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Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

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

104 replies

Highreadingability · 20/10/2024 18:34

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?

OP posts:
Ineffable23 · 20/10/2024 20:31

I absolutely consumed Enid Blyton at that age, and Mary Poppins, and the Borrowers. Not sure when I read swallows and Amazons - some of it definitely went over my head the first time.

Nancy Drew or alternatively the Hardy Boys are also options.

Just William stories as well, and possibly the Jennings books though I am not sure how old I was when I got into them.

In other things that probably went over my head, I started on Sherlock Holmes around the age of 8 and enjoyed them immensely.

I also just learnt to put up with incredibly tiny text but I am also now horrendously short sighted so maybe that was an error. Massively increases the range of available books though.

What about the early Artemis Fowl books? I feel like later on they might be a bit much but the first few should be okay. Also worth considering the H.I.V.E stories - they're all teenagers in the stories but there isn't much romance etc which can sometimes push the acceptable age of a book up. There are some deaths of good characters in them, I can't remember which books.

The Mysterious Benedict Society might be a good one as well, there is a series of those I think.

I think there was also a series about a girl who could hypnotise people, maybe called Molly Moon or Mollie Moon.

I also read and loved all the Dick King Smith books, with a particular fondness for the book about a talking hen called Pretty Polly I think.

On Polly, Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf and the Milly Molly Mandy books and the Mrs Pepperpot books were also great.

The books I have listed would cover quite a range of ages and some will be much more challenging than others but I consumed books absolutely voraciously as a child and I am firmly of the belief that different books, and different difficulties suit different days.

I still have days where I want to go back and read children's books, I have days when I want to read complex and interesting science books and I have days when I want a chilled out murder mystery.

The key for me is to keep reading and to read widely and some days one might want a more grown up book, others less so. I really struggled with the fact that the books I was physically capable of reading were often much darker than I liked (though interestingly murder mysteries have never really fallen into the dark category, while family misery definitely did).

NoNameIdeas · 20/10/2024 20:46

Has he tried the beast quest books? There are loads and loads and are always a big hit (I'm a teacher). Otherwise if he likes funny books has he read ones by Jeremy strong? Otherwise some of the series by Enid blyton like the mystery ones, or Anthony Horowitz funny stories. Other popular choices are things like dog man and captain underpants but very much depends on their interests/humour!

Newuser75 · 20/10/2024 20:47

My son is older but also an avid reader.
I'm guessing your son has read lots of these but these are some books that mine has enjoyed.
Alex rider
Magnus chase
Percy Jackson
Diary of a wimpy kid
Skander books
Tom gates
Loki series

How about some Greek/norse myth books?
Does he like non fiction?

ChimpanzeeThatMonkeyNews · 20/10/2024 20:47

The Worst Witch books are lovely.

Nice, neat books.

Swearwolf · 20/10/2024 20:58

If he liked the How to Train Your Dragon series has he read The Wizards of Once? It's a shorter series by the same author and has a very similar vibe.

I'd also recommend the Series of Unfortunate Events books.

PolaroidPrincess · 20/10/2024 21:02

Has he read George's Secret Key to the Universe? There is a series if he likes them.

MumonabikeE5 · 20/10/2024 21:02

Swallow and Amazon series?

newtlover · 20/10/2024 21:12

what about the Just So stories?

PuddingAunt · 20/10/2024 21:16

Ivy and Bean series - I did have to buy them, don't think they were in the library. It's about two 7yo girls and is set in the US. So funny and perfectly age-matched.

MissRoseDurward · 20/10/2024 21:16

I absolutely adored the Adventure Series. Read them over and over again.
I also loved Famous 5 but the adventure series was better.

I think the Adventure series characters had greater depth. And I loved Stuart Tresilian's illustrations. I still find them readable today, in fact. Valley was my favourite. (I didn't get that the treasure was Nazi plunder until I was an adult.)

If OP had a DD rather than a DS, I'd be mentioning the Chalet School. I think I was around eight when I started on thse, and there's around fifty of them!

OP, I get what you say about DS's understanding of Kindle vs paper books, but if you can find a way round that, or even for your own enjoyment, you might want to look at Faded Page It's a Canadian site that produces free e-books of titles that are out of copyright in territories where copyright is Life + 50yrs. 😉

fadedpage.com

Fadedpage free eBooks forever

https://www.fadedpage.com/

ladygindiva · 20/10/2024 21:18

snickleback · 20/10/2024 18:49

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

These are great! My eldest DC loved these

HelenaJustina · 20/10/2024 21:19

He will love Just William

If you can’t find big enough print in classics, have you considered a Kindle? Most of the classics are free or have a tiny cost, and you can adjust the size of the font.

Ihatelittlefriendsusan · 20/10/2024 21:20

There is a great second hand book store called Workd of Books that doo lots of offers @Highreadingability

I have an avid reader who is 11, but at 7 I would recommend

Alex Rider
Anything by Onjali Rauf... dd enjoyed The Boy at the back of the Class
Wonder by R J Palacio
Ben Miller's books are great
Wond in the willows
Water Babies

My friends son was into
David Walliams (dd wasn't a fan)
Diary if a Wimpy Kid

Timetoread · 20/10/2024 21:24

Roadl Dahl, classics such as the secret garden, treasure island, alice in wonderland, wizard of oz, jungle book, journey to the river sea, wind in the willows

SummerLightning · 20/10/2024 21:25

Has he read the morrigan crow books by Jessica Townsend? They are like early harry Potter. (But better imo, I love them!)

vanillasky1999 · 20/10/2024 21:25

My son loved Atticus the storyteller Greek myths

SpottySpotSpots · 20/10/2024 21:26

LifeD1lemma · 20/10/2024 18:56

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

To be fair, Richmal Compton originally wrote the Just William books for adults rather than children, so you're likely to "get" them better (I did love them as a child though, but def appreciate the more now - I especially love his Dad trying to hide how amusing he finds his antics!)

lmhj · 20/10/2024 21:34

I understand the battle but I do think there becomes a point where you just have to let him read.

Join a book club.

Obviously avoid anything explicit.

But other than that. Go for it.

I was an 80s child. Read anything and everything.

To this day, cannot stand science fiction type books.

Other than that, I read it.

My first. Kane and Abel. Stolen from my mums bookcase and hidden. At that age. Mum found it. And let me finish.

Adult books and longer child books, go for both.

My brother watched horror films I wouldn't let my children near ever.

Other children play computer games far far too old for them.

Look for "happy" nice authors. Not necessarily children's but good solid books.

Friendships, experiences etc.

RomainingToBeSeen · 20/10/2024 21:38

Have you come across Stuart Gibbs? DS used to love the Spy School series and iirc there was also a Jungle series and a Space series.

Wings of Fire series by Tui T Sutherland was another favourite.

He then went on to Alex Rider and Cherub but there are some more adult themes in some of those I think.

salamithumbs · 20/10/2024 21:54

Molly Moon 1 and 2
The Boy who Grew Dragons series
Mr Majeika series
The 100-mile-an-hour dog series
The Worst Witch series
Magical Children series by Sally Gardner (the invisible boy, the boy who could fly etc)
The Faraway Tree

Oganesson118 · 20/10/2024 21:57

My daughter who is same age and also has a much higher reading age is enjoying Michael Morpurgo books at the moment. The first one she read was Toro Toro Toro

Boriswentcamping · 20/10/2024 21:58

My father's dragon is great - also the wild robot.

onthecoastalpath · 20/10/2024 22:00

Septimus Heap is very good, my DD liked it at seven.

She’s just 8 now and finishing the third Percy Jackson series which she loved.

Talipesmum · 20/10/2024 22:04

PolaroidPrincess · 20/10/2024 21:02

Has he read George's Secret Key to the Universe? There is a series if he likes them.

Yes these are great.
Also Wayside School series are v funny and somewhat wacky