.P.S. Most links used above are 'Amazon Affiliate' links. If you use one to buy a book, I get a small percentage of the purchase price. If you don't, I won't mind a bit. 
I always recommend getting books at the library first, buying from Amazon second!

P.P.P.S. I purchased this book with my own money and reviewed it because I loved it!

Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein -- Age 10+

Talk about judging books by the cover!!
I saw this:


 at Costco and threw it right in my cart.

*Cool cover art.
*The word 'Library' in the title. (One of my favorite places.)
*And intrigue. (Who needs to escape and why?)

How could I not buy it?

Turns out, I was not dissapointed. It was a great book!

Unfortunately, Costco wasn't selling the complete "Lemoncello" trilogy as a set so we only have the first book, but we will eventually buy the final two in the Lemoncello series.
(Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics and Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race)

One thing I loved about Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library was that it was filled with references to other books. After reading a few pages, I grabbed a pencil and starting underlining them and writing the book title referenced off to the side. Max said he liked knowing what books the lines were from when he read it after me.

A book that gets kids excited about reading more books is a huge win in my book.

Amazon puts the age range at ages 8-12. It's been a year or so since I've read it, but that sounds fine. When in doubt, look at the recommend age and add two years. Or look at the age of the main character and start there. Main character Kyle is 12.

The oldest four over here really enjoyed this book and I'm excited to give it to Gabe to read next. I think it will appeal equally to boys and girls and hope you'll like it too! Tell me what you think!

Happy Reading!!
-Emily

Chris Grabenstein's Website says:

Can twelve 12-year-olds escape from the most ridiculously brilliant library ever created?

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library plunks a dozen sixth-graders into the middle of a futuristic library for a night of nonstop fun and adventure.

In a nod to Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this fast-paced new novel features an eccentric billionaire who welcomes a group of children into a fantasy setting full of weird, wondrous touches...

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library is more than a rib-tickling novel full of humor and suspense. It's a game in itself, in which readers can have fun solving clues and answering riddles while learning how to navigate the Dewey Decimal system. Eagle-eyed kids—not to mention their parents, teachers, and librarians—can also hunt for the names of authors and classic books sprinkled throughout the fast-moving story. 

Rumor has it there is even one puzzle that is in the book but not in the story. Can you find and solve it?
---

P.S. The links attached to book titles used above are mostly "Amazon Affiliate Links". They give me a tiny percentage of the purchase price if you use my link to buy a book. However, if you go to Amazon on your own, it won't hurt my feelings! ;) We usually like to check things out at the library before we decide to buy.

P.P.S. If you like this post, please leave a comment or share it! Thanks!!

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy -- Age 12+

I'm not sure how we were introduced to  "The Apothecary" series by Maile Meloy. Pretty sure Doug randomly brought the Book-on-CD home from the library. {We get hooked on a lot of great books by grabbing whatever looks good at the library before a road trip. Yes, we often judge books by the cover and this series has great cover art!}

Whatever the case may be, I listened to it in the car  and got hooked pretty fast.  We got all three books on CD from the library and we all listened to them. (The series didn't particularly hold the attention of Gabe and Gray but there is nothing you would be overly worried about younger kids hearing either. Not like when I tried to listen to "The Fault In Our Stars" in the car...)

This series does have a good narrator, Cristin Milioti, but I feel like it would be just as enjoyable in book form. These can also be found on Audible and I ended up buying the first one for future road trips.

The first book takes place in London in 1952. The main character in this book is a 14 year old girl. I appreciate that she was portrayed as strong and smart but also a normal young teen girl with insecurities and crushes and a vivid imagination. The other main character is a teenage boy. Also smart and (bonus) British.

Adventure, magic, and a little romance makes this appeal to everyone and Max (14 at the time), Sam (11), and Doug enjoyed it as much as I did.

The Apprentices is the second book and The After Room is the third and final book in the series.

If you read this series, please come back and tell me what you think!! :)

Happy Reading--

Emily

--
The publisher recommends these for ages 9-12. I would personally say 12+. (Feels a little mature for younger kids, especially as the series moves along.)

Common Sense Media rates this as ages 11+ and says:
"Parents need to know that The Apothecary is an engaging, well-written story by an award-winning  adult author who has successfully turned to a younger audience without simply dumbing down adult themes. Some social and ethical complexities may be a bit much for younger kids, e.g., the casual ruthlesslessness with which Janie and Benjamin are willing to try out a potion on their hapless classmate Sergei, the quandary of Sergei's father with his wife and daughter in the hands of his Soviet employers, and Pip's cheerfully thieving nature. Janie's parents are blacklisted Hollywood writers, and Meloy's excellent, evenhanded treatment of the subject might serve as an good introduction to the McCarthy era."
--

P.S. The links attached to book titles used above are mostly "Amazon Affiliate Links". They give me a tiny percentage of the purchase price if you use my link to buy a book. However, if you go to Amazon on your own, it won't hurt my feelings! ;) We usually like to check things out at the library before we decide to buy.

P.P.S. If you liked this post, please share it or leave a comment. :)

Reader Profiles

Thought I would introduce my family and give a little of our background and how we came to love reading so much:

Doug: Age 39. Wasn't a big reader growing up. He remembers really liking "Maniac Magee" as a kid (Classic--totally holds up and worth a read.) but really took off when he got into Louis L'Amour in 9th grade. (Followed by Clive Cussler books later.) He was introduced to fantasy when he worked on a construction crew one summer in college and the guy driving the truck listened to Robert Jordan books on the way to job sites. This eventually led him to Brandon Sanderson.

Favorite Genre: Fantasy

Favorite Author: Brandon Sanderson

Favorite Book: The Way of Kings

Currently Reading: Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson

Emily: Age 39. I was a slow reader in first grade. My teacher, Miss Damjanovich, taught all five of my siblings and told my mom I was behind where they were. Mom started taking me to the library every week and letting me get as many books as I wanted. I was also allowed to buy multiple books from the Scholastic "Book Order" each month. My dad chipped in and told me he'd pay me a penny a page to read. So every night, I climbed into my mom's bed and she read to me. When my reading improved, I read to her. By the end of the year, I was reading above grade level. I have loved reading ever since!!! As a kid I loved mysteries: Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew, Agatha Christie, Mary Higgins Clark, etc. I still love a good mystery if I can find a good clean series. The only fantasy book I liked as a kid was "The Hobbit" and the only sci-fi book I liked was "Ender's Game." That has changed since discovering Brandon Sanderson. (He's very popular in our family.)

Favorite Genre(s): 1st, Mysteries. 2nd, Classics. 3rd, Fantasy

Favorite Author(s): Jane Austen, Dickens, Agatha Christie, PD James, and Brandon Sanderson

Favorite Book(s): Pride and Prejudice, David Copperfield, Jane Eyre, To Kill a Mockingbird

Currently Reading: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets out loud to Gray and "Spy School" because Gabe recommended it and also "Wrath of the Storm" to finish up a series.
Listening to: "War and Peace" and also "The Art of Reading" on Audible in the car. (Depends on what I'm in the mood for. )

Max: Age 15. Despite being the most hyper active tiny child on the planet, Max could always sit still and hyper focus when being read to as a baby. He learned to read early, and proved again that he could hyper focus when reading on his own. He learned to read in kindergarten. Took over reading Harry Potter from me at the end of first grade and then read the rest of the series on his own. Read the entire Book of Mormon between ages 7 and 8. Crazy fast reader. Can always be found with a novel. Always. Even if he's packing a 500 page tome on a crazy long Scout hike.

Favorite Genre: Fantasy

Favorite Author: Brandon Sanderson

Favorite Book: The Way of Kings

Currently Reading: Wereworld series by Curtis Jobling

Sam: Age 12. Sam also learned to read fairly early and relatively easily. He also got impatient with how slowly I was reading Harry Potter out loud and took over reading on book 2. Sam is a more methodical reader and he's never in too big a hurry to finish a series. He loves fantasy, but he also love love loves anything super hero related. You know those big Super Hero books at Costco that tell you every bit of history about, say, Batman? Well, Sam reads those ginormous things cover to cover and can tell you anything and everything you need to know about all Super Heroes and Super Villains. Need to know Batman's mother's name? Ask Sam.

Favorite Genre: Fantasy and Super Hero Anthologies

Favorite Author: Cressida Cowell

Favorite Book: "How to Train Your Dragon" series

Currently Reading: "Ripper" by Stefan Petrucha

Gabe: Age 9. Gabe did not learn to read in Kindergarten. He didn't even really learn to read in first grade. Second grade he was still struggling and was way below grade level. Beginning of third? Below grade level. In the mean time, I had started reading Harry Potter out loud to him in first grade just like I did for the other boys. Then I read the second book. And the third. And the fourth. I kept asking if he was ready to read it on his own. Nope! Perfectly happy for me to keep going. In third grade I was reading the fifth book to him. And then we got the illustrated copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone at Costco. Gabe had gotten in to simple illustrated books like "Jedi Academy" and "Diary of a Wimpy Kid".  All of a sudden, he was reading the illustrated Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, then he was finishing the fifth book, and then the sixth, and seventh and then "The Cursed Child". He hasn't slowed down since.

Favorite Genre: Fantasy

Favorite Author: JK Rowling

Favorite Book: All of the Harry Potter books

Currently Reading: "Guardians of Ga'Hoole" series.

Gray: Age 6. Gray is in first grade aaaaand...is way behind.  We're on the second Harry Potter book together, but he is no where near taking over. I'm hoping he'll take off like his brothers, but it'll be in his own sweet time. For all I know, he'll never be a great reader. Maybe he'll stay chronically behind grade level. But one way or another, we'll get him to love books. Even if I have to read out loud to him every night until high school graduation. ;)

Favorite Genre: Fantasy

Favorite Author: JK Rowling

Favorite Book: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Currently Reading: Mom is reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets out loud. Also loves reading the "Step Into Reading" books. (Easy leveled readers) Especially the Super Hero ones.

Linc: Age 3. Can count to 11. Recognizes the number three by sight and knows zero letters. But DOES know a few spells from hearing so much Harry Potter...

Favorite Genre: Board books

Favorite Author: n/a

Favorite Book: n/a

Currently Reading: Super Hero ABC's and 123's

See anything you've read? Love any of these? Hate any of these? Let's hear what you think in the comments!
Happy Reading!!

There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.

–Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

For Your 1st or 2nd or 3rd Grader Who Doesn't Love Reading

When Gabe didn't take off in reading in first grade like his brothers, I was really worried about him. I was reading Harry Potter furiously to him and hoping he'd take over reading it like M and S did. But what I wasn't taking into consideration is, that for a struggling reader, Harry Potter is way too hard.  It's a GREAT read aloud, but NOT great for a struggling reader.

At some point I realized that while a great plot can take you really far, PICTURES are what really appeal to struggling readers. I mean, it should be obvious--babies and kids love pictures books. Kids learn to read with picture books. So for a struggling reader, a graphic novel or comic book, which incorporates pictures, will help them keep reading even if some of the words are tough.

I remember a loooooooong time ago reading a book called "The Read Aloud Handbook" --required reading for most English majors. I remember it said something to the effect of "Even if your kid is reading something you deem to be crap --like a comic book, at least they are reading." (That was poorly paraphrased, but you get the idea.)

Luckily, while I was reading Harry Potter to Gabe, we were also finding books for him at the library.

Because all our boys love Star Wars, the first time we came across the "Star Wars Jedi Academy" book by Jeffrey Brown, we snatched it up and took it home. 

While some of the pages are incredibly simple and comic book-y,

other pages are tightly packed with mostly text.

Since the reader is sucked into the comic book pages, they want to continue following the story even when they get to the rare page with no picture.

For the first time ever, I witnessed Gabe voluntarily pick up a book and not want to put it down. Only problem, there weren't very many of them. (4 or 5 at last check.)

That's where Diary of a Wimpy Kid comes in. There are lots of these books. They are funny. (Even if they have potty humor) and they are packed with silly illustrations. Once we caught on to the fact that Gabe liked books with more frequent illustrations, we gave him some of the Wimpy kid books and he was off.

Now, I haven't read these books. Maybe I would be horrified if I did. But they get kids reading--and I can guarantee--they don't read these forever. They will move on!

Also, I don't know if they appeal equally to girls or if there is a more female-centric equivalent. But I do know, there are a lot of these types of books out there. If you're looking for something to encourage a struggling reader, start with PICTURES and HUMOR! Your local librarian is a great place to start for specific titles.

One last thing. I read the first FIVE Harry Potter books out loud to Gabe over a few years. He tried to read the first one on his own while we were reading #5 but couldn't get far.
Then we gave him the Illustrated Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for Christmas. It had just come out and is an amazing and beautiful book illustrated by Jim Kay. He cruised right though it, and kept right on reading the non-illustrated versions and finished the whole series. Highly, highly recommend these beautiful books. Sadly, only the first two in the series have been released so we just have to wait patiently for one to be released each year. Check Costco around Christmas time for a great deal. (Although I did notice that the first one is a pretty good deal on Amazon right now.)

Hope you've found something helpful in this post. If you like it, please share it!
And let me know if you have any recommendations of these types of books.

Happy Reading!!

"Allow children to choose the books they wish to read to themselves, even if they don’t meet your high standards.” --Jim Trelease, The Read-Aloud Handbook 

"Children’s books, even good picture books, are much richer than ordinary home or classroom conversation.” --Jim Trelease, The Read-Aloud Handbook

"Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him." --Maya Angelou 



 P.S. The links attached to book titles used above are mostly "Amazon Affiliate Links". They give me a tiny percentage of the purchase price if you use my link to buy a book. However, if you go to Amazon on your own, it won't hurt my feelings! ;) We usually like to check things out at the library before we decide to buy.

My Kid Read Harry Potter...What Next?

A few weeks ago, I got an e-mail asking what I would recommend for a kid who has read Harry Potter and also Percy Jackson. I actually get this question a lot because we do a lot of reading around here.

Made me think it might be fun to start a blog and talk about what we're reading, and also maybe get some recommendations from YOU! After all, most everything we read was recommended by someone...usually a friend, teacher, or the local librarian! The e-mail and my response are below:

(FYI, Gabe is in 4th grade.)
P.S. Don't forget to read the "P.S.'s" at the end.

****************************************************************

Hi Emily,

My final total for Gabe's minutes was 2528. If that is incorrect please get back to me ASAP.  

What is he into reading lately? I'm always looking for more interesting and challenging age appropriate books for Izzy to read.  My usually very non-competitive child feels slightly competitive with Gabe on AR* point total. Izzy has read all the Harry Potters, Percy Jacksons and just discovered the Land of Stories series which she loves.

Thanks,

K_________

(*AR stands for Accelerated Reader. The kids take a computerized test on the books they're read and accumulate points. Gabe LOVES taking AR tests and takes great pride in being at the top of his class in AR points.)

Dear K,

Haha, yes, he has really taken off in reading this year and has loved doing AR! I have no idea about his total, but he's been keeping pretty good track. He read all the Harry Potter books and Percy Jackson, but he also read the Warriors Books by Erin Hunter this year. (They are about cats and have no appeal to me so we got them at the library and don't own them. But he liked them!) After "Warriors" he started "The Guardians of Ga'Hoole" series by Kathryn Lasky which is about owls. He's been loving them. There are about 16 in that series. (My older son Sam loved them in 4th or 5th grade.)

He also enjoyed The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede, (a series of 4), Jedi Academy series (sorta like a junior graphic novel--he LOVES these...), Diary of a Wimpy Kid books (We own a few and get some at the library), and I think he read some of the How to Train Your Dragon books, but that could have been big brother.

My boys have all been big fantasy fans.

Two other series my older boys loved at this age were The Misadventures of Benjamin Bartholomew Piff, 

and Charlie Bone (recommended by a librarian to read if you liked Harry Potter...) 

Three authors the whole family really likes are Jennifer Nielsen (The Ascendance Trilogy was my favorite),  Brandon Mull (Fablehaven!), and Brandon Sanderson (The "Alcatraz" series. Most Brandon Sanderson books are geared for teens and up but Alcatraz is really funny and fun for younger kids.).

And, lastly, since you have a daughter, *I* really loved Shannon Hale's "Goose Girl" series and "Princess Academy". (I bribed my oldest to read Princess Academy and Goose Girls and he loved them but couldn't admit it. ;)

As you can tell, we are big readers and I could go on all day, but I'll leave you with those. Let me know if you need any more ideas!

Also, you can check them out on Amazon and there is usually a recommended grade level or reading range. In case you are wondering if they are too old or too young for her. I'll read just about anything if it's good, so I have read many of the above and can recommend them personally. 

Good luck!

:)

Emily W

*******************************************************************

So, have any of you read the series I mentioned above? 

Thoughts?

Any similar you would add to this list?

Happy Reading--

P.S.

If you are ever wondering if a book or series is at your child's reading level, a good place to start is Amazon. Usually there will be some information in the "Product Details" that will give an age or grade level range. Obviously, these are subjective and kids are all at different sensitivity levels, but it's usually a good place to start. You can also just google the book title and look at the info released by the author or publisher.

A second hint is the age of the protagonist--which can usually be determined by a quick glance at the cover or book description. A 12 year old main character means the book will generally appeal to 12 year olds. However, as we've seen with Harry Potter, some books transcend being pigeon-holed.

It's also important to remember that while the first Harry Potter book was scary, but relatively mild, the seventh Harry Potter book was pretty intense and dealt with some seriously deep themes. (Though the recommended age range doesn't change...) When in doubt, read it first! Sounds like a chore, but a lot of these books are surprisingly well-written and entertaining.

Example info from Amazon:

Harry Potter Series

Age 9-12

Grade 4-7

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Age 10-14

Grade 3-7 (This doesn't even make sense, but whatever. I would say 4th grade and up.)

P.P.S. The links used above are "Amazon Affiliate Links". They give me a tiny percentage of the purchase price if you use one to buy a book. However, if you go to Amazon on your own, it wont hurt my feelings! ;)

P.P.P.S. Most of these books we own and have on our shelves (with the exception of the Warrior series, and some Diary of a Wimpy Kid books.) HOWEVER, we always started out by buying the first book in the series, or even more commonly, getting it from the library. Usually it is after two or more of us have read a series and loved it that we go back and buy the complete boxed set from Costco or Amazon. We love having favorite books on our shelves to share with anyone searching for a good read!!

P.P.P.P.S. If you liked this post, please share it or pin it!! :)

SaveSave