Books that are long/hard but suitable for younger kids (age 7)

[Highreadingability]

Hi

My son (7) is an avid reader and books are his safe thing. It’s what he does to wind down and he reads a 200+ page book most evenings. No intention of this being a humble brag (son is likely neurodivergent and is absolutely terrible at maths and sport).

He has read a lot of the better known books that seem aimed at younger kids but are a decent length (How to Train Your Dragon, first couple of Harry Potter, Roald Dahl, Dragon Realm, Peanut Jones are examples of what he’s read recently.) and I’m finding more and more that the books I’m pulling off the shelves at the library to skim through are pretty dark/obviously aimed at older kids.

Please could you give any suggestions for me to look at?

Has he read many classics? Enid Nesbit etc.

Go for the classics - Michael Bond’s Paddington Stories, Swallows & Amazons series, The Railway Children, Water Babies, Just William series by Richmal Compton is fantastic and there are loads of them.

Recent longer books I've read to my DD who is 6 include the Nizrana Farook books (eg the girl who lost a leopard), the tale of Angelino Brown by David Almond and the Thames and Tide Club.

The book trust website also has a way of seeing the reading age and interest age of books which I find helpful.

Dark is rising series?

Oh also just remembered - try Katherine Rundell - The Explorers and The Good Thieves are brilliant (I read them
to my 6 yo recently).

Oh DD loved her so much when she was younger so I second this! Her all time favourite childhood book is still Rooftoppers (it is an excellent book).

He sounds similar to my DS2 (8). He's currently really enjoying the Warrior Cats books by Erin Hunter. There are about 25 of them!

I was going to say E. Nesbit.
Narnia?
Enid Blyton? Plenty to chose from. Some of those for younger children don't take much reading, but The Faraway Tree and The Wishing Chair are really original and imaginative. The Adventure series is aimed at older children and the books are longer reads.
The Hobbit, if he's coped with the first two Harry Potter?

But I think you need to beware that his reading ability doesn't outstrip his understanding. Even the Swallows and Amazons series has some quite complex dilemmas - what Titty does about the GA in Swallowdale, for example.

Eva Ibbotson - Which witch, Journey to the River Sea, Secret of Platform 13

I was similar at that age, I loved the Redwall series by Brian Jacques.

Wow I am also neurodivergent and when I was 7 I had no interest in reading because I found it too taxing and had processing issues but we are all different

Older books are probably your friend - how about the sheep pig or wind in the willows (has to be said the latter is a lot duller than I remember it though!).

He might like the Mr Penguin books, although may race through them quite quickly.

If he likes graphic style books my son really enjoyed things like the treehouse books, tin tin and asterix at that age.

The Hobbit.
The Narnia Chronicles
The Terry Pratchett Discworld books aimed at younger readers, centred on Tiffany Aching (possibly - I think they'd be better for an older child from the point of view of understanding more of the themes). However, TP also wrote some other books that be excellent for a younger child, which are listed here (scroll down a bit). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Pratchett#Works

Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass
Tom's Midnight Garden
The Edge Chronicles

Second the recommendation of Swallows and Amazons, my favourite children's stories of all time.

The Children of Green Knowe and sequels, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and sequels (the sequels are much better in my opinion!), maybe the Willard Price adventure books although I don’t know if they have aged well

Not many classics, it’s hard to find these nowadays without the tiniest of text (I’m talking too small for me to read comfortably) but it’s probably worth persevering!

Katherine Rundell, Eva Ibbotsen, Ben Davies, Frank Cottrell Boyce (my own favourite), Narnia

Enid Blyton secret seven or famous five? Horrid Henry books?

Agreed, but I first read S&A at 7 and absolutely loved them. I remember vividly reading the first few pages of Missee Lee and thinking that I didn't understand many of the words, but it didn't matter, I could just about work out what was going on and I was hooked.

Thanks! We’ve read the Paddington series and he surprised himself by loving them (he opened by saying how babyish he thought Paddington was).

I’ll be investigating the classics tonight as a few have mentioned them (and because I’m evidently uneducated I haven’t read them myself!).

He will probably love Just William. I adore them now as an adult. And the audiobooks read by Martin Jarvis are hilarious!

He’s read the Nizrana Farouk books (and loved The Boy Who Met a Whale) and ill look into the other suggestions.

Having potential authors to start with really helps!

The Book Trust website is one we’ve looked at, but to get books of a suitable length/level we’re often at 10+ age and some of that borders on unsuitable content (generally OK though!).

Join world of books for second hand books unless he reads kindle

My dad took me to the library every week I read swallows and Amazon's. Famous five, secret seven. Dad let me choose my own after a quick check

I remember reading that at school when I was in year 6 and finding it heavy going (but can’t remember the content).

I might give it a go with him to see what he makes of it!

Also My Father’s Dragon trilogy and ‘the boy who swam with piranhas’ and ‘Charlotte’s Web’

Go for older books like
Railway children
101 dalmations
5 children & it
paddington (there are more than you think!)
Narnia
Pippi Longstocking
Mary Poppins

For modern books I would look at (all series)
Dragon Rider (& the other younger Cornelia Funk)
Goblins (David Melling)
Tuesdays at the castle
The Vanderbeekers
The Penderwicks (earlier books only)