Thinking

[desirerofhesed]

The hardest question I get asked at work is what do I recommend for the 8-10 yr old reading on a 6th-8th grade level. I love it because it means the kid is actually reading, but with the current trends in Teen reading it's scary to make recommendations unless I've personally read the book. I try to steer them toward Brian Jacques, C.S. Lewis, and

Comments

[anonymous]

Does Judy Blume count as teen anymore? Or are they children's books now? I know what I read when I was about 10: Nancy Drew, Babysitters Club, Sweet Valley Twins, Sherlock Holmes, Robinson Crusoe, The Good Earth, The Wind in the Willows, Little Women (anything by Alcott really), Harriet the Spy. I also read Gone with the Wind, but I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to and I wouldn't recommend it to the public.

If you're looking for something that doesn't have a movie made out of it, The Westing Game was interesting and short but very good, as was the Mixed Up Files of Ms. Basil E. Frankwiler (sp?).

Hope this helps! I didn't think of all of this off the top of my head either. Thanks to the family bookshelf :)

Amelia

[toithaka]

Ooh what an exciting question! I loved Brian Jacques when I was in middle school. I devoured all of his books and still kinda wish I could get away with reading stories about medieval mice and badgers and foxes. I also read anything by Avi; Something Upstairs was my favorite because it was a ghost story (but not the traumatic or stupid Goosebumps kind; it would be more accurate to call it supernatural historical fiction, lol). The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle featured an upper crusty ladylike girl gone salty sea pirate wench stuck in an onboard mystery. Nothing But the Truth was popular also, but I can't remember what it was about, only what the cover looked like (helpful, I know). It's totally written at a level kids can get, while having some other fun things to get the gears turnin'. Avi's Wikipedia article is rather long, so it would seem he's established himself quite well as a kids' author

[desirerofhesed]

I want to write a long response to this comment, but I think I'm just going to call you tonight.

((hugs))