The Diamond in the Window

We Recommend: 6 1/2-year-old girl seeks awesomeness

It’s We Recommend! In which we post a request that's been sent to us, and do our best to get that person the right book. Know a kid who needs a book to read? Send us (thediamondinthewindow (at) gmail (dot) com) his or her likes, dislikes, favorites, quirks, and any other reading information that might be helpful, and we will think on it, and pose it to our oh-so-helpful readers. And look in the comments—all the best recommendations are there.

It's back! And it's a fun one, because just reading it makes you remember how much fun it is to start reading. All of a sudden you can fly, just anywhere. And lo, she is flying. See?

I stumbled across your website as we have just discovered the "Katie Woo" books and are looking for other recommendations for similar books. My daughter is 6.5-yrs-old and in Grade 1. She loves The Kingdom of Wrenly, The Adventures of Sophie Mouse, Mermaid Rock, The Cobble Street Cousins. I have read her all of The Magic Treehouse series, we are onto Greetings from Somewhere, and I have read aloud all of the animal books by Jill Tomlinson. There are a few great series that are a little bit too long for her to read yet like Piper Green, Violet Mackerel, and the Sword Girl books. She does not like Geronimo Stilton, Flat Stanley or Nate the Great. And we haven't tried any of the Junie B. Jones or Ivy and Bean type ones because I don't really like sassy, bickering characters that focus on school yard drama... haha.... Any suggestions for us!? Primarily looking for easy chapter books with some colour pictures that my daughter can read aloud like the Katie Woo books. Fairies, mermaids, strong, creative female main characters are a bonus.

Fairies! Mermaids! And wow, that Katie Woo has some special powers. Remember this? And the terrifying follow-up? Sometimes I still worry about that librarian hiding behind her desk while the little girls rattle the doors bellowing "Katie Woo! Katie WOO!"

Anywoo (ouch, sorry) what about this young lady? So many wonderful books for her! My first thought was The Fairy Realm, because oh! She would love them! But then I asked Chestnut, and she reminded me of all that is good. In other words, she remind me of this:

I have no idea why that is so gigantic. But the thing is: she is right. These books are wonderful, and they will be so utterly satisfying.

But...you all must have ideas, right? Mermaids? Fairies? Strong female characters? Books she will read on her own? Doesn't this sound like a wonderful pleasure? Please put all your excellent ideas in the comments, so she can read them all.

We Recommend: Imaginary Characters

It’s We Recommend! In which we post a request that's been sent to us, and do our best to get that person the right book. Know a kid who needs a book to read? Send us (thediamondinthewindow (at) gmail (dot) com) his or her likes, dislikes, favorites, quirks, and any other reading information that might be helpful, and we will think on it, and pose it to our oh-so-helpful readers. And look in the comments—all the best recommendations are there.

What, you may be asking, are imaginary characters? Aren't all characters (in fiction at least) imaginary? 

Yeah, that's what I was wondering too, when I got this:

My sone just read The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl, and is reading George’s Marvelous Medicine, both of which he really likes. He likes books with imaginary characters that are interesting to read. 

Well, books with imaginary characters that are interesting to read would pretty much cover my interests too. But more! I needed more! So I wrote back and asked for more. What was an imaginary character anyway?

He told me likes “magical” characters, and yes he loves fiction although he is also obsessed with cars and would read non-fiction about how cars are made forever. He’s just starting to read 60- to 80-page chapter books, and I’m hoping to find books that size or a little longer with a capturing story that can keep him practicing. He’s turning 8 this december, he’s moderately interested in baseball, obsessed with cars, likes science and “how things are made.”

Ah! Magical characters! Now we're cooking with gas. Also, he will read nonfiction about how cars are made forever? I am, as often happens, captivated by the very idea of this person going busily about the world, with his strong and strongly felt, interests. 

But the real issue is: what should he read? Of course, one wants to go with Roald Dahl, and I was thinking about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but first of all, he's probably read it, or at least heard of it, and second of all, Charlie is an ordinary boy in a magical world. Are there any magical characters I could think of?

Strangely, this was harder than I'd thought it would be. So many regular kids! So many magical worlds they go to! I thought of Stuart Little—a mouse is certainly magical. I thought of Secrets of Droon—but I always recommend that, and the kids aren't magic. I thought of Miss Piggle-Wiggle, and hit right up against non-magical kids again.

I suggest this with trepidation, but hope:

My reasoning? He's flat, for Pete's sake! That is magical. 

And I don't want to go crazy on this kid and offer the Hobbit when he's ready to read 80 and 90 page books. Flat Stanley is an icon! A hero! A touchstone! 

At least I hope he is. I have not, it must be admitted, read Flat Stanley, so please please please if I am far off, readers, speak out in the comments! And find us some magical characters while you're at it!

We Recommend: Chapter Book for Thoughtful 7-Year-Old

It’s We Recommend! In which we post a request that's been sent to us, and do our best to get that person the right book. Know a kid who needs a book to read? Send us (thediamondinthewindow (at) gmail (dot) com) his or her likes, dislikes, favorites, quirks, and any other reading information that might be helpful, and we will think on it, and pose it to our oh-so-helpful readers. And look in the comments—all the best recommendations are there.

I am in California! Which is nuts, but extremely nice at the same time. And last night I had the rarest of all We Recommend scenarios, the one in which I meet a person, who in this case has a 7-year-old, and my excellent friend says to her, "Ask her! She'll know the right book!" And I try to come up with something.

So what we have here, friends, is not a letter or email, but a vague, half-remembered, probably inaccurate reporting of a conversation, like so:

My 7-year-old son loves to read, and we're looking for chapter books for him, but he's also easily scared, so nothing too scary. We were thinking of Harriet the Spy, is it going to go over his head?

So first we have to bow down and acknowledge the overall awesomeness of Harriet the Spy, which is a wonderful book, and which he would certainly love. And also maybe we should make time to notice that we have forgotten whether he likes fantasy, or realistic books, or what (oops. Our excuse = jet lag). Suffice it to say that he reads a lot of chapter books already, and is hungry for more.

Onwards. I've been thinking, first of all, that of course he should read Harriet the Spy, because everyone should read Harriet the Spy, whether they get all the nuances or not. It's just fun, and he can reread it when he's 11 and understand more. But. What else should he read?

It seems to me that he is of that age and disposition when the classics make all the sense in the world. For instance, The Trumpet of the Swan and Stuart Little are long and rich and absorbing, but not at all scary. For other fun, I mentioned Secrets of Droon. And then this morning, as I hung around at 5am drinking coffee that was WAY too strong (can you tell? Is it totally obvious?) I thought: heavens! He should read this!

I know there are all sorts of opinions on which is best, but if you want the honest truth (and who doesn't?): this is the best one. The big bladder catch! The smoking of the ham! Pa! Ma! Maple sugar candy made in the snow! All of it.

What's that, you say? He's already read that? Well, that's entirely possible isn't it. Which is why it is SO IMPERATIVE that you put your own suggestions for what this literate young person should read in the comments.

We Recommend: Wild Man Edition

It's We Recommend, where (when?) people write (or call) us asking for the perfect book for their reader, and we try our darndest to comply. Looking for a recommendation? Just email as at thediamondinthewindw (at) gmail (dot) com, with the age, reading level, likes, dislikes, loves, longings, losses, and anything else that might be helpful abour your reader. And the secret of it all? The best recommendations are in the comments.

This one is for someone near and dear to me, my most excellent nephew, who is a prodigious reader and something of a wild man. See here.

He is 7 years old, reads A LOT, and also tears around. What's the thing that keeps him calm when indoors (where it's sometimes better to be calm)? A nice fat stack of books. Previous successes have been: The Secrets of Droon. Animorphs, though, was too scary. The "according to Humphrey" series was a big hit, as was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (he hasn't read the others yet, given that Animorphs was too scary. Another miss? The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler: too confusing. He is only 7, after all. What do you got?

Well. A few things we've recommended in the past: Dragons of Deltora, and Deltora Quest. Also, of course, The Box Car Children. Magic Treehouse they've left far behind them in the rear view mirror. Hmmm. I happen to know they've read all of Roald Dahl and Ramona the Pest. Wait a second—is it possible they haven't read....the Fudge books????

Holy cow. If it's really true they haven't gotten to these yet, I think I've done it. Though it's not exactly a stack.

But now, I step back for the experts: do you know of a perfect, thrilling, absorbing stack of a books for a very nice avid reader?

The Good, the Bad, and the "Oh, That"

Happy post-thanksgivukah haze to all of you. And now, a blow by blow of the brutal, unforgiving book-gift-giving process.

We start with the 10-year-old boy. A sweet guy with a reading disability, he's tricky to buy books for, and I can tell you that we pretty much failed, though others were more successful. We got him:

His reaction: "Oh. This."

His other aunt got him:

His reaction: "Cool!" He proceeded to read it for the rest of the evening.

Ahem. On to: more books, and other nieces and nephews.

The 5-year-old. We got him: A really beautiful illustrated book that was very long and narrow, with illustrations of buildings going up and then falling down. No, I don't remember the title or author, because apparently I'm trying to cement our reputation here as being pretty out of it.

His reaction: Heartbroken weeping, though later he did read it with his mom, tears drying on his face.

The 8-year-old cousin who is a very, very nice little girl. We got her:

Her reaction: she glanced at it, then went chasing after her big cousins to see what they were doing.

The 5- and 7-year-old nephews were given a collection of books that were given to this blog. These were:

Reaction: A quite-satisfied sort of "Yeah, they really do have bad drawing!"

Their reaction: 0. My response: This book is so cool, it's skeletons! Their response to my response: 0.

There were maybe 5 other books in the pile, and after 1.3 seconds necessary for the Stick the Dog comment, the books were shoved under the dining room table and everyone ran out of the room.

Then there's Chestnut. She got this:

Yes, it was because of you people telling me about it. Thank you! She got it from her aunt, though, not from me. Her reaction: YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Diana got this from her aunt on my strong, strong recommendation:

Her reaction: Oh. Thanks.

She also got these:

Her reaction: Oh, look at these.

Are you noticing the lack of exclamation points here? Are you getting the level of difficulty we all face?

We face a very high level of difficulty.

But this is just the nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles version. Stay tuned, as we find out: what went down when WE tried to get Chestnut and Diana books they would like.

Spoiler alert: (And I say this even before we have given them.) I think they won't like them so much. Sigh.

We Recommend: Sci-Fi for a 6-Year-Old, in Which I Fail

It's We Recommend, where (when?) you request book recommendations, and we attempt to reach our hands into the rushing river of children's literature and yank out the right book for you (or yours). Want a recommendation? Just email us at thediamondinthewindow (at) gmail (dot) com, with the reader's likes, dislikes, loves, interests, reading habits, and anything else you think might be helpful, and we'll do our best. And always, always look in the comments on these: it's where the very best suggestions are. - See more at: http://www.thediamondinthewindow.com/the-diamond-in-the-window/we-recommend/#sthash.D3KryaZM.dpuf

 

It's We Recommend, where (when?) you request book recommendations, and we attempt to reach our hands into the rushing river of children's literature and yank out the right book for you (or yours). Want a recommendation? Just email us at thediamondinthewindow (at) gmail (dot) com, with the reader's likes, dislikes, loves, interests, reading habits, and anything else you think might be helpful, and we'll do our best. And always, always look in the comments on these: it's where the very best suggestions are.

Now let's not think about this next one as difficult. Let's think about it as challenging

My son is turning six in one week. We are a homeschool family and so he has absorbed a LOT of chapter books through his older sister (nine years old, horse and fantasy lover). He likes fantasy well enough, but I think the genre that is truly going to set him on fire is science fiction, because he is a natural-born inventor, he loves anything scientific, and he's crazy about anything mechanical. He "invents" a different kind of robot every single day. The problem is that I didn't get into science fiction until high school, so my knowledge of the genre starts with A Wrinkle in Time and Ender's Game. The only book we've read lately that falls into the sci-fi category is Tony DeTerlizzi's A Search for Wondla, which should have been perfect for us, but which missed the mark for reasons I cannot identify. Is there anything at this age that will gratify a future tech-head who doesn't yet have much real-world
grounding in science?

Wow, so here is my theory: Perhaps what the young gentleman is looking for is not science fiction so much as, well, science? You know, like, good old, nonfiction, science stuff?

I say this because many young excellent gentlemen (and women!) of my acquaintance lately have been seeming like they're yearning for, well, information, for want of a better word. And I think that with a lot of kids, and (not to be sexist, but probably sexist anyway) a lot of boys especially, the desire for narrative is less strong for a while.

So. I can prattle on about various theories all I want, but theories alone don't give this person anything to read, do they? They do not. In my mind there is some perfect kid's version of Thomas Edison's life, except it'a not a biography exactly, more like a history of each invention, and then also it would have big pictures of the inventions, and....

OK. Focus. I can focus, I swear I can. What's a science-based, engrossing book that has robots in it? Or at least, science?

And I think it's time that I admit failure: I don't know a book. So I looked and looked till I found something that looked right. Is it right, though? I do not know.

I read a few pages, it looks good, but...I don't know. I mean, I think 6 years old is too little for I, Robot, right? But are their other sci-fi books for little kids? Am I barking up the wrong tree?

Help me, readers! I bet you guys know what he should read. Put it in the comments!

We Recommend: Advanced 4-Year-Old Edition

It's We Recommend, where (when?) you request book recommendations, and we attempt to reach our hands into the rushing river of children's literature and yank out the right book for you (or yours). Want a recommendation? Just email us at thediamondinthewindow (at) gmail (dot) com, with the reader's likes, dislikes, loves, interests, reading habits, and anything else you think might be helpful, and we'll do our best. And always, always look in the comments on these: it's where the very best suggestions are.

And so, we return to a well-loved realm: books for the small who love to read, but are, you know, small.

I am looking for ideas for my 4-year-old. She turned 4 this fall, but has been reading on her own for a year or so. She is very sensitive and gets frightened more easily than most children her age it seems (I try to help her avoid dark and scary subjects), but her reading level would probably be considered about a grade 2-3 level. We're almost at the end of the Little House on the Prairie series and I'm not sure what to find her for when we're finished. It was a great series for her at the beginning, but even that is losing its relevance for her as Laura and Mary get into their teenage years. It's hard to find appropriate books for her because most books written for 8-year-olds are too advanced for her in their subject matter - she can read the words, but doesn't understand the concepts or finds them frightening.

She loved the early books in Little House, about living in the woods/family life/nature/animals, and she loves princesses as well.

The only problem with this request is that there are SO MANY perfect books. I know, from having been in a similar situation with a similar early reader. And...well, there are a million, and they rush me back to an earlier time. Interestingly, these books often fall into the same realm as the Little House on the Prairie series, in which we start out right with the characters, but they age so fast! Still, these books are well worth reading, particularly the early ones in the series: I would direct our reader to the Betsy-Tacy books, All of a Kind Family, Ballet Shoes. The list goes on and on. But the rules of the game (in my own rigid mind) say that we must choose 1 (one) book for this person, before we open it up to our most excellent commenters, who will proceed to offer all the rest (Oh! Trumpet of the Swan! Ivy and Bean! OK, this is totally cheating and I will stop.)

Ahem. So, in a surge of nostalgia, I will simply offer the book that a very nice bookstore worker offered Diana when she was a young, hungry reader with a tender heart:

It was just right, sweet and light and such a pleasure to her. But this is only one (or four if we count the whole sweet series). Let's see if we can generate a whole wonderful list in the comments, because this family has many library visits in its future.

The Mantle is Passed

This past holiday season, Diana had the excellent idea that her cousin, who has just started to read chapter books, and is a very foused, intense sort of person, should read Secrets of Droon.*

Oh, how this series was loved in my house. It's a sort of sci-fi/fantasy version of the Magic Treehouse? Sort of? There are many, many volumes.

So we went to Book-Off and purchased books 1, 2, 3, and 4. And lo and behold, Diana was right. He started reading the first one—and he couldn't stop. He burned through 2, 3, and 4, and now the sky's the limit. My sister called me asking whether we had any more. And thus began the roundup. We went through all the shelves, gathering book after book. Tossed in as well were Jack Russell: Dog Detective, A to Z mysteries, a seemingly endless slew of Boxcar Children books, until we had three big bags, and my kids' shelves looked...like the shelves of people who are 13 and 11. Which they are, but still.

I mean I know, this is what we wanted to do. And the cousin is so, so happy. It's just that it feels weird, that's all.

Chestnut sneaked in and liberated some Girls to the Rescue books ("they're my favorites"). And there's one or two George and Marthas hidden somewhere. 

The cousin is, reportedly, very happy. I am too. It's just...change is weird. Growing up is intense. And other news flashes.

*A note of caution: do not attempt to read these yourself, if you are a grownup. They are...they are not for us. And that's fine. 

We Recommend: A Regular Girl, from "Now"

t's We Recommend, in which we use our superpowers to find readers the perfect book. Got a kid who needs a recommendation? Write us at thediamondinthewindow (at) gmail (dot) com with the age, reading tastes, favorite books, and any other relevant (or irrelevant) information, and we'll give it a shot. And really? All the good suggestions are in the comments.

Hold onto your hats, everyone, this might hurt your feelings a bit.

See, this one came in the form of a conversation, like so:

Here is what my 9-and-a-half year old just asked:

Mom, is there a book that is about a normal girl who is about my age or a little older--5th or 6th grade--who has adventures but not problems so much, kind of like Ramona (but I've read all those)

ME: How about Harriet the Spy?

D; I meant a modern girl, like from now.

ME: Harriet the Spy is from now.

D: Mom, no she's not. I mean like Ivy & Bean, except no offense but Ivy & Bean isn't well-written.

Got me stumped. You?

Ok, first let's get some things straight. Ramona the Pest and Harriet the Spy are from more or less the same historical period. Ramona was first published in 1968, Harriet the Spy in 1964. So we'll just see who's calling who not from now, missy!

But, at the same time...yeah. I mean, Harriet the Spy was one of my favorite books when I was a kid. And that may have had something to do with the fact that her life made some sort of sense to me. But now? I don't know, I think the absence of cell phones, googling—it's got to be noticeable to a kid.

So even though this made me think of a lot of "normal girl" novels—like, say, all of Judy Blume, and the Betsy-Tacy books—I will try to honor the desire for someone from now. Because while those are amazing (I think she would LOVE Betsy-Tacy), they are not, by any stretch, from now.

I turned, as I do, to Chestnut and Diana. Chestnut considered the Cobble Street Cousins. But, to address another sore point, I think her aversion to Ivy & Bean is more about its simplicity than any alleged poor writing. Though it could be that we just have different tastes. I will just put it out there that I, personally, find Ivy & Bean a delight to read (within reason). Then again, I have an aversion to the whole nomenclature of "well written" that is too complicated and weird to go into here. So I will just say: we think not, on the Cobble Street Cousins, as it might be too easy for her.

Which got me to thinking about Amber Brown. My hesitation? "not problems so much" Amber Brown has some problems, sort of? Hmm. And so, we came to this:

OK, yes: the first of the Anastasia books was written in 1979. But! There are more! There are lots! And one was written as recently as 1995! Yeesh. Maybe it should be Amber Brown? Still—I think she would like this.

Help me out, youth of today! Got anything more recent?

We Recommend: FUNNY!

It's We Recommend, in which we use our superpowers to find readers the perfect book. Got a kid who needs a recommendation? Write us at thediamondinthewindow (at) gmail (dot) com with the age, reading tastes, favorite books, and any other relevant (or irrelevant) information, and we'll give it a shot. And really? All the good suggestions are in the comments.

There is a clear subsection of you for whom this will, as they say, resonate. Because the truth is, some people just love funny. Last year on Thanksgiving when we went around the table saying what we were thankful for, Diana said "Comedy!" Read on:

My 9 yr old son read his first book independently yesterday, Captain Underpants #3. It was lovely to see him in bed with the flashlight resting on his shoulder, reading away, just as he has seen me do every day of his life. He was pretty pleased with himself getting to chapter 9 the first night and then finishing it the 2nd night. His only complaint was that his hands got tired holding the book!

Prior to this almost all of his reading has been online, so as a book-o-holic, it has rather warmed my heart to see him enjoying an actual so much - carrying it around, telling his friends he is reading it, and showing me his favorite bits.

But while we have lots of books piled all over just waiting for the right moment, he has told me he is only interested in reading really funny books and I am struggling a bit to think of more titles. With me doing the reading he has enjoyed diverse stories like The Moffats, Mrs Pepperpot, Ronia The Robber's Daughter, Winnie The Pooh, Artemis Fowl, etc, but for himself he is asking for serious humor only.

I have The Giggler Treatment, that's a direction I think he might like to go. And I will look into Diary of a Wimpy Kid. He also loves physical humor like the "Make Them Laugh" scene from  Singing in the Rain. He likes silly, funny, and of course, the more references to nether regions the better for this 9 yr old!

We have Calvin and Hobbs, but from his obvious delight in finishing 9 chapters in one go, I am thinking he is wanting chapter books just now.

OK: the real sense of a kid behind this one just kills me. Of COURSE he wants something funny! But what shall we do? I mean, there are a whole lot of books that speak to just this type of person, a few of which have found their way to our bookshelves. Diary of a Wimpy Kid? YES. We also have Just Annoying, and who can forget, The Day My Butt Went Psycho? I mean, soon enough this young gentleman will be watching  Monty Python on Netflix (if we're any guide), but what book to recommend?

You'll see, of course, that I had no choice but to go straight to Diana. Her pick? This.

I asked her if she was sure it was funny. And? She's sure.

But one is not enough! I ask you, picture this kid with the tired hands gleefully reading Captain Underpants, and see that you have a noble calling to fulfill! Find some funny, Captain-Underpants-like books for this guy, and put them in the comments!