Choosing books for a 9 years old girl

[hdevasco]

Hi there,

My family lived in the USA for 6 years and now we moved back to our home country. My daughter was 8 years old when we moved back and she loves to read in English. I want to keep her love for English literature, and for that I need your help! Please, can you suggest great books for a 4th grader?

Thank you!

[love4books]

If you daughter is good with play on words the Geronimo Stilton series are very funny. They are about a mouse named Geronimo who usually finds himself in odd places. He runs a news paper called The Rodent's Gazette and likes to search for "stories" to write about. None of the stories we have read have been really scary. They do have many cute illustrations. One example of the play on words is the title for book #9 .. A Fabumouse Vacation For Geronimo. These books also do not have to be read in order which can be a plus sometimes!
Another popular series are the Junie B. Jones books. They are actually geared for younger readers then 4th graders however, when I am in at our school I see many still checking them out!
My daughter also likes Judy Moody books. She is an extremely avid reader and I can not keep up with her readings anymore! Judy Moody books are suppose to be similar to Junie B. Jones. They are a bit thicker then the Junie B. Jones and my daughter seems to enjoy them.
New to the list for us a year ago was Katie Kazoo. Barnes and Nobles provides a great summer reading program where children can receive a free book if they read 8 books through the summer. Barnes and Nobles had Katie Kazoo as one of the books that could be selected as free. My daughter really didn't like the looks of it but soon changed her mind after reading it! We now have almost the complete set. They are about a little girl who wishes to be anyone else one day while in class at school...and Her wish comes true! These books are very cute, I would suggest reading the first one before other numbers in the series so you get the whole reason as to why Katie wishes to be anyone else!
We also enjoy books written by Beverly Cleary. Judy Blume also writes many wonderful books that children can easily relate to. She is an author that I always loved as a child and it is wonderful to see that children today still feel the same about her!
I could write many more suggestions but these are a few that you could look into. It would help to know what type of books your daughter enjoys reading.

love4books

[PEGSmom]

I have to agree with the above list, my daughther (9 years old) loves Junie B. Jones, Judy Moody, Cam Jansen and the Beverly Cleary books. ( I especially like Beverly Cleary's Ramona books). If she would like some great books that have a bit of American history (or really historical fiction) the American Girl series books are wonderful. They offer great stories with good values and role models for girls. They also may be a nice keepsake for her to remember her time here in America.

[hdevasco]

Love4books and PEGSmom, thank you so much! My daughter loves mystery and adventure books! She used to read Junie B. Jones and loved it! She has some that we brought with us. She also loves Magic Tree House series. It has been a while since the last time she asked me to buy a Junie B. book, and I thought that she lost interest. I should try the Geronimo Stilton series and Katie Kazoo. Those will be new for her, and I hope she will love it! Love4books, my daughter is an avid reader too and it is hard to keep up with her reading in two languages! PEGSmom, I really have to get some American Girl books for her! I really appreciate the time you two took to help me! Thanks...

[PEGSmom]

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hdevasco wrote:
Love4books and PEGSmom, thank you so much! My daughter loves mystery and adventure books! She used to read Junie B. Jones and loved it! She has some that we brought with us. She also loves Magic Tree House series. It has been a while since the last time she asked me to buy a Junie B. book, and I thought that she lost interest. I should try the Geronimo Stilton series and Katie Kazoo. Those will be new for her, and I hope she will love it! Love4books, my daughter is an avid reader too and it is hard to keep up with her reading in two languages! PEGSmom, I really have to get some American Girl books for her! I really appreciate the time you two took to help me! Thanks...

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How could I have forgotten about the Magic Tree House books? My daughter LOVED them too!!! In the future the Babysitter's Club may be a nice series to try too. I hope she likes what you pick for her. Let us know! Good Luck!!!

Message Edited by PEGSmom on 09-19-2007 03:35 PM

[love4books]

hdevasco,
For some mystery books you could try Carole Marsh Mysteries. These books are interesing as they take place in real existing places. I must confess, we only have one of the books and haven't read much if it. Ours is book 11 The Mystery at Disney World. The books about 150 pages. Short chapters with clues at the bottom of the pages. Some of these books may be of interest to your daughter since there are many that take place in or about famous places in the United States such as The Mystery of the Underground Railroad and The Whitehouse Christmas Mystery.
We also like the Chet Gecko Mystery books. They are not too intense and have a bit of humor. Chet is a Lizard Detective in his elementary school his side kick partner...a bird. Cam Jansen books are also good. They are about the same thickness and print as Junie B. Jones. When I was growing up I always liked Encyclopedia Brown books and the Hardy Boys. Many girls are getting into the Nancy Drew series. I should check one out at the library and read it as an adult. When I was younger for some reason I didn't care for them as much as I did The Hardy Boys. What I actually remember reading around 11 were the Trixie Beldon mystery books. Barnes and Noble started carrying these I think a couple of years ago.

love4books

[platinumpink]

Try Little House, Beverly Cleary or Narnia.

[Ebeth]

Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery

Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan, all by E.B. White

Dear America series, books written in diary form from many different eras of American history.

[Timbuktu1]

I read my daughter Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. It was slow in the beginning but by the end she cried that it was over. It's a lot like Anne of Green Gables but was written first. My daughter loved the American Girl series and gave her a good background in American History. All the books are written about 9 year old girls who are just about to turn l0 so your daughter would relate to them. There's also a series of diaries about historical women, forgot the name exactly, but my daughter feels she know Elizabeth the I because she read her diary! Just wonderful. Harry Potter books, of course, were much beloved. Little House on the Prairie books were wonderful because they were written with kids in mind (instilling values of respect and honesty and hard work). I think 9 is THE age to fall in love with reading.

[MDS]

Hi.  If you would like a "new read,"  I've recently written and published a fantasy novel for 10-16 year olds, entitled NEVAEH (there's several out there mine's by Sanford).  (I'm a former 4th grade Language Arts teacher and wrote the novel specifically for 4th to 6th graders).   If you're interested you can check it out at Barnes & Noble.com.   

Does anyone know of any good books to help young children learn to share?   My 4 year old is having a great deal of difficulty sharing with his baby sister....

[SAD3]

Your 9-year-old will find excitement, intrigue and purpose in a novel just released in March 2008 by Randall House. The title is A Promise for Tomorrow. Here is a brief synopsis:

            A small Alabama town in the mid-50's.  A lazy summer afternoon.  No concerns for Fannie Lea except her dreadful name.  No concerns, that is, until she and her brother trespass on Boyd's property.  Then, it's a grip around the waist, a knife to her throat and Boyd's breath, a smell like spoiled cabbage laced with tobacco and licorice.

            Soon Flea (short for Fannie Lea) discovers secrets regarding other Sugar Hill residents.  She learns the mystery behind Boyd's locked upstairs room and, eventually, places her life in danger to save a soul more helpless than she. The novel may be order from online stores such as www.amazon.com or from the publisher at: 1-800-877-7030.

[love4books]

  I forgot to mention Hank Zipzer books.  We have a few of these and they are very funny. To me they sort of remind me of Ready Freddie books but a bit older.  As an adult I find this series a great accomplishment for Henry Winkler.

love4books

[ConnieAnnKirk]

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love4books wrote:

  I forgot to mention Hank Zipzer books.  We have a few of these and they are very funny. To me they sort of remind me of Ready Freddie books but a bit older.  As an adult I find this series a great accomplishment for Henry Winkler.

love4books

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I haven't read the books myself, but I can tell you that Henry Winkler is beloved by the children's writers' community.

[love4books]

  We have a few of them on the shelf.  I have only read 2 but both have been pretty funny.  I can't remember if it is in the second or third book that the readers learn the main character (Hank) has a learning disorder (dyslexic). 

   I think the series is fabulous so far and encourage kids to read them.  I have explained to my daughter what dyslexic is and that the author also has this problem.  Henry Winkler is a wonderful example of what a person can do when they put their mind and heart into something. 

love4books

[beautyKM]

1.  Amercian Girl series books are for all ages of girls including cranky 13 year olds take my advice my daughters 9 and 13 love them they just cant wait until more come out i buy as much asi can for them thats how much they love them if you have a 9 or 13 year old you should get them some the series and if they like them than buy some more thats what i did they had me spending all of my money i even got them the bookmarks that says american girl and it shows one of there characters and shows the summary of the book theve just kept begging me for that book!!!                                                                                                                        Sincerly,Karen Moreno