Peter and the Starcatchers

Sort of a "duh" answer, but - Harry Potter?

Anonymous wrote:The Mouse and his Child
Time Cat
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
The Westing Game
Wrinkle in Time Trilogy
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
The Phantom Tollbooth
Hoot
Holes
Indian in the Cupboard

Politics & Prose does a book club for kids and one for teens:

http://www.politics-prose.com/children-and-teens

OP: thanks for this list. he has actually read most of these books…although never heard of the time cat. will have to try that. good idea about politics and prose book club.

Anything by Andrew Clements. You describe my boy child to a t, and he won't read Fantasy or Adventure series. He prefers the more realistic stuff. Great Brain is also a favorite.

Mysterious Benedict Society is pretty awesome.

Anonymous wrote:The Mouse and his Child
Time Cat
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
The Westing Game
Wrinkle in Time Trilogy
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
The Phantom Tollbooth
Hoot
Holes
Indian in the Cupboard

Politics & Prose does a book club for kids and one for teens:

http://www.politics-prose.com/children-and-teens

that's a pretty good list, but re-reading the Westing Game I seem to recall it had some outdated racial expressions.

The Mouse and his Child
Time Cat
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
The Westing Game
Wrinkle in Time Trilogy
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
The Phantom Tollbooth
Hoot
Holes
Indian in the Cupboard

Politics & Prose does a book club for kids and one for teens:

http://www.politics-prose.com/children-and-teens

Great Brain series?

Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard.

Shiloh and Where the Red Fern Grows

Penderwicks
Pseudonymous Bosch?

My 8.5 year old voracious reader has been devouring the "Warriors" series by Erin Hunter.

Here are some that I remember enjoying at that age:

My Side of the Mountain
Little House books (esp. Farmer Boy)
anything by Roald Dahl
d'Aulaires Greek Myths (illustrated but with lots of text, too)
Wizard of Oz series
The Girl with the Silver Eyes
The House with the Clock in Its Walls

Rick Riordan
39 Clues Series
Mad Scientist Club

i can't keep up and he's picky. has not wanted to read all the adventure series (lloyd alexander, rick riordan, benedict society) everyone recommends for him. those would be good because they are long and he reads fast.

books he's read recently and really liked:
hugo and wonderstruck
series of unfortunate events
narnia series
half magic series
saavy
clements books (although he reads them in an hour)
dr. doolitle and others in the series
dark is rising series and other books by susan cooper

any other recommendations?