Books for School-Age Children

We love good books in this home even though I wouldn’t call myself a reader! The more I read with the girls, the more I realize I never fell in love with reading, probably because the books I read were not that great. I grew up reading Ramona and the Babysitters books—some may like these–I can’t remember if they’re good or not-but they didn’t stir my curiosity for books. I did book reports just to get them done! And I don’t remember reading any book for fun as many others did. I associated reading with school, and reading was anything but fun! But now as an adult, I want my children to love reading. I want them to see how amazing books are–they can teach you so much about anything and everything!!

I want to have avid readers and that only means 1 thing…I am in desperate need of good books! In my search of good books that my oldest can read, I decided I’d create a list of the recommendations I received. I wanted them all to be in one place so that my children can have books to choose from that are entertaining, interesting, and appropriate.

Keep in mind, my oldest read some of them but we are still sifting through many so this is just what was recommended to me not necessarily checked by me

1. A Hive of Busy Bees and the WW sequels
2. A to Z mysteries
3. Abby Hayes
4. According to Humphrey
5. Allison Clough (there is also 8 in the junior series)
6. Amelia Bedelia books
7. American girl books: Felicity, Addy, Kirsten, (Meet Caroline, Meet Kirsten)
8. Andi books (Andi’s pony trouble, Andi’s Fair Surprise, Andi’s Indian Summer)— also known as Circle C adventures
9. Animal Ark series by Ben M Baglio
10. Animal Books
11. Anna Hibbiscus
12. Anne of Green Gables series
13. Betsy series by Carolyn Haywood
14. Betsy-Tacy
15. Billy B Brown books
16. Black Beauty (classic)
17. Box Car Children
18. Caddie Woodlawn
19. Calendar Mysteries
20. Cam Jansen books –these are great for Kindergarten and 1st grade!
21. Circle C Adventures — also known as Andi books
22. Clementine series
23. Corrie Hollister
24. Critter Club books
25. Cul-de-sacs kids
26. Dead Sea Squirrels
27. Dear America Diaries
28. Eight Cousins
29. Elsie Dinsmore (newer series: A Life of Faith)
30. Emily series (L.M. Montgomery)
31. Encyclopedia Brown
32. Fancy Nancy
33. Five Little Peppers
34. Frog and Toad series
35. Geronimo Stilton series (and Thea Stilton series)
36. Glitter Girls*
37. Gogirl series
38. Golden Compass
39. Grandma’s Attic series
40. Greetings from Somewhere series
41. Hank the Cowdog
42. Hardy boys
43. Heidi Heckelbach (she does magic)
44. Henry Huggins series
45. I survived series
46. Ivy and bean
47. Imagination Station
48. Jo’s Boys
49. Journey Fourth (through BJU are wholesome)
50. Judy Bloom books
51. Judy Moody
52. Kate DiCamillo (mercy watson series)
53. Laura Ingills Wilder books ( Little House in the Big Woods, etc)
54. Little Critter books by Mercer meyer
55. Little Women (rest of series: little men, Jo’s boys and
56. Magic Tree House (my reader loved them, my other thought they were ok… Will see about the other kids)
57. Mandie Books (Mandy?)
58. Marguerite Henry books (the horse ones)
59. Meet Caroline
60. Mercy Watson books
61. Mermaid Tales
62. Moody Family series books
63. My Weird School
64. Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew books
65. Natalie*
66. Orphan Train books
67. Owl diaries (pictures on every page — comic bookish— yet still chapter book)
68. Patricia MacLachlan –lots of good ones
69. Princess Academy
70. Princess in Black
71. Princess in Camo (written by Mia Robertson from Duck Dynasty)
72. Prince Warriors
73. Puppy Place books
74. Rachel Yoder series by Wanda Brunstetter
75. Rescue Princesses
76. Sarah Plain and tall
77. Sophie Mouse books
78. Sugar Creek Gang
79. Tales of Sasha
80. The Adventures of Lily Lapp by Suzanne Woods Fisher
81. The Adventures of Rachel Yoder series
82. The Bobbsey Twins
83. The Borrowers Series
84. The Critter Club books
85. The Cupcake Diaries
86. The Green Ember
87. The Mrs. Piggle Wiggle Books
88. The Penderwicks (the audio was recommended to me)
89. The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls
90. The Wellie Wisher books
91. Three Cousins Detective Club Mysteries
92. Too Smart Jones
93. Treasure Island (classic)
94. Trixie Belden
95. Twintuition (4 books from Tia and Tamera Mowry)
96. Wallace and Grace books (owls)
97. Wingfeather Saga
98. Wings of Fire
99. Young Mandie series
100. Zoey and Sassafras books (her and her sidekick cat)

Some books to stay away from:

Junie B. Books (She is very disrespectful and sassy–not our cup of tea.)

Magic tree house (please look at list for more details about it)