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Mozart’s Magic Fantasy: A Journey Through ‘The Magic Flute’

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Music

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Who doesn’t like music?

When our kids were little we enrolled our kids in Music Together (classes) and it became a part of our weekly routine for two or three years. Our music teacher was really nice and we loved the songs, CDs, how they taught kids the rythm, etc.; we loved just about everything about it. Then our kids grew and didn’t feel comfortable among younger kids in the group, so that was the end of our regular family music hour (our class was at night so that Daddy could join us too).

We’d listen to children’s music in the car all the time, whether it was English or Czech. I kind of felt relieved when they got older and asked for the radio. We’d listen to some stations with pop music because that’s what they mostly heard at their friends’. But my husband and I grew tired of it too, especially my husband. He said he had had enough of the same hits and small talk he was not interested in. He tuned our car radio to a classical music station. I am usually in a hurry to get somewhere with the kids so when we get in the car I don’t feel like looking for a different radio station. I tell my kids, it’s either this or nothing. Our kids complained but eventually got used to it. 🙂

A few weeks ago when we were taking my kids’ friends to a class (which we do twice a week), one of them asked so innocently “Why do you always listen to the same song?” He sounded seriously concerned about me as if I was suffering from an illness. 🙂 I found his remark hilarious. I explained to him that although the station played the same type of music, it was not the same song. As I was sharing this story with my husband the whole family got involved into a discussion about classical music, what we like and dislike about it. We started talking about opera because our kids know that I sometimes turn the radio off when there is opera playing. I like some operas but I am not a huge fan of it. I don’t find it relaxing and have to be in the mood for it. However, we thought our kids should not have a negative attitude to this type of music because it is really beautiful. My husband went on Youtube and found a short video of Papagena! from The Magic Flute, which is one of the most beautiful operas. Our kids were fascinated with it and found it funny. Our son said they sounded like chickens. 🙂

That night I thought about looking for a nice CD introducing kids to opera. I searched online and I discovered more than I hoped for. You’d probably say, “Sure, I bet there are many classical music CDs for kids, including opera. I suspected that. What I didn’t know is that there is a series of CDs by Classical Kids that introduces kids to different composers by combining a fictional story containing true facts about them with their music. An ingenious idea! Normally kids wouldn’t care much for the music–it would be like another classical music radio station or a regular classical music CD. I requested all of the available CDs from our library and we’ve been listening to them since then. Our kids love them! How come I didn’t know about these before?

We haven’t listened to all of them yet but I will list them here anyway. I’ll let you know later if there was one my kids didn’t like. read the reviews on Amazon to see how other families liked them. I will also list some other classical music CDs that we borrowed from the library to try. It is much easier if you have the titles to request them than if you don’t know they exist.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think our kids should listen to classical music only. I actually checked out a lot of pop (and rock) music CDs for my daughter from our library. But it would be a shame not to expose them to this wonderful music if we can. Every well-rounded individual should know about these great composers.
Beethoven Lives Upstairs
This was the first in the series we listened to. I found also the movie Beethoven Lives Upstairs and asked my kids whther they wanted to watch it. They did. We didn’t mind the Greek subtitles on Youtube. Click here if you want to watch it there. Then we read a short chapter from Lives of the Musicians about Beethoven (see more on that below).

Vivaldi’s Ring of Mystery

Mozart’s Magnificent Voyage

Tchaikovsky Discovers America

Mr. Bach Comes To Call

So far this is one that we find the least entertaining. My son thinks this one is boring and I must say that I agree that I enjoyed this one the least. We still have two more to listen to (the two below) so I will give you an update soon.

Song of the Unicorn (renaissance music)

Hallelujah Handel!

I also searched online for good books about musicians for kids and checked our library catalog to see if I could borrow them. I think I have found the right ones. So far we focused on Mozart and Beethoven because we listened to those CDs first.

Lives of the Musicians

We read a chapter about Beethoven and learned interesting facts about him (very well written for kids).

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

I had not known about Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists series by Mike Venezia until I began looking for biographies for children. We really liked it because it is written in a simple language, very understandable and interesting. We appreciated the pictures, drawings that showed Mozart and his family, places Mozart visited. What we disliked a lot were the cartoons that were trying to make the book funny. My son (6) did not understand half of the jokes and they just didn’t feel right. I would still recommend this book–just ignore the cartoons.

Ludwig Van Beethoven

We skipped a few sentences now and then because our kids did not enjoy this book as much as the one about Mozart. I think it is good if you are looking for a book about Beethoven for lower elementary grades but it may be a good idea to look at the pictures and read bits and pieces. I must say that although I disliked the cartoons in the previous book, my kids were very curious about what the bubbles say so maybe it is not such a bad idea to use them after all.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Prokofiev: Peter & the Wolf

Children’s Classics

Story of the Orchestra: Listen While You Learn About the Instruments, the Music and the Composers Who Wrote the Music! I really love this books although I don’t think it is a book to go through in one sitting. There is not too much information so it is not boring for the kids and the CD is great too.

Beethoven’s Wig: Sing Along Symphonies
Our kids liked the silly songs. The only thing we disliked was the name of the first song because Beethoven did not wear a wig and we found it confusing. My kids even remembered the picture from a book where they could see his wild hair. However, my daughter asked to play the CD again as soon as it was finished.

While browsing the Internet I have found other great classical music CDs but have not tested them with my kids yet. Come back in a few weeks for more tips.

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Great Reads for Kids 8 and up (3rd Grade)

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A List of Books Recommended by Others or Books With Great Reviews

As I have mentioned in the previous categories, I strongly suggest you visit My Daughter in 2nd Grade list under 7 and up because she read many books recommended for age 8 and up then and it would be a shame to miss them. She often rereads the books from that list now in 3rd grade. Also check the Other Books 2nd Grade list because it contains tips on books appropriate for this age category but are easier to read and good for good second-grade readers. Another good source is the list My Son in 2nd Grade.

Definitely go to My Daughter in 3rd Grade list (or My Son in 3rd Grade) because whenever she reads a book from this list I take it off this list and move it there. You will find other books there that are a good read for both boys and girls. I do it for a simple reason. Sometimes I get a book for my daughter to read that turns out to be too hard for her or of no interest because she is not mature enough or the vocabulary is too difficult. Books that you will find in My Daughter in 3rd Grade or My Son in 3rd Grade list are safer bets because I can tell my friends–yes, it is good for her age and reading level, she read it and enjoyed it. I cannot be sure about the other books until she actually reads them.

Before you go on, I want to mention that there are many books great for this age by Andrew Clements. If you visited the category My Daughter in 2nd Grade, you would see that she enjoyed them during 2nd grade but she likes to reread them and she is planning to read the ones she hasn’t read yet. They are about kids and are very appropriate for this age and reading level. My daughter just brought No Talking for the third time from her school library.

Before you decide on a book based on the amount of reviews on Amazon, you should know that a lot of times, even excellent books don’t receive a huge number of reviews. If you want to check how people liked a book, try www.goodreads.com.

The titles toward the end of this lists are books that are suitable for the end of 3rd grade because I’ve seen them recommended either for 8- or 9-year-olds.

The Borrowers For a list of books in this series click here.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle For a list of the other titles click here. My son read the series in 2nd grade.

Fablehaven For a list of books in this series click here. My son listened to the audio books in 2nd grade and loved them.

My Side of the Mountain My son listened to the audio book.

The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp Somebody recommended listening to it (supposedly a well made audiobook). We tried the audiobook on our recent car trip and found it a bit boring, except for Dad. 🙂 So while it is probably a good book, it might not be for everybody.

Sweet Farts This book is not about farts, the author just uses the word to pull the story together, it is about family and friends. It is funny. For a list of books in this series click here. (maybe the end of 2^nd grade)

One Dog and His Boy (a great read-aloud)

The Adventures of Beanboy (funny) Click here for more ratings and reviews (and another book) in this series.

The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom My son read this book and its sequel at the end of 2nd grade.

The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet

Dragon Rider My son loved the audiobook. He listened to it in 1st grade.

The Stonekeeper (graphic novel) For a list of titles in the Amulet series click here. My son read the whole series in 2nd grade.

The Secret Zoo For a list of books in this series click here. My son read it during the summer before he entered 3rd grade.

The Dragon in the Sock Drawer For a list of books in the Dragon Keepers series click here. My son read it during the summer before he entered 3rd grade.

Blubber She listened to the audio version in 2nd grade.

The Familiars For a list of books in this series click here. I read two books to my kids and they loved it. My son finished reading the series on his own at the end of 2nd grade. If you liked The Familiars, try The Quest Begins (Seekers series) A lot of people say it is not as good as The Warriors but many liked it.

Survivors #1: The Empty City For a list of books in this series click here.

How to Eat Fried Worms

Keeper of the Doves

Shiloh and the second book Shiloh Season and the third book Saving Shiloh

The Emerald Atlas and The Fire Chronicle For a list of books in the Books of Beginning series click here.

Heidi

Misty of Chincoteague A must-read for horse lovers. we listened to it on our way to Chincoteague Island when my son was 8 and my daughter 10.

Niagara Falls, Or Does It? For a list of books in the Hank Zipzer series click here.

There’s A Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom My daughter read it at the beginning of 4th grade.

The Ordinary Princess

Pearl’s Promise Although this book does not have as many reviews as some others, I put it on my list to try because someone recommended this book and I also found reviews from teachers who read it to 2^nd and 3^rd graders and they loved it. To read more about it click here.

The Magician’s Elephant

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans This is a great read-aloud for kids 8 and up.

Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat For a list of books in this series click here.

A Dog’s Way Home

Utterly Me, Clarice Bean For a list of books in this series click here.

The Family Under the Bridge read more reviews here.

Lawn Boy For more ratings and reviews click here.

The Homework Machine Read more reviews here. My daughter read 50 pages and said she didn’t like it.

Breadcrumbs

Riding Freedom

Sir Fartsalot Hunts the Booger Read more reviews here. My son loved it–read it at the end of 2nd grade.

The Good Master

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity For a list of books in the Brixton Brothers series click here.

The Hero Revealed For a list of books in The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy series click here.

Bliss For a list of books in The Bliss Bakery trilogy click here.

The Iron Trial For a list of books in the Magisterium series click here. (It is compared to Harry Potter and probably not as good but plenty of people love it so you can give this series a try.)

Deltora Quest #1: The Forests of Silence (for readers not quite ready for Harry Potter) For a list of books in this series click here. My son read the series at the end of 2nd grade.

Twelve Kinds of Ice (recommended as read-aloud for winter)

Nancy and Plum

Bed-Knob and Broomstick For a list of books in this series click here.

Mousenet and its sequel Mousemobile

The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook

Zorgamazoo (rhyming, great read-aloud)

Prince Puggly of Spud and the Kingdom of Spiff (rhyming, great read-aloud)

Rufus M. (a great read-aloud) I read this book to my kids when they were 7 and 9 but I must admit it is not a page turner and a bit old-fashioned so it may not be for everybody.

Half Upon a Time For the other books in this trilogy click here. My daughter read almost half of the book but did not finish it. She said there was not much happening and started reading Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, which she couldn’t put down.

The Cat Who Went to Heaven

Classic Starts series

Eloise: A Book for Precocious Grown Ups For a list of books in this series click here.

Princess Tales by Gail Carson Levine If your daughter likes fairytales, this series is apparently very popular with a lot of girls (e.g. The Fairy’s Mistake, The Princess Test and others). My daughter is not a fan of fairytales so she will probably never pick these up. Many Moms read these stories to their five-year-olds so they are good read-alouds for princess lovers.

Time Cat: The Remarkable Journeys of Jason and Gareth Read more reviews here.

Pie

Caddie Woodlawn

Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter I have never read the book but as a child I loved the movie.

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher The second book of Magic Shop series (Monster’s Ring is the first). For a list of books in this series click here. We listened to the audio book when kids were 8 and almost 7 and liked it a lot.

Harriet the Spy I haven’t made up my mind about this series because I have read mixed reviews about it—people either hate her or love her). For a list of books click here and here.

Tom’s Midnight Garden To read more reviews click here.

Sarah, Plain and Tall and its sequels Skylark and Caleb’s Story

Owls in the Family I read this book to my kids when they were 8 and 10.

A friend of mine has told me about this series—abridged and retold classics. I was not sure if I’d like the idea of my kids reading an abridged version (sometimes retold) and not the original but it is true that kids can read a lot of the classics only when they are older because the originals are either long or difficult in vocabulary. I think I would run into one problem with my kids—they would not want to read the original later if they already knew the story. Since I studied literature, I myself would not be prone to offering these to my kids as long as there are other books they can enjoy.

However, if you view the abridged versions as a stepping stone to the originals or you’d like to introduce the classics to your kids at a younger age, give them a try. There are many adventures stories boys would love (Treasure Island, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Three Musketeers, etc.) and many stories girls would enjoy (Heidi, A Little Princess, Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden etc.)

I have looked for the reading levels of these books but it varies (2^nd grade and up, some kids read them in 1^st grade). However, although the reading levels might be higher on some websites, it looks like the books are not hard reads (from what people say). So just give them a try and see. I have found some information about the reading levels of this series here. At least you can choose from the least difficult ones.

For a list of books in the Classic Starts Series click here.

Abel’s Island

Dominic

Ballet Shoes For a list of books in the Shoes series click here.

Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery For a list of books in this series click here.

Saddle Club (for girls who love horses) The stories in this series revolve around three girls at a horse riding school. For a list of books in this series click here.

The Year of the Book My daughter did not like it when I brought it from the library at the beginning of 3rd grade but it has good reviews so we might try it later in the year.

The Children of Green Knowe

The Year of the Dog

Coraline Some people recommend the audio book.

My Teacher Is an Alien Click here for more reviews and here for a list of the 4 books in this series. My son read the series in 2nd grade.

The Gammage Cup For other books in the Minnipins series click here.

The Jungle Book

The Castle in the Attic My son listened to the audio book when he was in 1st grade.

Big Nate Flips Out (series) For more Big Nate graphic novels click here.

A Snicker of Magic Read more reviews here.

The Wheel on the School Read more reviews here.

Marley: A Dog Like No Other

Floors For a list of books in this series click here. My kids listened to the audio book when they were 8 and 10.

A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home People read it to younger kids, a lot of pictures, it would make a great read aloud for kids of different ages.

Nim’s Island My son read it in 2nd grade.

The Island of Adventure For a list of books in this series click here.

House of Robots (great for reluctant readers)

Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies Lots of fun silliness that will appeal to fans of writers like Dav Pilky and Jon Scieszka. I can imagine that my son would love this book.

Gooseberry Park This book might not be for everyone, it is for animal lovers. Parents read it also to younger kids.

Into the Land of the Unicorns This is not a girly story, it is great for both boys and girls. For a list of books in the Unicorn Chronicle series click here.

The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy’s Great Idea For a list of books in this series click here.

All-of-a-Kind Family For a list of books in this series click here.

Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Almost True Stories of Growing up Scieszka (funny, somebody recommended the audiobook)

Boys Are Dogs For a list of books in the Annabelle Unleashed series click here. My daughter read it at the beginning of 4th grade.

Athlete vs. Mathlete (not among the top books but still enjoyable read)

Elvis and the Underdogs (also probably not among the top books but still enjoyable) For a list of books in this series click here.

Treasure Hunters For a list of books in this series click here. My son read the whole series in 2nd grade.

Skinnybones (funny)

Story Thieves

I Survived: The Shark Attacks of 1916 For a list of books in this series click here. My daughter read a few at the beginning of 4th grade.

Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor (funny) For a list of books in this series click here.

Snow Treasure

Celia and the Fairies

May B.

The Day My Butt Went Psycho My son read it in 2nd grade.

Gone-Away Lake

Runt

The Adventures of Robin Hood

Twice Upon a Time #1: Rapunzel, The One With All the Hair For a list of books in the Twice Upon a Time series click here.

Whatever After #1: Fairest of All For a list of books in this series click here. My daughter discovered this series at the beginning of 4th grade and liked it a lot.

Ms. Rapscott’s Girls My daughter is a fan of Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, Mary Poppins, and Nanny McPhee, so I think she’d love this book.

Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome This book has tons of great reviews but I don’t see my kids picking it up. My daughter read a few pages here and there but did not really come back to it (at the beginning of 4th grade).

The Misadventures of Max Crumbly 1: Locker Hero For a list of books in this series click here.

The Frog Princess For a list of books in this series click here.

The Black Stallion

The True Meaning of Smekday

Summer of the Monkeys

The Last Kids on Earth

The Girl with the Silver Eyes

Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies

Property of the Rebel Librarian

24 Hours in Nowhere

The Benefits of Being an Octopus

The Night Diary

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster

The Parker Inheritance

Dactyl Hill Squad For a list of books in this series click here.

The Book of Boy

The Kidnap Plot For a list of books in this series click here.

We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices

The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle

Inkling

The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

The Power of Poppy Pendle

Wild Life

Sky Jumpers For a list of books in this series click here.

The Land I Lost

Upside-Down Magic For a list of books in this series click here.

Loot For a list of books in this series click here.

The London Eye Mystery For a list of books in this series click here.

Trapped in a Video Game For a list of books in this series click here.

Sophia’s War: A Tale of the Revolution

The Puzzling World of Winston Breen For a list of books in this series click here.

The Apprentice Witch

The Secret of Nightingale Wood

The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine

The Magic Misfits For a list of books in this series click here.

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus

Horten’s Miraculous Mechanisms: Magic, Mystery, & a Very Strange Adventure

The Doldrums

The Seventh Wish

The Accidental Hero For a list of books in this series click here.

The Hound of Rowan For a list of books in this series click here.

Smells Like Dog For a list of books in this series click here.

Night of the Twisters

Remarkable

Hate That Cat

The Boy Who Saved Baseball For a list of books in this series click here.

The House With Chicken Legs

Endling For a list of books in this series click here.

The Wild Robot Escapes For a list of books in this series click here.

Front Desk

8 or 9?

Pax

A Tale Dark and Grimm For a list of books in this series click here.

Woof: A Bowser and Birdie Novel

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon We listened to the audio version when our kids were 7 and 9. I think it is probably more appropriate for a 9-year old for independent reading.

Babe & Me For a list of books in the Baseball Card Adventures click here.

Starry River of the Sky

Finally The recommended age for this and the following book is 9 and up but my daughter really enjoyed 11 Birthdays when she was only 8 so I’ll leave it up to you). She read this one two months before she turned 9. They are all part of Willow Falls series.

13 Gifts I’ve seen a comment that although you don’t have to read the previous book to enjoy this one, you will get more out of the jokes if you read Finally first. Since my daughter loved the previous books she devoured this one as well. She is planning on reading The Last Present.

The Chronicles of Chrestomanci (for Harry Potter lovers) For a list of books in this series click here. People recommend books by Diana Wynne Jones. Howl’s Moving Castle is on my list for 9 and up because I could not tell the level of difficulty from what I have read. I guess we’ll just have to try and see. However, there are so many books appropriate for this age group that my kids can wait a year or two longer to read these (since adults read them as well)

Gregor The Overlander (Underland Chronicles series) People rave about this series, even young kids listen to it (5 or 6). It can get a bit violent, I am not sure if it isn’t better for 9-year-olds for independent reading. For a list of books click here.

Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja For a list of books in this series click here.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH I read it to my kids over the summer (7 and 9). We loved it.

The Secret of the Old Clock and other Nancy Drew mysteries

Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining A series for girls, a light read, a lot of people recommend closer to age 9. For a list of books click here.

Goblin Secrets mixed reviews, some people love it, some say it’s mediocre but it is a National Book Award winner so I think it deserves to be on this list for you to try.

Icefall

The Invasion For a list of books in the sci-fi series Animorphs click here.

The Forests of Silence For a list of books in the Deltora Quest series click here.

The Moffats

Nory Ryan’s Song (sequel Maggie’s Door)

Rascal

Circles in the Stream For a list of books in the Avalon Web of Magic series click here.

Redwall For a complete list of 22 books in this praised series click here. My son listened to to audio books in 2nd grade and loved it.

Anne of Green Gables For a complete list of all 8 books click here.

Poppy and it’s prequel Ragweed. Sequels Poppy and Ereth For a list of books in the Dimwood Forest series click here. My son listened to the first three books at the age of 6 and loved it.

Young Fredle (mixed reviews, not for kids who crave action but I put it on my list because I think my son might enjoy it)

Bartlett and the Ice Voyage For more reviews click here. I was not sure about this book but it could be a very good read so it is on the list.

The Guardians

Ella Enchanted I could not ignore the number of great reviews of this book. My daughter will probably not read it as she is not fond of fairy tales but many girls are. If your daughter likes it, you may want to check out The Two Princesses of Bamarre which is probably suitable more for a 9-year old but I am not sure. My daughter listened to the audio version over the summer (before entering 4th grade)

The Tale of Despereaux

Chronicles of Ancient Darkness For a list of books in this series click here.

Funny Girl: Funniest. Stories. Ever.

Starry River of the Sky (a great read-aloud)

The Pinballs

The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler

The Contract

When Life Gives You O.J.

Capture the Flag For a list of books in this series click here. My daughter enjoyed this book when she read it at the beginning of 4th grade.

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher We listened to the audio book when our kids were 7 and 9.

Olivia Kidney For a list of books in this series click here.

Leon and the Spitting Image (funny) My daughter read this at the end of 3rd grade and liked it.

The Word Eater

Storybound (also check out its sequel)

The Flame of Olympus For a list of books in the Pegasus series click here.

Seven Wonders Book 1: The Colossus Rises (compared to Percy Jackson and some people thought it was not as good but still a lot of good reviews) For a list of books in this series click here.

Nothing’s Fair in Fifth Grade

Umbrella Summer

Tales of the Greek Heroes

All the Answers My daughter read it at the beginning of 4th grade.

Infinity Ring Book 1: A Mutiny in Time For a list of books in this series click here.

The Island of Dr. Libris My daughter read it at the end of 3rd grade and loved it.

Pickle: The (Formerly) Anonymous Prank Club of Fountain Point Middle School

The Capture For a list of books in the Guardians of Ga’hoole series click here.

Silverwing For a list of books in The Silverwing Trilogy click here.

It’s Raining Cupcakes For a list of books in the Cupcakes series click here.

The Terrible Two

If you are still looking for more books, check out some reading lists for grades 3 & 4:

List 1

The Last Holiday Concert

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Books My Daughter Read in 3rd Grade

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Most kids in 3rd grade probably read books that fall into the 8 – 12 category. I find it challenging to decide which books from this category are appropriate for her now and which ones she’d enjoy (or understand) more in two years. The titles that you will find in this category are probably a safe bet because she has already read them so it is unlikely that they are more suitable for a ten-year-old. I think that most of these books are a great read for both girls and boys.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone When my daughter was somewhere in the middle of 2^nd grade, she gave the first Harry Potter book a try but couldn’t get past the first 50 pages. She did not understand it at all. Then we watched the first movie a few months later. Shortly after she turned 8 (two months before finishing 2^nd grade), she checked it out from our library again. It turns out she does like Harry Potter after all. She said the movie helped her understand it better. Since then, she’s been reading the Harry Potter books. She just started the last one. She takes breaks from it and reads other books in between. Update: She read only half of the last Harry Potter book and stopped. She did not enjoy it as much as the previous ones.

The Maze of Bones and 9 other books from the mystery series 39 Clues. For a complete list the books in order click here.

11 Birthdays My daughter loved all the books in the Willow Falls series.

Fake Mustache (more ratings and reviews here). She said this one was funny.

Flora and Ulysses I’ve seen reviews by parents praising this book as a read-aloud for younger kids (age 7 and up).

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe I am glad they are reading this book in their reading class in school. It’s always hard to persuade my daughter to read a book if she has seen the movie. For a list of books in the Chronicles of Narnia series click here.

Smile and Sisters (more ratings and reviews here). She fell in love with the graphic novels by Raina Telgemeier.

Drama Another graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier (more reviews and ratings here)

The Twits A very easy read. Good for a second grader too.

Half Magic She has read three books of Tales of Magic and is planning to read the other books in this series (click here for a list of the books in order).

Jake Drake, Class Clown She read this book for her Book Club in school. A very easy read, good for a second grader too.

Matilda

Sideways Stories from Wayside School She reread one of her favorite books from 2nd grade. Click here for a complete list of books in this series.

The Wish Stealers

The Invention of Hugo Cabret She was not too excited about it. I later found out that this book is recommended for ages 9 and up so that may have been the reason why she did not enjoy it as much as she could have.

The Magic Half Read more reviews here. If you like it, check out its sequel Magic in the Mix

The Kid Who Ran for President and it’s sequel The Kid Who Became President

The School Story

The Chocolate Touch

Little House Books (not all but a few)

Regarding the Fountain Read more reviews here. She also read Regarding the Sink

About Average

The Monster’s Ring To see a list of the books in this series in order click here. She also read Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher. She liked both books.

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles

Tuesdays at the Castle For a list of books in this series click here. She read all three but did not enjoy the last one toward the end and did not finish it–she had only about 30 pages left but she said it was boring at the end.

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler One of the best books listed everywhere, she loved it.

El Deafo As this is a graphic novel, it really took her just an hour or so to read it. I brought it home from the library because it was on many “best books of 2014” lists. She mentioned it was a bit sad but she liked it. It is a ture story and I am glad she read it. We definitely recommend it.

8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel ö 1 Dog = Chaos (funny and short)

Who Was Louis Braille? She loves the Who Was/Is…? series. So far she read Who Was Helen Keller?, Who Was Annie Oakley?, Who Was Anne Frank? , Who is J.K. Rowling?, Who Was Amelia Earhart? Who Was Walt Disney? Who was Harry Houdini? Who was Nelson Mandela? Who Is Michelle Obama?

The Bad Beginning: Or, Orphans! For a list of books in A Series of Unfortunate Events click here. So far she has read 6 books in this series.

The Phantom Tollbooth This books has been on many Best Books lists. She loved it.

Gangsta Granny See more ratings and reviews here. Check out other books by David walls withinWalliams.

Jake and Lily

She read again a few books from her favorite Boy/Girl Battle series she loved in 2nd grade.

James and the Giant Peach

Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust (a graphic novel probably suitable for younger kids in elementary school if you think they are ready for this particular time in the history)

Keeper of the Lost Cities For a list of books in this series click here.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Loved it!

The Island of Dr. Libris

Mandy

The Only Thing Worse Than Witches

Double Dog Dare

The Secret School To see more ratings and reviews click here.

The SOS File

Love that Dog

Mr Stink

Wishes, Kisses and Pigs Although I did not find the book recommended anywhere and it does not have a lot of great reviews, I picked it up at the library under summer reading and my daughter enjoyed it.

The School Story My daughter started reading Andrew Clements’s books in 2nd grade and has loved them all.

Gooney Bird Greene She reread it for her book club in school (she first read it in 2nd grade).

Stranded For a list of books in this series click here. She has read three.

The Chronicles of Chrestomanci For a list of books in this series click here. She loved the first one but said she wanted to take a break while reading the second book. She did not want to return it to the library yet so we will see if she decides to come back to it.

Liesl & Po

The Year of Miss Agnes Read more reviews here.

Someday Angeline See the ratings and the sequel here.

Dogs Don’t Tell Jokes

Anastasia Krupnik

Number the Stars She read it in school in her reading class. I have it on the list for a bit older kids for independent reading. It is hard for me to tell how she would have enjoyed the book if she had read it on her own.

Leon and the Spitting Image (funny)

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

The Familiars For a list of books in this series click here.

The Mysterious Benedict Society She loved it! Click here for a list of books in this series.

The War with Grandpa

The Candymakers

Aliens on Vacation

The King’s Equal

The City of Ember For a list of books in this series click here.

Books we read together or listened to (almost all of them are suitable for independent reading for this age group; if not I made a note):

The Penderwicks Click here for the list of titles in this series. My daughter listened to the audiobook when she was 7 and loved it.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

The BFG This book by Roald Dahl is pretty thick so I chose to read it aloud to my kids when they were in kindergarten and 2nd grade. They loved it. I put it on this list because the length of this novel could be a bit daunting.

The Secret World of Og

The Adventures of a South Pole Pig (recommended as a read-aloud and that’s what we did)

The Giggler Treatment My daughter did not read it on her own–I read it to both my kids and they liked it. It is an easy and short read–we read it in one night. I am sure it is a fun book to read independently but I think this one is a great read-aloud. Funny.

The Great Brain She did not read this book independently but because I knew she would never pick this one herself I chose it to read to both my kids. It is not the modern type of literature so I don’t know how many kids would really enjoy reading it on their own but both my kids loved it when I read it to them. I think it would depend on what kind of books your child likes. This one would be better for a boy for independent reading I think. Definitely more enticing for boys because the book is about boys.

The Hoboken Chicken Emergency (we listened to the audiobook, funny)

Homer Price We listened to the audiobook. I’d say it would be good for a 10-year-old for independent reading.

Tales from the Odyssey I doubt my daughter would choose this book on her own but we recently listened to the audio version during our long car trip. I am glad we did because everybody should know these well known stories that inspired many great writers.

Cheaper by the Dozen We listened to the audio version of this book. It is probably a higher reading level than 3rd grade but perfect as a read-aloud. My kids (almost 7 and 8) loved listening to it because it is funny but it would not be a good choice for independent reading for them. The vocabulary is more difficult and we sometimes had to explain the words to them to help them understand.

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson (slow beginning, I am not sure if she would have kept reading if we were not listening to the audiobook in the car–my son, 2 years younger, loved it)

The Cricket in Times Square We listened to the audiobook when our kids were 5 and 7 and they liked it. I think age 8 or 9 would be good for independent reading.

Rules For independent reading more likely closer to 9 but my daughter listened to it at the age of 8 and liked it.

A Bear Called Paddington

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (funny) For a list of books in The Herdmans series click here.

The Best School Year Ever (hilarious)

The Best Halloween Ever

Billionaire Boy

The Adventures of Nanny Piggins For a list of books in this series click here. Both my kids loved it. We have read three so far and they are asking for more.

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase Although my son (recently turned 7) thought it was a bit slow at the beginning (my daughter and I didn’t agree with him on that), we all loved this book. We read it in three days and enjoyed every minute of it.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins

The Water Horse

The Familiars For a list of books in this series click here.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Liesl & Po

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin

The Thief Lord My kids listened to the audio version of this book right after we visited Venice.

Masterpiece

Mary Poppins

The Tail of Emily Windsnap For a list of books in this series click here.

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Books My Daughter Read in 2nd Grade

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The following is not a complete list. I tried to recall all the books she read but it’s been a year so I probably missed some. It was especially hard to remember if she read certain books at the end of 1st grade or the beginning of 2nd. I know she read different mysteries that are listed in the 1st grade category, Judy Moody books, etc. so just go through those lists first.

I created this category to save you from mistakes I made when I chose books from the large 8 – 12 age category on Amazon only to realize later that my daughter was either not mature enough to read them or they contained difficult vocabulary for her. If you are looking for safer bets this is it. She read them and enjoyed them in 2nd grade.

Always check the previous age categories to see if there are titles s/he hasn’t read yet. Many books have a wide age range and I tried to place them in the lowest possible age category (i.e. in the age group when I thought kids could read the book on their own, not listen to it.)

Cobble Street Cousins For a complete list of books in this series click here.

Emma Dilemma For other books in this series click here.

Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great If your child did not read the other books in the Fudge series, look for them here.

The Year of Billy Miller

The Secrets of Droon For a list of books in order in this series click here.

Twig

Chocolate Fever

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 To see other books in this series click here.

The Courage of Sarah Noble

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing For a complete list of books in the Fudge series click here.

Soupy Saturdays with the Pain and the Great One For a list of books in the Pain and the Great One series click here.

No Flying in the House

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator She found it a bit dull at the beginning but finished it anyway. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is definitely better.

The Indian in the Cupboard Check out its sequel The Return of the Indian.

The World According to Humphrey and all the other books in this series.

Sideways Stories from Wayside School and other Wayside School books. For a complete list click here.

The Doll People She enjoyed the other books in the series, click here for a complete list.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle For a list of books in this series click here. My daughter LOVES the stories of “naughty” children. She just read a few of them at bedtime the other night (in 3rd grade).

Gooney Bird Greene and other titles. Check the books in this series, their ratings and reviews here.

The Lemonade War For a list of books in this series click here. For rating and reviews click here. She loved all the books in this series.

Boy/Girl Battle: The Boys Start the War She read the whole series, practically devoured it. Read the books in the right order. Click here to see a list of 12 books in this series in order.

Matilda

Frindle and other books by Andrew Clements. I did not realize that Andrew Clements has written several great books for kids until my daughter’s teacher gave her Frindle to read in 2^nd grade. Then I realized that it is the same author of No Talking (a audiobook she loved) and looked up the rest of his books. When my son is in 2nd grade, I will introduce him to this author for sure, starting with Frindle.

She read the following books by Andrew Clements:

No Talking She listened to this book when she turned 7. Then she read it. It is one of her favorite books.

The Report Card

Lunch Money

Lost and Found

Extra Credit (more reviews here)

The Janitor’s Boy

Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School For a complete list of books in this series in order click here. She enjoyed the whole series.

Blubber

The Hundred Dresses

Lisa and Lottie My daughter read this book in Czech but I checked the reviews of people who read it both in the original and in English and they loved the translation. It might be hard to obtain at the library but I would not hesitate to spend $5 (right now on Amazon including shipping) on a used copy because it is a wonderful story and all girls would enjoy it I think. Although the summary is in another language, read the English reviews below it here. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10101074-lisa-and-lottie?from_search=true

Emil’s Pranks My daughter read the book in Czech and enjoyed it. Like all other Astrid Lindgren books, this one didn’t disappoint. It is even better for little boys. Read the reviews here and see a list of other books about Emil (check the reviews on www.goodreads.com)

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Three Tales of My Father’s Dragon

Fortunately, the Milk

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles I bought this book for her in summer after she finished 1st grade. She did not enjoy the first pages of the book and said it was hard for her. Then her teacher started reading it to them in school and she fell in love with this book. She reread it later. For independent reading you should maybe wait till the middle of 2nd grade.

Half Magic For a complete list of 7 books in Tales of Magic series click here.

How to Steal a Dog

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone She tried this one earlier during 2nd grade but found it too confusing. I thought she would not be the type to read Harry Potter so I let her watch the first movie a few months after that. Suddenly she understood everything and expressed a wish to try the first book again (in the last month of 2nd grade). She fell in love with this series and has been reading the Harry Potter books since then (she is reading the last book as I write this–she is in 3rd grade now).

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Other Books for Second Graders

Sharing is good karma:

Before you start browsing this category, I strongly suggest you go to my lists for 1^st graders (Books my son read in 1st grade, Books my daughter read in 1st grade, Other good books for first graders) under the category 5-6 and up. My kids are advanced readers so a lot of books recommended for the age 7 are in the previous category. I also posted books from the previous category in a separate list From my 1st Grade List. For more tips on great books, see also the list under Listening 5 – 6 and up. A lot of the books listed in that category should be perfectly fine for a good reader in 2nd grade.

As my daughter entered 2^nd grade, she started reading books that fall into the 8 – 12 years category. That was a bit tricky for me because some books were perfectly appropriate for her at the age of 7 but some were too hard. Sometimes I’d check out a book at the library only to take it back because she did not enjoy it. She was probably not ready for it.

I will list books she read and enjoyed in a separate category (My Daughter in 2nd Grade). Don’t let the fact that she is a girl discourage you from that category if you have a boy. She has never been into princesses and fairy tales, she always liked stories with kids so most books she read are great for both girls and boys. I will not list the same books here. The books in that list are a great. Don’t miss them, especially books by Andrew Clements.

Important update: My son just started 2nd grade so don’t forget to check the category My Son in 2nd Grade. I will not list the same books here.

If you are looking for more tips, I suggest you visit the section for 8 and up because the titles there might fall into this category just fine. My daughter either read them at the end of 2nd grade or in 3^rd grade. I have no way of knowing if she would have enjoyed the books she is reading now half a year ago when she wasn’t quite 8 yet but it is very likely that she would have. I will have more information on books for second graders when my son gets there (in 2015).

Books by Roald Dahl are an excellent choice. Both parents and kids love them and it seems they are popular with a wide range of kids. I have read several to my kids who are two years apart and they both loved them. The first longer book my daughter read in her life (at the end of 1st grade) was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Here are some other ones:

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Esio Trot

Matilda

The Witches

The Twits We read this book together when my son was in 1st grade.

George’s Marvelous Medicine

The Minpins We read this book together when my son was in 1st grade.

The Magic Finger See ratings and more reviews here. My kids listened to the audio book and loved it.

Danny the Champion of the World I would choose this one closer to the end of 2nd grade because it is long.

Lulu and the Brontosaurus

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain

The Big Big Big Book of Tashi I have this book in my son’s list in 1st grade but I was afraid you could miss it so I am posting it here too. Don’t miss this book especially if you have a little boy! I’ve read about girls being excited about it too! This looks like a very thick book for older kids but don’t let it fool you. Each page has a big picture and only a few sentences. There is a picture of a map at the beginning of the book and my son constantly follows Tashi’s journey there (Dragon’s Cave, Giant’s castle, Mountain of White Tigers etc.). The stories about Tashi’s adventures are available in separate books. I just chose one that contained more stories together. For a complete list o f books in Tashi series click here. I also discovered a website about Tashi books.

The Indian in the Cupboard My son read it at the end of 1st grade and loved it.

The Trouble with Chickens For a list of books in the J.J. Tully Mystery series click here.

Busybody Nora and Russell and Elisa For a list of books in the Riverside Kids series click here.

Dog Diaries: Secret Writings of the WOOF Society For young dog lovers (it contains some violence though so read the reviews first before you decide)

Cat Diaries: Secret Writings of the MEOW Society For young cat lovers.

Roxie and the Hooligans Read more reviews here.

Muggie Maggie

Just Grace My daughter was not really fond of this series, she probably read only one book but it has good reviews and seems to be popular with girls. For a complete list of books in this series click here.

Stone Fox (a bit sad story)

Emma and the Blue Genie My son read this book in 1st grade.

I Was a Third Grade Science Project

Third Grade Angels

Fourth Grade Rats

Fairest of All For a list of books in the Whatever After series click here.

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 For a list of books in the I Survived series click here.

The Five Lost Aunts of Harriet Bean For a list of books in the Harriet Bean series click here.

Pip Bartlett’s Guide to Magical Creatures I think it is planned as a series (for sequels check here)

Beast Keeper #1 (Beasts of Olympus) My son tried this book in March in 1st grade but he did not like it—he said not much was happening. I think he either needs to mature a bit more for this book or it was not his cup of tea.

Kelsey Green, Reading Queen (Franklin School Friends)

Stuart’s Cape For a list of books in The Amazing World of Stuart series click here.

Lavender

The Year of the Book and its sequel The Year of the Baby

Akimbo and the Lions For a list of books in this series click here.

8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel / 1 Dog = Chaos I read this book to my kids last year and they liked it. Very easy.

Piper Reed, Navy Brat For a list of the books in this series click here.

The Adventures of Captain Underpants To see the other titles in this series, click here.

Brand New School, Brave New Ruby For a list of books in Ruby and the Booker Boys series click here.

Socks

Henry Huggins For a complete list of books in this series click here.

Jeremiah in the Dark Woods

The Adventures of Tempest & Serena

The Gollywhopper Games Look at the amazing ratings here.

Awesome Animals series See reviews here.

The Spiderwick Chronicles For a complete list of the books in order click here.

The Nixie’s Song For the other books in Beyond The Spiderwick Chronicles trilogy click here.

Treasure Hunters For a list of books in this series click here.This book is geared toward lower level middle school. However, I’ve seen many reviews of 7-year-old reading and enjoying this series. If you are not sure, I suggest to read a few reviews to decide whether the book is appropriate for your child (death of parents implied, some violence, etc.). My son read the series sometime in winter in 2nd grade.

Liberty Porter, First Daughter For other titles in this series click here.

Jake Drake, Class Clown For a list of books in this series click here.

Toys Go Out, Toy Dance Party, and Toys Come Home

Cinderella Smith

Sophie Simon Solves Them All

The Doll Shop Downstairs

Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel For a list of books in this series click here.

Penelope Crumb For a list of books in this series click here.

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great For a list of books in The Knights’ Tales series click here.

Phineas L. MacGuire . . . Erupts!: The First Experiment (From the Highly Scientific Notebooks of Phineas L. MacGuire)

The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse: A Chet Gecko Mystery To read reviews and see all books in this series click here.

The New Kid at School, Revenge of the Dragon Lady and other books in the Dragon Slayers’ Academy series (click here for a list)

Desmond Pucket Makes Monster Magic

Ellie McDoodle: New Kid in School Click here to see more reviews or here to see a list of titles in this series.

Justin Case: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters For a list of books in this series click here.

A Matter-of-Fact Magic Book: No Such Thing as a Witch For a list of books in this series click here. (stand-alone adventures)

El Deafo

Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally)

Bobby the Brave (Sometimes)

Summer with Elisa

Starring Grace

My Name Is Maria Isabel

Alice-Miranda at School For a list of books in this series click here.

Only Emma For a list of books in this series click here.

Tumtum & Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall

The Night Fairy

How to Be Cool in the Third Grade

The Worst Witch To see the great ratings, other reviews, and other books in this series, click here.

The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking See the ratings and more reviews here.

Moonsilver For a complete list of books in The Unicorn’s Secret series click here.

Hoofbeats (for girls who love horses) For a list of books in this series click here.

Big Nate: In a Class by Himself (funny, probably the second half of 2^nd grade because of the interest level, not reading level)

Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth Read reviews here.

The Adventures Of The Bailey School Kids For a list of books in this series click here.

Grace for President

Poodle and Hound

Melonhead

Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang and if my son likes it, then we’ll get Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur and Jacob Two-Two’s First Spy Case

No Girls Allowed (Dogs Okay) See more titles in the Secrets of a Lab Rat series here.

The Dodgeball Chronicles For a list of books in the Knights of the Lunch Table series click here.

Stuart Little I read it to my kids when they were 6 and 8.

Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little

Mean Margaret

Mr. Popper’s Penguins

The Little House series My daughter has never read this series, I am still trying to persuade her. I made the mistake of letting her watch the DVDs when she was sick once and now she feels she would not enjoy it. I hope she will give in to me eventually and at least try.

Classic Starts series

For a list of books in the Classic Starts Series click here.

Mallory For a list of books in this series click here.

Betsy-Tacy Read more about Betsy-Tacy series here. The beginning books are in simpler language, then they have more complicated vocabulary as Betsy gets older. You can read an article in New York Times here. For a list of books click here.

Encyclopedia Brown For a list of books in this series click here.

For animal lovers (especially girls):

Animal Ark For a complete list of books in this series click here.

Puppy Place For a complete list of books in this series click here.

Saddle Club The stories in this series revolve around three girls at a horse riding school. It is more appropriate for older girls (probably the end of 2nd grade and up). For a list of books in this series click here.

Otis Spofford

Ellen Tebbits

The Castle in the Attic My son loved the audiobook. The adventure continues in The Battle for the Castle

In Grandma’s Attic For a complete list of books in this series click here.

The Children of Noisy Village See the ratings and read more reviews here.

Dragon Rider My son listened to the audiobook when he was 6 and he LOVED it.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle For a list of the other titles click here.

The Monster’s Ring To see a list of the books in this series in order click here. Check out also Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher. We listened to the audio books but I think a good reader wouldn’t have a problem with these books in 2nd grade.

Rescue on the Oregon Trail For a list of books in this series click here.

Lucy & Andy Neanderthal

Dog Diaries #1: Ginger For a list of books in this series click here.

Lunch Walks Among Us For a list of books in this series click here.

The Bad Guys For a list of books in this series click here.

My Fox Ate My Homework For a list of books in this series click here.

Ben Franklin’s in My Bathroom! For a list of books in the History Pals series click here.

Secret Coders For a list of books in this series click here.

Beatrice Zinker, Upside Down Thinker For a list of books in this series click here.

The Story of Doctor Dolittle I read it to my son when he started 1st grade and he loved it. My daughter (in 3rd grade) was not interested in listening, it bored her. I guess you have to like a certain type of books to enjoy this one.

Sarah, Plain and Tall and its sequels Skylark and Caleb’s Story

The Enormous Egg

Princess Tales by Gail Carson Levine If your daughter likes fairytales, this series is apparently very popular with a lot of girls (e.g. The Fairy’s Mistake, The Princess Test and others). My daughter is not interested in princess stories but she was good reader in 2^nd grade and would have been able to read these books (she started reading Harry Potter books at the end of 2^nd grade). Many Moms read these stories to their five-year-olds so if your girl is fond of fairytales, you may want to try them.

Operation Bunny For a list of books in this series click here. (English phrases, for kids not quite ready for Harry Potter)

The Island of Adventure For a list of books in this series click here.

Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies Lots of fun silliness that will appeal to fans of writers like Dav Pilky and Jon Scieszka. I can imagine that my son would love this book.

The Water Horse We listened to the audio book. It is a nice story.

Fly Away

Word After Word After Word

There are two series that I have seen mentioned several times but our libraries don’t carry them. I decided to order both of them used and will let my son read them. I will give you an update when he does. To see the amazing ratings that led me to buy the series click on the link provided. I will probably read the books to my kids soon and will let you know how we liked them.

The Wishing-Chair Collection Read more about these stories here.

The Faraway Tree Stories To learn more about these stories click here.

Gooseberry Park This book might not be for everyone, it is for animal lovers. Parents read it also to younger kids.

The Familiars For a list of books in this series click here. I read the first 2 books to my kids last year. My son really wanted to read the third one on his own in September but I think it was a bit too difficult for him. Maybe it would be better in the second half of the school year. Update: He read the rest of the series toward the end of 2nd grade with no problem.

Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder For a list of books in this series click here.

Half Magic For a list of 7 books in this series click here. I read the first 3 books to my kids in the past two years and they loved them. I think this series would be more suitable toward the end of the school year for independent reading.

Tales from the Odyssey A great read-aloud for kids 5 or 6 and up. People loved the CDs too. For other books in this series click here. We listened to the audiobook. For independent reading, I’d say, the end of 2nd grade or later.

The Iron Man The title was changed to The Iron Giant, to avoid confusion with the Marvel Comics character Iron Man. This book is not just for boys. Read more about it here. This books is probably best read aloud together with your child.

If you are still looking for more recommended books for 1st and 2nd graders, check out the following links to some comprehensive summer reading lists:
List 1

Lulu and the Brontosaurus

List 3

2014 Notable Children’s Books The reading list from the Association for Library Service to Children of the American Library Association includes the current Newbery, Caldecott, Belpré, Sibert, Coretta Scott King, Geisel, and Batchelder Award winners and Honor books, among other notable books.

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From My 1st Grade List

Sharing is good karma:

Here are some books from my list for advanced readers in 1st grade (titles at the end of that list are probably at a higher reading level). I could basically copy the whole list depending on your child’s reading level so I advise you to go through that list first. The books from my 1st grade list are perfectly suitable for 7-year-olds. Also check the list My Daughter in 1st Grade where you can find good tips as well.

Aliens for Breakfast, Aliens for Lunch and Aliens for Dinner

Pippi Longstocking or The Pippi Longstocking 4-Book Set: Pippi Longstocking, Pippi Goes on Board, Pippi in the South Seas, and Pippi on the Run

I know that most people in the US know the author Astrid Lindgren because of Pippi Longstocking. But not everybody knows that she wrote several other fantastic books that are very popular with kids in Europe. We read most of them in Czech but I looked them up, checked the reviews (if the translation is good) and decided to share them with you. Among our favorites are The Children of Noisy Village (my daughter’s all-time favorite) but it is probably more suitable for kids 7 or 8 and up, not for a beginning reader (but a great read-aloud for younger kids). However, there are other titles that are easier so I added them to this list.

The Children on Troublemaker Street Read more about this book here.

Lotta on Troublemaker Street Check the ratings and reviews here. You can also find more books about Lotta on Amazon and read reviews here.

Emil’s Pranks My daughter read it in Czech and enjoyed it. Little boys will be especially delighted. Read more reviews here. You can find more Emil books on Amazon (and you can check more reviews on www.goodreads.com). I am not sure about the reading level, maybe it is better to save this one for the end of the school year or 2nd grade.

Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything For a list of books in this series click here.

Jasper John Dooley: Star of the Week For a complete list of books in this series click here.

Mrs. Noodlekugel My kids love Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle so I will get this book for my son to try. If you like it, try also Mrs. Noodlekugel and Four Blind Mice Read more reviews here. A new addition to this series is expected in 2015 so you can check this list.

Mr Gum and the Biscuit Billionaire This is the second book in Mr. Gum series, check the reviews here. I have seen this book mentioned on different websites several times, it is supposed to be hilarious. For a list of books in this series click here. My son read two books from this series at the beginning of 2nd grade and loved them.

Moonsilver For a list of books in The Unicorn’s Secret series click here. (especially for girls, recommended for 7 and up but some girls read it in 1^st grade)

Marty McGuire For other titles in this series, reviews, and ratings, click here or you can check them out on Amazon here. My daughter discovered Marty McGuire in 2nd grade and loved it.

The Story of Diva and Flea

The Witch Family

Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible For a list of books in this series click here.

Almost Super

Smarter Than Squirrels

Dog Days: The Carver Chronicles For a list of books in this series click here.

Buckle and Squash

Dog Man For a list of books in this series click here.

Invisible Inkling For other books in this series and their ratings click here.

Henry Huggins For a list of books in this series click here.

Tornado

The King’s Equal

The Secrets of Droon For a complete list of books in order in this long series (I think about 40 books) click here. My daughter discovered them at the beginning of 2nd grade and devoured them. My son read all of them at the end of 1st grade.

The Magical Ms. Plum This one should be humorous. Read more about it here.

The Minpins

The Magic Finger

The Vanishing Coin This series is new and there should be more books in the future (right now there is only one). Check the list here.

The Sasquatch Escape and other books in The Imaginary Veterinary series (click here for a complete list). My daughter read it at the end of 1st grade and loved it. My son read it when he started 2nd grade and devoured the whole series as well.

Socks

Three Tales of My Father’s Dragon

The New Kid at School and Revenge of the Dragon Lady. For more books in the Dragon Slayers’ Academy series click here. My son really enjoyed listening to the first two books. We will soon try if he can read them too.

Moongobble and Me For a complete list of books in this series click here. My son listened to most of the books in the car (and loved it).

Mean Margaret

Daisy’s Perfect Word Read more reviews here. For a list of other books in this series click here.

Freckle Juice

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory My daughter had never seen the movie before she read the book. It was her first longer book to read, she couldn’t put it down.

No Flying in the House

The Mouse and the Motorcycle For a list of the three books in order click here.

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things For a list of books in this series click here.

26 Fairmount Avenue For a list of books in this series click here.

Ramona A list of all 8 books can be found here.

Encyclopedia Brown For a list of books in this series click here.

The Children of Noisy Village Read more reviews here. If your child likes this book by Astrid Lindgren, check out also Christmas in Noisy Village and Happy Times in Noisy Village.

George Brown, Class Clown For a complete list of books in this series click here.

All About Sam For a list of books in this series click here.

Marigold and the Feather of Hope, The Journey Begins For a complete list of books in The Fairy Chronicles series click here.

Andrew Lost series. It should be read in order. For a list click here.

Pony Pals For a list of books in this series for horse lovers click here.

Emma and the Blue Genie Find more reviews here. My son read it in 1st garde and loved it.

The Princess in Black Find more reviews here. My son read it in 1st grade.

My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish This book has mixed reviews but mostly from the parents (because it contains a lot of name calling, etc.) but they all agree that their boys loved it. It is apparently geared toward boys and it is funny. It reminds me Junie B. Jones books a bit—a lot of people hate them because of the way Junie B. talks and behaves. I am trying to instill a love of reading in my son and if he reads a few books with a bit less appropriate behavior, I can deal with that. I can always talk to him about it.

The Enormous Egg

Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang and if my son likes it, then we’ll get Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur and Jacob Two-Two’s First Spy Case

The 13-Story Treehouse For a list of books in this series click here. Although the age range is higher, it is an easy book because it is idea for reluctant readers in 2nd and 3rd grade. My son read it in 1st grade.

Catwings For a complete list of books in this series click here. My son read it in 1st grade.

Eoin Colfer’s Legend of Captain Crow’s Teeth Read more about this books here. People say it is hilarious. I have seen it on many websites recommended for this age group. For a list of other books in this series click here.

White Fur Flying Click here to see the ratings and reviews. I looked at this book in the library and it has no pictures so we’ll try it toward the end of the school year.

The Great Alaska Adventure! Click here for more books in the Junior Explorer series (more reviews there too).

Little Wolf’s Book of Badness Read more reviews here. If your child likes it, give the Awesome Animals series by this author (Ian Whybrow) a shot. The letters are smaller and my son did not want to read this in January in 1st grade.

Busybody Nora and Russell and Elisa For a list of books in the Riverside Kids series click here.

Dog Diaries: Secret Writings of the WOOF Society For young dog lovers; many people recommended it for 1st graders (it contains some violence though so read the reviews first before you decide)

Cat Diaries: Secret Writings of the MEOW Society For young cat lovers.

The Five Lost Aunts of Harriet Bean For a list of books in the Harriet Bean series click here.

Kelsey Green, Reading Queen (Franklin School Friends)

Stuart’s Cape For a list of books in The Amazing World of Stuart series click here.

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain

Lavender

The Year of the Book and its sequel The Year of the Baby

Akimbo and the Lions For a list of books in this series click here.

8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel / 1 Dog = Chaos We listened to this book when my son was in 1st grade. it was short and simple.

Jeremiah in the Dark Woods

The Seven Treasure Hunts

Sharing is good karma:

Other Books for First Graders

Sharing is good karma:

This is a list of book appropriate for first graders who are ready to read more challenging books than easy readers. I have a separate list containing other series not mentioned here in the section My Daughter in 1st Grade. My son is now in 1st grade (November 2014) and I use the following list I put together as a reference because it is sometimes hard to find chapter books that interest young kids but are not daunting. I also added series for girls my daughter did not read.

If you are looking for more books, check out Random House Stepping Stones series. Also look for Trophy Chapter Books and Puffin Chapters.

The books on my lists are tips from different websites and discussion forums. Read the reviews if you’d like to learn more about the titles. Every child is unique. Books my kids liked might not be an enjoyable read for your child and the other way around. Most of these books are great for any child, no matter if it is a girl or a boy.

When my son reads a book and likes it I move it to my list My Son in 1st Grade so check out that list as well. You will no longer find it here. I can only trust other people about the books listed here but if my son actually reads a book from this category and likes it, I know that the tip was good and feel better about recommending it to other parents. I hope you will find the tips useful and will not waste time searching for a good read for your child at his/her level.

The books toward the end of the list are probably harder and I am saving them for the second half/end of 1st grade.

Mostly Monty: First Grader For a list of books in this series click here.

All Paws on Deck For a list of books in this series click here.

Meet Yasmin!

Get Ready for Second Grade, Amber Brown For a list of books in this series, click here.

Zelda and Ivy: The Runaways You can find more Zelda and Ivy stories.

Iris and Walter For a complete list in this series click here.

The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or The Roly-Poly Pudding (Peter Rabbit) Look for other titles published by Frederick Warne (23 altogether)

Pinky and Rex For a list of the books in this series click here. (My daughter read this series at the end of kindergarten and at the beginning of 1^st grade)

Appleville Elementary #1: First Day For a list of books in this series click here.

Captain Awesome to the Rescue! For a list of books in this series click here. My son started reading it but did not finish—said there was not much happening. But it has a lot of great reviews so maybe it would appeal to your child.

The Principal’s on the Roof: A Fletcher Mystery For a list of books in The Fletcher Mysteries series click here.

Judy Moody and Friends: Jessica Finch in Pig Trouble For a list of books in the Judy Moody and Friends series click here.

Judy Moody and Stink: The Holly Joliday For a list of books in the Judy Moody and Stink series click here.

House Of The Horrible Ghosts (Stepping Stone) My friend told me her son liked it. For the list of books in this series click here.

Be Careful What You Sniff for For a list of books in the Magic Bone series click here.

The Case of the Elevator Duck (A Stepping Stone Book)

Horrid Henry For a list of books in this series click here.

On the Road For a list of books in the Down Girl and Sit Series click here.

Duck for a Day

Princess Posey and the First Grade Parade For a list of books in this series click here.

My Happy Life and My Heart Is Laughing

The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe’s Very First Case For other mysteries in this series click here.

The Boxcar children As of now, there are 100 mysteries/books in this series.

Uh-oh, Cleo For a list of books in this series click here. My son’s friend did not like it, he said it was boring. We haven’t tried it yet.

Nikki and Deja Click here for a list of books in this series.

Arthur series For a list of books in this series click here.

A to Z Mysteries For a complete list of the mysteries click here.

Calendar Mysteries For a complete list of the mysteries click here.

Ballpark Mysteries #1: The Fenway Foul-up For a list of books in this series click here.

Capital Mysteries #1: Who Cloned the President? For a list of books in this series click here.

Junie B. Jones (series) To see all the books in order click here.

In the Bathroom For other books in the Andrew Lost series click here.

Bed & Biscuit See the titles in this series and read more about them here.

The Haunted Library To see ratings and reviews click here. For more books in this series click here.

Stink For a complete list of books in this series click here.

Cam Jansen mysteries (series) To see a list of them click here.

Judy Blume’s Fudge I always get confused which books are in this series so here is a list.

The One and Only Stuey Lewis: Stories from the Second Grade Check out the ratings and book #2 in this series (there are only 2 books at this moment) here.

Hello, Nebulon! See more books in the Galaxy Zack series on Amazon here or click this link to see a full list, the ratings and other reviews.

Goofballs: The Crazy Case of Missing Thunder Check out other titles in this series (reviews and ratings). My daughter LOVED the Secrets of Droon series by this author (Tonny Abbott) so my son will definitely try this series aimed at a younger audience.

The Case of Hermie the Missing Hamster I discovered the Jigsaw Jones Mystery series at the library. The reviews I have seen are mixed so we’ll just give it a try and see. For a list of the books click here.

Maybelle in the Soup To see a list of other books in this series, and their ratings, click here. You can also find them on Amazon here.

Flat Stanley For a complete list of books in this popular series click here.

Anna Hibiscus For a list of other books about Anna click here.

Freddie Ramos Takes Off You can find more titles in Zapato Power series on Amazon here or you can check the ratings and reviews of the books here.

My Family Adventure (Sofia Martinez)

Summer Pony (A Stepping Stone Book)

Winter Pony (A Stepping Stone Book)

Starlight For a list of books in the Breyer Stablemates series click here.

Dancing in the Wings

Wagon Wheels

The Buddy Files: The Case of the Lost Boy You can find more books in this series on Amazon here or check out their ratings and reviews here.

The Case of the Stinky Socks For other Milo & Jazz Mysteries click here. You can also check them out on Amazon here.

The Kids of the Polk Street School To see more ratings, reviews, and a complete list of books in this series click here. Don’t let the recommended age fool you. I have read reviews and it is good for beginning readers.

Case of the Secret Sauce For a list of other titles in the Pete and Penny’s Pizza Puzzles series click here.

Dog Den Mystery For a complete list of books in this series click here.

The One in the Middle Is the Green Kangaroo

Grasshopper Magic For a list of books in the Magical Mix-Ups series click here.

Leroy Ninker Saddles Up My son did not like it. His friend did, and since they are at the same reading level I guess it was just not his cup of tea.

Jenny and the Cat Club For a list of books in this series and more reviews click here. To see more books about this cat on Amazon click here. I’ve seen this book recommended for younger kids as a read-aloud so it is probably very good.

Beast Friends Forever: Meet the Beast For other tiles in the series and ratings click here.

Horrible Harry For a complete list of books in this series click here.

Danny’s Doodles: The Jelly Bean Experiment (more reviews here) and Danny’s Doodles: The Squirting Donuts

ZigZag Kids It has mixed reviews but my daughter liked it fine. For a list of titles in this series click here (you can also read more reviews).

Secret Agent Jack Stalwart: The Escape of the Deadly Dinosaur For a complete list of books in this series click here.

Your Backyard Is Wild and The Wild, Wild Southwest! Click here for more books in the Junior Explorer series (more reviews there too).

Andrew Lost series. It should be read in order. For a list click here.

Waiting for the Magic

Rats on the Roof

Pony Pals For a list of books in this series for horse lovers click here.

Geronimo Stilton For a complete list of books in this series click here.

Looniverse series has also very good ratings. Here is a list of the titles so far.

Third Grade Detectives For a complete list of books in this series click here.

Keyholders: This Side of Magic For a list of books (and more reviews) in this series click here.

The Turtle For a complete list of books in the Lighthouse family series click here.

How Oliver Olson Changed the World

Bella Baxter and the Lighthouse Mystery To see other titles and ratings in Bella Baxter series click here.

All About Sam For a list of books in Sam Krupnik series click here.

Keena Ford and the Second-Grade Mix-Up For other books in this series click here.

Lulu and the Dog from the Sea For a list of book in this series click here.

Daisy Dawson Is on Her Way! For a list of books in this series click here.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow For a list of books in the Stella Batts series click here.

Marigold and the Feather of Hope, The Journey Begins For a complete list of books in The Fairy Chronicles series click here.

The Critter Club For a complete list of books in this series click here.

The Charm Bracelet Click here for a complete list of books in the Fairy Realm series.

The Full Moon Click here for a complete list of books in The Faeries’ Promise series.

Rainbow Fairies See all the titles in the Rainbow Magic series here.

Baby Mouse (graphic novel) She read one or two because her friend recommended it to her but she was not really into them. It seems very popular though so give it a try. You can find a complete list of the books in this series here.

Fancy Nancy: Nancy Clancy Sees the Future For a list of titles in the Nancy Clancy series click here.

Just Grace and the Super Sleepover To see a list of books in this series click here.

Princess Pink and the Land of Fake-Believe #1 (series).You can find a list of the titles here.

Tiara Club My daughter has never been into books about princesses but I have seen this series mentioned several times on different discussion forums where moms shared tips for their daughters. Click here for a list of the books in this series.

Betsy-Tacy (Betsy-Tacy Books) You can find a list of the titles in this series here. I have read somewhere that the beginning books are in simpler language, but as you progress to higher numbers, they have a more complicated vocabulary as Betsy gets older. You can read more about this series on this website or check out the article in the New York Times.

Never Girls #1: In a Blink (Disney Fairies) For a list of books in this series click here.

Lulu and the Brontosaurus My son read this book with me so I can’t tell what the level is for independent reading. It is a very nice book as well as the sequels (below).

Aliens for Breakfast, Aliens for Lunch and Aliens for Dinner

The Mystery of the Gold Coin (Greetings from Somewhere) For a list of books in this series, click here.

Piper Green and the Fairy Tree

The Buried Bones Mystery For a list of Clubhouse Mysteries click here.

The Chalk Box Kid

Martin Bridge: On the Lookout! Click here for more reviews. To see other titles in this series, their ratings and reviews click here. You can find them on Amazon here. My son started to read this in 1st grade in March but he did not like it.

Busybody Nora For a list of books in the Riverside Kids series click here.

How to Save Your Tail*: *if you are a rat nabbed by cats who really like stories about magic spoons, wolves with snout-warts, big, hairy chimney trolls . . . and cookies, too.

These following books were to difficult in the first trimester of 1st grade for my son. I am keeping them on this list because from my experience with my daughter, he may be ready to read them toward the end of the school year.

White Fur Flying Click here to see the ratings and reviews. I looked at this book in the library and it has no pictures so we’ll try it toward the end of the school year.

Awesome Animals series See more reviews here. It might be better for a 7-year-old but I can’t tell until my son reads it.

The Worst Witch

The Great Alaska Adventure! Click here for more books in the Junior Explorer series (more reviews there too).

Busybody Nora and Russell and Elisa For a list of books in the Riverside Kids series click here.

Dog Diaries: Secret Writings of the WOOF Society For young dog lovers; many people recommended it for 1st graders (it contains some violence though so read the reviews first before you decide)

Cat Diaries: Secret Writings of the MEOW Society For young cat lovers.

The Story of Diva and Flea

The Witch Family

Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible For a list of books in this series click here.

Almost Super

Smarter Than Squirrels

Dog Days: The Carver Chronicles For a list of books in this series click here.

Buckle and Squash

Dog Man For a list of books in this series click here.

The Five Lost Aunts of Harriet Bean For a list of books in the Harriet Bean series click here.

Kelsey Green, Reading Queen (Franklin School Friends)

Stuart’s Cape For a list of books in The Amazing World of Stuart series click here.

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain

Lavender

The Year of the Book and its sequel The Year of the Baby

Akimbo and the Lions For a list of books in this series click here.

8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel / 1 Dog = Chaos I read this one to my kids but it was pretty easy.

Jeremiah in the Dark Woods

Three Tales of My Father’s Dragon

Jasper John Dooley: Star of the Week For a complete list of books in this series click here.

A Mouse Called Wolf and other stories by Dick King-Smith. Parents recommend them everywhere as read-alouds or for the kids to read on their own (but I am not sure about the reading level but we will try them). Update. I checked it out from the library in January (1st grade) and it is probably not for my son yet. I could have waited a few months and let him try it but I decided to read it to both my kids and they liked it.

Pippi Longstocking or The Pippi Longstocking 4-Book Set: Pippi Longstocking, Pippi Goes on Board, Pippi in the South Seas, and Pippi on the Run

The Children on Troublemaker Street Read more about this book here.

Lotta on Troublemaker Street Check the ratings and reviews here. You can also find more books about Lotta on Amazon and read reviews here.

Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything For a list of books in this series click here.

Mr Gum and the Biscuit Billionaire This is the second book in Mr. Gum series, check the reviews here. I have also seen this book mentioned several times, it is supposed to be hilarious. For a list of books in this series click here.

Moonsilver For a list of books in The Unicorn’s Secret series click here. (especially for girls, recommended for 7 and up but some girls read it in 1^st grade)

Marty McGuire For other titles in this series, reviews, and ratings, click here or you can check them out on Amazon here. My daughter discovered Marty McGuire in 2nd grade and loved it.

Invisible Inkling For other books in this series and their ratings click here.

Henry Huggins For a list of books in this series click here.

Tornado

The King’s Equal

The Trouble with Chickens For a list of books in the J.J. Tully Mystery series click here.

Roxie and the Hooligans Read more reviews here.

The Knights of the Kitchen Table Check out other titles in the Time Warp Trio series here. For a complete list click here.

The Minpins

The Magic Finger

The Vanishing Coin This series is new and there should be more books in the future (right now there is only one). Check the list here.

The Sasquatch Escape and other books in The Imaginary Veterinary series (click here for a complete list). My daughter read it at the end of 1st grade and loved it.

Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen For a list of books in this series click here.

Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea For a list of books in this series click here.

Shredderman For a list of books in this series click here.

Inspector Flytrap For a list of books in this series click here.

Mac Undercover For a list of books in this series click here.

Socks

Moongobble and Me For a complete list of books in this series click here. My son listened to most of the books in the car (and loved it) so he decided to read the books. They were too difficult at the beginning of 1st grade but he had no problem reading them in the third trimester.

Mean Margaret

Daisy’s Perfect Word Read more reviews here. For a list of other books in this series click here.

Freckle Juice

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory My daughter had never seen the movie before she read the book. It was her first longer book to read, she couldn’t put it down. My son read it over the summer before he went to 2nd grade.

No Flying in the House

The Mouse and the Motorcycle For a list of the three books in order click here.

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things For a list of books in this series click here.

26 Fairmount Avenue For a list of books in this series click here.

Ramona A list of all 8 books can be found here.

Encyclopedia Brown For a list of books in this series click here.

The Magical Ms. Plum This one should be humorous. Read more about it here.

The Children of Noisy Village Read more reviews here. If your child likes this book by Astrid Lindgren, check out also Christmas in Noisy Village and Happy Times in Noisy Village.

If you are still looking for more recommended books for 1st and 2nd graders, check out the following links to some comprehensive summer reading lists:
List 1

Double Trouble #1: Show & Tell

List 3

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Books My Daughter Read in 1st Grade

Sharing is good karma:

Okay, here’s the deal. My daughter is now in 3rd grade (Nov 2014). I am trying to recall everything she read but that’s not possible. She didn’t have problems finding books that would interest her so I did not do a major research to find appropriate books for her. However, my son is not going to read the girls’ series, and I started wondering what there is to read for an advanced reader in 1st grade.

I spent days researching books and series, and the result is my list under Other 1st Grade Books. It is a list that does not contain only titles for boys but for anybody who is ready for more challenging books than easy readers such as Level 3 or 4 books. I actually listed quite a few girls’ series there because I either didn’t know about them when my daughter was in 1st grade or she was not interested in them (she is not into fairies, princesses, etc.)

Double Trouble #2: April Fool’s Surprise My daughter loved this short book so much that she checked it out again in 2nd and 3rd grade.

Frankly, Frannie For a complete list of the titles in this series click here.

Sleepover Sleuths and other titles in the Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew series.

Katie Woo See a list of books in his series here.

Heidi Heckelbeck You can find a comprehensive list of the books in this series here.

Violet Mackerel Click here to see a list of the titles in this series.

Katie Kazoo Switcheroo To see a list of at least 35 titles in this series click here.

Cobble Street Cousins My kids always want to read the series in order so here is a list.

Bink and Gollie To see all 3 books in this series click here.

Junie B. Jones (series) To see all the books in order click here.

Ramona A list of all 8 books can be found here.

The Boxcar children As of now, there are 100 mysteries/books in this series.

The Littles For a complete list of titles in this series click here.

My Weird School To see a list of the books in this series click here.

A to Z Mysteries For a complete list of the mysteries click here.

Cam Jansen mysteries (series) To see a list of them click here.

Magic Tree House You can see all the books in order here.

Judy Blume’s Fudge I always get confused which books are in this series so here is a list.

The Sasquatch Escape and other books in this series (click here for a complete list).

Judy Moody For a list of all titles in this series click here.

Ivy & Bean (series) For a comprehensive list of books about these two girls click here.

Clementine (series) To see all Clementine books click here. I remember that when I first checked it out from the library my daughter was not interested. It was too difficult for her. I waited a few months and brought it home again and she loved it. So just try it and if your daughter doesn’t like it, give it a shot in a couple of months again.

Like Carrot Juice on a Cupcake

Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie

Like Bug Juice on a Burger

Freckle Juice

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory My daughter had never seen the movie before she read the book. It was her first longer book to read, she couldn’t put it down).

Double Trouble #2: April Fool’s Surprise

My Father’s Dragon

No Copycats Allowed!
no copycats aloowed

Alison’s Fierce & Ugly Halloween

Alison’s Wings

Here is a series we discovered when my daughter just entered 2^nd grade but I believe they are good for 1^st graders too (especially toward the end of 1st grade). My daughter loved it.

The Secrets of Droon (Click here for a list of about 36 books in this series)

The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet

No Flying in the House (at the end of 1st grade)

The Courage of Sarah Noble (maybe at the end of 1^st grade)

Twig

Sharing is good karma:

Books My Son Read in 1st Grade

Sharing is good karma:

My son started 1st grade with easy readers that are in the section Beginning Readers. Check there first if your child is not ready for these books. If you are looking for more titles, check out the books my daughter read in 1st grade and the list Other Books for First Graders.

To make it easier for my friends to look for books my son really LOVED, I added a heart (♥) before the title for books that were a hit and two hearts if it was a big hit (meaning my son asking impatiently if I have more books from the series). That does not mean he did not like the books without a heart. A lot of them were nice and he enjoyed them too. But they were not the kind he would be asking for and read voluntarily several titles in a row (many times in one night).

Bed, Bats, & Beyond

The Heart of Cool

Boo’s Dinosaur

Young Cam Jansen Mysteries For a complete list of books in this series, click here. He has read several mysteries.

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever

♥ The Adventures of Captain Underpants To see the other titles in this series, click here. He LOVED the first book but found the other books in this series boring.

That One Spooky Night (comics)

Fat Bat and Swoop

Let’s Do Nothing! Read more reviews here. (a nice picture book)

Dodsworth in New York To see other books in this series on Amazon click here. For a complete list of books (their ratings and reviews too) in this series click here. (My son has read three–very easy reads)

Monkey & Robot and More of Monkey & Robot

Moose’s Big Idea For other titles in Moose and Hildy series click here. He has read a few already.

The Miniature World of Marvin & James

Nate the Great For a complete list of books in this series click here. A very easy read, we are getting more books from this series.

Bunnicula and Friends For a complete list of books (their ratings and reviews) in this series click here. He liked it and we are getting more.

♥♥ Commander Toad in Space See a list of books in this series here. He was very excited about this book and I was not allowed to return it to the library after he read it. I just requested all the other books in this series.

♥ Dinosaur Cove My kids like to read all series in the order so here is the list. My son read about 9 so far.

♥ Dory Fantasmagory Read more reviews here. My son said this one was funny. Although it looked much thicker than the other books he read this book in one sitting.

♥ The Littles For a complete list of titles in this series click here. He read a few because he is very much into little people.

Bink and Gollie To see all three books in this series click here. He read all of them I think.

♥ Magic Tree House You can see all the books in order here. He read some.

♥♥ Monstrous Stories #1: Night of the Zombie Goldfish For a list of books in this series click here. Another hit with my son. He read three in a row in one night!

The Wump World This is actually a long picture book. I thought it was a nice change from the regular series for this age category.

Andy Shane For more ratings, reviews and a complete list of books in this series click here. He read some.

♥ Rosco Riley Rules Click here for a complete list of titles in this series. He read all of them.

♥ Mercy Watson For a list of books in this series click here. He read all of them.

The Trouble with Chickens My son said he enjoyed this book but I am a bit suspicious if he actually understood everything because he just started reading the other book in this J.J. Tully Mystery series (click here for the list) and he put it down because he did not comprehend well.

The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure

The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto

The following three books are short and a quick read.

The Cat Who Got Carried Away (he also read The Children Who Smelled a Rat but he did not like it)

The Woman Who Won Things

Man Who Wore All His Clothes

The Dragon with Red Eyes I got him this one because I knew it is a short book by Astrid Lindgren. My son liked it okay. He said it was a bit sad because the dragon flew away at the end.

Gus & Gertie and the The Missing Pearl See more ratings and reviews here.

♥ Gus & Gertie and The Lucky Charms See more ratings and reviews here.

Oliver Moon For a list of books in this series click here. He read three or four and he enjoyed them. Update: He lost interest in this series and said they are getting boring–nothing happening, no action.

♥♥ The Big Big Big Book of Tashi For a complete list of books in Tashi series click here. This is a FIND! Don’t miss this book especially if you have a little boy! I’ve read about girls being excited about it too! My son has about 15 books to choose from on the shelf to read and did not hesitate a second when I asked him to pick one. This looks like a very thick book for older kids but don’t let it fool you. Each page has a big picture and only a few sentences. There is a picture of a map at the beginning of the book and my son constantly follows Tashi’s journey there (Dragon’s Cave, Giant’s castle, Mountain of White Tigers etc.). He read 60 pages yesterday so as you can see the thickness of the book is not so bad. This is a big hit at home now, not to mention that my son was proudly showing to my husband that he is reading a VERY thick book like his older sister does. 🙂 Note: You don’t have to get the thick book if it is daunting for your child. The stories about Tashi’s adventures are available in separate books. I just chose one that contained more stories together. I also discovered a website about Tashi books.

The Great Big Enormous Book of Tashi As you can imagine my son fell in love with Tashi and refuses to read anything else until he has read all his adventures. You can either look for a boxed set or buy (or borrow from the library as we did) this book that contains 32 adventures. I just ordered this book for my son for Christmas because it looks like he will reread this one. He just asked if there is an audiobook about Tashi.

♥ Snake and Lizard

♥ The Secret of Foghorn Island Check below for other titles in this series.

♥ Otto & Uncle Tooth Adventures (This book contains The Secret of Foghorn Island, The Treasure of the Lost Lagoon, and The Curse of the Cobweb Queen)

The Mystery of the Pirate Ghost

Snarf Attack, Underfoodle, and the Secret of Life For other books in The Riot Brothers Series click here.

♥ Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny He was really disappointed when I told him that a sequel is coming out in October 2015, still more than a half a year away.

Hubert’s Hair-Raising Adventure is a longer picture book.

♥ Bad Kitty To see more books with Bad Kitty on Amazon click here. Check the ratings, reviews, and a complete list of books in this series here. I got more books from this series because he liked it.

Gabby and Gator

The Christmas Crocodile Check out more reviews here.

The Book of Beasts

In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories (I Can Read! Reading 2)

♥ Digby O’Day in the Fast Lane

The Stories Julian Tells For a list of books in the Julian series click here.

♥ Not Norman: A Goldfish Story

Bird & Squirrel on the Run Click here for a sequel.

♥ Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot To see a complete list of titles in this series click here. My son LOVED it and asked for the rest of the books in this series.

Kidnapped At Birth? Other titles (and their ratings and reviews) in the Marvin Redpost series can be found here.

♥♥ Dragon Masters An easy chapter book (2 books so far, the third coming out in Feb 2015). To see a list, click here. He liked it a lot and is asking for the sequel. As of now, one book that is on the cover of the first is missing from the goodreads list. It is supposed to come out in July 2015. It is called Power of the Fire Dragon.

♥♥ The Curse of Snake Island For a complete list (and reviews) of titles in the Pirate School series click here. My son read the first one so far and is asking for more.

♥♥ Kung Pow Chicken #1: Let’s Get Cracking! For a list of books in this series click here. He loved it.

George Brown, Class Clown For a complete list of books in this series click here.

Mr. Pants: It’s Go Time! (a graphic novel)

Look out, Jeremy Bean!

♥ 365 Penguins

♥♥ Emma and the Blue Genie Find more reviews here.

♥♥ The Lost Stone For a list of books in The Kingdom of Wrenly series click here.

♥♥ Catwings For a complete list of books in this series click here. My son said he loved this book. The letters were really small but he was okay. Update: He has read the second one in the series and loved it as well.

♥ Eerie Elementary More titles can be found here.

♥♥ The Lost Stone For a list of books in the Kingdom of Wrenly series click here. He has read four books in this series and LOVES them.

♥♥ The Princess in Black Find more reviews here. A very easy read.

♥ Eoin Colfer’s Legend of Captain Crow’s Teeth Read more about this books here. People say it is hilarious. I have seen it on many websites recommended for this age group. For a list of other books in this series click here. My son first said it was just okay, then changed his mind two weeks later and did not want me to return the sequel to the library. So frankly, I am not sure how much he liked it.

♥♥ Dinos Are Forever For a list of books in The Adventures of Jo Schmo series click here.

♥♥ Stanley and the Magic Lamp For a list of books in the Flat Stanley series click here.

♥ The Curse of the Bologna Sandwich For a list of books in the Melvin Beederman, Superhero series click here. He’s read a few books in this series but he did not enjoy all of them. In fact, he told me to return a few to the library without even starting to read them. He really liked the first one.

Ready, Freddy! #4: Don’t Sit On My Lunch For a list of books in this series click here.

♥♥ Martha Speaks and Martha Speaks chapter books (to see a list click here).

The Best Story

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to School

♥♥ The 13-Story Treehouse For a list of books in this series click here. Although the age range is higher, it is an easy book because it is idea for reluctant readers in 2nd and 3rd grade. My son liked it and asked for the second book.

♥ The Elevator Family See other titles, ratings, and reviews here.

♥♥ My Weird School (series) To see a list of the books in this series click here. A lot of kids love these stories and both my daughter and my son do as well.

♥♥ The Secrets of Droon For a complete list of books in order in this long series (I think about 40 books) click here. My daughter discovered them at the beginning of 2nd grade and devoured them. I got the first books for my son in the third trimester of 1st grade and he LOVED them and keeps asking for more. He’s read 25 so far and I am glad there are about 40 in this series because I don’t need to ask him to read when these are on our shelf.

♥♥ The Spiderwick Chronicles He read one after another. He is almost finished with the sequel series Beyond Spiderwick Chronicles.

♥♥ The Notebook of Doom For a complete list of books in this series click here.

♥♥Charlie and the Chocolate Factory My daughter had never seen the movie before she read the book. It was her first longer book to read, she couldn’t put it down.

♥♥The Indian in the Cupboard My son listened to the audiobook at the end of 1st grade and loved it.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle He read about 3 books about Mrs. Piggle Wiggle and loved them all as did my daughter when she was in 1st and 2nd grade. For a list of books in this series click here.

Books we read together or listened to

I decided that I will post here a list of books that either I read to my son just before and in 1st grade or we listened to an audio version of the book in the car during our trips. It might make it easier for you to choose an appropriate book to read with your kid.

8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel ö 1 Dog = Chaos (funny and short)

The Monster’s Ring To see a list of the books in this series in order click here. We also read Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher. She liked both books.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Half Magic We have read three books of Tales of Magic and is planning to read the other books in this series (click here for a list of the books in order).

The BFG

The Twits A very easy read. Good for a second grader too.

The Secret World of Og

The Adventures of a South Pole Pig (recommended as a read-aloud and that’s what we did)

The Hoboken Chicken Emergency (we listened to the audiobook, funny)

Homer Price If your child is not used to listening to audiobooks, I’d probably start with a different title.

Tales from the Odyssey

Cheaper by the Dozen We are currently listening to the audio version of this book. My kids (almost 7 and 8) loved listening to it because it is funny but the vocabulary is more difficult and we sometimes had to explain the words to them to help them understand. so again, skip this one if your child is not an avid listener.

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson (slow beginning, I am not sure if she would have kept reading if we were not listening to the audiobook in the car–my son, 2 years younger, loved it)

The Cricket in Times Square

A Bear Called Paddington

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (funny) For a list of books in The Herdmans series click here.

The Best School Year Ever (hilarious)

The Best Halloween Ever

Lulu and the Brontosaurus