4Th Grade Chapter Books?

Rainbow Magic series: Rainbow Fairies, Weather Faires, etc. all by Daisy Meadows
Cobble Street Cousins by Cynthia Rylant
Silly books like My Weird School series by Dan Gutman

just a few suggestions that my 4th grader likes (who reads at a 6th grade level, but just loves these books and has been reading them since second grade just because she likes them)

If you know or can find out what her lexile score is, you can go to www.lexile.com and find out books in her range, which you may not have thought about.

Hi, N.. I have a daughter who also loves to read, but she is only 7. I keep waiting for the day I can pass on my Nancy Drew collection to her and hope she likes it as much as I did as a kid. You might try something like that. I would think those would be really challenging.

Hi N.! I am the enrichment coordinator at my school and I work to help meet the needs of students who perform above grade level. My webpage actually contains quite a bit of information about meeting the needs of high readers - which I just posted this year for our parents at school. Take a look and see what you think. There are all sorts of suggestions as well as book lists that may prove to be helpful. Classics are a great place to start - higher vocabulary, different time period - which always provides interesting questions and discussions, timeless themes. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any help. Here is the link to the webpage - scroll down to Meeting the Needs of High Ability Readers. http://www.shschicago.org/campus/enrichment.shtml If this link does not work - go to www.shschicago.org click on On Campus and go to the Enrichment Corner. Hope this helps!

Girl...turn her loose in the library with a good librarian. I don't know where you live but the children's librarians in Oak Park are brilliant.

I would keep her reading second grade books on her own, and then read aloud the older level books. It's important for kids to be able to understand what they're reading, and even if her reading ability is at a fourth grade level, it doesn't mean her comprehension is.
Very often the subject matter of the books you mentioned is for much older kids, so I can see why she's really not interested.

I totally understand. My daughter is in the same situation. The challenge is that her reading level and maturity level do not match up. She can "read" "the Hobbit" but it's not interesting for her because it goes over her head.
We have had great success with the American Girl series, Beverly Cleary's Roamona series and will be starting her on Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House) and Margaret Taylor (Circle Be unbroken) this summer.
Our children's library is aslo a fabulous resource. And she is a pretty good gauge for herself as well. Generally I'll let her choose anything she is interested in at the libray as long as once a week she is reading a chapter book that takes her more than one sitting to read.

Good luck

I'll second the recommendation for Geronimo Stilton. Very funny. My kids also enjoy the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. (A word of caution - they are laugh out loud funny, but part of that is because the main character is just so unbelievably rude and selfish. Some parents believe it models bad behavior. Preview one and make sure you are OK with it.) We also like the Secrets of Droon series. Has your teacher provided you with your daughter's lexile range or guided reading level? If so, there are several websites you can visit to identify appropriate books, including lexile.com. Another option my daughter just got was to read all of the Caldecott award winners. It was a great assignment and a wide variety of books, some we loved, some easier, some more challenging.

I think it's more about finding books that interest them than about grade-level per se. My son is 8 and still enjoying Junie B. although he also reads Roald Dahl - he just likes the character even though he was able to read the books 2 years ago.

It took a while for him to find older-kid fiction he liked. He was reading biographies and other non-fiction for the past couple of years because he doesn't like a lot of the stuff that's trendy for kids right now. Does not care for mysteries or Harry Potter. He preferred more realistic fiction. Knowing what she likes will help you to get better recommendations from a librarian.

Some books he's read (or we've read aloud) recently that your daughter might also like: Laura Ingalls Wilder (we read Farmer Boy), From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (Konigsberg), Roald Dahl (anything), The Mouse and the Motorcycle (Cleary), anything by Andrew Clements, the Wayside School books (Sacher).

Hi. How about letting her pick out whatever she finds interesting. It may not be what you would choose for her, but reading is reading and you may learn something about her.

N.,

I recommend Frindle, Tuck Everlasting, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (and the rest of that series), and The Pushcart Wars. These are all books that I (or my students) enjoyed reading in fourth grade. The Laura Ingalls Wilder books are also great. You could also try reading something more advanced aloud to her (something age-appropriate, though) in order to help her build comprehension, but make those big vocabulary words easier. The Redwall series is a fun one, too, but it's at about a 6th grade level.

Best,
R.

My 8 year old daughter loves to read, too. Although she can read at a high reading level, she enjoys anything from picture books to Judy Blume to, well, really whatever has words on the page. So I wouldn't worry about reading levels so much, just if it's a good childrens literature. There's a lot of lists online of award winning books, Monarch books, etc. Although we don't homeschool, I love looking at the catalog for Sonlight because they have really done a great job choosing the best of the best childrens books out there, and if you really are concerned about grade level, they break it down by that as well. (Also, they have read alouds that would be appropriate for your 5 year old, too)

Have a fun summer reading together!

How about Lemony Snickets?

N.,
Don't forget to try multicultural books, various genres and books on tape or CD. Keep looking and researching you will find something that will peak her interest. Lastly, try to talk to her and try to find out her interest,do some research and recommend books she should read based on those discussions.

I **highly** recommend talking to a librarian! I am a librarian, though not a children's librarian, so I'm not really up on all the newest children's series. But, that is exactly the kind of question librarians are there to answer, seriously. They will know a LOT about what is popular, what might fit your girl's interests, what will be at the right age level, etc. Just stop by the local public library, or visit your girl's school library if she has one. And if the librarian you talk to doesn't have useful suggestions, just try asking another one! Sometimes librarians know more about one type of book than another, so asking a couple can tap into a wider range of expertise.

I cannot tell you how much some youth librarians know about books--much more than I could ever hope to know myself!

I have all boys and they were really into fantasy books like Harry Potter, Eragon, books by Angie Sage and Cornelia Funke.

Has she read The Tale of Desperaux? She could read the book and you could see the movie and discuss. You could also do that with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and other books.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is really a fun book, but it's told from a boy perspective. I read those and they are so funny. Another series which is very funny (and some people find offensive) is Captain Underpants. They have cartoons in them and the description of the cafeteria ladies is very funny. Some people don't like it because of the toilet humor. No curse words or anything, but literally toilet talk.

Hopefully you can use some of those.

M.

Hi i am not sure what grade level they are but we loved the edge chronicles a wrinkle in time the narnia series strawberry girl are just some we enjoyed maybe they will interest your daughter.

Just like your other post.... Tale of Desperaux was one of my daughter's favorite books at that age but... she loved "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" even better. Both are books by the author, Kate DiCamillo.

My son and I LOVE the whole "Diary of a wimpy kid" series. Jeff Kinney has a new book coming out in October 2009 and we're excited to see that!

The other series that I really enjoyed reading with my kids were the "Ready Freddy" books. We've read "Tooth Trouble", "Don't sit on my lunch" and a couple others. I see that Abby Klein has written a few more. These are stories about Freddy, who is in 3rd or 4th grade (he may have aged!) and he finds himself in humorous, realistic situation that are solved by the end of the book. He has an older sister who can be his best friend or his worst enemy - kind of like life.

Enjoy.

Speak to the librarian. Tell her your dayghter is reading at a 4th to 5th grade level and whatbooks does she suggest? What t.v. shows is your little on interested in? That could give you a clue as to what she will read. Maybe she's interested in things above the ground, under ground, below the sea etc.

What about Laura Ingalls Wilder books or Anne of Green Gables and the series that follows that? Or the Beezus/Ramona books? Those may be a little lower reading level but they are sooooo good! Loved them as a little girl!

Hi N.,
My nephew is 7 1/2 (finishing first grade) but also reads at a much higher level. My sister has been reading the Wizard of Oz books (there are many books in the series) with him. She says they are challenging but he is really enjoying them. Also, this maybe too old but how about the Narnia books...I loved those as a child. As a lifelong reader, I'm so happy to hear about children who love to read! Good luck!

Geronimo Stilton. They are a series which started in Italy about a mouse who goes on adventures. They are hilarious, and both my kids loved them.

Loved the Ramona books!

Another fun things she would probably be able to do with your help is research some animals-their habitat, what they eat, features about them, etc.

She can also create her own books. They sell blank hard back books at the teacher's stores.

I would ask a librarian. It's so hard when they are reading above their level because you want the book to be challenging, but also the content to be age appropriate. I think that anything by Kate DiCamillo would be good. The Penderwick series maybe by Jeanne Birdsall. The Little Princess is a great book (and not very princessy). How about the Wrinkle in Time series? Diana Wynne Jones is a great author for fantasy books for that reading level. Another option is to see what other kids have read after reading Fablehaven; you can look it up on Amazon and get some recommends about halfway down the page before the reviews.

I would check with your daughter's school librarian for suggestions. My daughter has come home with books suggested by her school's librarian which she's loved. The librarians seem to know each child's reading level and interests. Also check with your local library. They usually have suggested reading lists for specific grade levels. There is also the Rebecca Caudill annual book award lists. Here's the website www.rcyrba.org - I think the kids vote at the end of the year for their favorite books. Our local library has a rack of the books set aside so it's easy to identify them.

Good luck.

You have gotten some great suggestions. I would try looking at the Newberry Award winners. Some of them may be above her level (both reading level and content level), but others of them are just perfect for her and they are excellent literature! When I taught 3rd and 4th grade I kept several of them in my classroom and my higher readers loved them.

The hard part is finding stuff that is interesting but appropriate. My daughter loves the Diary of the Wimpy Kid and sequels. She also liked Frindle. You might also try poetry. My 8 year old loves Shel Silverstein.

Good luck.

Sue

I agree with Carrie. Keep her reading at her level to boost her confidence, but have a more advanced book that you and/or dad can read to her at night for fifteen mins to a half hour before bed. It gives you the opportunity for discussion, too.

I recommend for her the Junie B series, any of the Hank Zipper books, Captain Underpants, and the Magic Treehouse series. During the summer try to get to the library once a week and to any of the local bookstores occasionally for some of their great kids programs. Your local library should have a summer reading program with games and prizes for the amount of reading done during a certain period of time.

I also recommend checking out the Lexile website they are a great resource.

I teach at the elementary level and my advice would be to ignore the levels that are on the books. Have her find something she likes and do the five finger rule. If she can read the first couple of pages without more than five mistakes then that book would work for her. Of course you also might want to check to make sure she is comprehending the material too. Sometimes kids are able to read something, but the content is not at their level. I also would look into different children's magazines.

I'm an intermediate grades teacher (4,5,6) and believe me, the "levels" are meaningless. Try some 4th-5th grade books, and don't worry so much about the "level". If she reads the back and the first couple pages and it looks interesting, she'll probably like the book. If she doesn't, ditch it and get a Granny Torrelli Makes Soup, Series of Unfortunate Events, Spiderwick Chronicles or just go to the public library and let her cruise the shelves until she finds something appealing. Once she finds an author she likes go to amazon.com and look at the books they list under "those who bought this book also bought..." they usually have similar books.

Good luck!

My daughter is reading like yours. Finishing 2nd grade, just got into the Gifted Langage Program when 3rd grade starts. (actually have a novel to read and writing journal to do this summer) She was assigned The Castle in the Attic, and I can send you the study guide we were given, if you'd like.
We have just discovered the Lemony Snicket series. They are very imaginative adventures of 3 orphan kids, told by Lemony Snicket. He throws in unusual descriptive words, then fits the definition of it into the story very well. I enjoy reading the books myself.
My daughter too, devoured some Magic Tree house books, but is done with them now. We also stumbled, at our library, a series of books called "My America" which are stories of fictitious children set in historical times. Each time period is 2 or 3 books about that one kid and the time period. She read the story of the Settlers at Jamestown, and the Civil War era already, and enjoyed them.
She also is currently enjoying the Fudge series by Judy Blume, which starts with "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing".

Good Luck, and let me know if you'd like a copy of the study guide for the book she's doing this summer.
R.

Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace & the Catwings series by Ursula K. Le Guin
Congrats on your super reader!

When I was that age I loved the Little House on the Prairie Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

My mom also read "Little Women" aloud to me and I loved it!

Also- American Girl books

I instruct at HHSW in Crustal Lake and in one of my classes I use the Dear America Books. Check out the website: http://www.scholastic.com/dearamerica/
I also use the Christian Based series Trailblazers here is the web site: http://www.trailblazerbooks.com/Frame-1.html
Other great chapter books would include "The Sugar Creek Gang," "The Box Car Children,or "Nancy Drew.
If these seem to be to hard, try the "Cul-de-Sac Kids" series. It is a series about a group of kids that live in a Cul-de-Sac and all there adventures. Here is where you can by them: http://www.christianbook.com/
I am adding a the Little House on the Prairie books series.
All the books I have mentioned should be available at your local library or they should be able to get them through inter-library loan.
You also can ask your local librarians for her advice on a good series. Keep her reading and you will have a daughter that excels in school.

God Bless,
S.

N.,

My girls are also reading at higher levels than grade level. One series my older daughter really enjoyed was the Animal Ark books. I don't remember the author off the top of my head. The books are about a young girl whose parents are vets in different places around the world. The books are informational, fictional, and some mystery. I would recommend them to girls and boys alike.

Just make sure that the books you get are also at her comprehension level.
B. :-)

HI, I am not sure if this will help but my daughter to was reading at a much higher level when she was in grade school..so I introduce her to Shakespear and she fall in love with his books and Eger Allen Poe...Mia Angelo and more...she started writing poetry...When she was in 6th grade her teacher was very impressed that she read and understood Shakespear, Poe, Deangol at such a young age. She is 30 now and still loves to read...she was not the only one...her sister did the same as well as their brother they are 24 and 19. It must run in the family because my granddaughter who is going to 2nd grade was reading by the time she was 3 years old and now I have a new granddaughter who is 11 months old and we are reading to her...she loves it.

what about the Little House on the Prairie House series?

My son is the same way. He is in 2nd grade but reading at almost a 5th grade level. He likes a lot of different chapter books. You might try going to a library that has the childrens' section broken down by grade reading level. I go to the St. Charles library. She can browse through the 4th and 5th grade level and check out some books that she is interested in or seems to be interested in. If she doesn't like them, at least you haven't made a purchase. If she finds a series she likes, you can find other books in that series.

Dan Gutman has two My Weird School series that my daughter loves. She also really likes the 2nd Grade Friends serices by Peter Catalanotto. Both my girls love How I Survived Middle School a series by Nancy Krulik. Anything by Dav Pilkey, including, but not limited to, the Captain Underpants books are fun. Also the Nancy Drew Diaries are good. The American Girl books are awesome. There are some that are smaller and shorter than others so maybe better for a younger reader. I believe they are the American Girl Mysteries. Both girls also enjoy the Mary-Kate and Ashley books. It took me about a year of trial and error with my now 10-year old, but once she found a series (Dan Gutman) that she liked she loves to read. There is another series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor called the boys-girls battle series that my daughter is just getting interested in. The first book is called The Boys Start the War. We also liked Winn-Dixie and How to Eat Fried Worms.

Check out scholastic.com because they have books listed by grade level. It will make finding things for her to read much easier. Not everything they offer is available at book stores or at the library though. Most of it is.

What about Nancy Drew?
An oldie, but a goodie!

She is probably ready for more challenging material to read instead of the "chapter book series" kind of thing. Look for some of the classics without so much of the adult content she isn't quite ready for even at a fourth grade level--she might like books by Emily Bronte, or Louisa May Alcott (I actually remember reading this in fourth grade! The books start with "Little Women" I believe, or Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, and some other titles that are great classics)....All of these kinds of stories will introduce her to different kinds of characters, places, and situations that she just might enjoy......I am a teacher (for 18 yrs.), and have to always figure out the child first before I can suggest books--so it's hard to say the least. My own kids (4th and 2nd gr) are a challenge as well--they just all have so many different needs/desires, that it takes time to figure out the books that "click". Don't give up! Maybe she just might like one of my suggestions/you can also google classic literature online...

I was a precocious reader myself so can empathize with your daughter. However, I wasn't as picky as she is. If she likes hearing about the plots of Jodi Picoult books, you really should encourage her to give Judy Blume another try, although in my opinion she's probably still emotionally a little young for some of Blume's stuff. I would also recommend anything by Madeleine L'Engle, Betsy Byars, Lois Lowry, Carol Ryrie Brinks & C.S. Lewis (The Narnia series). I haven't read them myself, but my 9-year old nephew, who is also an advanced reader, loved the Lemony Snicket series. I absolutely adored the Anne of Green Gables series growing up, and if she's going to read "The Secret Garden" she might like "A Little Princess", also by Frances Hodgson Burnett. And I saw someone else mentioned the Betsy & Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace; I loved those soooo much; can't wait to share them with my daughter! Also, give some classics like the original "The Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum (there are I think 3 total books in that series) and "Alice in Wonderland" & "Through the Looking Glass" by Lewis Carroll a try. I read "Gone With the Wind" for the first time in 2nd grade . . . loved it! And if you think she's up for it, you could try some Dickens, Austen or Bronte sisters. Great, classic stuff without all the gratuitous sex & language of modern so-called romances. My kids (ages 3 & 2) & I visit our library every two weeks or so to stock up on new books. They have wonderful resources there. Check with your librarian; he/she will probably have some great recommendations!

I work at a school and our 3rd, 4th and 5th graders are reading these titles:

Frindle
The Seed Folk
The Jungle
The Chocolate Touch

I also have a nephew in 5th and he is reading the Narnia collection.

Hope this helps :-)

Hi N.:

I had the same problem with my son for he is 6 years old but reading at 3rd and 4th grade levels. He loves these books for I buy them all at Borders. To get coupons go to their website--Borders.com and sign on to receive e-mail updates and bonus offers:

--"Junie B" series
--"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series ($12.95 hardbcover)
--"Captain Underpants" series ($4.99 paperback)
--"Goosebumps" series ($5.99 paperback)
--"Henry and the..."missing pillowcase":...and "Beejus" and others by Beverly Clearly

They are entertaining, funny, a little scary and mysterious too. Let me know if she likes them over time. They are good reads for young children.

B.