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We've been having a hard time getting Tova to read books, rather than comic books. Tonight, I finally found out why. It's the action and adventure and excitement. She's in third grade, but she is definitely not a Little House on the Prairie girl. The only part she liked of The Secret Garden was the sneaking around and danger of getting caught.
Right now, I'm reading her Dragonsong, and she's really into it (Menolly just watched the Hatching during Threadfall, which was pretty exciting), but McCaffery's language is a bit on the advanced level for her.
She'd probably like science fiction, since her favorite comics are the old Legion of Superheroes ones from before the Five Years Later story-line, but she's really into swords and swashbuckling. The other day, she brought home The Indian in the Cupboard from school, and slammed through all 227 pages in a day.
I'm going to pull out my copy of Escape to Witch Mountain tomorrow, which is all chase-y and danger-y, but I was wondering if I could get some recommendations here. Any thoughts?
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The Redwall series might be good. Quite swashbuckling at times. Brian Jacques also has a few other books that are pretty good if I remember correctly. Something about a Flying Dutchman. I haven't touched the books in years, but I loved them when I was younger.
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IIRC there are several sequels to Indian in the Cupboard too.
What about some of the Jules Verne books (20000 Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Around the World in 80 Days)?
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I really liked the Matthew Looney books when I was about that age or a little younger.
And the Big Little Books are a good bridge between comics and conventional books, when you can find 'em...
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The Swiss Family Robinson! I distinctly remember recommending that my teacher recommend that the whole class read it since I liked it so well.
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At that age, my kids liked the Harry Potter books (but I believe book 4 and on get very dark). They were always reading something.
Sometimes, when I hoped to get the classics in them, (but the actual books were too large and intimidating) we would get audio cassettes or CDs. The spoken word sometimes was a little easier to absorb than the written. They enjoyed such things as Around the World in 80 Days, the 3 Muskateers, Sherlock Holmes, The Illyid(sp?) and the Oddessy, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, GWTW, Alaska, etc. Perfect for a summer vacation.
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I liked Artemis Fowl. I'd also recommend The Egypt Game -- I remember it being pretty tense. There's also a sequel to it that I never read.
Island of the Blue Dolphins was pretty good too, but (and this is a distant memory of when I read it) I think the language might be a bit dry.
Hatchet and its sequels are also really great. Gary Paulsen is pretty much a hit.
I really loved Bearstone and its sequel, Beardance, I was 12 or so before I read them but I don't think they'd be beyond the capabilities of a 9-10 year old.
James and the Giant Peach is a classic, and Matilda was a particular favorite of mine.
The Black Pearl by Scott O'Dell is also great.
Also anything by Judy Bloom.
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If you can get it in the US, Emily Rodda's Rowan of Rin series are a great adventure series, and good for that age group. As are the Deltora Quest books.
<edit>Also, swords and swashbuckling makes me think of Treasure Island, Black Arrow, Kidnapped and other Robert Louis Stevensen novels. Also, Swiss Family Robinson is pretty adventurous.</edit>
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In the end it wasn't even called 'The Dark is Rising'. That was just the subtitle.
The title of the movie was 'The Seeker'. Any similarities to the book seemed to be entirely coincidental. The makers of the movie (may they be cursed unto the seventh generation) were clearly not fans of their source material.
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Redwall Animorphs (easy to read and follow, but with enough "grown up" themes to be thoughtful) Enchanted Forest Chronicles The Blue Sword & The Hero and the Crown The Dark is Rising series
And I'll add:
The Pit Dragon Trilogy by Jane Yolen Pretty much anything by Bruce Coville Anything by Gordon Korman published before, oh, about 1995 (he jumped the shark in a terrible way) Castle in the Attic and sequel, The Battle for the Castle
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I think Pit Dragon may be too advanced for a 3rd grader...if McCafferey's stuff is, then I think this one will be too. Maybe not...but check it out first, Lisa.
Great books, but 3rd grade is only 8 or 9, and I think maybe 2-3 years too young for that trilogy.
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