Anonymous wrote:Forgot to mention, try the Little House series. They increase in difficulty as Laura ages.

Oh come on. My advanced six year old has read those. And most of the other books suggested here. This is a nine year old who reads like a 15 year old. I'm sure she read the little house books years ago. And Harry potter and Percy Jackson etc.

When I am stuck I would look at some of the private schools summer reading lists.

My 9 YO DD just read the Book Scavenger and enjoyed it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just because she can read at a 9th grade level does not mean she is absorbing the information at that level. Many 9th grade level books are not linguistically difficult to read but will contain concepts she just won't get.

I agree with this. My son is also 9 and took his PALs this fall and got to the 9th grade level. That said, I don't think he is comprehending everything at that level, even if technically he can read it. He really likes Big Nate books.

Precisely OP's point.

Some good suggestions here. I'd add:
Anne of green gables
Mary poppins original British version
Secret garden
Paddington original versions
Peter Pan
Tuesday's in the tower and others in that series and by that author
Prydain series by lloyd Alexander
Anything by daniel pinkwater
Mixed up files of .... can't remember the name
Tale of despereaux
59 clues series
Harriet the spy
The Doll People and the sequels
The borrowers and the sequels

My precocious reader is younger, but I just want to echo what everyone else is saying about a love of reading being the real goal right now. I mean, I probably read 3 fantasy/sci fi novels for every 1 nonfiction book or "high literature" and it's fine. Why would I have higher standards for my child than I have for myself in terms of making sure every last book is educational?

take her to library and let her pick the books.

Anonymous wrote:Just because she can read at a 9th grade level does not mean she is absorbing the information at that level. Many 9th grade level books are not linguistically difficult to read but will contain concepts she just won't get.

I agree with this. My son is also 9 and took his PALs this fall and got to the 9th grade level. That said, I don't think he is comprehending everything at that level, even if technically he can read it. He really likes Big Nate books.

Just because she can read at a 9th grade level does not mean she is absorbing the information at that level. Many 9th grade level books are not linguistically difficult to read but will contain concepts she just won't get.

My third grader is the same way. She is now into all of the graphic novels. She's reading Ghost, A Wrinkle in Time (graphic novel version), and A Call of the Wild (graphic novel version).

Series with smart girl protagonists--esp. Golden Compass and A Wrinkle in Time

Anonymous wrote:When i was nine i loved Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Still do!

This. I see no reason why a 9 year old cannot read some of the real classics. They do have an adult theme but no really inappropriate material. If she is like me, she will read them many many times over her life, and get different perspective each time she reads them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apparently... according to the teacher she's at a 9th grade level. She loves to read, and she's complained that the books that challenge her are "boring," presumably because she's not mature enough or at the right developmental stage to read what 14 year olds are. Are there specific books out there? She likes series books, like Dork Diaries, etc., and getting her to read "real literature" isn't her thing.

If she likes Dork Diaries, I'd try to focus on some books that at least get her reading books that are for those around her age, but which aren't so much comic based and have more complex sentences. I'd completely forget the "9th grade level" part because you're going to miss out on some wonderful literature for the middle grades. How about:

Magic Half (book 1) & Magic in the Mix (book 2) by Annie Barrows

Humphey series (about a classroom hamster)

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series

Wayside School series

Grace Lin books (author)

This - and:

Sarah Plain & Tall (series)

Anonymous wrote:Apparently... according to the teacher she's at a 9th grade level. She loves to read, and she's complained that the books that challenge her are "boring," presumably because she's not mature enough or at the right developmental stage to read what 14 year olds are. Are there specific books out there? She likes series books, like Dork Diaries, etc., and getting her to read "real literature" isn't her thing.

If she likes Dork Diaries, I'd try to focus on some books that at least get her reading books that are for those around her age, but which aren't so much comic based and have more complex sentences. I'd completely forget the "9th grade level" part because you're going to miss out on some wonderful literature for the middle grades. How about:

Magic Half (book 1) & Magic in the Mix (book 2) by Annie Barrows

Humphey series (about a classroom hamster)

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series

Wayside School series

Grace Lin books (author)

My DD is 9 as well and also reads at a 9th grade level. The thing is she only wants to read dork diaries and diary of a wimpy kid. Her teacher said it's because she likely can't relate to the other books.

It's interesting other pp's with advanced readers have the same situation. When I was a kid I was an advanced reader as well and I couldn't wait to read Anne of green gables etc. Mine just isn't interested in those books.

Her teacher also said that's it's the love of reading that needs to be encouraged at this age and whatever she wants to read is fine.

She read all of the Cupcake diaries books a few years ago and liked those.

I'll try some of the suggestions above.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here. I did a quick google serach for books at the eighth grade reading level, and found the serachable Scholastic site.

http://www.scholastic.com/tbw/quickSearch.do?Ntx=mode+matchany&Ntk=TBW_CustomBook_SI&Ne=1314&N=0+1964+1965+1966+1967+1968+1969+1970+1971+1972+1973+1974#cart/cleanup

You can search by reading level (7-8th grade), and then scroll through for books that are at a lower interest level (3rd-5th grade). There's a lot to wade through, but some new ideas DD and I hadn't considered before.

DD likes action/adventure books -- basically, any variation of kids on a quest to solve a mystery or figure out a secret.

Here's one I hadn't seen before but might grab from the library for her to try:

http://www.scholastic.com/tbw/quickSearch.do?N=0+$&fq=Series:^Tunnels^&Ntk=TBW_QuickSearch_SI&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial#cart/cleanup

Spy School series
Mysterious Benedict Society series
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library series
The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland Series
The Golden Compass Series
The Mapmakers Trilogy Series