Several of my students are reading various Twilight books. We had a fairly decent discussion about them after school today. Most of them clung to the high school girl romance of the books but could see my frustration and annoyance with them. One or two actually liked Breaking Dawn and were strong enough to accept the horror their friends responded with at the revelation. One of my students has stated she isn't going to read any of the series simply because the vampires sparkle.

Some of them were not familiar with a lot of other vampire fiction. Our conversation then turned to 'Dracula' and 'Salem's Lot'. There is probably going to be a run on those from the school library, now.

Ooh, we own Coraline. That is certainly romantic and scary. We have the first HP, too. I'll try them and see what happens. Narnia would be lovely. That's a great idea. I have no idea what the Search for Delicious is, but I'll check on it. She might like some Goosebumps, but she's more the dying of consumption than eaten by monsters sort of reader.

she's more the dying of consumption than eaten by monsters sort of reader.

Anyone surprised? Anyone? Bueller?

The Spiderwick Chronicles are a big hit in our house - trolls, goblins, and fairies, but nothing really scary or too gross. I LOVE Search for Delicious; it's by the author of Tuck Everlasting, which is good too (and mos def romantic). Is she old enough for Lemony Snicket? I've never read them. The Hobbit?

My father read me an abridged version of The Count of Monte Cristo aloud when I was maybe 8, and while it is a romantic DEATH book, I don't think it's really appropriate for the age.

She's almost 7, reading at about 7/8/9ish age in vocab, a little older in concept.

Anyone? Jilli?

SHE IS NOT ALMOST SEVEN!!! NO WAY!!! OMG!!!

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Ahem. That aside (!!!!!!!), I second the Lemony Snicket rec, and the Spiderwick rec. Skulduggery Pleasant is maybe a bit too tricky just now, but check it out - I definitely think it will be Kara's cup of tea (feisty 13 year old lass becomes trainee wizard/detective as the sidekick to an animated skeleton who bears a striking resemblance to Remmington Steel. Also features the fabulous swashbuckling lass Tanith Low, who rocks my socks).

I never read anything age appropriate, and I don't know what these new-fangled kids are reading. I thought of a couple, though. Caddie Woodlawn is about a pioneer girl. There's Rumor Godden's The Dolls' House, which does have the tragic sacrifice of a highly flammable doll. I read Edward Eager's magic books, which are all about ordinary children who stumbled on magic. I loved those, and, in the wake of Harry Potter, they have reissued them all, but I do wonder if today's children are put off by the '50s setting. Still, I just looked up Seven-Day Magic to see what age it's recommended for and the Inside the Book feature showed the first line: "The best kind of book is a magic book." It made me want to read them again.

I have no idea what the Search for Delicious is, but I'll check on it.

It's a great book. Someone in the king's court is compiling a dictionary, and no one can agree on what the definition for "delicious" should be. (By "definition," they seem to mean "ultimate example.") So the young prince goes on a quest across the kingdom to talk to everyone and try to figure out what "delicious" should be. Gathers a bunch of other people along the way, means all kinds of neat creatures in the forest, and basically a classic quest story, but on a kid level.

I couldn't find Coraline on the shelf, so I handed her Half-Magic (I have the whole set of Eager books from some lovely Buffista). She's head deep in it right now. I have 13 Clocks standing by as well, which was also a Buffista gift.

Fay, she is! Crazy, isn't it? I think MM folded time when he was supposed to be transporting someone or something.

That sounds awesome, Hil. I'd like it whether she would or not.

Spiderwick Chronicles is a great idea. She loved the movie. I'll try her on Lemony Snicket, and I'm glad to get the Skulduggery Pleasant rec again because I've been meaning to read that myself.

Going back a bit, what about Little Women? I mean, we've got the whole consumption angle there.

Abby's been a huge fan of The Warriors series and The Five Ancestors. If she can handle Harry Potter, she can probably handle The Tapestry. (She's sitting next to me offering recs as fast as I can type-- I'll dig up the links in a second.) Oh and Nate tore through the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.

Oh, and she just said, "I'm really enjoying My Most Excellent Year but that one's recommended for older readers.

And she's ten, btw.

I was a pioneer girl, too. I read Caddie Woodlawn, the Little House Books, etc.

I also had this really great book from Scholastic called The Seventh Princess, which was about a modern girl transported into a fairy realm and treated like a princess. Eventually she learns that although she was a princess, she was also a sacrifice, and would be carried away to be eaten by a big bird. But she was plucky, and she saves herself and all the former princesses! I loved it. [link] Ut says 9-12, but I am pretty sure I read it earlier

I also adored the Boxcar Children, The Five Little Peppers, The All of a Kind Family, Little Women as well as the Bobbsey Twins by that age. This was second/third gradish, and some of them were read to me, but my mom read me chapter books almost always (she hated kids books). I also read Jane Eyre in 4th grade so I was a little precocious, but I suspect Kara is too. Actually, she would probably (or in a few years) love the beginning of Jane Eyre, where Jane had the cruel aunt, threw tantrums in a red room, and went to school with Helen Burns, who died of consumption. For many years, this was all I got out of the book.