Q to Moms of Gifted kids: What do your kids read?

[Simon]

Great suggestions. Geronimo Stilton was one of my sons' favorite series and the books are very innocent, I think. Their female friends also enjoyed reading them.

Thea also has her own series now.

[Simon]

Ds1 is a similar age and reading level. I let him mix in Geronimo Stilton, which are fun and easy, with more challenging books. Our trouble is the same as yours, we run into issues that he isn't really prepared to deal with. Our go-to have been more classic/older lit but those also have dark themes at times. You'll want to screen these for yourself, but he's been more challenged lately reading:
Guinea Dog
The Familiars: Circle of Heroes
A Cricket in Times Square, although he liked the prequel about Tom Kitten and Harry Mouse better
Secrets of NIMH (too dark?)
Land of Stories:Wishing Spell (its going to be a movie soon)
The Secret Garden
Tuesdays at the Castle
Smells Like Treasure;Smells like Pirate, etc.
An adapted version of the Odyssey books by Mary Pope Osborne
I'm going to let him try the How to Train your Dragon series next since he's on a medieval, castle, magic run at the moment. I think we'll let him try Harry Potter and Percy Jackson at age 8 if he asks and offer then at age 9. My usual rule is that the main characters age should be no more than Ds's age + 2, but find I have to break it often.
Also on our future list are Because of Winn Dixie, Doctor Doolittle, James Herriot stories, Sarah Plain and Tall.

[moonsky]

I am so glad I ask this question. Thanks so much everyone for your help. Now, I have a list of good books for DC.

[doberbrat]

We're in the same boat dd1 is 7 and is a huge reader. We usually average 60 books checked out from the public library at any time. I go to the public library at least 1x a week and usually 2 or 3x.

She has no tolerance for anything 'scary' so it limits her selection quite a bit.

This summer she read:
the Never Girls (though there arent that many books)
Disney Chronicals
Magic (Pony, Puppy, Kitten blah blah blah)
Rainbow magic (which I am SOOO done with!)
Sandy Lane Stables
Cam Jansen
Flower Faries Friends
Airy Fairy
Just Grace
Pet Trouble
Iris and Henry
Pony Crazed Princess
Kylie Jean
Stella Batts
Mermaid Tales

For the most part, I let her read what she wants but I insist on at least 1 NF per library trip. And I try to pick books for her that are more at her level rather than just letting her read junk all the time. She also gets to read picture books to her sister (or to herself) so she's getting a decent mix IMO.

OP thanks for this thread, and for everyone contributions both to resources for checking books and other ideas to try. She reads so quickly that I feel like we're blowing through all the age appropriate books at her reading level and she'll end up doing what I did as a kid ... reading encyclopedias for fun!

[goldenpig]

OP thanks for this thread, and for everyone contributions both to resources for checking books and other ideas to try. She reads so quickly that I feel like we're blowing through all the age appropriate books at her reading level and she'll end up doing what I did as a kid ... reading encyclopedias for fun!

Thanks OP and everyone for the suggestions.
Haha Doberbrat, that brings back memories...that's what I did when I was little too...read the encyclopedia for fun! Does anyone even HAVE encyclopedias now? Remember when they had door to door encyclopedia salesmen, and tried to get you to update your set every year?
I even found a pic online of my set, circa 1980:

[sandwish]

I recently scored a set of 2009 world book encyclopedias from our library book store. The set was in perfect condition. I have been looking for one and was beyond excited when I found them. I remember reading these as a kid from the set my mom scored from our library. Check libraries or schools. They always get rid of old ones.

[lizzywednesday]

Thanks OP and everyone for the suggestions.
Haha Doberbrat, that brings back memories...that's what I did when I was little too...read the encyclopedia for fun! Does anyone even HAVE encyclopedias now? Remember when they had door to door encyclopedia salesmen, and tried to get you to update your set every year?
...

Those bring back MEMORIES!! My grandmother had a set quite similar to those ... and we had Funk & Wagnalls. No, publishers don't print encyclopedias anymore - remember the World Book Encyclopedia and Encyclopedia Britannica?? - because it's more cost-effective to deliver the content in an online-only format.

I used to read my dad's TimeLife reference books, usually the Ocean so I could read about sharks. (Which scared the living daylights out of me, but I read it anyway.)

At 7 & 8 years old, I was reading the Narnia books. I'd read all of them except The Last Battle, which I would actually put off until a child is more emotionally mature. I found the first bit (50-75 pages?) incredibly dull, but it needs to be read in order to understand the plot points later on.

I had also read the Oz books at that age, and they are very interesting!

A PP suggested Sarah, Plain and Tall, but I would actually put that off as the OP indicated her child is "sensitive." It's a lovely book, but the mentions/references to a mother who died in childbirth. (Admittedly, it's been ages since I last read it, so maybe it's not as bad as I'm remembering?)

[kcimato]

I agree with the previous poster with letting her read what she picks out. Along with that, do a read aloud with her with something that is more difficult or at her level.

That said, there is a sweet series by Carollyn Haywoard called the Betsy Book. I read them as a child and then to my daughter.

http://www.amazon.com/B-Is-Betsy-Car...+haywood+betsy

[MontrealMum]

Those bring back MEMORIES!! My grandmother had a set quite similar to those ... and we had Funk & Wagnalls. No, publishers don't print encyclopedias anymore - remember the World Book Encyclopedia and Encyclopedia Britannica?? - because it's more cost-effective to deliver the content in an online-only format.

Actually, publishers DO still print Encyclopedias, though libraries rarely invest in them because there's much more bang-for-your-buck going with the online version. I am always shocked when I receive advertising for print volumes and I wonder who's buying them these days.

I recently weeded our entire reference section. PP is right, check with schools and public libraries, many are in the process of getting rid of this type of thing.