I asked this question on another blog and received a few responses both there and through email. The question wasn't actually related to the topic being discussed there, so I thought I would open it up here.
Here is the problem. Neal was just tested and found to be reading at a 12th grade level. However, he is in 4th grade, and really, he's immature even for a 4th grader. So, what at a 12th grade level would be appropriate for him to read? Not much I would think. We need more choices for kids who can read above their grade level, but don't need to read about "teenage situations."
Some books that Neal has read and liked include ones by Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis, Jeanne DuPrau, Suzanne Collins, Stephen Hawking, Beverly Cleary, Andrew Clements, and so on. He also reads biographies and historical non-ficiton. I'm looking for more ideas. Do you have a child like Neal? If so, what has he or she read and liked? Let's start a list!
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HI! I read your post on Nathan's blog and figured I'd leave a comment here. Well, when I was around that age I started the Harry Potter. Not sure if he's into fantasy novels. Suzanne Collins Hunger Games is great btw! I've read that, too. Anything by Steven Gould is good (the guy who wrote Jumper) Orson Scott is good if he likes sci-fi, but I haven't read him myself so I'm not sure about the content in his novels.
ReplyDeleteIf I think of more I'll add them! Hope I could help a little!
Hi
ReplyDeleteI teach 2nd grade and I was reading at a 12th grade level when I was 6 so I feel your pain! (FYI Sweet Valley High NOT appropriate for a 7 year old LOL).
Has he read Mordecai Richler? Lemony Snicket (great humor for those who read above level!)? The Princess Bride? Louis Sacher is a great pic for 3rd-6th maturity and some fine subtleties to the plots, esp. Holes. Sherlock Holmes, Judy Blume's Fudge books will be very easy for him but still funny, Diary of a Wimpy Kid (ditto on the subtle humor as well as laugh-out-loud for ten year olds.
I could go on and on sorry if this post is too long!
Lora
litdiva.blogspot.com
Your comment on Nathan's blog also struck me. I was a lot like your son and I gravitated (haha) toward classic sci-fi. Asimov and Bradbury. Well-written books for adults but nothing really risque. I was also going to suggest Card's Ender's Game, which I read last summer. It's about a young boy, but written at an advanced reading level.
ReplyDeleteI'm an English teacher and I deal with the problem of matching kids's reading skills with their maturity level. My main problem is the reverse of yours. Many of my kids read way below level, but they're worldly beyong their years (I teach in a juvenile correctional facility) and a 17 year old reading at 4th grade level isn't usually interested in 4th grade themes. Any idea for that?
I was like your son too, and I definitely don't recommend moving into the adult world (nightmare!) I started reading clean teen romances, but as a boy, that's probably not what he's intersted in. I would recommend, of course, the Harry Potters if he hasn't read those. I second Holes by Sachar too.
ReplyDeleteAlso:
The Dark Is Rising Sequence (series) by Susan Cooper
A Wrinkle In Time (and it's sequels) Madeline L'Engle
The Percy Jackson and The Olympians series by Rick Riordan
The Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz
The His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass) by Philip Pullman
Also some of the classics are fun like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.
I worry that the Hunger Games series (which are fabulous) might be a bit violent/scary/emotional for him, but maybe not. Hope that helps!
Hurray! Responses. You offer many good ideas. Some of them he has already read. Holes he has read several times for example. Some of them he has rejected, such as Harry Potter. I have pointed out some of the others mentioned, like The Olympians series and Lemony Snicket, but so far he hasn't been interested. He tends to worry that stories will scare him, so he puts them off or vetos them sometimes. He has read all of the Underland books by Suzanne Collins, The May Bird books by Jodi Lynn Anderson, and I have read Hunger Games to him. I've also read Michele Paver's Chronicles of Ancient Darkness books to him. Given those things, you would think he would be more brave in general, but no. If I could figure out a way to explain him, I would probably be a bajillionaire! I did buy him John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice, which he plans to read soon. He just finished Behind Enemy Lines, which is a nonfiction book, and he's also reading about John Hancock for a report, plus re-reading All About Sam by Lois Lowry for the umpteenth time (both of my kids think that's the funniest book ever).
ReplyDeleteKeep the ideas coming! As far as 4th grade reading level books for 17 year olds: I could actually see them liking Suzanne Collins' books (all of them), and Michele Paver's books that I mentioned above, and also for something a little different, The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart.
Hey Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteMaybe he's read it, although in scanning your list I didn't notice, but in fourth grade my dad introduced me to "The Hobbit". It is lighter, and more playful in tone than "The Lord of the Rings", and is the book that really sparked my love for reading.
Also, surprisingly, "The Alliance" by Gerald Lund was a very compelling Science Fiction read, as long as you're taking recommendations. Good luck.
HI Ronda - Since I have a son, I write for boys. So, I read a lot of "boy's books". I would suggest the Pendragon series by D.J. McHale. BTW, your son can e-mail D.J. and he WILL return the e-mail. My son likes the Ranger's Apprentice books too. Of course there is the Artemis Fowl series about a young criminal mastermind. And one of my favorites - The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. How about Eragon? Now that was written by Christopher Paolini when he was only 14 years old! I also liked REDWALL, by Brian Jacques. It is beautifully written and not at all scary. Hope this helps.
ReplyDeleteOh, I second the Redwall Books by Jacques. There are a lot of them, and a lot more manageable then "Watership Down"(also dealing with animals who talk).
ReplyDeleteI just finished reading The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings for the first time myself. I love the movies, but had never read any of the books! I agree that the Hobbit is a good choice. Sometimes "old fashioned" language discourages my son, but The Hobbit didn't seem like it would be much different than the Narnia series, which is his all time favorite. I will have to look again at the Redwall Books. We had an adapted picture book from the series when he was younger, and it never caught his interest, but maybe now the real stories would. I will put Eragon, Pendragon and Artemis Fowl on my mental list too. They are all ones that we've looked at before, but I probably should push for again. I haven't heard of the Bartimaeus Trilogy. Yay. Something new to consider.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention that he has also read all of the Warriors and Seekers books by Erin Hunter. Some of them I read to him, and I know way too much about those cat clans. lol However, for the kids who read below their grade level that were mentioned before, they might actually be a good choice. If a 40 something year old can get sucked into those worlds, maybe a 17 year old could too...
Hi Rhonda, Make sure when you read the
ReplyDeletefirst of the three books by Mr. Stroud,you read thru to the second page. The narrator is very funny. But the book starts out very dark. You'll see. Also, how about Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli? My son suggested The Giver, A Place Called Ugly, The Cay. (these are not fantasies, are short books, but still good.)Oh, and how about THE GRAVEYARD BOOK? ANd finally (for now) The Time Travelers, by Linda Buckley Archer. I haven't read the last two, but I have them in my library to read, so I thinking the buyer for my local book store suggested these. Right now I'm reading The Martian Chronicles. Okay, I've said enough - happy reading!
When I was 7 I was reading at a 12th grade level, but I was quite shy and unworldly and a bit timid when it came to scary stuff, so I can understand how your son feels.
ReplyDeleteI loved The Three Investigators mystery series, and The Hardy Boys, which, if I recall were supposed to be for ages 12 and up.
Some other books that your son might like are Demonkeeper by Royce Buckingham, The Chrysalids by John Wyndham, The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander, The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, Hoot by Carl Hiaasen, The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, some of Christopher Moore's might be okay, but they're a bit heavy on the swearing, and Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques. Or you could try some of the classics, like The Swiss Family Robinson, Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Treasure Island, Kidnapped, The Jungle Book.
Or, if he's okay with the general concept of dead people but not with seeing it 'on stage', so to speak, you might try some cozy mysteries. Those generally focus more on the mystery than the violence, and the characters are usually quite interesting. The Death On Demand series by Carolyn Hart are quite tame when it comes to keeping the violence off stage, and always fade to black on any adult situations, and The Cat Who... series by Lillian Jackson Braun was an enjoyable read as well.
Shayne, that was a great list of books I had never thought of. Thank you. Neal has read a couple of Lloyd Alexander books, but not the ones you mentioned. Now that I think about it, I believe we had the first one checked out at one point, but he never got around to starting it since he always checks out way too many books at a time.
ReplyDeleteHe has also read a few Jerry Spinelli books and that is another good idea to revisit StrugglingSerpent. Thank you too! Don't feel you write too much. This is great. I never have people to talk to about these types of books!
How about Shakespeare? There is a nice version of Macbeth by a teacher in Canada written by her third grade class that might introduce your son to the poetry and contains many of the words from Macbeth. The idea is also mature. I think her name is Lois Bennett. Also he might like the real Shakespeare plays. Depending on his interests he might like Ender's Game, To Kill a Mockingbird, Little Women, Sherlock Holmes stories, Charles Dickens books. I will try to think of more. There was an awful lot of sexual content in the reading list for my children in 12th grade. Maybe try some historic novels. Hope this helps.
ReplyDeleteRhonda - wow, you've gotten some great suggestions here! I'm not going to add any right now, but wanted to let you know that you inspired me to finally start that blog I've been thinking about forever:
ReplyDeletehttp://ink-spells.blogspot.com/
It's all about good books for kids (8-12) who are advanced readers. I've just started out, but I'll be adding a lot in the day (weeks) to come! Thanks for asking a great question!
Awesome Susan! I brought Neal's reading up on a cochlear implant group and had people asking for suggestions there too. Now I will be able to guide people to your site. It's very needed!
ReplyDeleteHi Rhonda. I thought I'd leave a comment here instead of CI Circle. Your dilemma has really captured my imagination. As a mom of a little boy with cochear implants, I can truly appreciate what an accomplishment Neal's reading level is!!! So I've been thinking about this for the last few days. I see you've already got lots of great suggestions. I would try and see if Neal likes the classics. I'd try and have him read ALL of them!
ReplyDeleteMy 13-year-old loves Verne and Agatha Christie (don't know if the latter would be too scary for a 9-yr. old). There's an Italian author, Italo Calvino, that he might enjoy. The Baron in the Trees is a story of a young nobleman who gets mad one day, climbs a tree, and then spends the rest of his life living up in the trees.
Anyway, thanks for sparking all this creativity!
Anne, mom to Daniele (bilateral CI's), age 7
PS Have you ever read The Read Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease? I think you would like it....
PS Also, don't know if anyone already mentioned the German author, Cornelia Funke. Leo, my 13-yr.-old, really loves her books: The Thief Lord, Ink Heart, etc.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the interesting ideas Anne. I haven't heard of that handbook. I'll look it up. I wish there were some job I could do that just involved reading to kids, getting language into them, and getting them to read. Unfortunately anything close to that requires a different education than I have. I have to resign myself to talking about it. lol
ReplyDeleteI just looked at Jim Trelease's website. Wow. I bet people who were familiar with him have thought I was quoting him in my life. I had no idea...
ReplyDeleteRhonda, I bet Jim Trelease would be interested in your story and Neal's love for reading. You should e-mail him! His book is full of all sorts of inspiring stories, like yours. I read it a couple of years back, but I still remember the story of two African American boys from a broken home. Their mom was illiterate, but she had lots of street smarts. She made them read at least one book a week and then write a report on it. The two brothers protested at first, but they had to do it because their mom made them. Only years later did they discover that their mom couldn't even read the reports they had writtten! But it didn't matter, because without them realizing it, she had gotten them hooked on reading. Today at least one of the brothers is a medical doctor....
ReplyDeleteMaybe you could find a way of making reading to kids your job. Why not?!!
Actually, that story just reminded me of a TV documentary I saw awhile ago about the Italian translator of Ernest Hemmingway. I can't remember her name, but her father had a similar approach to getting her to read and learn languages. He would make her read at least one book a week and then tell him about it.
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to copy this method by making Leo read in exchange for for computer time. For him, it worked. Now I've got to get Daniele reading more, too. Have you got any ideas here?
I did email Jim Trelease. I had to tell him how happy I was to know someone had been out there advocating my same philosophies. Makes me feel like a copycat though ;) And also, strangely considering the stories that you just conveyed, Neal has decided after seeing this blog post that he wants to start his own blog and review the books he reads for other kids. He'll probably start it after he finishes the book he's re-reading right now, the first May Bird book.
ReplyDeleteSounds great! Let us know when we can check it out! Take care and see you on Ci Circle....
ReplyDeleteRhonda, what a great stream of comments! You've hit the nail on the head about a problem that's important for parents, teachers, and librarians to recognize.
ReplyDeleteA great resource I'd recommend is Reading Together, by Diane Frankenstein. Here's my review:
http://greatkidbooks.blogspot.com/2009/10/reading-together-wonderful-resource-for.html
You mentioned nonfiction in your original post, and I don't think many comments have addressed that.
One of my favorite reads of the year that's great for 4th graders at an advanced level is A Life in the Wild, by Pamela S. Turner.
http://greatkidbooks.blogspot.com/2009/05/life-in-wild-and-free-giveaway.html
Good luck!
Mary Ann