Favorite series/chapter books for a 7 year old girl?

[ohiomom1121]

DD is ready to move into some bigger girl books...she is almost 7. Any suggestions? I thought the Junie B Jones books were recommended on here several times but Amazon reviews are horrible.

[cdlamis]

We love (and have every one) Hopscotch Hill books from the American Girl author. I think they are out of print so we found ours on Amazon and Ebay.

http://www.amazon.com/Good-Sport-Gwen-Hopscotch-School/dp/1584859016/ref=pd_sim_b4

Also:
American Girl books
Pet Fairies books

[septmama2b]

It has been a very long time since I was a 7 year old girl, but I LOVED the Little House on the Prairie books around that age, they were the first chapter books I read.

[momof2girls]

Ramona Quimby
Clementine
Captain Underpants

[AnnieW625]

:yeahthat:
At that age Little House on the Prairie. I think within the year though I really enjoyed the Ramona, and Ralph S. Mouse books. My best friends in school were all a grade ahead of me so I think that also helped with my interest in reading. They'd read the books first and then I'd read them.

[Singlemom]

My 7 year daughter old reads:
Captain Underpants
My Weird School and
My Weird School Days
Diary of a Wimpy Kid

[drako]

How about The Magic Treehouse Books. I taught 2nd grade and they were always a hit.

Here are some others that I enjoyed reading and so did the students:

Several Judy Blume books are for kids that age:
The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo
Frecklejuice
and the "Fudge" series, Superfudge, Fudge-O-Mania, Double Fudge. (Fudge is a kid.)

Beverly Cleary books. (The Ramona Series, Socks). I always read those aloud to my students and they would always read it on their own when I was done. You may want to read those with her since they may be a bit advanced for an almost 7 year old.

Also there are the Judy Moody and The Baily School Kids series

[lalasmama]

DD's 7.5yo, and in the 2nd grade. She loves the Ramona series (Beezus and Ramona, Ramona Quimby, Age 8, etc). Our only issue with Ramona is that, depending on the book, she's very young. DD couldn't care less about a naughty 4yo, and took a long time to get into it because Ramona was so young in the first one we read. She likes Junie B. There are Junie B's when she's in first and second, so you can find what grade she is in :) However, do be forewarned, she calls people names, and frequently says things are stupid. That's a bad word at our house, so there was a lot of "uh-ohs!" when we started reading it and discovered that. DD is also enjoying the Baby-Sitters Club Little Sisters books, which are very cute. However, they do deal with divorce; I think the main girl is Karen, and I remember she talks about going back and forth between parents' homes.

[kedss]

i loved the original Nancy Drew books, and Encyclopedia Brown, and some the less grown up Blume books ;) EB White books?

[melissaflorida]

My 7 year old daughter loves the Katie Kazoo series by Nancy Krulik.

[MMMommy]

More votes for the Ramona books and Super Fudge books. Ivy & Bean series and Clementine series books are good too. DD1 is starting the Harry Potter series, so we will see how that goes.

[SummerBaby]

Right now, my 7 year old DD is absolutely obsessed with Rainbow Magic books. They are about girls who help fairies. They are a little cheesy, IMO, but they do get her reading. I feel like they are the 7 year old equivalent of Harlequin. :) She also likes Jigsaw Jones mysteries, and Bailey School Kids. Magic School Bus books are also a hit here.

She has taken out some of the historical American Girl books from the library, and does enjoy them, although she often needs help with them. The only thing I've found with them is that in addition to being slightly above her reading level, they do have some topics that need explaining, such as racial discrimination, child labor, and poverty. Some of this has been upsetting to my DD, but overall, they have positive messages.

I am a mother who hates Junie B Jones. DD thinks they are hysterical. Not only is Junie B obnoxious, and not a positive role model, but the lack of proper grammar and spelling in the books drives me absolutely nuts. Just my 2 cents....

Val
DD 7/04
DD 7/07

[karstmama]

anne of green gables? ooh, bobbsey twins? they may be dated now, but i sure loved them at that age.

[Neatfreak]

Judy Moody
Clementine
Ivy & Bean

[swissair81]

Judy Moody
Ivy & Bean
Ramona
the Betsy series (Carolyn Haywood)
Mrs Pigglewiggle
Magic Treehouse series
All of a Kind Family
Also Sideways Stories from Wayside School (Louis Sachar)

[ncat]

DD loves the rainbow magic fairies and pretty much any series book with fairies in it. She also likes Ivy and Bean, Junie B. Jones, and Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.

[nfceagles]

My DS loves the Box Car Children and they're pretty gender neutral.

[ohiomom1121]

Great suggestions!!! I am putting a bunch in my Amazon cart. Thank you!

[brittone2]

Just as a warning that may or may not be relevant to your family, but one of the books in the Fudge series mentions Santa Claus not being real.

You might or might not celebrate Christmas/do Santa, but for anyone who does and doesn't want that outed yet, it is something to be aware of. DS1 read one of the books in the series that did not out Santa and I almost picked up the one that did, and somewhere stumbled upon a review that mentioned it. I remember reading it as a kid but that detail had escaped me.

[mommytoC]

My DS loves the Box Car Children and they're pretty gender neutral.

My DD#1 loves these, too!

[giavila]

Her absolute favorites are the Rainbow Fairy Series (and others like Ocean Fairies, Music Fairies, Dance Fairies, Sport Fairies, etc.).
Other big favorites are:
Ivy and Bean
Ramona
Magic Treehouse
Box Car Children
Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew

[Indianamom2]

Just as a warning that may or may not be relevant to your family, but one of the books in the Fudge series mentions Santa Claus not being real.

You might or might not celebrate Christmas/do Santa, but for anyone who does and doesn't want that outed yet, it is something to be aware of. DS1 read one of the books in the series that did not out Santa and I almost picked up the one that did, and somewhere stumbled upon a review that mentioned it. I remember reading it as a kid but that detail had escaped me.

:yeahthat::yeahthat:

We just had to heavily edit that one. We have all enjoyed the Fudge books, and DH and I swear that we are raising our own little Fudge. We've even started calling Ds Fudge from time to time!:wink2:

[squimp]

In addition to a lot of those mentioned, DD loves Benjamin Stilton, The A to Z mysteries and the Capitol Mysteries, and the American Girl mysteries. She also likes the Piper Reed and the Sophie series.

[anamika]

A few I haven't seen mentioned:
Pony Pals
Geronimo Stilton
Flat Stanley
Amber Brown
Magic Kitten
Magic Puppy
Secret Unicorn (yeah, she is big on fantasy)
Arthur (from the show)
Cam Jansen
Cobblestreet Cousins (Cynthia Rylant - she has other chapter books too but I cannot remember the names)

[Roni]

Another vote for Magic Treehouse. I enjoyed the Junie B. Jones books, too. She's always getting into trouble, kind of like Ramona, but it's funny.

[garnetgirl]

I am a mother who hates Junie B Jones. DD thinks they are hysterical. Not only is Junie B obnoxious, and not a positive role model, but the lack of proper grammar and spelling in the books drives me absolutely nuts. Just my 2 cents....

Junie B. Jones books annoy me, too! The poor grammar is what really peeves me (disgustingest? really?), but DD assures me she won't pick up any bad habits!

DD also enjoys Katie Kazoo, Mercy Watson, and Rainbow Magic.

[hbridge]

American girl historical series...

[ohiomom1121]

What's the best way to buy these? Sets? Amazon? Are they cheaper somewhere like Barnes and Noble? Costco? I'd like to get a bunch for her birthday so wondering what my best options are.

[Asianmommy]

Just came across this list a couple days ago: Best Books for a Second Grade Girl That Do Not Include Animals Talking, Fantasy or Adoption Themes (http://networkedblogs.com/njYIP).

[anamika]

Just came across this list a couple days ago: Best Books for a Second Grade Girl That Do Not Include Animals Talking, Fantasy or Adoption Themes (http://networkedblogs.com/njYIP).


Ooohhh, great list. I wonder if my library has a limit on the number of requests I can make. My list filled up really fast!

DD loves Puppy Place. It is about a family that rescues puppies.

[Mirthful]

A few I haven't seen mentioned that my 7 yo DD likes:
Ready Freddy
Frankly Frannie
B Magical
Pippi Longstocking

She would definitely second the recommendations of:
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
A to Z mysteries / Capitol Mysteries / Calendar Mysteries - all by Ron Roy
Cam Jansen
Boxcar Children
Ivy and Bean
Rainbow Fairies
Ramona
Clementine
Judy Moody
Thea Stilton / Geromino Stilton

And a big Yeah That to SummerBaby re: Junie B Jones. We are not fans here for exactly those reasons.

We get almost all our books through Scholastic Book Clubs. They are run through teachers so ask your DD's teacher if he/she'll participate. If you are homeschooling, you can sign up for your own account. They offer great deals, especially on sets.