I’m looking for book suggestions for my just-turned-7 year old grandson (he reads at at least 2nd-3rd grade level). I’d like to hear recommendations on books that will encourage self-reliance, ingenuity, and creative thinking, and some survival skills thrown in would be nice too. Any ideas?
I’m bumping this because I really would like some suggestions. I’m gonna make sure my grandson has a “prepping kind of mind”, and I figure that books that expose him to those ways of thinking will help.
Gary Paulson books are cool like that.One about a boy in Alaska.can’t recall the name.Also the little house books.
Costco and some other discounters have had a whole “classics” series for younger children/readers at his level. 10000 Leagues Under the Sea, etc. Several in there are good examples of ppeople sticking it out. It’s a great collection anyway and reasonably priced. And definitely the Little House series. Even boys like them despite that the main characters are girls! n
Oh yeah - the whole Tree House series too - great history lessons mixed in with adventure.
Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
Lost on a Mountain in Maine by Donn Fendler (true story)
Anything by Gary Paulsen is outstanding, but in particular: Tucket’s Travels: Francis Tucket’s Adventures in the West, 1847–1849 (age appropriate but some scary, historically accurate things, so may need to read with the child); Hatchet; Brian’s Winter, Brian’s Hunt, Brian’s Return
Does he like watching documentaries and docudramas? (My kids do.) If so, check out the PBS series Colonial House and 1900s House. There are families with children in these (Colonial House has a boy about 8 or 9; 1900s house a boy about the same age or a little older). Frontier House had kids, too, but many of the adults were so whiny I wanted to mute the show. Most recent show is Texas Ranch House. I haven’t seen this one yet. You can rent all of these from Netflix.
Also, Kim, you don’t need to buy these new. I bought the entire collection of Gary Paulsen books (about 25 I think) plus a collection of 50 Newbery Award books from eBay for a FRACTION of the cost of buying new.
Little Bear’s Outdoor Adventure Guide for the All-American Boy written by Richard “Little Bear” Wheeler.
Warning: The entire first half of the book is dedicated to tanning, trapping, deadfalls and snares.
Starting on page 120 he provides instructions (sketches included)for constructing camp lanterns, how to find your way by the stars, what to do when lost, crickets as thermometers, waterproofing matches, how to make charred cloth for flint and steal, how to tie knots, (and more). Finally a whole chapter about shelters and cabins.
You can look at the All American Boy catalogue at Vision Forum (faith based organization…I am not affiliated with them but I am a satisfied customer)or you can buy the book at Amazon.
Boys adventure novels? The classic novels of G.A. Henty were written 100 years ago by a grandfather who began what became a series of more than 40 published novels by telling great adventure stories to his grandchildren. The books are particularly great for boys, since each features a corageous boy hero full of resourcefullness and chivalry.
Each book is set in a specific historical time period: Ancient Egypt, the Middle Ages, Age of Exploration, colonial era, Napoleonic era, Victorian era, etc. They are a great way to learn quite a lot about history, too.
The books would make great read-alouds for your 7yo grandson shortly, and the general reading-alone level is geared for modern children who are probably around 13–15 years old.
All of the newly republished books can be purchesed here, http://tinyurl.com/y2ua4h “The All American Boys Adventure Catalog” (some Christian content), and many of them can be found in other locations too, some at Amazon, http://tinyurl.com/y2usx3. Some of the books are also available on audio CD, and there is also a small book that describes the topics and historical era that each Henty book covers, entitled “The Boys Guide to the Historical Adventures of G.A. Henty” which I have found to be very handy.
Although I can’t vouch for their educational strengths, most 7 yr old boys I’ve met LOVE the “Captain Underpants” series. They might be good for some comic relief. ALso “The Boxcar Children” and “The Magic Treehouse” series. The Magic Treehouse books could be read alone or as a fread-aloud.
Thanks everyone for your great suggestions, PLEASE keep them coming! I went to Barnes & Noble last night to look for some books for him, and realized as I stood there looking at those rows of books that I had NO idea of what to get him. I finally ended up with the “Young Reader” (kind of a condensed version, I guess) versions of Tom Sawyer, Oliver Twist, and Robinson Crusoe. Figured I couldn’t go wrong with the classics, and hopefully will appeal to a young boy. I do want to buy more, though.
Even though I was a tomboy as a kid, #1 it’s too far back in the Stone Age for me to remember what I liked to read, and #2 I was a tomboy, not a boy, so don’t know if stuff I would’ve liked will have the same appeal (would a boy like Nancy Drew??? Probably not.)
I remember reading on various threads books that folks (mostly men) had read as kids that made a big impact on them, but in searching the threads for *kids books* I came up with hundreds of threads listed, just too much to go searching through. So if you remember a book that had a big impact on you as a young boy, or your sons have favorites, please post! Thanks!
I am a teacher and children’s book reviewer.
Here are some outstanding male children’s authors and their main genres. I’ll begin with adventure.
In addition to Gary Paulsen, there’s Scott O’Dell (adventure), Christopher Paul Curtis (historical fiction), Richard Peck (humor), Lois Sachar (humor), Robert Newton Peck (SOUP series), Lloyd Alexander (fantasy), Robert Westall (mystery), William Steig (humor), C.S. Lewis (fantasy for children), Todd Strasser/Chris Crutcher/Jerry Spinelli (contemporary fiction).
You can read their chapter books aloud to your grandson.
The Hardy Boys are still good. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is a Newberry winner and is Excellent and don’t forget Charlotte’s Web. Second graders love the Henry & Mudge series and is a nice addition that they can read themselves. There is a new book out called Clementine by Sara Pennypacker that is getting rave reviews. I have read it and it about a great, creative kid with a touch of ADHD…ok, fine, she is quite ADHD but you love her, and the best part is she comes from a family that is NOT disfunctional! Most of the books mentioned earlier will have to be read to your 7 year old, but he should be able to read the Captain Underpants series if he is a good reader. Captain Underpants is about bathroom humor and right up a 2–3 grade boys’s alley.
ohh, the Hardy Boys series, the “male” version of Nancy Drew (I think?). These suggestions are just wonderful, now maybe I won’t feel like such an idiot trying to pick something out. Keep them coming… I’ll check out ebay too so I won’t have to break the bank to aquire all these great titles!
Sthrn Tr – at 21:08
All great suggestions.
Kim, Here’s another couple of suggestions that our family loves. First, My Father’s Dragon. There are actually three stories that you can buy as a single-bound trilogy. I guarantee 100% that your grandson will looove these stories, whether he read them himself or you read them with him. The author is Ruth Stiles Gannett. They are pure fantasy about a little boy rescuing a baby dragon on a faraway island. He packs a little duffle with odds and ends (lollipops, rubber bands, tangerines) and uses every single item at the perfect moment to negotiate his way to success.
Another series geared to a little older reading level but perfectly appropriate for read aloud to a 7 year old is the Indian in the Cupboard books. There are four or five of them, and they are terrific. I think the mark of good children’s lit is when the story is engaging enough to hold the adult’s attention as well as the child’s. The series is by Lynne Reid Banks. Which reminds me…we picked up our set of these books from our library book sale, which is ongoing in the basement of our library. I found absolute treasures there for $0.25 a book. Don’t forget to check out the library sales.
Neat aside: When we got home with our bags of books, we found a letter from Lynne Reid Banks inside one of the books with her signature on it. She was corresponding with a class from our school about 20 years ago, someone tucked it inside the book and forgot it was in there. My son has it in his treasure box.
My subject/verb agreement is nonexistent…goodnight everyone… :)
Hatchet, by Gary P.
Where the Red Fern Grows
Red Badge of Courage
Chronicles of Narnia
A Wrinkle In Time
The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Yearling
Call It Courage
Sounder
Anything about: snakes, how stuff works, juggling, magic tricks, sports hereos, “Ready, Freddy”
Homeschooling:
I found this great PDF with easy to do education with items laying around, its mostly on science, health etc, download it! :)
OK … you can probably find these at yard sales and used book stores.
Also, check out 1000 Good Books List that is broken down by author and reading level.
And at this index you can find some educational material to go along with a lot of popular books, including both modern and classic stories.
My side of the mountain was one of my favorites
Richard Scary had some wonderful illustrated children’s books- I particularly recall “What do people do all day?”, but I know there were others. I think there are also children’s versions of “how things work”.
Echo the earlier recommendation of Lewis’ Narnia books.
I also liked “the Great Brain” by John D Fitzgerald; I think there were a half dozen or so of those books. They might be just a tad too complex for a 7 year old.
For teens, I’d suggest any of the dozen or so young adult novels that Robert Heinlein wrote, but 7 is likely too young to appreciate those. I’ll check and see what my nephews are reading these days.
My husband has been reading, “Purple Death: The Mysterious Flu of 1918″, to our 8 y.o. grandson. Today, I took him to the library. He found some book about a cow who got the flu and spread it to the entire barnyard… because he was sneezing on them, coughing on them, etc. (I don’t know the name & I can’t find where he put his books. I’ll post the name when he tells me where he put his books.) Purple Death is a little much for the 8 yo, IMO. It sort of scares him. However, it has spurred his interest and awareness. The book he picked out today certainly hit the nail on the head.
My husband also buys and reads TIME magazine books to my 8 yo grandson. Then, he looks through them… pours over them… for hours! They have been reading and rereading, “Nature’s Extremes”, for months. It’s about hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanoes, comets, avalanches, sandstorms, wilfires, tsunamis, comets, etc. Awesome photography! My husband utilizes the opportunity to plug science lessons in while reading. My grandson will look through the newspaper hunting for photos of extreme nature stuff, and he will come bolting from out of nowhere when something is mentioned on the news, yelling: “Hey! I know about that!”
Scholastic has a book series, “Detective Academy.” All of my grandsons love this book series.
Eyewitness books have a series of books, about everything! My grandsons LOVE the “SPY” book. They love anything about spies, etc. Including Hardy Boys and Encyclopedia Brown.
“Snake Dictionary”, by Scholastic, is a favorite of all my grandsons… ages 4–11. (The 13 year old has “outgrown” this book, but loved it when he was younger.)
I don’t know the name of the books, but there is a series of “I Spy” books. Things are hidden and you have to find the stuff. The favorite of these books is the one where everything is made from “something”… like a building is made of combs, cookies, cards, etc. The stuff is always old, antique kind of stuff that makes up the “picture.” I personally can’t find any of these books. All 12 of my grandkids love these books… especially that hard to find kind. (If anybody knows how to find that series, I would greatly appreciate the info!) The g’kids will pour over those books for hours hunting stuff… and trying to find stuff not asked or nobody else can find. Honestly, I love those books too!
Oh yeah, Lady Bird books has a series of How Thing Work books--- like radio, camera, electricity, etc. They are simple enough for a younger child to grasp, yet detailed enough to “grow into.”
And, Scholastic has a series of How Stuff Is Made books--- like How Ketchup is Made, What Happens at a Cannery, etc.
I am not sure of the reader level but Wrinkle in Time has been my favoite for more years than I can remember. All of my kids and most of the grandkids read it as well as my husband and sister. It is an alltime favorite.
Kathy in Fl mentioned my first pick for prepper’s fiction for children, Swiss Family Robinson. I loved Carol Ryrie Brink’s Caddie Woodlawn and the sequel Magical Melons about a farm family in the 1800s. Caddie is a girl, but has two brothers that are always included in her adventures. Caddie Woodlawn was a Newberry Medal Award winner, if I remember correctly.
Enough Already — I’m sure I’ve seen the “I Spy” series of books at our local Barnes & Noble. In addition, you may be interested in the “Look Alikes” set of books — perhaps that’s what you are refering to when you talk about old items making up the entire picture. Check it out at Amazon.