Recommended books for Children

[buzzybee]

All my children love books which Im really pleased about and I would love to know which authors you would recommend.

I have three girls aged 5, 10 and 12

Thanks

[Kell]

For the 10 & 12 yr olds, I can heartily recommend The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart & Chriss Riddell - I read the entire series last year & adored them (so much so that I'm keeping hold of them all instead of flogging them!). They might also enjoy the Discworld novels aimed at younger readers such as the ones featuring Tiffany Aching and also The Amazing Maurice & his Educated Rodents.

There are also such classics as The Chronicles of Narnia which are absolutely magical & perfect for the 10-y-o (in my opinion) and also for the 12-y-o if they like that kind of thing.

I've not really had much experience of books for 5-y-o's though, so I'll leave that to other members.

I hope that's some help. :)

[KW]

My son just finished, and loved, Artemis Fowl. He's 10.

Another son loves Skinny Bones, Hatchet and the Outsiders.

KW

[Kell]

Ooh yes - I forgot about Artemis Fowl (a crime!). I have all of those books too - they're wonderful! I loved reading about the young criminal mastermind. :) :readingtwo:

[Louiseog]

5 year olds, reading to or reading themselves?
Reading to or together: Akimbo series by Alexander McCall Smith about a boy called Akimbo and his life in Africa, dad is a game warden, short chapters.
Roald Dahl (obviously)

[Polka Dot Rock]

I always enjoyed Dick King Smith :) I read him between the ages of 8 - 11 (in the 1990s), and he has lots of wonderful books. I'd particularly recommend The Sheep Pig (aka 'Babe'), Harry's Mad, The Fox Busters and The Queen's Nose as good starting points. All very different.

He also writes for younger children, and I loved his books The Guard Dog, The Hodgeheg and Jenius: The Amazing Guinea Pig. These are also great to read aloud, so would be suitable to read with your youngest girl. Roald Dahl's picture-based books for younger children are also amazing, especially The Giraffe, The Pelly and Me. Wonderful story, and very jolly too!

For your 10 and 12 year old girls, I have to mention Jacqueline Wilson. She rocks! I feel really priviledged to have been the right age at the right time to read her books. I loved The Story of Tracy Beaker, The Suitcase Kid and The Bed and Breakfast Star.

[buzzybee]

Yes we have lots of Dick King Smith and just about the entire collection of Jacqueline Wilson who is one of my eldest daughters favourite authors.

[Polka Dot Rock]

Oh. Good choices then! :lol:

Have you read any of Colin Dann's Animals of Farthing Wood series? If any of your daughters like/love Smith's animal stories then those books could be a hit with them :)

[Laramie]

for the 2 older kids: garth nix (the old kindom series + others), eoin colfer (artemis fowl and others), alison croggon (the gift/riddle/crow), jacqueline wilson (everyone knows her!! :) ), and...bonnie bryant (the saddle club books), lucy daniels (animal ark and others) and......I'll get back to you on that

[Wraith*]

When I was 10 I'd read the Hobbit and LOTR all of the time, don't know if it's a bit wordy for your sprogs but it's always worth a try :D

[Laramie]

I hated the Hobbit, I thought it was really boring!!

[Polka Dot Rock]

lucy daniels (animal ark and others)

Did you know that there isn't actually a 'Lucy Daniels' who writes Animal Ark? There was a really interesting article in the Independent about the company who publishes that series and others, Working Partners. You can read about it here (http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/books/features/article2132832.ece).
It's fascinating - I'd love to work for them!

[Wraith*]

I hated the Hobbit, I thought it was really boring!!

I guess it can be a bit hard to get into. But once you start immersing yourself in it I think it's great Might stick it on the TBR pile.

[Laramie]

Did you know that there isn't actually a 'Lucy Daniels' who writes Animal Ark? There was a really interesting article in the Independent about the company who publishes that series and others, Working Partners. You can read about it here (http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/books/features/article2132832.ece).
It's fascinating - I'd love to work for them!
yeah, I know, my yr 4 teacher told me. I thought I'd just say Lucy Daniels anyway so I don't spoil it for people. :)
It spoiled it for me :(
I guess it can be a bit hard to get into. But once you start immersing yourself in it I think it's great Might stick it on the TBR pile.
well i got to page 50!! :)

[Polka Dot Rock]

Wow, your teacher told you?? That was harsh! :lol:

[Laramie]

Yeah, well, she knew I liked them, and I think she thought I'd be interested.

I wish she hadn't told me though!! :(

[Sugar]

Did you know that there isn't actually a 'Lucy Daniels' who writes Animal Ark? There was a really interesting article in the Independent about the company who publishes that series and others, Working Partners. You can read about it here (http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/books/features/article2132832.ece).
It's fascinating - I'd love to work for them!
For any young Lucy Daniels fans around, if an RL Stine fan taunts you about "her" books - you can let them know that he is also a company - the copyright is always credited to RL Stine Inc!

Thanks for the article - I've always known it happened but to read about it in such details is fascinating indeed!

Further book suggestions from myself include:

For the 12 year old: If she likes historical fiction, I went to the launch of "The Raven Queen" by Pauline Francis on Thursday night - it's tells the fictionalised story of Lady Jane Gray, written for young teenagers. Unusually for historical fic it's fast paced and action packed, and is due out later this month.

For the 10 year old: The Grk series by Joshua Doder are proving popular. The film rights have been sold as well, and if this happens then I can see it going from strength to strength. This is also where I can plug Cornelia Funke - one of my favourite children's authors. The Thief Lord and Inkheart are two of the best crafted and lyrically told books I have read. I'll also mention Cat Weatherill and her Ashenpeake novels, Barkbelly and Snowbone. Equally lyrical and well imagined, but a little wordy in places!

For the 5 year old: I am currently loving reading "Who's in the Loo?" by Jeanne Willis and Adrian Reynolds. Set in rhyme, it discusses all the animals and what it is they are doing that is casuing the queue. However, it has children in laughter and teachers a little confused until you get to the unexpected and morally endearing ending! You can't go wrong with Giles Andrea either - his new offering of "All afloat on Noah's Boat" is a comical retelling of the bible story, and "Come to Tea on Planet Zum-Zee" is one of my favourite read aloud books.

[Polka Dot Rock]

For any young Lucy Daniels fans around, if an RL Stine fan taunts you about "her" books - you can let them know that he is also a company - the copyright is always credited to RL Stine Inc!

Thanks for the article - I've always known it happened but to read about it in such details is fascinating indeed!

That's all right - it was an interesting bit of writing I thought I'd share :mrgreen:

I didn't know that about RL Stine tho! Is he an actual person as well as a brand?

[Sugar]

Incredibly there is no mention of R.L. Stine Inc on wikipedia, so I guess he is a real person too. But one man cannot write 62 books in 5 years (that would be over a complete book a month!)....

[Janet]

Robert Lawrence Stein (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._L._Stine) :)

[Liz]

You know, he reminds me of someone, but I cannot think who. :confused:

[benedicklover]

Did you know that there isn't actually a 'Lucy Daniels' who writes Animal Ark? There was a really interesting article in the Independent about the company who publishes that series and others, Working Partners. You can read about it here (http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/books/features/article2132832.ece).
It's fascinating - I'd love to work for them!
One of the Lucy Daniels was my Children's Literature tutor at Uni. We had to interview a children's author for an assignment and one of my friends interviewed her, which I thought was quite brave seeing as she would be marking it.

[wrathofkublakhan]

Your twelve year old might enjoy:

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
Little Britches by Ralph Moody
Ride the River by Louis L'Amour
So You Want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane
Dragonsinger, Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

I'm thinking of your twelve year old reads any of these, your ten year old is sure to follow....

Enjoy!

[katy]

That's interesting about Lucy Daniels and possibly R. L. Stine, I used to read both Goosebumps and Animal Ark books when I was younger.

Quite frankly, though, I have to recommend the works of Enid Blyton (especially the Faraway Tree stories) and Roald Dahl. I just couldn't put those books down since I was about four years old to past the age of ten.

If you consider buying the Enid Blyton books, however, you might want to consider buying older editions because the newer editions have been edited to be more 'modern' and non-controversial which in my opinion ruins the whole effect of it. It is an old book and has differences to modern literature, but contrary to people's beliefs the old books don't traumatise children or make it harder to understand! I read and re-read those books over and I was never disturbed or traumatised by it or didn't understand that 'Jo' was a boy.

Things like that just make me angry. It's not broken, don't try and fix it.

[Gyre]

May I suggest 'Howl's moving castle' and 'Castle in the sky' by Dianna Wynne Jones x

[Nici76]

My 11 year old son really enjoys the Goosebumps books and also the Alex Rider series

[Purple Poppy]

PDR said

You can read about it here (http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/books/features/article2132832.ece).



I clicked on the link and read part of the article, but I'm afraid I found the process described a little artificial...like manufactured bands. Yes, ok, script writers often write together, or as part of a team, but my understanding is that they have a little more freedom that that. The thought that after all those rigid guidelines and a reworking over and over again, you might not be picked and therefore not even get paid...no. I would want to be mistress of my own creativity. Its just taking formular writing one stage further in the interests of quantity and sales. Sorry I know that's cynical, but that's what I felt when I read it.

[Fiona]

May I suggest 'Howl's moving castle' and 'Castle in the sky' by Dianna Wynne Jones x

Yes, yes, yes! In fact ANY DWJ book, she is just the best children's author.

I'd reccomend: Dogsbody for younger readers and the Dalemark Quartet (The Spellcoats, Cart and Cwidder, Drowned Ammet, The Crown of Dalemark) for older readers.

I don't and never liked Jaquourline Wilson books. I never liked them as a kid and I think I read one or two. They were just so boring. I kept thinking 'yeah and?' I know they are supposed to (I think) teach kids and help kids to deal with real issues and such... but I guess they just didn't click with me. They never seemed very imaginative and only skimmed the surface with me.

Eoin Colfer is good - The Wish List.

Lian Hern's Otari books are beautiful and might be okay for your 12 year old although it's more YA the children's technically I suppose. I'm waiting until the 4th comes out on Paperback. It takes sooo long!

Brian Jaques Redwall series. I loved those as a kid, although I can't really get into them now. Someone mention Colin Dann here - the Animals of Farthing Wood is excellent. I wish they'd put the old BBC cartoon on DVD...

[WillowFae]

All my children love books which Im really pleased about and I would love to know which authors you would recommend.

I have three girls aged 5, 10 and 12

Thanks

My bestsellers for the older two would be North Child by Edith Patou (and for adults, it is a BRILLIANT book), Marco's Pendulum by Thom Madley, and The Spy Girl books by Carol Hedges.

For the 5 year old it would have to be the Pony Mad Princess books by Diana Kimpton.


For the 12 year old: If she likes historical fiction, I went to the launch of "The Raven Queen" by Pauline Francis on Thursday night - it's tells the fictionalised story of Lady Jane Gray, written for young teenagers. Unusually for historical fic it's fast paced and action packed, and is due out later this month.

Oh yes, forgot this one! I loved it :) See I can make the excuse that I have to read them so that I can advise customers ... but okay, I just like reading them :)

[KW]

Your 12 yr old girl might love: Time at the Top by Edward O-somethingerother. Hey, can't help it, I read it 30 years ago. Loved it. My teens have all read it and loved it.

Might find it on amazon.

Time travel adventure.

[jazz]

Is your 5 year old into fairies?-there is a great set of books out by Daisy Meadows-www.rainbowmagic.co.uk or kids here have been getting into the Captain Underpants series-www.pilkey.com/ and there is also Paul Jennings and Morris Gleitzman this web address is a bit about him and Paul, http://www.ozco.gov.au/arts_in_australia/artists/artists_literature/morris_gleitzman/
I have been involved with kids and reading and these above authors always remain a firm favourite with them:)

[beef]

Well some of the books i remember reading from about the 8-11ish range are:

Goosebumps
The secret island
The secret of spiggy holes
Secret Seven
Famous Five

And of course anything by Rohl Dahl

[writeoff]

My daughter liked anything by Anne Fine or Nina Bawden. When she was younger she enjoyed Helen Cresswell's Lizzie Dripping books.

[Janet]

My daughter liked anything by Anne Fine or Nina Bawden. When she was younger she enjoyed Helen Cresswell's Lizzie Dripping books.
Aww Lizzy Dripping - I'd forgotten all about her!

[EshInoBi]

The only reason I say these is because I'm about the age of the older 2 girls and these are the authors that I personally loved!
Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell[The Edge Chronicles]
Emily Rodda [Deltora Quest, Fairy Realm, Rowan of Rin]
Jenny Nimmo [Children of the Red King, The Snow Spider Trilogy]
Michelle Paver [Chronicles of Ancient Darkness]
Darren Shan [Saga of Darren Shan]
:readingtwo: ~EshInoBi

[lovesreading06]

Another book is The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. Its more for teenagers.