Anonymous
12/11/2025 16:19
Subject: Any really good newer chapter books for strong 9-year old reader?
No, the newer books aren’t very good. Stick with the classics
Anonymous
12/11/2025 16:02
Subject: Any really good newer chapter books for strong 9-year old reader?
Swallows and Amazons
Anonymous
12/08/2025 22:39
Subject: Any really good newer chapter books for strong 9-year old reader?
Another vote for the Lost Cities series
Anonymous
12/08/2025 21:18
Subject: Any really good newer chapter books for strong 9-year old reader?
Anonymous wrote:At that age my kid LOVED the Redwall books, about animals living in an old English Abbey, and fighting off other animals. Every species gets their own culture, accents and turns of speech, it's fascinating. An old series, but so good.
She also liked the Chronicles of Narnia (the movies are great), the Chronicles of Prydain, the Hobbit, stuff like that. She discovered Wings of Fire later and loved them too. She didn't really love Harry Potter, but did read all of them because her brother was very much into them. What else? She loved Watership Down (a political allegory transposed to the rabbit world), which interestingly isn't a children's book, but she loves animals, so...
She read His Dark Materials at around that time, but may have been too young to understand the multiple layers of that wonderful series, which is great for adults too. She was intrigued by the plot, though, and liked it well enough. The first book is the Golden Compass, made into a TV series.
I loved Redwall in middle school but there is actually quite a bit of graphic violence in those books (like eyes getting gouged out stuff) that I wouldn't recommend for a 9 year old.
Anonymous
12/08/2025 21:16
Subject: Any really good newer chapter books for strong 9-year old reader?
Anonymous wrote:My DD started devouring the babysitter club books when she was that age. You can order them off ebay - they sell them in lots. Get the originals not the new ones.
Must’ve had an upset stomach
Anonymous
12/08/2025 18:51
Subject: Any really good newer chapter books for strong 9-year old reader?
My DD started devouring the babysitter club books when she was that age. You can order them off ebay - they sell them in lots. Get the originals not the new ones.
Anonymous
12/08/2025 18:47
Subject: Any really good newer chapter books for strong 9-year old reader?
At that age my kid LOVED the Redwall books, about animals living in an old English Abbey, and fighting off other animals. Every species gets their own culture, accents and turns of speech, it's fascinating. An old series, but so good.
She also liked the Chronicles of Narnia (the movies are great), the Chronicles of Prydain, the Hobbit, stuff like that. She discovered Wings of Fire later and loved them too. She didn't really love Harry Potter, but did read all of them because her brother was very much into them. What else? She loved Watership Down (a political allegory transposed to the rabbit world), which interestingly isn't a children's book, but she loves animals, so...
She read His Dark Materials at around that time, but may have been too young to understand the multiple layers of that wonderful series, which is great for adults too. She was intrigued by the plot, though, and liked it well enough. The first book is the Golden Compass, made into a TV series.
She also liked the Chronicles of Narnia (the movies are great), the Chronicles of Prydain, the Hobbit, stuff like that. She discovered Wings of Fire later and loved them too. She didn't really love Harry Potter, but did read all of them because her brother was very much into them. What else? She loved Watership Down (a political allegory transposed to the rabbit world), which interestingly isn't a children's book, but she loves animals, so...
She read His Dark Materials at around that time, but may have been too young to understand the multiple layers of that wonderful series, which is great for adults too. She was intrigued by the plot, though, and liked it well enough. The first book is the Golden Compass, made into a TV series.
Anonymous
12/08/2025 17:59
Subject: Any really good newer chapter books for strong 9-year old reader?
I always bring them to the library or Barnes and nobles to look at everything and choose what looks good.
Anonymous
12/08/2025 17:46
Subject: Re:Any really good newer chapter books for strong 9-year old reader?
If you’re looking for new “classics”, you might check the Newbery Award winners:
https://www.loc.gov/nls/new-materials/book-lists/newbery-award-honor-books/
https://www.loc.gov/nls/new-materials/book-lists/newbery-award-honor-books/
Anonymous
12/08/2025 17:10
Subject: Re:Any really good newer chapter books for strong 9-year old reader?
Thanks for all the wonderful ideas!
Anonymous
12/08/2025 17:07
Subject: Any really good newer chapter books for strong 9-year old reader?
My nine-year-old loves Alan Gratz's historical fiction novels. She also has recently shown some interest in the W. Bruce Cameron books about dogs, and we bought her some nonfiction books about chemistry, biology, and forensics for Christmas.
Anonymous
12/08/2025 16:40
Subject: Any really good newer chapter books for strong 9-year old reader?
Wild Robot
Anonymous
12/08/2025 16:39
Subject: Any really good newer chapter books for strong 9-year old reader?
Impossible Creatures is excellent, and a sequel, The Poisoned King, was just published a few months ago.
Anonymous
12/08/2025 16:37
Subject: Any really good newer chapter books for strong 9-year old reader?
I second the Girl Who Drank the Moon and would add the Katherine Applegate books including Wishtree and Willowdeen.
Also, I wouldn't give up on classics because you probably don't have all of them! I am constantly discovering additional classics that either I didn't read or had forgotten about. Has she read The Hobbit (or for an advanced reader, the Lord of the Rings series), Black Beauty, some of the Ursula La Guin books aimed at kids, or the Princess and the Goblin? I have always been a huge reader but am constantly discovering older books that I missed somehow. There are so many good ones.
At 9 she could also maybe read some Jane Austen. Romances, yes, but pretty chaste. I might start with Persuasion.
Also, I wouldn't give up on classics because you probably don't have all of them! I am constantly discovering additional classics that either I didn't read or had forgotten about. Has she read The Hobbit (or for an advanced reader, the Lord of the Rings series), Black Beauty, some of the Ursula La Guin books aimed at kids, or the Princess and the Goblin? I have always been a huge reader but am constantly discovering older books that I missed somehow. There are so many good ones.
At 9 she could also maybe read some Jane Austen. Romances, yes, but pretty chaste. I might start with Persuasion.
Anonymous
12/08/2025 16:31
Subject: Any really good newer chapter books for strong 9-year old reader?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My DD has been reading the Keeper of the Lost Cities series since around that age. They are very thick but should be ok if your kid is a strong reader. My DD also really enjoyed The War That Saved My Life at that age.
My kid who also loves the Keeper of the Lost Cities also loves the City Spies books. Both fine for a strong reader.
My 10 year old daughter LOVES the City Spies books.