Books to read for an intelligent child.?

Question

My son loves to read, but we have ran out of books that he is interested in. He is in second grade and reads on a 4th to 5th grade reading level . He has read the series books Magic tree house, Secrets of droon, and Animorphs. He love them. He doesn't really enjoy biographies or books that are not in a series. I am wondering If anyone know of books that are along the level of 4th or 5th grade reading level that are fantasy/mystery books that my son will enjoy. Something simiular to Secrets of droon. I have tried the box car children he doesn't like them and enclycopedia brown, oh and series of unfortunate events. I have asked the Librain, School, and book stores but they just give me the same list of books that I know my son isn't interested in.

Answer 1

Harry Potter, I loved those in second grade. Don't worry about the reading/maturity level, by the time he gets to the more mature books (I'd say the fifth one and up), he'll be older. You might want to start it with him until he gets really into it, it took me at least wo weeks to read the first chapter of the first one because I just wasn't interested in the Dursleys.

Did you try the Chronicles of Narnia? These are all right, they never really grabbed my attention, but your son might like them.

Also I think Artemis Fowl might interest him, and there are like five of them out now, so those should keep him occupied for a while.

I also liked at that age, the Gordon Korman books. He has written several trilogies that are in the adventure genre, but are shorter and better for younger kids. There is one about mountain climbing, one about a shipwreck, and one about scuba diving, I believe.

What you didn't say is the maturity level you would like your son to be reading. If he is also at a fourth or fifth grade maturity level, I would recommend The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer, but this book has some parts that could be disturbing to a less mature kid.

I think the the City of Ember series would be books he enjoyed, as well as A Wrinkle in Time and all the books by Madeleine L'Engle.

Good luck finding something for him to read!!

Answer 2

Here are a few suggestions hopefully they aren't already on your list...

Mr Majeika and the Haunted Hotel by Humphrey Carpenter. This is part of a series. Ages 4-8, so it may be too lite for your reader

Eva Ibbotson has quite a few fantastical type books, but the reading level varies 4th grade to 8th grade depending on the book. No real "series" books, though.

Tales from Dimwood Forest (The Poppy Stories) by Avi is popular with many kids 8 to 12. I've never understood the appeal of Avi, but there's no accounting for taste.

Something I do when I want to find similar books to something I have just read is I'll go to Amazon.com and use their built in recommendations. For any book (or music or movie or whatever) that comes up, elsewhere on the page you'll find a section that says "people who bought this item also bought these other items." Very often the other items are a great new discovery for me.

Good luck with your son.

Answer 3

The Chronicles of Narnia. There are seven:

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
The Magician's Nephew
The Horse and His Boy
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Last Battle

Also try the Inheritance books:
Eragon
Eldest
Empire(?)

Empire is yet to be released. My 9 year old sister picked up Eragon and fell deeply in love with the story. Or you might try Harry Potter, if you haven't already. I heard that they are good for all reading levels. There are also some religious fantasy books, called Left Behind. They are spinoffs of the adult series. There are 40 of these, and all have an average of about 130 pages each. Hope this helps!

Answer 4

Try the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer. They are very good books, fantasyish, and entertaining. In a year or two, I'd try him with the Tripod Series by Johnathan Christopher. The series begins with The White Mountains, then The City of Gold and Lead, and The Pool of Fire. Later on Christopher also wrote When the Tripods came. In the whole series it is marked (or is sometimes marked) as book #1, but it's best not to read it until you have read the others.

Answer 5

I would recommend the "Artemis Fowl" books by Eoin Colfer. I haven't read the two most recent ones, but the first three were pretty good.

I'd also second the "Redwall" recommendation. These books are fabulous, as is "Castaways of the Flying Dutchman."

If he doens't mind stuff that's a little scary, I'd also recommend John Bellairs' books, starting with "The House With the Clock in its Walls." Very good, kind of weird and illustrated by Edward Gorey.

I was a fan of "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Hobbit" when I was about your son's age.

Also, it may seem obvious, but the "Harry Potter" books may be pretty good. I was scared badly at about your son's age by the dementors in the 3rd book, but reading them together might not be such a bad idea.

It's wonderful that your son enjoys reading so much, and I hope these recommendations help.

Answer 6

I second the "Redwall" and "Narnia" recommendations. I would also think in terms of the classics like "The Littles" series and perhaps even the Hardy Boys mysteries. I know that isn't fantasy, but they are mysteries that are guaranteed appropriate (read: clean) and they may spark his intellect as he tries to solve the mystery with/before the main characters.

When you ask librarians for recommendations ask for your child's reading level not your child's age... that may help considerably (if you're not doing it already). Also, since he's bright lean toward the higher end of his reading level. I was tested at the ninth grade reading level in the third grade. My biggest frustration was with books for my age level. They were too simple. Thankfully, I had excellent school librarians who were wonderful allies to a voracious little reader.

Answer 7

I would recommend the Redwall series. I really REALLY enjoyed these books when I was in 5th grade. Here's a link so you can see what they are all about on your own:
http://www.redwall.org/dave/news.php

Also there is a great series about this vampire bunny. The first one is Bunnicula. They are told from the point of view of a dog... very good story.
http://astore.amazon.com/eidekids-20/detail/1416928170

Then there is the Protector of the Small series. I enjoyed this too, but it is based on a female hero, so I'm not sure if he would like that.
http://www.kidsreads.com/series/series-protector.asp

That's all I can think of that wouldn't be on the normal reading list. Take Care!
:o)

Answer 8

No! I l LOVE youngster's non-fiction. the images are tremendous and mutually with you reported there is lots counsel to be got here across! Plus, i like the straightforward shown reality that i will delve top right into a subject count number without getting to commit some weeks or a month to it. Twenty minutes after I've began interpreting I quite have an entire new attitude on a subject count number I many circumstances knew little about interior the previous. Or quite situations it really is interesting to analyze books on a subject count number i'm established with yet prepared about.

Answer 9

I don't understand your grading system ,but I can thoroughly recommend a book if your son is older than 9 and under 99. It's Visitors by Bob Chapman, It will entertain, stretch his mind and has moral lessons. it is sad it is funny it's a very good read. After he's read it I'm confident that you'll enjoy it. It's on Amazon over here for about a fiver, and about 10 dollars in the States

Answer 10

Try the Remnants series or Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic series. Also, the Left Behind series (based on the adult books, but focusing on the children) are really popular.

Answer 11

There is a series of books called The Shadow Children Series, it is around a 5th grade level book. The first book is called Among The Hidden. then its Among The Impostors, and so on. The author is called Margret Haddix. There are seven books total. They are really good books, I don't know if he might like them.