I have been reading to my 7yo daughter every night since she was literally born. Small single story books from the kids section of the library aren't enough anymore so we started chapter series a few years ago. We LOVED the wild Robot series, then started up Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events! I know it's kind of a more mature series for her age (especially since we started the series when she had just turned 6) but we don't mind the dark undertones and serious nature of it.
I plan to read The Secret Garden to her next, then a new book I haven't read called A Wolf Called Wander that i hope we like! But we will blow through those books, so I'm looking for a series to read with her! Fiction is preferred, and for obvious reasons: nothing sexual in nature in any part of the book.
I also can't bring myself to read things like the Babysitters club or mystery books.
Thanks for any recommendations!
by TueboEmu315
4 Comments
An anecdote!
My husband recommended the Gardians of Ga’hool series, but i said, nah because there is too much death. He was like, “um, you are reading a *series of Unfortunate Events* where people die in almost every book!
So… maybe I’ll try that series…. eventually… 🤔
The chronicles of Narnia, Percy Jackson, not a series but Tuck Everlasting is an amazing one off book
Do you know there’s a prequel series? *All The Wrong Questions* has four main books, plus a book of short stories. It’s told by Lemony Snicket when he’s in his earliest days at VFD. It’s at least as good as – maybe better – than *Unfortunate Events*. Highly recommended!
There’s also a later book – *Poison for Breakfast* – which a 7-year-old will be able to appreciate, but which is really geared at a slightly older, more philosophical age group. Loads of fun for you though!
I’ll also recommend *The Chronicles of Prydain* by Lloyd Alexander. It’s impossibly sweet and charming. My kids loved them and even my wife loved them when she then dived into them. They feature a brave, somewhat magical princess, an Assistant Pig-Keeper who goes on adventures, and, perhaps most importantly, a Gurgi.
My 7 year old really enjoyed Dealing with Dragons and its sequels (Patricia Wrede). It’s a fun subversion of the traditional fairy tale tropes.
We also both really enjoyed the book The Ogress and the Orphans.
If she likes The Secret Garden, then Mandy by Julie Andrews (yes, that Julie Andrews!) will probably also be a hit. It was one of my favorites growing up and my daughter also loved it.
The Wayside School series are a ton of fun, and Louis Sachar has written a bunch of other great books too. Kate DiCamillo is also wonderful.
Oh! We also loved the Moomin series (Finn Family Moomintroll is a great starting place – it’s charming and surreal!). And they’re super short, but she also loved the Catwings series by Ursula K. Le Guin (they’re good for independent reading too).