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Books for a very able 7 year old boy

29 replies

umptyflump · 02/04/2018 13:15

We've come to a halt with accelerated reader at school as DS has now reached level 5.6 and there are no 'lower years' books left. We have an agreement with school that he will carry on with his own reading and take those books into school, but he's exhausted his own well-stocked shelves and those from the library. We sometimes struggle with moving on to harder books as the subject matter can often be ahead of him emotionally. Anyone have any inspiration?

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shouldwestayorshouldwego · 02/04/2018 13:20

At 7 ds was reading Harry Potter (the first three), the Hobbit, Helen Moss series, Ali Sparkes, the Wombles, swallows and amazons. Sometimes classics have more challenging vocab. Mainly we just go with what interests him. Non-fiction can be good too.

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missyB1 · 02/04/2018 13:20

Has he tried Enid Blyton? The famous five are great for his age, she also did several other similar series. Ds enjoyed her mystery books and adventure books.

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umptyflump · 02/04/2018 13:22

He's read the Wombles and the Moomins. I've not given him Harry Potter as I thought it might be scary, but I could be wrong there. I have the whole Swallows and Amazons series, so we could try that.

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umptyflump · 02/04/2018 13:23

He's read most of the Famous Five now, and all my other old Blytons. We're ordering some more of those from library. He goes through 5+ per week!

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Tottyandmarchpane1 · 02/04/2018 13:24

Have you tried the David Walliams books? My very able 7 now 8 year old was reading them and still loves them

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umptyflump · 02/04/2018 13:25

He's read them all Totty. I am encouraging re-reading now though!

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Scrabblingforsanity · 02/04/2018 13:26

Alex rider series?

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BevBrook · 02/04/2018 13:29

The Children of Green Knowe and other Green Knowe books if he likes that one
The Narnia books
The Willard Price adventure books - some of it is a bit dated now, eg they are catching animals for zoos and that makes them good guys, but I enjoyed them at that age
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and other Roald Dahls
The Treehouse books (XX-storey Treehouse)
The Phantom Tollbooth
My almost eight year old is currently reading Percy Jackson - it's a bit old for him but he seems to be enjoying it. He has also liked the Wimpy Kid and Tom Gates books.

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bsmirched · 02/04/2018 13:30

My 7 year old is now on the last Harry Potter.

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umptyflump · 02/04/2018 13:30

They seem a bit 'old' scrabbling? Theme wise, rather than language I mean.

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BevBrook · 02/04/2018 13:31

Oh, Stig of the Dump as well. King Arthur and Robin Hood stories.

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umptyflump · 02/04/2018 13:34

Green Knowe good idea Bev. I have them somewhere. He's on with the Treehouse books and has read most Dahls. I think I will give him Harry Potter to get stuck into bsmirched. Might slow the pace down if it is harder to read, so that will save me some cash.

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umptyflump · 02/04/2018 13:34

I'd forgotten Stig!

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yikesanotherbooboo · 02/04/2018 13:35

Books written before about 1975 , but written with children in mind tend to have appropriate content( give or take a few rather dubious sexist ideas) but harder language, consider books by Edith Nesbit, Noel Streatfeild , Laura Ingalls Wilder etc. Look at reading lists and publishing lists from years ago. It will stretch him . Make sure he is reading a variety of books , so he can browse information books as well.

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umptyflump · 02/04/2018 13:39

He does love non-fiction too. I will have another look at all my old books, as I think I might have dismissed them as being too difficult but you're right yikes - the content was all OK, just the language was harder.

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BevBrook · 02/04/2018 13:41

I agree yikes, at seven/eight I was reading Little Women, The Railway Children, The Borrowers, A Little Princess, What Katy Did, Five Children and It, The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, Tom Sawyer, etc. I can't say I understood every word but I think that's not a bad thing, and a child can live with a little mystery around what manner of food a jumble might be, or how much a crown is worth, or whatever.

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umptyflump · 02/04/2018 13:48

Same here Bev - in a way I'd steered clear of some of those classics thinking that some of the attitudes would be a bit out of date, but I read them all and I didn't turn out too bad. I will revisit. Glad I kept all my old books!

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brilliotic · 03/04/2018 22:46

DS is 7 1/2 so having a think...

Currently he's reading Percy Jackson books. Devoured the first series (5 books) but got a little stuck on the second series, I think it's a bit 'older' so less appealing. The good thing about Percy Jackson is, it got him hooked on Greek mythology, which leads to lots of further options. D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths was the stepping stone to 'real' mythology. Currently reading a child-friendly version of the Odyssey... And once you're into mythology, you can expand to Roman/Egyptian/Norse etc mythologies, and you start realising how much those ancient stories still infuse our everyday lives, language and culture... (you can probably tell I'm a fan!)

Before that we had some Astrid Lindgren, particularly Ronia the Robber's Daughter. And before that, it was Harry Potter. I meant to limit him to the first two, but before I knew it he'd read book three and four too. Now he's impatiently waiting to turn 8 as that's when I said he'd be allowed to read book 5. I'd say the HP books are no challenge per se, the language/writing is pretty simple. From book 4 they become rather long, though. Book 1 is perfectly suitable for a 7yo I'd say, book 2 is seen by many as the scariest, book 3 seems scary for grown-ups but often not so much to children, book 4 is where you get the first deaths (of 'goodies' rather than 'baddies'), and also where themes such as romance begin to crop up.
DS especially enjoyed HP because all his friends where reading it, and all their games were HP inspired. But if that is not the case for you, there is nothing wrong with waiting a bit longer and then perhaps reading them all in one go. Though making DS wait between books 4 and 5 has also meant that he has gone back and re-read, and explored the stories via other media (videogames, audiobooks). Letting him appreciate the books more than if he had just whisked through them all in one go.

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Hiddeninplainsight · 03/04/2018 23:26

My DD read all the HP books by 7, and my DS (who is a less able reader) listened to them on audio. My DS liked A cursed child too. My DD (and now my DS) loved Percy Jackson and all things Rick Riordan. As with HP, my DS followed his sister in audio. The later Percy Jackson books are a little older in that they have some relationship stuff, but they are very harmless. Diana Wynne Jones was one my DD loved post HP and pre PJ. She also enjoyed the Maz Evans books, Narnia, the hobbit and Ali Sparks Shapeshifter and some of the younger Garth Nix books. But she loves the slight fantasy edge and hates Roald Dahl and David Walliams (although she liked Diary of a wimpy kid - but that is her ‘light’ read).

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anxious2017 · 03/04/2018 23:27

Mine started the Warrior Cats series at 7 and I'd addicted.

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anxious2017 · 03/04/2018 23:27

Is*

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JaneGarveykeepsmesane · 05/04/2018 00:15

Journey to the river sea by Eva Ibbotson is great.
Try Katherine Rundell’s The Explorer and Rooftoppers.

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BlueChampagne · 05/04/2018 13:11

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase & sequels
Edge Chronicles
Archie Greene
Michael Morpurgo?

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BlueChampagne · 05/04/2018 13:11

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

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BlueChampagne · 10/04/2018 11:43

How to Train your Dragon series, if he hasn't already read it.

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