10 Comments For This Post

1. Carolyn M Says:
   November 4th, 2009 at 12:55 pm

   I love Franny K Stein. She is the science guru in her class. She is perfect for young readers.
   Junie B. Jones is another great series for early and beginning readers
   Flat Stanley is another one.
   And of course my kids favorite when they were little were the Magic Tree House series. Historical fiction for the little guys.
   Sarah Plain and Tall is another good book for 2-3 grade
   and Judy Blume’s Freckle Juice is priceless.

2. Bladvak Says:
   November 4th, 2009 at 12:55 pm

   Harry Potter for the 1-3 ones..
   The hobbit is also a good one

3. finance_coder Says:
   November 4th, 2009 at 12:55 pm

   I don’t remember exactly how old I was when I read them, but I remember loving to read books by Beverly Cleary when I was young. Good, wholesome stuff and very funny and entertaining.

4. Luthiea Says:
   November 4th, 2009 at 12:55 pm

   You can try the Little Women series or the Anne of Green Gables series. The Chronicles of Narnia is good too.

5. forestpirate Says:
   November 4th, 2009 at 12:55 pm

   I remember our teaching reading us the Hobbit in Grade 4. I still remember the story to this day.

   Other series that would be enjoyable for the younger kids would be the Amelia Bedelia series (very short books - but very funny). The Narnia series is also pretty good, though it would likely appeal to the older grades more (and may be a little too preachy).

   I don’t think Harry Potter would be very good for this age group. The books can be pretty scary for kids that young, plus there are deaths involved in the later books.

   And any book by Shel Silverstein (except for his adult-themed ones) would be good. They aren’t series but they are good for all ages. His books include "The Giving Tree", "Runny Babbit", "A Light in the Attic" etc.

6. Satia Says:
   November 4th, 2009 at 12:55 pm

   Reading levels are hugely different at these ages. A first grader will love one type of story while a fourth grader will hate it and a first grader probably doesn’t have the necessary discipline to sit through what a fourth grader will love.

   Winnie-the-Pooh, Dr. Suess, Little Bear books are all wonderful for the first grade.

   Second graders will probably want something a little more "sophisticated" and prefer Beverly Cleary and mythology and fables.

   Third and fourth graders will enjoy longer books with chapters like The Hobbit, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, etc. Or even Judy Blume’s Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.

   I read books with chapters to my children when they were still in pre-school. Those were our bedtime books. During the day we read fairy tales and books like I listed for first and second graders. It depends on your audience and your ability to read the story to them to help them retain information.

   An excellent exercise to do with children to prepare them for the next chapter or book is to have them draw a picture from the previous day’s reading. This is especially useful when reading longer books (like The Hobbit) because it gives them a chance to recall where the story last left off while engaging their imaginations in trying to guess what will happen next. (I prefer to use this method when not reading picture books because it also encourages the chilldren to use their imaginations.)

7. Ruth E Says:
   November 4th, 2009 at 12:55 pm

   Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
   Fudge by Judy Blume
   Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary
   The Faraway Tree Stories by Enid Blyton

   Younger readers:
   Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant
   Junie B. Jones
   Nate the Great

8. NB Says:
   November 4th, 2009 at 12:55 pm

   when I was that age, I really enjoyed reading the Nancy Drew Series, Sweet Valley High and the Babysitters Club.

9. rockrgirl004 Says:
   November 4th, 2009 at 12:55 pm

   When I was that age I adored the Boxcar Kids series and also the Babysitters Club series

10. ll2 Says:
    November 4th, 2009 at 12:55 pm

    1st grade
    Henry & Mudge
    Frog and Toad
    Amelia Bedelia
    Curious George
    Clifford the Big Red Dog
    Arthur Adventures
    Berenstain Bears (picture books)
    Miss Nelson (Allard)
    Louanne Pig
    Pinky & Rex
    Black Lagoon (Thaler)
    Franklin (Bourgeois)

    2nd grade
    Junie B. Jones
    Magic Tree House
    Horrible Harry / Song Lee
    Arthur Chapter Books
    Berenstain Bears Big Chapter Books
    Fairy School
    Scooby Doo Mysteries

    3rd grade
    A to Z Mysteries
    Third Grade Detectives
    Jigsaw Jones
    Captain Underpants / Ricky Ricotta
    Boxcar Children
    Amber Brown
    Geronimo Stilton
    Time Warp Trio

    4th grade
    Deltora Quest
    American Girl
    Chet Gecko
    Animorphs
    Goosebumps
    Dear America / My Name Is America (diary books)
    Series of Unfortunate Events
    Abby Hayes

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