Appropriate Books for Advanced Readers

[MorningStar]

Yesterday we found out that our oldest son in 3rd grade reads at the level of a 9th grader. We were encouraged to have him continue to stretch himself with his reading, but I'm wondering which books would be challenging and also age appropriate.

Also, is there a good site that reviews books and lists objectionable content like there are for movies? That would be really helpful.

Thanks!

[WANDERER]

Google summer vacation reading and reading age. First up on google

Elmer's Glue - TeacherVision.com

I would read them first as it's the only way of knowing whether it is appropriate as different concepts for different kids are inappropriate depending on maturity level.

You can also google: advanced reading 9 year old. It will also bring up lists.

My rule of thumb: 5 new words per short chapter.

I googled: childrens book review content rating: and this one came up.

Facts on Fiction - About Us

Edited September 24, 2008 by WANDERER

[Nappaljarri]

Non Fiction all the way Morning star. He will get enough fiction in his lifetime, but if he takes hold of non fiction young, he will go a long way. My husband went to sleep every night reading encyclopoedias and the dictionary and thesaurus. His first grade teacher said he could be anything he wanted to be, and he is. Another suggestion, to get him hooked on non-fiction is have 2-3 questions for him and a reference in books that he has borrowed from the library. Get him started... He'll come back to you with the answers plus more. Also church literature, books written by prophets are the best, like the RS/priesthood manuals. I am home schooling our children, and in the process of setting up teaching them out of the seminary manuals. Their ages are 9,7,5,2 and they are all ready and interested to start. Children love the truth when it is taught to them, they crave it. Of course I am not saying ban fiction, just go the local library and encourage borrowing non-fiction and also be interested in what he is interested in.

[WANDERER]

Non-fiction can have concepts in it that may be considered inappropriate as many are written in a cross-genre style for children e.g. the Horrible Histories series. If you are going in that direction then the publication date is of interest....for example space books become outdated very easily. Mixed genres are a good idea though.... paper plane building/science experiments/puzzle books etc generally appeal as they can be shared with peers.

[MarginOfError]

What books has your son read recently? I want to have an idea of a baseline level of what he's reading since 3rd grade level and 9th grade level are very non-descript (I was required to read Pride and Predjudice in 9th grade, which I don't think it really a 15 year old reading level).

[siouxz72]

The schools where we lived in California did reading tests and then listed the books within the school library that were at that level. I wonder if your librarian could do the same?? I know that when my own little man was in 6th grade (having skipped a year already) his reading level was in college so they had one...that's right...one book listed. The complete works of Shakespeare. Luckily his mama loves Shakespeare, too, so we read some great stories together! :)

[rameumptom]

Just because he can read ont he 9th grade level does not mean he's ready to read everything written for a 9th grader. PG-13 can be a movie that 8 year olds can watch, but it doesn't mean they are ready for the intensity of the film.

Non-fiction, intermixed with some fun fiction, will be the way to go. Find out what things he is interested in: sports, science, history, etc., and then direct him towards those books. Historical fiction can be excellent to give the kid adventure within the framework of real events. Space books, even those that are somewhat outdated (Pluto: real planet or dwarf fake?), are excellent for learning. It may be that through reading a variety of book types, he may find his future vocation.

[Moksha]

Has your son read the Harry Potter books yet?

[MorningStar]

Yes, he has read all of the Harry Potter books. That's what got him started with his obsession with reading. I think he read the last one sometime last year. He has read the Narnia books, some Star Wars ones, Lord of the Rings, Leven Thumps, and he loves Goosebump Books, but I don't think they're especially challenging. :) He loves to learn about the body and reads this book called "Oh Yuck". It teaches about all sorts of bodily functions. Sometimes he says he wants to be a doctor when he grows up, but lately he says he wants to be a writer.

I knew he read at a high level, but I didn't realize his comprehension was so good. His teacher said with the test he took, he reads better than 99% of kids in the 3rd grade in the nation.

That's a good idea to ask the school librarian. Thanks! I can think of lots of challenging books, but they're girly. The letter we got also suggested having him read the newspaper every day, also to help him recognize when people are writing persuasively or propaganda.

[MarginOfError]

I would see if he has any interest in the young adult genre. These include the classics such as The Giver, The Bronze Bow, Walk Two Moons, and other such books. Intersperse these types of books with some heavier reading and non-fiction. I wouldn't get too much heavier however, and if you're going to go much beyond this reading level, I'd make sure it stays with fantasy. As books get more advanced than the young adult genre, the concepts, issues, and sub-plots tend to get more complex. He may be comprehending at an advanced reading level, but you'll have to try to weigh that against how well his critical thinking skills are developed.

At his age I'd be more focused on keeping his interest in books up while his brain continues to develop into abstract thinking.

Oh, and disregard my advice if you think his ability to think on that plane is similarly advanced.

[WANDERER]

Try googling: reading lists for boys.

He needs to be on a first name basis with the school librarian or the local librarian (perhaps: some can do it and some can't)...they will keep books under the counter for kids, tailor their library purchases to interest levels and have a pretty good general idea. Paolini (Eragon) does a website with email updates: you get to see the writerly process in the book production (cover choices etc). Writers camps might be fun for him (or similar things run for young writers that involve meeting authors etc). There are also books written with an index of children's authors about the writing process: meet the authors kind of thing. A list of well awarded books in retro may also be useful (a kind of modern classical books list) and watching the award process is interesting.

Artemis Fowl series... I have found the advanced 9 year old boys who hate girly books will read this. Not a personal favourite of mine...but whatever keeps them busy. The Bromeliad Trilogy (Pratchett): a variation on The Borrowers is also an interesting series.

[Wingnut]

Wandering into the realm of LDS fiction, there is a lot to choose from.

There is the "Tennis Shoes" series, by Chris Heimerdinger. He's written a lot of other books, including "Passage to Zarahemla" (which I enjoyed much less). Being an LDS author, his books are all clean and family friendly. He does write a little bit of romance though, which your 9-year-old might not enjoy.

There is also the "Work and the Glory" series, by Elder Gerald Lund. This is a great way to help him learn about Church history. It's historical fiction, and in my opinion very well written.

There are other LDS series that I haven't read, but other here may be able to recommend some.

[Guest SisterofJared]

My first thought when reading your question was "The Work & the Glory." Outstanding series that teaches church history in a captivating and compelling manner, very testimony promoting. My daughter read them in 3rd grade, she didn't read that well, but had us read them out loud to her, and they really taught her to love the gospel. If your young man can read like a 9th grader, have him read them and then discuss them with you.

My second thought was the classics. An abridged version of Les Miserables can touch him greatly. Many of the classics are soul building stories. A Tale of Two Cities has adventure and heroism, great things to expose a young boy to. And the Chronicles of Narnia cannot be beat.

Also since he reads that well, lets get that boy into the Book of Mormon seriously! The scriptures can be a thrilling read, and once he gets past the first two Nephi's, he may find the BoM hard to put down.

So many good things to read, both real and fiction. But make the fiction be stuff that invites growth of character and testimony. He'll be exposed to enough frivolous fiction without you making any effort in that direction!

Lucky boy has a world just laying at his feet!

Sister of Jared

[MorningStar]

Thank you! You all have such wonderful advice! Last year he said he wanted a biography about Joseph Smith and we got something sort of like that, but I think the one I read in high school would probably be a good one. He and I could both read Work and the Glory. I've never read that.

[Elphaba]

RE: The Work and The Glory

Although the books are quite enjoyable, there is more fiction in them than actual Church history, and I'm not sure even a boy in 9th grade could read them while keeping this in mind. He's likely to believe all of the Church's history is exactly as written in the books. It is not.

I don't know how many of you remember Yedyid, but she had been told by a member of her ward to read TWTG to learn about the Church's history. She did, and thought all of it was accurate. When she discovered it wasn't, she was pretty upset.

And unfortunately, the books cover so much of the Church's history, it is impossible to simply sit down with someone and explain how some descriptions are correct, but others are completely wrong.

Personally, given your son is so intelligent, I think Rough Stone Rolling would be an excellent non-fiction book. It is as easy to read as TWATG books while being historically accurate. And it might give him the challenge he needs, especially if he finds that sort of thing interesting.

Of course, you may think now is not the proper time, and I think that would be understandable too.

Elphaba

[Wingnut]

RE: The Work and The Glory

Although the books are quite enjoyable, there is more fiction in them than actual Church history, and I'm not sure even a boy in 9th grade could read them while keeping this in mind. He's likely to believe all of the Church's history is exactly as written in the books. It is not.

I don't know how many of you remember Yedyid, but she had been told by a member of her ward to read TWTG to learn about the Church's history. She did, and thought all of it was accurate. When she discovered it wasn't, she was pretty upset.

And unfortunately, the books cover so much of the Church's history, it is impossible to simply sit down with someone and explain how some descriptions are correct, but others are completely wrong.

Personally, given your son is so intelligent, I think Rough Stone Rolling would be an excellent non-fiction book. It is as easy to read as TWATG books while being historically accurate. And it might give him the challenge he needs, especially if he finds that sort of thing interesting.

Of course, you may think now is not the proper time, and I think that would be understandable too.

Elphaba

True, they are not entirely accurate, and for most adults that's wouldn't be a big deal, as the author specifies that and includes very detailed footnotes with information about what is true and what is fiction. For a 9-year old boy, however, if he (and/or Mom) are interested in reading this series, it might be beneficial to read it together, and read the footnotes after each chapter, and look through History of the Church for clarification when needed.

[Guest SisterofJared]

I did read The Work and The Glory with my daughter and discussed it, she was easily able to understand what was fiction or not, especially because we did read the notes that explained that. She was especially thrilled to read of our own ancestor's twice in the book, once when he was called on a mission by the prophet Joseph Smith, and again when he went to the temple to warn Brigham that he was going to be arrested. Reading the wonderful stories of the restoration and then finding her own family in there was wonderful to her.

I think someone who didn't clearly understand that the Steed family were fictional would be quite an exception, and children of that age do know the difference between fantasy and reality, especially when discussing the chapters with parents.

And the spirit that accompanies the reading is quite profound.

Sister of Jared

[Moksha]

For challenging reading, why not start him on some of the standard high school books (from an earlier era), such as Brave New World, Last of the Mohicans, The Oxbow Incident, Huckleberry Finn, Catcher in the Rye, Stranger in a Strange Land.

As you can see, I am not up on the latest high school stuff, but I enjoyed reading these books.

[Moksha]

On second thought, better hold off on Stranger in a Strange Land till he becomes older. I didn't grok this in the previous post.

[Elphaba]

Unfortunately, Lund is as haphazard with his notes as he is with his Church history. Sorry to be such a wet rag about this. It pushes my buttons about wanting everything to be historically accurate.

Especially when I've heard people say the books converted them.

Elphaba