Good Children's Novels (not picture books)

[Nagunae]

I read with my daughter just about every evening. She's eight years old and goes to a local school. We're just about finished with Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary. This is a book I read as a kid. She absolutely loves this book! Like I said, we're almost finished and she mentioned last night how she doesn't want to finish the book. This is the first time I got such a positive reaction out of her with books so I'm very excited. Anyway, I highly recommend this novel and others by Beverly Cleary. Does anyone have other recommendations?

[sandman]

The Swallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome. Might sound a bit quaint to you these days, but I loved those as an 8-year-old. Used to read them under the covers with a torch (flashlight) so mum & dad didn't know I wasn't asleep. they're from the 1930s and 40s, but they still hold good today. Just good old-fashioned stories, told compellingly by a master.

[angie]

My kids and I really enjoyed the Edith Bloyten series " The Faraway Tree " and also the "Wishing Chair". The also like anything by Ronald Dahl.

[Lili]

Judy Blume books are usually a hit.
I used to love the Nancy Drew stories.

You could also start on Harry Potter if you are really ambitious.

[Nagunae]

Thanks everyone for your recommendations. We're going to Page One in Taipei 101 this weekend and so this is a big help. That's where I got Henry Huggins, by the way.

You could also start on Harry Potter if you are really ambitious.

I've got the first Harry Potter book ready to go as soon as she's ready (the colloquialisms on the first few pages made me decide to hold off on this one). The Hobbit is also waiting patiently on her bookshelf!

[asiababy]

I'm currently reading "The Tale of Desperaux" by Kate DiCamillo to my children, aged 7 and 5. It's a story about a mouse who chooses to follow his heart and break away from the group of small-minded mice around him. I borrowed it from the library. The children LOVE it, and so do I. The dialogue is delightful, the plot exciting, the message empowering.

I don't know if you know about Parents Place in Neihu, but we just got a bookshelf, and we are starting a book exchange for parents and children there. I have some novels for children and young teens as well as some picture books to offer, and parents are free to come in and exchange books as they like, too. (Parents Place was set up to be a place for parents and kids to meet and mingle, so please feel welcome to come along and share your love of reading. It's certainly a passion of my family's.)

[ThreadKiller]

My kids and I really enjoyed the Edith Bloyten series " The Faraway Tree " and also the "Wishing Chair". The also like anything by Ronald Dahl.

I think it's Enid Blyton. I loved the Faraway Tree series as a child. And Roald Dahl does rock.

Don't forget about C.S. Lewis' 7 Narnia books, starting with "The Magician's Nephew". Good fantasy for kids.

[Just Jennifer]

Great idea to start a book exchange, Parents' Place!

My kids enjoy reading independently and I like their choice of reading material enough to read it myself. However, I've found that there are some wonderful books they won't read on their own so I've started reading aloud to them again. This evening I read Mary Poppins and they were tired enough to enjoy it and not complain (they do not yet appreciate the Laura Ingalls Wilder books or Pippi Longstocking, which I LOVE).

asiababy, we have "The Tale of Desperaux" but haven't gotten to it yet.

Threadkiller, we're big Narnia fans and have both the English and Chinese versions.

Must look up Enid Blyton.

[asiababy]

Another animal one is "The Incredible Journey" by Shiela Burnford. Three pets travel hundreds of miles to find their family. It's good as a read-aloud.

[ThreadKiller]

Speaking of animal-focused tales, I loved Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.

The novel relates the plight of a widowed field mouse, Mrs. Frisby, who seeks the aid of a group of former laboratory rats in rescuing her home from destruction by a farmer's plow, and of the history of the rats' escape from the laboratory and development of a literate and technological society.

[sandman]

http://www.jackiemorris.co.uk/tellmeadragon.htm

Tell me a dragon utterly is rocking my kid's world these last few evenings. It is rocking mine, too. Gorgeous, gorgeous book. First half is in Chinese, then its repeated in English. Has a CD narrated by the one and only Brian Funshine.

[Just Jennifer]

http://www.jackiemorris.co.uk/tellmeadragon.htm

Tell me a dragon utterly is rocking my kid's world these last few evenings. It is rocking mine, too. Gorgeous, gorgeous book. First half is in Chinese, then its repeated in English. Has a CD narrated by the one and only Brian Funshine.

We enjoyed Tell Me a Dragon in English a few years ago, but didn't know it was available in Chinese too. Must congratulation Brian on doing the narration the next time I see him.

[Bunks]

Plus one for Mrs Frisby. I read that a few times. Probably more for teenagers.

[Nagunae]

And of course there's Charlotte's Web. My daughter really liked the book and I definitely enjoyed reading it again. Stuart Little is something else (by the same author of course) I found to be a good read as a kid. But the movie was bad and so my daughter isn't all that excited about getting to that book.

[Bunks]

The Borrowers is suitable for kids under 13. Five Children and It is also a good one.