Name: ICHE Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-06-05T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-07T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Bourbonnais, IL

This topic has 8 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 13 years ago by Tia.

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)

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April 18, 2012 at 11:42 am
artcmomto3
Participant
DD7 likes to pick out books at the library and used book store when I go to get books for school. Most of the time she tends to select twaddle, and then she may select a book I really can’t determine b/c I am not familiar with it. I really need to attend Sonya’s Books &Things seminar. DD likes to read short chapter books or books with pictures. Her independent reading level would be something like “Nate the Great”. She loves princesses and all things girly. Any recommendations?
April 18, 2012 at 4:10 pm
amama5
Participant
I’ve had a harder time finding things my daughter really likes that aren’t twaddle or semi-twaddle. I posted a while back about some books we ordered at the library,:
“These may be considered twaddle, but I was so pleased to find this at our library, Otter and Owl Set Sail. There are many other books by Zonderkids, and my daughter was so happy to find one at her level, and I was happy that it had great simple messages in it about God. Feel free to let me know if I’m not supposed to post twaddly books:) Thanks”
We also like Annie and Snowball books by Cynthia Rylant.
April 18, 2012 at 9:03 pm
jmac17
Participant
We have had great success with some of the fairytale picture books. They are still picture books, which appeals to my young kids, but the stories are usually not twaddly, and the text is a bit more advanced than some other picture books. They may be a bit of a stretch for a new reader, but because of the pictures they have more clues available to help figure out unfamiliar words.
One series I recommend for when your DD’s reading is a bit stronger is the “Fairy Realm” series by Emily Rodda. We started them as read alouds when my DD was five, and then she went back and reread them all independently. They are about a girl who finds out that her Grandma was a fairy princess and then travels to the Grandma’s home world (The Fairy Realm) for lots of adventures. They are light reading, but not nearly as twaddly as some of the other princess and fairy books around. Even I enjoyed the stories. There are ten books in the series. You could probably read the first couple together and then let her take over.
Here is some my DD has enjoyed (she’s six, but a strong early reader):
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
Milly Molly Mandy
Rowan of Rin (another series by Emily Rodda)
Magic Treehouse (I’d call this semi-twaddle, but my kids really enjoy them and learn a bit about history, so we allow them)
Raggedy Ann and Andy
Boxcar Children
Secret Seven by Enid Blyton (she wrote many other series, but this is the one we’ve got)
She also LOVES a series called “The Puppy Place” and another called “Kitty Korner” Definitely twaddle, but she loves animals, so we compromised a bit. They are cute little stories about a family who foster animals and find good homes for them.
Joanne

April 18, 2012 at 11:06 pm
LindseyD
Participant
At our house we have found that there aren’t “books for boys” and “books for girls”. The children share their books. Once I figured out that they were happy to read each other’s books, I began to keep my eyes open for just good books and not worry about whether it was going to appeal to a boy or girl. Mine are 8 and almost 7. Some of our dd’s favorites:
Pancakes, Pancakes
If You Give a Pig a Pancake… {what is it with pancakes!!!}
Pathway Readers…they go back to their old ones over and over.
Aesop’s Fables by Milo Winter
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
Boxcar Children
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Benjamin’s Box

April 19, 2012 at 1:08 am
morgrace
Participant
I just saw this book “B” is for Betsy” by Carolyn Haywood on the Living Books Library website while looking for books for my 7yo (boy). I’ve not read the book myself, but there’s a nice review of it at Living Books Library. Scroll down and you’ll see it on the list.
April 19, 2012 at 2:17 am
sheraz
Participant
Loved the Carolyn Haywood books when I was younger, and my dd has enjoyed those we have. =)
April 19, 2012 at 11:56 am
artcmomto3
Participant
Thanks for the suggestions! Joanne, these sound like they are right down her alley! I have been hesitant about Magic Treehouse (aren’t there ghosts and such?). Some of the books suggested we have or recently read, but others are new. BTW, my DS5 loves Mike Mulligan!
April 19, 2012 at 11:56 am
artcmomto3
Participant
Thanks for the suggestions! Joanne, these sound like they are right down her alley! I have been hesitant about Magic Treehouse (aren’t there ghosts and such?). Some of the books suggested we have or recently read, but others are new. BTW, my DS5 loves Mike Mulligan!
April 19, 2012 at 2:28 pm
Tia
Participant
I think the “transition” books can be hard. I went through this with my oldest. This is what I’ve found works well as they are transitioning from readers to chapter books:
The Elson Readers
Cobblestreet Cousins series by Cynthia Rylant
Sarah Plain and Tall Series (the first book is very short, which really builds confidence. As they progress to the next book, the become longer, but still very readable.)
The Boxcar Children
Books full of collections of poems and short stories
The Thornton Burgess books are great too…short chapters.
After these, we moved on to E.B. White. That was a great transition into bigger books.
A little twaddle is ineveitable during this stage i think, as the language has to be “dumbed down” enough to give the new reader confidence in their ability. I was extra diligent during this time to make sure the books read aloud TO her will meaty and NOT twaddle. This gave her an ear for good literature I think. After the confidence is built, I have found now she is not daunted by anything.
Part of what really helped my oldest dd, too, was just pulling picture books off the shelf and reading them. HTH