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Skyfyre
Senior Member

since 1999-08-15

Posts 1906
Sitting in Michael's Lap

0 posted 2002-03-19 01:19 PM

Hello, fellow poets, and well met!

(Erm, a little bleeding-over from Severn's "overturned" post, I'm afraid, but I vow to do no swooning ... ahem)

You may or may not know that my daughter and son will soon have their birthdays (Damian on March 28th and Kahlan on April 5th).  Damian was easy enough to shop for; he spewed forth the name of the last 10 toy commercials that caught his eye, and I chose the least breakable of them, case closed.

Kahlan, however, shocked the underpants off me by asking for -- be sure you're sitting down for this -- books. (Hmm maybe a swoon here?  Nope, nevermind)  She's going to be 7, is reading on a 3rd-4th grade level, and has a vast and rich imagination that would be the envy of any writer of fiction, albeit her writing skills need a bit of polish ... :P

At any rate, I find myself at a loss for which books to get her.  I don't really have any concept of the standard reading levels, so "3rd-4th grade level" is about as enlightening to me as "red herring and boiled potatoes level."  Wandering around the children's section in the bookstore for hours on end does not appeal to me, nor does it present itself as a viable solution.  Would someone care to help me out by offering some appropriate titles?

The obvious qualifiers would be a decent story line, maybe even rhyming text (making rhymes is one of her favorite games), clever illustrations, and perhaps a moral or two for her to ponder when she's done.  I don't want anything Disney or other classic fairy tale stuff because she's either seen the movie, heard them read, or owns them already.

Thanks in advance,

Linda

Sunshine

Administrator

Member Empyrean

since 1999-06-25

Posts 63354
Listening to every heart

1 posted 2002-03-19 01:34 PM

Linda, my 10 year old granddaughter has a favorite male author, and dang if I can remember his name, but I will check on it tonight...he has several books out, and I am sure your daughter would enjoy them! I'll b back!

Janet Marie
Member Laureate

since 2000-01-22

Posts 18554

2 posted 2002-03-19 02:03 PM

The Caldecott Awarded Books always have a high standards and usually very impressive illustrations and content.
Some of these sites have books listed by age and so on. Hope they help. good too see you here

http://www.kcts.org/kids/children/selecting/caldecott.asp
http://www.eagerreaders.com/
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/lists.html
http://www.nypl.org/branch/kids/lists.html

Alicat
Member Elite

since 1999-05-23

Posts 4094
Coastal Texas

3 posted 2002-03-19 03:09 PM

Or you could check for James Thurber, American satirist. "The 13 Clocks" and "The Wonderful O" are nicely illustrated, and written on the 5th or 6th grade level, but with messages for any age.

Sven

Member Laureate

since 1999-11-23

Posts 14937
East Lansing, MI USA

4 posted 2002-03-19 04:03 PM

I have always loved and admired the Madeline L'Engle series that begins with A Wrinkle in Time. . . these books had a profound effect on me. . . and showed me that the world is bigger than even we could imagine. . .

------------------------------------------------------------

To the world, you may only be one person. But to one person, you may be the world.

Munda
Member Elite

since 1999-10-08

Posts 3544
The Hague, The Netherlands

5 posted 2002-03-19 04:17 PM

Hi Linda, here's an author my kids loved: Brian Jacques.

Here are some links that may be useful. Good luck!
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/entertainment/html98/book_20000209.html
http://www.redwall.org/
http://www.expage.com/page/raptor0330

Bec
Member

since 2001-02-23

Posts 475
Canberra

6 posted 2002-03-19 07:26 PM

Hi Skyfyre...

You might be able to ask Kahlan's teacher for suggestions. I'm sure s/he would be able to reccommend something appropriate for her.

Hope this helps.

Bec

"Poetry and Hums aren't things which you get, they're things which get you. And all you can do is to go where they can find you."
-Winnie-the-Pooh

Erin
Member Elite

since 2000-06-15

Posts 2527
~Chicago~

7 posted 2002-03-20 02:57 AM

When I was younger I read alot of different books but the ones I really liked were the Chicken Soup and Taste Berries books!!!

Skyfyre
Senior Member

since 1999-08-15

Posts 1906
Sitting in Michael's Lap

8 posted 2002-03-22 11:35 PM

Thanks, everyone, for the suggestions. I'll be walking into the bookstore a little more prepared.

Linda

hush
Senior Member

since 2001-05-27

Posts 1653
Ohio, USA

9 posted 2002-03-23 10:51 AM

Beverly Cleary was always my favorite author as a child. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 is an excellent book.... so is just about anything she's done.

"Love is a piano
dropped from a four story window
and you were in the wrong place
at the wrong time." -Ani DiFranco

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