# Book suggestions for 8 year old daughter..



## ValeriGail (Jan 21, 2010)

My kiddos have been assigned reading time every day after school, which I LOVE!  I'm a heavy reader, and can always be found with my kindle app loaded up generally. But the kids... They've been fighting reading despite mine and their father's examples.  They would rather drain their brain watching tv.  . 

I've got lots of books that interest my 10 year old twin boys, as I have an 18 year old that loves reading and thankfully they like all of his old books (plus their dad's books, which are pretty much the same lol).  But my 8 year old daughter, I'm having a hard time finding books for her. It seems the books are either really childish or too "teen".  

I just ordered a set of the "Never Girls" and am hoping those will sit well. Any other suggestions?


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## Rich Amooi (Feb 14, 2014)

Hi Valeri!  

I don't know too much about children's books, but I asked my wife for you and this is what she came up with:

1. The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell. (for boys and girls)
2. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (more for girls but this book is a treasure)
3. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (for animal lovers, especially dogs. They made a movie out of this book)
4. Half Magic by Edward Eager (part of a series: Tales of Magic). For those who like fantasy and magic, both boys and girls.)

Rich


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Impossible to say what your daughter would like without knowing more about her. I'd suggest you take her to the library and have her talk to a librarian who has a good handle on what's available. Let the librarian talk to her about what she likes and suggest books. Or just let her roam the stacks and pick out what looks good. And you know what, if she picks out something, starts it, and says she doesn't like it -- that's useful too. Don't just make her finish it; get her to articulate what she didn't like -- it'll help guide her to something she will like. I'd also suggest you read _with_ her so you can discuss things. Make it special mother/daughter time that is _different_ to what you do with her older brothers who probably get all sorts of attention from the world for being twins. 

For a specific Kindle recommendation: Stone and Silt by our own Harvey Chute -- this board's owner and admin. It's a non scary mystery set in 19th century Canada -- Vancouver area during 'gold rush' times. The main character is an 11 year old girl and very well drawn as Harvey had plenty of experience to draw on, having raised his own 3 girls.

Me: as a kid I loved Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, pretty much anything that said there was a mystery! Books I read then that stuck with me are _Island of the Blue Dolphins_, _The Red Pony_, _The Secret of the Old Post Box_, the _Misty of Chincoteague_ series.


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## Adrian P (Aug 5, 2014)

Hm...I had a simplified version of *2,000 Leagues Under the Sea* that I read around that time.
Also, *From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler* might be good for her. 
It's hard for me to remember off the top of my head exactly what level those two were at, but they should be in the ballpark.


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

Like Ann said it really depends on what she likes and where she is reading wise. If she wants a little younger read The Babysitter's Club is a great series and geared towards a younger audience. If she loves mythology they the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan is fabulous. 
The Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson is great.
The Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull.

I really don't know what she would like so I guess finding that out first is a good place to start and then go from there.


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## ValeriGail (Jan 21, 2010)

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. You've given me a good range of ideas to start with.  

I'm not exactly sure myself what she's interested in. She is displaying really weird reading behavior right now. Her reading level is right on the mark for where it should be for her age/grade level  but when she is given the choice of reading materials, she wants to read very simple 1st reader books or early reader books.  I'm not sure if it's the simplicity that they offer, because it's not the story line that's for sure.  When we go to a book store or a library, this is what she gravitates to. When I give her free reign in the kindle store, same thing. She wants me to pick her up the easy readers.  I want her reading chapter books more fitting to her reading level.  When I ask her questions, she goes quiet.  I know she enjoys the chapter books because we have reading time together several times a week, and she reads along with me.  But on most of the nights she's on her own, she chooses the simpler books. I've often wondered if it has to do with all of the importance they are placing on reading and story structure right now at school, and this is her way of stepping away from all of the noise and still getting to read?  I don't know.  All I know is she's been reading words since she was tiny and now she  seems to be regressing in her reading choices. 

Some things she's enjoyed have been : Ann of green gables (we are working our way through all of these, I'm reading them to her with the hope that she will start reading them on her own), the flower girl club books, pretty much anything about princesses or mermaids. I can't tell you how many books I've read about both those over the years.  . I'm hoping she will start opening her mind a bit. Maybe a princess with magic powers? Know what I mean!  

Anyway! Thanks again.  If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to keep posting them.


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## Alba Arango author (Dec 29, 2012)

Since she's 8, she's right at the beginning of middle grade fiction. My personal favorites for the age group are the Percy Jackson series, or, if you dare, Harry Potter (which is considered middle grade not YA, even though the later books seem to cross over). 

However, since you say she tends to lean toward easy readers, maybe something less daunting like The Chronicles of Narnia, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, the Sisters Grimm series, the American Girl series, Escape from Mr Lemoncello's Library, and the Warriors series might be worth looking into.

I love middle grade fiction. It has always been my favorite (and thus, why I write in that genre). Let me know if you would like more suggestions. The NY Times and Amazon best seller lists are good to see what's trending now by age group.


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

If she likes mermaid stories she might like the Emily Windsnap series by Liz Kessler it is right for her age group and they have good ratings.


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## madelyneld (Aug 27, 2014)

If you go to the Scholastic website, you could use their Book Wizard to find books at the reading level you want.

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/

I imagine you could search using books and authors you know your daughter likes, to find similar titles.

When I was her age I was reading Nancy Drew books, Susan Cooper's "The Dark Is Rising" series, and anything I could get my hands on where people rode horses.  You could also try Goosebumps, if you think she's up for some suspense/slightly scary stories.


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## nigel p bird (Feb 4, 2011)

My younger daughter has just turned 9. I know that she's recenlty loved books by Michael Morpurgo, that she's really enjoyed the Diary Of A Wimpy Kid books, The Dork Diaries and thinks that anything by David Walliams is amazing. She's currently hooked on When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. 

Good luck!


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## meh (Apr 18, 2013)

If she likes simpler adventure stories, you might want to check out the Magic Treehouse series--my daughter devoured those.


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## RA Books (Jul 10, 2014)

The first three Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett are very good, or Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness series about a female knight. What genres does she like?


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## Lcthulou (Dec 6, 2013)

My 9-yr-old Daughter is about the same as yours: Highly tested, but prefers early readers. She really Loved "Charlotte's Web", and went on to read "The trumpeter Swan" and "Stuart Little."  Could not get her to read any Roald Dahl, though.


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## Jena H (Oct 2, 2011)

Not sure, eight years old might be a bit young, but I think you should put Louisa May Alcott's _Eight Cousins _on her reading list when she's a bit older. It's a wonderful, wholesome book, and I think every kid should read it at least once in their lives.  


Also, have you looked into the *Trixie Belden* books? They might be geared to the 9-12 age, but she's almost there, depending on her reading level.

For her current age, however, I'd look into the Time Warp Trio books.... they're fun and even a little bit educational. But mostly fun.


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

Hi Valerie,
When my girls were around that age they loved the 'Sophie' books by Dick King-Smith. Do you know of them? (I've just looked here, but perhaps they aren't available as Kindle versions) They're a fairly easy read and Sophie is a great character - very feisty! Ramona the Pest by Beverley Cleary is an entertaining series about an eight-year old of a different sort...

Then there are all the Roald Dahl books. My favourite at that age were Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach, but there are lots more!

Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is a really good read by Robert C. O'Brien and while we're talking about animals, Livi Michael has a great series of books about Frank the Hamster.

The Wimpy Kid books by Jeff Kinney seem to be popular with both girls and boys and David Walliams has written a few that she might like, too.

Hope some of that will be of help to you!

Helen


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## Ros_Jackson (Jan 11, 2014)

How about Linda Medley's Castle Waiting graphic novels? Because they're graphic novels they probably pass the easy reader test, and there's at least one princess and a fairytale castle.

http://www.amazon.com/Castle-Waiting-Vol-Linda-Medley/dp/1606996029/


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## WordNinja (Jun 26, 2014)

How about the Little House on the Prairie books? Although honestly, as long as she's reading, I wouldn't worry too much that she's not gravitating toward chapter books yet for reading on her own. It's a transitional time.


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## ValeriGail (Jan 21, 2010)

She actually brought home a magic tree house book last week from the school library, coached toward the book by her teacher. .  She enjoyed it so much that she is now on her third book. I'm pretty excited. 

Thank you, everyone, for all the suggestions. I've noted them all down in a list and even looked at a good majority of them with her. She's a stubborn bird though, and has the need to do it on her own.. So her finding the joy in the magic tree house books on her own with out my prompting is really something.  It is wonderful to see her blossoming in this area.


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## R. M. Webb (Jul 24, 2014)

These might not be girly enough, but I've had amazing success getting 2 reluctant seven year olds to read with the Captain Underpants books and some Minecraft books... The Amazing Adventures of Steve. My daughter loves the Spirit Animals series, but she's older and those books might be intimidating if your daughter is leaning towards the simpler books.


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

ValeriGail said:


> She actually brought home a magic tree house book last week from the school library, coached toward the book by her teacher. . She enjoyed it so much that she is now on her third book. I'm pretty excited.
> 
> Thank you, everyone, for all the suggestions. I've noted them all down in a list and even looked at a good majority of them with her. She's a stubborn bird though, and has the need to do it on her own.. So her finding the joy in the magic tree house books on her own with out my prompting is really something. It is wonderful to see her blossoming in this area.


Well, maybe this is the key. Maybe she really wants to pick her own books. Some kids get totally turned off from the magic of reading by being forced to read things in school that they don't enjoy. Having been tortured by the _Red Badge of Courage_ and a few others that I absolutely HATED, I can relate! Sometimes we try too hard with our kids, when what we really need to do is sit back and let them show us the way...


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## ValeriGail (Jan 21, 2010)

Maria Romana said:


> Well, maybe this is the key. Maybe she really wants to pick her own books. Some kids get totally turned off from the magic of reading by being forced to read things in school that they don't enjoy. Having been tortured by the _Red Badge of Courage_ and a few others that I absolutely HATED, I can relate! Sometimes we try too hard with our kids, when what we really need to do is sit back and let them show us the way...


Her doing things on her own has always been the key, and finding the balance where I'm able to step back parentally and allow it, has been hard. I am also just as stubborn though, so I know where she is coming from. I'm very much an introvert who needs my own time, my own space, my own things, my own way, which is to say I understand her moods... So I kind of lay the ground work, and let her walk the path. I'm just very relieved and excited that she has a teacher this year that also understands, and is working with her and guiding her instead of pushing her as others have done.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

My daughter is very fond of the Girls to the Rescue series. Here's a link to a sample short story. http://www.amazon.com/Girls-Rescue-sample-story-Royal-ebook/dp/B005JSREOI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1412881910&sr=1-1&keywords=girls+to+the+rescue

She liked it a lot, so I bought her the Girls to the Rescue 7-book bundle. Each book has about 10-12 stories. http://www.amazon.com/Girls-Rescue-Bundle-Books-1-7-ebook/dp/B00570B606/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1412881910&sr=1-4&keywords=girls+to+the+rescue


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

I would recommend _Lewis Carroll_'s *Alice Through the Looking Glass*, where everything is backwards. I liked it much better than *Wonderland*, which seemed at times like a nightmare come to life! *Looking Glass* has a lot of humor and logic in it which might appeal to an 8 year old. For instance: the prisoner sentenced to jail waiting trial for a crime he had not yet committed. As Alice says to the White Queen, "What if he never commits the crime?" to which the White Queen replies: "Well, that's all to the better, isn't it?"

_Beverly Cleary_'s *Ramona* series is a lot of fun for that age group. And I second the suggestion of *Charlotte's Web* by _E. B. White_. For every child who ever bonded with an animal and everyone who has ever lost a friend; it speaks to hearts as few books ever have.


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## KateEllison (Jul 9, 2011)

I second the Harry Potter suggestion. When I was 8 I was devouring Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown. Maybe she might enjoy mysteries geared toward middle graders?


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

I forgot to mention the Clarice Bean books by Lauren Child. Quirky and entertaining!

She might also like to have a look at the various 'Mr Gum' books by Andy Stanton and Livi Michael's 'Frank the Hamster' books - lots of light-hearted fun...


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## JesseOlson (Oct 18, 2014)

The Giving tree.  This book is great and will stick with them till their and adult.  I have two rat cousins and they were raised by a wealthy family who has lost their money.  Yet they still seem to ask for more and more and don't want to work.  I had my aunt give them this book at the age of 33.  I thought that was pretty funny but extremely accurate.


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## dkgould (Feb 18, 2013)

ValeriGail said:


> I'm not exactly sure myself what she's interested in. She is displaying really weird reading behavior right now. Her reading level is right on the mark for where it should be for her age/grade level but when she is given the choice of reading materials, she wants to read very simple 1st reader books or early reader books. I'm not sure if it's the simplicity that they offer, because it's not the story line that's for sure. When we go to a book store or a library, this is what she gravitates to. When I give her free reign in the kindle store, same thing. She wants me to pick her up the easy readers. I want her reading chapter books more fitting to her reading level. When I ask her questions, she goes quiet. I know she enjoys the chapter books because we have reading time together several times a week, and she reads along with me. But on most of the nights she's on her own, she chooses the simpler books.


 My daughter was doing the same thing. It turned out that she was really drawn to the artwork in the simpler books and thought the chapter books were "boring" because she wanted pictures. I have some very nicely illustrated Perrault's fairy stories books and an illustrated version of Alice in Wonderland from when I was a kid, so I gave them to her and she ripped through them in a few nights. So now I know it isn't really that she doesn't like the story but that the pictures are a big part of her enjoyment. After we started finding longer books with pictures, she started being okay with the books that had fewer and fewer pictures and now will read a chapter book without any (though she still very much enjoys the illustrated ones). Just a thought, hopefully your daughter finds the book that "clicks" for her


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